MATT SORUM Is Still 'Very Upset' CHRIS CORNELL, CHESTER BENNINGTON And SCOTT WEILAND Are No Longer With Us

As a member of GUNS N' ROSES, Matt Sorum lived a well-documented rock and roll lifestyle that included heavy drinking and drug use. In a brand new interview with the "Appetite For Distortion" podcast, the drummer reflected on his past life on the edge, saying (hear audio below): "At that particular time of our lives, you're young and you're out there and you're rebellious, and you're doing what you think is right at the time.

"I meet younger kids and younger bands and they're partying and they're doing their thing, and I've got nothing to say about any of that except for you're gonna get there when you get there, and you're gonna do what you're gonna do until you don't do it anymore.

"I've gotta say a large percentage of those years were great. [Laughs] I don't go back, 'Oh, man, it was horrible. I was in such bad shape.' Yes, there was times.

"Back in the day, as hard as we went at it, I thought someone was gonna die, for sure," Matt added. "And I used to worry probably more about the other guys than me. Especially Duff [McKagan, bass], I thought any day, 'cause there was times when I would see him and I'd go, 'God…'

"But we've all lived to tell the tale, if you will, with the exception of people that we love, like Scott [Weiland, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and VELVET REVOLVER singer], and people that we lost, like Chester [Bennington, LINKIN PARK frontman] and Chris Cornell [SOUNDGARDEN vocalist]."

Sorum went on to say that he is "very upset" about the fact that Cornell, Bennington and Weiland are no longer with us. "Those were the guys that were gonna fill the bill for the guys that came before them," Matt said. "Those were the three greats that were gonna replace the icons before them. Who's gonna replace Mick [Jagger] and Steven Tyler and all these great rock and roll frontmen? Who are the next generation? Who are the guys that are gonna take their place for the next generation to go, 'Oh my God. This is Chris Cornell, one of the greatest rock singers of all time.'"

Sorum's autobiography, "Double Talkin' Jive: True Rock 'N' Roll Stories From The Drummer Of Guns N' Roses, The Cult, And Velvet Revolver", which was previously due in April and was subsequently pushed back to early July, will now arrive in late summer or early fall.

Sorum, who replaced Steven Adler in GUNS N' ROSES, recorded the highly successful albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" (both 1991) and "The Spaghetti Incident" (1994). He also supported the group on the "Use Your Illusion" tour and can be heard on GUNS N' ROSES' "Live Era: '87-'93" (1999) and "Greatest Hits" (2004).

Photo credit: Michael Segal