Simmons stated that rock is "dead" in a September interview with Esquire magazine, and the headlines generated by that statement overshadowed the specifics of his argument that the industry no longer has the ability to support new artists who need time and space to develop.

The Kiss bassist faced an immediate backlash from several artists, including Rob Halford, Slash, and Ian himself. The Anthrax guitarist now tells Ultimate Classic Rock: "There's a lot right in what Gene's saying. I disagree in the fact that I don't believe rock is actually dead. What he's saying about the industry will not allow for the next Led Zeppelin and things like that, I do agree with that, to an extent, because the industry is not what it was."

"There is no industry anymore that signs bands to develop them over a course of five records, like it was in the sixties, seventies and eighties, and then that all went away in the nineties. So for a band these days to get to make five albums until they� Bands don't sell records anymore, so the whole idea of that even is out the window; just the whole model has changed and it has to change, because people steal music now."