By LoffMusic Editorial Staff – July 31, 2025
Line-up changes, creative pulses and two key bands of contemporary rock in full mutation. Foo Fighters have found a new drummer in Ilan Rubin, while Josh Freese – who until recently held that position – officially returns to Nine Inch Nails, a band with whom he has a deep personal and professional history.
The relief was confirmed this Wednesday, July 30 through media outlets such as Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, as well as on Nine Inch Nails‘ social media, which posted an image of Freese with the message, “Let’s f-ing go.”
🔁 A change foretold: from tribute to Hawkins to the new cycle.
Josh Freese, known for his impressive resume as a session drummer and member of bands such as A Perfect Circle and The Vandals, joined Foo Fighters in 2023 following the death of Taylor Hawkins. His role was instrumental in sustaining the group’s emotional legacy following the tragic loss.
However, in May of this year, Foo Fighters announced that they would be taking “a new direction” regarding their drummer. Although Freese did not specify reasons, he acknowledged that the change was mutual and respectful.
Now, with his return to Nine Inch Nails for the Peel It Back tour, Freese is returning to an environment he knows well: he was part of the Trent Reznor-led group from 2005 to 2008, and his departure was a family decision. “I knew I had to stay home with my family,” he wrote recently.
🥁 Ilan Rubin: the youngest multi-instrumentalist in the Hall of Fame.
Ilan Rubin’ s joining Foo Fighters is another key step in his career. At just 32 years old, he has already been drummer for Nine Inch Nails for 16 years, in addition to collaborating with artists such as Paramore, Angels & Airwaves and Danny Elfman. He was the youngest musician to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020, alongside Reznor and company.
It is still unclear whether Rubin will be an official member or just a touring drummer with Foo Fighters. What is known is that he will not participate in the North American leg of the Nine Inch Nails tour, a close source confirmed.
🌍 Foo Fighters kicks off new tour in Asia
Rubin will make his debut with Foo Fighters on the first leg of their 2025 tour, which kicks off on October 2 in Jakarta, Indonesia, and will continue to Singapore, Tokyo, Osaka and Mexico City. A return to the stage that marks a new stage for a band that, after the catharsis of 2022, returns to sound with renewed strength.
