In the six months since Blink-182 announced they were going on "indefinite hiatus," two-thirds of the band have remained visible and active, freely discussing their plans for the future. Bassist Mark Hoppus has shifted his attention to producing albums and hosting podcasts, while drummer Travis Barker has been doing basically everything under the sun, including starring in a reality TV show, launching a shoe line and working on no less than three other musical projects — the Transplants, Plus-44 (an electronic-tinged project with Hoppus) and an unnamed DJ/drummer collaboration with DJ AM.

The same cannot be said, however, for Blink guitarist Tom DeLonge, who all but disappeared in the wake of the Blink bust-up and has remained silent ever since, granting no interviews and making zero public appearances.

Understandably, fans began to wonder just what DeLonge had been up to. And now, they know ... sort of.

On Friday (September 16), DeLonge released a rather grandiose, cryptic and curiously punctuated statement on his whereabouts. Apparently, for the past six months, he's been hard at work in the studio, "preparing the greatest rock and roll revolution for this generation," a.k.a. the debut album from his new band, Angels & Airwaves.

"I love my fans, and I promise, I will not let you down. The music that we all grew to cherish that was made, not only will continue, but will be much, much better," his statement read. "All I can say is hold on, and prepare ..."

DeLonge's statement mirrors the bombastic braggadocio of an earlier statement posted on — and since removed from — from Angels & Airwaves' MySpace page, which read in part, "I have a new band ... and it is the most amazing music I have ever made by a long shot. I am two songs from finishing the best f---ing album anybody has heard in 20 years."

"This is the best music made in decades ... It is so much more powerful, emotional and melodic than Box Car and Blink put together, that I am currently sh---ing my pants," the statement continued. "You all must know, I didn't want Blink to go on hiatus, but it had to ... you all will learn why ... soon."

OK then. Blink's label, Geffen Records, did confirm that the Angels & Airwaves album is nearly completed, and that a "major announcement" from the band will be coming in the next few weeks. In the meantime, the band's official Web site, angelsandairwaves.com, has gone live, though there's not much on it other than a pretty bitchin' logo.

But when we'll hear a note of DeLonge's "amazing" music remains to be seen. In the meantime, Blink fans jonesing for a fix can take comfort in the fact that Plus-44 is rolling along nicely, and the band plans on hitting the studio sometime in October.

— James Montgomery

Also see:
 See Plus 44 section on aliens-exist.net.
Song Meanings

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