Greg Prato, reporting for Ultimate-Guitar.com:

Ron Thal, guitar maestro famously known as Bumblefoot, pointed out some of the biggest challenges that musicians are facing today, revealing that things can be tough on all levels. It's far from a secret that today's music industry, or pretty much any creative industry, isn't making it easier on the artists. Nonetheless, the love for music and artistic expression prevails, and we still have an abundance of new music with artists constantly pushing the boundaries.

As for Bumblefoot, he's set to release a new album titled Bumblefoot ...Returns! featuring an impressive list of guests, including Brian May, Guthrie Govan, and Steve Vai. We recently caught up with the renowned guitarist and asked him about the state of things and how the industry affects him and all the other hard-working artists.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: What is your take on the current state of the music industry, and also, how do professional musicians survive these days if they're not huge?

Bumblefoot: "The state of the music industry these days is an ever-evolving thing. And as technology evolves even quicker, so does the music industry. It has to - we have to keep up. And with that comes good and bad. I could look back on 25 years, just when Derek Sivers wrote me an email and said, 'Hey, I'm starting this thing where you can sell your own music online, sell your CDs. I'm calling it CD Baby. Would you be interested?' And starting with that.

"I mean, of course, there's issues with companies like Spotify that make billions off of content and the artists. It's pretty fair to say that most artists feel like there's not a fair division of assets. But it is what it is. And if you're going to be creative with your music, you have to be creative with the current state of the music business, and say, 'How can I make this work for me?'"

Find out what else Bumblefoot had to say at Ultimate-Guitar.com.

Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal, is back with a brand-new instrumental album, Bumblefoot ...Returns!, set for release on January 24. Thirty years after his debut solo instrumental album, Bumblefoot revisits his roots with a 14-track masterpiece that spans genres from metal to orchestral to blues.

The album’s opening track, “Simon In Space,” serves as its first single, delivering an electrifying ride through chaos and intensity. The single is available for streaming here. In addition to the single, an animated music video created by Bumblefoot and animator Radek Grabinski is also available, as well as a retro-inspired video game, which is coming soon. Watch the video below.

Reflecting on the single, Bumblefoot shared: “From an early age, my passions were guitar and astrophysics, cosmology – the song ‘Simon in Space’ merges the two. Simon is my cat haha, that's him featured in the artwork.”

Soon fans will be able to immerse themselves in a retro-inspired video game based on the single. More details will be announced soon.

Bumblefoot ...Returns! features collaborations with iconic musicians, including Brian May, Steve Vai, Guthrie Govan, Derek Sherinian, Jerry Gaskill, and others, showcasing Bumblefoot’s innovative guitar techniques, such as his signature fretless guitar and "thimble technique."

On the album, Bumblefoot shared: "It’s been 30 years since releasing the debut Adventures Of Bumblefoot on Shrapnel Records, and I haven’t done a fully instrumental album since. Working on Whom Gods Destroy's album inspired growling heavy fretless parts like ‘Simon In Space’. Watching a blues documentary inspired ‘Moonshine Hootenanny.’ Losing loved ones led to writing 'Funeral March.' Songs become a soundtrack to our lives.”

The album is available for pre-order now on vinyl, CD, and cassette, with exclusive merch bundles at Bumblefoot.com. Highlights of the physical editions include:

- Vinyl: Double-disc gatefold with UV art pressing on Side 4.
- CD: Includes an 8-panel foldout square poster.
- Cassette: Features 10 panels of artwork.

Pre-order Bumblefoot ...Returns! here.

Tracklisting:

"Simon In Space"
"Planetary Lockdown"
"Moonshine Hootenanny"
"Chopin Waltz Op64 No2"
"Monstruoso" (ft. Steve Vai)
"Monstruoso II – Departure"
"Cintaku"
"Once in Forever" (ft. Brian May)
"Andalusia"
"Anveshana" (ft. Guthrie Govan)
"Funeral March" (ft. Ben Karas)
"Griggstown Crossing"
"The Thread"
"Liftoff"

"Simon In Space" video:

About Bumblefoot:

Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal is a celebrated guitarist, producer, composer, and educator with a career spanning over 30 years. Known for his groundbreaking techniques, Bumblefoot has performed with Guns N' Roses, Asia, Sons of Apollo, Whom Gods Destroy, and more.

Bumblefoot is an adjunct professor, international cultural ambassador, philanthropist, and hot sauce entrepreneur, whose work has been featured in TV, film, and video games, including VH1’s That Metal Show.

For more information, exclusive merch, and album pre-orders, visit Bumblefoot.com.