Quiet Riot’s Rudy Sarzo recently addressed the possibility of former guitarist Carlos Cavazo returning to the band. He shared his thoughts in a recent interview.
Sarzo was asked directly whether he would be open to Cavazo rejoining or performing with the band. The question noted that Cavazo is an original member who contributed significantly to the group’s classic material.
When asked, “Would you ever be up for Carlos Cavazo being in the band or playing on stage? I know Alex is there, but a lot of fans are curious because he’s an original member and I mean he’s responsible as much as you are and Kevin and Frankie for the original music,” Sarzo offered a clear and measured response.
“Yeah. When Frankie and Kevin got together back in, I believe 2004 or 2005, right? They asked Carlos to join and he declined and that’s when they brought in Alex and he’s been there ever since,” Sarzo said.
He then explained his personal stance on the matter, making his position unmistakably clear.
“My answer is I came into the group with three members who are still there. Members that were chosen by the previous members. And Kevin. I respect that. I’m being very clear. I’m respecting what I was asked to come into,” he continued.
Sarzo’s comments make clear that the current lineup remains intact. He has no intention of pushing for any changes to the band’s roster.
The remarks offer a rare and direct window into the internal dynamics of a band that has navigated decades of lineup changes, departures, and reunions. They also underscore just how settled the current configuration has become.
Cavazo was a central figure in Quiet Riot’s most celebrated era. He played on the multi-platinum Metal Health album and remained part of the band through multiple reunions and lineup shifts. His departure in the early 2000s marked the end of his active involvement with the group. When the opportunity to return arose around 2004 or 2005, he chose not to take it.
That decision opened the door for Alex Grossi. He was recruited by Kevin DuBrow and Frankie Banali and has now been the band’s guitarist for over 16 years. During that time, Grossi has written, recorded, and toured extensively with the band. His appearances include the Sweden Rock Festival in 2007 and a performance in front of 50,000 fans at the Bang Your Head German Festival in 2011.
Grossi’s longevity in the role has made him a defining presence in the band’s modern chapter. His tenure has outlasted several other lineup changes and has given Quiet Riot a degree of stability the band had not always enjoyed in its earlier years.
Sarzo rejoined Quiet Riot in 2022 after nearly two decades away from the group. His return brought a familiar face back to a lineup that also includes vocalist Jizzy Pearl. The band has continued to push forward with new touring activity, including a Canadian run scheduled for 2026.
With Sarzo firmly back in the fold and the current lineup showing no signs of fracture, his comments on Cavazo read less as a door being closed and more as a straightforward acknowledgment of how the band arrived at where it stands today.
Source: Border City Rock Talk
