The Scene: Getting Blink back to Blink-182

It sounds like Tom DeLonge is finally getting into his spaceship and taking off from the Blink-182 crowd for good.

The estranged frontman has been in the news for multiple reasons lately. First, it was due to comments made by the band, which lead to reports of his departure and alienation from Blink. Then, he made headlines for his comments about an alien encounter he had.

I grew up loving Blink-182, and you better believe that I sang along to every part of the group’s set at Riot Fest two years ago. But it’s a new era and now is the time for a reinvention of the punk-rock group — this time without Tom.

With respect to his work, Angels & Airwaves is an amazing project and I’ve loved every album that has come from it. It was also fun to hear a new Blink album, Neighborhoods (2011), but there was one major problem — it sounded like an Angels & Airwaves album featuring Travis Barker and Mark Hoppus.

And it’s great that spacey-alternative rock is Tom’s new thing, but when Blink reunited in 2009, twentysomething fans were disappointed because they sounded nothing like the band they’ve been singing along to since middle school. Some bands can reinvent themselves and it works, and some were meant to stay with their signature sound. Blink truly is the later.

And all reports point to the fact that Mark and Travis would love to go back to the old days, while Tom would rather not. In recent months, the frontman has made it very clear that his commitment to a new Blink album isn’t strong. Although he has yet to make an official statement that he’s leaving the band, his actions speak loudly as he focuses on other projects. He’s the one hindrance for new music for Blink.

I think it is time for him to step down.

In a recent interview with Alternative Nation, Travis Barker made a statement that put heat on Tom by calling out his lack of interest in making punk-rock music. Barker also revealed strong desires to see the frontman “man up” and formally leave Blink.

But who would replace Tom if/when his spaceship comes and he formally leaves?

Rumors show that Mark and Travis may already have a solution by enlisting Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skibba to perform alongside the pair at an upcoming show. Skibba would make sense with his passion for punk rock. He could help Blink-182 move back to its roots.

Sure, at this moment it seems kind of unlikely that Skibba would replace Tom (although certainly a good move), but I also never thought I’d see the day where Chester Bennington (the voice of ’00s teenage angst) would take the helm as frontman for ’90s grunge band Stone Temple Pilots. But the did.

According to Tom, aliens exist. I believe miracles exist, so while Tom is being abducted, maybe Skibba can create a miracle and get Blink back to sounding like Blink.

Caleb Dennis: Twitter.com/TheWriterCalebD.