Sixx: A.M., the hard rock trio led by Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, are releasing a new single called “Maybe It’s Time,” as Artists for Recovery, featuring Slash (Guns n’ Roses), Corey Taylor (Slipknot), Tommy Vext (Bad Wolves), Joe Elliott (Def Leppard), Brantley Gilbert (solo country artist), Ivan Moody (Five Finger Death Punch) and AWOLNATION. The song was made for Global Recovery Initiatives to benefit saving lives in the face of the opioid crisis.

The song goes full-out in pop rock ballad tradition, coming together to sound like the sort of single Aerosmith would’ve released in the 90’s. The belted chorus, “Maybe it’s time to heal/Maybe it’s time to try/Maybe it’s time to deal with all the pieces in my life/Maybe I’ll sober up/Maybe before I die/Maybe I’ll finally deal with all the wreckage in my life” campaigns its message. To match the energy, the song goes in a symphonic rock direction, and includes a pivotal key change to take the tune up another notch. 

Record label Better Noise Music released the song on August 20. They’re also working with their Better Noise Films brand to release a movie called Sno Babies about two popular college-bound girls who are addicted to heroin. “Maybe It’s Time” will appear in it as part of the soundtrack.

Aside from his iconic role in Guns n’ Roses, Slash also played guitar for Velvet Revolver, a band that featured Scott Weiland on vocals. Weiland, best known as the frontman for Stone Temple Pilots, died from opioid abuse. Slash confirmed last year that Guns n’ Roses were putting work in on their first album in over ten years, but more recently can be heard on a collaboration covering The Beatles’ “Come Together.”

As for the other featured artists on the track, Corey Taylor has his debut solo album coming out in October 2020. The Slipknot/Stone Sour vocalist recorded it during lockdown. He also announced earlier this month that Stone Sour will be on hiatus indefinitely. Tommy Vext, the vocalist for Bad Wolves, made controversial waves in June when he, a Black American, posted a video to Instagram claiming he had never experienced any racism in the U.S. and questioned the Black Lives Matter Movement. Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard announced their rescheduled tour dates for 2021 in June. 

Brantley Gilbert may seem like the odd man out among these features as the only country musician on the lineup, but “Maybe It’s Time” does have a somewhat country rock feel thanks to Gilbert’s contributions. Gilbert has enjoyed a solid career in the Bro-Country scene, releasing five studio albums since 2009’s A Modern Day Prodigal Son.

Metal band Five Finger Death Punch have continued to regularly release music with their latest album, F8, out in February this year. AWOLNATION also released an album this year, in April, called Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders.