MTV: How will it feel to take the stage with these “hired guns,” as they call it? A different band? Will you miss something?

Williams: I really am going to miss Zac a whole lot. Zac is one of my favorite drummers in the world, and he has been since he was 13 years old. That’s really going to suck. But I don’t want him to ever not be happy. And … if he stayed, and for me to turn around and not see him happy, that would suck worse than not seeing him at all. I think that will be the hardest part to get used to. I mean, yes, Josh Freese, incredible drummer. I think he’s the best guy we could’ve gotten to come do this tour with us, but no one will ever replace Zac in my heart. Zac is one of my favorite people. And you know what? Yeah, it will suck, but I think that now that we are so unified that the three of us know exactly what we’re doing, we want to be here so bad, and I think that’s going to feel really good, to know that we’re not dragging anyone around, we’re not making anyone do anything they don’t want to do, that’s going to be exciting. And I guess I don’t have any regrets about it. I just feel like, “Let’s just start this new chapter already,” because it can only be great. We’re not going to let ourselves not be great. We’re gonna make it good.