A posthumous release from celebrated British guitarist John Sykes is set to arrive later this year, with Golden Robot Records confirming plans for a new EP honoring the late musician’s legacy.
Announcing the project, the Australian label described the forthcoming EP as a “deeply special and historic release,” adding that it will “offer fans a powerful final chapter from one of rock’s most revered guitarists.” Further details, including track listings and a precise release date, have not yet been disclosed.
John Sykes, whose influential career included tenures with Tygers Of Pan Tang, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Blue Murder, and his own solo work, died in January 2025 at the age of 65 following a battle with cancer. His passing was confirmed in a statement shared on his verified Facebook page.
In the years prior to his death, Sykes had been working intermittently on new solo material. In July 2021, he released a music video for “Out Alive“, a song recorded several years earlier and originally intended for his long-anticipated solo album Sy-Ops. The video was produced by Parker Thibault and marked one of Sykes’ final official releases during his lifetime.
Earlier that same year, Sykes had shared “Dawning Of A Brand New Day“, another Sy-Ops track accompanied by a Thibault-produced video featuring additional footage from Natasha Gregory and James Sykes. Additional songs reportedly slated for the album included “Believe In Yourself” and “My Guitar“.
Despite the new EP announcement, Sykes’ history with Golden Robot Records has been complicated. The guitarist signed with the label in January 2019, at which time he indicated that his first studio album in two decades would be released before the end of that year. However, in 2020, Sykes revealed that he had parted ways with the company without issuing any records through the label.
At the time, Sykes publicly expressed frustration with the situation, later stating that the label had made “little attempt to move things forward despite our best efforts and patience.”
How the upcoming posthumous EP fits within that history has not been clarified, but the label’s announcement frames the release as a tribute rather than a continuation of earlier plans. For longtime fans, it represents a rare opportunity to hear previously unreleased or finalized material from a guitarist whose tone, songwriting, and technical precision left a lasting mark on hard rock and heavy metal.
