Hoya from MADBALL disses ANTHRAX on "The Merciless Book Of Metal Lists"!

If you haven't picked up your copy of "The Merciless Book Of Metal Lists". What are you waiting for? It is not a fine piece of literature by any means, but it is a very entertaining book that was put together by Howie Abrams and Sacha Jenkins.

One list that definitely caught our attention, was the list compiled by Hoya Roc from NYHC legends MADBALL. His list is called "10 Reasons Why ANTHRAX Should Never Be Associated With Hardcore" and he only needed eight reasons to prove his point.

1) Going to a (hardcore) show once every leap year doesn't make you part of a scene.

2) Going bald and then fronting like you shaved your head on purpose doesn't make you hardcore.

3) Synchronized stage moshing is corny!

4) The "NOT MAN"??? WEAK!!!

5) Destroying Public Enemy's "Fight The Power"

6) Never taking a hardcore band on tour!

7) Dissed hardcore until they figured out they would never be Metallica.
 
8, 9, AND 10) Attempting to trademark the NYHC symbol makes them officially the WACKest wannabe, never-was band to try and claim the glory of hardcore music!!!



Related links:
Madball on Facebook Madball on MySpace
The Merciless Book Of Metal Lists on Facebook

ANTHRAX To Play With IRON MAIDEN In Europe & California - Tour Dates Available!

ANTHRAX will be playing with IRON MAIDEN this Summer. Scott Ian Tweeted earlier today: "We are playing with @IronMaiden in Madrid, Barcelona, Bucharest, Istanbul, Zagreb and San Bernardino."

Here are the tour dates were you can catch two of most prolific bands in Heavy Music history:

- June 31: Madrid, Spain at Sonisphere Festival
- July 1: Barcelona, Spain at Sonisphere Festival
- July 26: Istanbul, Turkey at Istanbul Inonu Stadium
- July 31: Zagreb, Croatia at Arena
- September 13: San Bernardino, California at San Manuel Ampitheater

ANTHRAX wants to meet their New York City fans on Saturday, April 20th at J&R Music in downtown Manhattan. ANTHRAX will be signing autographs of their latest release 'Anthems' on Record Store Day starting at 12:30 PM. RSVP here!

The Metal Alliance Tour, that also features Exodus, High on Fire, Municipal Waste and Holy Grail, will be touring the country through late April. Remaining dates are below. 

The remaining dates for the Metal Alliance tour are as follows (General-admission tickets are available now at this link):

Apr. 10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
Apr. 12 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Apr. 13 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Apr. 14 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
Apr. 16 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 20 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY

Related links:
ANTHRAX's Official Site 

ANTHRAX's Joey Belladonna Sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" At DA BULLS Game - Video Available!

Last night, Joey Belladona from ANTHRAX sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" (the US National Anthem) at the Chicago Bulls game! The game took place at United Centre, home of "Da Bulls". The Bulls played the Orlando Magic, and beat them 87-86. You can watch video of Joey's performance below.

ANTHRAX are currently pummeling audiences all over the United States Of Metal as they headline the 2013 Metal Alliance Tour. The band is currently performing their classic 'Among The Living' album in its entirety, as well as songs from the just-released covers EP, 'Anthems'.

The band wants to meet their New York City fans on Saturday, April 20th at J&R Music in downtown Manhattan. ANTHRAX will be signing autographs of their latest release Anthems on Record Store Day April 20th starting at 12:30 PM. RSVP here!

The Metal Alliance Tour, that also features Exodus, High on Fire, Municipal Waste and Holy Grail, will be touring the country through late April. Remaining dates are below. 

The remaining dates for the Metal Alliance tour are as follows (General-admission tickets are available now at this link):

Apr. 06 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
Apr. 07 - Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
Apr. 09 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
Apr. 10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
Apr. 12 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Apr. 13 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Apr. 14 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
Apr. 16 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 20 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY



Related links:
ANTHRAX's Official Site

ANTHRAX's Joey Belladonna To Sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" Tonight!

This is awesome! Joey Belladona from ANTHRAX will be singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" (the US National Anthem) at the Chicago Bulls game tonight! The game will take place United Centre, home of "Da Bulls". The Bulls will be playing the Orlando Magic. The event will begin at 7 PM (local time).

ANTHRAX are currently pummeling audiences all over the United States Of Metal as they headline the 2013 Metal Alliance Tour. The band is currently performing their classic 'Among The Living' album in its entirety, as well as songs from the just-released covers EP, 'Anthems'.

The band wants to meet their New York City fans on Saturday, April 20th at J&R Music in downtown Manhattan. ANTHRAX will be signing autographs of their latest release Anthems on Record Store Day April 20th starting at 12:30 PM. RSVP here!

The Metal Alliance Tour, that also features Exodus, High on Fire, Municipal Waste and Holy Grail, will be touring the country through late April. Remaining dates are below. 

The remaining dates for the Metal Alliance tour are as follows (General-admission tickets are available now at this link):

Apr. 05 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
Apr. 06 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
Apr. 07 - Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
Apr. 09 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
Apr. 10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
Apr. 12 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Apr. 13 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Apr. 14 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
Apr. 16 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 20 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY

Related links:
ANTHRAX's Official Site

ANTHRAX Want To Meet Their New York Fans On Record Store Day - Details Available!

ANTHRAX are currently pummeling audiences all over the United States Of Metal as they headline the 2013 Metal Alliance Tour. The band is currently performing their classic 'Among The Living' album in its entirety, as well as songs from the just-released covers EP, 'Anthems'.

The band wants to meet their New York City fans on Saturday, April 20th at J&R Music in downtown Manhattan. ANTHRAX will be signing autographs of their latest release Anthems on Record Store Day April 20th starting at 12:30 PM. RSVP here!

The Metal Alliance Tour, that also features Exodus, High on Fire, Municipal Waste and Holy Grail, will be touring the country through late April. Remaining dates are below. 

The remaining dates for the Metal Alliance tour are as follows (General-admission tickets are available now at this link):

Apr. 02 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
Apr. 04 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
Apr. 05 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
Apr. 06 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
Apr. 07 - Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
Apr. 09 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
Apr. 10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
Apr. 12 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Apr. 13 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Apr. 14 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
Apr. 16 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 20 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY

Related links:
ANTHRAX's Official Site

ANTHRAX Joined By METALLICA's Kirk Hammett At The Metal Alliance Concert In San Francisco!

Last night in San Francisco, CA, ANTHRAX, who are headlining the Metal Alliance Tour, played to a sold-out crowd at the Regency Ballroom. But the fans got a little more than Anthrax playing their classic 'Among The Living' album in its entirety, or songs from the just-released covers EP, 'Anthems'.

Joining Anthrax on stage for their AC/DC cover of "T.N.T." was none other than Kirk Hammet from METALLICA who played lead on the song.

The Metal Alliance Tour, that also features Exodus, High on Fire, Municipal Waste and Holy Grail, will be touring the country through late April. Remaining dates are below. 

Here is some fan filmed footage of Kirk jamming "T.N.T." with ANTHRAX:




The dates for the Metal Alliance tour are as follows (General-admission tickets are available now at this link):

Mar. 29 - The Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
Mar. 30 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
Mar. 31 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
Apr. 02 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
Apr. 04 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
Apr. 05 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
Apr. 06 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
Apr. 07 - Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
Apr. 09 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
Apr. 10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
Apr. 12 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Apr. 13 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Apr. 14 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
Apr. 16 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 20 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY

Related links:
ANTHRAX's Official Site

ANTHRAX Joined By Slash & Chuck D. At The Metal Alliance Concert In L.A.

Last night in Hollywood, CA, ANTHRAX, who are headlining the Metal Alliance Tour, played to a sold-out crowd at the House of Blues. But the fans got a little more than Anthrax playing their classic 'Among The Living' album in its entirety, or songs from the just-released covers EP, 'Anthems'.

Joining Anthrax on stage for their AC/DC cover of "T.N.T." was none other than Slash who played lead on the song, and then, later in the show, Chuck D came out for "Bring The Noise", the song Anthrax and Public Enemy recorded together in 1991 and that combined Metal and Rap for the first time ever.

Also in the House last night were Slayer's Kerry King, John Tempesta from The Cult, Justin Chancellor from Tool, Dethklok/Metalocalpyse's Brendon Small and actor/musician Brian Posehn.

The Metal Alliance Tour, that also features Exodus, High on Fire, Municipal Waste and Holy Grail, will be touring the country through late April. Remaining dates are below. 

Here is some fan filmed footage of Slash jamming "T.N.T." with ANTHRAX:



The dates for the Metal Alliance tour are as follows (General-admission tickets are available now at this link):

Mar. 28 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
Mar. 29 - The Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
Mar. 30 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
Mar. 31 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
Apr. 02 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
Apr. 04 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
Apr. 05 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
Apr. 06 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
Apr. 07 - Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
Apr. 09 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
Apr. 10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
Apr. 12 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Apr. 13 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Apr. 14 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
Apr. 16 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 20 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral
Related links:
ANTHRAX's Official Site

Listen To ANTHRAX's Cover Of BOSTON's "Smokin"!

'Anthems', Anthrax's long-awaited, eight-track EP that pays tribute to the classic songs by some of Anthrax's favorite bands from the 1970s, will be released in North America on March 19 (MRI/Megaforce), and on March 22 in Europe (Nuclear Blast). The track listing for 'Anthems' features Rush's "Anthem," Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak," "TNT" by AC/DC, Boston's "Smokin'," "Big Eyes" by Cheap Trick, Journey's "Keep on Runnin," as well as the album version and a special remix of Anthrax's "Crawl" from the band's critically-acclaimed 2011 album 'Worship Music'. 

Right now, you can crank Anthrax's cover of BOSTON's song "Smokin":



The EP will be available on CD as well as digitally via iTunes and other online retailers. In addition to the cover art for 'Anthems', Benante and artist Stephen Thompson have subtly redesigned each track's original album cover art to "Anthrax" it. The 'Anthems' EP will first be housed in one of the "re-imagined" digipak covers, and then inserted inside the main CD cover sleeve. The main cover sleeve has been designed in such a way so fans will be able to see which one of the six "re-imagined" covers is inside.

'Anthems' was produced by Anthrax, Jay Ruston and the bands former guitarist Rob Caggiano, and recorded for the most part throughout 2012 literally all over the world: at Benante's home studio, in Ruston's New York studio, on the band's tour bus while on last summer's Mayhem Tour, in hotel rooms, and backstage at their Berlin show last December.

Don't forget that ANTHRAX - Belladonna/vocals, Benante/drums, Scott Ian/guitar and Frank Bello/bass - will hit the road in support 'Anthems' on February 16 with dates in India and Australia, and then return to North America to headline the Metal Alliance Tour that kicks off March 22 in California. For all of these dates, Anthrax will be joined by Shadows Fall guitarist Jon Donais.

Once again, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante is sitting out during his bands live performances. It has been confirmed that Benante did not travel with the band due to personal issues, Jon Dette (former SLAYER drummer) is replacing Benante during ANTHRAX's Australian tour. "Charlie is dealing with personal issues right now and can't leave the country", commented Scott Ian. "He's really bummed about not being able to head down there."

Additionally, the band will not be performing with guitarist Rob Caggiano, who left the band to join VOLBEAT (More info HERE)! He was temporarily replaced by Jon Donais from SHADOWS FALL.

Benante is expected to be back with ANTHRAX during this year's Metal Alliance tour, which they will be headlining (tour dates below). 





The dates for the Metal Alliance tour are as follows (General-admission tickets are available now at this link):

Mar. 23 - House of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
Mar. 24 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
Mar. 25 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
Mar. 27 - House of Blues - West Hollywood, CA
Mar. 28 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
Mar. 29 - The Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
Mar. 30 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
Mar. 31 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
Apr. 02 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
Apr. 04 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
Apr. 05 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
Apr. 06 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
Apr. 07 - Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
Apr. 09 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
Apr. 10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
Apr. 12 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Apr. 13 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Apr. 14 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
Apr. 16 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 20 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY
Apr. 21 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY

Related links:
ANTHRAX's Official Site

ANTHRAX's Charlie Benante Talks About Metal Alliance Tour & NEW Covers EP 'Anthems'!

'Anthems', Anthrax's long-awaited, eight-track EP that pays tribute to the classic songs by some of Anthrax's favorite bands from the 1970s, will be released in North America on March 19 (MRI/Megaforce), and on March 22 in Europe (Nuclear Blast). The track listing for 'Anthems' features Rush's "Anthem," Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak," "TNT" by AC/DC, Boston's "Smokin'," "Big Eyes" by Cheap Trick, Journey's "Keep on Runnin," as well as the album version and a special remix of Anthrax's "Crawl" from the band's critically-acclaimed 2011 album 'Worship Music'. 

Additionally, ANTHRAX will be headlining this year's Metal Alliance Tour. The band will be performing their classic 'Among The Living' in its entirety. Our friends over at Metal Assault conducted an interview with Charlie Benante about 'Anthems' and about Metal Alliance 2013! A few excerpts of the interview follow:

What are you up to these days, man? Just doing press for the tour?

Yeah, pretty much. And I’m also doing some artwork for t-shirts and stuff like that too.

That’s cool. So, you have this Metal Alliance Tour coming up which should be awesome, looking at that lineup.

Oh yeah. For me, going out and playing this Among The Living record, which is one of our biggest records, playing that in its entirety is a little bit of a challenge but we’re going to do it!

Usually you’ve been playing at least three songs off of that album in your set anyway, but this time you’re playing the whole thing. How much of a challenge is it actually, and how much did you have to prepare to play these songs?

I’ve been actually preparing for it, because one of the songs we haven’t really played it live. So you have to relearn how to play it and see what type of approach you’re going to put on the song too, because it’s a very, very fast song. So, I have to kind of pace myself, and it’s a challenge but I’m sure I’ll pull it off.

You’re going to play club venues across North America, which I think is perfect for Anthrax even though you play bigger venues when opening for other bands. The vibe is that much better.

I guess we just want to go and sell these places out, and basically see how that goes. Honestly, I don’t care where we play (laughs).

Coming to this new release of yours which is coming out in a couple of weeks, the ‘Anthems’ EP which has six covers, the Worship Music track ‘Crawl’ and its remix version too. How did that come about? I think a few members of Anthrax have been talking about it for a few months, so is it something that’s been in the works for a while?

What happened was, we would always record B-sides and stuff, and we had a bunch of them that were recorded musically but we didn’t really finish them. Then we were talking, and I said we should really do something with these and may be do a bit more. So I mentioned Rush, and ‘Anthem’ was the song that came out. Then we were talking about more songs and the Journey song came out. So I said I’m going to record these, do the drums and everything, and then I’ll put a scratch guitar part on it and send it. So I sent it to Scott and then Frankie got it and Joey got it, and then we just finished all the stuff that way. We were so happy with the way it was turing out that I was like, ‘Wow, I bet our fans would really like to hear this!’ And that’s how it happened. But we wanted to keep it as an EP and not a full record because we wanted to have it priced very well, you know? I mean, originally I jokingly said let’s charge $6.66, but iTunes wouldn’t do it.

Read the entire interview HERE

As previously reported HERE, after a long and successful run as guitarist for the legendary Thrash Metal act Anthrax, Rob Caggiano has decided that it's time to move on and focus on his other passion: producing records for the time being.

The dates for the Metal Alliance tour are as follows (General-admission tickets are available now at this link):

Mar. 23 - House of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
Mar. 24 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
Mar. 25 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
Mar. 27 - House of Blues - West Hollywood, CA
Mar. 28 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
Mar. 29 - The Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
Mar. 30 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
Mar. 31 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
Apr. 02 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
Apr. 04 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
Apr. 05 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
Apr. 06 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
Apr. 07 - Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
Apr. 09 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
Apr. 10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
Apr. 12 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Apr. 13 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Apr. 14 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
Apr. 16 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 20 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY

Related links:
ANTHRAX's Official Site

Listen To ANTHRAX's Cover Of THIN LIZZY's "Jailbreak"!

Anthems', Anthrax's long-awaited, eight-track EP that pays tribute to the classic songs by some of Anthrax's favorite bands from the 1970s, will be released in North America on March 19 (MRI/Megaforce), and on March 22 in Europe (Nuclear Blast). The track listing for 'Anthems' features Rush's "Anthem," Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak," "TNT" by AC/DC, Boston's "Smokin'," "Big Eyes" by Cheap Trick, Journey's "Keep on Runnin," as well as the album version and a special remix of Anthrax's "Crawl" from the band's critically-acclaimed 2011 album 'Worship Music'. 

Right now, you can crank Anthrax's cover of THIN LIZZY's song "Jailbreak":



The EP will be available on CD as well as digitally via iTunes and other online retailers. In addition to the cover art for 'Anthems', Benante and artist Stephen Thompson have subtly redesigned each track's original album cover art to "Anthrax" it. The 'Anthems' EP will first be housed in one of the "re-imagined" digipak covers, and then inserted inside the main CD cover sleeve. The main cover sleeve has been designed in such a way so fans will be able to see which one of the six "re-imagined" covers is inside.

'Anthems' was produced by Anthrax, Jay Ruston and the bands former guitarist Rob Caggiano, and recorded for the most part throughout 2012 literally all over the world: at Benante's home studio, in Ruston's New York studio, on the band's tour bus while on last summer's Mayhem Tour, in hotel rooms, and backstage at their Berlin show last December.

Don't forget that ANTHRAX - Belladonna/vocals, Benante/drums, Scott Ian/guitar and Frank Bello/bass - will hit the road in support 'Anthems' on February 16 with dates in India and Australia, and then return to North America to headline the Metal Alliance Tour that kicks off March 22 in California. For all of these dates, Anthrax will be joined by Shadows Fall guitarist Jon Donais.

Once again, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante is sitting out during his bands live performances. It has been confirmed that Benante did not travel with the band due to personal issues, Jon Dette (former SLAYER drummer) is replacing Benante during ANTHRAX's Australian tour. "Charlie is dealing with personal issues right now and can't leave the country", commented Scott Ian. "He's really bummed about not being able to head down there."

Additionally, the band will not be performing with guitarist Rob Caggiano, who left the band to join VOLBEAT (More info HERE)! He was temporarily replaced by Jon Donais from SHADOWS FALL.

Benante is expected to be back with ANTHRAX during this year's Metal Alliance tour, which they will be headlining (tour dates below). 

ANTHRAX in Australia:

Fri 1 Mar	Melbourne, AUSTRALIA	Flemington Racecourse
Sat 2 Mar	Adelaide, AUSTRALIA	Bonython Park
Mon 4 Mar	Perth, AUSTRALIA	Claremont Showground

The dates for the Metal Alliance tour are as follows (General-admission tickets are available now at this link):

Mar. 23 - House of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
Mar. 24 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
Mar. 25 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
Mar. 27 - House of Blues - West Hollywood, CA
Mar. 28 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
Mar. 29 - The Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
Mar. 30 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
Mar. 31 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
Apr. 02 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
Apr. 04 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
Apr. 05 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
Apr. 06 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
Apr. 07 - Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
Apr. 09 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
Apr. 10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
Apr. 12 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Apr. 13 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Apr. 14 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
Apr. 16 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 20 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY
Apr. 21 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY

Related links:
ANTHRAX's Official Site

John Dette Talks About The Experience Of Performing With Both SLAYER & ANTHRAX - Video Available!

As previously reported drummer Jon Dette (Testament, Slayer) was recently recruited by SLAYER and ANTHRAX to fill in for Dave Lombardo and Charlie Benante, respectively. As you probably heard, Lombardo didn't make it to Australia because of contract issues within the band, while Benante wasn't able to travel outside of the United States to some legal issues he is currently facing.

So Dette is now drumming for BOTH bands during Australia's Soundwave Fest. Dette recently took a few minutes out of his busy rehearsal and touring schedule to tell TAMA what the experience has been like.

Related links:
TAMA Drums 
Slayer 
Anthrax 

Listen To ANTHRAX's Cover Of AC/DC's "TNT"!

Anthems', Anthrax's long-awaited, eight-track EP that pays tribute to the classic songs by some of Anthrax's favorite bands from the 1970s, will be released in North America on March 19 (MRI/Megaforce), and on March 22 in Europe (Nuclear Blast). The track listing for 'Anthems' features Rush's "Anthem," Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak," "TNT" by AC/DC, Boston's "Smokin'," "Big Eyes" by Cheap Trick, Journey's "Keep on Runnin," as well as the album version and a special remix of Anthrax's "Crawl" from the band's critically-acclaimed 2011 album 'Worship Music'. 

Right now, you can crank Anthrax's cover of AC/DC's song "TNT": http://loudwire.com/anthrax-cover-acdc-t-n-t-exclusive-song-premiere/

The EP will be available on CD as well as digitally via iTunes and other online retailers. In addition to the cover art for 'Anthems', Benante and artist Stephen Thompson have subtly redesigned each track's original album cover art to "Anthrax" it. The 'Anthems' EP will first be housed in one of the "re-imagined" digipak covers, and then inserted inside the main CD cover sleeve. The main cover sleeve has been designed in such a way so fans will be able to see which one of the six "re-imagined" covers is inside.

'Anthems' was produced by Anthrax, Jay Ruston and the bands former guitarist Rob Caggiano, and recorded for the most part throughout 2012 literally all over the world: at Benante's home studio, in Ruston's New York studio, on the band's tour bus while on last summer's Mayhem Tour, in hotel rooms, and backstage at their Berlin show last December.

The Grammy-nominated Anthrax - Belladonna/vocals, Benante/drums, Scott Ian/guitar and Frank Bello/bass - will hit the road in support 'Anthems' on February 16 with dates in India and Australia, and then return to North America to headline the Metal Alliance Tour that kicks off March 22 in California. For all of these dates, Anthrax will be joined by Shadows Fall guitarist Jon Donais.

Once again, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante is sitting out during his bands live performances. It has been confirmed that Benante did not travel with the band due to personal issues, Jon Dette (former SLAYER drummer) is replacing Benante during ANTHRAX's Australian tour. "Charlie is dealing with personal issues right now and can't leave the country", commented Scott Ian. "He's really bummed about not being able to head down there."
 
Additionally, the band will not be performing with guitarist Rob Caggiano, who left the band to join VOLBEAT (More info HERE)! He was temporarily replaced by Jon Donais from SHADOWS FALL.

Benante is expected to be back with ANTHRAX during this year's Metal Alliance tour, which they will be headlining (tour dates below). 

ANTHRAX in Australia:

Thu 21 Feb	Brisbane, AUSTRALIA	The Hi-Fi
Sat 23 Feb	Brisbane, AUSTRALIA	RNA Showgrounds
Sun 24 Feb	Sydney, AUSTRALIA	Olympic Park
Mon 25 Feb	Sydney, AUSTRALIA	Big Top Luna Park (w/Slayer)
Thu 28 Feb	Melbourne, AUSTRALIA	The Hi-Fi
Fri 1 Mar	Melbourne, AUSTRALIA	Flemington Racecourse
Sat 2 Mar	Adelaide, AUSTRALIA	Bonython Park
Mon 4 Mar	Perth, AUSTRALIA	Claremont Showground

The dates for the Metal Alliance tour are as follows (General-admission tickets are available now at this link):

Mar. 23 - House of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
Mar. 24 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
Mar. 25 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
Mar. 27 - House of Blues - West Hollywood, CA
Mar. 28 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
Mar. 29 - The Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
Mar. 30 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
Mar. 31 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
Apr. 02 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
Apr. 04 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
Apr. 05 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
Apr. 06 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
Apr. 07 - Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
Apr. 09 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
Apr. 10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
Apr. 12 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Apr. 13 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Apr. 14 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
Apr. 16 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 20 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY
Apr. 21 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY

Related links:
ANTHRAX's Official Site

It's Official, Rob Caggiano Joins VOLBEAT - Statement Available!

Exactly one month ago, Rob Caggiano announced that he was leaving Anthrax in order to focus on producing records (he is currently producing the NEW Volbeat album). More info HERE!

Today (February 4), VOLBEAT has announced that Rob Caggiano is their NEW guitar player! Here is a statement from the band, regarding the inclusion of Caggiano along with some info about their NEW album:

"We’re happy to announce that the upcoming studio album 'Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies will be released on in April 8. 2013 (GSA on April 5 and USA on April 9). The band will also like to share that former Anthrax and The Damned Things guitarist Rob Caggiano has officially joined the band. Caggiano served as producer on 'Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies', alongside long-time production partner Jacob Hansen, who produced and mixed the band's prior four albums. Caggiano's producer credits include The Damned Things, Bleeding Through and Anthrax amongst others, and he was a member of Anthrax for two tenures from 2001-2005 and again from 2007-2013.

"The band is very proud and happy to announce that he will also be the new guitar player in Volbeat. The collaboration with Rob in the studio was so inspiring and in good spirit that we the decided to keep him. Basically we went into the studio as a three piece and came out as a whole band!"

Adds Caggiano: “Wow! I have to say I’m completely blown away by the turn of events over the last few weeks here in Denmark and at this point an update is definitely in order.

“To start with, I came to Denmark about a month ago to produce the NEW Volbeat record which in and of itself has been an incredibly exciting adventure from a producer’s perspective thus far. However, I’m extremely happy to say my relationship with these guys will not end there as it turns out… it’s just beginning!



“Michael had asked me on the phone before I got out here if I would play some guest solos on the NEW album in addition to my other duties, and, of course, I was thrilled about that and agreed to do so. When I actually got to Denmark and started going through the material, this turned out to be so much more than that.

“After weeks of collaboration between Michael and I, it became quite clear that we had an amazing creative chemistry together and a huge mutual respect for one another.

“It’s so refreshing and inspiring to be creative again on a songwriting level that words can’t even describe it and the vibe between Anders, Jon, Michael and I is just awesome. I’d say an artistic relationship like this one is very rare and it’s also something I don’t take for granted.

“When the guys asked me if I was interested in joining Volbeat the other day, my jaw just about hit the floor! It actually didn’t even register in my brain properly until the next morning, but I gotta say, it also didn’t take me long to decide. It really isn’t the way I envisioned the rest of my year to play out but at the same time, THIS feels more ‘right’ to me than anything I could have possibly imagined and I’m going for it!

“To all my fans, family, friends and overall supporters that have reached out to me over this last month wondering if I’m ever gonna play guitar again or what I’m up to in general etc., see you all soon my friends and get ready for a wild ride!!!”

As why he left ANTHRAX:

"My heart simply wasn't in it anymore. I had a blast playing with those guys, and they will always be family to me. But outside of my guitar solos and production work, Anthrax was never a creative outlet for me."

Related links:
Volbeat
Follow Rob Caggiano on Twitter

Rob Caggiano: "My heart simply wasn't in it anymore. Anthrax was never a creative outlet for me."

As you all know, Rob Caggiano recently announced that he was leaving Anthrax in order to focus on producing records (he is currently producing the NEW Volbeat album). More info HERE!

During a recent interview with ProSound Newtwork, Caggiano broke his silence on why he left Anthrax:

"My heart simply wasn't in it anymore. I had a blast playing with those guys, and they will always be family to me. But outside of my guitar solos and production work, Anthrax was never a creative outlet for me.

"That wasn't by any choice of my own, by the way; it's just the way it is. But at the same time I was committed 100percent to the band. It's been a blast playing with those guys. I love them dearly and I wouldn’t change a thing about the last 12 years.

"I guess it just got to the point where I started asking myself: 'What the hell am I doing? I'm a musician – this is who I am. Being creative is simply food for my soul. Why am I devoting all of my time and energy into a band where being creative is impossible for me?'

"It simply stopped making sense a while ago. I ended up feeling very unhappy and unfulfilled. I knew I needed to make a major change.

"I'm producing the new Volbeat album and I'm extremely amped up about this one. It's the best thing that could have happened to me at the best possible time, and so far, I think it's my best work to date."
Asked if he's going to miss playing in Anthrax, the guitarist admits: "I already do – but at the same time I'm very excited to see what the future has in store for me. Leaving Anthrax was an emotional decision, but it was also extremely liberating at the same time. I definitely feel like I made the right choice."

Credit must be given to Caggiano for doing what he loves and not compromising!
 
Related links:
Follow Rob Caggiano on Twitter

ANTHRAX's Scott Ian: "Rob (Caggiano) has made a mistake by leaving the band"

                                                Photo by: Brigette Sullivan (OuterFocusPhotos.com)

In case you missed the memo, 'Anthems', Anthrax's long-awaited, eight-track EP that pays tribute to the classic songs by some of Anthrax's favorite bands from the 1970s, will be released in North America on March 19 (MRI/Megaforce), and on March 22 in Europe (Nuclear Blast). The track listing for 'Anthems' features Rush's "Anthem," Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak," "TNT" by AC/DC, Boston's "Smokin'," "Big Eyes" by Cheap Trick, Journey's "Keep on Runnin," as well as the album version and a special remix of Anthrax's "Crawl" from the band's critically-acclaimed 2011 album 'Worship Music'.


As previously reported HERE, after a long and successful run as guitarist for the legendary Thrash Metal act Anthrax, Rob Caggiano has decided that it's time to move on and focus on his other passion: producing records for the time being. Caggiano recently announced that he is producing the NEW VOLBEAT album! More info HERE!

Here is what ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian had to say about Caggiano's decision to leave the band:

"We didn’t know he was planning on leaving while we were tracking this ['Anthems']. He was literally finishing solos in Berlin on the last days of the tour. It wasn’t until after the tour ended and we started having conversations, and just to put it in a nutshell, he just needs to do his own thing at this point in time. We knew he had a record that he was going to be doing possibly. We had already told him, if you need to take a hiatus, that’s fine. The best thing I can say is that he’s on a mission to do his own thing at this point. And I’m certainly not going to stand in his way."

Caggiano’s temporary replacement:

"It was actually Rob. He had already spoken to Jon and had kind of filled him in about what his plan was. He didn’t want to leave us hanging. As much as it sucks, this whole thing has been friendly. I may think Rob has made a mistake by leaving the band, but at the same time he’s my friend and I back his decision all the way in whatever he needs to do. He feels the same about us. We all know Jon. I’ve actually worked with him before on [comedian] Brian Posehn’s record. We all know he’s a great lead guitar player. And Jon said absolutely he wanted to do it."




The dates for the Metal Alliance tour are as follows (General-admission tickets are available now at this link):

Mar. 23 - House of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
Mar. 24 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
Mar. 25 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
Mar. 27 - House of Blues - West Hollywood, CA
Mar. 28 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
Mar. 29 - The Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
Mar. 30 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
Mar. 31 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
Apr. 02 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
Apr. 04 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
Apr. 05 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
Apr. 06 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
Apr. 07 - Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
Apr. 09 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
Apr. 10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
Apr. 12 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Apr. 13 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Apr. 14 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
Apr. 16 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 20 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY

Related links:
ANTHRAX's Official Site

Listen To ANTHRAX's Cover Of RUSH's "Anthem"!

'Anthems', Anthrax's long-awaited, eight-track EP that pays tribute to the classic songs by some of Anthrax's favorite bands from the 1970s, will be released in North America on March 19 (MRI/Megaforce), and on March 22 in Europe (Nuclear Blast). The track listing for 'Anthems' features Rush's "Anthem," Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak," "TNT" by AC/DC, Boston's "Smokin'," "Big Eyes" by Cheap Trick, Journey's "Keep on Runnin," as well as the album version and a special remix of Anthrax's "Crawl" from the band's critically-acclaimed 2011 album 'Worship Music'. 

Right now, you can get a taste of what Anthrax has in store for your ears. Go to this link to listen to Anthrax covering RUSH's song "Anthem": http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/anthrax-pay-tribute-to-rush-with-anthem-song-premiere-20130118

The EP will be available on CD as well as digitally via iTunes and other online retailers. In addition to the cover art for 'Anthems', Benante and artist Stephen Thompson have subtly redesigned each track's original album cover art to "Anthrax" it. The 'Anthems' EP will first be housed in one of the "re-imagined" digipak covers, and then inserted inside the main CD cover sleeve. The main cover sleeve has been designed in such a way so fans will be able to see which one of the six "re-imagined" covers is inside.

'Anthems' was produced by Anthrax, Jay Ruston and the bands former guitarist Rob Caggiano, and recorded for the most part throughout 2012 literally all over the world: at Benante's home studio, in Ruston's New York studio, on the band's tour bus while on last summer's Mayhem Tour, in hotel rooms, and backstage at their Berlin show last December.

The Grammy-nominated Anthrax - Belladonna/vocals, Benante/drums, Scott Ian/guitar and Frank Bello/bass - will hit the road in support 'Anthems' on February 16 with dates in India and Australia, and then return to North America to headline the Metal Alliance Tour that kicks off March 22 in California. For all of these dates, Anthrax will be joined by Shadows Fall guitarist Jon Donais.

As previously reported HERE, after a long and successful run as guitarist for the legendary Thrash Metal act Anthrax, Rob Caggiano has decided that it's time to move on and focus on his other passion: producing records for the time being. Caggiano recently announced that he is producing the NEW VOLBEAT album! More info HERE!




The dates for the Metal Alliance tour are as follows (General-admission tickets are available now at this link):

Mar. 23 - House of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
Mar. 24 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
Mar. 25 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
Mar. 27 - House of Blues - West Hollywood, CA
Mar. 28 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
Mar. 29 - The Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
Mar. 30 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
Mar. 31 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
Apr. 02 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
Apr. 04 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
Apr. 05 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
Apr. 06 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
Apr. 07 - Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
Apr. 09 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
Apr. 10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
Apr. 12 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Apr. 13 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Apr. 14 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
Apr. 16 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 20 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY

Related links:
ANTHRAX's Official Site

ANTHRAX Reveal Cover Artwork & Tons Of Details For 'Anthems' (Covers EP)!

'Anthems', Anthrax's long-awaited, eight-track EP that pays tribute to the classic songs by some of Anthrax's favorite bands from the 1970s, will be released in North America on March 19 (MRI/Megaforce), and on March 22 in Europe (Nuclear Blast). The track listing for 'Anthems' features Rush's "Anthem," Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak," "TNT" by AC/DC, Boston's "Smokin'," "Big Eyes" by Cheap Trick, Journey's "Keep on Runnin," as well as the album version and a special remix of Anthrax's "Crawl" from the band's critically-acclaimed 2011 album 'Worship Music'.

Said the band's vocalist Joey Belladonna, "These are all bands I grew up with and have listened to forever. It's just great music. I had fun singing these songs and I was happy recording together with Anthrax, doing classic rock songs. Fun stuff!"

On Boston's "Smokin'," Anthrax brought in a special guest to play keyboards - Fred Mandel, who has played with Alice Cooper, Queen, Elton John, Cheap Trick, Supertramp and on Pink Floyd's The Wall. About the track, drummer Charlie Benante said, "If ever there were a perfect first album, it's Boston's first album. The harmony leads they did would later be heard by Iron Maiden, which of course would lead to Thrash Metal."

The EP will be available on CD as well as digitally via iTunes and other online retailers. In addition to the cover art for 'Anthems', Benante and artist Stephen Thompson have subtly redesigned each track's original album cover art to "Anthrax" it. The 'Anthems' EP will first be housed in one of the "re-imagined" digipak covers, and then inserted inside the main CD cover sleeve. The main cover sleeve has been designed in such a way so fans will be able to see which one of the six "re-imagined" covers is inside.

'Anthems' was produced by Anthrax, Jay Ruston and the bands former guitarist Rob Caggiano, and recorded for the most part throughout 2012 literally all over the world: at Benante's home studio, in Ruston's New York studio, on the band's tour bus while on last summer's Mayhem Tour, in hotel rooms, and backstage at their Berlin show last December.

The Grammy-nominated Anthrax - Belladonna/vocals, Benante/drums, Scott Ian/guitar and Frank Bello/bass - will hit the road in support 'Anthems' on February 16 with dates in India and Australia, and then return to North America to headline the Metal Alliance Tour that kicks off March 22 in California. For all of these dates, Anthrax will be joined by Shadows Fall guitarist Jon Donais.

As previously reported HERE, after a long and successful run as guitarist for the legendary Thrash Metal act Anthrax, Rob Caggiano has decided that it's time to move on and focus on his other passion: producing records for the time being.

The dates for the Metal Alliance tour are as follows (General-admission tickets are available now at this link):

Mar. 23 - House of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
Mar. 24 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
Mar. 25 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
Mar. 27 - House of Blues - West Hollywood, CA
Mar. 28 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
Mar. 29 - The Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
Mar. 30 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
Mar. 31 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
Apr. 02 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
Apr. 04 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
Apr. 05 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
Apr. 06 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
Apr. 07 - Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
Apr. 09 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
Apr. 10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
Apr. 12 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Apr. 13 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Apr. 14 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
Apr. 16 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 20 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY

Related links:
ANTHRAX's Official Site

ANTHRAX Announce Fill In Lead Guitarist For Metal Alliance Tour!

According to a Tweet by Eddie Trunk (see below), ANTHRAX has recruited SHADOWS FALL guitarist Jon Donais to fill in as lead guitarist at the upcoming Metal Alliance tour. It seems like ANTHRAX like "borrowing" SHADOWS FALL's musicians. The bands drummer Jason Bittner (who is celebrating his 43rd birthday today), filled in for Charlie Benante during last years Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival.

"Jon is a bro and he's also a total f**king ripper," said Scott Ian.  "I've worked with him twice before on side projects and he tears it up.  I'm excited to have him on my right burning up the stage with Anthrax.  13's gonna be a good year."

"I grew up on Anthrax, they're the thrash scene, they're one of The Big Four, I'd be crazy to not want to play with them," said Donais.  "Initially, Rob called and told me he was leaving the band, and asked if I'd be interested in filling in.  Then Scott called me and everything fell into place.  Rob and I are using Skype to work on solos and other guitar parts, so he's being great.  I also have to give special thanks to my band - Brian, Matt, Jason and Ed - who have been incredibly supportive and encouraged me to do this."

As previously reported HERE, after a long and successful run as guitarist for the legendary Thrash Metal act Anthrax, Rob Caggiano has decided that it's time to move on and focus on his other passion: producing records for the time being. Following news of Caggiano's departure, the remaining members of ANTHRAX - Charlie Benante, Scott Ian, Frank Bello, Joey Belladonna - were bombarded with tons of inquiries of aspiring guitarists who wanted to audition for the band!

Metal Alliance tour (General-admission tickets available now):

Mar. 23 - House of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
Mar. 24 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
Mar. 25 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
Mar. 27 - House of Blues - West Hollywood, CA
Mar. 28 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
Mar. 29 - The Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
Mar. 30 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
Mar. 31 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
Apr. 02 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
Apr. 04 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
Apr. 05 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
Apr. 06 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
Apr. 07 - Bogarts - Cincinnati, OH
Apr. 09 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
Apr. 10 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
Apr. 12 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Apr. 13 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
Apr. 14 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
Apr. 16 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 20 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY

Photo by: Zulie Alvarez Related links:
ANTHRAX's Official Site