Thrash metal band Anthrax is back together with a new EP and tour that brings the group to the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip this week.
On the Metal Alliance Tour, Anthrax is playing its 1987 album “Among The Living” from beginning to end. The group is joined by a revolving line-up of opening bands, such as thrash favorites Exodus, Municipal Waste and High On Fire (the band created by the eight-stringed metal god himself, Matt Pike).
Currently, the Anthrax line-up includes singer Joey Belladonna, guitarist Scott Ian, bassist Frank Bello and drummer Charlie Benante — Benante and Ian are the only members to play on every Anthrax album, also partnering in the band S.O.D. (Stormtroopers Of Death).
“Uuuhhhhhhhaah … aaahh,” Benante groaned instinctively when asked about the origin of Anthrax. “I’ll tell you what, I really don’t want to do an interview today that I have to go back 30 years and tell you how the band was formed. I mean, if you want to talk about the EP, great. If you want to talk about this upcoming tour, great. But I DO NOT want to go back 30 somethin’ years.”
Okay, okay. Sheesh.
Admittedly, Benante comes off as a little gruff these days, or maybe that’s just the East Coast charm he’s using on us West Coasters. Either way, it’s clear his gaze is firmly on the future.
Instead of the past, we talked about the Metal Alliance Tour, “Anthems” (the new EP of cover songs released March 19) and even about Benante’s horror film collection.
Question: What’s it been like on the tour?
Answer: “Just being of tour, it takes a lot out of you. The toll, you know? The older you get, it becomes a little harder on your body, but there’s nothing like actually being out there doing it. You’re playing the music that you love to play and you’re playing in front of people who love to see you. It’s a great combination of both things. Seeing their faces and making them happy, it’s a big thing.”
Q: Describe your writing process.
A: “I come in with the basic idea for a song and then we get together and I show everybody the chords and how to play it. Scott and Frank will either add something to those parts or whatever. Then once we have the certain start and finish of the songs, Scott usually takes it and puts lyrics to it. Frankie and Joey will work on melodies or all of us will work on melodies and then it becomes a song.”
Joey Belladonna first joined the group in 1984, left in 1992 and returned in 2010. Since then, Anthrax has experienced a comeback much to the delight of die-hard fans. The album “Worship Music” followed in 2011, and was the first studio album with Belladonna since 1990.
Q: Talk about the renewed interest in Anthrax.
A: “It’s great. Being exposed to a different audience is a great thing. The Big Four shows really did a lot for all the bands, you know?”
The 2010 Big Four Shows were reunion performances that included Anthrax, Slayer, Metallica, and Megadeth on the same bill.
Q: Aside from drumming for Anthrax, and your other band S.O.D., you’ve acquired an extensive horror film collection over the years?
A: “I seem to be adding to it because they always seem to re-release something on Blue-Ray with bonus blah blah blah … what am I gonna do?”
Q: What’s your Halloween playlist?
A” “It depends on the vibe. The old favorites, of course, being ‘The Excorcist’ and shit like that always gets me going. ‘Jaws,’ ‘The Thing,’ ‘Evil Dead,’ and, you know, I’m always a sucker for the first ‘Nightmare On Elm Street,’ too.”
Q: What’s it like to be back in LA for a show at the House of Blues?
A: “(The fans) seem to have a very uh … Californian attitude. They’re good. They’re a good audience … see you at the L.A. show.”
Haha…”his gaze is firmly on the future”. Yeah, that’s why they’e going back into the past and playing “Among” in its entirety and put out an EP from the past as well. Plus, Charlie isn’t the nicest guy these days with all the personal/divorce B.S.