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ANTHRAX’s CHARLIE BENANTE To Sit Out European Dates; JON DETTE To Step In

Manos Spanos
Jon Dette will fill in for drummer Charlie Benante on the first few weeks of ANTHRAX's 29-city European tour that kicked off May 27, in Barcelona, Spain and runs until July 12 in Balingen, Germany. Benante, who had surgery on his hand last summer and has been going for regular physical therapy up until just recently, thought he'd be back to 100% for the Carolina Rebellion and Beale Street Music Festival shows that ANTHRAX also did earlier this month. "Playing those shows, I realized I'm just not quite there yet," Charlie said, "especially for the schedule ANTHRAX has on these European dates. I'm hoping to join the tour for the last couple of weeks, but until then, we all appreciate that Jon can sit in for me." Benante plans to be drumming on ANTHRAX's handful of North American dates later this summer that include Heavy MTL in Montreal and the MOTÖRHEAD MotörBoat cruise, set for late September with MOTÖRHEAD, MEGADETH, Zakk Wylde and others. Following these dates, ANTHRAX will enter the studio to write and record their follow up to 2011's Grammy-nominated "Worship Music", named "Metal Album Of The Year" by fans and in media outlets across the globe. Dette previously filled in for Benante during ANTHRAX's appearance at the Soundwave festival in 2013. Jon told "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" how he initially got the call to step in for Charlie: "Actually, Jason Bittner from SHADOWS FALL, who was filling in for Charlie on [the 2012] ANTHRAX run, couldn't do one of the tours that was coming up and called me and asked me if I would be available to do it. And I said, 'Of course. It would be great.' And the next day Charlie called me — which, Charlie is one my biggest influences ever, next to [Dave] Lombardo [of SLAYER], so it was kind of a surreal moment for me to get a call like that, saying, 'Hey, can you help me out?' Which, of course, I said, 'Absolutely.'" Asked how it felt to be playing with ANTHRAX, Dette said: "It's amazing, man. The first day that I started playing drums — a lot of people may or may not know this — the first album I ever got from the day I got my drum set was 'Fistful Of Metal' [by ANTHRAX], and literally, the first song I ever tried playing on drums was 'Metal Thrashing Mad'. Actually, I [was] hanging out with Charlie and I told him that this morning, and he was, like, 'Really?' And I'm, like, 'Yeah, really.' [laughs] ANTHRAX, METALLICA and SLAYER, they were such a foundation of my style growing up, and I've been privileged now to actually play for two of those bands [ANTHRAX and SLAYER]. It's a very natural thing for me to play, but at the same time, seeing the back of their heads on stage, and Joey [Belladonna] is looking at me and he's singing, and I'm just, like, 'This is great.' I guess you can say that I play with a lot of passion when I'm with those bands, 'cause it's just absolutely passion and just an amazing experience."
03 min read

MEGADETH, ANTHRAX, ZAKK WYLDE Confirmed For MOTÖRHEAD’s ‘MotörBoat’ Cruise

Manos Spanos
MOTÖRHEAD's first-ever cruise, the MotörBoat, will launch onboard the Carnival Ecstasy on September 22 from Miami, Florida to Key West and Cozumel and back on September 26. Joining them will be MEGADETH, ANTHRAX, Zakk Wylde, DANKO JONES, FIREBALL MINISTRY, WILSON and more. MOTÖRHEAD's Lemmy Kilmister states: "This will be everything you've come to expect from a night out with us, except even louder, with more great bands and no way of escaping! "If you thought waves could rock a boat, you've got another thing coming with this lovely little outing!" MEGADETH's Dave Mustaine adds: "There never has and never will be another cruise like MotörBoat cruise. "Come on a thrashing voyage with MOTÖRHEAD, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX, Zakk Wylde and all Lemmy's friends. This is the coolest way to ever see a metal concert." ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian comments: "ANTHRAX, MOTÖRHEAD and MEGADETH at sea??? To quote Chief Brody, 'We're gonna need a bigger boat.'" "It's truly an honor to partner with one of the most iconic bands in rock music to deliver a one-of-a-kind fan experience for 'Motörheadbangers' from around the globe," says event producer Alan Koenig of ASK4 Entertainment. Tickets for the MOTÖRHEAD's MotörBoat cruise go on sale Tuesday, March 18 at noon ET. The Carnival Ecstasy, which recently underwent a multi-million-dollar refurbishment, features a tropical-themed resort-style main pool area, multiple dining options (including a 24-hour pizzeria), 12,000-square-foot Spa Carnival health club, a jogging track, as well as 12 lounges, bars and nightspots. For more information, go to this location. motorheadcruiselineup2014_638
02 min read

ANTHRAX’s SCOTT IAN Says It’s ‘Idiotic’ For Fans To Film Entire Live Shows With Their Phones

Manos Spanos
Elliot Levin of the NY Hard Rock Music Examiner recently conducted an interview with ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. NY Hard Rock Music Examiner: You've been touring as part of a band for over 30 years. Is it an adjustment to tour solo [as part of your "Speaking Words" spoken-word tour]? Scott: Well, from a production standpoint, it's obviously much different, because I'm just out here by myself with a tour manager who also doubles as the merch guy and driving, and we're in a rent-a-car and we're driving out right after shows. So from that standpoint, yeah, it's a huge adjustment. I'm used to getting on a tour bus after the show and having a beer and going to sleep in my bunk. There's a level of comfort when I'm touring with the band. But at the same time, I embrace this. All the responsibility is on me, it's just me out here, and I enjoy that as well. The fact that I'm doing something that's outside of my bubble, and still outside of my comfort zone, and it's a new skill set for me and I love that I'm learning how to do this after all these years. NY Hard Rock Music Examiner: I'm surprised that there's not much leaked video of your show on YouTube yet. Do you prefer it that way? Scott: Yeah. That's because I take it down when people decide that they're going to put my content on YouTube for free. Call me crazy, but I'm one of those crazy artists that thinks you shouldn't give your content away for free. I know that's a crazy way to think these days but I come from the old school. Where you used to buy albums and videos. And I still do, I still buy my music and DVDs. So I feel like if I have enough respect to do that, then everyone should have enough respect to do that. NY Hard Rock Music Examiner: Do you feel the same way about live ANTHRAX videos on YouTube? Scott: I think it's idiotic. I think the fact that someone would come to a show, spend the money to come to the show, and stand there holding their freakin' phone over their head for 90 minutes is pathetic. It completely defeats the purpose of coming to a live show. I think it's a joke. I've seen Bruce Dickinson [IRON MAIDEN] go off on audience members for doing that. Granted, he's in IRON MAIDEN and they're big enough to say that to their audience, but I think it's idiotic and I don't understand that mindset at all. You're standing at a live show and you're watching it through a screen on your phone. NY Hard Rock Music Examiner: Do you think there's longevity in this spoken-word thing? Would you want to do it again? Scott: My attitude towards this is, I'm having fun doing this and that's why I'm doing this. I'm at a point in my life where I'm not trying to leave home anymore. I'm not looking for reasons to travel. I get enough of that with my band. I just want to be home with my family. But this is something that I've really been enjoying, and I do want to keep doing, for sure. I've even talked to the band's agent about when ANTHRAX starts touring again later this year or next year, when we have a night off in a city, if I can try and get me a talk show when we're there. Read the entire interview at NY Hard Rock M
03 min read

ANTHRAX: Limited-Edition ‘Persistence Of Time’ Axe Coming From ARTIST SERIES GUITAR

Manos Spanos
Artist Series Guitar will release a limited-edition, collectible guitar designed by the heavy metal classic band ANTHRAX. The guitar will borrow the album artwork from ANTHRAX's 1990 album "Persistence Of Time". It will be hand-built from solid mahogany and feature a hand-carved maple top, dark rosewood fingerboard, limited-edition ANTHRAX artwork, ASG Arsenal Dual-Coil humbuckers, and much more. ANTHRAX's fifth studio album, "Persistence Of Time" was released on August 21, 1990 through Megaforce/Island and was nominated in 1991 for a Grammy Award in the "Best Metal Performance" category. The album included the singles "Got The Time" (a JOE JACKSON cover) and "In My World" (which was performed by the band on a "Married... With Children" episode entitled "My Dinner With Anthrax"). "Persistence Of Time" was the last full ANTHRAX album to feature vocalist Joey Belladonna until 2011's "Worship Music".
01 min read

ANTHRAX’s SCOTT IAN Says 12 Songs Have Already Been Written For Next Album

Manos Spanos
Greece's Metal Kaoz recently conducted an interview with ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below. Asked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for ANTHRAX's follow-up to 2011's "Worship Music" album, Ian said: "We're in the middle of writing right now. That's just basically all we've been doing, is working on songs. We're just hard, hard, hard at work, with the goal — hopefully — of before the summer, before we go to Europe to start playing festivals, we would love to be able to go into the studio and start recording it. "We're going to Europe in the summer to play shows, and then maybe [we can get the] album [out] sometime later this year, but we don't have any definite schedule yet." He added: "We're just gonna keep writing until we're happy, until we're ready. We're really happy with where we're at right now, and we've got about 12 songs written. Because it's going so well, we figure, why stop? We're gonna just keep writing, and if we have too many songs, then we can just pick what we wanna put on the record." Regarding whether guitarist Jonathan Donais (SHADOWS FALL) — who joined ANTHRAX in January 2013 following the departure of Rob Caggiano — has been involved in the creative process so far, Ian said: "He hasn't contributed to the songwriting at this point, but he's writing leads, that's for sure." ANTHRAX was nominated for a "Best Metal Performance" Grammy this year for its cover of AC/DC's "T.N.T." The track was featured on ANTHRAX's eight-track EP that pays tribute to the classic songs by some of the band's favorite acts from the 1970s. The CD was released in North America on March 19, 2013 (MRI/Megaforce), and on March 22, 2013 in Europe (Nuclear Blast). "Worship Music" has sold more than 110,000 copies in the United States since its September 2011 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Interview (audio):
02 min read

ANTHRAX’s SCOTT IAN On Next Album: ‘Where We’re At Musically Right Now, This S**t Is Just So Killer’

Manos Spanos
ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian spoke to Metal Insider about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2011's "Worship Music". "It's really coming along," Scott said. "It's crazy to think that we're already in January of this year; it seems like we just finished touring in August and we said decided to start writing again. "We decided not to take a break and we're jumping right in because everyone felt we could. "We're sitting here right now with 12 songs musically arranged and really focusing on lyrics now. "At the end of the month, after the NAMM show, is the next time we're getting together at [producer] Jay's [Ruston] studio to work on vocals. "I like to think at the pace we're going we would be ready to start recording maybe in April. "I hate to ever put a stamp on something like this, because you just never know. But where we're at musically right now, this shit is just so killer. It's not like we have that far to go. "Sometimes as a band when we're writing — and I'm sure this happens to other bands too — you could sit down and listen to where you're at and think 'this stuff is good, but maybe there's too much mid tempo stuff, or we don't really have an album opener yet.' There are just certain ways you listen to it in the context of how are to sequence and pace it, things like that. "I think we've got all our bases covered and we're ready. "If we come out with some better shit in the next couple of months, that's awesome, but the 12 things we have musically so far we're really happy with. "Things came together really fast for us and I think that has a lot to do with the fact that we just came off such a good run with 'Worship Music'. We were all really excited about getting back in a room and writing songs together, and it was the first time in a really long time that we weren't going into writing a record coming off a really shitty time. [laughs] So for us to have come off such a great run with 'Worship Music', we were all really excited about it and I think it really shows in the music." Asked how he would compare ANTHRAX's new material to "Worship Music", Ian said: "It's hard to compare. That, to me, has always been the hardest question and it's something I just don't like to do because to me it's just all ANTHRAX. I would just tell you anything we've ever done is ANTHRAX, so I don't know how to compare it to 'Worship Music'. "If you liked 'Worship Music', you're gonna like this. The one thing I can say is that it definitely has more thrash elements. It definitely hearkens back to more of who we were in the '80s, yet at the same time sounding like us now in present day, which is what a lot of people said about 'Worship Music'. I think this one hits even harder and faster, more brutal with crazier riffs. "We were all super inspired coming in and working with Charlie [Benante, drums] and Frankie [Bello, bass] in the room, and then having Jay in the room with us as well, has been amazing because he really pushes us. He pushes us hard. Like when we may get stuck on something in an arrangement or where to go with a melody, he will really push us and make sure we're not just saying, 'Alright, that's good.' He's like, 'No, that's exactly what to do. It's just good, now work harder.' We all trust him so much, so it's great having him in the room there to push us." ANTHRAX's next album will mark the recording debut with the band of lead guitarist Jonathan Donais (SHADOWS FALL), who replaced Rob Caggiano in January 2013. Regarding whether Donais is now officially an ANTHRAX member, Ian said: "For all intents and purposes, he's in ANTHRAX. He's going to be there for everything we do moving forward. As far as how you title it, yeah. As far as I'm concerned, Jon is in ANTHRAX and will be playing leads on the record and will be touring with the band starting at the end of May 2014."
04 min read

SLAYER, MOTÖRHEAD And ANTHRAX: Really Ugly Holiday Sweaters Coming From LOCOAPE

Manos Spanos
Locoape, a division of Toynk Toys LLC, announces today that they have entered into an agreement with Global Merchandising Services who represent the worldwide merchandising rights for ANTHRAX, MOTÖRHEAD and SLAYER. Locoape will be producing a high-end, limited-edition ugly-sweater collection. Following up on the massive success of 2012's SLAYER Christmas sweater, Locoape has come on board to fulfill metal fans request for more sweaters of their favorite metal artists. Slated for 2013 selling season are ANTHRAX, MOTÖRHEAD and SLAYER. 2014 will see a wider selection of Global's roster available for the holidays. Each unique sweater features the iconic imagery made famous by each metal artist, with that addition of the ugly holiday sweater vibe. The sweaters are made of a soft, heavy poly‐blend and run from size S to size XXXL. Currently on sale on their individual Global Merchandising's web stores, fans can also find the sweaters at Toynk.com. "Ugly Christmas sweater" or "tacky Christmas sweater" parties have been a holiday staple for several years, but there have been very few places to actually buy these sweaters. That has since changed, according to Time magazine, which reports that vintage stores, the Salvation Army, and Goodwill are reaping the benefits of this craze, as are fast-fashion shops like H&M and high-end retailers such as Nordstrom. Locoape is a trademarked brand of Toynk LLC. The Locoape brand serves as a licensee/manufacturer focused on producing fun and unique products covering the world of popular culture, toys, apparel and collectibles with an emphasis on the music industry.
01 min read

Video: TESTAMENT, ANTHRAX, NIGHTWISH, Ex-HELLOWEEN, ACCEPT Singers Perform At ‘Christmas Metal Symphony’

Manos Spanos
Fan-filmed video footage of the first two shows of this year's Christmas Metal Symphony European tour — which kicked off this past Friday night (December 13) in Trollhättan, Sweden and played again last night (Saturday, December 14) in Kristianstad, Sweden — can be seen below. Magnum Opum Rockestra (under conductor Marcel Heijnen), a 32-strong orchestra accompanied by the METALFORCE 1 rock band and led by singers/vocalists which influenced the metal scene in recent years and decades, are taking part in the Christmas Metal Symphony European tour. Musical director of the production is Joost van den Broek. Singers taking part in the trek include Joey Belladonna (ANTHRAX), Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT), Udo Dirkschneider (U.D.O., ex-ACCEPT), Michael Kiske (HELLOWEEN, UNISONIC) and Floor Jansen (REVAMP, NIGHTWISH, AFTER FOREVER). It is a well-known fact in the world of international metal fans that Tilburg in The Netherlands was host of this impressive metal show for two years. As a direct result of the succes of these shows, the requests for bringing it to the rest of Europe kept growing. Nowthe time is right to fulfill these wishes and bring this monster on the road. Christmas Metal Symphony comes with six fantastic international metal vocalists, a six-piece metal band with musicians from bands like EPICA, AFTER FOREVER and STREAM OF PASSION and an impressive 32-piece symphonic orchestra. The heavy backbone of the show is METALFORCE 1. These musicians were handpicked by Joost van den Broek and these Santa's Little Helpers contain some of the finest metal artists: * Marcel Coenen (SUN CAGED) - Guitar * Johan Van Stratum (STREAM OF PASSION) - Bass * Abel Carnizales (LABIRINTHO) - Guitar * Jeffrey Revet (STREAM OF PASSION) - Keyboards * Koen Herfst (EPICA) - Drums * Joost Van Den Broek (AFTER FOREVER) - Keyboards Over the last 35 years of metalmusic, bands have written many concept albums and concept shows; great stories and fantastic songs. The team of Christmas Metal Symphony therefore decided that with the impressive heritage of all these great metal songs ever written, it would be a shame not to use them. So for this reason you can expect performances of your all time favorite metal songs, by some of the best international artists who are part of that great metal history themselves. All of this in a great Christmas and metal setting and brought to you as a full metal show; loud and extremely powerful… just like the doctor ordered! Kristianstad fan-filmed video footage:
04 min read

BLACK SABBATH, DREAM THEATER, ANTHRAX, VOLBEAT, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE Among GRAMMY AWARDS Nominees

Manos Spanos
BLACK SABBATH, DREAM THEATER, ANTHRAX, VOLBEAT and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE are among the nominees for the 56th annual Grammy Awards, which will be held on January 26, 2014 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The nominees in the "Best Metal Performance" category are as follows: ANTHRAX - "T.N.T." Track from: "Anthems" Label: Megaforce BLACK SABBATH - "God Is Dead?" Track from: "13" Label: Vertigo/Republic DREAM THEATER - "The Enemy Inside" Track from: "Dream Theater" Label: Roadrunner Records KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - "In Due Time" Track from: "Disarm The Descent" Label: Roadrunner Records VOLBEAT feat. King Diamond - "Room 24" Track from: "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" Label: Republic Records BLACK SABBATH's "God Is Dead?" also picked up a nomination in the "Best Rock Song" category. In addition, the band's comeback CD, "13", earned a nod for "Best Rock Album", alongside LED ZEPPELIN's "Celebration Day" and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's "…Like Clockwork", among others. METALLICA's "Through The Never" received a nomination for "Best Recording Package" and ALICE IN CHAINS' "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" is up for the "Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical" award. Nominations for the 56th annual Grammy Awards were announced tonight by The Recording Academy and reflected an eclectic mix of the best and brightest in music over the past year, as determined by the voting members of The Academy. For the sixth year, nominations for the annual Grammy Awards were announced on primetime television as part of "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night", a one-hour CBS entertainment special broadcast live from Nokia Theatre L.A. Live. "This year's nominations reflect the talented community of music makers who represent some of the highest levels of excellence and artistry of the year in their respective fields," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy, in a statement. The Grammy Awards will air live on CBS on Sunday, January 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
02 min read

ANTHRAX Guitarist SCOTT IAN To Write Memoir For Fall 2014 Release

Manos Spanos
Da Capo Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group, announced today that it has acquired world rights to publish a book by musician Scott Ian, co-founder of the iconic thrash metal band ANTHRAX, entitled "I'm The Man". Da Capo executive editor Ben Schafer made the deal with Jim Fitzgerald at the James Fitzgerald Agency. "Why a book? Because I think my story can connect with anyone and, if I was able to make the life I wanted for myself happen, then anyone can," Ian says. “I'm really excited to be writing a book because the idea of getting forty-something years of stuff out of my brain and onto the page seems very therapeutic. Plus if I didn't do it now, I'd start forgetting and wouldn't be able to share all these killer stories with you, my friends!" In this fast-paced, humorous, and revealing memoir from the leader of a band that proved to the masses that brutality and fun didn't have to be mutually exclusive, Ian will tell his life story, starting with his upbringing as a nerdy Jewish boy in Queens, New York, and evolving through his first musical epiphany when he saw THE WHO on television and decided he wanted to play guitar. Not long after, Ian saw KISS at Madison Square Garden and realized what he wanted to do with his life. The book will chronicle his adolescence in a dysfunctional home, his escapism through the turbulent world of heavy metal, and the complete history of ANTHRAX, starting with the band's formation through the present day reinvigoration with the return of vocalist Joey Belladonna, the release of "Worship Music", and their triumphant performance at Yankee Stadium with the Big Four of thrash: METALLICA, SLAYER, and MEGADETH. The book will also feature eye-popping full-color autobiographical comic book inserts. For "I'm The Man", Ian will be working with Jon Wiederhorn, co-author of the books "Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History Of Metal" and "Ministry: The Lost Gospels According To Al Jourgensen". Wiederhorn is a senior writer at Revolver and a regular contributor to Guitar World, Noisey.com, eMusic.com, and Yahoo Music! He has also worked on staff at Rolling Stone, Guitar, Guitar.com, and MusicPlayer.com.
02 min read