{"id":37306,"date":"2015-11-21T00:00:44","date_gmt":"2015-11-21T00:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=37306"},"modified":"2016-04-19T01:16:57","modified_gmt":"2016-04-19T01:16:57","slug":"feature-anthrax-11-15","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/feature-anthrax-11-15\/","title":{"rendered":"ANTHRAX – Caught Moshing Still (November 2015) | Features \/ Interviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

ANTHRAX – Caught Moshing Still<\/strong><\/span>
\nAnthony Morgan<\/span>
\nNovember 2015<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\n\n
\n
<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
Anthrax (l-r): Charlie Benante, Frank Bello, Scott Ian, Joey Belladonna and Jon Donais<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Pic: Ignacio Galvez<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n


\nOn November 2nd, 2015, New York-based thrash metal outfit Anthrax confirmed it would issue 11th full-length studio album For All Kings<\/em> on February 26th, 2016 in Europe through Nuclear Blast Records, with Megaforce handling North American release. At that moment in time, Anthrax were nine days into a European trek supporting Huntingdon, California-based thrash metal ensemble Slayer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the band overall is sounding like it really wants to be,\u201d reckons Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna, due to perform in Newport, Wales that very evening of November 21st. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely heavier. For me vocally, there\u2019s a little bit more room than usual. It\u2019s really, from the start, like the old days. We have finally had a chance to be a band; we haven\u2019t had any people in from the side, like this guy or that guy, and all that horse shit we used to go through (laughs), or they have been going through… I think it really just sounds like a new thing that we\u2019re doing. It\u2019s a bit of the old, a bit of the new, and it\u2019s kind of a darker album, too. It\u2019s got some really interesting moments. I just think we\u2019re really, really on top of our game, doing what we need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

September 2011 predecessor Worship Music<\/em><\/a> was recorded under different circumstances. \u201cWith the last one, there was some other interjections with other people \u2013 not to go into names and stuff \u2013 so obviously I wasn\u2019t there right from the beginning, and with no other people…,\u201d the singer notes. \u201cOverall though, I still conquered the album in my own way. I made it work for me, and we changed a whole lot of stuff here and there. It wasn\u2019t like I wasn\u2019t able to do anything, but with this one, obviously it\u2019s just us. There\u2019s no other people involved. Vocal-wise, I was with Jay Ruston the producer. It was just me and him working together and that\u2019s always a great thing, because I don\u2019t have any distractions and stuff. I can actually make the record in the peaceful and most productive way that I possibly can, without just being distracted.\u201d<\/p>\n

For All Kings<\/em>\u2019 creation included Joey\u2019s involvement since its initial inception, which wasn\u2019t the case with Worship Music<\/em>. \u201cObviously when a song is put together and someone actually sings a little bit of something, you tend to think that that\u2019s the way it\u2019s gonna be, and you hear it for so long like…,\u201d he muses. \u201cOr at least however long they hear it. It\u2019s hard to kind of just peel it apart completely, and take it, and just make it all brand new. Again, it is all brand new. If you put both of them together, you wouldn\u2019t hear the same thing at all. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just nice when there\u2019s no other guide there, without someone else doing something, because you get accustomed to it and it\u2019s hard to change it. We went in and did some more drums though, and did some more bass. We did more guitar… We did a lot of stuff. The album was as good and fresh as it could be, but at the same time, I wasn\u2019t there from the very, very beginning. That\u2019s about all really, I guess. I still made it my own. That\u2019s all I can think of (laughs). Again, when someone\u2019s there doing it, you tend to think that that\u2019s what it is, and then you just do it now instead of him. It wasn\u2019t quite that.\u201d<\/p>\n

An official lyric video was created for the composition \u2018Evil Twin\u2019, selected to be the lead cut from the forthcoming For All Kings<\/em>. \u201cThe visuals, I didn\u2019t even see how all that went down,\u201d the frontman admits. \u201cSomeone made that for us, which is awesome. It\u2019s nice. We didn\u2019t even have to participate in that. It\u2019s on YouTube, and all that good stuff. It\u2019s not like where we used to do videos, where you sit there all day, and just wait, wait and wait, and spend a lot of money on something that maybe people never even got to see, or know you even did. It\u2019s cool, it\u2019s definitely dark, and it\u2019s for real. It says what it is. I don\u2019t know where the decision came for for which song. I couldn\u2019t tell you why we chose that, but I guess it\u2019s just as good as anything else. At this point, you put a song out there. I mean, there\u2019s plenty of tunes on there that are really, really good that could\u2019ve been the single if you want. It\u2019s definitely a dark song, too. It has a very, very strong meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Anthrax is a heavy group of course, \u2018Evil Twin\u2019 seems perhaps a step heavier again. \u201cLet me ask you: what do you think?,\u201d Joey returns. \u201cIf you heard that… Forget there\u2019s a record. Where do you put \u2018Evil Twin\u2019 in Anthrax\u2019s catalogue?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\n\n
\n
<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
Joey Belladonna<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Pic: Andrada Mihailescu<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018Evil Twin\u2019 arguably doesn\u2019t neatly fit into a specific section of Anthrax\u2019s catalogue, but seems to be a logical progression from Worship Music<\/em>\u2019s fare. \u201cIt\u2019s itself, right?,\u201d the musician submits. \u201cIs it that that song is a little bit difficult to even figure out where it should go? I don\u2019t really know any more.\u201d<\/p>\n

As stated, \u2018Evil Twin\u2019 seems perhaps a step heavier again. \u201cHeavy?,\u201d Joey questions. \u201cHeavier? I mean, there\u2019s a lot of variety on the album, and that\u2019s the other thing. If you ask me about the new album, there\u2019s tons of variety. That\u2019s the thing. We have a lot of room to move and grow. We\u2019re capable of doing a lot of things; there\u2019s so many different ideas, like cool riffs. That\u2019s what\u2019s good, although \u2018Evil Twin\u2019 is a really good indication, but not necessarily. There\u2019s gonna be a lot to hear when you can hear the album.\u201d<\/p>\n

Discussion regarding For All Kings<\/em> can be broader in scope following its release, once the media and public have had an opportunity to digest the effort. \u201cYou\u2019ll have plenty of things to talk about on the record, or even just to hear it,\u201d the performer recommends. \u201cYou\u2019ll start to hear so many dimensions of things that you might not have heard from us, or more of.\u201d<\/p>\n

As referenced, For All Kings<\/em>\u2019 release has been preceded by a European trek supporting Slayer, which began on October 25th at Tilburg, Netherland\u2019s 013. \u201cIt\u2019s been going great,\u201d Joey enthuses. \u201cFrom what I hear, it\u2019s 95% sold out. We go way back together as bands, Slayer and us. We\u2019re very familiar with each other; we\u2019re friends, and we have a good time together. There\u2019s no ego, no friction. There\u2019s a lot of complimentary conversations that go with everything and there\u2019s a lot of fun, so that makes it great, and it\u2019s metal (laughs).\u201d<\/p>\n

The entertainer joined the ranks of Anthrax during 1985, although his first interactions with Slayer occurred several years later. \u201cReally, the first time for me was the Clash Of The Titans back in \u201991, and even then I don\u2019t think I had a lot of interaction…,\u201d he confesses. \u201cI mean, I did see them and we did talk, but I didn\u2019t hang with them that much. I think everybody was in their own little bubble. That\u2019s all I remember from meeting them then. Some people had a little bit more contact with them. As for what they do, where they live, what\u2019s going on and stuff, change of members and all that, I was never up on all of it. I wasn\u2019t really that familiar with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clash Of The Titans\u2019 1991 North American trek spawned several road stories, although Joey is hesitant to divulge the intimate details. \u201cThere were some fun moments,\u201d he chuckles. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t wanna reveal certain things that were a little bit too destructive in some ways (laughs), but there was plenty of fun, believe me. It was just a great moment to have all of us together at one time. One of the bigger stories was Alice In Chains coming out; nobody knew who the hell they were, and they were an odd band on that run if you think about it. It was great though, because when you look at packages over the years, that was a really cool package, and we did it. We did it again, but without Alice In Chains obviously. It was a good bill, although it wasn\u2019t the Big Four. The Big Four was a great time, super. It was all Metallica, putting that together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reported worldwide, on November 13th, Californian rock band Eagles Of Death Metal performed at the Le Bataclan in Paris, France. The audience was attacked by terrorists using automatic rifles, grenades and suicide vests, ultimately claiming the lives of 89 people. Anthrax\u2019s European dates supporting Slayer had brought them to Paris weeks earlier on October 26th, performing at Le Zenith. \u201cWe had played Paris about a week to two weeks before that,\u201d the vocalist seconds. \u201cSomeone asked me about that, too, like what I think about the area and what\u2019s going on \u2013 even though that hadn\u2019t happened yet. I said \u2018You know what? It sucks.\u2019 What do you do? Does anybody really have any answers for that kind of stuff? The more and more I listen and the more and more people talk about it, it\u2019s a very complicated situation. It\u2019s deeper than it looks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Such events cause fear among bands and fans alike, causing some to wonder if their own respective shows might be targeted. \u201cYeah, and that\u2019s the thing,\u201d Joey begins. \u201cEvery day goes on and every show that happens, you can\u2019t help but think about stuff like that. We\u2019re very sad to hear of any of that stuff go down, because we knew some of those people. There were caterers there that we knew, some lighting people that were there. You know what? Who would\u2019ve even thought that with Dimebag (Darrell, late Pantera \/ Damageplan guitarist who was shot while performing onstage on December 8th, 2004)? That somebody would come into a club and do shit like that? Any of that stuff, it\u2019s horrible. I wish I had an answer for it, and I wish I had… Who wants to stop? I don\u2019t wanna stop, and I don\u2019t want people to not come out. We don\u2019t wanna go home, and all that stuff. We\u2019re just carrying on right now. Everybody\u2019s taking as much measures as they can.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to reports, Charlie Benante would step behind the drumkit the evening of the date this interview took place as well as for all remaining 2015 European live commitments, Jon Dette having fulfilled said duties thus far on all European dates. Suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, Benante needed to rest and recuperate. \u201cI\u2019m not even sure now, at this point,\u201d the singer comments (editor\u2019s note: Charlie didn\u2019t perform with Anthrax in Newport). \u201cNot that I know of. I got up today, and I haven\u2019t seen him yet. It says the 21st he\u2019s meant to come back, but he\u2019s not here as far as I know. It would be a surprise (laughs). It even affected him a little bit, too. He only had a couple of weeks left, so we\u2019re still waiting on all that. Jon\u2019s great, Jon\u2019s a fun guy. He really, really fits in. If anybody was to even take anybody\u2019s place right now, he\u2019s like the right guy for what we\u2019re doing. He knows almost all of our ins and outs and how we roll, so we don\u2019t have to really let him know where we are, how we work, what we do, and how we do it \u2013 the songs. He\u2019s very much a team player, and he\u2019s fun to hang out with, too. He\u2019s a good dude, and he plays well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
Anthrax (l-r): Frank Bello, Scott Ian, Charlie
Benante, Joey Belladonna and Jon Donais<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Pic: Stephanie Cabral<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

In addition, Dette has stepped behind the drumkit for Slayer in the past. \u201cHe did a double when we played the Soudwave Festival in Australia (2013),\u201d Joey adds. \u201cHe doubled up.\u201d<\/p>\n

The severity of Charlie\u2019s carpal tunnel syndrome issues is a topic of discussion among Anthrax fanatics. \u201cFor him, I mean…,\u201d the frontman ponders. \u201cI guess I\u2019m a drummer, too. There\u2019s a certain point where you just can\u2019t continue, and you need a rest, and you can\u2019t play, and you just don\u2019t do it. What else can you do? He\u2019s there, and he\u2019s capable of doing it. He played on the record, and he\u2019s played some shows. We\u2019ve already played shows together since the record was finished. I guess the timing is not so convenient. I don\u2019t sit there and talk with him actually, like grill him on how he feels comfortable, when he can play, and when he can\u2019t play. If it\u2019s to a point where he\u2019s not here, then this guy\u2019s coming in, but if he\u2019s here, then we\u2019re good. I wish it was easier, but there you go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Theoretically, Charlie\u2019s carpal tunnel syndrome issues could become so severe in future that the man would be forced to vacate the drum position. \u201cI\u2019m not sure that he\u2019s crippled enough to where he couldn\u2019t do anything, because I just think he has to pace it and put it in a context where he can actually function enough to where he doesn\u2019t abuse it,\u201d Joey clarifies. \u201cI mean, again, if I sat there and talked with him, he may just say \u2018This hurts,\u2019 but then… I mean, when I play \u2013 and I\u2019m sure it\u2019s the same with any drummer or whatever \u2013 you get sore and stuff, and sometimes it\u2019s just not as comfortable. It\u2019s not like you\u2019re playing just straight ahead; this stuff is so wrist-oriented. If it\u2019s that, I don\u2019t know. Even as a vocalist, you\u2019ve gotta think about how you roll.\u201d<\/p>\n

Second Anthrax full-length Spreading The Disease<\/em> celebrated its 30th anniversary in October 2015, the effort notably marking the debut studio appearances of the musician as well as bassist Frank Bello. \u201cI always tell the story that I had never even heard of these guys before, and to come in and join \u2026,\u201d he remembers. \u201cEven to just walk in the studio, it was like \u2018Wow, what\u2019s this shit?\u2019 I had never heard of the band, never heard of the music. I had never heard any of that or anything like it before, and yet I went in and started singing to this stuff. It sounded pretty cool, but I was still indecisive on whether this was what I should be doing. I always say that I thought they had their shit together, though. I thought that it sounded really good. It was like \u2018You know what? Might as well take a shot, and see where this thing goes,\u2019 and to be able to do something and hear myself sing and what I sound like? <\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t really do a lot of originals at the time. I knew what I sounded like, but not really until I started singing on a vinyl, a CD, or however you wanna put it, because then you go \u2018Wow, okay. That\u2019s what I sound like.\u2019 Even though with Anthrax and when you hear me sing, I can do a whole lot of different shit. Anthrax gives me so much room, whereas other music gives me more room, because I can sing a lot more explorative and much more inventive than I do with Anthrax. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnthrax kind of puts me in a box in a way, because it\u2019s fast, the keys are messed, it\u2019s all over the place, and it\u2019s a lot more words \u2013 way more words than half the stuff… I\u2019ve got a cover band, and I do classic rock, I do straight-up blues, hard rock, and metal. And it\u2019s much more vocal-oriented. Anthrax is super-challenging, though. You\u2019ll even hear on the new album, it\u2019s very melodic, but to sing over, it\u2019s tough. It\u2019s a lot of work, because you\u2019ve got to stay in the key. This shit\u2019s fast.\u201d <\/p>\n

Joey\u2019s vocal style is arguably markedly different to the likes of Big Four compatriots James Hetfield (Metallica), Dave Mustaine (Megadeth<\/a>), and Tom Araya (Slayer). \u201cIt just happens to be that way,\u201d he observes. \u201cI don\u2019t think anything is intentional. It\u2019s the way the cards are laid out, and I\u2019m that card. Obviously, I\u2019m different. I don\u2019t know in one way or another, if people are comparing us as being better or worse. It\u2019s hard to compare. I just sing different; I have a whole different approach. That\u2019s my style, whereas Tom\u2019s that style. I don\u2019t know anything about that \u2013 I wouldn\u2019t even know how to do that. I could do it if I wanted to, but it wouldn\u2019t help me. It wouldn\u2019t make me feel good, because I don\u2019t sing that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

In light of Spreading The Disease<\/em>\u2019s 30th anniversary, its position among Anthrax\u2019s greatest studio jaunts is an inevitable talking point. \u201cMaybe three?,\u201d the performer wonders. \u201cI think it\u2019s Among The Living<\/em> (March 1987), Persistence Of Time<\/em> (August 1990), then Spreading The Disease<\/em>. I don\u2019t know. It\u2019s hard to rank them, but it\u2019s definitely in my top three just because it\u2019s a special record. Of all things, on that one I had a little bit more room to sing a little bit straight ahead in some ways. It was my first record, and I had a lot of fun doing it. It was just one of those records where I wasn\u2019t strickened as much. As times went on, things started to change. It got faster. People were trying to make sure you didn\u2019t get too far away from what you were doing, like \u2018Let\u2019s try to do this.\u2019 People holing you into a style. Not to even bring it up, but look how they changed when they went and fucking got someone else… Really, for whatever reasons. Just to make a change. <\/p>\n

\n\n\n
\n
<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
Anthrax 1985 (l-r): Charlie Benante, Scott Ian, Joey
Belladonna, Dan Spitz and Frank Bello<\/em><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Pic: Geoffrey Thomas<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI had nothing to do with that. How did I even know that my style was correct? At this time, you didn\u2019t even know what these guys were digging as a vocalist. Me and you could both listen to the same music, and go \u2018Fuck, I don\u2019t like that, because I like this.\u2019 \u2018Why do you like that?\u2019 \u2018Well, because I like his style and I don\u2019t like his.\u2019 You can have that in a band, too. Do you realise that each guy in each band has a certain likeness of how certain players are? How they perform, and what they like? Maybe they like a different style of drummer, you know? It\u2019s funny how people in your own band can judge you and rate you, and put you in a spot, so it\u2019s tough. I don\u2019t know. I just do what I do, and I try to be as good as I can. I didn\u2019t chase the 90s \u2013 I don\u2019t chase anything. I just do my own thing. I have my own style, and I do what I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Relationships are seemingly cordial within the Anthrax camp, nowadays. \u201cOh yeah, we get along,\u201d Joey shares. \u201cIt\u2019s a business, too. We do go out to dinner together, we do hang out. We\u2019re laughing and horsing around, and all that shit. We\u2019re like little kids, man. Sometimes I think we\u2019re 25-years-old. Seriously, we do the dumbest shit. It\u2019s just funny, but at the same time, it\u2019s not like we\u2019re hanging out a lot. People have got families now. I\u2019m doing my thing, and they\u2019re doing their thing. We get along as good as you can. I always say the word \u2018fair\u2019: it\u2019s fair if it\u2019s done right, but when we get out there? We\u2019ve done the records we do live, and it\u2019s killer. We do as much as you could possibly believe in a band like this, and are comfortable with our whole catalogue. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe do everything we can to make it a great record. We don\u2019t wanna fuck around. It\u2019s gotta be good, and it\u2019s hard to make a great record. The thing is, when you hear the record, you\u2019re not gonna just hear this. You\u2019re gonna hear a whole lot more; you\u2019re gonna turn your head a little, and go \u2018How the hell did he do that?\u2019 Like when you hear a song that a band does, and go \u2018Man, that\u2019s a great one. How the fuck did they come up with that? That\u2019s awesome.\u2019 Like which songs you wish you had written. Certain things come out, like \u2018Wow, how did they do that?\u2019 That\u2019s great when you get those things to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Relationships haven\u2019t always been cordial within the Anthrax camp, something the entertainer could possibly document in book form some day. Guitarist Scott Ian issued memoir I\u2019m The Man in October 2014. \u201cA book from me?,\u201d he considers. \u201cI\u2019ve got a lot of things to say (laughs). People ask me about that. I don\u2019t know if I\u2019m that anxious to do one. I\u2019m not sure it\u2019ll take me more time than I want to, and I\u2019m not even sure how to speak about things that I don\u2019t know if I really wanna say to people. I\u2019m conflicted with that kind of thing, because I probably have a deeper story than a lot of people know. I could talk about a lot of stuff that might not be very friendly, just from the overall ins and outs of doing it from day one to now. There\u2019s certain things that maybe make you unhappy, and it could be small things. Do you really need to talk about it? <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m pretty quiet for the most part. For me to go out there, and start spilling shit? I don\u2019t know. I could talk. I mean, it doesn\u2019t really have to be that way either. It could be about how I grew up, what got me into music, what I did when I got out of high school, and all that kind of stuff. Is anybody interested? I don\u2019t even know. It would be cool if it didn\u2019t take me forever, but then again, I could go forever about it because I\u2019ve got so much I could say.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although the Anthrax fold is relatively stable, the penning and subsequent issue of a memoir might re-open old wounds, as it were. \u201cThe thing is, I didn\u2019t read Scott\u2019s book so I don\u2019t know if he got into it at points, but I think he even probably had to bite his tongue when he wrote it because we\u2019re together right now,\u201d Joey speculates. \u201cIs he gonna throw somebody under the bus? Even if it was about… If he said someone had stinky feet, or something like that… Do you wanna say that, or whatever? Something dumb. Do you wanna say something now, and piss somebody off? It\u2019s a weird thing. I mean, you. What kind of book would you want to read from me?\u201d<\/p>\n

A warts and all-type book. \u201cJust talking?,\u201d the vocalist asks. \u201cI definitely could. Like I said, I don\u2019t even know how long it takes, or what it should entail and that kind of stuff. It would be very interesting. It would be nice to sit down with somebody, and talk about shit. I mean, I\u2019ve got stories of just being with people. Should I tell that story about so-and-so, this place, and how we went there, and this happened? There\u2019s a lot of logistics there, too. I\u2019m not sure I really want to get into all that.\u201d<\/p>\n

A memoir would hopefully document Anthrax\u2019s history from Joey\u2019s perspective in great detail, perhaps including the music video to lead Spreading The Disease<\/em> cut \u2018Madhouse\u2019. \u201cI walked in there, and it was a fucking cold room,\u201d he recalls. \u201cNever did a video before, and now I\u2019ve gotta go out and lip-sync something. The music\u2019s just blasting, it\u2019s fucking loud, and you can\u2019t even think, so you\u2019re overdoing things, but it was fun. I don\u2019t know what the hell it was all about. Half the videos we did, I don\u2019t even know the stories. You just walked in, and it was like \u2018Okay, you\u2019re gonna stand here, and then this ball\u2019s gonna come over and wreck the building, and you guys have gotta run.\u2019 It was dumb. The videos were weird, man. They\u2019re fun to look back at, but some of them are just crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
Joey Belladonna during 1985 video shoot for \u2018Madhouse\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Released November 20th through Universal, a 30th anniversary reissue of Spreading The Disease<\/em> includes a 1987 live performance recorded at Tokyo, Japan\u2019s Sun Plaza. \u201cI haven\u2019t even heard it,\u201d the singer divulges. \u201cThat\u2019s the thing. Charlie\u2019s got some… I don\u2019t know where he got it. I have shit, too. He was like \u2018Really? You\u2019ve got stuff? You should\u2019ve given them to me.\u2019 I was like \u2018No-one asked me.\u2019 I\u2019ve got cassettes of my first couple of recordings, too. I\u2019m sure they have something in mind, but I haven\u2019t heard the Tokyo one \u2013 it\u2019d be great to hear it. There\u2019s a lot of stuff that each one of us has that another guy doesn\u2019t have. Somebody could tape tonight, and then five years from now go \u2018Hey, remember five years ago at this gig?\u2019 \u2018Oh, wow. Can I get a copy of that?\u2019 That\u2019s cool I guess, but we could\u2019ve dug out more stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joey doesn\u2019t own a wealth of archival material. \u201cI don\u2019t have a whole lot, because back at that time, for me to get a cassette and leave the building was as a reference so I could hear what I was doing,\u201d he explains. \u201cEven now with the last two records, we do a lot of it. On my phone, I could play you the minute I got done walking out, and you could hear exactly what I did right there on the computer just as a basic track. Stuff like that. That\u2019s about all I have, though. It\u2019s just at that moment, you recorded what you did, and it\u2019s just raw. <\/p>\n

\u201cLike \u2018Armed And Dangerous\u2019; I have the first day I tried that. I have that cassette. It\u2019s almost exact, too, and stuff like that\u2019s kind of cool. Nowadays, you can hear stuff just by itself. I even have stuff like that \u2013 just me singing it. My wife taped me singing \u2018Neon Knights\u2019 (Black Sabbath<\/a> cover, from March 2014 compilation Ronnie James Dio \u2013 This Is Your Life<\/em>) just on a video camera in the room, so you don\u2019t even hear the music. You hear me singing. Shit like that. That\u2019s about all that I have, but that\u2019s cool, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

As well as unreleased archival material, the Anthrax frontman is in possession of unreleased solo material cut during the 13-year period (1992-2005) he wasn\u2019t in the band\u2019s ranks. \u201cObviously at that time, I was a musician,\u201d he highlights. \u201cObviously, I wanted to maintain some kind of musical career. I wasn\u2019t gonna quit. There were my first demos with me and Paul Crook, who plays for Meat Loaf now and used to play in Anthrax. We sat around for hours every day and wrote songs, and it was a blast. I loved being able to come up with my own parts, coming up with riffs, and coming up with songs. I love doing it \u2013 I\u2019d certainly love to do it. Since I\u2019ve been with Anthrax, I just haven\u2019t had time. I\u2019ve got ideas; I\u2019ve got songs, and I\u2019ve jammed with people that wanna write. At the same time though, I haven\u2019t been bothering with anything in particular. <\/p>\n

\u201cEven when I was out too, it\u2019s hard to figure out where you fit in solo-wise since you\u2019re out of the band and still carrying that Anthrax kind of metal. Thrash… Do people… I mean, it\u2019s really hard to be on your own. It\u2019s not easy \u2013 I was playing small clubs. Now, I have a cover band. I do classic rock and I\u2019m a drummer \/ singer, so I know what it\u2019s like and I don\u2019t really care. I can play in front of 50 people. I don\u2019t care. People love it, and that\u2019s fine with me. It\u2019s not always about being on top, and being a star. I just wanna play. I love singing and I love making music, so yeah. <\/p>\n

\u201cSome day, it\u2019d be nice to do another, but something that\u2019s maybe a little bit more solid, put together, produced, and the whole thing. A lot of my stuff is just demos. Some of it shouldn\u2019t have even come out, but they\u2019re demos. It\u2019s kind of cool that way, right? It\u2019s tough though, because when you put a demo up, people want it to be top quality. We\u2019re talking eight-track cassette.\u201d<\/p>\n

The eternal question is as to whether solo material from Joey should be similar to Anthrax\u2019s musical imprint, or markedly different. \u201cI always ask you stuff,\u201d he remarks. \u201cWhat would you want from me?\u201d<\/p>\n

An answer would be difficult to give, given one could assume a track is mediocre prior to even hearing it, solely based on a musical description \u2013 even though said track could be a strong number. \u201cThat\u2019s the problem,\u201d the musician laments. \u201cIt\u2019s like when you get an actor that was on say some kind of sitcom, and then you expect them to be different, but they\u2019re so categorised as that figure that they can\u2019t break away from being on those shows or whatever. It\u2019s the same with me. I may have a certain style, so you might think that I have to be a thrash singer only.\u201d<\/p>\n

How much \u2018thrashing\u2019 Joey and Anthrax have left in the tank as it were is uncertain. \u201cWhere do I see it going?,\u201d he responds. \u201cI don\u2019t know. That\u2019s a tough one, man. If I start thinking like that, that\u2019s desperation almost to a point where you\u2019ve gotta let it roll, and be positive. We\u2019re gonna be as busy in the next couple of years as we can ever be, without even blinking an eye. We just go, go, go. Hey, look. If anybody\u2019s interested and we\u2019re as attentive to what we do, there\u2019s no reason why we can\u2019t just go. I don\u2019t know if I can put any number on it, because we could go on this album for two-and-a-half years without a blink. That\u2019s two-and-a-half years. I don\u2019t even know how it will go.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just goes, and that\u2019s just that. Then there\u2019s another album and then there\u2019s another tour, or maybe we could keep touring. I don\u2019t know. It\u2019s hard. If I think about it too much, I might start pushing myself to get an answer. You can\u2019t get one unless you just start to draw a line, and say \u2018Two more years, and then I\u2019m done. I don\u2019t wanna do it any more.\u2019 No-one\u2019s done any of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

For All Kings<\/em> will be released on February 26th, 2016 in Europe via Nuclear Blast Records, with North American issue taking place the same day through Megaforce Records.<\/p>\n

Interview published in November 2015.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ANTHRAX – Caught Moshing Still Anthony Morgan November 2015 Anthrax (l-r): Charlie Benante, Frank Bello, Scott Ian, Joey Belladonna and Jon Donais Pic: Ignacio Galvez On November 2nd, 2015, New York-based thrash metal outfit Anthrax confirmed it would issue 11th full-length studio album For All Kings on February 26th, 2016 in Europe through Nuclear Blast […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-anthrax"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37306"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43211,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37306\/revisions\/43211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}