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It’s like old times for Anthrax
AP Music Writer
NEW YORK
Scott Ian and the other members of Anthrax weren’t around when Joey Belladonna, their lead singer some 21 years ago, entered the studio and again resumed the role for their latest album, “Worship Music.”
It was at Belladonna’s request. The heavy-metal band already had finished most of the album by the time Belladonna was recruited, so he asked to work with just the producer present.
But Ian was confident that Belladonna hadn’t forgotten the Anthrax sound.
“We never had any question about that because we had gone out and done this reunion tour back in ’05, ’06 together with Joey, and those shows were great. We became a better band then, playing that old stuff,” the guitarist said. “The only unknown was, ‘What’s Joey going to sound like on a record in 2011?’ And he quickly showed us what he was going to sound like.”
The album debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, their highest debut in 20 years. It came as the band celebrates 30 years together, a new tour and the success of their massive Big Four concerts with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer on both coasts and around the world.
Q. What was it like when Joey first started working on the record after all those years apart?
A. He pretty much nailed it as far as I’m concerned, first time, on each song. What’s amazing is he only started singing nine out of the 10 of these songs like earlier this year, like December or January, and he sounds like he’s been singing them for 10 years, and I think that’s something that’s really, really hard to pull off, and he did it. Like, he owns the songs.
Q. Anthrax has been together for so long. What were the most challenging years? Was there a time when you thought it was over?
A. I never wondered that. The hardest time for me in the history of Anthrax was trying to make our first album. That was the hardest time, because we were nobody; we were nothing. It wasn’t like we had a name or we were established or we knew anything about anything. ... Once we got our foot in the door, there was no way we were taking it out.
Q. The Big Four shows were such a success. What do you think it says about the strength of heavy metal as a genre?
A. It really has lit a fire underneath not only the audiences around the world, but music in general because of the excitement it’s generated.