Anthrax: Together Again.

I have been an Anthrax fan since I first discovered them around the release of "Among the Living," which still stands as one of their best releases. They were a force in speed metal throughout the 80's, standing with other metal luminaries Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer. In the early 90's they underwent a transformation which saw the exit of longtime frontman Joey Belladonna, and the addition of his replacement, former Armored Saint singer John Bush. Since that change, they also suffered the loss of guitarist Danny Spitz. The band soldiered on, continuing to put out excellent music. But this really isn't about an Anthrax history lesson, it is about something else entirely.

The lineup the led the charge through the early years is reuniting. Scott Ian, Frank Bello, Charlie Benante, Danny Spitz, and Joey Belladonna will be appearing publicly together for the first time since 1993. On April 1, 2005 they will be gathering at Sirius Satellite Radio in New York City for the ANTHRAX Global Press Conference and Luncheon.

At the conclusion of the ANTHRAX Global Press Conference and Luncheon, the band will make an important statement regarding the U.S. Government and the Anthrax Vaccine. Apparently an act was passed which allows the Department of Health to use untested vaccines for Anthrax and other diseases without any type of consent. To top it off, the soldiers in our military are the first line of defense for these uninformed tests. In addition to the band, medical experts will be on hand for the discussion.

My thoughts upon reading this were firstly, could this be a big prank pulled on metal fans? Come on, look at the date that the event is taking place. After that wore off, I have chosen to believe that it is the real deal, I would love for these guys to make some more music together. I have seen both the current lineup of Anthrax and Joey Belladonna live, and they both put on great shows. I even had the opportunity to meet Joey, and he is absolutely great guy, very approachable and great to his fans, not to mention he still has a great voice!

Beyond that, I am hoping that this is more han just a get together regarding the vaccine. I truly hope that they plan on recording new music and/or go on tour. Even better, Anthrax featuring Bush and Belladonna on vocals together would be great. And thinking even further down the line, I would like to see this lineup come through my town!

So, Sirius radio subscribers, don't forget to tune to tune into the "SPREADING THE ANTHRAX WEEKEND" on Hard Attack/27 on April 1st. Be sure to report back here with your thoughts!

In closing, here are 20 quotes representing the first 20 years of Anthrax and the bands they've influenced and the friends they've made:

Foo Fighters - Dave Grohl: "Anthrax? The cover of "Fistful of Metal" says it
all. I bought that fucker when it came out in 84, without hearing even so
much as a note. They haven't disappointed me since. Unmistakable riffs,
mindfuck drumming and classic songs - they've opened too many doors to
mention. Badasses. They are better than your band."

Deftones - Abe Cunningham "Anthrax plays a huge role in Stef and me meeting and starting to jam together; we met through a mutual friend who gave me my first copy of Among The Living. Deftones started in 1988, but before that it was just the two
of us in his mom's hot ass garage with the dryer on and the washing machine
overflowing trying to make it through Indians and Caught In A Mosh. I would
like to thank you guys for the inspiration, your precision, your tones, your
dedication and for having the nut sacks to try shit that no one would.
Happy 20th Anniversary!!! All the best."

Damageplan - Vinnie Paul: "Anthrax is one of the most kick ass American
metal bands of all time. They have out lasted every trend to come along in
the last 20 years and are still relevant today . my hats off to them .
definitely one of Dimes' and my favorite bands of all time."

Public Enemy - Chuck D: "The world of music to me is about pioneers and
groundbreakers, doing bold and daring things in the face of critics and
nay-sayers, while only to have everybody snatch credit when that innovation
is overstood as the fabric of the terrain. There is no question in my mind
regarding MY friends Anthrax in this regard, and dragging me along in the
process of making history. Pushing the envelope, yup, plus the fact that
they set a high bar on killer shows and max-throttled songs has not only
entertained me but inspired me as well . "

Judas Priest - Rob Halford: "Everyone in Judas Priest congratulates our good
friends from Anthrax for passing their 20th year metal milestone. We have
always been fans of the band and had the pleasure to do many shows together.
Anthrax are true pioneers with their unique style, sound and heavy brand of
metal. They have always and will continue to inspire and influence those
around them within the metal world."

Slipknot - Corey Taylor: "Anthrax is to me one of the most influential bands
of my generation, albeit one of the most under rated with no real reason to
be. They are concise, they are fast, they're just all around fuckin'
badass. Whether they had Belladonna or John Bush, they remain one of the
best bands out there, bar none."

Motorhead - Lemmy: "Who would have thought, all those years ago, that the
boys would do so well?"

Audioslave - Tom Morello: "The Anthrax collaboration with Public Enemy was
one of the critical turning points in breaking down barriers of race and
genre in heavy music."

Mudvayne - Chad Gray and Matt McDonough: "Anthrax is a cultural institution
in the world of heavy metal music."

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Flea: "Anthrax shreds. Anthrax rocks. Their Joe
Jackson cover made my kidneys flip upside down."

Sum 41 - Dave Baksh: "The reason I started playing guitar was "Caught in a
Mosh".

Kiss - Gene Simmons: "Anthrax is cool - They've always been cool and
'Anti-Social.'"

Lamb of God - Chris Adler & Mark Morton: "Anthrax has always embodied the
culmination of the early NYC crossover trend and the evolution of an
entirely different heavy metal sound. This is the band that developed a
sound that truly brought the fans of hardcore and metal together -
influencing anyone and everyone with a distortion pedal and/or two kick
drums that came after them. Never afraid to bend the boundaries and pave
their own way, Anthrax has brought about and unleashed an undeniable
contagious disease of heavy fucking metal. Anthrax are true pioneers of
thrash metal. They've always had the unique ability to reach blazing speeds
without losing any mass or power in the song . and they always stayed
focused on the SONG, a rarity in the genre. Their mastery of the elements
of fast and heavy has been a lesson to us all. Scott Ian's right arm is
simply ridiculous . he hits so hard and stays so steady, it's literally
funny to watch someone that good . and the riffs are straight up classics.
Throughout the '90s, their resilience and dedication helped keep metal alive
when it had all but died. Cheers to Anthrax for 20 years of thrash. Thanks
dudes."

Killswitch Engage - Howard Jones: "To me, Anthrax is the epitome of what was
and is metal. Whether it is 20 years ago or 20 days ago, they still do what
they do better than most bands could ever dream of doing. It's great to see
they are still going strong."

Superjoint Ritual - Phil Anselmo: "In a time when bands seem to stay
together for an extremely limited time period, Anthrax stays together and
does what they do in their own way and in their own time. Big ups' to these
guys always."

Rob Zombie: "For twenty years Anthrax has steamrolled over every obstacle
that has gotten in their path. Nothing can stop them. Anthrax is an
unyielding metal machine."

Shadow's Fall - Jason Bittner: "The first time I saw Anthrax live was in May
of 1987 on the Among the Living tour. It was the most intense thrash show I
had been to at that point in my life (and I just saw Megadeth/Overkill the
night prior)! The band, the energy, the songs, THE JAMS (some of you may be
too young to know about that period!). Anthrax made me want to mosh, Scott
Ian made me want to play rhythm guitar and Charlie Benante was instantly one
of my drumming heroes. In the years that have passed, those same feelings
still apply, except for now not only is Charlie still one of my heroes, he's
one of my friends!"

Mastodon - Troy Sanders and Bloodsimple - Kyle Sanders "Our first Anthrax show consisted of human flesh, metal chairs and blood ... the most vicious whirlpool of a circle pit we have ever witnessed! Anthrax was one of the few who fueled our fire to fuckin' rip it up ... Frankie and Charlie bottom line layin' it down!"

Megadeth - Dave Mustaine: "Anthrax is a band that I have always respected,
that has always mattered and was very important to the American Metal scene.
As part of the "big four" they were responsible for an enormous amount of
the credit for helping establish American Metal bands as serious contenders
in the World of Metal."

Metallica - Kirk Hammett: "Anthrax's music matters. In the pantheon of
Modern Metal Anthrax are certainly a Cornerstone, and if one listens, one
can hear their influence on any number of up and coming bands of the new
generation."