Soundwave Festival

Biography

ANTHRAX INTERVIEW
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Anthrax ‘Bring the Noize’ Back to Australia!

Cameron Edney chats with thrash metal icons Scott Ian & Charlie Benante

Forming in New York back in 1981 Anthrax may have undergone line-up changes and struggled to re-claim their name in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, but this thrashing metal mad band are a powerhouse to be reckoned with! With a career that spans almost thirty years the only remaining founding member Scott Ian (Guitar) and longtime band mate Charlie Benante (Drums) have seen the world numerous times and have played with the who’s who of hard rock and heavy metal! The band recently announced that for the very first time thrash metal’s big 4 Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica would all be sharing a stage for the very first time in metal history at this year’s Sonisphere Festival which will be held in Knebworth!

These American Thrash metal legends Anthrax will be returning to our shores later this month to take part in the Soundwave Festivals. Although Anthrax are no strangers to playing to sold-out crowds in Australia this will be the bands very first festival experience in Australia and both the band and fans alike are extremely excited! Not only were the Australian fans thrilled to hear that Anthrax would be returning but to also find out that former vocalist John Bush would be making the trek with the band. It is still unclear at this time if John has officially permanently rejoined Anthrax or if he will be laying down the vocal tracks for the bands highly anticipated next studio album ‘Worship Music’ only time will tell! After recording what I believe to be one of the finest metal albums of all-time ‘We’ve come for you all’ we can only hope that Johns return to the band is full-time.

I recently had the pleasure of catching up with the influential and legendary Charlie Benante and Scott Ian to discuss the bands upcoming return to Australia, their recent appearances at the Los Angeles NAAM Expo, the possibility of releasing ‘Worship Music’ this year and more! Kick back as we go ‘Riding Shotgun’ in the ‘Cadillac Rock Box’ with ANTHRAX…

Soundwave: Hi guys, as a long-time fan its awesome to be speaking with you both today, How’s everything going?

Scott Ian: Great Thanks

Soundwave: Firstly it’s great to see that Anthrax are once again returning to Australia this month for the Soundwave Festivals, no doubt you’re excited to be heading back our way?

Scott Ian: Yes! It's been too long and getting to come back on Soundwave is fucking great. Our first festival tour in Australia!

Charlie Benante: Oh yeah, I’m looking forward to getting up there and rocking out with this band again you will see a different performance from us...we will be very happy metalheads up there!

Soundwave: Guys, the Soundwave Festival Line-up is amazing this year… Janes Addiction, Anvil, Anti-Flag, Faith No More and many others! What bands are you looking forward to checking out most?

Scott Ian: Faith No More. They are one of my all time favorite bands and I missed them in Europe last year. I can't wait to see them!

Charlie Benante: I dig Meshuggah and Faith no More, I'll enjoy them.

Soundwave: Scott, many of the Australian Anthrax fans are upset to hear that you wouldn’t be doing any Sideshows while you’re here. Do you guys have any plans to come back later in the year for some headline shows to promote ‘Worship Music’?

Scott Ian: At this point we've been taking it slow with John returning to the band. We really wanted to focus on Soundwave and yes, we would certainly like to come back and do our own headline tour after the record is out.

Soundwave: That’s great news! Do you guys have any plans to film or record any of the festival appearances for a possible future release?

Scott Ian: I'll be shooting everything with my video camera and I'm sure some of the other guys will be as well. I would like to record, we'll see!

Soundwave: Charlie, when it comes to touring today, how does it compare to touring say twenty years ago does it get any easier to leave your house for months at a time, especially now that you’re a father?

Charlie Benante: Well, my priorities have changed, but music is in my blood. I wake up thinking of songs; i don't go a day without music. I think it's the fountain of youth!

Soundwave: Scott, Anthrax has been to Australia a number of times over the years, besides playing the shows, what do you enjoy the most about touring here?

Scott Ian: VB… Actually, we've never really had too much time off there. We've got a few days in Sydney this time so I'm hoping to eat some killer food and check out the beach. Also, AC/DC on Feb 22!

Soundwave: I remember a few years back you played to one hell of an insane crowd in Melbourne! How do the Aussie crowds compare when you put them up against crowds in the States and Europe?

Scott Ian: I don't compare crowds, every show is different! I do remember the show in Melbourne on the ‘Persistence of Time’ tour. It was at some basketball hall and the crowd broke through the barricade and we had to stop the show. The security guys were really cool and made a human barricade, literally like forty guys linked arms and the crowd didn't fuck with them and we were able to finish the show. Nuts!

Soundwave: You both attended the NAMM Expo last month in Los Angeles, Charlie tell us about the new signature snare that you have released, how did that all come about?

Charlie Benante: This has been a long time coming. I knew what type of snare i wanted; now we had to physically put it together. I wanted a metal drum and i wanted the drum to be versatile. This is a loud drum but it also can be used for all types of music. I’m very proud of this signature snare; it's everything i hoped it would be.

Soundwave: Scott, you were involved in the unveiling of the brand new Randy Rhoads Jackson tribute guitar! As a fan of Randy’s work, that must have been a very special and exciting moment!

Scott Ian: Yes, it was really cool and humbling. The guitar is great as well.

Soundwave: Guys let’s talk ‘Worship Music’… Take us through the writing process for the album, what different factors surrounded the process this time around?

Scott Ian: We wrote most of the record before we even had a singer, which was different. Although it was similar to how we wrote ‘Spreading the Disease’.

Soundwave: With John Bush currently back fronting the band for various festival appearances, is it safe to finally say that John is back for good and will be laying down the vocals for ‘Worship Music’!

Charlie Benante: I am hoping we can release a part of this record soon... I do want to write some new tunes; some of the tunes bring up some bad feelings for me.

Soundwave: Scott, Anthrax fans around the world are dying to know… will ‘Worship Music’ be hitting the shelves anytime soon?

Scott Ian: Honestly… no idea. We've got a lot of work to do.

Soundwave: Mate, I want to talk to you a little more about life on the road… going right back to when the band first formed, can you recall the hardest time you had as an opening act?

Scott Ian: No, not really… I don't look at things that way. We were happy to be wherever we could play and we did our thing. It's not hard to be in a band in that sense. There are a million other things I could be doing that are a lot harder.

Soundwave: That’s true mate! When it comes to touring today how does it compare to when you were first starting out, I would imagine along the way you have learnt many valuable lessons on how to survive the road!

Scott Ian: Eating well, sleeping, Avoid hangovers… Not too difficult.

Soundwave: Mate, looking back over your career if you could pick a handful of shows as being the most memorable shows of your life, what ones would you choose?

Scott Ian: Sonisphere Festival at Knebworth last summer! The return of John Bush was like living a dream.

Soundwave: Scott, it was like a dream for many fans too! Musically what else would you like to achieve in your career?

Scott Ian: Play with AC/DC. We've never done that.

Soundwave: Charlie, there has been a lot happening inside the Anthrax camp over recent months, one of the coolest stories to break was the announcement that the “Big 4” would be playing the Sonisphere festival. Who would have thought that after all these years Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax and Metallica would finally be sharing a stage together! What are your thoughts on all four bands finally coming together?

Charlie Benante: I’m honored to be a part of this. This is a metal heads Christmas present. I will for sure enjoy every aspect of it

Soundwave: Scott, how did it all come together?

Scott Ian: Metallica put it together! My hats off to them for making this happen. We got the call and said yes and they didn't even have the cities locked in yet. Just to be a part of it is amazing. The fact that all four of us are still doing it is really a testament to this music we started way back when.

Soundwave: Now that fans worldwide have heard the news and are excited to see the “Big 4” playing together for the very first time, does this open the doors now to a possible travelling Thrash Festival including the likes of Overkill, Hirax, Kreator etc?

Scott Ian: I really have no idea.

Charlie Benante: I would've liked Exodus to be a part of this, that would've been cool.

Soundwave: Scott, A couple of years back you did the “Supergroup” show with Ted Nugent, Evan Seinfeld, Sebastian Bach and Jason Bonham, tell us about that experience, especially getting to work with the mighty Ted Nugent!

Scott Ian: It was the first time in my life I got to be a "Rockstar"… Ted is the man! It was like summer camp with guns and he was the counselor.

Soundwave: [Laughs] Charlie, you have had one hell of an amazing career! If your life was put into a movie what actor would you like to play you?

Charlie Benante: David Boreanaz, the guy who played Angel on the Buffy series.

Soundwave: Guys we’re almost out of time so lastly a question I ask everyone that I speak with… who is the one band you never want to hear again and why?

Scott Ian: No one! More power to anyone out there making music.

Soundwave: Guys I want to thank you again for taking the time out to chat with us today, it’s been a true pleasure, I can’t wait to see you guys back here in Australia! Do you have any last words for our readers?

Scott Ian: Thanks for being there for us because it is a privilege to be in a band and get to do what we do. We couldn't do it without you! Cheers.

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ANTHRAX BIO
One of the few heavy-metal bands to get consistently high critical marks, ANTHRAX, helped redefine the metal genre in the ’80s, stressing anger, speed, and emotional intensity over big hair and power ballads.

The classic ANTHRAX years however featured the irrepressible John Bush on vocals. ‘The Sound Of White Noise’ was released in 1993 and was this first with singer John Bush and the last with lead guitarist Dan Spitz. After a string of classic thrash albums in the '80's and one in the early '90's, this album fully propelled ANTHRAX into the new decade. "...This is state-of-the-art mosh-pit mania, about as good as metal gets.” – Rolling Stone

At the Sonisphere Festival in the UK John Bush reformed for a one off performance with ANTHRAX and literally blasted all comers from the stage. Due to the overwhelming fan response following John Bush's performance, a 'Bring Back Bush' campaign was set up and subsequently endorsed by Scott Ian.

It is with great excitement that we can confirm these New York thrash titans will be gracing the stage at SOUNDWAVE 2010. Can we get a hell yeah? Hell f’n yeah!

During the 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States, the band altered its website to provide information about the disease, because many people had come there due to simply entering anthrax.com in their browsers. Anthrax issued a press release on October 10, 2001, that jokingly mentioned that they were going to change the name of the band to "something more friendly, like 'Basket Full of Puppies'." The band later put to rest all of the name-change rumors that erupted from the press release at a 9/11 benefit concert in November 2001, when they took the stage wearing boiler suits with a different word on each one that, when they stood single-file in a specific order, spelled out the sentence "WE'RE NOT CHANGING OUR NAME".