ANTHRAX Bassist: METALLICA 'Really Gave Us A Kick In The Ass' To Be A Band Again

October 6, 2012

PureGrainAudio's Mitch Lafon conducted an interview with ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello and lead guitarist Rob Caggiano before the band's October 2 concert in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked about how timing the release of ANTHRAX's latest album, "Worship Music", to coincide with the band's appearances at the "Big Four" concert at the Yankee Stadium in New York City helped make the record such a critical and commercial success, Bello said, "It [was a] huge [part of it]. It put us back in the limelight. I mean, METALLICA's the biggest band in the world. And to be on stage with them, let alone [as part of the] 'Big Four', it was huge for us, and it put us in front of this whole new fanbase."

He continued, "I take my hat off to METALLICA. Not only are their our friends, but they really gave us a kick in the ass, which was what we needed to get to be a band again. And we're bearing fruit on it, which is beautiful. To see 14-year-old kids coming up to, saying they love this record, they grew up on my bass playing from their father, or whatever it may be, I love that. That's what it's about.

"So now we have this whole turnover between the younger kids and our older crowd, which we love … But you've gotta come up with the goods. Nobody cares if you don't come up with the goods. We knew we had something special. It all worked. It was the perfect storm. We knew it was the right thing to do it at Yankee Stadium, to release it around that time; it was big hype thing on that, the 'Big Four.' It all worked nicely, but we knew we had the goods, so to speak."

ANTHRAX recently spent time in the studio recording several cover versions of some of their favorite rock classics, to be included with the upcoming re-release of "Worship Music".

In addition to RUSH and BOSTON covers, ANTHRAX is also recording its versions of AC/DC's "T.N.T.", JOURNEY's "Keep On Runnin'" and BLACK SABBATH's "Neon Knights". The latter song is expected to appear on the upcoming Ronnie James Dio tribute album which is being assembled by the singer's widow and longtime manager Wendy Dio.

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