ANTHRAX Drummer: Young Kids Think That Music Is Free And They Shouldn't Have To Pay For It

July 6, 2012

Brandon Marshall of the Denver Westword recently conducted an interview with ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Denver Westword: How do you view the current state of the music industry, and what do you feel needs to be done in order for new artists to survive it?

Charlie Benante: That's a touchy subject, because there is no music industry. Basically, you're out there on your own, dude. The thing that sucks about the young kids is that they think that music is free, and they shouldn't have to pay for it.

Denver Westword: In 2000, when [METALLICA's] Lars Ulrich went to the Senate over Napster, did you have an inkling that downloading music was going to be so hurtful to artists? Did you support Lars's decision?

Charlie Benante: Oh yeah I did and I did support Lars.

Denver Westword: A lot of these younger kids aren't going to have album artwork or liner notes because bands are not going to be putting out physical CDs. It's become a financial and artistic loss.

Charlie Benante: Right, but what they don't know won't affect them. Well, think of things like this, people grew up never understanding what a record was, and then a tape came into play. Then, the CD came into play, and some people don't even know what a VHS tape was. It's just so far removed. In just a few years, you probably won't even know what a fuckin' CD is, because it will all be digital downloads. You won't even have a physical copy in your hand to enjoy. It'll just be air [laughs].

Denver Westword: Why do you think thrash metal has such a global appeal, and were you surprised to see places like Brazil and Germany become such a hotbed for it?

Charlie Benante: Well, let me tell you something about the South American audiences: They are probably some of the best audiences that hard rock and heavy metal bands will ever play to. They are so devoted and so passionate about the music. It's amazing to see that. I love it. I'm not talking bad about other places, like America, or parts of Europe, or whatever, but sometimes they get a little jaded because they get it so often. You go down to South America, where they don't get it so often, and you can just see how much they appreciate it. It's a different vibe, man. They fucking' let it all go.

Denver Westword: Tell us about the new EP ANTHRAX has coming out. Is it cuts left over from "Worship Music"? Is it already recorded? Do you have a release date set?

Charlie Benante: Well, we're going to put it out in September, a year after the release of the record. So, we're just looking to that release. Basically, it's going to be made up of a bunch of really cool cover tunes and some live songs too.

Denver Westword: Are the live songs recordings from the last tour?

Charlie Benante: Yep.

Denver Westword: What bands are covered?

Charlie Benante: The covers that we did are basically a collection of bands and songs we love from the '70s. It may consist of RUSH, BOSTON, JOURNEY and CHEAP TRICK. So, it's a really cool collection of tunes.

Denver Westword: Are you guys going to speed some songs up and put an ANTHRAX twist on them?

Charlie Benante: We do, but I wouldn't say we speed them up. I would say we stay true to what the songs are, but we give it our little imprint.

Read the entire interview from Denver Westword.

Find more on
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).