Guitarist ROB CAGGIANO Says 'A Lot Of Stuff' Stands In The Way Of His Return To ANTHRAX

Cameron Edney of Australia's Inside_Out666 recently conducted an interview with former ANTHRAX guitarist and acclaimed producer Rob Caggiano (CRADLE OF FILTH, BLEEDING THROUGH). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Inside_Out666: Rob, I'd like to talk to you about your time with ANTHRAX; tell me about your first encounter with the guys?

Rob Caggiano: "I've known the ANTHRAX guys for a long time now. I've been a fan since as long as I can remember so the first time I got together with them it was a trip! I remember being really nervous at the first rehearsal [laughs].

Inside_Out666: Yeah, [laughs] I’d be exactly the same, tell us about that first rehearsal, what did the guys ask you about, do you remember what they asked you to play, etc.?

Rob Caggiano: "Umm, I think we just went over a bunch of stuff. It wasn't like a proper audition. It was more like an ANTHRAX rehearsal (very rare in and of itself) [laughs] that I sat in on. I think everyone kinda knew where I was coming from as a guitar player beforehand and a lot of their stuff is like second nature for me, because I've been a fan for so long. It was just a matter of getting back into 'guitar player' mode for me, because I took some time off from playing back then. I like to do that every now and then to avoid getting into 'ruts' and to keep everything fresh. I'm definitely not one of those guys that practices for hours on end. In fact, I can honestly say that I don't practice at all, in the traditional sense anyway. At the time when I started playing with them, I hadn't picked up the guitar in about eight months so it really felt great to get back into it. Like I said earlier, I've been an ANTHRAX fan for a very long time. I think I learned most of the 'Among the Living' record when I was around twelve or thirteen years old and I knew most of the John Bush stuff already so it was all pretty familiar to me [laughs]. Actually that first day had a bit of a 'Twilight Zone' feeling for me but the vibe between all of us was definitely great."

Inside_Out666: Now, I won't go into the whole ANTHRAX reunion [of the classic lineup] with you. I’m sure everyone knows exactly how you feel about that, what I do want to know is do you think you will ever work with the guys again down the track?

Rob Caggiano: "I really don't know. I wish I could give you definite answers about this shit but they've been so elusive and mysterious about everything that I really don't know what's gonna happen. I'll just say this: there is a lot of stuff that needs to get worked out between ANTHRAX and myself before I would even consider going back to playing with them. Some people might think I'm bitter after reading my last interview with the 'Reunion Bashers Club' (that still makes me laugh!!) about this reunion etc. I was just speaking from my heart, as a fan and as a friend. The fact that they went and did a reunion tour doesn't make me bitter at all — it's not like I'm sitting at home right now with my thumb up my ass. I just don't agree with the way things have been handled on a lot of levels. I know the guys in ANTHRAX weren't too pleased when they saw that interview either but they had to know they were gonna rub some people the wrong way by going about things the way they did. I'm one of those people! They know exactly where I'm coming from. I still wish them luck in whatever they decide to do."

(Thanks: Cameron Edney / Inside_Out666)