Bassist JOEY VERA To Tour Europe With ANTHRAX

Bassist Joey Vera (FATES WARNING, SEVEN WITCHES, ARMORED SAINT, ANTHRAX) has posted the following message on his web site:

"Seems like just yesterday but it's been almost a month since I got back from the tour with ANTHRAX in Japan and Australia. Most of us, myself included, got some weird upper respiratory illness half way through the tour. What started out as a head cold, turned into a phlegm hacking extravaganza. For some of us it turned into the full-fledged flu. It took a few weeks after my return before I felt any better. The cause was probably due to our appearance in a train station or airport on a daily basis. Too many foreign microbes.

"Aside from strange food and congested heads, the tour went really well. My first time in both countries and it was amazing. The Japanese shows were killer and everyone there was so damn nice and polite! But don’t get me wrong, the crowds were crazy! And Australia was fuckin' nuts. The tour ended with two shows in Sydney which were just sick. Total maniacs. Most of the shows in both countries were sold out and I met some really cool people in both places. Many thanks to everyone who came to the shows and it was nice meeting you. I look forward to returning someday.

"About 10 days after my return I began learning the tunes for the new FATES WARNING record. I headed out to the studio in an undisclosed location on the east coast on May 17 to record my parts. Thanks to the weather around Michigan I arrived four hours late. All went well though and a few days later I was flying home only to be delayed again, this time around Washington, D.C., and again another four-hour delay. Made it home unscathed though and my parts for the new FATES record are done. The stuff sounds killer. Jim Matheos is finishing up some guitar parts before Ray Alder steps in to record his parts. Look for a release sometime in the fall.

"After a relaxing weekend I started brushing up on the ANTHRAX tunes (all 25 of them!) and also learned three more we might add to the set. I'll be doing the upcoming European tour with ANTHRAX which starts on June 5 at the Rock am Ring MTV festival in Germany. The tour is fairly extensive going to several places I've never played before including Ireland, Scotland and Croatia. We're doing around six weeks through July before taking a few weeks off and returning for three more weeks in Europe ending in mid August. It's been an honor and not to mention a ton of fun touring with these guys. For more info on the tour dates, check out the bands website at www.anthrax.com

"Also, the new SAINT DVD is out now. 'Armored Saint Magazine: Lessons Not Well Learned' is full of silly nonsense and some live bootleg videos too. Check it our at www.armoredsaint.com or www.metalblade.com

"Some of you ask me how I manage to play in several bands. Well, sometimes it does get crazy and schedules get congested. It has turned out that because of my recent involvement with ANTHRAX, I'm unable to play on the new SEVEN WITCHES record. The band is recording during June with new drummer Craig Anderson and Dennis Hayes will be playing bass on the record. I'm bummed about not seeing the new record to its completion cause the new songs are killer. But I'm sure Jack Frost and the boys will make a great record.

"Many thanks to everyone who has helped me out during this crazy schedule. DR Strings, Tech 21, Ampeg, TKL Cases, Nady, Fender Basses, Pro Co Cables. And Thank you to who have or will come out to the shows. You all rule!"