Anthrax, one of the legendary Big Four (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth) is coming to Vancouver in September as part of a huge cross-country, US/Canada tour showcasing their latest album Worship Music. We caught up with drummer Charlie Benante to talk about music, movies, and Mars.
tV: Joey Belladonna rejoined the band and is back on vocals again for your latest album Worship Music.
CB: I feel great about that: he's an awesome front man, an awesome singer. We're very happy to have him back.
tV: It's been said that Earth on Hell and Revolution Screams are about people taking power back.
CB: Revolution Screams is a bit about that. In America especially, it's a very strange time that we live in politically. What you think is right someone else thinks is wrong. It's very strange to show something that is very black and white and others see it as totally opposite. For me, I think we need to do something: a revolution of some sort needs to happen because we pay a crazy amount in taxes and an insane amount in health insurance. It's obscene what we are forced to do, yet this is the “land of the free.” I think something has to be said about that.
CB: I feel great about that: he's an awesome front man, an awesome singer. We're very happy to have him back.
tV: It's been said that Earth on Hell and Revolution Screams are about people taking power back.
CB: Revolution Screams is a bit about that. In America especially, it's a very strange time that we live in politically. What you think is right someone else thinks is wrong. It's very strange to show something that is very black and white and others see it as totally opposite. For me, I think we need to do something: a revolution of some sort needs to happen because we pay a crazy amount in taxes and an insane amount in health insurance. It's obscene what we are forced to do, yet this is the “land of the free.” I think something has to be said about that.
tV: Let's talk about the image for
“Fight 'em Til You Can't”. It's you fighting zombie versions of yourselves. How did that come to be?
CB: I had this idea of us fighting our doppelganger, zombie selves and Alex Ross, who did the album, thought it was a great concept. We all took snapshots of ourselves in those positions and sent them to Alex and he did it up. He did a killer job.
tV: Is it true that some of your songs have incorporated Stephen King's work?
CB: Back in the day we were all big Stephen King fans, and of course I still am, and that element came in the Among the Living album, and one of the songs was taken from the Apt Pupil Book. We've been intrigued by horror: heavy metal and horror just seem to go hand-in-hand.
tV: Anthrax has done music for the film Ghosts of Mars. If you could write the music for any horror film you'd like, what would it be?
CB: That's a good one. I don't know. My all-time favourite movie is Jaws and there's no way you could improve on the music to that: I wouldn't even bother trying.
tV: On this album you've included some covers of some of the bands you respect. So it's important to you to acknowledge other people's work?
CB: We've always done cover songs and we've always had a fondness for doing this for bands that inspired us when we were growing up, or who we listen to today. We'd always been toying around with the idea of doing a Rush cover and so we did it. We chose an older Rush tune called Anthem. It has a real heavy metal feel to it.
tV: Your album with the cover tunes is going to be re-released this fall. Is that right?
CB: I hope so.
tV: Your music is officially “out of this world” with Curiosity transporting it to Mars. What was that like?
CB: I thought that was pretty amazing. Our music is in outer-space (laughs). I just thought it was killer.
tV: Yes. Very few people can say that.
CB: Exactly.
tV: Your band also has its own special day 9/13/11 in the Bronx. How are you going to celebrate this year?
CB: I don't think I'm going to be here this year so I think I'm going to celebrate it somewhere else.
tV: How do you feel about going on the road in Canada? How do Canadian audiences compare?
CB: I love the Canadian audiences, especially when you go to places like Calgary and Edmonton. It's cool.
CB: I thought that was pretty amazing. Our music is in outer-space (laughs). I just thought it was killer.
tV: Yes. Very few people can say that.
CB: Exactly.
tV: Your band also has its own special day 9/13/11 in the Bronx. How are you going to celebrate this year?
CB: I don't think I'm going to be here this year so I think I'm going to celebrate it somewhere else.
tV: How do you feel about going on the road in Canada? How do Canadian audiences compare?
CB: I love the Canadian audiences, especially when you go to places like Calgary and Edmonton. It's cool.
photo: Matthew Rodgers
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