ANTHRAX Announce New Singer: Dan Nelson

I love Anthrax, however, growing up they were always just one level too much for me. I'm not sure why, but while I loved Metallica and Megadeth, the realm of Anthrax's brilliance never crystallized for me. However, over time, I began to find myself drawn to their music, especially with the addition of singer John Bush. Bush took Anthax places original singer Joey Belladonna never could. That's not a slam against Belladonna, just an observation. Scott Ian was looking for the band to go to that next level and Bush took them there, especially on the widescreen Sound of White Noise and the pulverizing We've Come For You All. Sadly, after a brief reunion with Belladonna, Bush isn't returning. The band has recruited new vocalist Dan Nelson.

My thoughts? When it comes to chemistry in life, lightning strikes once and only once. If you're blessed enough to have the Gods look upon you and blesses you to allow lightning to strike twice, then count yourself profoundly lucky. No wait, consider it a miracle. AC/DC, Van Halen and even Anthrax were fortunate enough to have this occur to them. However, I must admit reluctance to inform you that I doubt lightning will strike a third time. Hey, I love Anthrax and I believe in them as they're among the few genuine bands to ever exist and I believe they believe in everything they do with vigor and passion. I won't make any judgements on Nelson or Anthrax until I hear any new music or see them live. Until then...I wish them the best.
xT

ANTHRAX has announced their new singer, Dan Nelson.
Nelson is a virtual unknown, having fronted several local bands in the Long Island/New York area in the past. Says drummer Charlie Benante, “Rob [Caggiano] called me and said, ‘I have a singer, you should check him out.’ We gave him a shot, and he floored us.”

After a reunion tour with former singer Joey Belladonna in 2006, there were rumours of recording a new album with that line-up. However, talks fell through and the band was left, once again, without a singer. Enter Dan Nelson.

“I was actually looking for a band,” commented Nelson. “Long Island, NY is a pretty dead scene. I was in Unbroken, and through that I met Rob a couple years ago. I had gone through some stuff on a personal side where I took time off from the music. When I got back to the scene, I couldn’t find a band, so I contacted Rob through MySpace and offered my services. We sent music back and forth, got together, and jammed for 10 hours straight. After 10 hours, he said, ‘I think you’d be right for Anthrax.”

“There’s no place else I’d rather be right now,” Nelson said. “It’s a great vibe. I feel great, and I’m ready to go. It’s lit that much more of a fire under me. I’m getting to live the dream, and it feels amazing. I can’t wait for all these people who think Anthrax is done to be proven wrong. The naysayers are gonna be shut down, and the true blue fans are gonna be pleased.”

Guitarist Scott Ian commented on the new singer saying, “It feels great working with Dan. The first time we jammed, we ran through a bunch of old songs, songs from the John Bush/Joey Belladonna eras. Right from the first second Dan started “Room For One More” we knew. We said, ‘Now that we’ve got that, let’s work his ass off.”

Anthrax, featuring Nelson on vocals, guitarists Ian and Rob Caggiano, bassist Frankie Bello, and drummer Benante, is currently working on all-new material. “We wrote these songs and they fucking kicked ass,” says Benante. “It was cathartic. We also want to take our time. This record will be under the microscope, more so than the others. We want to make sure it’s 100% perfect.”

Also, two classic Anthrax records - Sound Of White Noise and Stomp 442 - are going to be available on iTunes on December 18. They will be expanded editions with bonus tracks, and it’s the first time the records will be released digitally. The online versions of the albums will also include commentary tracks from the band members themselves!

Anthrax has not yet announced a release date for an upcoming album, but the band is in the middle of the writing process