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Last May, after fourteen years of being apart, vocalist Joey Belladonna returned to the band that brought him fame and fortune- Anthrax. In addition, former guitarist and fan favorite Danny Spitz was also brought back as well. Now finally, Anthrax’s most commercially successful line-up was back intact and ready to rock. And rock is what they most certainly did. Soon after, the band held a press conference on Sirus radio and then hit the road, playing some of the biggest hard rock festivals in Europe. They then returned to the USA and played five dates on Gigantour and then opened for Judas Priest on their fall US tour. On September 24, 2005 Anthrax released a live DVD and CD entitled “Alive 2” which documented the band’s reunion. Earlier this year, Anthrax headlined a month of US clubs dates. And coming up in April, they will head out to Europe for a month long tour. But the question that many fans have is when will this line-up release some new material ? Well, we caught up with our good friend, Mr. Belladonna to find out what the hell is going on in the Anthrax camp. Here’s what he had to say.
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First of all I want to congratulate you on rejoining Anthrax. Many fans were excited to hear that you were back. Was there any hesitation on your part about rejoining the band?
No, I had some really great years with the band. They were all great years. Everything went smooth and was well put together. It’s hard to find a group like that. Getting back with them was an easy decision, especially since there were no problems in getting back in.
Did they you called out of the blue or were you expecting them to call and ask you back?
No, I had no reason to believe that anyone was going to call and ask me to come back. I always knew that it would be a possibility, but I had no indication that it was going to happen when it did.
Now you have been back in Anthrax for almost a year now. How have the dynamics of the band changed since last time you were in?
Well, it’s been a long time in between (14 years) and everyone has gone through some different stuff and maturing and becoming better players. The whole business of being in a band and learning and developing has changed us all for the better.
Last summer, right after the reunion, Anthrax played at OzzFest in England, then later in the summer on Gigantour and in the fall with Judas Priest. What were some of the highlights of those tours?
Gigantour was quick. It was nice getting back with DAVE MUSTAINE . We did a five date run on that tour and it was a lot of fun. The Judas Priest tour was a cool time as well. Ozzfest in the UK was a four day event, it was really large and it was nice being in the UK. We did almost all the major metal festivals during the summer.
You have plans to go over to Europe in April, right?
Right, we are touring over there for a month headlining.
After that tour, do you have any summer touring plans for the USA?
No, not at this point, we will finish the European tour in spring and then see what’s in front of us for the summer and if there isn’t anything right for us, we may just have to think about what we need to do. I really don’t know at this time what it will be, but a record from Anthrax to me sounds like it would be the most appropriate thing to do.
Yeah, there has been a lot of talk about Anthrax doing a new CD on the internet recently. Scott Ian is being very vague about it. Do you have any new material that’s ready to be recorded yet?
I’m sure that everyone has some pieces of songs that we could tie together, but nothing in great detail, at least that I know of at this point . That just happens normally by itself. I’m writing some material myself because I like doing that, it’s just something that I like doing. Is just part of the writing process for that band, doing separately at first.
When do you start rehearsing for the tour of Europe?
We’re not.
What??? You’re not rehearsing???
No, we never do. We just bust it out. It’s been two months since I have seen anyone in the band.
WOW! That’s incredible that you can get back together after two months with no rehearsing and kick it up on stage?
That‘s how we always do it.
How long are the sets that you are going to be playing for the upcoming tour of Europe?
They run pretty high in the 120 to 130 minutes range.
How long was your set when you played with Judas Priest this last fall?
It was 60 minutes. It was a nice set.
Now that you’re back in Anthrax do you still plan on working on your solo career?
I’m always working on stuff, I got material and got plenty of it. When I’m in the Anthrax mode, I hate stopping too much. On one hand, I don’t want to confuse people by doing both and waving two flags at the same time. But, I don’t want to stop working and shut the door on my solo stuff either. I’ve been working as a solo artist for so long, it’s best that I keep writing because it keeps me focused. My new solo material is completely different from what I would do in Anthrax anyways. I think it’s kind of neat to do different stuff.
Different in what way?
Every time I start writing with someone it adds a little different twist. I haven’t really confirmed any certain style. But, it’s not a large jump, but a little different. It’s heavy, without being too abrasive, it has melody.
What would you consider the highlight of your career?
Well just being in something that has some longevity and was proven successful. That means more to me than any award. Being nominated for three Grammys was cool too. Also, touring with some great bands such as Ozzy, Maiden, Metallica and Priest.
Well that’s all I have for you now, Joey. We will talk again soon and I’m hoping to see you on tour this summer. Yeah, that would be great.
www.joeybelladonna.com www.anthrax.com
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