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March 11, 2010 |
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Joey Belladonna
October 30, 2005
By Tony Antunovich
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Since the early '80s, New York-based metal legends ANTHRAX have been paving the metal highway with their original, fist-in-face, mosh-inspiring brand of thrash mastery - something that has earned the band a hefty fan-base and resounding respect in the metal industry. To much effect, it was Joey Belladonna's presence that solidified the ANTHRAX lineup, which began in 1985 with the release of the "Armed And Dangerous" EP, followed by a long string of praised gems like "Spreading The Disease" (1985), "Among The Living" (1987), and "State Of Euphoria" (1988), among others. Sadly though, troubled relations between Belladonna and the rest of the band resulted in him being replaced by John Bush (ARMORED SAINT) in 1993. Although the addition of Bush to the ranks gave ANTHRAX a new "beginning" (and a newer sound), most fans never lost hope in the possibility of Belladonna returning to his rightful place.
I, for one, never thought that it would happen, but it did. In early 2005, after 13 years of absence, Mr. Belladonna reunited with his former band mates, along with veteran axeman Dan Spitz. And I can tell you one thing - after 20+ years of metal, they're still spreading the disease in style. I sat down with Belladonna during ANTHRAX's recent performance in Vancouver, where we discussed the reunification of the classic "Disease/Living/Euphoria" lineup, his thoughts on the past and present, the possibility of a new studio album in the future, and many more interesting topics.
It's really good to see you back with the band. I personally never thought it was going to happen.
Yeah, well I kind of thought "maybe", but I always thought that there was going to probably be a time where we were going to hit a point where maybe it might not be a bad idea. For whatever reason that circulates why this happened - I just think it was something that was meant to be. I don't think I finished anything that I really, really wanted to accomplish with these guys and I don't think they really finished what we could have done. You know, when you have a chemistry like that in a full lineup, you just can't break that mold and expect something - even though they've done stuff that's well and everything - it never becomes that magic that they had with the first lineup.
How is the overall feeling within the band right now - now that you're all back together? Frank (Bello) is back again too.
Yeah everybody's here. He was only gone for about a year or so. I was gone for about 13 (years) or so. Danny was gone for like 10 years.
If you look back in the last 13 years, did you ever think that you would be back in ANTHRAX?
Yeah, I had a feeling but I wasn't really sure of what that would entail to make that happen, you know. I think there are reasons why they've done this and there are probably reasons I'll probably never know why - and I don't really care. I just know that it was something that wasn't bad; it was working; regardless of the reason why they wanted a change - a different vocal style and stuff - that they were going for something different - I don't think that what I was doing was wrong and not good enough. I don't know. It's just one of those things. I've always continued doing the music on my own. So it's not like I haven’t even wanted to play it or hear it; I wanted to do all of the above.
So I always say that I was like in training camp - or like spring training like I had to move down - not that that's a bad thing - but I always knew that I was always ready to go back in whenever. In fact, I've gotten better anyhow - even if there is such a thing in a situation where I was doing well before but I think it's better.
Yeah, I can see that. I think because of the fact that you guys have been together for so long anyhow, like you said - you have that tight connection - and I think it can only get better.
We're right where we used to be, to me. If anything, I probably would say it's more solid - a lot more focused and I'm there, you know.
Do you have any plans to put out a brand new studio album together?
You know, we're taking things step by step. Right now we've got the live DVD ("Alive 2"); we have a studio DVD; we have our anthology ("Anthrology: No Hit Wonders (1985-1991)") stuff. So we have plenty of music right now - even though it's some of the older songs - but we've got some stuff going there. But you know, people have brought it up and we've had a chance to answer a few of those questions without really going into it. We don't know. We're just taking everything step by step because each tour that we've done so far is leading us closer to some possibility. But still, you have to be able to get in that room to do that, so that's another thing. Even if we wanted to do one, we still have to find time and then find the inspiration to do that - because we don't want to just throw something together just to say "Oh we did one!" Might as well make it right if we are going to. But there's no talk.
It really hasn't gotten that far - and it's good that way because it gives everybody a chance to not be in a position to have to make any decisions.
I've read that John (Bush) was totally cool with this whole thing. Do you think if there would be a studio album that he would be involved with that somehow?
(pauses for a few seconds) I really hate to speculate on anything, and I've actually heard that he was cool with it. But you know what? I don't really know what else you could really think about it at the same time because that's a tough spot to be in for anybody. It was like that for me when I had to go too. I don't think anybody worried about it too much then either - and I had a lot more at stake at the time when I was to be gone versus him coming in. It's so hard, you know. It's so hard to say what is really going to happen with that. I mean sure, anything can happen. Fortunately, with something like that, you can utilize that kind of thing and then you also can just let one thing be itself and the other thing be itself. It's like, what if I would have come in and done some songs that are on previous records? It might have been cool, but it's probably better off that I didn't because it's much more unique and it stands on its own. Same with him being out - or him and I being out together.
There's a constant variation - a variety of things with comparisons and all that crap. It's all apples and oranges to me. It's like having a bunch of bands out there. Everybody has their own style and stuff.
You basically stuck to your guns all the way through - during the time that you were away from ANTHRAX. I mean in terms of being yourself, etc. To me, you look the same as you did in '85. I don't notice any difference at all.
Yeah, I guess (laughs). I don't really do anything different. I don't have any other agendas really. I mean, I've been doing this so long so all I do is just go to the next day and do it again. If anything, as far as the solo stuff is concerned - you get people that I play with that might not be the right person or it might be a different kind of style. So I never really got anything engraved that I maybe intended on doing or tried to do in comparison - it just happens - and that might break a little bit of the variation of what people maybe thought I should or could have been doing. You know - that kind of stuff. But yeah, I'm pretty much the same. That's why when I did leave, I didn't know what else I could really possibly do other than stick with what we were doing - like a lot of times on the records that they've done.
But before, without me, if you never heard John and I just came and started singing, we would have still kind of bent the ANTHRAX anyhow - just different twists in style, you know.
Of course, naturally, most of the old-schoolers are going to relate to ANTHRAX more because the band was born in the early '80s. Do you think that the younger generation accepts the "old" ANTHRAX now in 2005?
I think they have. I don't think that we're doing anything that's less. If anything, the songs are strong. I mean, obviously you see that they recorded all the old songs before, so obviously there is some kind of meaning in that. Again, it's so hard to try and compare - and even really speak for the fans and say "Look it. I think they'll like it because..." I just think we're doing a good job. We perform live well, so if anything, maybe the music - old and new - might be something they want to hear more of. I really don't know. Unfortunately, that's all we're doing is the older stuff. But I still think it's strong and it's making a big impact live. So as far as I'm concerned, I think we give everybody that's new a lot of entertainment and a fresh and strong performance, you know. So that's all you can really do. I hate that there's a fact where you have to compare other music (newer ANTHRAX) with a band you've already been in.
I almost forget about it because I really can't even begin to try to make that real as if I'm going to change anything. You just gotta do what you do and it is what it is. We put ourselves in that position anyway - or whoever did - whatever, so.
I think it's awesome that you guys are doing nothing but the old stuff.
Yeah. I don't know any of the other songs and I'd rather not. I think with John, it was obviously inevitable... I almost could bet money on the table that they would have tried that - for whatever reason - the (old) material is strong that they couldn't really erase it. Maybe they wanted to at one time - just to say "That's our old shit. This is our new stuff." But you can only walk away from it so far. It's that good!
Honestly, Joey, I think most people relate better to the older ANTHRAX. I know I do. I like John's voice. I'm not knocking him at all. But it's like this: Rob Halford came back to JUDAS PRIEST. He IS the voice of JUDAS PRIEST - period. You ARE the voice of ANTHRAX. That's just my personal opinion.
What we do is a neat thing and no one tries to do anything about it. Like even with the new stuff - I hate even really going into it and voicing certain opinions that may or may not be valid in somebody's eyes - but to me, they changed something - for good or bad - where we had something that was unique - whether or not you needed to change it in the first place. But unfortunately, people got a good glimpse of our newer stuff. So again, what else can you say but "You know, I dig this stuff a lot." People like it. But again, what we did wasn't bad either. So there's good in all of it.
It was good - really good. Even when "Attack Of The Killer B's" came out (the band's last album with Belladonna) - it was a little bit different.
Yeah. We were just having fun there too, you know.
It was a good mix-up - with PUBLIC ENEMY. And "Persistence Of Time" as well. I think I speak for all of the old-schoolers - it's good to see the band back together as it - in my opinion - should be.
Hey, as a fan I'd like that.
Let's face it, unfortunately heavy metal is not as popular as it was in the '80s. Now in 2005, I think it's coming back.
I do too. I think it always just lingered. It's just that you don't get enough publicity out of it.
Exactly. So many people say it went underground.
Well, we were underground even then too.
But ANTHRAX was a household name.
Well, we flooded in there, but we never really peaked too much. I don't think we really got in the public eye that much. We did, but we didn't. We weren't like a MÖTLEY CRÜE or... and I'm not talking about comparisons. Like METALLICA - I mean look at the difference in how much publicity and radio and stuff. So I think we still kind of simmered above some of it, but not nearly a lot of it. We were kind of an underground thing too.
I think in most of the groups' eyes though, ANTHRAX was a big name.
Well, we worked hard to get to that point. That's the thing. That's the other thing too when you look back to the "old" and some of the "new" stuff. We still broke ground there even though we were doing stuff that was like... I mean vocally it's not very accessible at all in some ways like some of the newer stuff.
What do you mean?
They write more for the singer this time around - their newer stuff - or our stuff... just mad, fast… and to make something really legible. So it's a lot of hard to work to make that stuff really peak out, you know.
What are your expectations after the tour is done? What would you hope for?
Well, we'll have some time off until the holidays are over and then it's a possibility that we could be headlining some shows. That's still not confirmed. I guess we'll have to wait until after the first year because everything changes so quickly sometimes depending on what's happening. Like the PRIEST thing - we didn't know that was coming - then all of a sudden bang! It was right there in front of us. So it was like "That's what we need to do!"
Where do you think metal is heading in the future?
Hey man, all I know is if you do good music - whether it be metal or whatever - you're going to find a place. I hope it just gets bigger and better - especially bands like us or whoever keeps writing good music that can find their way in. There's no reason why it can't be popular or at least accessible to somebody. I mean, that's the whole thing with us - if we wrote good music, we were going to find our way in there if we rode ship. Obviously if there are a lot of people not putting out very good music then whatever the genre is it's not going to be very popular.
Do you think the "mainstream" has sidelined metal as something that's not really that important?
Well you know, it's so hard to say but it's just one of those things - you're not going to see a lot of the tracking of these bands because it's just not that popular in some ways. I mean, radio doesn't touch a lot of it unless you get the serious stuff. And concerts themselves - that's one of the bigger places to really get a read on it. Yeah, it's a tough one to be in, but that's what we love so we're just going to be tracking that road, you know. If we did something new, what kind of situation would we be given? We'd be giving you a whole bunch of new stuff with the old. It could be quite the new basket of songs. Who knows? That would be interesting too - as you asked that question.
Do you have anything that you'd like to say to the fans?
For me, it's just great to be back and I really appreciate everybody's support and thos who really dig ANTHRAX as a whole and just to be in Canada again is nice. It's been a while, so I'm looking forward to meeting new people in Canada again. And go Canucks, right? Hockey's back! [FIN]
» Official ANTHRAX Website
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