ANTHRAX Drummer Says DAN NELSON Period Was 'A Very Bad Emotional Rollercoaster'

Michael Melchor of the Orlando Rock Music Examiner recently conducted an interview with ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Orlando Rock Music Examiner: Now, let's go back a little bit to about the time Dan Nelson was lead singer. You'd had a full album recorded, but then as soon as he was in, it seemed, he was out. What exactly happened with him? Did the band decide he wasn't working out or did he decide it just wasn't for him?

Charlie Benante: [Puts his head in his hands] I can't even begin to tell you what happened because it's so...you wouldn't believe it, anyway! Even if I told you! [Laughs]

Orlando Rock Music Examiner: [Laughs]

Charlie Benante: We've all taken this approach to this that, really, we're not talking about him. We're not giving him any, any attention at all.

Orlando Rock Music Examiner: Wow...

Charlie Benante: I'll just say it was a very bad emotional rollercoaster for all of us. I never want to be reminded of that again.

Orlando Rock Music Examiner: [Laughs] Fair enough. Now, after he left, you did a couple shows — a couple one-offs — with John Bush back in the fold. Was there any talk of him coming back permanently, or was he just helping out for a minute?

Charlie Benante: He was helping out for the moment. Basically, we were trying to figure out what we were going to do. What we wanted to do. John was very vocal in saying he did not want to do this anymore, music-wise. Which left us to kind of figuring out where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do. About that time, Joey [Belladonna] was in to us again. I guess we were kind of apprehensive about the Joey thing because of the way the reunion ended. It didn't end on a positive note. But I kept in contact with him and it was like, "Hey, man, you want to try and do this again?" And that's pretty much how it went.

Orlando Rock Music Examiner: So he was all about coming back, then, even after all the history.

Charlie Benante: Yeah, absolutely.

Orlando Rock Music Examiner: After everything that's happened the last few years, he seems to be the most comfortable fit for the band nowadays, really.

Charlie Benante: You'll see tonight. [Laughs] It just feels right now. It feels very comfortable and now when we're all in a room together, it's like back to the way it used to be. Very comfortable.

Orlando Rock Music Examiner: Back to the good ol' days as far as how it feels. Everybody's getting along and playing nice.

Charlie Benante: Yeeeah. [Laughs] Same with all the other guys, too.

Orlando Rock Music Examiner: Very good. How was the response from the outside to his return? Like, being back together on the road now?

Charlie Benante: You know, we knew there were going to be people against it. They want to see this guy or that guy back with us, and then there are going to be people that are all for it because they want to see this guy back. But we've come out and stated that, this is it. This is the way we're going. This is the way it's gong to continue until we say, "That's it. We're done."

Read the entire interview from Orlando Rock Music Examiner.