ANTHRAX Guitarist Interviewed By RockInk TV (Video)

RockInk TV conducted an interview with ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian during the band's recent European tour with MOTÖRHEAD. You can now watch the chat in two parts below.

Guitarist Rob Caggiano announced his departure from ANTHRAX on Friday (January 4) to focus on his other passion: producing records. A replacement axeman has not yet been announced. The remaining members of ANTHRAX said in a statement: "Rob has been an integral part of ANTHRAX for so many years, as our lead guitarist, in a production capacity, but most of all, as our close friend. His contributions to the band have been enormous. While we are sad that he is leaving, we wish him nothing but great success going forward, and hope to share the stage with him again sometime down the road."

Last September, Ian said that he was confident that ANTHRAX's most recent formation would carry them into retirement.

"I've gone on record saying this will be the only version of ANTHRAX until there is no ANTHRAX," Ian told the Georgia Straight. "That's how I feel, absolutely, in my heart. I don't see why we would do anything different. This band sounds so great; we made a great record. And I'm super-excited about the future of this band creatively."

ANTHRAX recently spent time in the studio recording several cover versions of some of their favorite rock classics, to be included with the upcoming re-release of 2011's "Worship Music", the group's first new album in eight years and first with singer Joey Belladonna since 1990.

In addition to RUSH ("Anthem") and BOSTON ("Smokin'") covers, ANTHRAX also recorded its versions of AC/DC's "T.N.T.", JOURNEY's "Keep On Runnin'", THIN LIZZY's "Jailbreak" and CHEAP TRICK's "Big Eyes", which Ian told Billboard.com may also possibly surface as digital downloads for those who already own the "Worship Music" album.

"It was a lot of fun, especially because a lot of those [songs] aren't, I guess, normal for us or like so much of our repertoire — although they are because they're songs we all knew," Ian explained. "Maybe on paper the idea of us doing something like that seems weird, until you hear them and then it makes sense. And Joey's performance on the JOURNEY song, specifically, really blows my mind. Someone mentioned that [JOURNEY guitarist] Neal Schon better not hear this or we might lose our singer." ANTHRAX also also laid down a cover version of BLACK SABBATH's "Neon Knights" for the upcoming Ronnie James Dio tribute album which is being assembled by the singer's widow and longtime manager Wendy Dio.

Part 1:

Part 2: