ANTHRAX Guitarist Welcomes First Child

BLABBERMOUTH.NET can reveal that ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian and his wife, Pearl Aday, welcomed their first child on Sunday, June 19 at 10:19 a.m. Revel Young Ian, who came into the world three weeks early, weighed in at six pounds, nine ounces. Both mother and son are "doing brilliantly," according to Scott, who added in a Twitter post that yesterday was "the happiest day of [his] life."

SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser was supposed to fill in for Ian at 11 ANTHRAX shows in July while Scott awaited the birth of his child. It is not presently clear if Kisser will still play with ANTHRAX at any of the upcoming dates.

In a March 2011 press statement, Ian called becoming a father "the biggest [and] best thing that's ever happened to me."

The daughter of legendary crooner Meat Loaf, Pearl Aday was named after the infamous Janis Joplin and is the god daughter to Maria Muldaur. In addition, she has toured as a back-up singer with MTLEY CRE and she and her band have opened for VELVET REVOLVER.

When asked what it's like having the iconic Meat Loaf as his father-in-law, Ian said in a recent interview, "It's like having anyone as your father-in-law. It's not like he's on stage when you're hanging out with the guy. We actually had dinner with him last night, and all we talked about was fantasy football. He's just a regular guy who happens to be a legendary rock star."

"Worship Music", the long-awaited new album from ANTHRAX, is due in the U.S. on September 13 via Megaforce Records (one day earlier in Europe through Nuclear Blast Records). The band's first studio release in eight years marks the return of vocalist Joey Belladonna, whose last studio work with the group was 1990's "Persistence Of Time".