ANTHRAX Members Comment On Participation In BLACK SABBATH's Final Concert: 'It's An Honor'

For the first time in 20 years, ANTHRAX will share a stage with BLACK SABBATH when the pioneering New York thrash metal band performs at SABBATH's "Back To The Beginning" concert, set to take place on Saturday, July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. ANTHRAX toured with BLACK SABBATH on the legendary heavy metal band's 1986 "Seventh Star" tour, which was also ANTHRAX's first arena tour. The last time ANTHRAX was on the same bill as SABBATH was in 2005 at the Download festival in the U.K.

"I'm a huge BLACK SABBATH fan," said ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante, "and BLACK SABBATH was so, so instrumental in the sound of ANTHRAX back in the day.

"Back in '86, when we were working on our third album, we wanted to do a B-side of a BLACK SABBATH song. 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' was the song that we chose. We did it as a B-side, we played it live, and it became a big thing for us.

"Growing up Catholic, in a Catholic household, my mom did not appreciate BLACK SABBATH. One day when I came home, my sister took me to the record store and I got one of those iron-on BLACK SABBATH t-shirts, it was the cover of 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath'. I got it home, my mother saw it, she made my sister take me back to the store and return it. She would not have it in the house because it had the '666' on it. I was still a BLACK SABBATH fan so I had to kind of keep it hidden from my mom."

"I discovered BLACK SABBATH when I was about eight years old, sitting in my uncle's room at my grandparents' house," said ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian. "My uncle was 17 or 18, had a big vinyl collection and blacklight posters all over his walls, and I thought he was the coolest dude in the world. I would go through his albums, pull records out and he'd play them for me. I remember pulling out this record that said 'BLACK SABBATH' on it, the album cover was kind of scary, so I asked him 'what's BLACK SABBATH?' And he said, 'oh, they're acid rock…" and I didn't know what that meant…I thought maybe that was the terminology back then for a genre. And then he put the album on. Everyone knows how that record starts, with the sound effects and the rain and the bell, and then the band kicks in…there's nothing like it. At that point in time, the scariest, heaviest thing I'd ever heard in my life. Maybe still to this day, when that song 'Black Sabbath' kicks in, there's just nothing like it. I started playing guitar when I was about 10, and Tony [Iommi] was definitely an influence, so I'd try and figure out how to play 'Iron Man' or 'Paranoid'. Just listening to the records, Tony Iommi was essentially my guitar teacher."

"I'm definitely a huge SABBATH fan," said ANTHRAX vocalist Joey Belladonna, "and over the years I have covered many SABBATH and Ozzy [Osbourne] songs.

"We toured with SABBATH on the '86 tour, and it was so electric. That was a huge tour for us, and we were just overwhelmed to be part of it.

"That ANTHRAX was asked to be part of SABBATH's 'Back To The Beginning' concert is quite a big honor."

"I heard about SABBATH through my friends at school," remembers ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello, "who said the band was great. Plus, I thought the album cover was scary as hell.

"Although I love most BLACK SABBATH albums, that first one, 'Black Sabbath', is still my favorite because it was my introduction to them, and the songs are still amazing. I'm also a HUGE Geezer [Butler] fan. I grew up on his playing, and I'm honored now to say he's a friend. Geezer was and still is one of my main influences on bass. He always puts beautiful musicality and melody into everything he plays. His bass lines make you want to play bass. He is also an amazing person.

"It's an honor to be part of this show and I'm very grateful to BLACK SABBATH and Sharon Osbourne for asking us to be part of it."

"I'm absolutely, 100% a BLACK SABBATH fan," said ANTHRAX guitarist Jon Donais. "I was an Ozzy fan first because I grew up in the '80s, and of course, Ozzy was on MTV all the time, so he's who I got into first. And then, my teen years were in the '90s, and I started getting into BLACK SABBATH.

"When I start to lean into a band, I usually get the band's greatest hits or some kind of compilation. But my first BLACK SABBATH album was 'Sabotage', which is actually my favorite SABBATH record. 'Sabotage' was a little darker than the others, and I would listen to it all the way through as soon as I put it on. A good friend of mine and I went to the same college, and we'd be up until three or four in the morning just listening to 'Sabotage' and then having to get up for school the next day, and that sucked."

Last month, Ian spoke to Guitar World magazine about ANTHRAX's participation at the "Back To The Beginning" charity event. The concert will mark the original lineup of BLACK SABBATH's last-ever performance and Ozzy's final appearance as a solo artist. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello will serve as the "musical director" at the show.

Ian told Guitar World that he first heard about this historic event from Morello. "I texted him back and said, 'Dude, yes! Whatever it is, I'm in. What's going on… what the hell?'" Scott said. "He said, 'As soon as I have more information on what song and who you're playing with, I'll let you know.' Then he said, 'We're just starting to get this together now. Sharon [Osbourne] asked me if I would be creative director and help put it all together.' A couple of days later, he sent me a list of people involved, and I saw there were other bands involved. I said, 'Okay,' because I had no idea; I thought it was just gonna be like SABBATH and Ozzy, and then maybe a bunch of all-star lineups. I saw other bands but no ANTHRAX, so I'm like, 'Well, shit, I'm already involved…' I said, 'How about getting ANTHRAX on this? I'm not the only SABBATH fan in the band.' Tom said, 'Let me get right back to you…' Literally, like five minutes later, he said, 'You're in."

Regarding what fans can expect from "Back To The Beginning", Ian said: "I'm on a couple of other SABBATH songs as well, in one of the all-star lineups that I get to be in. I don't know how any of the production stuff is working.

"They're going to have seemingly 200 different things going on before SABBATH gets on stage — but I don't have to worry about that stuff. I just have to know the songs."

"Back To The Beginning" sold out in less than 10 minutes in FEbruary. The concert will mark the first time that the original lineup of BLACK SABBATH — Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — have played together in 20 years.

Also set to appear at the event are METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES, TOOL, SLAYER, PANTERA, GOJIRA, ALICE IN CHAINS, HALESTORM, LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX and MASTODON.

In addition, there will be a performance by a "supergroup of musicians" including Duff McKagan and Slash (GUNS 'N' ROSES),Billy Corgan (THE SMASHING PUMPKINS),Fred Durst (LIMP BIZKIT),K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST),Jake E. Lee (OZZY OSBOURNE),Wolfgang Van Halen (VAN HALEN, MAMMOTH WVH),Andrew Watt, Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS),David Ellefson (MEGADETH),Vernon Reid (LIVING COLOUR),Whitfield Crane (UGLY KID JOE),David Draiman (DISTURBED),Frank Bello (ANTHRAX),Jonathan Davis (KORN),Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM),Mike Bordin (FAITH NO MORE),Rudy Sarzo (OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT),Sammy Hagar, Scott Ian (ANTHRAX),Sleep Token II (SLEEP TOKEN) and Papa V Perpetua (GHOST).

Ozzy — who hasn't played a full show since late 2018 — announced his last-ever performance on February 5.

Proceeds from the "Back To The Beginning" show will support Cure Parkinson's, the Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice, a Children's Hospice supported by Aston Villa.

The original lineup of BLACK SABBATH last performed in 2005. Since then, SABBATH has played in partial reunions but never in its original lineup.

The legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman was diagnosed in 2003 with Parkin 2 — a very rare genetic form of Parkinson's. During a TV appearance in January 2020, the singer disclosed that he was 'stricken" with the disease which occurs when the nerve cells of the body degenerate and levels of dopamine are reduced. Dopamine is an essential chemical that is produced by these nerve cells which send signals to different parts of the brain to control movements of the body.

Ozzy's health issues, including suffering a nasty fall and dislodging metal rods placed in his spine following a quad-bike accident in 2003, as well as catching COVID-19 three years ago, forced him to cancel some of his previously announced tours.

While Osbourne's health issues forced him to scrap most of his live appearances, the musician said he would return if his condition improved.

Despite his health problems, Osbourne has performed a couple of times in the last three years, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August 2022 and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game in September 2022.

Photo credit: Ignacio Galvez