ANTHRAX's CHARLIE BENANTE On 30th-Anniversary 'Persistence Of Time' Deluxe Edition: 'It Just Sounds Awesome'

On August 21, 2020, 30 years to the day after its initial launch, thrash/metal-masters ANTHRAX will celebrate with the release of the deluxe anniversary edition of its fifth studio album, the gold-certified "Persistence Of Time", produced by ANTHRAX and Mark Dodson. Available exclusively on disc and vinyl, the CD package will include two CDs and one DVD, the vinyl edition offers four LPs, as well as revised cover art that reflects what had been the album's original visual concept.

Speaking to "The Beyond The Blast Doors" network, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante stated about the "Persistence Of Time" reissue (hear audio belo): "The actual record is remastered, and it sounds so good. Everything that was lacking throughout the years now has been recaptured. So all of the low end, the punch, the highs and everything, it's all recaptured the way it should always be. It just sounds awesome. Then there's a bunch of bonus stuff on it, like songs that started from a riff, and then it goes into a rehearsal, and then it goes into tracking it. It's just like a kind of evolution of some of the songs. There's some live stuff on it, there's some guide vocals tracks that Scott [Ian, guitar] would do a guide vocal. And then there's a whole video of us writing it and demoing it and footage from us with IRON MAIDEN on tour. It's great — it's really great. And then the front cover is a different cover — it's the original idea that I had with a melting clock."

As with ANTHRAX's previous anniversary deluxe editions, Benante shepherded the one for "Persistence Of Time". Disc One is comprised of the 11-track album, fully-remastered by Paul Logus (who mastered ANTHRAX's "Worship Music" and "For All Kings", the "Anthems" EP, and the DVDs "Kings Among Scotland" and "Chile On Hell"). Disc One also features a special "bonus B-side" version of "I'm The Man" from 1990 that leans more hip-hop than rock, and a live version of "Time" that was recorded at Michigan's Palace of Auburn Hills in 1991. The final two songs on Disc One, as well as all nine tracks on Disc Two, are special recordings from "Charlie's Stash," an incomparable wealth of ANTHRAX music from the band's rehearsals, writing sessions, preproduction, and live performances that Benante has recorded over the past 40 years and has been kept safely filed away. These recordings will put listeners "in the room" with the band, privy to the evolution of the songs on "Persistence Of Time", starting with Benante's original riffs and demos for the songs, moving on to Frank Bello, Scott Ian, Joey Belladonna, Dan Spitz and Benante shaping the songs in rehearsal, then into preproduction, and finally into the recording studio.

The 40-minute "guerilla-style" DVD was shot when ANTHRAX was on tour with IRON MAIDEN in 1991 and features live footage of Benante taking over the drums for IRON MAIDEN's Nicko McBrain, as well as backstage and dressing room footage with members of both bands. The piece wraps with Benante, Bello, and Ian joining IRON MAIDEN on stage for the final song of the night, "Sanctuary".

With revealing liner notes written by Scott Ian that pull back the curtain on some of the incidents that fueled the album's lyrical content, the artwork showcases a selection of mementos from the "Persistence Of Time" cycle: script pages from the band's 1992 "My Dinner With Anthrax" episode of the TV sitcom "Married With Children", band photos and magazine covers, backstage passes, and an assortment of vintage promo items. Also, the deluxe package's cover art has been revised.

Explained Benante, who also oversees all of ANTHRAX's artwork: "We had been a band for only about five years, but so much had been and continued to be crammed into those few years, and we realized we couldn't stop time, it was just persistent. Simultaneously, I was at the height of my Salvador Dali phase, I was just absorbed in his art, and I wanted to tie the two together — Salvador Dali and time. I loved what [artist] Don Brautigam did with the original cover, but for this deluxe edition, I wanted it the way I had originally seen the cover in my head — with the clock melting, so that's what we did."

"Recording the vocals for this album was a great experience," said vocalist Joey Belladonna. "I really liked working with Steve Thompson and Mark Barbiero. Everything came together nicely. We all became good friends. And it was great to work in Manhattan again, especially at Electric Lady Studios. That place has such an aura, recording in the same place where Jimi Hendrix, THE ROLLING STONES, David Bowie and LED ZEPPELIN did. It was a really cool experience."

"One of the things I'll never forget from the 'Persistence Of Time' tours," added Frank Bello, "was when we played the songs 'Time' and 'Got The Time' live. We had this big clock on our stage, the 'Persistence Of Time' clock, and the hands on this clock went around and around while we played the songs 'Time' and 'Got The Time'. Today, something like that would be motorized, but back in 1990, it had to be done manually using a hand crank on the back of the clock. My bass tech from that time, Troy, it was his job to keep those hands turning during those two songs, throughout the entire songs. I mean, what a workout that guy got from turning that crank."

"It was a weird time for us for a number of reasons," added Benante, "but at the same time, a lot of great things happened. We did 'Married With Children', we toured with SLAYER and MEGADETH on the 'Clash Of The Titans' tour, and we recorded 'Bring The Noise' with PUBLIC ENEMY, and that turned everything around."

"Persistence Of Time" deluxe 30th-anniversary edition vinyl track listing:

Side A

01. Time (Remastered)
02. Blood (Remastered)
03. Keep It In The Family (Remastered)

Side B

01. In My World (Remastered)
02. Gridlock (Remastered)
03. Intro To Reality (Remastered
04. Belly Of The Beast (Remastered)

Side C

01. Got The Time (Remastered)
02. H8 Red (Remastered)
03. One Man Stands (Remastered)
04. Discharge (Remastered)

Side D

01. I'm The Man (The Illest Version Ever)
02. Time (Live at The Palace of Auburn Hills)
03. Got The Time (Pre Production)

Side E

01. In My World (Pre Production - Scott Guide Vocal)
02. H8 Red (Rehearsal Room/Charlie's, Riff Tape/Pre-Production)
03. Discharge (Charlie's Riff Tape/Rehearsal Room/Pre-Production)

Side F

01. Keep In In The Family (Rehearsal Room/Scott Guide Vocal)
02. Blood (Rehearsal Room/Pre-Production)

Side G

01. Intro To Reality (Pre-Production)
02. Belly Of The Beast (Tracking)
03. Gridlock (Tracking)

Side H

01. One Man Stands (Pre-Production)
02. Time (Pre-Production, Scott Guide Vocal)