ANTHRAX's CHARLIE BENANTE To Release RUSH Tribute EP 'Moving Pitchers' This Weekend

ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante will release a RUSH tribute EP titled "Moving Pitchers" on Saturday, April 23 as part of this year's Record Store Day.

The five-song EP, whose baseball-themed title is a play on the title of RUSH's classic 1981 album "Moving Pictures", is limited to 1,500 copies. It includes two tracks off "Moving Pictures", "Red Barchetta" and "YYZ", along with "Subdivisions", "Freewill" and "La Villa Strangiato".

Benante is joined on the effort by TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and KORN bassist Roberto "Ra" Díaz, CROBOT vocalist Brandon Yeagley, and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA keyboardist Mee Eun Kim. The musicians' RUSH covers were originally made available on Benante's YouTube channel in 2020, with each musician recording his or her part remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

On the EP's back cover, which Benante shared on his Instagram on Tuesday (April 19),he wrote: " One year ago I had this idea to make a video while in quarantine. I was feeling pretty down about the passing of Neil Peart and about the Pandemic... I needed to be creative and play! I contacted Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT) and Ra Diaz (SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) about doing a RUSH song and video and they both liked the idea. We ended up doing YYZ. I felt that they were probably feeling the same way I was. and that this would be a great way of jamming and entertaining ourselves while we were stuck at home. The response to the initial video was overwhelming! It really made us feel good during a bad time. I then asked Brandon Yeagley (CROBOT) to Sing on Freewill. Now it started to grow. The tunes were expanding musically and getting feedback!

"The last piece of the puzzle was Mee Eun Kim (TRANS SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA). She does such a great job on Subdivisions.

"A whole year and a half!... I cant believe it's been a year??

"2020 ended up being a year of making music, art and videos. I released Silver Linings, but didn't include the RUSH Songs. I wanted the RUSH songs to be on their own EP.

"What you are holding in your hand is the culmination of emotion, determination, great friends, wonderful musicians and the love of RUSH and of course Neil Peart.

"This is dedicated to the Professor.

"Thanks to - Andy Lagis, Asim Ali, Piero Medone and Carla Harvey for motivating me."

"Moving Pitchers" track listing:

01. Subdivisions
02. Red Barchetta
03. Freewill
04. La Villa Strangiato
05. YYZ

Last May, Benante released a covers album, "Silver Linings", via Megaforce Records. The 14-track effort featured an all-star cast of "who's who" in the thrash, metal, and rock worlds, with all cuts culled from Benante's acclaimed "quarantine jam" video series.

In 2021, ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary with a number of special activities and events. Formed by guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Active over the past five decades, ANTHRAX has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple gold and platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with the "Big Four".