ANTHRAX's SCOTT IAN Says He Completed Canadian Tour With A Severely Injured Back: 'At My Best, I Was Maybe 40%'

In a new interview with Australia's Heavy, ANTHRAX's 62-year-old guitarist Scott Ian was asked how his body is holding up these during the group's live performances, especially as he and his bandmates are preparing to embark on a four-date Australian tour at the end of the month. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "This is the first time I've ever had to answer that question this way. I injured my back. We were on the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise at the end of January. And there was freak weather down off of the coast of south Florida and out in the Bahamas where that boat goes usually. So it couldn't cruise down to the Bahamas 'cause there was a bad storm. So we just kind of stayed off the coast of Florida — like 20, 30 miles off shore — and there was a freak cold weather shit that happened. 'Cause Miami, Florida that time of year should be 70, 75 degrees Fahrenheit. And it was in the 30s — it was snowing weather. And we're out on the ocean, and the winds are blowing 40 miles per hour. And the second show we do on the boat on the Saturday night, you do it on the big pool deck. So there's 3,000 people outside on the boat and you're playing outdoors. And it was literally freezing fucking cold. And we tried to get them to change the schedule so we could play in the theater again, but they couldn't move all the schedule around. And we didn't wanna play in the freezing cold, 'cause it obviously makes it very difficult, and for the fans. But all the fans were out there, so we're, like, 'Well, they're out there. We're not gonna cancel.' So we played. And we are very physical performers. I move around quite a bit on stage, jumping, stomping; I'm all over the place. And there was no way for my muscles — even though I warmed up, my muscles never warmed up. And by the end of the next day, after playing that show in the cold, my back went out, and I could barely walk for a week probably. I couldn't tie my shoes. I couldn't fucking put pants on. I never had pain like that, back spasms like this. It was insane."

Ian continued: "I finally got home, 'cause I had to go down to South America after that and finish these MR. BUNGLE shows. And I was flying these 10-hour flights and I couldn't even move, dude. I couldn't move. It was agony. And it's been five weeks now. [ANTHRAX] just did this whole run through Canada [with MEGADETH and EXODUS], every night on the tour seeing massage therapists, seeing fucking osteopaths, anything to get me through the show every night. And at my best on this Canadian run, I was maybe 40%. I couldn't jump. I couldn't stomp my feet. If anything, maybe my playing was better, 'cause what else [can I do]? I headbanged harder, because it didn't hurt for me to headbang."

Looking ahead to ANTHRAX's Australian tour, Ian added: "Right now — I got home and I've been seeing a physical therapist and I leave in a week to fly to Australia, and I'm definitely better than I was a week ago. And I'm hoping another week will go by, and so by the time I get on stage in Brisbane [for the first show of the Australian tour], I'm hoping I will be somewhere in the 70, 75% of what I should feel like range, 'cause I don't wanna re-injure myself, obviously. And, dude, I take care of myself. I work out regularly, and have for the years, all because I want to be able to perform at the level I want to be able to perform at. I know what I can do and I know the show I wanna give to a crowd.

"You probably saw it, Dee Snider from TWISTED SISTER announced a few weeks ago he was retiring because he feels like physically he can't put on the show he wants to put on for an audience, and I totally understand that," Ian said. "It was so hard some nights in Canada. The audience doesn't know I'm up there with fucking spasms running down my leg in the middle of the show. They don't know, 'cause I'm just up there headbanging and if I'm making a face, they just think it's 'cause I'm metal, not 'cause I'm in pain. They don't know. And I'm up there doing my best. But I know. And I would try and do something, and I would get a spasm and it'd be, like, 'Nope, can't do that.' And it's really frustrating."

Circling back to how he takes care of himself physically in order to be able to put on a good show, Scott concluded: "I'm hyper aware of having to take care of myself. We all are. We all are. Joey [Belladonna, ANTHRAX singer] takes such good care of his throat, and that's why you've got a guy who was in his early sixties who still hits every note. We don't have to drop our tunings. The guy is in that rare air of dudes that age who could still sing like that. And it's not just because of fucking magic; it's because he takes care of himself. And that's what you have to do."

ANTHRAX's long-awaited new studio album is tentatively due in May in North America via Megaforce and in Europe through Nuclear Blast. The mixing sessions, as well as some of the recording sessions, for the LP took place at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Northridge, California. ANTHRAX once again worked with producer Jay Ruston, who previously helmed 2016's "For All Kings" and 2011's "Worship Music" albums.

ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a number of special activities and events. Formed by 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".

"For All Kings" was called by some critics ANTHRAX's strongest album to date. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the group experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the "Big Four" tour, and continuing with the release of comeback LP "Worship Music".