Former ANTHRAX Guitarist Discusses RED LAMB, Working With DAVE MUSTAINE In New Interview

Zach Shaw of Metal Insider spoke to former ANTHRAX guitarist Dan Spitz earlier this week about Dan's new project RED LAMB, also featuring Patrick Johansson (drums; YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, W.A.S.P.) and Don Chaffin (vocals and video productions). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Metal Insider: There has been a little confusion as to what role Dave Mustaine [MEGADETH] has actually been playing in RED LAMB. In the band's most recent biography, Mustaine is credited as co-producer and co-writer. This past summer, though, many were under the impression that he had actually joined the band as the singer. Was Mustaine ever an actual member of the group or a behind the scenes collaborator?

Dan: This project itself has been three years in the making. I know Dave had mentioned something in the press once that we were kind of excited and that we were doing something together. But we tried to keep what we've been doing kind of quiet and under the radar, so we can work and concentrate and have that time, which you usually don't have once you get going. Things happen very fast in today's music culture once you launch. So there probably was some confusion only because people were trying to figure out why me and Dave were eating breakfast somewhere or something together when I live on the East Coast and he lives on the West Coast. Pretty much, everybody knows in the metal community that we're like best of friends for a very long time. Up until now, we have actually tried to keep that kind of quiet. This is our personal lives and he is very public, and I used to be very public until I kind of took a break. So it's just the way we did it. So there was no official statement saying that Dave was doing anything more or anything less up until yesterday. If you want to know exactly what the role is between us, I would be glad to lay that out for you.

Metal Insider: That'd be great because as you said there hasn't been an official statement.

Dan: Yeah, so that's what's really funny. People have been asking, like, "How come Dave's not doing this, and Dave's not doing that, and I thought this and I thought that." There's this giant thing on all the web sites, it's called a biography [laughs], and it explains what the band is, who's in the band and what all our roles are, what the producer's roles were and so forth. It's kind of weird, but I guess it's just a day out of what's going on, everyone is a little confused. So I guess it's good we'll clear this up. Dave heard what used to be my project [DEUXMONKEY] before RED LAMB and we were just cruising into the studio in one of his crazy cars, I think it was an Aston Martin or something. And he just fell in love with the music, and as a friend offered, "Can I take this from you and kind of help?" At that point in time, I was wearing 50 hats, so it became quite difficult. It was just a blessing for Dave to say, "Yeah, absolutely!" and that's where we started. His credit is he's a co-producer; we worked together on taking that material that was already recorded. All the music was done by me and recorded and we edited the music and moved verses and choruses around, shortening songs and got rid of the seven-minute solo if there was one. [laughs] I do like to kind of play long lead breaks and stuff. It's just like in the past in ANTHRAX, where we hired producers to do that same thing; be that fifth or sixth member of the band and see what we can't see when you wear so many hats. And to find that person is just such a comfort. We've been friends for so long so it's beyond comfort. He was able to edit all the songs and really worked feverishly. He actually pushed the MEGADETH album ["TH1RT3EN"] and recording of it for I don't know three, four months down the line so we could work in Vic's Garage [Dave's studio in San Marcos, California] and do that. We tracked a lot of rhythm guitars in Vic's and then we flew Donnie out to do all the vocals. Dave worked with Donnie consistently day in day out on all the vocals. He lives this album along with all of us. And previous to that, via electronic means, meaning email and so forth, me and Dave took all the lyrics that I had written for the CD and we dissected those the same way we dissected the music. And Dave co-wrote every song on the album with me as far as the lyrics go and so that's his role in it. He's the co-writer on every song. So it's a wonderful collaboration. I don't think anything like this has happened between two members of what everyone is calling the "Big Four". Obviously, I'm absent from the "Big Four"; I'm just not there. So I don't think anyone has worked together like this. People don't just play lead guitar, play rhythm guitar but we're there at onset and this music is just in our blood. We don't manufacture it; it is a part of my being.

Metal Insider: As you mentioned, it really is unusual to see two members of the "Big Four" collaborating. That's why, and I hope you don't mind me saying it like this, but I was really surprised that the album was released out of nowhere [last week, February 3]. Was there any reason why you didn't wait 'till you got some press backing or distribution support?

Dan: It's kind of what I would like to do. I don't want to be an old-time dinosaur, like, "Hey, can we be signed to a record label?" Because during the recording of this and trying to acquire other people, friends and so forth to play on it, we ran into so many stumbling blocks. It was beyond fathomable, of the people actually wanting to play on it, playing on it and then their record label being like, "Eh, ya know, we don't want him playing on anything but his own band. Take it off." We've run across that a bunch of times. And that's not good in today's music industry. If you look at all the newer bands and so forth, there's no record companies. The distribution is, "Hey, let me put your album out," and I'll put it on iTunes and put it on Amazon and anyone can get it. If I want to do something separate from RED LAMB and I want to do three more things, I don't have that boss beating down my neck. I can do whatever I want and have free reign. It's really just self-funded music for the fans by the fans. If you remember the beginning days of ANTHRAX, where it was me and Scott [Ian, ANTHRAX guitarist], this is the same way we did it. Nobody would sign us, nobody would sign METALLICA. Our manager Jonny Z [Zazula, founder of Megaforce Records] had both cassettes for two years taking them around to every record company and they kind of laughed at it and said, "What is this noise?" So we just went grass roots and just started playing. So RED LAMB is the same kind of thing for today's market. So I'm just going to release it fast. It's out, you can get it. The fans will help me and RED LAMB connect with them by going out to play by purchasing whatever they can purchase and just being part of our band. I don't know how to explain it except this is what I did in the beginning days of ANTHRAX in a different way because of those times. This is what I'm going to do with RED LAMB. It's not going to some pencil pushing guy behind a desk, we don't need that anymore. Most of the new bands coming out now, it's the same way I'm doing this now. It's been "coming soon, coming soon, coming soon," but we've been working so hard on this. It's just time for it to come out. And everything is done behind the scenes, it's been a lot of hard work for a very long time to be able to just kind of launch it out there and get on the road as soon as we can and get back on stage and just say hello to everybody.

Metal Insider: I'm sure you're probably tired of everyone asking you about ANTHRAX so I apologize in advance. But I was wondering if I could get your opinion on ANTHRAX's current lineup. As you've gone through your own struggles to get RED LAMB off the ground, ANTHRAX also went through a lot leading up to the release of "Worship Music". I was just wondering if you had any thoughts on everything that's happened to ANTHRAX since you left following the 2005 reunion.

Dan: To tell you the truth, they are all my friends and I wish them the best of luck every day with what they do. What we do is not easy, and it's hard sometimes for the fans to understand that. They think it is easy. We live on a bus, we live away from home, and we don't get to go home and visit if there's an emergency sometimes. And this endless list of not really having a home is just really hard. I think it's best we just wish everyone the best. And if you have a stumbling block, it's cool to have a friend to help you along and get you out of that stumbling block just like in everyday life somewhere else with someone else. So I wish them all the best wherever and in whatever they do, and I'm sure we'll cross paths live, 'cause I plan to play live with RED LAMB and not stop.

Read the entire interview from Metal Insider.