Former ANTHRAX Singer DAN NELSON: 'I Put My Heart And Soul Into That Band For Two Years'

Robert Gray of Ultimate-Guitar.com recently conducted an interview with former ANTHRAX singer Dan Nelson. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: OK. First of all, it's alleged that on July 16th, 2009 you informed ANTHRAX that you were seriously ill, and couldn't perform. What are your thoughts on that?

Dan: About the band saying that I was ill? I don't know why they said that — I was never sick. I was fine, and ready to do all of the gigs, but I think they wanted to go a different way with John Bush. That's what's going on with that.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: Were you really looking forward to ANTHRAX's European tour, which was eventually scrapped?

Dan: I did the first leg of Europe with ANTHRAX, and yeah, I was looking forward to returning, and doing the second leg. I was looking forward to the SLIPKNOT dates that they had planned for September, as well — August and September were when the SLIPKNOT dates were planned for, I believe. So yeah, I was disappointed, but you know, shit happens (laughs).

Ultimate-Guitar.com: Though did you hope to record one to two albums as part of ANTHRAX, part amicably, and then each party go their separate way? When they possibly wanted to reunite with John [Bush] or Joey [Belladonna]?

Dan: I think ANTHRAX would've went back to John even sooner if he would've said "Yes". Me, personally, I'd like "Worship Music" to come out as it is because it's a phenomenal album, but I don't know if that will happen. I just think ANTHRAX have a tendency to stay in their safe zone, and their safe zones have always been either a reunion of the older incarnation with Joey, or to stay with that sound with John. Charlie [Benante], as ANTHRAX's primary songwriter, feels comfortable with John because he's been with him for so long. It was thirteen years, I think, and John has been the voice for his writing for the last thirteen years, so that's where he wanted to go. I assume as soon as that door opened for them again, they jumped at it.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: Do you feel ANTHRAX reunited with John Bush with their tail between their legs? ANTHRAX reunited with Joey Belladonna, but that didn't work out. Because of that, do you feel they thought "Shit, we should've stayed with John," as that would've been the better decision in the long term?

Dan: I think the reunion thing with Joey didn't work out the way they thought, and they wanted to go back to John. He wasn't interested, so they decided to get someone new and fresh, and tried to breathe new life into the band, which I like to think I did. ANTHRAX definitely got a lot of press, and a lot of popularity, while I was in the band for two years. We had a very successful tour run, and "Worship Music" got great reviews over in Europe. It was looking great.. I don't know (laughs). I don't know why ANTHRAX did what they did. It's kind of strange, but the history of the band is strange. I wish them nothing but the best. Like I've said before, they're family guys, and they have their own lives to take care of. ANTHRAX have to do what's best for them, and I have to do what's best for me and my family. I'm just pushing on, and have to move onto the next step.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: The news item which alleges that on July 16th, 2009 you informed ANTHRAX that you were seriously ill, and couldn't perform, surfaced on July 17th. What were your thoughts when you became aware of that news item? Maybe you were on your computer, and read..
Dan: No. I'll tell you exactly where I was. I was at my ten-year-old Godson's baseball game, little league game, and I got a phone call from a friend of mine who said "Are you sick? Are you no longer in ANTHRAX?". I was like "What?". It was just weird. I was supposed to be on a flight to Sweden I think, and the next thing I knew, the flights were cancelled. The flights were booked for later initially, but then they were cancelled, and we just weren't going. Nobody answered my emails or my calls, and it pretty much went like that for about four days. I didn't hear anything for four days, and then it was announced that ANTHRAX were playing a show with John Bush. That's exactly what happened. What can you do? You just gotta say "OK," close that chapter, and open a new one.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: So basically, ANTHRAX cut off all lines of communication?

Dan: Yes. Everything went black. I hadn't heard from them at all for four days, I think. The last person I had spoken to was Scott [Ian], and to someone else from ANTHRAX's camp, saying that they were going to push the flights back to a later time. When I checked my flight online though, it was cancelled. That's the last I heard.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: But when you had your last conversation with Scott, you had the impression that him and the rest of ANTHRAX's members wished to move forward with you as their vocalist?

Dan: The last conversation I had with Scott was about the flights being changed, and not that I wasn't their singer anymore. I don't know how it went from the flights being pushed back to me not being their singer, so yeah, he definitely didn't say "You're no longer our singer" (laughs). The next thing, I then found out on the Internet that I wasn't their singer.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: On July 21st, ANTHRAX's manager said you'd parted ways with the group, and in a later interview, Scott Ian said that you had quit ANTHRAX. So obviously, you're saying that isn't true then? Just to confirm.

Dan: I would like to know where they heard me say I quit the band (laughs). Usually someone has to say they quit. I never quit the band. I had my manager and my lawyer both contact them, who said I was willing to do the dates — I believe it was July 18th, the day after they announced that I was supposedly sick. My manager and my lawyer contacted them, and said "He's willing, ready and able to do these dates. What's going on?", but there was no response. When someone doesn't give a response, there's not really much you can do. You're left in the dark, and left without any power. You're just left thinking "What's going on?", and that's where I was. I didn't know what was going on. I still don't know what happened, but at this point, I don't care. I really don't care. Like I said, I wish ANTHRAX nothing but the best. I don't wish them anything ill, but I don't care either. I couldn't tell you what ANTHRAX are doing with "Worship Music", and I couldn't tell you what they're doing with tours, because I just don't care. I've moved on from that onto new music, and onto other new things in my life. I have a lot of stuff going on other than music in my life. My life no longer revolves around ANTHRAX. I put my heart and soul into that band for two years, writing, flying, recording, touring, keeping myself in physical shape for the band, and dealing with all the drama that goes with being in a band, especially being a new guy. It's just too much to even bother with anymore. I just don't care. I hate to say it, but it's someone else's problem now.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: When ANTHRAX hired you, did you ever feel as though you were measured against John Bush and Joey Belladonna?

Dan: Yes and no. I don't think I really had much in common with them vocally, or in terms of stage presence, so it was an old/new ANTHRAX somewhat, which I thought the fans were really enjoying. It just seemed like the energy that ANTHRAX had when I was in the band, compared to with Joey and John, was way higher. The energy level was just.. we were on top of our game. If you watch a video of the five of us onstage, then it was a great show every night. The energy was there, and those guys looked reinvigorated. I brought it every night, and it was just a totally different ANTHRAX — it was a younger, crazier and heavier version of what ANTHRAX was. I think, in these modern times of metal, it really was going over well. I guess it's a strange decision that they've made, moving forward another way, but like I said, they're entitled to their vision.

Read the entire interview from Ultimate-Guitar.com.

Video footage of ANTHRAX's June 28, 2009 concert (with soundboard-quality audio) at the Graspop Metal Meeting on the festival grounds of the Boeretang in Dessel, Belgium can be viewed below.