SCOTT IAN: 'This Will Be The Only Version Of ANTHRAX Until There Is No ANTHRAX'

Despite the fact that veteran metallers ANTHRAX have been plagued with singer changes for most of their career, the band's guitarist, Scott Ian, is confident that the group's present formation will carry them into retirement.

"I've gone on record saying this will be the only version of ANTHRAX until there is no ANTHRAX," Ian tells the Georgia Straight. "That's how I feel, absolutely, in my heart. I don't see why we would do anything different. This band sounds so great; we made a great record. And I'm super-excited about the future of this band creatively."

One of the biggest reasons for Ian's excitement is the presence of ANTHRAX's lead singer Joey Belladonna. The frontman's initial stint with the group lasted from 1984 to 1992, and he was considered part of the band's classic lineup (alongside Dan Spitz, Scott Ian, Frank Bello and Charlie Benante),which reunited and toured during 2005 and 2006.

John Bush, who fronted ANTHRAX between 1992 and 2005, temporarily rejoined the group for a number of shows in late 2009 and early 2010 but stepped aside in May 2010 in order to make room for the return of Belladonna.

"There's a certain maniacal energy that Joey has onstage," Ian tells the Georgia Straight, "and that's his thing. I mean, if I just compare him to our contemporaries in the 'Big Four', between James [Hetfield of METALLICA] and Dave Mustaine [of MEGADETH] and Tom Araya [of SLAYER] you've got three frontmen that are all attached to the microphone — but Joey's all over the place on-stage. He's a maniac, and I always felt like that was one of the things that gave us the kick in the ass we needed way back when to be able to break through and make it, so to speak."