Anthrax Interview (Scott Ian)

We all know Scott Ian as a man that  is not afraid to speak his mind, and his long and diverse presence in the music business definitely gave us a lot of interesting things to ask about. However, after a few failed attempts to reach out to him via phone, he ended up just answering some of our questions via mail, consequently not really living up to his reputation. Nevertheless, he promises a hot show in Athens in a few days.

Hello Ian! It's Theodore from Rocking.gr! How's the going in the Anthrax camp right now?
All is well. We're working on new songs and we're getting ready to leave for the last leg of the “Worship Music” tour starting next week in Bucharest.

Now that it's almost two years gone since your latest full-length album "Worship Music", how do you feel about it?
I feel great about it. More importantly people all over the world connected with the record and really embraced it. We've been on tour since the record came out and when we finish in September we will have played 207 shows in support of the record.

You have also a new covers EP entitled "Anthems". How did you come up with these covers? What was the most fun song to play? Which of these six bands that you covered on "Anthems" do you like the most?
We've been jamming on these songs since before we were even in Anthrax. We don't think too much about cover songs, they're just for us to have fun. If we have to think then it means we're working too hard! The most fun for me was “Smokin'”. AC/DC is my favorite band.

Rob Caggiano's departure was not really expected. Did he leave in good terms?
Yes. All good. Friendship before business.

What do you think of him joining Volbeat? Do you think it had to do with him leaving Anthrax?
I'm happy he joined Volbeat. I'm a fan of the band and Rob is a great addition. If it had anything to do with his decision I don't know.

You worked with Rob on The Damned Thing album, which is a fucking great album and impressed us all in Rocking.gr. Is there a chance that this project will continue and create a second album?
Possibly. No idea at this point. I'd like to make another one some day.

Has Jon Donais proved himself a good fit for Anthrax so far? Also, is Charlie back on track or is still John Dette replacing him?
Yes, he's a great fit. Charlie had surgery on his hand recently and is recovering. He'll be 100% soon.

You had a turbulent period with Bush leaving the band, Belladonna coming in, to step out again and Bush returning for a while, before finally Joey coming in for good. What was really happening during that period?
We were writing songs for “Worship Music” and figuring out how to best move forward. Joey was the right person to make “Worship Music” the best record it could be. He's also the guy that is supposed to be the singer in Anthrax.

Was Corey Taylor really that close to join Anthrax? Since he didn't, would you consider a side project with him, if time allows you to do it?
There was a moment where he was going to sing on a record. It didn't work out. A side project? I would love to but we're both way too busy.

Are you still in good terms with John Bush?
Yes.

What do you prefer? John Bush singing Belladonna's songs or Joey singing Bush's songs?
They're both great singers and I'm lucky to have been in a band with both of them.

Anthrax did a legendary guest appearance in "Married with Children" back in the day and you also played the zombie on "Walking Dead" recently. Are you a series fan? In which current series would you like to make a guest appearance and which role would you like to play?
No idea.

What about the spoken word tour? How all this started?
I have a lot of stories to tell. It's a lot of fun to get up and tell them.

You've done the Big 4 tour, which was a dream for many metalheads. What do you think has changed over the years, both in the music business, but also between the bands that made this tour viable?
Again, no idea. I've never thought about it.

Had there been something special in the East Coast/New York thrash metal scene, comparing it to the Bay Area thrash metal scene?
Never thought about it. Too busy thinking about Anthrax.

As it turned out, what Anthrax did - which was criticized for by some die-hard-core fans in the early 90s - had been much ahead of its time. Do you think that it's an extra recognition coming late/at last for you?
I don't worry about what people think.

Do you see a thrash metal revival out there these days? Do you have any new favorite thrash bands?
Municipal Waste. They're a lot of fun.

Tell us about the live DVD you'll been releasing later on this year. When do you see a new Anthrax studio album coming out?
The DVD will have our Santiago Chile show on it. Maybe some more shows as well. Chile was an amazing show. New studio record? Some time in 2014.

In a few days you'll have your first headline act in Gagarin Club in Athens. What do you expect of this? A lot of moshpits I guess! Do you prefer playing packed clubs or open air festivals?
I expect it to be fucking crazy. Our shows in Greece have always been great.

And last but not least, Scott Ian's message to the Greek Fans?
See you soon you crazy fuckers!