If you’re looking for a place to bang your head, it’ll be hard to beat Anthrax‘s tour with Black Label Society and Exodus, which wraps up this Sunday in Anaheim, California.
“I think this tour is a great f***ing tour,” Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante tells ABC Audio. “I think the package is awesome and, more importantly, people are coming out. I’m so, like, what is going on?”
What appears to be going on is that fans are simply craving the heavy metal spirit.
“There is a lot of shredding and a lot of riffage going on, that’s for sure,” says Exodus guitarist Gary Holt. “It’s awesome! Some of my favorite guitar players are all on this tour, so it’s amazing.”
All three bands have been going at this for quite awhile — both Anthrax and Exodus have celebrated 40th anniversaries in recent years — but Holt says that the desire to deliver said riffage has not waned.
“I mean, we’re old on a timeline, but we still rock,” Holt says “We’re not mailing it in, we’re still out there with something to prove. And kids love it. You see these people bringing their children to these shows, father-and-son moments, it’s awesome.”
The tour marks Anthrax’s reunion with Black Label Society after their joint 2022 tour. Benante and BLS frontman Zakk Wylde will continue to share the road with the reformed Pantera over the next year as they fill in for the late Abbott brothers, “Dimebag” Darrell and Vinnie Paul, respectively.
As for what he likes about touring with Wylde, Benante lists his sense of humor and his upbeat personality, though he jokes he might feel differently after all of their traveling together is said and done.
“Ask me this question next year,” he laughs
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