Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante says the band could have used more of a guiding hand following the release of 1991 album Persistence Of Time.
It was the last record with frontman Joey Belladonna before he returned for 2011’s Worship Music. And the sticksman says that record label issues and the fact the band were “arrogant” led to the start of their “bad momentum period.”
Benante tells One On One With Mitch Lafon: “I don’t have many regrets. I just wish that maybe we weren’t so arrogant about things or even ignorant about certain things.
“Maybe if there were people around us saying ‘no’ rather than ‘yes, let them do whatever they want,’ maybe things would have changed here and there.”
He adds: “There was that period in the 90s where it wasn’t good. But I don’t think we could have prevented what was happening. Heavy metal was just a bad name and I think we all had to ride it through.”
Benante reports the situation wasn’t helped by the fact Elektra Records didn’t support them in the mid-90s, and adds: “We went into making Stomp 442 basically with no guidance. We didn’t know it at the time, but they weren’t going to work the record – they were just going to let it go. That was the start of what I would call the ‘bad momentum’ period.”
As for the decision to part ways with Belladonna after Persistence Of Time, Benante says: “To make it short and sweet, I just think we were young and arrogant and we didn’t have enough people around us to tell us ‘no.’ When I look back at it, I wish we had a little more guidance.”
Anthrax released their 11th studio album For All Kings earlier this year and have further live dates lined up, including a tour with Slayer and Death Angel.
TR+ Extended Version – Welcome Back: Anthrax
Anthrax 2016 tour dates
May 21: Schaghticoke Rock’N’Derby, NY
May 28: Dortmund Rock Im Revier, Germany
May 29: Munich Rockavaria Festival, Germany
May 31: Sofia Winter Sports Palace, Bulgaria
Jun 01: Zagreb Velesajam, Croatia
Jun 02: Bratislava majestic Music Club, Slovakia
Jun 03: Vienna Rock Im Vienna, Austria
Jun 04: Luzern Sonisphere, Switzerland
Jun 06: Mannheim Zeltfestival, Germany
Jun 07: Hohenems Event Center, Austria
Jun 08: Nancy L’Autre Canal, France
Jun 09: Luxembourg Den Atelier, Luxembourg
Jun 10: Paris Download, France
Jun 11: Solvesborg SwedenRock, Sweden
Jun 14: Dublin Olympia Theatre, Ireland
Jun 15: Cork Live At The Marquee, Ireland
Jun 17: Clisson Hellfest, France
Jun 18: Pratteln Z7, Switzerland
Jun 19: Dessel Graspop, Belgium
Jun 25: Montebello Amnesia Rockfest, QC
Jul 02: Helsinki Tuska Open Air, Finland
Jul 03: Wroclaw Stadium, Poland
Jul 09: Oulu Jalometalli Festival, Finland
Jul 15: Gavle Gefle Metal Festival, Sweden
Jul 16: Eindhoven Dynamo Metalfest, Netherlands
Jul 24: Rome Rock In Roma, Italy
Aug14: Walton On Trent Bloodstock, UK
Aug 21: Auburn Pain In The Grass, WA
Sep 09: Cleveland Jacob’s Pavilion, OH
Sep 10: Detroit Freedom Hill Amphitheatre, MI
Sep 12: Toronto Sound Academy, ON
Sep 13: Montreal Metropolis, QC
Sep 15: Pittsburgh Stage AE, PA
Sep 20: Indianapolis Egyptian Room, IN
Sep 22: St Louis The Pageant, MO
Sep 27: Orlando Hard Rock Live, FL
Sep 28: Miami Fillmore, FL
Sep 30: Tunica Horseshoe Casino, MS
Oct 03: Norfolk Norva, VA
Oct 05: Atlanta Tabernacle, GA
Oct 07: Dallas Gas Monkey Live, TX
Oct 08: Austin ACL At The Moody Theatre, TX
Oct 10: Denver Fillmore, CO
Oct 11: Salt Lake City The Complex, UT
Oct 13: Missoula The Wilma Theatre, MT
Oct 17: Lethbridge Enmax Center, AB
Oct 19: Penticton South Okanagan Events Centre, BC
Oct 20: Abbotsford Centre, BC
Oct 23: Reno Events Center, NV
Oct 27: El Paso County Coliseum, TX
