Why Anthrax Ditched Their Singer

10/06/2011
. (hennemusic) In a new interview with Guitar World, Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and guitarist Scott Ian shed some light on the abrupt 2009 resignation/firing of singer Dan Nelson, after he spent less than two years with the band. At the time, the group issued a press release stating Nelson's departure was 'due to illness', and that upcoming tour dates were cancelled.

Nelson fired back online with a statement of his own: "It was the other band members' decision to cancel the tour dates, not mine. I was ready, willing and able to do my job. After issuing the press release, the other band members decided, on their own accord, that I had 'resigned' from the band. I never resigned from the band."

Until now, Anthrax have chosen not to elaborate on what went down.... According to Ian, "(Nelson's) words were, 'I quit. I'm not doing this. Don't come to my house. Don't try and talk me out of this.' Again. Because that wasn't the first time he had quit Anthrax; it was the third time. But that was his M.O. He would quit, and then he would make a bunch of demands on us, and we would cave and he would come back."

"First show we did with him, backstage, big argument, big blowout," added Benante. "It was unbelievable. And from that moment we should have known. And all along, he just kept pulling weird s**t. Like, he would call me and not tell the other guys, or call one of them and not tell the rest of us, and just talk s**t." more on this story

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