Former ANTHRAX Singer Discusses Reunion Rumors

Blasting-Zone.com recently conducted an in-depth interview with former ANTHRAX vocalist Joey Belladonna. Several excerpts follow:

Blasting-Zone.com: This certainly isn't the first time reunion rumors have been circulating. How was your collaboration with ANTHRAX on "Ball Of Confusion" (for the "Attack Of The Killer A's" greatest hits package) arranged? Was that whole situation as surreal as it seemed?

Joey: "That was so weird... ...I was eager to do it, but the only people there were (ANTHRAX rhythm guitarist) Scott (Ian) and (current ANTHRAX vocalist) John (Bush)..."

Blasting-Zone.com: Really?

Joey: "Yeah...just Scott and John. (ANTHRAX bassist) Frankie (Bello) didn't even play on it, (ANTHRAX drummer Charlie (Benante) wasn't even there... ...I think (original ANTHRAX bassist) Dan Lilker played on that one...I don't think Frank wanted anything to do with it... If you look at the credits...I don't think he played on it. Walking in there...to have even gotten a call from Scott to do it... I mean, I had heard 'Ball of Confusion' before, back when I was in high school...I was a little shocked when I heard we were gonna do a cover of it. ...Ultimately, it would have been even cooler if we could have done a brand new song with me alone on it."

Blasting-Zone.com: You are not alone in sharing that sentiment.

Joey: "...It would have been even better if we could have brought Danny (Spitz) in, too. Even without Danny, like David Lee Roth did with VAN HALEN...just a couple of fresh new tunes... It just didn't happen, though. They laid it all out...no nostalgic stuff. I would have loved to have done that stuff. In fact, even on the tour, when they were still planning on going out with both John and I singing...I almost would have rather gone out alone and did a whole night of old shit instead of having any conflicts...there could have been a lot of weird moments with that..."

Blasting-Zone.com: It's too bad it never happened...

Joey: "The negotiating was very late in the game and it wasn't nearly...it wasn't right..."

Blasting-Zone.com: There were a lot of rumors circulating that they weren't willing to pay you properly...

Joey: "(Pauses)...It wasn't all that much money. Even it if was more money...look at it this way...I was probably gonna get paid just as much as anyone else that was working with the group. It was almost as if I had nothing else better to do... ...I didn't wanna battle over that stuff. You wanna call me in, do me right...let's fucking do it right...but they didn't wanna do it that way... It's too bad, really because out of all of the business dealings I had with the group over the years, that was probably the only thing ever that didn't go well. Now, I'm probably liked even less than ever. It's too bad, really...to me, it's not really that big of a deal... I just think that it's ironic that people still think I got sick of them and said '...the hell with you guys...' and left. If I had my way, I'd still be in the group..."

Read the entire interview here.