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BLABBERMOUTH.NET has received the following statement from ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian:

"Finally, we're going back to work. We're going to Chicago to work our asses off and write a record. It's time. We're ready. One problem... no singer.

"We were offered a direct support slot on a major tour this spring and Joey [Belladonna, vocals] decided he did not want to move forward. The reunion is over. We tried to make it work but I guess that's the problem, you can't 'make' something work. It's gotta be natural and at least becoming a band again and playing live was.

"Over the course of around 140 shows we became a better band than we ever were before from 1984 - 92. The shows we played from April 2005 through October 2006 were incredible and some of the best gigs we've ever played. Doing Donington again was mind-blowing, Graspop was insane, the insanity in Finland, Chicago, Milwaukee, three times in L.A.!!!, three times across Western Canada!!, Glasgow!!!!!, London!!!, the Nokia show in NY, the Starland show in NJ, JUDAS PRIEST!, ROB ZOMBIE!, Gigantour!!, Australia!!!, Japan!!!!!!, really, there's not a bummer in 19 months.

"Thank you from the very depths of my soul for being the best fans in the world. We got to relive something that I never thought we could and it turned out better than I ever thought it would. We didn't have to force it, it just happened and it was great.

"My curiosity was piqued by the idea of what ANTHRAX would sound like now with Joey singing. Over the last few months we've discussed this endlessly to no avail. The problems that were there could not be fixed no matter how hard we tried and in the end Joey made the decision.

"I know a lot of you out there are disappointed by this and that's the last thing we ever want. None of us want to disappoint. If we were meant to make a reunion record we would've. Some things look easy on paper but the reality is that they are impossible and what works for one band doesn't work for others. Maybe we could've forced something and cashed in on a new record but that's not the way we operate.
My reality is I feel we have some unfinished business with the 'We've Come for You All' lineup and I will do my best to finish it.

"I hope you can find it in your hearts to support all of us in whatever happens going forward.

"Charlie [Benante, drums], Frankie [Bello] and I are excited about creating new music and for now we will focus on that and write another killer ANTHRAX record."

Creation and destruction. They’re fundamental building blocks of life, shaping all we have and determining all we know. You can sugarcoat it all you want, but the results are all the same—Life is created, life is destroyed, and the world goes on. In between? We live, we love, we laugh, we cry, we mourn. Life takes us on flights of uninhibited fancy, and life sends us down roads of unrelenting turmoil. Through the creation, through the destruction, and through the bittersweet ironies that consume us in the process… In the midst of it all, there is heavy metal.

And in the midst of the metal, there is Anthrax.

When their peers zigged, Anthrax zagged. Not to be contrary, but to be honest. What is life, if it can’t be lived with honesty, integrity, and a fundamental appreciation for where we came from, and where we’re going? And what is metal, if it isn’t honest?

“Anthrax? The cover of "Fistful of Metal" says it all. I bought that fucker when it came out in 84, without hearing even so much as a note. They haven't disappointed me since. Unmistakable riffs, mindfuck drumming and classic songs – they've opened too many doors to mention. Badasses. They are better than your band." — Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters

Anthrax are pioneers of the American metal scene, and patriots in music’s new world order. They fought for liberation before the music industry even knew it was shackled, breaking down barriers that, at the time, few of us even knew existed. In the ‘80s, Anthrax were amongst the leaders of the heavy metal insurgence. In the ‘90’s, they were among the few survivors of heavy metal’s apocalypse. And with the dawning of a new millennium, they’ve remained as unabashedly potent as they’d ever been.

“In the pantheon of modern metal, Anthrax are certainly a cornerstone, and if one listens, one can hear their influence on any number of up-and-coming bands of the new generation.” — Kirk Hammett, Metallica

In the summer of 2005, for the first time in over twenty years, that very cornerstone will once again tremble the very foundation of heavy metal as we know it. The evolution of metal’s revolution has been televised, but now it’s time to experience the resurgence in real time. Anthrax may have never gone away, but they’re about to reunite in a way many never thought possible — the classic lineup. The classic songs. Timeless metal, from a timeless band.

Joey Belladonna, Frank Bello, Charlie Benante, Scott Ian and Daniel Spitz… Among the living once again. Metal thrashing mad and spreading the disease.

“It’s time to go out onstage and stand with Charlie, Scott, Joey and Dan and create that vibe again,” says Frank Bello, who left Anthrax little more than a year ago, and in the short time since has been leaving his indelible mark as bassist in the seminal aggro-outfit Helmet. “This is gut-check time, and something in my gut tells me the time is right. There’s a magic with the five of us, an energy that can’t be touched. It’s a powerful, powerful buzz. We have something to finish, and a younger generation needs to see it… This is about completing unfinished business.”

“Anthrax is one of the most kick-ass American metal bands of all time. They have outlasted every trend to come along in the last twenty years, and are still relevant today.” — Vinnie Paul, Pantera/Damageplan

“I see a wah-wah pedal, and I’m like a kid again. I’m on fire,” says guitarist Daniel Spitz, who has spent the last decade in self-imposed isolation since his departure from Anthrax more than ten years ago. Not only did Spitz leave the band, but he left music in his past and didn’t turn back, tearing the stereos out of his cars, removing the music from his house, giving his guitars away, and going back to school, where he went from shredding through “Got The Time,” to mending time, becoming one of the world’s most coveted master watch makers. “The same p