Spitz is a Messianic Jew, which is like "Jews for Jesus", I guess. But, as I recall, he loves Slayer. I recall him saying something about Slayer not being about Satan but really about anger. Aside from that, I can't think of any "satanic" bands that Anthrax would be touring with anyway. Haven't their last few tours been with other '80s thrash acts? That's where their audience is at.

What? Dan Lilker? John Connelly? No. Nuclear Assault isn't even a full time band. Lilker plays in like 300 projects, prefers more extreme music, doesn't play lead guitar, and has pretty much made it clear he's no fan of Anthrax. And isn't Connelly a teacher? I'm surprised that no one has mention Andreas Kisser since he already played in the band when Scott's baby was born (and please don't mention him now - he's not joining the band).

Caggiano's replacement probably won't be a big name. I mean, Rob Caggiano wasn't exactly a big name prior to Anthrax. They'll probably get some relatively unknown guy who's hungry for exposure.

Anthrax did do a few tours with '80s thrash bands last year. I saw Anthrax twice last year, and a lot of their audience (myself included was in their 20s), so while there would be some nostalgia, they're attracting a younger audience as well.

I've heard a rumour that Anthrax will "retire" either this year or next year so I'd imagine that Spitz would take Caggiano's place if that rumour were to be true. If not, then they'll probably hire somebody else. Andreas Kisser has commitments with Sepultura so it'd be highly unlikely for him to end up joining Anthrax.

It definitely showed in his stage presence on that last tour with Testament and Death Angel that he wasn't into it, he had his hair in pony tail under a toque not head banging at all, straight to the bank. Funny to see that pentagram in the background of the stage set.

IIRC Rob never really headbanged onstage that much. Very rarely did he not have his hat off either.

Anthrax had a lead guitarist? Anthrax had solos????

Uh yeah, listen to any of their songs in the 80s.

paging paul crook....paul crook to the main stage!

He's probably in the same situation as Tom Gabriel Fischer and Kelly Shaefer .

My point was that Anthrax solos are shitty and unmemorable their strengths have always been the riffs and drumming, Ian and Benante.

Really, because Spitz has some of my favourite solos ever

The Dan Spitz ones were pretty terrible, but have you heard Caggiano's on the new album? I thought they were great!

Yeah Caggiano was actually quite a good soloist. Not one of the best ever but pretty impressive and enjoyable without being overly showy. Spitz was a bit on the Kirk Hammett side of things being more straightforward but there were still some cool leads with him.

Spitz, straightforward? His leads were wacky as sin.

Hopefully this means that the next album will be more thrash oriented than Worship Music.

Worship Music did have some thrashy moments though, and "Fight 'Em Till You Can't" is (in my opinion) easily the song that's the most thrash on that album. If they're doing an album after Worship Music, and if Spitz ends up coming back, then that album will have some of the old Anthrax sound.

Red Lamb isn't half bad. Much thrashier than I was expecting, really. Vocals are kind of cheesy, though. Their facebook calls them "rock, alternative, pop rock", but to me it sounds mostly like thrash metal, which I suppose is kind of strange.

"Fight 'Em" is a reworked "Gridlock", so it makes sense it would be thrashy.

Was the riff in "Devil You Know" used in any other Anthrax song because I could've sworn that I'd heard it in another song of theirs?

You guys are crazy. Anthrax hasn't been relavent since the early nineties, and even that is pushing it.

What does relevance have to do with listening to and enjoying music? There will always be people that listen to bands that you don't, just as you listen to bands they don't. So what?

Wow, just wow. Dan was man in Anthrax and should have never left/been let go. For me, his solos were the only good points of an otherwise terrible Sound of White Noise album. Dan's solos were songs in and of themselves if you take the time to listen to them. Some of my favorite Dan solos Be All, End All, Who Cares Wins, In My World, Persistence of Time, and Skeletons in the Closet.

Substitute relevant with interesting/productive/prosperous/making good music and that statement still stands.

Jon Donais from Shadow's Fall will be filling in for the tour
http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?m ... mID=184745

I think the Dan Spitz ship has sailed...

And then I call back with "subjective". Ain't that the beauty of art?

Unless, of course, you are trying to say that what you like is interesting/productive/prosperous/good music and is what everyone else should like, and anything you don't like is uninteresting/unproductive/unprosperous/bad music and nobody should like it.

They are quite tight with Shadow's Fall apparently. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't they get their drummer to temporarily handle touring duties when Benante was out. Anyway, good for them I suppose *shrugs*

Eeyup. Jason Bittner did Mayhem with Anthrax this year and the tour right after that through November before leaving and being replaced by Jon Dette.

Anyone have any idea why Caggiano is guesting on the newest Shining album? I found that to be really weird. Can't really see him and Shining guys being close. I really would like to know how that came about.

I'm less weirded out by Caggiano doing a guest spot on it than I am the fact that Andy LaRocque produced it. That right there is a match I would never ever have thought would happen.

One of the key bands during my formative years as a metal kid but damn, they need to give it up. There's not a time and place for everything. Well maybe there is, but their time is up.

Count me in with the people who liked Worship Music and am pretty bummed by this. Better than most (if not all) of the comeback thrash records ever released IMO.

Quite the necro you just created. I also noticed that we don't a smiley for necro threads. MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Relevant to the topic, it was announced on Blabbermouth recently that Rob joined Voltbeat as a member. Huh.

I genuinely didn't see that one coming, especially as one of the reasons that he (Caggiano) left Anthrax was to focus on producing. Joining Volbeat seems a bit strange tbh.......

I guess that in Volbeat, he's allowed to write. There was no chance of that in Anthrax.

Nice easy paycheck, change of scenery, less #drama (or so I've heard about Volbeat). I don't like Volbeat much, but I can understand what Cag would want to jump ship. It sucks though, as I think he's easily the best lead guitarist Anthrax has had.

Its a shame that after all the years he put into Anthrax there is only one album to cement his legacy...but the show must go on. I hope the rest of the band stays together and find a suitable replacement. Dan Spitz would be great...but in-probable. So hopefully someone who fans can feel familiar with like Lee Altus (exodus) or Bobby Gustafson (ex-Overkill).

Eh he probably couldn't handle dealing with Scott Ian and Charlie Benante's douchey-ness.

Also random but did ya'll know that Rob was in a sucky nu metal band before joining Anthrax?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU-EtEmJklk

Glad he didn't reform this band!

They might just stick with Donais, who is a good dude and an excellent guitarist even if Shadows Fall blows.

I dont know why but i really never liked Anthrax but i guess Fistful of Metal is okay.

Fistful is alright, you should spend a little time with Among the Living, their best album and one of my personal favourite thrash albums, those heavy palm muted riffs really slay on this album and become very infectious after repeated listens.