Long-running (or, long-floundering) thrash metallers Anthrax have issued a statement on their website saying that they have parted ways with vocalist Dan Nelson.
Nelson, who joined the band in 2007, is still considered by fans to be the band's "new" vocalist as no material has been released with him on it. However, a European release date of October 23 (no confirmed date for North America just yet) was recently announced for the band's upcoming disc, Worship Music, which will feature Nelson on vocals.
No official reason has been given for the split, but the band also recently announced they had to cancel a string of European dates because Nelson was sick, though the singer has now denied he was under the weather.
But while releasing an album - the band's first since 2003's We've Come For You All - with a singer who's not in the band anymore may seem like a questionable career move, it almost seems par for the course for a band as marred with label and line-up problems as Anthrax have been. As one user on Blabbermouth put it, "if this band didn't have bad luck, they wouldn't have any luck at all." (Thanks, Coorsman66.)
However, here's where it gets even weirder/more tiring: ex-vocalist John Bush (who, if we may editorialize for a moment, kicks much ass) will be re-joining them for a one-off gig at the Sonisphere fest in England on August 1. (Bush was booted when the band begun a reunion tour in 2005 with original screamer Joey Belladonna.) This has the rumour mill spinning, but, man, how many times can a band change vocalists before that rumour mill just stops altogether? Hopefully Anthrax will get their act back together for good soon (because, as any metalhead knows, when these guys are on, they're unstoppable) and we won't need to find out.
Nelson, who joined the band in 2007, is still considered by fans to be the band's "new" vocalist as no material has been released with him on it. However, a European release date of October 23 (no confirmed date for North America just yet) was recently announced for the band's upcoming disc, Worship Music, which will feature Nelson on vocals.
No official reason has been given for the split, but the band also recently announced they had to cancel a string of European dates because Nelson was sick, though the singer has now denied he was under the weather.
But while releasing an album - the band's first since 2003's We've Come For You All - with a singer who's not in the band anymore may seem like a questionable career move, it almost seems par for the course for a band as marred with label and line-up problems as Anthrax have been. As one user on Blabbermouth put it, "if this band didn't have bad luck, they wouldn't have any luck at all." (Thanks, Coorsman66.)
However, here's where it gets even weirder/more tiring: ex-vocalist John Bush (who, if we may editorialize for a moment, kicks much ass) will be re-joining them for a one-off gig at the Sonisphere fest in England on August 1. (Bush was booted when the band begun a reunion tour in 2005 with original screamer Joey Belladonna.) This has the rumour mill spinning, but, man, how many times can a band change vocalists before that rumour mill just stops altogether? Hopefully Anthrax will get their act back together for good soon (because, as any metalhead knows, when these guys are on, they're unstoppable) and we won't need to find out.
