Amid what could have become a PR nightmare for the band, they issued a press release (http://www.anthrax.com/html/ANTHRAX_PressRelease.htm) on October 10, 2001 that jokingly mentioned that they were going to change the name of the band to "something more friendly, like 'Basket Full of Puppies.'". Previous. During the terrorist-related anthrax outbreak in the United States in 2001, the band altered their Website to provide information about the disease because many people had come there simply by entering anthrax.com in their Web browsers. Current. The band has yet to release an official statement about Bello's departure and have recruited Joey Vera (Armored Saint, Fates Warning) as a touring bassist. The Ataris will supposedly be releasing a new album called "Welcome the Night" in summer 2005. In March 2004, long-time bassist (and nephew of drummer Benante) Frank Bello left the band amid much speculation. It generated many successful singles for them, including In This Diary and their cover of Don Henley's The Boys Of Summer.

Scott Ian is currently engaged to Meat Loaf's daughter Pearl Aday. That year, they recorded their most well-known album to date, So Long, Astoria. They released it March 4, 2003. Several members have launched affiliated side-projects, such as Scott Ian's Stormtroopers of Death. Some months, on June 24 of 2002 after End Is Forever, The Ataris quit Kung Fu Records and signed with Columbia Records. In early 2004 the band returned to the studio to record Greater of Two Evils, a rerecording of the band's early work with the current lineup. From June to July of 2000, the band recorded End Is Forever, and released it the following February. In 2002 new guitarist Rob Caggiano joined the band and the following year the band released We've Come For You All, an album hailed by the metal press as a long awaited return to form. Almost a year to the day later, in April of 2000, the album Let It Burn was released.

Despite these hardships and various legal entanglements regarding who had the rights to certain albums, Anthrax managed to soldier on. Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits was released on April 13 of the following year, having been left unreleased until then. During this time period a two vocalist tour featuring both Joey Belladonna and John Bush was proposed and set to go, until Belladonna decided to pull out at the last minute. It was released very soon after, on November 24 of 1998. Regrouping the band signed with another label and released a greatest hits album although that label soon went out of business as well. In September of that year, they began recording Look Forward to Failure, their third album. Unfortunately, almost immediately after Volume 8's release, the independant label they were signed to went bankrupt and disappeared, making the album extremely difficult to find. A year and a few months later, in June of 1998, they recorded Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits.

Anthrax signed with a small independant label, and in 1998 managed to release Vol.-8 The Threat Is Real, a punishing album which had the potential to return Anthrax to the top of the metal heap. They released it on April 29, 1997. During the hiatus long time guitarist Dan Spitz left the band, leaving Anthrax reeling. In autumn of the same year, Anywhere But Here, their first LP was recorded. Obviously upset at what they felt was an attempt by the label to kill the album, Anthrax attempted to sever ties with Electra. They signed soon after, on January 15, 1996, to Kung Fu Records. In 1995 the band released Stomp 442 an album which Electra refused to provide real promotion for, and it quickly disappeared without a trace. In late 1994, The Ataris formed as a band.

Unfortunately the musical landscape of the early '90s was changing drastically; Alternative Rock was the rage, and metal was no longer being pushed by the music industry. The melodic hardcore group The Ataris was formed in 1994. Bush was a more "serious" sounding vocalist and Sound of White Noise was well received by most of the band's audience. For help, see How to Edit a Page and the Style and How-to Directory. The band jumped ship from Island Records to Electra Records and released Sound of White Noise on the label in 1993. After the article has been cleaned up, you may remove this message. In 1992 Anthrax parted ways with vocalist Joey Belladonna and replaced him with ex-Armored Saint vocalist John Bush. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of article quality.

Within a few years bands such as Rage Against The Machine, Korn, Limp Bizkit and a host of others had picked up the Rap/Rock or Rap/Metal mantle and gone on to various degrees of success. Welcome the Night (summer 2005- Columbia Records). Bring The Noise was a hit and the band had a successful joint tour with Public Enemy. So Long, Astoria (2003 - Columbia Records). Anthrax was always a band prone to experimentation, and in 1991 they collaborated with pioneering rap artists Public Enemy on a joint version of PE's Bring The Noise. While Run-DMC had worked with Aerosmith back in 1986, Bring The Noise is widely regarded as the very first Rap Rock hybrid as this was the first time a Rock band had fully incorporated Rap into a song. End Is Forever (2001 - Kung Fu Records). Because of this Anthrax appealed to a more general audience even if they were never quite as popular as their contemporaries. Let It Burn (2000 - Kung Fu Records, split with Useless ID).

While the other major thrash bands, Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer, were deadly serious, Anthrax wrote songs about comic books and Stephen King novels. Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits (1999 - Kung Fu Records). Almost immediately Anthrax morphed from a stereo-typical Judas Priest knock-off to the thrash metal style that would garner them so much fame. Mixing equal doses of punk and speed metal along with a generous dose of humor quickly shot them to the fore front of the burgeoning thrash movement. Look Forward To Failure (1998 - Fat Wreck Chords). The additions of vocalist Joey Belladonna, and bassist Frank Bello brought a much improved sound to band. Anywhere But Here (1997 - Kung Fu Records). By 1985 when Anthrax released their first classic album, Spreading the Disease, their lineup had solidified into cohesive unit. Marco Peņa, lead guitar (1999-2001).

It was an inauspicuous debut for a band that would soon rise to the forefront of the thrash metal scene. Patrick Riley, lead guitar (1997-1999). After signing with Megaforce Records, they released their first full-length album, Fistful of Metal in 1984. Derrick Plourde, drums (1996-1997). Anthrax was formed by guitarist Scott Ian, drummer Charlie Benante, bassist Dan Lilker and vocalist Neil Turbin in the early '80s. Jasin Thomason, bass (1996-1997). They have made several appearances on television shows such as Married with Children and NewsRadio and have appeared in movies such as Run Ronnie Ron (performing as the fictional band Titannica) and Calendar Girls. Chris Knapp, drums (1997-).

The "big-four" of thrash metal invariably includes Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax. Mike Davenport, bass (1997-). Anthrax was one of the most popular bands from the thrash metal scene in the '80s, and possibly the biggest band to come out of the East Coast thrash scene. John Collura, lead guitar (2001-). Anthrax is a New York City-based heavy metal rock group, who released their first full-length album in 1984. Kris Roe, rhythm guitar & vocals. For the British band of the same name see: Anthrax (Anarcho-punk band).

This article deals with the American band called Anthrax. Neil Turbin, lead vocals. Dan Spitz, lead guitar. Dan Lilker, bass.