In a new interview with V13, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello, who is currently promoting his upcoming memoir, “Fathers, Brothers, And Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment, And Anthrax”, spoke about his desire to go back to an era when people were more united and more compassionate to one another.
“I feel like an old fart even saying this. And that’s fine. You know what? Then let it be that way,” he said. “Because the truth of the matter is we’re all human. I don’t care what you political beliefs [are] — whatever it is, man, whatever you believe in — but the older I get, the more I see this, is people need to care about one another. ‘Cause this is all we’ve got — this is it, man.
“I look at the — even the older movies, which I love; I’m a Turner Classic Movies fanatic. [It was] just another way that people related to each other,” he continued. “It seems like now, with social media and everything else, it seems like people are waiting for you to screw up to jump on you. And is that really the way to be? For me, I don’t wanna do that; I don’t wanna harp on anybody. I don’t wanna jump on anybody. I wanna talk like this and be human. Your beliefs are your beliefs. That’s cool. I have mine, [and] that’s cool. This is how we live. This is America, right? C’mon. And this is life; bigger than that, it’s life. There’s too much harping there, people waiting for somebody to fail to jump on it. It’s, like, wait a second, man. Give the guy a break, because he’s human. I just see a lot of that.
“I always say I wish I was born in a better time when people were just more patient with other people and not ready to just pounce. It’s, like, ‘All right. Dude, I screwed up. I’m sorry. Let’s move on.’ And you get through another day. I just hope a little more of that is infused with life soon. That’s all.”
“Fathers, Brothers, And Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment, And Anthrax” is due on October 12 via Rare Bird. The foreword was written by KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons.
Last year, Bello confirmed that he was working on material for his debut solo album. Regarding the musical direction of his solo material, Bello said: “It’s funny, because it’s sounding a lot like ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE [Bello‘s side project with former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson]. It is more in that vein — heavy rock and roll… I grew up on this stuff. It’ll be rock and roll with a heavier edge to it, and that’s fine, ’cause that’s what I’m into.”
Bello‘s solo LP is expected to be issued via Megaforce, which released ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE‘s debut album, “Get It Out”, in January 2019.
Born and raised in the Bronx, Bello started playing when he was 12, learning bass parts on guitar; idolizing bass heroes such as Geddy Lee, Steve Harris and Geezer Butler; and frequently jamming with his uncle, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante. Bello joined ANTHRAX in time for 1985’s “Spreading The Disease” album, and fans loved his high-energy stage presence and deftly inventive bass style. Since that time, ANTHRAX quickly reached the upper echelons of metal stardom with a series of classic punk/speed metal albums fueled by Bello‘s ferociously riffing bass work. On stage and off, Bello is a veritable bass ambassador who doesn’t pull any musical punches.
ANTHRAX is working on material for its next studio album, tentatively due in 2022. The follow-up to 2016’s “For All Kings” will be ANTHRAX‘s third full-length release since the 2010 return of singer Joey Belladonna, who came back into the fold for the “Big Four” shows with METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH, in the process helping inspire a new wave of creativity.
