What’s Going on between Charlie Benante and Anthrax?
Anthrax are currently on tour in the U.K. and Europe, and drummer Charlie Benante, once again, is staying home.
It’s been a rough year for Benante: Gene Hoglan filled in for him early in the year when he had to miss time after his mother passed away. Shadows Fall drummer Jason Bittner sat on the throne shortly thereafter during the band’s tour in Argentina, and then did so again on the summer’s Rockstar Mayhem Fest run after Benante suffered a “minor hand injury.” Said injury didn’t keep Benante from becoming involved in a domestic dispute with his wife, which landed the couple in an Elkhart, IN jail. Benante’s injured hand in stapled head were good to go in time for the Metal Masters 4 clinic in NYC in early September, but that would be all for the Bronx native.
According to a tweet yesterday by Scott Ian, Benante will be missing the band’s recently launched U.K. and European tour:
Many of you asking who is playing drums… Our friend Jon Dette is kicking ass while @skisum is home taking care of personal stuff.
— Scott Ian (@Scott_Ian) November 6, 2012
Presumably Jason Bittner was not available because he was scheduled to be on tour with Shadows Fall, although now it looks as if he’ll be sitting at home too.
So… “personal stuff”? After everything Benante’s been through this year we can only hope that things are OK with his injuries, his family, his legal woes and his mental health. That’s a lot for one dude to deal with in any given year. We can also only hope that relation between him and the rest of the band members are hunky-dory; Benante leaving Anthrax would basically amount to Anthrax leaving Anthrax.
Remaining dates of the U.K. and European tour can be found here.
