by Dalia  "gryphon-spirit" Di Giacomo       

 transcripted by Stefan Vogelaar      

Charlie and Dalia  -                   pic taken by Stefan  

Dalia : Anthrax began 1984 with Fisful Of Metal and now you have released We Come For You All. After 20 years of activity what is in your opinion different and what remained the same in Anthrax?

Charly : Whats different,.. we are much more wiser, much more ensured, much more educated...
<laughing> whats the same is the drive in us and the same purpose, and i think we are more hungry now as in the past.

D : You are more "hungry" now?

C : oh yes!

D : hmm, is this the  spirit of "Soldiers of Metal", do feel you still have a mission for metal?

C : Not just metal or hard rock, we've seen everything come and go, ...we've seen all forms of music in our history come and go, it just seams like, specially for us living in America, there is such a bad bad bad taste of music in America, hard rock and heavy metal is not that big, they like rap and R'n B, i hate it!

D : ...and in comparison , is it better in Europe?

C : yes! much better, our record in Germany is N° 22, in America it didnt come out yet, but the top 100 is so bad ....it's so disgusting.

D : The new album We Come For You All sounds for me personally, absolutey not so modern, but more to the 90's oriented, do you have some nostalgic feeling?

C : I think our record is more modern in the line of records, but i think maybe we went back to our roots for a bit, not at all, but i think our record sounds very modern.

D : the instrumental technique! i personally find it is very brilliant..

C : phiouhh! thank you we try to do the best we could.

D : this question i absolutely have to do,i have noticed that in your last album there are a lot of influences of Metallica, for example "What doesn't die" or "Safe Home" and Safe Home is such a beautifull song, it's just incredible, but it reminds Metallica.

C : how? 

D : it reminds me the "Black Album" era...

C : well ok, ... did you ever hear Metallica have a song called Fuel?

D : yes.

C : we have a song called Fuel and that was before the one of Metallica. Well, you have your opinion but i think trying some with us , to be honest with you ...... i better dont talk.... Metallica made three great records, what ever, i dont listen to Metallica, thats not metal....

D : James Hetfield discribed "Only" as a perfect song, any comment?

C : yes it is a good song, Master of Puppets is a perfect song, Ride the Lightning is a perfect song, i appreciate Hetfield, he is great, i hope he is now great, i hope the new Metallica is not another Load

D : What do you think about Nu metal?

C : Good, some sounds good some sounds bad, same as Thrash metal, some is good some is bad, but the bands who are good they are really good

D : But in general, Nu metal has a meaning for you?

C : I think alot of the Numetal stuff took some avoid, Korn , they took some other stuff and mde it sound like them , whatever, i think Korn are good, their first two records are great.

D : In your opinion , where is going Thrash metal today?

C : Thrash metal went to Black metal, Black metal is Thrash metal now.
thats what i see, Dimmu Borgir is Thrash metal.

D : are there Italian influences in the band?

C : only my stomach, ... we are three Italians in the band, oh no, we are four because John 
is half italian, me, Rob and Frank are full Italian, full Sicilian. I cant wait to go to Italy tomorrow, finally, we havent been there in years and i miss it and i wished to have a day off there but we dont.

D : From Italy to the USA.....

C : ...no to Spain.... 

D : ....so it is a long tour !

C : yeah, three shows in Spain

D : About my previous question "from Italy to USA", i was meaning Italians in the USA! Los Angeles or New York?

C : me? New York!!!

D : In your opinion , how much important are private things running well in order to get public success?

C : I think you  mean, that it doesnt need good music to be successful, it takes money to be successful, if you have the money to pay radiostations and stuff you can be very successful: i know this so much from America, there is so much bad music out there but if you have money behind you can do anything you can make. For example the first Limp Bitzkit album did anything and the label payed radiostations to play it and the play and play it and the people hear it and say Limp Bizkit, Limp Bizkit!!! and started buy the records.

D : it's all about money...

C : yeah, its all about money, and so it is really hard for metal bands to get success

D : You've talked about radio stations, but  here in Switzerland  most of the radio stations don't play metal at all

C : Yeah, same in America, just some college stations play metal, but mainstream, no way...

D : if you agree , let's speak about the request you had from the American gouverment to change your name Anthrax, because of the question of terrorism

C : we got any request to change our name, but if Anthrax scare became global and many people die we dont want the name Anthrax no more, but the most encouraging thing comes from new york, from firemen and policemen, they told us, dont change your name!, dont do that!, so until now it is ok for us, but if it becomes really big we will do something!

D : well, your name and the band Anthrax was founded long before tthis new  situation of possible terrorism

C : If people in their houses hear now about what Anthrax can do and then they see a cd from us they say ah! not good, it doesn't make sense.

D : but that's crazy

C : The world is crazy, right now the things are crazy, i hate what's going on right now.

D : In 20 years carreer i immagine that you know all the most important bands in the scene and is it important for an artist to know the artists of the other bandsas many as possible or would it not be better to remain a little bit aside..

C : I can answer you that question from my own expereance, you know, i'm a person who moves to the other bands and people in a friendly way like hi how are you and so on , but there are bands they dont like that to much, and one situation was with Bon Jovi, it was 97 at the monsters of rock and he was the headliner, all the bands were in the backstage area and he was like behind a wall and talked to nobody and everything like that ... fuck you... i dont aprecate that. But i have to say another thing about that, sometimes u need your privacy, specially before the show i like to be alone to get myself.

D : would you play with an unknown underground band a gig in a very small underground venue?

C : yeah, we already did in the past, and many other crazy things, and i can say we definately would do it, well not always, but when it happens why not! it means having fun!

D : this is our typical last question we do to every band we are interviewing for the first time, which we call the game of the Tower. there is a very high tower and on top of this tower there are three bands waiting for you. You have to save one and drop the other two from the top of this tower. For you on the tower are waiting : Linkin Park , Overkill and Voivod.

C : <laughing and looking astonished> ...... if didnt kick Linkin Park people say "oh you didnt kick the first " so i kick Linkin Park, Overkill are from New Jersey NY and i'll be friendly with them so i guess i kick Voivod off

D : and Jason Newsted too!

< all are laughing>

C : sorry about this.....


D : Thank you very much Charlie!