In a new interview with Mixdown, Scott Ian, the co-founder and guitarist of Anthrax, explained how he invited Mike Patton to join Anthrax to replace Joey Belladonna.
The trash metal band Anthrax, co-founded by Scott Ian and Dan Lilker, has been an important part of the metal music scene since the 1980s. From 1984 to 1992, Joey Belladonna’s voice featured on the band’s essential albums such as ‘Spreading the Disease,’ ‘Among the Living,’ and more. In the early 1990s, the band members decided to part ways with Belladonna for creative problems. However, they would reunite for the reunion tour in 2005.
Recently Scott Ian joined an interview with Mixdown, and he stated that, before the return of Joey in 2005, he invited Mike Patton, then a member of Faith No More, to join Anthrax as a vocalist for their next album. Yet, this invitation prepared the way for a different union than the intended one. During the interview, Ian explained that although Patton turned down Ian’s offer at that time, years later, the two crossed paths in Mr. Bungle.
Mr. Bungle got back together 20 years after their final live performance and 21 years after their latest album to record a new version of their 1986 release, ‘The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo,’ which incorporates musical components from the same album. Scott Ian of Anthrax and Dave Lombardo, the former drummer for Slayer, were also present for this reunion.
Scott Ian addressed this story about his offer to Mike Patton in the interview:
“When Patton texted me and asked me if I wanted to do Mr. Bungle. I was like, ‘You’re f*cking kidding me?’ He’s like, ‘I told you we would work together.’ Because a million years ago, I had asked him just before Joey came back to Anthrax, I had said, ‘Hey, do you want to sing on the next Anthrax record?’”
He continued:
“We were drunk in a bar in Melbourne, Australia, on a festival together. He was with Faith No More. He was like, ‘Oh, man. You don’t want me in your band. I’m a pain in the ass.’ I was like, ‘No, no, no. I think we could deal with it.’ He goes, ‘Yeah, but I got seventy-two projects, and I could never commit.’ I’m like, ‘I know, really. I’m asking, but I’m not really asking.’ He’s like, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll do something together someday.’ So then, when he hit me up, he goes, ‘Remember in Melbourne when I said we would work together?’ I’m like, ‘Uh huh.’ He goes, ‘Guess what?”
Mr. Bungle released this re-recording album featuring Mike Patton on vocals, Scott Ian on rhythm guitar, Trey Spruance on lead guitar, Trevor Dunn on bass, and Dave Lombardo on drums on October 30, 2020. The band is currently touring across two countries. As for Scott Ian, he is now hitting the road with Anthrax for their joint tour with Black Label Society.
