Rare Bird recently announced the release of Anthrax bassist Frank Bello’s Fathers, Brothers, And Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment, And Anthrax, co-authored with Joel McIver, including a foreword by Gene Simmons of KISS.

During a conversation with Ultimate Guitar's David Slavković, Anthrax bassist Frank Bello talked about late Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman, while also touching on the topic of new bands and younger artists.

On Jeff Hanneman:

"Jeff was a fun-loving friend. That's what I have to say; he's one of us. Jeff was always here. You know, Jeff's another one of those guys that pass and you see them - they're still here with you. Like Cliff (Burton), these are all friends that we grew up with, you have to understand. And that laugh - I don’t know if you've ever heard Jeff laugh - it's amazing. It makes you laugh when he laughs.

He is a very fun-loving guy, a great writer... all of the above - love him, great player, you know - great stuff. But, he was one of those guys who always wanted to make you laugh, and he would. He would. He's got that - you see, I still talk about him like he's here 'cause I don't think he's ever gone. He's always with me... Jeff, yeah, Jeff was the real deal.

He came out on one of those shows, I think it was in California, Big Four, it was great to see him. I mean, look - I didn't see that coming, unfortunately. I didn't want him to pass. I didn't know he was going to pass, I didn't know it was that bad. But, like everything else, life throws curveballs.

We all miss Jeff. But what do you do, you know? We all have a part of our lives where our friends pass, families pass, and you just have to keep moving on.

So, Jeff will always be there. With those songs, with Slayer, Jeff will always be in our lives. That's the way I look at it. God rest his soul."

Read more here.

Frank Bello, bassist with the legendary New York thrash metal band Anthrax since 1984 – one of the “big four” of thrash metal - has sold over 10 million albums, travelled the globe more times than he cares to count and enthralled audiences from the world’s biggest stages. He and his bandmates have even been awarded keys to the Bronx in recognition of their status. His long-awaited memoir would be a gripping read even if its pages only contained stories about his life as a recording and touring musician. While those stories are indeed included - and will blow your mind - Bello also focuses on deeper subjects in Fathers, Brothers, and Sons. Once you’ve heard his life story, you’ll understand why.

Born into a family of five, Frank grew up in difficult circumstances. His father abandoned his wife and children, and Frank’s mother moved heaven and earth to keep them fed and educated. Left with no male role model, Frank found inspiration in heavy metal bass players, following their example and forging a career with Anthrax from his early teens—first as a roadie, and then as the group’s bass player. International stardom came Frank’s way by the mid-to-late 1980s, when he was still in his early twenties, but tragedy struck in 1996 when his brother Anthony was murdered in New York. Although the case went to trial, the suspected killer was released without charge after a witness, intimidated by violent elements, withdrew his testimony.

Two decades later, Frank is a father himself to a young son. Like many men who grew up without the guidance of a dad, he asks himself important questions about the meaning of fatherhood and how to do the job well. This is the wisdom which Fathers, Brothers, and Sons offers readers. Despite the emotive nature of these topics, Fathers, Brothers, and Sons is a funny, entertaining read. A man with a keen sense of humor and the perspective to know how surreal his story has been, Frank doesn’t preach or seek sympathy in his book. Instead, he simply passes on the wisdom gained from a lifetime of turbulence, paying tribute to his loved ones in a way that will resonate with us all.

Frank Bello is an American musician, most notable as bassist for the legendary thrash metal band Anthrax. On hiatus from Anthrax, he briefly performed with Helmet, but he has appeared on every Anthrax release since 1985. He lives in New York.

Joel McIver is the bestselling author of Justice for All: The Truth About Metallica, which has been translated into nine languages, and several other books. He has written for Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, and he is the occasional guest on BBC. Classic Rock magazine has called him “by some distance Britain's most prolific hard rock/metal author.”

Fathers, Brothers, and Sons was released worldwide in hardcover, e-book, and audiobook on November 2nd. A percentage of sales will be donated to charities assisting abandoned families.