In a new interview with Metal Sucks, Anthrax bassist, Frank Bello, discusses his debut solo EP, upcoming tour plans, the current Pantera tour, and more.

In the following excerpt, Frank reveals what he believes to be the reason for Anthrax's longevity:

"The fans. It all starts with the fans. Like I said earlier, I am still a fan, and that remains my perspective. I honestly look at myself as a fan in a band; that’s what I am. If you look at it that way, you will never lose your hunger. I need to feel that hunger in my gut; it keeps me motivated. Because I think it satisfies us and allows us to translate and communicate our music to the people in the audience the way that we do. So, it’s all about our fans; they are the reason we are here.

"But it’s also about the music you put out. And that’s why we take so long to put things out because we are to a point where we need to make sure things are right and digested. We never want to just put something out just for the sake of doing so. That’s why our last few records have people saying they’re some of our finest work. The reason is that we made sure to put out the right record at the right time. We need to stand behind our music, and that’s another reason why we’ve been around for so long because we can do that."

Read more at Metal Sucks.

Frank Bello and Rare Bird present the bassist’s debut solo EP, Then I’m Gone. Issued as a deluxe gatefold split 12”, the EP contains three songs alongside excerpts from his 2021 autobiography, read by the author and accompanied by additional new music.

Bello performs all instruments (except drums) on “Then I’m Gone”, “It Won’t Be Long”, and “See Me Now”, as well as the score accompanying the narrated pieces, each selected and read from the book released with Rare Bird last year, Fathers, Brothers, And Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment, And Anthrax.

"I revisited some really dark times in my life when I was writing my book, and writing these songs was the result of reliving them,” explains Bello, who appears on every Anthrax release since 1985. “Music has always been a great outlet for me as a coping mechanism. I felt it was a good time to put out these songs for people who connected with the book and maybe some who haven't yet. Thanks for listening!"

A cornerstone of the legendary “Big 4” of metal alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer, Anthrax has sold over ten million albums, traveled the globe countless times, and collaborated with a diverse list of creative icons, including Public Enemy, Keanu Reeves, and the late “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott. Fathers, Brothers, And Sons details the tragedy and triumph of the music industry and Bello’s intense personal life.

Like the book, the songs on Then I’m Gone are intimate, revealing, and powerful. Then I’m Gone EP deluxe gatefold vinyl is available to order now in limited-edition purple and white/purple splatter variants, as well as standard black vinyl, direct through Rare Bird and Experience Vinyl.

All orders include a digital download code with the full vinyl audiobook in the sealed vinyl jacket and a monthly email with links to audio, video, instrumentals, and bonus material.

Tracklisting:

Side A:
“Then I’m Gone”
“It Won’t Be Long”
“See Me Now”

Side B:
“First Kiss”
“Compass Point”
“See Me Now [Revisited]”

“Then I’m Gone” video:

Promo video:

(Photo - Jeremy Saffer)