Anthrax Joins Black Sabbath's UK Concert Line-Up

For the first time in twenty years, Anthrax will share a stage with Black Sabbath when the band performs at Sabbath’s “Back to The Beginning” concert set to take place on Saturday, July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. Anthrax toured with Black Sabbath on the band's 1986 “Seventh Star Tour," which was also Anthrax’s first arena tour. The last time they were on the same bill as Sabbath was in 2005 at the Download Festival in the UK.

“I’m a huge Black Sabbath fan,” said Charlie Benante, “and Black Sabbath was so, so instrumental in the sound of Anthrax back in the day. Back in ’86, when we were working on our third album, we wanted to do a B-side of a Black Sabbath song. ’Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ was the song that we chose. We did it as a B-side, we played it live, and it became a big thing for us. Growing up Catholic, in a Catholic household, my mom did not appreciate Black Sabbath. One day when I came home, my sister took me to the record store and I got one of those iron-on Black Sabbath t-shirts, it was the cover of ’Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath.’ I got it home, my mother saw it, she made my sister take me back to the store and return it. She would not have it in the house because it had the ‘666’ on it. I was still a Black Sabbath fan so I had to kind of keep it hidden from my mom.”

“I’m definitely a huge Sabbath fan," said vocalist Joey Belladonna, "and over the years I have covered many Sabbath and Ozzy songs. We toured with Sabbath on the ’86 tour, and it was so electric. That was a huge tour for us, and we were just overwhelmed to be part of it. That Anthrax was asked to be part of Sabbath’s ‘Back To The Beginning’ concert is quite a big honor.”

“I heard about Sabbath through my friends at school," remembers Anthrax’ Frank Bello, "who said the band was great. Plus, I thought the album cover was scary as hell. Although I love most Black Sabbath albums, that first one, Black Sabbath, is still my favorite because it was my introduction to them, and the songs are still amazing. I’m also a HUGE Geezer fan, I grew up on his playing, and I’m honored now to say he’s a friend. Geezer was and still is one of my main influences on bass. He always puts beautiful musicality & melody into everything he plays. His bass lines make you want to play bass. He is also an amazing person. "It’s an honor to be part of this show and I’m very grateful to Black Sabbath & Sharon Osbourne for asking us to be part of it.”

Anthrax’s Upcoming Concert Dates 

JULY

3 Blackweir Arboretum, Cardiff, Wales, UK

Line-Up: Slayer, with Special Guest Anthrax

5 Villa Park, Birmingham, UK • 

Line-Up: Black Sabbath, "Back to the Beginning," w/ Anthrax

6 Finsbury Park, London

Line Up:   Slayer, with Special Guest Anthrax

Photo credit: Ignacio Galvez