To celebrate the band's 40th anniversary, Anthrax is releasing a documentary series with weekly episodes to be released every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
The first three videos released by the band (each about 10 minutes long) tell a bit about the origins of Anthrax and the behind-the-scenes of their debut album, Fistful of Metal . The album, released in January 1984, was recorded with the band's lineup that included founders Scott Ian and Dan Lilker , guitarist Dan Spitz , drummer Charlie Benante , and vocalist Neil Turbin .
In the third episode, Fistful of Metal – It's a Long Way To The Top , the band members tell a previously untold story about the events that led to Dan Lilker's expulsion from the band just 4 days before the album's release.
Apparently, Dan Lilker and Neil Turbin didn't get along very well, which Lilker justified by saying Neil couldn't "take a joke." The constant teasing and conflicts with Lilker eventually irritated Neil to the point where the vocalist kicked the guitarist out of the band – without the consent of the other members.
Scott Ian recounts that there was a movement within the band to try and reverse the situation and confront Neil about the decision, which couldn't be made individually. According to Scott, Neil showed no interest in resolving his differences with Lilker and allegedly gave Anthrax an ultimatum, stating that if Dan Lilker didn't leave, he would.
“We all talked about it and thought, ‘If we lose our vocalist, the band is over. We have a tour starting in the summer. But if we lose the bassist, it’s not the end,’” Scott recounts. The dilemma was clearly painful for the guitarist, who had to fire his best friend and founding member of Anthrax even before the release of an album in which he had fully participated. “Professionally and personally, it was the hardest conversation I’ve ever had,” Scott stated. “Just thinking that I was 21 years old and told my best friend he was out of the band makes me want to punch myself in the face.”
Today, Dan Lilker seems to have moved on from the situation, although he admits he “shed a tear or two” at the time. “Despite the three hours I spent furious about being kicked out of the band 37 years ago, I’m happy that Anthrax has become a force in the metal scene and I’m happy with my role in helping make that happen,” he assures. Neil Turbin himself would be asked to leave Anthrax shortly after the end of the band's first tour, when the members realized that the dynamic between the vocalist and the rest of the musicians wasn't working. “The guy kicked me out of the band and was kicked out seven months later,” Dan Lilker said, laughing.
READ ALSO: Text by Dan Lilker , bassist of Nuclear Assault , exclusively for Wikimetal , telling how music and Heavy Metal entered his life:
