Joey Belladonna discusses his original split with ANTHRAX

ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna recently discussed his original split with the thrash metal giants, saying he “got sideswiped out of” the band.

Belladonna, who returned to the front spot in ANTHRAX in May 2010, originally sang for the band from 1984 to 1992, and is considered one of the group’s “classic lineup” members, alongside guitarists Dan Spitz and Scott Ian, bassist Frank Bello and drummer Charlie Benante.

Appearing on a recent episode of the “Beer Rum & Rock N Roll” podcast, Joey reflects (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I didn’t quit… Like, I wanted to sit around for 13 years while these guys just kept [going]. People don’t wanna hear it, but that’s the truth. Why would I quit?

“Forget about that record without me,” he continued, referring to 1993’s “Sound Of White Noise“, which featured ARMORED SAINT vocalist John Bush. “I could have been on that record regardless of what they came up with. Let’s just pretend they didn’t even write that record yet. That record would have been cool too regardless of what you’re already familiar with. I’m not saying whatever was on there wasn’t right. I was in that car that rode into that record. I got sideswiped out of there.

“So, yeah, I didn’t quit,” Joey added. “I didn’t quit anything. I don’t want anybody thinking that, ’cause I wouldn’t even have the heart to do that.”

Joey also touched on his return to ANTHRAX despite having been publicly slammed by some of the other members of the band over the years.

“Some people are, like, ‘Why the hell are you back with them? Why would you go back? That’s stupid, man. You’re an idiot. She cheated on you twice, dude. Don’t go back with her. Come on, man. She’s just gonna go out with that other guy tomorrow night,'” he said.

“It took them a long time to go, ‘You suck. We didn’t like you that much. And now you’re all right.’

“Every day I walk in their presence in the room knowing that these people felt that way, ’cause I never felt that way about them,” Joey admitted. “I don’t feel that way about those people. I respect and I highly recommend everything that they do. And obviously I’m back. And I dig what we’re doing right now, I dig what we’re doing. But it’s hard. It’s hard. You get a complex, you know?”

ANTHRAX‘s latest album, “For All Kings“, came out in February 2016 via Nuclear Blast.