I’ve been a fan of Anthrax for a long time now and I supported them even after dumping bandmember after bandmember, but, like many others, I just got sick of the band handling their business that poorly after a while.
I’ve seen them live in 2009 when Dan Nelson was still in the band and he blew me away. Great stage presence, great vocals, the guy was a beast on that very day, so I looked forward to the upcoming album ‘Worship Music,’ but everyone knows what happened next.
Dan Nelson is not with Anthrax anymore but he’s still working hard and soon we’ll all be able to hear him do what he does best: sing like a motherfucker. But first, he gave an interview to your favorite website, Dose of Metal. Read it after the jump.
Dose of Metal: First off, thank you for agreeing to do this interview. What have you been up to lately?
Dan Nelson: Thanks so much for asking me! I have been pretty busy which is always good…fighting crime as Batman is a full time job. I need a partner, a bird boy perhaps? Hmm…
DoM: According to your Facebook page, you’re going into the studio with Farewell to Washington next week. Can you tell us a little bit about Farewell to Washington and what people can expect from that band?
DN: We are recording a demo ourselves in or junkie little studio aka “Potato Junction”. People should expect very little from us, as we expect even less from each other.
DoM: Are Farewell to Washington your only project currently or are you also working on other stuff?
DN: I am in FTW, as well as BLACKGATES with Paul Bostaph (Slayer/Testament) on drums, Jeremy Epp (The Venting Machine) on guitar and Uriah Duffy on bass. BLACKGATES just finished mastering our demo we recorded in the Bay Area with producer Tim Narducci, formerly of the band Systematic. He now fronts a killer hard rock band called Spiral Arms, definitely check it out!
DoM: Most people, including myself, have been introduced to you via your Anthrax stint but it’s very hard to track down your previous work. What’s the best way to get a hold of your previous work?
DN: I have a bunch of tracks I’ve done over the years on my myspace music page.
And my old band Inside Hollow will be putting our 2005 effort “The Lazarus Pit” back up on the bands myspace as well.
Dan Nelson rocking out with Inside Hollow.
DoM: You uploaded 6 songs to your MySpace page. Have these been exclusively recorded for MySpace to showcase your work to the people who are waiting for you to release an album or were they meant for an album?
DN: Definitely more as a showcase of my work. I always add different stuff to that page that I record outside of my current band.
DoM: Who has been your favorite artist of the past 12 months?
DN: My 4 year old nephew Tyler, he draws a mean Iron Man, it’s awesome!!
DoM: As a fan of Anthrax and you as a musician, I would have loved to get a Nelsonthrax album. Do you think any of your work with ‘thrax will ever see the light of day?
DN: I’d love for it too, I worked very hard on it. As did the whole band, never say never I guess!
DoM: When you were first announced as the then new Anthrax singer, a song of your former band Devilsize/Godsize, called ‘Taken,’ circulated on the internet. Was the band called Devil- or Godsize? And are there any more songs of that band available somewhere?
DN: ‘Taken’ was actually an Inside Hollow song off the 2005 CD The Lazarus Pit that I mentioned before. I’m sure there’s some DEVILsize floating around out there somewhere, we were only a band for about 6-8 months.
Inside Hollow - Taken
DoM: Who influenced you the most as a singer?
DN: Lemmys Aunt Hildegard.
DoM: Who would you like to sing a duet with?
DN: Um…Denise Milani.
DoM: Who would you never sing a duet with?
DN: Dan Nelson.
DoM: I’ve seen you live with Anthrax in Germany 2 years ago and really enjoyed your performance that day. Do you have any plans for touring, be it with Farewell to Washington or any other band, in the foreseeable future?
DN: Many thanks!! Absolutely, both bands are working on touring and festivals right now actually. I can’t wait, I miss the road and the stage for sure!
DoM: You’ve toured all around the world and I know this is a tricky question because musicians always try to please all of their fans with their answers but where was the craziest and most fun crowd you’ve ever played in front of?
DN: This one time when I was about 5 or 6 I had to sing in front of my class, they were brutal. They beat me with spatulas, very mean children. I would definitely say it scarred me.
DoM: What inspires you the most for lyrics?
DN: Look up, look down, look all around. That’s about sums it up.
Anthrax w/ Dan Nelson - Fight em til you can't
DoM: What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the following things:
… Thrash Metal?
DN: Morning neck pain that is more than worth it.
… New York?
DN: RANGERS
… Washington?
NOT
DN: 3 idiots
… Past?
DN: gas?
… Future?
DN: McFly!!
… Anthrax?
DN: NOT
… Dan Nelson?
DN: Definitely NOT
DoM: Any last words for your readers at doseofmetal.com?
DN: Thanks so much to anyone out there who supports myself or rock and metal music in general. You guys are the heartbeat in a body of music that will NEVER die!!
DoM: Thank you for your time!
DN: Thank you my friend!
