Charlie Benante has explained why he missed the final two shows of Anthrax’s North American tour as support for Iron Maiden, in comments shared via MetalRules.
The drummer sat out performances in San Antonio, Texas and Mexico City in late September and early October. Benante described the health issues that forced him to step back from the tour.
“So what had happened — I missed, actually, two shows,” Benante said. “So I kind of got sick after that Louder Than Life festival [in Louisville, Kentucky], and I heard from a lot of people that they got sick too from it. But it never came out; it wasn’t like a full-blown illness, like, okay, you get a cold, you know?”
“So we started to do the L.A. shows, the two Maiden stadiums [at BMO Stadium on September 25 and September 27], and then we played The Roxy [in West Hollywood on September 26], and I started to feel crappy again. And then we flew from Los Angeles on the Monday to San Antonio.”
“I woke up the next day with the craziest version of vertigo. I’ve never had it before, but this thing felt like I was on the worst rocking ship in the ocean, and I was just a f*cking mess. I couldn’t function. I couldn’t even lift my head up, let alone pick up a pair of sticks. So I missed the show in San Antonio.”
Benante explained that medical advice led him to sit out the remaining dates entirely.
“The doctor came to see me, and our next show was going to be in Mexico City, and the doctor said, ‘I advise you not to get on a plane, and do not go to Mexico City, because with the higher elevation, it’s just gonna make it worse.’ So, I was done. I mean, it was the worst thing I’ve ever felt in my life. Like, you can’t even imagine — the room spinning and not being able to stop it.”
“So I had to miss the two shows, which I was so bummed about, because, God, I love playing Mexico City too. And the San Antonio fans, there’s such a huge metal scene there. And it just bummed me out. But I’m feeling much better now. It was, like, the worst thing I’ve ever experienced.”
Benante’s comments came as the Anthrax drummer discussed his absence from the closing dates of the Iron Maiden support slot. The drummer said he is now recovering from the incident.
Benante has faced medical restrictions affecting his touring before. He injured his right hand in June 2026 and sat out shows from June 20 through July 4 to recover, missing festival dates at Hellfest in France and Copenhell in Denmark. He had previously undergone surgical treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome in 2013 and experienced recurring hand numbness during tours in 2012 and 2015. For the final Anthrax shows that Benante missed, veteran metal drummer Mike Heller stepped in for the San Antonio performance, while Derek Roddy filled in for the Mexico City show.
