Former Anthrax vocalist Neil Turbin has opened up about experiencing bullying from his bandmates during the recording sessions for their early material. He shared his account in an interview with The Metal Voice.
When asked about whether the band was open to his creative ideas or if they preferred to work independently, Turbin provided detailed insights into the tensions that arose during their collaboration.
“Yes. ‘Armed and Dangerous’ was an idea I came up with. I had some influence from martial arts… And so the song basically had this ballady intro, right?” Turbin said. “It was a very melodic ballady kind of intro and the band themselves, the members of the band were talking to me in the rehearsal studio while we want to go hardcore punk.”
Turbin explained his perspective on the musical direction the band wanted to pursue. He drew from his background in the punk scene.
“I was already part of the punk scene. Like punk rock was the Ramones. It was the Sex Pistols. It was a Clash. It was Generation X. That’s punk rock,” he continued. “So this other thing that was hardcore punk. It wasn’t really punk rock. But I do respect it. It’s just that was like, okay these guys are you know they already came up with grilled cheese sandwiches. Now they’re calling it something else and they got some other thing thrown on the sandwich.”
The singer described how the creative differences led to conflicts during rehearsals.
“They were talking about being hardcore punk in a rehearsal. I’m like, ‘That’s not like arena rock.’ That’s not like Accept or Saxon… It was just not a very creative direction,” Turbin said. “We’re working on ‘Armed and Dangerous.’ Like, this song is melodic and it’s heavy and it’s totally not hardcore punk, but that was the weirdness. It was kind of a strange thing, but there was a bunch of them.”
Turbin then addressed the bullying behavior he experienced from the other band members.
“They were bullying me because they’re ganging up. I mean, there’s a bunch of them saying, ‘This is what we’re doing,'” he said. “It wasn’t like, ‘Do you want to do this or we want to do this.’ They said, ‘This is what we’re doing.’ So, it was kind of like that’s how it went.”
“And you know, so that’s what bullying is. That’s what happens. It’s a coup,” Turbin concluded. “And I’m not trying to get into that conversation, but the point is that as a writer, you know, it was contradictory.”
These revelations provide new insight into the internal dynamics of Anthrax during their early formation period. They shed light on a particularly turbulent chapter in the band’s history.
The tensions Turbin described occurred during a critical transitional phase for Anthrax. The band was simultaneously working to establish both their lineup and musical direction. Wikipedia documented that the “Armed and Dangerous” EP was recorded at Pyramid Sound in Ithaca, New York. It featured a mix of original songs and live versions of earlier tracks, highlighting the band’s evolving sound during this period.
The recording sessions took place at a time when Anthrax was facing significant uncertainty about their future direction. The band was grappling with questions about their vocal approach and overall musical identity. This may have contributed to the creative conflicts Turbin experienced. This internal struggle was particularly evident as the group tried to balance their thrash metal roots with emerging hardcore punk influences.
The timing of these events becomes even more significant when considering what happened next in the band’s evolution. Decibel Magazine reported that Joey Belladonna would soon join as the new vocalist. He brought a more melodic singing style that would contrast sharply with Turbin’s approach. This ultimately influenced the band’s developing sound in a different direction.
The “Armed and Dangerous” EP itself would become a notable release in Anthrax’s catalog. It represented both an end and a beginning for the band. The creative tensions and interpersonal struggles that Turbin describes provide important context for understanding this pivotal moment in the group’s history. Artistic differences and personality conflicts shaped the trajectory of what would become one of thrash metal’s most influential bands during this time.
