Looking back at the early days of Anthrax, original bassist Dan Lilker opened up about the circumstances leading to his abrupt exit from the group in a conversation with the Talk Louder podcast.
During the conversation, Lilker provided fans with previously undisclosed details about the incident. Reflecting on Scott Ian and the rest of his bandmates’ stance before his firing, the bassist said:
“It was more like Neil had told the other guys, ‘I’m tired of dealing with Danny, it’s him or me.’ I would bust his balls because he had no sense of humor. And it was easy… Obviously, I wasn’t thrilled when I was thrown out. And Scott was put very much between a rock and a hard place because I guess Neil’s pushing to have [me] thrown out, and then nobody had done anything. So, Neil took it upon himself to call me up and just throw me out of the band himself.”
Watch the full interview below.
What Does Lilker Think About the Firing?
Lilker, a co-founder of Anthrax along with Scott Ian, played an important role in the band’s formation in 1981. However, his career with the band came to an unexpected end right before the release of their debut album ‘Fistful of Metal’ in January 1984.
In the same interview with Talk Louder, Lilker revealed that he was ‘asked to leave and had no choice’ due to disagreements with then-vocalist Neil Turbin. Describing the tension, Lilker pointed out contrasting definitions of professionalism between him and Turbin:
“Let’s just say that Neil and I had different definitions of what professional meant. I was more into making sure that the songs were good and well played and rehearsed. It wasn’t just about what you looked like and how you appeared.”
Neil Turbin, the band’s vocalist at the time, left Anthrax himself in August 1984, only seven months after Lilker’s exit. The period following Lilker’s departure and preceding Turbin’s own exit was fraught with internal disagreements and a lack of direction within the band.
Scott Ian’s Reflections on the Matter and Turbin’s Response
Scott Ian, in his autobiography ‘I’m The Man: The Story Of That Guy From Anthrax,’ described this era as ‘the worst moment for me in the history of Anthrax.’ He claimed Turbin’s decision to fire Lilker was primarily based on trivial matters of physical appearance, especially height differences on stage:
“The biggest d*ck move Neil ever pulled was when he fired Danny Lilker behind our backs after ‘Fistful’ came out in January 1984. The main reason he did it, in my opinion, was because Danny was taller than him. He honestly didn’t think someone should be taller than the frontman onstage. He thought it made him look bad, so he tried to stand as far away from Danny as possible, which was hard when we were playing stages the size of ping-pong tables.”
Turbin has since refuted these claims, labeling Ian’s book as a ‘work of fiction’ and expressing disappointment over being portrayed negatively. In a 2009 interview, Turbin spoke of a fractured relationship within the band and a divide that formed between him and other members, particularly Scott Ian and Charlie Benante.
Beyond the personal and professional conflicts, financial disputes were also an issue within the band. Turbin, in a 2023 interview, accused Anthrax of failing to compensate him for his contributions during his tenure as the band’s vocalist.
In January 2014, Lilker announced his retirement plans. Turbin also remains rather inactive in the scene. As for Anthrax, they will hit the road in April, with scheduled dates spanning from April 15 to May 16. You can grab your ticket here.
