S.O.D. frontman Billy Milano has made serious allegations against Scott Ian and Charlie Benante. He accused them of unethical behavior and theft in a recent interview with Robbs MetalWorks.
Milano’s statements focused on his claims regarding creative ownership and personal conflicts with his former bandmates.
“We only did three shows and then I was like, ‘You know, these guys [Scott Ian and Charlie Benante] are a**holes,'” Milano said.
The frontman went on to detail his allegations about creative contributions to the band.
“I made Scott use STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH,” he continued. “I made him use Speak English or Die. I made him write the intro for ‘March of the S.O.D.’ He’s a f*cking liar.”
Milano’s comments escalated with personal attacks against both musicians.
“Scott Ian is a low-life c*cksucker. Period,” he stated. “Ian is a soulless piece of sh*t and Charlie Benante is an evil f*cking woman.”
These allegations come amid ongoing tensions surrounding the legacy of one of crossover thrash’s most influential bands.
Wikipedia documented that Stormtroopers of Death was formed in New York City in 1985. The band is credited as one of the pioneering groups to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal, creating the crossover thrash genre. The band’s formation was reportedly inspired by Scott Ian’s drawings of their mascot, Sergeant D. This character became central to their identity and imagery.
The disputed album “Speak English or Die” holds significant historical importance in metal history. Metal Storm reported that the debut album was recorded and mixed over just three days. It became a landmark release in the crossover thrash genre. The recording’s rapid production timeline contrasts sharply with Milano’s current claims about his extensive creative input.
The track “March of the S.O.D.” that Milano specifically mentioned in his allegations has had lasting cultural impact beyond the band itself. Metal Amino noted that this instrumental piece was used as the intro anthem for MTV’s “Headbangers Ball” for many years. This gave the song widespread recognition in the metal community.
Milano had previously indicated finality regarding S.O.D.’s future despite the band’s brief initial activity and sporadic reunion periods. Metal Amino revealed that Milano once stated that the 2007 release “Rise of the Infidels” would be the final album. This effectively put rumors of another reunion to rest long before these recent public disputes emerged.
