ANTHRAX’s FRANK BELLO On Paris Terror Attacks: ‘I Don’t Understand How Anybody Feels Good About Killing’

ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello says that the band’s new song “Evil Twin” — which was lyrically inspired by the Charlie Hebdo shooting — is being performed with renewed vigor following last month’s terrorist attacks in Paris which left more than 129 people dead.

Speaking to Gigs And Festivals ahead of the band’s gig at Brixton Academy in London, England on Monday (November 30) where ANTHRAX was playing as the support act for SLAYER, Bello said: “I don’t see how killing innocent people helps your cause in any way.”

He added: “When we sing [the ‘Evil Twin’] chorus every night – ‘you’re no martyrs’ — there’s a new gusto going on there because I don’t understand how anybody feels good about killing. I just don’t get it.”

Lyrically, the track unapologetically denounces the self-righteous religious extremists who spread their bloody terror under the guise of a Holy War.

“You represent your discontent
Slaughtering the innocent
Insolence
You’re no martyrs”

ANTHRAX guitarist and lyricist Scott Ian said that he was inspired to write “Evil Twin” because he was “very affected by the Charlie Hebdo massacre” as he has been with “all of the shootings that have taken place at schools and movie theatres.”

He explained: “I can’t figure out what would cause someone to think that was the right thing to do. ‘I’ll show the world, I’ll make my God happy.’ It’s just such bullshit. I’m not bagging on religion, that’s not my intent, but people who go to that extreme, who feel they have become judge, jury and executioner over their fellow man because you or I don’t believe the same thing they do, I think that’s the ‘Evil Twin’ of humanity. Writing words about that is my only catharsis.”

The greatest number of deaths during the seven coordinated terrorist attacks on November 13 took place at the Bataclan, a French music venue where EAGLES OF DEATH METAL were performing when terrorists began a siege that ended with 89 people in the club either shot to death or killed in explosions.

Ian told Stay Tuned Interviews shortly after the tragedy happened that ANTHRAX wasn’t about to cancel the remainder of its European tour and go home, like other bands have done. He explained: “Nothing’s gonna stop us from doing what we do. Nothing’s gonna take away our freedom, and hopefully nothing will take away the audience’s freedom that is still coming out to shows — not just our tour, but any tour that’s out there, or any public gathering, whether it’s a football match, or whatever it is. That’s what terrorism does — it creates fear and it stops people from living their lives. And as hard as it is to sometimes ignore that and go on with your life, it’s really what you have to do. Unless you’re just gonna live in fear and never leave your house, and I don’t know how anybody can live their life like that. So, yeah, it’s definitely difficult.”

“Evil Twin” is taken from ANTHRAX‘s long-awaited new album, “For All Kings”, which will be released on February 26, 2016 via Megaforce in North America and Nuclear Blast in Europe.