Charlie Benante has been forced to step away from a stretch of Anthrax’s summer touring after injuring his right hand. In a message posted to social media on June 20, the longtime Anthrax drummer said the injury means he will miss a handful of dates between June 20 and July 4 while he lets it heal under doctor’s orders. Darby Todd has been brought in to handle drums in his place.
Benante’s own statement was direct and apologetic. He wrote, “I wanted to let everyone know that I unfortunately injured my right hand and, following my doctor’s orders, I’ll be sitting out a handful of shows from June 20 through July 4 to give it the proper time to heal.” He added, “I’m incredibly grateful that Darby Todd will be stepping in behind the kit for these dates and helping keep the shows rolling while I recover. I’m already focused on getting healthy and look forward to being back on the road soon. Thank you all for the support and understanding.”
The injury lands in the middle of a busy European run for Anthrax. The band’s current tour began on May 23 in Athens, Greece, where they supported Iron Maiden, and the schedule now includes major summer festival stops and club dates across Europe through July 4. Benante’s absence covers nearly a dozen shows in that span, including Hellfest in Clisson, France, and other dates in Luxembourg, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Leon, Ramonville Saint Agne, Bordeaux, Viveiro, Cartagena, and Lisbon.
Darby Todd is no stranger to this role. Blabbermouth noted that he already filled in for Anthrax at the band’s May 23 Athens concert, and the same report said he had also been recruited for the Hellfest appearance after Benante’s injury announcement. The site described Todd as a seasoned U.K.-based session drummer with credits ranging from Devin Townsend and The Darkness to Robert Plant and Paul Gilbert.
The timing is especially notable because Anthrax is also preparing to release its long-awaited new album, Cursum Perficio, on September 18 through Megaforce in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast in Europe. Metal Injection reported that the record is the band’s first full-length album in ten years, following 2016’s For All Kings, and quoted Benante earlier this month saying the new material is “too good to hold back and wait.”
Benante, who has been the drummer of Anthrax since 1983, remains one of the band’s most important figures both musically and visually. Blabbermouth noted that he joined before the recording of Fistful of Metal and has also written much of the band’s music and created many of its album covers and T-shirt designs. For a band entering a major album cycle, his sudden exit from the summer run is a significant disruption, even if it is only temporary.
For now, Anthrax will carry on with Todd behind the kit until Benante is cleared to return. The drummer says he is already focused on getting healthy, and the band’s summer tour will continue while he recovers.
