According to Blabbermouth.net, Anthrax has settled a lawsuit brought on by singer Dan Nelson over the fallout from his departure from the veteran metal group.
After more than two hours of closed-door negotiations with a judge in Manhattan federal court on Monday (June 25), Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante, bassist Frank Bello and guitarist Scott Ian walked out smiling. Bello told the New York Post after striking a deal with Nelson, "I've got to put a Band-Aid on my tongue from b-ting it so much."
Nelson, who was in Anthrax for nearly two years - from late 2007 until July 2009 - filed a lawsuit last November claiming that Benante, Bello and Ian falsely stated in "numerous interviews" that he had "abruptly resigned" after getting sick, forcing a cancelation of a tour. The $2.65-million suit also alleged that Benante told Blabbermouth.net that Nelson "was a bully".
The Long Island native said his ex-bandmates' "intentional defamation" has caused him a loss of income and damaged his reputation.
The Manhattan federal court filing further charged that Nelson co-wrote the tunes on the band's latest album, "Worship Music", but hadn't gotten his fair share of the profits.
Before reaching the deal, Anthrax attorney Brian Caplan told the judge that Nelson had been offered a "fairly small dollar amount" and co-authorship of 11 Anthrax songs that the band recorded for "Worship Music", according to the New York Daily News.
Maybe it's because I've only ever known Belladonna's vocals when associated with this song, but Nelson just does not sound right for this kind of music. I dig Worship Music with ol' Joey behind the mic.
Would make for a much more interesting legal battle.