Anthrax’s Frank Bello On His New Book, Gene Simmons Writing The Book’s Foreword, Future Plans, Public Enemy, New York & More

Fathers, Brothers & Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment & Anthrax is new book by Frank Bello, as coauthored with Joel McIver. Bello, bassist with the legendary New York thrash metal band Anthrax since 1984 — one of the “big four” of thrash metal — has sold over 10 million albums. His long-awaited memoir would be a gripping read even if its pages only contained stories about his life as a recording and touring musician. While those stories are indeed included, Bello also focuses on deeper subjects in Fathers, Brothers & Sons. And that is in addition to the book including a foreword by Gene Simmons.

Born into a family of five, Frank Bello grew up in difficult circumstances. His father abandoned his wife and children, and Bello’s mother moved heaven and earth to keep them fed and educated. Left with no male role model, Frank found inspiration in heavy metal bass players, following their example and forging a career with Anthrax from his early teens, first as a roadie, and then as the group’s bass player. International stardom came Frank’s way by the mid-to-late 1980s, when he was still in his early 20s, but tragedy struck in 1996 when his brother Anthony was murdered in New York. Although the case went to trial, the suspected killer of Anthony Bello was released without charge after a witness — as presumably intimidated by violent elements — withdrew his testimony. 2 decades later, Bello is a father himself to a young son, and Fathers, Brothers, and Sons chronicles that journey as well.

On October 26, 2021, I had the pleasure of speaking with Frank Bello via Zoom, as embedded below. Beyond Fathers, Brothers & Sons, we spoke about the future of Anthrax, his New York roots, the influence of KISS on him personally and professionally, and his also finding success as an actor. More on Bello and his new book via Rare Bird Lit can be found by clicking here, here, here and here.

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Tags: Anthrax, Frank Bello, Frankie Bello, Gene Simmons, Helmet, KISS, Public Enemy, Rare Bird Lit

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."