Back in the day, thrash shorts-wearers Anthrax were all about spreading the disease, as indicated by the title of their 1985 album. But now, in the face of COVID-19, the band have reversed their disease-spreading stance, by announcing the release of their own ‘Stop Spreading The Disease’ hand sanitizer.
Drummer Charlie Benante announced the new product on Instagram, posting an image of himself holding a bottle — whose label features the classic cover of Spreading the Disease, with a restrained metalhead screaming as shadowy G-men inject him with some sort of horrible substance, ostensibly the disease — and writing, “Stop spreading the disease #handsanitizer coming soon.”
It was only a matter of time.
Benante certainly hasn’t been wasting time during quarantine. The drummer has performed on a number of bedroom cover songs and reunion tracks, including a cover of Rush’s “YYZ” with members of Testament and Suicidal Tendencies, a performance of “March of the S.O.D.” with other members of Anthrax’s crossover thrash project Stormtroopers of Death, a Discharge cover with S.O.D. alongside Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe, and even a reunited jam with former Anthrax vocalist John Bush on a performance of the track “Packaged Rebellion” off of the band’s 1993 album Sound of White Noise.
Keep an eye out for Anthrax’s ‘Stop Spreading the Disease’ hand sanitizer wherever your metal T-shirts are sold.
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Words by Chris Krovatin
