After more than two hours of closed-door negotiations with a judge in Manhattan federal court on 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 biting it so much."

Details of the settlement were not made public.

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 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.

Nelson and Anthrax parted ways in July 2009, despite the fact that he had recorded some vocal parts for what eventually became Worship Music. A press release issued by the Anthrax camp stated that the singer claimed illness left him unable to perform with the rest of the band at a series of festival shows across Europe and that he subsequently left the band. Nelson publicly responded that the allegations were patently untrue and that he had been unceremoniously fired from Anthrax.

Back to category overview   Back to news overview