Rob Caggiano says one of the main reasons he left Anthrax was the band had never been a creative outlet for him.
He admits his heart just wasn’t in it any more – and he feels good about the decision he made, despite former bandmate Scott Ian’s belief that it was a mistake.
Caggiano announced his departure earlier this month after 12 years with the thrash giants. Now he reports he’d been increasingly unhappy in recent months.
He tells ProSound Network: “My heart simply wasn’t in it anymore. I had a blast playing with those guys, and they will always be family to me. But outside of my guitar solos and production work, Anthrax was never a creative outlet for me.
“That wasn’t by any choice of my own, by the way; it’s just the way it is. But at the same time I was committed 100percent to the band. It’s been a blast playing with those guys. I love them dearly and I wouldn’t change a thing about the last 12 years.
“I guess it just got to the point where I started asking myself: ‘What the hell am I doing? I’m a musician – this is who I am. Being creative is simply food for my soul. Why am I devoting all of my time and energy into a band where being creative is impossible for me?’
“It simply stopped making sense a while ago. I ended up feeling very unhappy and unfulfilled. I knew I needed to make a major change.”
Caggiano intend to concentrate on production work in the coming months, describing it as his “other passion,” although he vows he’ll tour again in the future. He explains: “I’m producing the new Volbeat album and I’m extremely amped up about this one. It’s the best thing that could have happened to me at the best possible time, and so far, I think it’s my best work to date.”
Asked if he’s going to miss playing in Anthrax, the guitarist admits: “I already do – but at the same time I’m very excited to see what the future has in store for me. Leaving Anthrax was an emotional decision, but it was also extremely liberating at the same time. I definitely feel like I made the right choice.”
Anthrax have hired Shadows Fall axeman Jon Donais as a stand-in after Caggiano lined him up for the role. The band recently thanked fans for inquiring about filling the position but added they wouldn’t be holding any auditions.
source: classicrockmagazine.com