Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante is back with another cover, teaming up with the band’s bassist Frank Bello and Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda for a cover of U2’s “City of Blinding Lights.” This song originally appeared on the group’s 2004 record How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.
Benante takes up multiple roles for this cover, drumming, playing guitar and keys for this track. Osegueda gives a faithful vocal interpretation of the track, backed by melodic guitar flourishes that explode into an infectious chorus after gradual melodic build ups throughout the verses.
“I still can’t believe how many amazing songs are on that Album, it’s flawless,” Benante wrote. “You would think if I was going to do a U2 song it would be something from Joshua tree or older but NO! One of my favorite songs is ‘city of blinding lights,’ another one of their songs that makes me emotional when I hear it. I asked 2 other die hard U2 Fans to be a part because I knew they would ‘NAIL’ it.”
Benante has hosted a variety of covers, taking on Kiss’ “C’mon and Love Me” Tom Petty’s “Yer So Bad” and Massive Attack’s “Tear Drop” alongside his significant other and Butcher Babies frontwoman Carla Harvey and Suicidal Tendencies’ bassist Ra Diaz. Diaz and Benante also teamed up with guitarist Alex Skolnick of Testament to cover Rush’s “Red Barchetta,” “Freewill,” “YYZ” and “La Villa Strangiato.”
He also teamed up with his Stormtrooper of Death bandmates Scott Ian, who serves alongside Benante in Anthrax and Nuclear Assault bassist Dan Lilker several times this year. The trio covered Stormtroopers of Death’s “Speak English or Die,” (reworked as “Speak Spanish or Die”) “Chromatic Death” and the introduction of “March of the S.O.D.” They also covered Fear’s “I Don’t Care About You” alongside Fear frontman Lee Ving.
Photo Credit: Marv Watson
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