Heavy metal band Anthrax celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, and to celebrate, the band developed and released a series of video testimonials created and sent in by former band members, backstage crew members, and others who were explicitly involved in the success Anthrax has cultivated and maintained over the past forty years. All the videos in this documentary series appeared in chronological order of album release date, as each video honored a different album, starting with their debut album Fistful of Metal, an album that former bassist Dan Lilker confirms he wrote 75% of the music to, even though he was kicked out of the band only three days before his hard work was made available to the public. Lilker claims he did not stay bitter at the band for long, and in recent years, is appreciative that he was given the opportunity and the excuse to do something else and form the band Nuclear Assault.

When asked why the former bassist was kicked out of the band so close to Fistful of Metal’s initial release date, he credited his exile to “a conflict with the then-vocalist Neil Turbin,” whom Lilker still describes as egotistical, stubborn, and hardheaded to this very day (Blabbermouth). And when Turbin gave the band an ultimatum, all of the other members chose the more-popular frontman over Lilker, wholly neglecting and ignoring all the hard work the bassist put into the music that would later launch the band into its current glory. Scott Ian, the longtime guitarist of Anthrax, now reflects on his decision to remove Lilker and voices how grateful he is to everyone who worked on Fistful of Metal and helped give the band its start. In an interview, Ian told fans, “Let’s face it, Fistful of Metal gave us our career…The record was vital in launching us, and everything we’ve done, and become, since stems from that debut record…If [that album] had never heard of Anthrax.”

Dan Lilker, while his involvement in the band was short-lived, was responsible for a lot of the band’s success and might not have even existed. And for that, fans are grateful.

During a show in Brooklyn, Anthrax was joined by Public Enemy’s Chuck D for “Bring the Noise.” Check out this article for more information.

In July 2020, Dan Lilker performed a quarantined cover of Fear’s “I Don’t Care About You” with other former Anthrax members Scott Ian and Charlie Benante and with Fear vocalist Lee Ving. Check out their reunion performance here.