Just recently, Anthrax revealed to fans that they weren’t holding open auditions for Rob Caggiano’s replacement. That was a strong indicator that Anthrax likely already had a new guitarist lined up (or at least had a short list of picks). Well, now we know who indeed will be joining Anthrax on the road on a temporary basis: Shadows Fall guitarist Jon Donais.
Anthrax has confirmed that the Shadows Fall guitarist will be filling in on lead guitar on the band’s upcoming touring commitments, including the Metal Alliance Tour. Scott Ian had the following to say about their new temp:
“Jon is a bro and he’s also a total f**king ripper. I’ve worked with him twice before on side projects and he tears it up. I’m excited to have him on my right burning up the stage with Anthrax. 13’s gonna be a good year.”
Donais had the following to add:
“I grew up on Anthrax, they’re the thrash scene, they’re one of The Big Four, I’d be crazy to not want to play with them. Initially, Rob called and told me he was leaving the band, and asked if I’d be interested in filling in. Then Scott called me and everything fell into place. Rob and I are using Skype to work on solos and other guitar parts, so he’s being great. I also have to give special thanks to my band – Brian, Matt, Jason and Ed – who have been incredibly supportive and encouraged me to do this.”
It’s interesting to hear that Caggiano not only reached out to Donais about filling in, but has also been essentially helping him learn the songs. That implies that though Caggiano’s departure was pretty sudden, he did leave on good terms. It’s also worth noting that Donais is now the second Shadows Fall member to play with Anthrax as a fill-in.
