Anthrax's Bassist Frank Bello Misses the 70000 Tons of Metal Cruise
On February 1, 2026, Anthrax played the second of two shows on the 70000 Tons of Metal cruise without their bassist, Frank Bello. Bello had to leave early to attend the 2026 Grammy Awards, where he was nominated for Best Rock Performance alongside Yungblud for their live cover of Black Sabbath's 'Changes'. The performance, recorded at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK, was a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, who was performing his final concert, 'Back to the Beginning'.
Yungblud's rendition of 'Changes' was a heartfelt tribute, backed by an all-star lineup including Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme on guitar, II of Sleep Token on drums, and Adam Wakeman, who has played keys for both Ozzy and Black Sabbath. Frank Bello played his first show with Anthrax in over a year and a half on October 12, 2024, at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California.
Before that, Bello and Anthrax were set to perform at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky, on September 27, 2024, but severe weather caused the show to be canceled. Prior to the Aftershock festival, Bello last played with Anthrax in May 2023 at the Milwaukee Metal Fest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In April and early May 2024, Bello missed Anthrax's South American tour and two U.S. festival dates due to personal reasons. Anthrax founding member and original bassist Dan Lilker filled in for him, marking his first appearance with the band in 40 years. Lilker, who co-wrote and played on Anthrax's debut album, 'Fistful of Metal', was also a member of Stormtroopers of Death with Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and guitarist Scott Ian.
Bello has also played bass for Norwegian black metal veterans Satyricon during their summer 2024 European festival appearances, including Hellfest in France and Tons of Rock in Norway. He released a memoir, 'Fathers, Brothers, and Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment, and Anthrax', in October 2021, with a foreword by KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons.
