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  • The Metal Voice

Anthrax Producer Talks Story Behind Short Lived Second Vocalist & Making of First Two Albums

Updated: Jul 30, 2020


Jimmy Kay from Canada's The Metal Voice spoke with Drummer Carl Canedy (The Rods, Canedy Band, Producer) about his new solo album 'Warrior' which will be released August 7 2020 on Cd and Vinyl via Sleaszy Rider Records. Canedy also he gave an update on the progress on 'The Rods' new album.

Other topics included in the interview, an update on the progress on 'The Rods' new album. Canedy going down memory lane talking about The Rods opening for Ozzy Osbourne on the Blizzard of Ozz Tour and Iron Maiden on The Number of the Best tour. Plus producing historic thrash albums such as Anthrax's first 3 albums and Overkill's Feel the Fire.

Watch the complete interview here

Tell me why you decided to do a Canedy solo album

"I have been wanting to do a side project and write material with other people nearby. I got together with musicians I played with and we started to write once a week in the studio and that is what we did for a year and a half and all of a sudden one day we woke up and we had become a band and we had an album of material that we were really proud of. There was no plan so we talked about how we would release this music, so we said let's just call it Canedy, it was that simple there was no master plan."

Musical Direction of the new album Warrior?

"I am really proud of the album 'Warrior' it is traditional metal. A lot of people say it's traditional and modern at the same time. "

Tell me why you decided to bring in a new singer Michael San Ciro for The Rods, new album Shockwave

"Fans who know the band know that we have had other singers in the past. So David 'Rock' Feinstein and new singer Mike are will be working together trading vocals. Mike is also doing an incredible job on the older material by elevating it and adding things that are not there because of his vocal talent. David and I wrote a lot of material with a more developed vocal style, so we wanted a keyboard played and a vocalist just to make some changes but we wanted to stay true to The Rods sound. Even with a singer and keyboard player it will still be the Rods. We just wanted to have a little expansion."

How much of the new album has been completed and when will the new Rods album be released

"We are about four songs in. We feel a little bit of pressure cause the last album 'The Brotherhood of Metal' was really good and we want the next album to be really good as well cause anyone of these last albums could be our last album. We want to get this new album done, I am hoping by the end of the year 2020. "

What do you remember about The Rods opening up for Ozzy during the Blizzard of Ozz tour with Randy Rhoads

"We were in the dressing room and we are all excited and Randy Rhoads was down the hall. All of sudden we hear the loudest guitar playing, Randy must have had a Marshall stack, it was so frigin loud we literally could not hear ourselves talk to each other. Randy Rhoads was playing nothing you would hear on the album he was playing stuff way ahead of anything he was doing on the Ozzy's album. We were all in awe hearing all these fast module playing and he was just ripping. We were blown away as Randy Rhoads was warming up. "

What do you remember about The Rods opening for Iron Maiden on the Number of the Beast tour

"We were treated very well on that tour and Maiden Drummer Clive Burr and I became friends. Bruce (Dickinson) was just stronger and stronger every night and the band was phenomenal. The Rods were going down really well with the crowd too. We were very fortunate."

Tell me about your memories working with Ronnie James Dio with The Rod and your own material

"David Feinstein always told me Ronnie James Dio was a one take guy (singing recording) I have produced over 40 albums, I know how it works and I love working with vocalists. Ronnie nailed it everytime first take, I was blown away. I had never seen anything like that . For me the greatest voice of all time in Metal."

Thoughts on producing Exciter's 'Violence and Force'

"Those guys are the greatest guys, they were the easiest to work with and it was a great session. Dan Beehler is a great vocalist and a great drummer and he can both at the same time. "

Thoughts on producing Overkill 'Feel the Fire'

"What can you say about Bobby Blitz, he is a force to be reckoned with and what a great band."

Tell me about producing Anthrax Fistfull of Metal and onwards

"The band was great. Neil Turbin what a powerful singer. . As we went along the timeline of recording of Fistful, the time for the vocals kept getting shorter and shorter. We ended up compressing Neil's time. So the poor guy ended up singing the album in a very short period of time. I have apologized to Neil for that, I was a young producer and I was too worried about the technical side at the time. However Neil rose to the occasion and he killed it on that album. After Neil departed, Anthrax came back with a singer called Matt Fallon (Skid Row). After a week in the studio (recording Spreading the Disease). I told the guys in Anthrax, this is not the guy who is going to get you to the major record Labels. So I called Jonny Zazula and Jonny said put the band on the phone they go in the conference room, five minutes later they come out and they said Jonny wants to talk to you. I pick up the phone and Jonny said put him on the bus (Matt Fallon). Talk about a ballsy move the album is recorded and now they have no singer. Then I was able to find Joey Belladonna."

Photos by C&K IMAGERY

Canedy 'Warrior'Track list

1 Do It Now

2 Not Even Love

3 Lies

4 Hellride

5 Warrior

6 3rd Times A Charm

7 Out For Blood

8 In This Sign

9 The Prize

10 Attia

Canedy is comprised of Mike Santarsiero (lead vocals), Charlie Russello (guitars, synth), Tony Garuba (bass, vocals, cello), and Carl on drums.

Canedy’s name is long-familiar with metalheads worldwide – as he was the drummer for the Rods (and a brief early drummer of Manowar). But it is as a producer that Canedy is most known – as he oversaw the recording of classic recordings by the likes of Anthrax (‘Fistful Of Metal,’ ‘Armed and Dangerous,’ and ‘Spreading the Disease’), Overkill (‘Feel the Fire’), and Blue Cheer (‘The Beast Is Back’) in the ‘80s.

For streaming and downloads please visit : https://canedy.hearnow.com/

To pre-order CD and vinyl copies please visit : https://sleaszyrider.bandcamp.com/album/canedy-warrior-pre-order

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT:

THE RODS has unveiled its new band lineup. Joining guitarist/vocalist David "Rock" Feinstein and drummer Carl Canedy are vocalist Michael San Ciro (TOTALLY LOST CAUSE, CANEDY) and bassist Freddy Villano (QUIET RIOT, Dee Snider's WIDOWMAKER).

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