When I played drums in a heavy metal band in high school, Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante was my roll model and favorite drummer. Back in the '80s, he would have Al Jaffee faces painted on his bass drum heads.
Benante liked good comedy. When he was interviewed by Modern Drummer magazine in 1993, before Sound of White Noise came out, he took some time out to talk about what a huge fan he was of The Simpsons. It was around the fourth season of the hit TV show. My brother and I taped every episode. Benante was obsessed with the show like I was.
When I finally saw Anthrax on the Stomp 442 tour in 1996, Benante had Krusty the Clown faces painted on his bass drum heads.
It didn't surprise me that Charlie loved Mad Magazine. R.I.P. Al.
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