Anthrax’s Scott Ian is certainly one of metallic’s most influential rhythm guitarists — a real commander of the almighty riff — and through a joint look with Corey Taylor on The Eddie Trunk Podcast, he revealed why lead guitar was by no means very interesting to him.

Scott Ian on Taking part in Lead Guitar

Trunk talks about Taylor’s newest CMF2 single “Submit Traumatic Blues” and the way a lot he enjoys the dueling guitar solos. He then turns to Ian and asks if he ever has a need to commerce off lead guitar components along with his Anthrax bandmate Jonathan Donais.

“Yeah, nevertheless it must be extra within the context of the exhausting rock world. I can deal with Ace Frehley stage licks,” he says (transcribed by Loudwire), including, “When you get into the metallic or shredding kind of [stuff], it is simply not my forte.”

Ian’s 12-year-old son Revel, who additionally partakes within the podcast, notes his dad can play Angus Younger’s AC/DC leads.

“If I put my thoughts to it, I might play lead guitar in a tough rock [band],” Ian reiterates, and Taylor interjects, “The stuff we have completed on the aspect as properly, you have dealt with loads if that shit. It is actually good.”

Even so, lead guitar is just not an space of focus as he approaches his sixtieth birthday on the finish of the 12 months.

“It will additionally imply I would need to put in loads of work and who’s bought the time? I am not going to, at 60, determine, ‘I am the lead guitar participant now!’ ‘What’s your aim at 60?’ ‘I’ll be the following Nuno [Bettencourt],'” he sarcastically jokes.

Scott Ian, Corey Taylor, Dave Grohl, Rex Brown, Charlie Benante + Extra Cowl KISS, “Love Gun” at 2019 Dimebash

Scott Ian on Why He Turned a Rhythm Guitarist

Trunk presses Ian about the place the inspiration to be a rhythm guitarist got here from, citing Ian’s recognized guitar hero, AC/DC’s Malcolm Younger.

The Anthrax axeman confirms that Malcolm and Tony Iommi are the 2 that made him need to give attention to rhythm, in addition to the restrictions of expertise on the time as he was leaning songs in his room.

“Despite the fact that Tony was the one man in Black Sabbath taking part in guitar — he was doing each [lead and rhythm guitar]… Only for me, the riffs and his left hand… simply the best way he picked and the best way he performed riffs. As a child, sitting in my room studying the way to play guitar and studying songs with a turntable slowed right down to 16 [RPM] to learn to play components, it was simply simpler to study an entire album’s value of chords,” he elaborates.

“To attempt to study a solo would take days the place as I might have all these chords completed and go, ‘Look, I can play all these songs. For me, it was a case of I would moderately study the songs and study the chords than spend all that point woodshedding and studying the way to play the lead breaks. A few of my mates have been doing that too. I used to be like, ‘You play the leads, I will play the chords.'”

Anthrax, “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” (Black Sabbath cowl)

READ MORE: Anthrax’s Scott Ian Names the Most Underrated Rhythm Guitarist in Steel

Did Scott Ian Take Guitar Classes?

“I had classes for the primary few months, simply lengthy sufficient so my guitar instructor can inform my dad and mom, ‘He is taking it critically. You may get him an electrical guitar. It isn’t going to take a seat within the nook and gather mud.’ I had some crappy acoustic [guitar]. As quickly as I bought a Telecaster Deluxe and as quickly as I bought that I mentioned, ‘I do not need to take classes anymore. I need to study alone, I do not want this man.’ And that was it.”

Scott Ian Performs His Favourite Riffs

Take heed to the complete interview beneath.

Scott Ian + Corey Taylor on The Eddie Trunk Podcast