Anthrax was one of the thrash metal icons of New York that rose from the clubs of the outer boroughs to the stages of the world. And Dan Spitz was its lead guitarist from 1983 to 1995. The band helped to forge a path for the genre of metal alongside the likes of Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. They were nominated for three Grammy Awards for Best Metal Performance and sold over 30 million albums during the years that Spitz was a member. Their cover of Joe Jackson’s “Got the Time” was one of several songs used to wake up the Curiosity rover of the Mars Science Laboratory. As Spitz proclaimed, “Thrash metal and my guitar have been heard on Mars. I’m the first intergalactic dual planet metal artist.”
He returned to the band between 2005 and 2008 for three world tours during the In 2010, Spitz cofounded a new Christian rock/metal band, Red Lamb, with Dave Mustaine of Megadeth to help spread awareness for autism after the diagnosis of his twin boys. Together, Spitz and Mustaine wrote the song “Puzzle Box” as the first official heavy metal song dedicated to the topic.
