Neil Turbin

Neil Turbin
Background information
Birth name Neil Turbin
Born December 24, 1963
Origin Brooklyn, New York
Genres heavy metal, thrash metal, speed metal
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1978-present
Associated acts Anthrax, DeathRiders, Turbin, Kuni, Jack Frost, The Newrace, Amra, Neil Turbin solo, Wrecking Crew, Claude Schnell Band, Kurt James Band
Website DeathRiders Official Website

Neil Turbin (born December 24, 1963) is an American thrash metal vocalist known for being the first full-time vocalist for American band Anthrax and current lead vocalist and songwriter of the heavy metal band DeathRiders.[1][2]

Career history

Anthrax

Neil Turbin with Anthrax in 1983

At the time Turbin was first contacted by Anthrax he was already in a band called "AMRA", but left after a few months, prompting him to answer Anthrax's advertisement. He attended the same high school as Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, Bayside High School in New York, and was in a class with Ian in his freshman year. Turbin occasionally sat in the rehearsal room while the band were still seeking out a permanent vocalist to write and record with on their debut album. Turbin earned the position as the first official band vocalist in August 1982. Turbin's first performance with Anthrax was at Great Gildersleeves on September 12, 1982.

He performed and recorded with the band on the original demo recordings [3] and their first studio album, Fistful of Metal. Turbin wrote the lyrics to all songs on that album (with exception of the cover of Alice Cooper's "I'm Eighteen").[2] Turbin also has writing credits on five of the seven songs on the band's Armed and Dangerous EP, as well as two songs on Spreading the Disease,[4] both of which were recorded with his replacement vocalist Joey Belladonna.

Turbin's exit from Anthrax came two weeks after the band's first North American 'Anthrax US Attack Tour 1984' ending with a show at Roseland Ballroom on August 3.[5] In 2009 the video game Brutal Legend was released featuring the Anthrax song "Metal Thrashing Mad" in its soundtrack with Turbin's vocals. Today, many of the songs Turbin wrote and recorded with the band have been re-recorded with different vocalists and appear on multiple albums and DVD's including the double platinum certified The Big 4 Live from Sofia, Bulgaria DVD, though Turbin claims he receives no royalties from any of these further recordings.[6][7]

Reflecting upon his time in Anthrax, Turbin has explained:

"Even though I have no regrets about doing Fistful Of Metal or the first tour, there was nothing pleasant in any aspect about it. Scott [Ian, rhythm guitarist] had aspirations of wanting to be the central figure in the band, being the front man, and the guy is not even a lead guitar player. And there weren’t lots of song ideas coming from him. This was my agenda: I was there to rock. I came there to kick some ass and thrash. Scott admitted to the rest of the band that [bassist] Dan Lilker had to be let go, but it was a lot easier for him to use me as a scapegoat, especially after I wasn’t there anymore. Everybody knew that Dan just wasn’t cutting it on a number of levels. He took thirty takes to play the Alice Cooper cover "I'm Eighteen" in the studio. But there was this great resentment because I was getting a lot of attention, so I was completely undermined. I was foolish because I decided to weather the storm. But the momentum that was created, the excitement level was definitely something that I contributed to, and that can never be taken away from me."[8]

DeathRiders

Neil Turbin of Deathriders

DeathRiders is named after one of Turbin's songs and was formed in 2001 to support Turbin's debut solo album "Threatcon Delta". Deathriders toured Monterrey Metalfest, Mexico in 2005. Sweden Rock 2006, Tokyo, Japan,[6] and the US in 2008, Rocktower 2009 Germany, Nightmare on St. Pauli Festival Germany 2009, Headbangers Open Air Germany 2009, Expo Rock Tijuana 2010 as well as performing eight shows at the world famous Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood in 2010. DeathRiders Stay Screamin 2011 European Tour took them to Metal Bash 2011 in Germany, Highway To Dokk'em Open Air Festival 2011 as well as other venues throughout Tilburg, Netherlands, Vienna, Austria and Berlin, Germany. DeathRiders was featured alongside Michael Angelo Batio, Faster Pussycat, Phil Lewis of LA Guns at Rainbow Bar & Grill 41st anniversary outdoor party on April 21, 2013. DeathRiders also performed at NAMM Metal Jam at Whisky a Go-Go in West Hollywood, California on January 23, 2013, which featured many well-known metal artists including current and past members of Queensryche, Dio's Disciples, Racer X and Michael Schenker Group.

NAMM Metal Jam

[9] The NAMM Convention for 2013 took place in Anaheim, California from January 24–27. NAMM Metal Jam kicked things off the night before, on January 23, 2013 at the Whiskey A-Go Go in West Hollywood, CA. The concert was organized by Turbin with DeathRiders and Shredding The Envelope’s Dave Reffett. Turbin’s band co-headlined the show along with Micheal Angelo Batio, Nitro, Holland and the Metal All-Star Jam, featuring members of: Queensryche, Rising Force, Lizzy Borden, Lynch Mob, Leatherwolf and Hurricane.

Solo work

Threatcon Delta Album Cover

In 2003 Neil Turbin released his first solo album "Threatcon Delta" on American record label "Metal Mayhem Music". The album contains fourteen songs and includes a cover of a Jimi Hendrix song as well as an AC/DC cover. Prominent guest musicians on the album include Claude Schnell, Jeff Scott Soto, and Paul Shortino.[10]

Vocal style and range

Turbin is a pioneer of the thrash metal vocal style [11] and is known for his high pitched screams in his natural voice up to C6. Turbin is the only early 'Big 4' vocalist[12] to sing in this range as demonstrated on the songs "Death From Above", "Deathrider" and "Metal Thrashing Mad" on Fistful Of Metal.

Influences

Turbin cites heavy metal and NWOBHM vocalists from bands such as Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Motörhead and Saxon as influences of his vocal style, although he was also heavily influenced by the New York punk scene of the 1970s-1980s including bands such as The Clash, The Sex Pistols and MC5. Turbin spent time at the infamous punk club CBGB's and worked at other important punk scene venues Ritz when it first opened and also Max's Kansas City, from 1979-1980. Turbin has also stated that he favors writing with a neo-classical influence.[13]

Discography

DeathRiders

Neil Turbin

Anthrax

Compilations

Video Games

Guest Appearances

References

  1. ↑ Xtreme Musician (2002-03-22). "Neil Turbin". Neil Turbin Xtreme Musician Article. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Metal Storm. Metalstorm.ee. Retrieved on 2011-08-30.
  3. ↑ "The Lowdown on Anthrax". Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  4. ↑ Neil Turbin (1984-02-06). "Metal Thrashing Mad, Armed and Dangerous, Deathrider, Gung Ho". Metal Thrashing Mad, Armed and Dangerous, Deathrider, Gung Ho. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  5. ↑ "Big Music Geek: Neil Turbin Interview:". Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Metal Rules: Neil Turbin (DeathRiders ex-Anthrax) Sets the Record Straight!". Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  7. ↑ Trunk, Eddie (30 August 2011). "Anthrax". Eddie Trunk’s Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. New York, US: Abrams. p. 240.
  8. ↑ Turman, Katherine (May 14, 2013). "5 Caught in a Mosh: Thrash Metal 1981-1991". Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal. New York, US: HarperCollins. p. 736.
  9. ↑ "NAMM Metal Jam 2013 Participants Announced". KNAC.com. 2013-01-09. Retrieved 2013-06-14.
  10. ↑ "No Life 'Til Metal- CD Gallery- Neil Turbin". Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Maximum Metal: Neil Turbin Interview". Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Classic Rock: Who Should Sing For Anthrax (No.1): The Case For Neil Turbin". Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  13. ↑ "All Access Magazine: Metal Thrashing Regards - Interview With Neil Turbin". Retrieved October 23, 2011.

External links

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