Charlie is best known as the drummer for Anthrax, but he is also a skilled engineer, producer, song-writer and artist. Mark Menghi chatted with Charlie about the new Anthrax album, recording gear and the song-writing process.

Tell us a little bit about what kind of gear you’re using on a day-to-day basis.

Basically when it comes to the writing mode—or just trying to get an idea down really quick—sometimes you don’t have the luxury of actually setting up a whole mic in a studio and everything like that. So, what I like to do is either use my H2 or H4 to get some ideas down. And basically, if it’s a drum groove, or like 95% of the time it will be a guitar riff that I have, I’ll get the H2 just going. You know, just turn it on, hit record, and then boom, let it go. If I am, let’s say away, traveling, whatever, I’ll have my H4. I was in New York a couple weeks back and I brought my H4 and I was trying to come up with the second harmony part for this one song. And what the H4 enabled me to do was put down the first harmony, and then as that’s playing I can go and put the second harmony down over it. Basically figure it out in that way. It’s a really good tool, especially doing something like that because I don’t lose anything. In the old days with the four tracks you would get this ton of tape hiss. But this is pretty much a clean signal. So, it’s an awesome reference. Another thing I’ll do is play along with the song. I’ll put like a track of the song and just play along with it.

In your experience, how does the H4 compare to other four-track recorders in terms of functionality and sound quality?

Actually functionality is a very important thing. Everything now-a-days has gotten a lot smaller than it was say 10, 15 years ago. I used to have a hotel case that was built that had an 8-track machine in there and all this gear. Basically it was ridiculous to ship that around and lug it and all this stuff. Now, here I am walking around with an H4 in my pocket. People think I’m going to use it as a tazer! But it’s very user friendly. And like I said before, the best part about it is the functionality and the user-friendly aspect of it. I mean, I could put the thing down, pop out the drive, hook it up to my computer and I’m e-mailing it to someone already. The sound quality is awesome too, especially for putting your ideas down. Hey, you never know, we may fly something in that was recorded on there. That’s how good the quality can be.

What about the H2 is most appealing to you as a musician and songwriter?

You know, a lot of times. When I’m driving, just kind of zoning out and just driving, that’s when a lot of ideas come out because you’re not really concentrating on anything. You’re mind is kind of free to explore and something may trigger an idea. And with the H2 you don’t need to set up a microphone, it’s all self contained. You just turn that on, take it out of your pocket or whatever. I leave one in my car for that basic reason that you never know when that idea is going to come. And I like to be prepared, you know.

What about as an engineer? Do you use the H2 for any pre-production?

We did use it for pre-production stuff. I would have it coming off of my drum rack on a cymbal stand. And it’s just coming right in front of the drums. It fits right on the cymbal boom. I just leave it there stationary and it picks up everything. It doesn’t get too much cymbal bleed, the bass sounds clear. It’s just a really nice blend of all the live instruments.

As a musician with plenty of expertise in recording and equipment, what does the HD16 bring to the table for you?

The basic thing that I wanted to achieve on the HD16 was almost like a sequence or like in the back of my mind I’m still trying to do my version of a Paul’s Boutique record and that would enable me to do it. Plus there’s really good drum sounds in there. You can totally enhance a beat that you have by using the sounds that are in there. It’s an awesome, awesome machine! And then of course you can record it all and then just come out of that and you can go right into your pro-tools rig as well.

What about those aspiring musicians without a lot of money to spend or a lot of recording expertise? What can they expect to get from a piece of gear like the HD16?

Well this is the thing: You don’t have to have a degree! You don’t have to be an engineer in order to work the HD16. Because the other thing I like is the MPC units, I think they’re great units and this is kind of almost on the same line as that. I just think that if it’s beat making you’re into, this is a good machine for you. Plus, there are other levels of this machine, which I haven’t even gotten to, which I’m trying to learn. It just takes a little bit of time to take it all in.

What are the advantages of using Samson’s StudioDock monitors as an engineer?

Well the cool thing about that is that you can go right out of your computer and onto the speakers with the USB connection. And I like the freedom of having different speakers to listen to. Because you can listen to some real big speakers to get a certain level of how the bass is pumping and how much its moving, then you could put it down to the StudioDock monitors and it’s more of a compressed sound and it has a lot of punch to it.

How do the StudioDock monitors compare in terms of sound to some of the other more conventional studio monitors out there?

I think that more studio monitors have that flat sound to them. I think that the StudioDock’s have a little bit more low end to them. So that’s why I’m saying I A/B them to other speakers. But I think they rock because you can take them with you. I can take them on tour with me and put them in my hotel room. I can put them in the dressing room and those things just rock! You can get a really nice volume. It just kicks butt! I was so happy when I got them!

I know Anthrax is recording the new album… what Samson, Zoom and/or other manufactures’ gear has been really useful to you as a drummer/guitar player and Anthrax as a whole?

Actually we have been working on this record for quite a while now. We didn’t want to put any pressure on ourselves to have it finished at any specific time. We just wanted it to be a natural kind of progression and just kind of organic. Like with our previous records, sometimes we are under the gun because it had to meet a certain date or we had a tour booked so we had to finish recording and sometimes it left me feeling like it wasn’t quite finished yet. So this time I experimented with different things. Some Samson mics, some Shure mics, some outboard gear, some plug-ins. Just tried to learn as much as I could about sound again. Because every time I go into making a record I get more involved in it. Then once I’m finished with the record, I try to concentrate on the more live aspect of the game, if you know what I mean. But on this record, there will be so many different sounds coming on. We have a cellist that will be on the record. We are real excited about that. I’ve been looking for a cello player for a while to fit with one of the songs that’s on the record. It has a real epic type of vibe to it and I just kept hearing this piece that had a cello in it. It’s kind of like an Italian, heavy, heavy, heavy, rock cello part. I don’t know why I keep saying Italian, it just kind of has that vibe to it like some sort of Roman Empire type of vibe. So I’m looking forward to working with Allison in the studio.

Being a metal pioneer, and a very influential drummer… most people do not know you’re an accomplished guitarist and write and record a lot of the guitar parts. What is your song writing process and what kind of gear helps you through that?

Someone once said this, and I don’t know who said this but, “Every guitar has a great song in it.” I’ve been privileged to be playing…I have a whole huge collection of guitars that I have but, when I’m writing an Anthrax song, or whatever, there’s always this guitar that I go back to. It’s my old, 1980 Charvel Star Body. This is my brother, you know. It’s just like my best friend. When I play that guitar, stuff just happens! It just gives me this feeling that there are thousands of songs in this guitar. So I go back to it all the time.

Any other gear that helps you through the writing process?

Like I said, we have been working with the HD16 and we’ve been working with the MPC2500 as well. You know, some people used to say that drum machines are terrible for drummers but I always felt the opposite. I always felt that I could learn something from a drum machine. Because, the biggest thing is that you’re the one programming the thing, it’s not programming you. You’re putting in the way of the beat. Whether it be on the 2, you know, it’s just how you go about it and that’s it! The groove that you want, or the vibe that you want to create, because to me, beats are just awesome. On my iPod, I must have a collection of like old, old acid jazz or funk with just like these drum breaks that happen and I could listen to that forever! Just driving and just listening to songs like that. So I’m just so into that type of stuff.

Is there any recording gear that you can see bringing on the road with you?

I’m going to try and bring it all out, to be honest with you! You know, once the record is done then we can start thinking about the future. And I’m going to bring as much as I possibly can out with me. The H2 and H4 will definitely be in my bag – lightweight and functional. I’ll take it where I have to go, and it’ll take me where I have to go too! We’ll definitely be recording shows with those things too. But we are looking to go into the studio November 3rd and work all the way up until probably like Christmas. Then continue after the holidays and we’re looking to have a May release. So it looks to be that type of thing.

Do you have any other projects going on?

I’m working on some other stuff. Producing this band from Chicago called Heavy The Fall, they’re awesome! I’m working on some side stuff and this is just all things I want to see come to fruition at some point.

What can Anthrax fans expect on the new album?

Well this is going to be the first album with our new singer, so this is kind of like our third chapter in the game. I think it’s a much more mature record. But, there are elements of the old too, so I don’t know if you want to say that it is a throwback to some of the older stuff, because it kind of is. It has that thrash vibe to it, and then there are some songs that are totally like a continuation of our last record. The title that I had for the record is called “Worship Music” because basically this type of genre, Hard Rock/Metal, whatever it is, the fans are the most loyal. They will follow you through thick and thin and it’s almost like a religion. So that’s where I kind of got the idea for the “Worship Music” because most of these people live by it, and they worship it. And not to say that it’s any sort of a cult or anything! Because I’m the same way with it. Look, I will buy the Led Zeppelin box set that just came out and then I will buy the vinyl too because I have to have the vinyl! So, I worship all things like that. I’m still that fan. When it comes to music, I’m still that twelve-year-old kid in the Bronx!