ANTHRAX played the second of their two shows on this year's 70,000 Tons Of Metal cruise without bassist Frank Bello, who left the ship early to attend the 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. Filling in for the January 31 concert on the pool deck stage was ARMORED SAINT's Joey Vera, who stepped into the role with the confidence and familiarity of someone who has done it before — because he has.
Vera previously toured with ANTHRAX in 2004 and early 2005, filling in during a period when Bello had taken a break from the band to explore other musical endeavors. That prior experience meant Vera was already comfortable with ANTHRAX's catalog, and fans who witnessed the performance praised his seamless integration into the group's thundering thrash attack. His thick, aggressive bass tone fit naturally alongside guitarist Scott Ian's razor-sharp rhythm playing and the dual vocal dynamic of vocalist Joey Belladonna.
The 70,000 Tons Of Metal cruise, which sailed from Miami and featured 61 bands performing over four days across multiple stages on the Independence of the Seas, has become one of the most popular destination events in the metal calendar. ANTHRAX, as one of thrash metal's "Big Four" alongside METALLICA, SLAYER, and MEGADETH, were among the marquee acts on the 2026 sailing. Their first show earlier in the cruise featured Bello on bass and reportedly delivered a blistering set that fans described as one of the highlights of the entire voyage.
Bello's reason for departing — attending the Grammy Awards — underscores the mainstream recognition that ANTHRAX have earned over their four-decade career. The band is currently working on a new album, their first since 2016's "For All Kings," which is expected to arrive in the fall. Meanwhile, Vera's ability to drop into ANTHRAX on short notice speaks to the tight-knit nature of the thrash metal community and the mutual respect between the genre's veteran musicians.