Biography
Joey Belladonna gained his greatest recognition fronting the New York City thrash metal outfit Anthrax throughout their commercial peak from the mid-1980s into the early 1990s, yet the vocalist has also released multiple solo projects since parting ways with the band. Born Joseph Bellardini and raised in upstate New York, he previously led various mainstream rock cover acts, one of them called Bible Black, and drew frequent vocal comparisons to Journey's Steve Perry. Anthrax reached out to him in 1984 after losing their singer and brought him aboard shortly afterward, even though his melodic approach would sometimes clash with the expectations of the group's hardcore following and, later, with his fellow members. Under his guidance the band delivered landmark thrash releases such as 1985's Spreading the Disease and 1987's Among the Living, which lifted them out of the underground and into broader visibility.
Further gold-certified efforts, including the 1987 I'm the Man EP, 1988's State of Euphoria, 1990's Persistence of Time, and 1991's Attack of the Killer B's, cemented Anthrax among metal's leading acts, but internal tensions culminated in Belladonna's dismissal in 1992. He promptly launched the solo endeavor Belladonna, which has produced two albums to date: the self-titled 1995 debut and 1998's Spells of Fear. In 1999 he rejoined his former Anthrax colleagues to record a cover of "Ball of Confusion" for the compilation Return of the Killer A's and agreed to share vocal duties with replacement singer John Bush on the ensuing tour, though those plans were abandoned at the eleventh hour and he resumed work with his own group. Belladonna appeared in a 2002 installment of VH1's Behind the Music that chronicled Anthrax's turbulent history.
Further gold-certified efforts, including the 1987 I'm the Man EP, 1988's State of Euphoria, 1990's Persistence of Time, and 1991's Attack of the Killer B's, cemented Anthrax among metal's leading acts, but internal tensions culminated in Belladonna's dismissal in 1992. He promptly launched the solo endeavor Belladonna, which has produced two albums to date: the self-titled 1995 debut and 1998's Spells of Fear. In 1999 he rejoined his former Anthrax colleagues to record a cover of "Ball of Confusion" for the compilation Return of the Killer A's and agreed to share vocal duties with replacement singer John Bush on the ensuing tour, though those plans were abandoned at the eleventh hour and he resumed work with his own group. Belladonna appeared in a 2002 installment of VH1's Behind the Music that chronicled Anthrax's turbulent history.
Albums
