Scott Ian names Bon Scott-era AC/DC as his favorite band
The Anthrax guitarist said Scott’s vocals helped shape the kind of singer his own band wanted.
Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian has identified AC/DC’s years with Bon Scott as his favorite period of music, describing the singer’s influence in a 10-minute video posted on the official Bon Scott YouTube channel.
Ian said Scott helped establish Anthrax’s preference for a vocalist who could sing rather than rely on screaming or growling. While he admired the Lemmy Kilmister-like voices of some other thrash metal frontmen, he said Anthrax wanted a different vocal approach.
His introduction to AC/DC came during junior high in the late 1970s, when friends shared cassettes at school. Someone brought the band’s 1978 album Powerage, and its opener, “Rock 'n' Roll Damnation,” was the first AC/DC song he heard. Scott’s voice prompted Ian to stop the tape; after school, he visited a record store to explore the band’s music.
Ian also recalled regretting that he never saw Scott perform. Unable to afford tickets for a New York show supporting Highway to Hell, he expected another opportunity. Scott died before that happened. Ian also praised AC/DC’s humor and apparent indifference to others’ opinions.
