Dan Spitz | Anthrax | Red Lamb | and the Axe Fx

S

Spitz

Member
So it's been a really long ride to get here (launching my new band Red Lamb), but I wanted to chime in here to give everyone who is a believer in what the Axe Fx is a killer story.

I started the Axe Fx ride just as the Ultra was coming out and received two units from Cliff, along with some well needed added help from Matt later on (he's the man). The moment I had the Axe jammed into Ableton Live (I use this program to write for its intuitive block looping nature) I stopped playing, looked down at this black box and had a small out of body experience. It was finally here. It FELT like an amp in my fingers. I never looked back after that. Thank you transformer tweaking !

I spent a good part of 6 months of my life every day programming and cloning my amps and creating new uncharted tones (for me that is). I then used those programs to record Red Lamb. So I've been a bit quiet regarding the Axe Fx and it's use because I was waiting for this certain moment in time to express.

Now that my music is live I wanted to finally come out and say that it would not have been possible to be what it is without the Axe Fx.
So please have a listen to the new Red Lamb cd and watch the video I just launched to listen to what an Axe Fx can do in my genre.

There is NO turning back now. It's kind of archaic to even think about it.


Video:
"The Cage"
by Red Lamb
Co-Produced by Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) and Dan Spitz (Anthrax)
All lyrics by Dave Mustaine and Dan Spitz
All music by Dan Spitz
Mixed by Johnny K
RED LAMB "THE CAGE" - YouTube


Tellin' you all the Zomby Troof,
Spitz
 
Great stuff Dan!
thumbsup.gif


Any chance of you sharing a few of your patched creations..?
thinking.gif
 
Spitz said:
Now that my music is live I wanted to finally come out and say that it would not have been possible to be what it is without the Axe Fx.
So please have a listen to the new Red Lamb cd and watch the video I just launched to listen to what an Axe Fx can do in my genre.

There is NO turning back now. It's kind of archaic to even think about it.
Click to expand...


I'm just digging into my Axe now but I understand what you're saying here. Changed the way I look at producing guitar tracks.

Great track and video!


jakel said:
Awesome!
Click to expand...

^ This..!

Cover'd said:
Great stuff Dan!
thumbsup.gif

Any chance of you sharing a few of your patched creations..?
thinking.gif
Click to expand...

^ And this...

xrist04 said:
Wow! Digging the vid for The Cage. Great playing, great tones!
Click to expand...

^ and this too.

Funeral said:
Great stuff Dan. Thanks for sharing.
Click to expand...

+1 thanks for sharing!
 
Hell yeah!

I was looking for something in the video and then I heard it at 2:00....

I can definitely hear both of your influences in this; the melody of the vocals really sounds like something that Dave would write in certain places. The guitar work is pure Spitz. Sounds killer.
 
Man... I listened to you guys (Anthrax) back in the 80's a fair amount and the coolest tune I thought you guys did was the Joe Jackson song, "Got the Time". I had that tune recorded solid on both sides of a cassette tape, put it on continuous play and that was my video game music. It makes you wanna drive fast. Thanks for chiming in Dan and will definitely check out the new band. Drop back in here from time to time.

Peace,
 
Dan, are you using the Axe-Fx II now or still using the ultra?

Kick ass song by the way!
 
Thanks everybody for the kind words. On the RL cd it was two Ultra's. I'm awaiting a few Axe 2's from Matt and Cliff for racking up and the touring cycles ahead (that hopefully won't stop). On the Anthrax reunion tours I was using my usual giant rigs, but going into iso cabs and in ears anyway with no live cabs so using the Axe Fx 2's live will be no different to me except it gives me the ability to have many amplifiers at my disposal and Obviously... better tones.

I might be playing Anthrax songs live so I can simply dial in my older tones (different amps) and then rip right over to the new tones for RL. I find that convenience simply groundbreaking for my needs. I have to cover a lot of ground.

In addition, Red Lamb is a new band just starting out so I must think about traveling to all ends of the world with rig 2 and rig 3 (fly rigs). I stole Dweezil's SKB shock rack ideas way back, but I've found a better model they sell that is 8 pounds less (his racks empty are 48 pounds leaving my 70 pound maximum Heathrow airport limit questionable). I'll post pics as I rack up for 'ya. I also have a sick new main rack.

As weird as this sounds it's just so hard to strip it down to what you REALLY need once you are fully in an Axe Fx. The old school mind set keeps making you buy extra stuff and then after a while you end going "Uh... don't need that one either" back in the big box it goes in storage. This is the hardest part of Axe ownership. Knowing all you really need is one black box. Its crazy. It's the new way and really is a revolution we are living in as guitarists. If you want to laugh I'm down to surfing the net for the coolest rack LIGHT !@ Arggg.. and now I'm going .. do I really need a light ? LOL... It weighs 1.2 pounds.

I can tell you that it has cured my severe O.C.D. a lot (regarding gear acquisition that is, only). I can get anything I need in the Axe.

Now Send me my Axe 2's or I'll...... :)
 
Dan we can tell to everybody the watches can wait because Dan Spitz comeback to rock the world????
 
The both of us have certain ideas of how what runs through OUR blood and D.N.A. should transmit to the human soul as a listener. I think you just received the milkshake the two of us just made (Red Lamb), Sasha. Pretty cool huh. It was an incredible experience for me to work with Dave. He is a genius of musical composition. I learned so much from Dave. He is simply a blessing not only to me and my family, but for all of us who enjoy metal.

We are both creators of guitar riffs that transcend time and break new ground. I hope my return kind of stamps this into the new generation of players mindset and reflects upon the importance of songwriting. I don't know if the newer generation of fans of my genre know what Anthrax was and WHO it was at onset, who created not only the music, but the search for the guitar tones that did not exist yet. I couldn't find an amp that had the low end I heard in my head back then, the clarity in my head, the distinction of space between fast picked notes, and the punch in the face. You weren't going to get that in a Plexi. I worked with Marshall and Boogie with soldering guns to invent what was not. I'm the gear nerd and I also built all my past guitar rigs. Every cord and every program.

Now we all have the Axe Fx and find all we need to create new and unchartered territories by simply turning some dials. Sometimes I can't sleep thinking about the suffering I went through in the old days.

I also turned Dave onto the Axe Fx and programmed his units at Vic's Garage (his studio). That was also a lot of fun in the studio.
 
Great stuff Dan. The Megadeth and Anthrax influence is evident yet it still sounds very fresh and modern.

I like the crispness and clarity of your rhythm tones. A lot of modern metal is way too saturated and loses the "bite" on the rhythm guitar. I feel like the gain level you chose allows the transient of the string attack to come through very clearly.
 
awesome, Dan you were missed by me in subsequent anthrax, no or horrible leads! I will always remember your fast runs on the jackson v. I saw you at a tiny place called the River Theater in Guerneville California in the early 80s (outside santa rosa). Cant wait for your presets wink wink
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom