# Volume 8: The Threat Is Real Drum Setup: Charlie Benante's Anthrax Gear Breakdown (1998)

> Complete breakdown of Charlie Benante's drum setup on Anthrax's Volume 8: The Threat Is Real (1998). DW Collector's Series Maple, Phil Anselmo guest vocals, the Pantera-esque groove of "Catharsis," and the final album before Anthrax's three-year recording hiatus.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Charlie Benante](/llms/drummers/charlie-benante.md)
**Band / Album:** Anthrax — *Volume 8: The Threat Is Real* (1998)
**Genre:** Groove Metal / Nu Metal Influence

## Overview

Released July 21, 1998, Volume 8: The Threat Is Real is Anthrax's eighth studio album and the most aggressive record of the John Bush era — a groove-metal album steeped in the heavier, nu-metal-adjacent sound dominating late-90s metal. Produced by Anthrax alongside touring guitarist Paul Crook at Krusty's Fun House in Yonkers, New York, the album features Pantera's Phil Anselmo on backing vocals for "Killing Box" and Dimebag Darrell returning for guitar solos on "Inside Out" and "Born Again Idiot," his second consecutive Anthrax guest appearance after Stomp 442.

For Charlie Benante, Volume 8 is the third and final studio album of the DW Collector's Series chapter that began with Sound of White Noise (1993) and continued through Stomp 442 (1995). A second floor tom was added for extra low-end weight, and the snare reached its lowest, fattest tuning of the era — supporting "Catharsis," the album's chugging, mid-tempo groove track widely cited as its most Pantera-esque moment.

Volume 8 debuted modestly at #118 on the Billboard 200 but reached #2 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums chart. It also carries the hidden track "Pieces," written and sung by bassist Frank Bello as a tribute to his murdered brother. The album was Anthrax's last new studio release for three years, until 2003's We've Come for You All — closing out the band's mid-90s groove-metal phase. For the prior chapter, see the [Stomp 442 drum setup](/articles/stomp-442-drum-setup).

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** DW Collector's Series Maple — dual 22" x 18" bass drums, three rack toms (10", 12", 13"), two floor toms (16" and 18"), tuned for maximum low-end weight
- **Snare:** DW Edge Series, 14" x 6.5" — solid maple shell with brass edge rings, the lowest and fattest tuning of the three-album DW era
- **Cymbals:** Sabian AA/HH — 14" AA Rock Hi-Hats, 16"/18"/19" AA Rock Crashes, 21" AA Rock Ride, 18" AA Chinese
- **Hardware / Pedals:** DW 5000 Series chain-drive (two single pedals); DW 5500 Hi-Hat Stand; DW 5100 Throne
- **Sticks:** Pro-Mark Hickory 2B
- **Heads:** Remo Powerstroke 3 Clear (bass drums), Remo Emperor Coated (toms), Remo Coated Ambassador (snare batter)
- **Producer:** Anthrax and Paul Crook at Krusty's Fun House, Yonkers, NY
- **Label:** Ignition Records / Tommy Boy Records

### Closing the DW Collector's Series Chapter

Volume 8 represents Charlie Benante's heaviest, most groove-focused DW-era configuration: a second floor tom for deeper low-end tom options, bass drums tuned for maximum weight, and a snare pitched lower and fatter than on Stomp 442. Paul Crook's production — his first as co-producer rather than touring guitarist — pushed further into the compressed, modern low end the genre demanded in 1998, with the cymbal mix pulled back slightly on "Killing Box" to leave room for Phil Anselmo's guest backing vocals.

## Key Facts

- Released July 21, 1998 — most aggressive John Bush-era Anthrax album
- Phil Anselmo (Pantera) contributes backing vocals on "Killing Box"
- Dimebag Darrell returns for guitar solos on "Inside Out" and "Born Again Idiot"
- "Catharsis" is the album's most accessible, Pantera-esque groove track, co-written by Benante and Bello
- Debuted #118 US Billboard 200; #2 UK Rock & Metal Albums
- Anthrax's last new studio album before a three-year hiatus, until 2003's We've Come for You All
- Third and final album of the DW Collector's Series chapter, with an added second floor tom
- For the prior chapter, see [Stomp 442 drum setup](/articles/stomp-442-drum-setup)
- For the band's later return to a thrash-driven sound, see [Worship Music drum setup](/articles/worship-music-drum-setup)

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/volume-8-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-06-30 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*