Caggiano joins Volbeat

I’m the man: Caggiano, right, with Volbeat

Former Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano has joined Volbeat just weeks after announcing his departure from the thrash giants.

He surprised fans by announcing his heart wasn’t in Anthrax, and saying he wanted to concentrate on producing before returning to the stage.

His first desk job was Volbeat’s upcoming album – and that’s led to a full-time role with the band.

Caggiano says: “I’m completely blown away by the turn of events over the last few weeks here in Denmark.

“I came about a month ago to produce the Volbeat record, which has been an incredibly exciting adventure from a producer’s perspective.

“Michael Poulsen asked me on the phone before I got here if I would play some guest solos, and of course I was thrilled. When I started going through the material it turned out to be much more than that – after weeks of collaboration it became quite clear that we had an amazing creative chemistry and a huge musical respect for one another.

“When the guys asked me if I was interested in joining Volbeat my jaw just about hit the floor. It didn’t take me long to decide. It really isn’t the way I envisioned the rest of my year to play out – but this feels more right to me than anything I could have possibly imagined.”

Caggiano describes the vibe in the band as “just awesome” and adds: “An artistic relationship like this is very rare, and it’s something I don’t take for granted.”

Singer and guitarist Poulsen says: “The band is very proud and happy. The collaboration with Rob in the studio was so inspiring that we decided to keep him. Basically we went into the studio as a three-piece and came out as a whole band.”

Volbeat’s fifth album, Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies, is due out later this year.