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# Anthrax Calls on Mike Heller Hours Before San Antonio Set as Charlie Benante Sits Out
- URL: https://www.southboundsignal.com/anthrax-calls-on-mike-heller-hours-before-san-antonio-set-as-charlie-benante-sits-out/
- Published: 2026-09-30T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-30T15:30:59.000Z
- Description: The Raven drummer had only a few hours to chart the songs and get behind the kit for Anthrax's stadium set.
- Author: Southbound Signal Staff
- Tags: Texas News, News, Metal

**Anthrax** turned to San Antonio-based drummer **Mike Heller** for an emergency assist Tuesday night after longtime drummer **Charlie Benante** was unable to perform at the *Alamodome*.

**Heller**, the current drummer for **Raven** and a former member of **Fear Factory**, received the call at approximately 2 p.m. on Sept. 29 — only a few hours before **Anthrax** was scheduled to open for **Megadeth** and **Iron Maiden** on the latter's **Run for Your Lives World Tour**.

The request came through **Megadeth** drummer **Dirk Verbeuren**, who asked **Heller** if he was in town, knew any **Anthrax** songs and could cover the show. There was one significant problem: **Heller** had never learned the band's material on drums.

**Heller** quickly charted two songs before racing to the *Alamodome*, where traffic and confusion over parking further reduced his preparation time. Once inside, he met with **Scott Ian**, **Frank Bello**, **Joey Belladonna**, and **Jonathan Donais** for less than an hour as the band walked him through the remaining songs and explained how its live arrangements differed from the studio recordings.

He then stepped behind the kit and played the set in front of what he estimated was a crowd of roughly 56,000 people.

"This is a night I will never forget," **Heller** wrote after the performance, thanking **Anthrax** and their crew for trusting him with the last-minute assignment. He also credited **Verbeuren** and **Fozzy** vocalist **Chris Jericho** with vouching for him.

**Anthrax** has not disclosed why **Benante** was unable to make the San Antonio performance.

**Anthrax** is currently touring behind *Cursum Perficio*, the band's twelfth studio album and their first full-length release since 2016's *For All Kings*. The album arrived Sept. 18 through **Megaforce Records** in the United States and **Nuclear Blast** in Europe.