Video footage of ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante laying down a cover version of the BLACK SABBATH classic “Neon Knights” for inclusion on the upcoming Ronnie James Dio tribute album can be seen below. The collection, which is being assembled by the singer’s widow and longtime manager Wendy Dio, will also tentatively include contributions from METALLICA, JUDAS PRIEST‘s Rob Halford, MOTÖRHEAD‘s Lemmy Kilmister, DEEP PURPLE‘s Ian Gillan, Alice Cooper, Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH), Sebastian Bach (SKID ROW), Chris Jericho (FOZZY) and Dave Grohl (NIRVANA, FOO FIGHTERS).

“I’m letting them pick what songs they wanna do in the way they wanna do it,” Wendy told Artisan News at last December’s Dimebash event in Hollywood, California.

Tentatively due next year, the Dio tribute album will see Grohl covering BLACK SABBATH‘s “The Mob Rules” and Halford contributing a version of RAINBOW‘s “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll”.

In a recent interview with Guitar International, ANTHRAX guitarist Rob Caggiano stated that his band’s cover version of “Neon Nights” “came out pretty smoking.”

Ronnie James Dio, best known for his work with BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW and his own band DIO, died of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.

Video footage of ANTHRAX performing “Neon Knights” on June 15 at the Copenhell festival in Copenhagen, Denmark can be seen below.

Last month, it was reported that ANTHRAX was recording several cover songs, to be issued in September to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the release of the band’s latest album, “Worship Music”. While the band does have plans to release an EP of covers that they’ve done, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian made it clear to VH1 Radio Network‘s Dave Basner that they are “not working on a covers album.” He said, “It’s not at all what we’re doing. [laughs] We just always record cover songs. They just happen when we’re in the studio or when we’re touring, we get bored of jamming on our own songs at soundcheck, so you end up jamming on cover songs and eventually we’ll end up recording them and eventually, somehow, they end up getting released in some way, shape or form as B-sides, but we’re definitely not working on a covers album.”

Regarding ANTHRAX‘s plans to write and record new music, Ian told VH1 Radio Network, “We do already have two or three things kind of in the works as far as new music goes, so it’s just a case of if you can get into that mode to start working on them. I can’t even explain why or how it happens, but sometimes you’ll just get into a mode and you’re able to create and you’re able to work on stuff and move stuff forward, new stuff, but sometimes you just can’t. Sometimes you’re on tour and there’s just no spark, it’s just not there, it’s just all about what you’re doing in the moment, playing those shows.”

ANTHRAX has reportedly started recording the following cover songs for possible release:

* AC/DC – “T.N.T.”
* BOSTON – “Smokin'”
* JOURNEY – “Keep On Runnin'”
* RUSH – “Anthem”

Laying down drum tracks to “Neon Knights”:

“Neon Knights” performed live at Copenhell festival in Copenhagen, Denmark on June 15:

Source: Blabbermouth.net