Thrash Legends Name-Checked in New Stephen King Book (Again!)

Thrash legends Anthrax were name-checked in a new Stephen King book, and it’s not the first time the iconic author has referenced them in his works.

According to a social media post by Scott Ian, Anthrax are mentioned in a new collection of short stories the author released in May under the title You Like It Darker. The story that contains the band reference is titled “Finn.”

“Stephen King name checks us again in his new collection of stories You Like It Darker!!! I was reading on the flight home from Europe yesterday,” Ian wrote in the post.

“In the fifth story in the book, a rather brutal tale called ‘Finn,’ Steve uses our song ‘Madhouse’ as a torture device. Perfect! I apologize if the sound of my head exploding when I saw Anthrax mentioned woke anyone up on the plane. If you haven’t read You Like It Darker I recommend you do. It’s a vicious summer read!”

The rocker’s post features a photo of the excerpt that mentions Anthrax, which you can see below.

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As noted by Blabbermouth, Anthrax were also referenced in his 1991 book The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands, and their cover of “Antisocial” by Trust was also featured in the film adaptation of the book It. 

Anthrax Have Also Referenced Stephen King

Anthrax are big fans of King’s work, and there are plenty of references to his stories in their music — particularly their 1987 album Among the Living. The title track is based on the 1978 novel The Stand, and “A Skeleton in the Closet” draws from the novella “Apt Pupil” from Different Seasons.

Ian was even asked to write a foreword on a later edition of The Stand because of how much of an influence it had on the album. The rocker has his own collection of King’s works.

“I saw the movie Carrie when it came out and went right out and bought the book. I loved it. I went back to the bookstore and asked, ‘What else do you have by Stephen King?’ They were like, ‘Nothing. You have to wait for the next book to come out’,” he once told Metal Hammer.

“I’ve never met Malcolm or Angus Young, but meeting Stephen King would be even bigger for me. Other than breathing and listening to music, reading Stephen King books is the one constant activity in my life. It pre-dates Anthrax.”