Daniel Adam Lilker (born October 18, 1964) is an American musician best known as a bass player, but also guitarist, pianist, drummer, and vocalist. He has played bass in numerous heavy metal bands, including Anthrax, Nuclear Assault, S.O.D. and Holy Moses, and grindcore bands Brutal Truth and Exit-13.

Dan Lilker
Lilker in 2015
Lilker in 2015
Background information
Birth nameDaniel Adam Lilker[1]
Born (1964-10-18) October 18, 1964 (age 60)
New York City, U.S.
Genres
OccupationsMusician
InstrumentsBass guitar, guitar, drums, piano, vocals
Years active1981–present
Member of
Formerly of

Biography

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Lilker was the bassist for the thrash metal band Nuclear Assault and was a founding member of Anthrax with Scott Ian. Lilker was then playing rhythm guitar and recorded bass guitar and co-wrote on their first album, Fistful of Metal (1984). Not long after the release of that album, he was dismissed from Anthrax and replaced on bass by one of the band's roadies Frank Bello. Despite this, Lilker has remained close to the band, receiving a co-writing credit for at least one song on their next two albums, Spreading the Disease (1985) and Among the Living (1987), and he was offered to fill in for Bello on their spring 2024 tour dates.[2][3]

In addition to Anthrax and Nuclear Assault, Lilker has played bass in grindcore band Brutal Truth and crossover band Stormtroopers of Death with Scott Ian and Charlie Benante (from Anthrax), and Billy Milano (Anthrax roadie, M.O.D. singer). He has also played bass with Exit-13, Malformed Earthborn,[4] The Ravenous, Overlord Exterminator,[5] Venomous Concept, Crucifist,[6] Nokturnal Hellstorm,[7] Nunfuckritual[8] and Extra Hot Sauce.[9]

During his tenure with Anthrax, Lilker played bass by fingerpicking, but since forming Nuclear Assault, he has mostly been using a pick.

Lilker played on Holy Moses' 1994 No Matter What's the Cause.[10] He is known for his fast, guitar-like riffing through heavy distortion. Lilker has been a columnist with Zero Tolerance Magazine since the publication's inception in 2005. In 2009, it was reported that Chicago journalist Dave Hofer was writing a biography of Lilker.[11]

Lilker formed United Forces with Stormtroopers of Death bandmate Billy Milano as their singer in 2012.[12]

In January 2014, Lilker announced his plans to retire from being a full-time recording and touring musician.[13] He also announced that Brutal Truth would break up on his 50th birthday.[14] However, Lilker remained a member of Nuclear Assault, who released new material in 2015 for the EP Pounder, and had continued performing live sporadically until their breakup in 2022.[15][16][17][18]

Discography

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Lilker in 2007

Extra Hot Sauce

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Date of release Title Label
1989 Taco of Death Peaceville Records

Nuclear Assault

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Date of release Title Label US sales
1986 Brain Death (EP) Combat Records / Under One Flag 5,000
March 10, 1986 Game Over Combat Records / Under One Flag 90,000
1987 The Plague (EP) Combat Records / Under One Flag 80,000
1988 Fight to Be Free (EP) Relativity / Under One Flag 15,000
1988 Good Times, Bad Times (EP) Under One Flag 10,000
June 13, 1988 Survive Combat Records / Under One Flag 100,000
November 23, 1989 Handle with Care Relativity / Under One Flag 500,000
1989 Handle with Care European Tour '89 100,000
September 10, 1991 Out of Order Relativity / Under One Flag 40,000
1991 Radiation Sickness 50,000
May 19, 1992 Live at the Hammersmith Odeon Relativity Records / Roadrunner 150,000
July 1, 2003 Alive Again Screaming Ferret / Steamhammer 45,000
August 29, 2005 Third World Genocide Screaming Ferret Wreckords 50,000
2015 Pounder (EP) Sidipus, Dry Heave

Brutal Truth

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Date of release Title Label US sales
October 6, 1992 Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses Earache Records 40,000
October 25, 1994 Need to Control Earache Records 30,000
October 1, 1996 Kill Trend Suicide (EP) Relapse Records 20,000
September 23, 1997 Sounds of the Animal Kingdom Relapse Records 40,000
2000 For Drug Crazed Grindfreaks Only! Solardisk 5,000
April 20, 2009 Evolution Through Revolution Relapse Records 20,000
September 27, 2011 End Time Relapse Records

Anthrax

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Date of release Title Label US sales
January 1984 Fistful of Metal Megaforce Records 150,000
1992 Armed and Dangerous (reissue) Megaforce Records

Stormtroopers of Death

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Date of release Title Label US sales
December 1985 Speak English or Die Megaforce Records 100,000
1992 Live at Budokan Megaforce Records 100,000
May 18, 1999 Bigger than the Devil Nuclear Blast Records 50,000
1999 Seasoning the Obese: 7" split with Yellow Machinegun Rotten Orange/Howling Bull 75,000
August 21, 2007 Rise of the Infidels Megaforce Records 20,000

The Ravenous

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Date of release Title Label US sales
August 29, 2000 Assembled in Blasphemy Hammerheart 50,000
2002 Three on a Meathook (EP) Red Stream 10,000
February 24, 2004 Blood Delirium Red Stream 10,000

Venomous Concept

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Date of release Title Label
2008 Poisoned Apple Century Media

Holy Moses

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Date of release Title Label
1994 No Matter What's the Cause SPV/Steamhammer

References

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  1. ^ "ANALOG MAN". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  2. ^ "ANTHRAX To Be Rejoined By Bassist DAN LILKER After 40-Year Absence For April/May 2024 Tour Dates". Blabbermouth.net. March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  3. ^ "DAN LILKER Says He Is 'Just Filling In' For FRANK BELLO At Upcoming ANTHRAX Shows: 'I'm Doing My Friends A Favor'". Blabbermouth.net. March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  4. ^ "Malformed Earthborn Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  5. ^ "DANNY LILKER's OVERLORD EXTERMINATOR: Music Posted Online". Blabbermouth.net. March 2, 2004. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  6. ^ "CRUCIFIST'S SLEEP-INDUCING BOREDOM ON DEMON-HAUNTED WORLD". MetalSucks. November 10, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  7. ^ "DANNY LILKER's NOKTURNAL HELLSTORM Releases Debut Album". Blabbermouth.net. February 6, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  8. ^ Bennett, J. (November 2011). "Q&A with Dan Lilker". Decibel. No. 85. Philadelphia: Red Flag Media. p. 47. ISSN 1557-2137. OCLC 61197187.
  9. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2002) The Great Metal Discography, MOJO Books, ISBN 1-84195-185-4, p. 30-31, 93–94, 394
  10. ^ "Metal Fanatix". Metal Fanatix. March 11, 2006. Archived from the original on February 22, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  11. ^ "DAN LILKER Musical Biography In The Works - Jan. 3, 2009". Blabbermouth. January 4, 2009. Archived from the original on January 5, 2009.
  12. ^ "Former STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH Members Launch UNITED FORCES". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. December 24, 2012. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  13. ^ "Brutal Truth/Ex-Anthrax Bassist Dan Lilker To 'Retire' From Being Full-Time Musician". Blabbermouth.net. January 10, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  14. ^ "Dan Lilker Retiring From Music This Year, Brutal Truth To Disband in October". Metalunderground.com. January 10, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  15. ^ "NUCLEAR ASSAULT: Audio Samples Of New EP 'Pounder'". Blabbermouth.net. May 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  16. ^ "MASS DESTRUCTION METAL FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES COMPLETED LINE-UP". Metal-Rules.com. June 8, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  17. ^ "CANNIBAL CORPSE And CANDLEMASS To Headline 'Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philly' In June". Blabbermouth.net. February 2, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  18. ^ "NUCLEAR ASSAULT Calls It Quits". Metal Addicts. November 20, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.