Charlie Benante to miss Anthrax and Pantera shows after hand injury

Charlie Benante’s right-hand injury has forced a rare reset in the live engine of two of metal’s hardest-working bands, with Anthrax and Pantera both having to adjust how their shows will be played, not just who will play them. For drummers, the immediate question is execution: how much of Benante’s attack, timing, and phrasing can be preserved when Darby Todd sits in behind the kit.

Benante said he would sit out a handful of shows from June 20 through July 4 after following doctor’s orders so the hand can heal properly. The affected stretch began with Hellfest in Clisson, France, and runs through Luxembourg City on June 21, Stockholm on June 24, Oslo on June 25, Copenhagen on June 26, Lyon on June 28, Ramonville-Saint-Agne on June 30, Bordeaux on July 1, Viveiro on July 2, and Cartagena on July 4. One report said Benante is expected back in Lisbon on July 7 if recovery stays on track.

Darby Todd has been named as the live replacement, a practical move that keeps the touring machine moving through a dense European summer run. Todd had already filled in for Anthrax in Athens on May 23 because Benante had Pantera commitments tied to the Frankfurt show the next day, so this is not a last-minute emergency hire from outside the circle. Reports describe Todd as a U.K.-based session drummer with credits including Devin Townsend and The Darkness, the sort of player who can absorb a demanding set and keep the night locked in even when the original drummer is sidelined.

The bigger picture is the pressure of Benante’s double duty. Splitting live work between Anthrax and Pantera left him carrying a schedule that was already punishing before the injury, and Anthrax’s 2026 calendar was not getting any lighter. The band’s official site ties this year’s activity to the Cursum Perficio album cycle, with a September 18, 2026 release date listed, which helps explain why even a short absence ripples across the road plan.

For fans, the story lands in a familiar place for high-intensity metal drumming: the body eventually sets limits on a role that demands speed, force, and precision every night. Benante’s absence changes the feel of these shows immediately, and Todd’s presence is what keeps the dates alive until the kit can go back to the player whose style those crowds came to hear.