Former Anthrax guitarist Dan Spitz is teaming up with ex-Journey drummer Deen Castronovo on a new band, with an eye toward getting started on their first album later this year.

Spitz talked about the duo's new venture during a recent appearance on the Talking Bollocks podcast (via Blabbermouth), which you can listen to above. Calling the results of their creative chemistry "pretty monumental" and "killer," Spitz stressed that "it's not a project; it's a band," reserving special praise for Castronovo's contributions.

"Deen is one of the world's most incredible drummers walking the planet. You first think of him as [having played in] Journey. Deen's also a lead singer," Spitz enthused. "He sings the ones that Steve Perry wouldn't even sing live. ... 17 years in Journey, he played for Ozzy, he played on early Ted Nugent albums. I mean, it goes on, dude. He's pulling out stuff, and I'm, like, 'Are you kidding me, dude? I used to sit and just do bong hits and blast my guitar listening to that album. Are you crazy? I didn't know it was you.'"

Although the group has a singer, Spitz declined to reveal their identity, only saying he won't "hold any barriers to anybody" when it comes to finding the right voice to suit their hard-edged sound. Adding that he's already written "about an album and a half" of new material, he pegged early July as a starting point for the lineup to get together "in one room" and start tracking.

Whatever shape it ultimately takes, the band marks another step forward for Castronovo, who left Journey in 2015 amid legal and personal issues and has since been slowly working has way back to active duty. Most recently, Castronovo contributed drums to What God Wants to Hear, the latest solo effort from his former Journey bandmate Jonathan Cain.

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