Settling a suit brought by their former frontman didn’t quite cure what’s ailing the members of the thrash-metal band Anthrax.

Bassist Frank Bello emerged from a closed-door court conference yesterday muttering, “I’ve got to put a Band-Aid on my tongue from biting it so much.”

Ex-lead singer Dan Nelson filed a $2.65 million defamation suit last year against Bello, drummer Charlie Benante and guitarist Scott Ian over his abrupt departure from the band on the eve of a planned European tour in 2009.

Lawyers for both sides said the case was settled confidentially yesterday in Manhattan federal court.