Anthrax (person)

Caught In a Mosh!

Anthrax was formed in June of 1981 in NYC. For the bands first album, Fistful of Metal (released in 1984), the line up was Scott Ian (guitar), Dan Spitz (guitar), Dan Lilker (bass), Charlie Benante (drums), and Neil Turbin (vocals). For the EP Armed And Dangerous Joey Belladonna replaced Turbin on vocals, and Frank Bello replaced Lilker (who formed Nuclear Assault) on bass. At this point the band was still finding their sound, but the lineup had solidified for what would last them through some of the best albums I’ve had the pleasure of listening to.

Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, whatever you want to call it Anthrax were masters and helped create the sub-genre. What many considered Hard Rock I felt was just Rock, what many considered Heavy Metal I felt was Hard Rock, now Anthrax was a band deserving of the title Heavy Metal. During the late 80s and up until about 92 my music collection largely consisted of Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, AC/DC, and many Heavy Metal or Hair Metal bands. I always felt like I wanted something harder and faster, music so driven that you can barely absorb it while listening to it, Anthrax was probably the closest to this. (Over the years I’ve found some hardcore punk/skate punk that also comes close.)

In 1985 the band released Spreading the Disease. It contained mostly new songs (as opposed to Armed And Dangerous, which was largely a reproduction of Fistful of Metal with the new line-up and a more solid sound) and firmly planted the band in the metal scene. From there they only got better. 1987 brought us Among The Living one of the great albums by Anthrax. It covers a broad range of topics for a metal band. It had tributes to Stephen King ("Among The Living") and Judge Dredd("I Am The Law"). Pop-culture references are seldom heard in metal. It had songs that address social issues like racial prejudice ("Indians") and drug abuse ("Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)"). It also hit some standard metal themes. This album rocks.

With the EP I’m the Man the band did something truly unique, a rap/rock fusion from the rock side. Long before Limp Bizkit, ICP, Korn, Orgy, or the rest of the army of rap/rock bands from the late 1990s early 2000s there was Anthrax. “I’m the Man” was like a thunder shock to my friends and I. We all listened to Heavy Metal and Rap. Besides coming from the rock side this was also the first blend of metal (as opposed to just rock) and rap that I know of. And it delivered. (Later came the band Body Count, who is probably the first band to come largely from the rap side and really capture metal’s true spirit.)

Next up was State of Euphoria, which was a bit of a disappointment. Still there are a few great songs on here like "Be All, End All", "Schism", "Misery Loves Company", and the cover of Trust’s "Antisocial." "Antisocial" being a sort of personal anthem of mine.

Well they came back with what is my favorite Anthrax album and one of my favorite albums of all time, Persistence of Time. While I like the band’s ability to lighten it up and put a silly song or two on an album, this album was nothing but serious, and it gives it a power, an essence of pure metal that few have matched on even a single song let alone an entire album. With Ian and Spitz dueling it out on guitars and Benante going ape on drums this album kicks ass like no other. The lyrics are easily the best the band ever put together. The singles off this album were "Keep It in the Family", "Belly of the Beast", and the cover of Joe Jackson’s "Got the Time." I can’t list my favorites off this album cause I would simply list every track.

Yet again this band shows its creative side and follows up their most serious album with Attack of the Killer B’s, a collection of B-sides, covers, silly songs, and obscurities. Even With all the good stuff on this album two things really stand out for me. First was "I'm the Man '91", a remake of "I'm the Man", which my friends and I knew every freaking word to and would bust off into a rendition of it whenever we where just standing around with nothing to do. Second was a collaboration song with Public Enemy, "Bring the Noise", originally a PE song the collaboration single and video may have eclipsed anything either group had done individually. A rap/metal fusion that may have given most of the world their first taste of such a beast.

And that was the peak of Anthrax. The story takes a bit of a down turn here. The band kicks out Joey Belladonna for John Bush (of Armored Saint), a more traditional metal singer than Belladonna. I can’t recall ever finding out a good reason for why Belladonna was kicked out. One metal fan I knew instantly gave up on them. I waited for the album Sound of White Noise to be released. Anthrax was not the same. This not to say the album was bad. I liked the album. There are some really good metal songs on it. But it wasn't the Anthrax I knew and loved. To me it didn't stand out from the rest of the metal scene like previous albums. The music scene was changing as a whole with the blossoming Seattle grunge sound. Many say Anthrax was trying to follow the changing music, which isn’t a position they are used to. They had always been the innovators.

Stomp 442 continued the trend started with Sound of White Noise and the band had changed again, Spitz was gone. They added Paul Cook as a replacement, and Darrell Abbott (from Pantara), better known as Diamond Darrell or Dimebag Darrell, also played some on the album (I need to look up more info on this). Personally this album was a let down for me. Finally the band reduced their ranks to just Bello, Benante, Bush, and Ian and released Volume 8: The Threat Is Real. I’ve never heard the album, allmusic says it is better than Stomp 442, but the band still hasn’t recovered. Will they ever? Volume 8 was released in 1998, it is now 2001, and we have yet to hear from the band again (other than a best of album). I’ve closed the book on my favorite metal band of all time, but damn it was a good book.

albums:

Return of the Killer A’s: The Best of Anthrax -– Beyond (1999)

Inside Out -- Import (1999)

Volume 8: The Threat Is Real -- Tommy Boy Records (1998)

Moshers 1986-1991 -- Import (1998)

Stomp 442 -- Elektra Records (1995)

Live – the Island Years -- Island Records (1994)

Sound of White Noise -- Elektra Records (1993)

Penikufesin -- Alex Records (1993)

Attack of the Killer B’s -- Island Records (1991)

Persistence of Time -- Island Records (1990)

State of Euphoria -- Island Records (1988)

I’m the Man -- Island Records (1987)

Among the Living -- Island Records (1987)

Spreading the Disease -- Island Records (1985)

Armed and Dangerous -- Megaforce Records (1985)

Fistful of Metal -- Megaforce Records (1984)