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Westminster, Colorado
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New album “Worship Music” by thrash pioneers Anthrax deserve praise
by Tom Walsh
Posted on September 26, 2011
Anthrax came to being in 1981 and soon became one of the most popular metal bands during the thrash metal boom of the early to mid eighties. Metallica and Exodus were already making a name for thrash on the west coast where this new style of music was making huge waves. Along with fellow east coast thrash mates Overkill, Anthrax was one of the few popular thrash metal bands from the east coast to break in to mainstream radio, garnering such a huge following they became known as one of the “big four”. Many hardcore, metal core and death metal bands have the “big four” bands and many others to thank for the way metal is played today whether they know it or not.
Anthrax was originally formed by Scott Ian an Danny Lilker in 1981. Both of them being guitarists they set out to find a bassist and a drummer. They found both in Dave Weiss (drums) and Kenny Kushner (bass). Kenny Kushner was soon found to be lacking for what Anthrax needed and was replaced by bassist Paul Kahn who was also let go fairly quickly. And so began the rotating door of musicians that Anthrax went through (including Dan Spitz of Overkill) to get that perfect mix of musicianship, attitude and like mindedness.
In 1987 the line up of Joey Belladonna, Scott Ian, Charlie Benante, Frank Bello and Dan Spitz recorded what was to become a classic Anthrax album. “Among The Living” was a great album all the way through. The band touched on their love of horror movies and books (Stephen King especially) on the songs “Among The Living” and “A Skeleton In the Closet” and we saw a funnier more relaxed side of Anthrax on this album as well. “I Am The Law”, “Efilnikufesin” and “Indians” seemed to be the hit songs from this album, with “Indians” getting regular play on MTV, pushing Anthrax further into the
spotlight. 1987 also saw Anthrax exploring a side to them that most fans (up until that point) never thought they would see. The song “I’m The Man” was Anthrax’s take on rap as only a thrash band could do it. At the time it had to be a huge risk for them to pull off something like that, but in the end it paid off and “I’m the Man” became a huge hit.
Over the years Anthrax explored a more experimental side and had a few more line up changes including the on again off again Joey Belladonna. One of the many bright spots during this time saw Anthrax again exploring rap music. Due to Scott Ian wearing Public Enemy shirts on stage Anthrax received a shout out from Chuck D. on the song “Bring The Noise”. Anthrax took the music, played it as only a thrash band could, sent it back to Chuck D., and in 1991 the Anthrax version was released with none other than Chuck D. on vocals and later Scott Ian himself on vocals.
2011 brings us another album from Anthrax with almost the same line up as on “Among The Living” replacing Dan Spitz with Rob Caggiano. The new album, “Worship Music”, is every bit as hard as their earlier stuff and maybe just a little more serious. The album is technical and progressive while still sounding like a thrash band. “Worship Music” is almost a throw back to “Among The Living” without sounding dated.
LEFT TO RIGHT, back row: Frank Bello, Scott Ian, Joey Belladonna
front row: Rob Caggiano, Charlie Benante. Photo by Matthew Rodgers
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The album starts out with a fairly mellow intro that basically sounds like a sustained chord, feedback and other noise drawn out for about a minute and a half, but after the intro hold onto your hat because the music doesn’t come close to getting that mellow again. You can feel the staccato guitar of “Earth on Hell” to your core when the song starts, but once the song really gets going it’s like a kiss to your mug with a brick. All of a sudden it’s there. Wham! In your face. It’s hard, fast, brutal and it ain’t slowing down, not for the rest of the album. The songwriting and execution on the zombie tune “Fight Em’ Till You Can’t” is a classic example of why these guys are part of the “Big Four” and forefathers of how metal is played today, while “I’m Alive” brings to mind something huge and not very nice coming out of a dark wood. And while all you can do is stand there, it’s coming at break neck speed to find you.
“Crawl” starts out sounding something like The Beatles meets Soundgarden which may sound strange at first, but Joey’s vocals assure us it’s Anthrax through and through. Even though the beginning may sound this way, it works. It works because it’s Anthrax, and when the song starts building it’s hard to imagine the beginning any other way.
“Worship Music” is a musical rush! Anthrax shows us what it means to be thrash. They show us what it means to be metal, not to just say your metal, but to truly be metal. Anthrax shows us they still have the chops, the balls, the attitude……the total package. Anthrax was here when thrash started. Hell, they helped create the genre and they are still kicking ass so well after all these years that metal bands today should bow their heads in respect for one of the true juggernauts of metal.
Again, “Worship Music” is hard, fast, brutal and in your face. So buckle up kiddies. You’re in for a ride from one of the original masters of thrash metal.
Oh! By the way. Anthrax is on tour supporting their new album, sharing the headline spot with Testament. One more thing. The “Big Four” should be called the “Big Five” and it should, by all rights, include Testament as the fifth of the “Big Five“…... Just sayin’.
Click image to check out 'Worship Music' on iTunes.
To check Antrhax's fall tour click the link below:
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