Anthrax - Fistful of Metal/Armed and Dangerous
Megaforce - MEGA2953 - 23/05/2005
By Patrick Walsh
In what is a fairly obvious cash-in method these days, Megaforce Records have seen fit to reissue Anthrax's first two albums via a single-disc format, so now you can own both Fistful of Metal and Armed and Dangerous on one cd. I can hear a few of the ageing purveyers of bullet belts in the background whooping for joy, but it must be asked why bother? Any Anthrax fan worth their salt will already own both these 'classics' in one form or other, so presumably this is aimed at Anthrax's younger contingent, those who may have only witnessed the band in their more recent incarnation with John Bush at the helm. If you fall into the latter category, then you might want to check this release out, if only to check out a slice of metal history because, to be honest, these two albums are by no means anywhere near being Anthrax's best works and are, by and large, fairly mediocre in places.
Fistful of Metal originally appeared way back in 1984 and represents one of the earliest bastions of what would become 'thrash'. Appearing at roughly the same time as Metallica's Kill 'em All, this album sounds rather poor compared to that album, and their then vocalist Neil Turbin sounds more like a stunted Rob Halford than any of his more snarly thrash contemporaries. Furthermore, most of the songs on this release are fairly standard early thrash, psuedo-NWOBHM takes, and sound very similar to each other. Standouts include 'Metal Thrashing Mad' and 'Subjugator'. The rough and raw production will no doubt appeal to those of an ancient disposition, but this is a work most people could probably do without. Still, it has its moments, and despite its shorcomings is an important part of thrash's development nonetheless.
Armed and Dangerous saw the introduction of Joey Belladonna to the vocal fold, and is a marked improvement to Fistful of Metal. Featuring a mixture between new studio cuts, re-recordings, live tracks and a cover of The Sex Pistols' 'God Save the Queen', it proves a frustratingly inconsistent listen. Belladonna is more suited to Anthrax's edgy sound than Turbin, and the title-track is a great effort, showing the band developing their sound into what would soon lead into their classic mid-80s period. 'Raise Hell' is the other new studio track, and is also a marked improvement over anything on Fistful of Metal, although it's still not up to the standard of anything from their later albums. The Sex Pistols cover is fairly passable, and the live version of 'Metal thrashing Mad' with Belladonna is quite good, but again, this isn't really a necessary purchase for the passive Anthrax fan, as they went on to record far better material than this.
Like I said before, if you're a rabid Anthrax fan then it's likely you'll already have these two releases in your collection. If you're just getting into Anthrax and want to check out their 80s material, then i'd recommend Spread the disease or Among the Living, as they represent Anthrax at the pinnacle of their game. Fistful of Metal and Armed and Dangerous are interesting diversions, but their reissue together, without so much as a remastering job to boost their appeal, is far from an essential purchase.
6/10
Official Anthrax Website
Official Mega Force Records Website
Megaforce - MEGA2953 - 23/05/2005
By Patrick Walsh
In what is a fairly obvious cash-in method these days, Megaforce Records have seen fit to reissue Anthrax's first two albums via a single-disc format, so now you can own both Fistful of Metal and Armed and Dangerous on one cd. I can hear a few of the ageing purveyers of bullet belts in the background whooping for joy, but it must be asked why bother? Any Anthrax fan worth their salt will already own both these 'classics' in one form or other, so presumably this is aimed at Anthrax's younger contingent, those who may have only witnessed the band in their more recent incarnation with John Bush at the helm. If you fall into the latter category, then you might want to check this release out, if only to check out a slice of metal history because, to be honest, these two albums are by no means anywhere near being Anthrax's best works and are, by and large, fairly mediocre in places.
Fistful of Metal originally appeared way back in 1984 and represents one of the earliest bastions of what would become 'thrash'. Appearing at roughly the same time as Metallica's Kill 'em All, this album sounds rather poor compared to that album, and their then vocalist Neil Turbin sounds more like a stunted Rob Halford than any of his more snarly thrash contemporaries. Furthermore, most of the songs on this release are fairly standard early thrash, psuedo-NWOBHM takes, and sound very similar to each other. Standouts include 'Metal Thrashing Mad' and 'Subjugator'. The rough and raw production will no doubt appeal to those of an ancient disposition, but this is a work most people could probably do without. Still, it has its moments, and despite its shorcomings is an important part of thrash's development nonetheless.
Armed and Dangerous saw the introduction of Joey Belladonna to the vocal fold, and is a marked improvement to Fistful of Metal. Featuring a mixture between new studio cuts, re-recordings, live tracks and a cover of The Sex Pistols' 'God Save the Queen', it proves a frustratingly inconsistent listen. Belladonna is more suited to Anthrax's edgy sound than Turbin, and the title-track is a great effort, showing the band developing their sound into what would soon lead into their classic mid-80s period. 'Raise Hell' is the other new studio track, and is also a marked improvement over anything on Fistful of Metal, although it's still not up to the standard of anything from their later albums. The Sex Pistols cover is fairly passable, and the live version of 'Metal thrashing Mad' with Belladonna is quite good, but again, this isn't really a necessary purchase for the passive Anthrax fan, as they went on to record far better material than this.
Like I said before, if you're a rabid Anthrax fan then it's likely you'll already have these two releases in your collection. If you're just getting into Anthrax and want to check out their 80s material, then i'd recommend Spread the disease or Among the Living, as they represent Anthrax at the pinnacle of their game. Fistful of Metal and Armed and Dangerous are interesting diversions, but their reissue together, without so much as a remastering job to boost their appeal, is far from an essential purchase.
6/10
Official Anthrax Website
Official Mega Force Records Website
