i respect John Bush as a singer/musician, but all this talk about him better suiting the band is sheer nonsense, and i don't care if its coming from a fan or a memeber of the band itself.
FACT: Anthrax were one of the "Top 4" along with Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer with their CLASSIC line-up.
-but the other 3 bands have been doing a lot better since the 80s than Anthrax has been doing.
-unfortunately, the truth of the matter is that most metal fans forgot about Anthrax by the mid-90s. i think "Sound of White Noise" may have been a big commercial success(i just remember seeing the videos on Mtv), along with Metallica's black album and Megadeth's Countdown to Extinction, but after that, i personally feel they lost their creativity.
sure, you could also blame the 90s grunge scene for their downfall, and also point out the drastic changes many other bands went through during this time-period, but in my opinion, they lost their SIGNATURE sound, which is their personal identity.
Anthrax stood out among the other metal bands because of Joey's voice, and because of the fun side to their music.
you want to argue that John Bush was "better suited" for Anthrax? fine, be better suited, and be forgotten. anyone can find so-called "better-suited" musicians and sound "appropriate" just like a million other bands out there who stick to some formula and never stand out from all the generic crap.
in no way am i calling John Bush-era Anthrax generic, BUT what i am saying is that Classic line-up Anthrax is a lot more original, fresh, influential, and unique. in fact, i'd argue that the classic line-up's chemistry was just as important or even more important than the songs themselves that made Anthrax worthy of standing side-by-side with the other 3 "Big 4" bands of the 80s, while at the same time separating them from the rest of the pack.
