12-Jul-11Anthrax Worship Music review
7/12/11: Been a while since I did a post in this space just to comment on a single album, but to be honest as great as some stuff has been lately, few albums have been the total package to inspire me to sit at the computer and bang out some thoughts. After almost a decade of waiting the new Anthrax album arrived in my mail the other day. It has not left my CD player since. It is maybe the best album of the bands career, and so far, easily the best metal album of the year. I know the year is far from over but I honestly don't see this being topped. All the dysfunction with the lineup and insanity in getting this album out could have made it a disaster, but it is anything but. It is classic sounding Anthrax in every sense of the word, sounding heavy, melodic at times, just brilliant top to bottom. The playing is unreal. Scott spitting out chugging riffs everywhere, Charlie proving why he is one of the best on the planet on almost every song, Frankie just rock solid locked in and weaving around the notes with an unreal attack, and Rob Caggiano's leads being maybe the best he has ever recorded with the band. Perfect in every sense. Then there is the return of Joey Belladonna as singer on an Anthrax album in almost 20 years. Welcome back Joe! He sounds amazing! Anthrax was really my gateway band into the world of thrash largely because they had a singer on Spreading that fused melody into the heaviness. To me it was always one the bands many secret weapons and it is great to have him back. Just classic in every way! I can't single out tracks that much because they are all that great, seriously. Although I will say the one that just floored me on first listen was "In The End". EPIC! Great chorus, Sabbath like riffs, plenty of room for Joey to belt it out, a true journey of 7 minutes of metal brilliance. "I'm Alive" has a great hook as well. "Earth On Hell" and "The Devil You Know" just pure master thrash, "Crawl" is also amazing and sounds closest to something that would have been from the Bush era. Can't say enough about the Joey factor on this album. The snarl in his voice, going up for the high notes, then the lower key he sings the versus in "Crawl" on. Just awesome! Also the production is amazing! Mixed perfectly, not overcompressed, you hear everything the way you should and the drums just kill. Listen I know what some of you guys are saying; "oh, they are Eddie's buddies, so he's pumping it up for them". In truth yes, I grew up in this business with these guys and they are all close friends for decades, but that has nothing to do with the words I have written here. I write this as a metal fan plain and simple. A fan thrilled to have new Anthrax music finally that is mind blowing and might be the best album in their impressive history. It's out 9/13 and as soon as I can share more on radio than the single I will. Charlie and Scott will also be feature guests on the new season of TMS. Get ready for Worship Music, buy it, crank it. If you have any love of metal I'm sure you will find it as stunning as I do.
7/12/11: Been a while since I did a post in this space just to comment on a single album, but to be honest as great as some stuff has been lately, few albums have been the total package to inspire me to sit at the computer and bang out some thoughts. After almost a decade of waiting the new Anthrax album arrived in my mail the other day. It has not left my CD player since. It is maybe the best album of the bands career, and so far, easily the best metal album of the year. I know the year is far from over but I honestly don't see this being topped. All the dysfunction with the lineup and insanity in getting this album out could have made it a disaster, but it is anything but. It is classic sounding Anthrax in every sense of the word, sounding heavy, melodic at times, just brilliant top to bottom. The playing is unreal. Scott spitting out chugging riffs everywhere, Charlie proving why he is one of the best on the planet on almost every song, Frankie just rock solid locked in and weaving around the notes with an unreal attack, and Rob Caggiano's leads being maybe the best he has ever recorded with the band. Perfect in every sense. Then there is the return of Joey Belladonna as singer on an Anthrax album in almost 20 years. Welcome back Joe! He sounds amazing! Anthrax was really my gateway band into the world of thrash largely because they had a singer on Spreading that fused melody into the heaviness. To me it was always one the bands many secret weapons and it is great to have him back. Just classic in every way! I can't single out tracks that much because they are all that great, seriously. Although I will say the one that just floored me on first listen was "In The End". EPIC! Great chorus, Sabbath like riffs, plenty of room for Joey to belt it out, a true journey of 7 minutes of metal brilliance. "I'm Alive" has a great hook as well. "Earth On Hell" and "The Devil You Know" just pure master thrash, "Crawl" is also amazing and sounds closest to something that would have been from the Bush era. Can't say enough about the Joey factor on this album. The snarl in his voice, going up for the high notes, then the lower key he sings the versus in "Crawl" on. Just awesome! Also the production is amazing! Mixed perfectly, not overcompressed, you hear everything the way you should and the drums just kill. Listen I know what some of you guys are saying; "oh, they are Eddie's buddies, so he's pumping it up for them". In truth yes, I grew up in this business with these guys and they are all close friends for decades, but that has nothing to do with the words I have written here. I write this as a metal fan plain and simple. A fan thrilled to have new Anthrax music finally that is mind blowing and might be the best album in their impressive history. It's out 9/13 and as soon as I can share more on radio than the single I will. Charlie and Scott will also be feature guests on the new season of TMS. Get ready for Worship Music, buy it, crank it. If you have any love of metal I'm sure you will find it as stunning as I do.
