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[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]http://www.decibelmagazine.com/1105_anthrax_anth.aspx[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]Anthrax[/FONT]
Anthrology: No Hit Wonders (1985-1991)
ISLAND/UME
New York state of middling
Despite the insistence of nostalgic thrash fans and contemporary metal mags (hello, Decibel!) Anthrax have never released a great album. In 20 some years of recording, the New York thrash legends have forged a frustrating legacy, full of novelty tracks (“I’m the Man”
, sped-up covers (“Got the Time,” “Antisocial”, simple mosh anthems (“NFL” and, all too occasionally, something memorable (the first half of Persistence of Time). And while the John Bush-era of the band has produced more consistent records, it’s also gone largely unnoticed. Which may explain why Joey Belladonna, the curly-maned frontman of the band’s commercial heyday, is back in the fold (personally, I was hoping for a Neil Turbin sighting, but... ).
Anthrology is a two-disc set covering the best of the band’s first five albums, and yet, even with judicious pruning, it’s too long. Early standards “Madhouse” and “Indians” simply sound trite today, all metal bark with no bite. But disc two makes clear that the band’s creative leaders, guitarist Scott Ian and drummer Charlie Benante, were on their way to developing a unique mix of hardcore, leftist anger and, yep, hooks (“In My World” before they got Bush-whacked.
Don't get me wrong: Anthrax will always be a kickin’ live band with (some) great tunes, and deserves kudos for always thinking outside the box. But as Anthrology proves, some bands deserve their modest fates. —Kirk Miller
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]http://www.decibelmagazine.com/1105_anthrax_anth.aspx[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]Anthrax[/FONT]
Anthrology: No Hit Wonders (1985-1991)
ISLAND/UME
New York state of middling
Despite the insistence of nostalgic thrash fans and contemporary metal mags (hello, Decibel!) Anthrax have never released a great album. In 20 some years of recording, the New York thrash legends have forged a frustrating legacy, full of novelty tracks (“I’m the Man”
, sped-up covers (“Got the Time,” “Antisocial”, simple mosh anthems (“NFL” and, all too occasionally, something memorable (the first half of Persistence of Time). And while the John Bush-era of the band has produced more consistent records, it’s also gone largely unnoticed. Which may explain why Joey Belladonna, the curly-maned frontman of the band’s commercial heyday, is back in the fold (personally, I was hoping for a Neil Turbin sighting, but... ). Anthrology is a two-disc set covering the best of the band’s first five albums, and yet, even with judicious pruning, it’s too long. Early standards “Madhouse” and “Indians” simply sound trite today, all metal bark with no bite. But disc two makes clear that the band’s creative leaders, guitarist Scott Ian and drummer Charlie Benante, were on their way to developing a unique mix of hardcore, leftist anger and, yep, hooks (“In My World”
before they got Bush-whacked.Don't get me wrong: Anthrax will always be a kickin’ live band with (some) great tunes, and deserves kudos for always thinking outside the box. But as Anthrology proves, some bands deserve their modest fates. —Kirk Miller
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