How's the albums holding up for everyone?

[redfly]

Ya I really like Blood Eagle and All Of Them Thieves they both grew on me a lot. There is one song towards the end sorry I forget the name but at parts it really reminds of Journey for some reason. I know Joey does cover them lol

Actually I think it's this Battle chose us, which I already complained about lol...not that I'm complaining about it reminding me of Journey

 

[resumurofnikufesin]

Defend Avenge reminds me too much of Marilyn Manson.

 

[redfly]

Ouch, glad I don't know any Manson to have that connection lol

 

[Anthrax_Mosher]

Ya I really like Blood Eagle and All Of Them Thieves they both grew on me a lot. There is one song towards the end sorry I forget the name but at parts it really reminds of Journey for some reason. I know Joey does cover them lol

Actually I think it's this Battle chose us, which I already complained about lol...not that I'm complaining about it reminding me of Journey

Journey sucks cock.

 

[ghoststrike]

Neil Turbin kind of ruined the lyrics to "Monster at the End" for me in a mini review. He said something about not knowing why anyone would want to keep singing about underwear.

I swear Joey sounds a lot like a cross between Bruce Dickinson, Urban Breed and Lance King on this album. He might not be hitting as high of notes as in the past, but his voice just sounds way more powerful to me now.

Joey has always had a powerful voice, its just that he did a certain style to "fit" Anthrax in its early days. The band as a whole has gotten better with its songwriting. I knew that this album would be a step up from Worship Music (great album) musically with him more so doing his own thing than on the last album. The melodies, hooks, choruses have always been more catchy with Joey in the fold and this album is the exclamation mark to that point.

Stellar album

 

[redfly]

Journey sucks cock.

You said it NOT me lol

 

[Anthrax_Mosher]

I listened to it for a week solid after it's release.

As I said in a different thread, it's not a bad album, and the music and vocals are solid; I just felt (then and now) that they don't gel and that really stopped me getting into it. And as such, the record is tucked away and will probably just gather dust.

Based on the rave reviews I'm clearly in the minority on this, and that's fine. We all have our opinions.

The Bushthrax fans still around I see.

 

[Talking Backwards]

The Bushthrax fans still around I see.

Sound of White Noise is still their best album. Whether or not you think it's a "good Anthrax" album is beside the point. Up until For All Kings, Bush was a better fit too. This says nothing about who is a better vocalist either.

 

[redfly]

Pfff White Noise? best album? lol

 

[Talking Backwards]

Pfff White Noise? best album? lol

Yes. Incidentally, there are more people that enjoy Anthrax albums than simply those that label themselves as "Anthrax fans". Sound of White Noise was the best album they had written up until that point, which includes Spreading The Disease and Among the Living. While they may have written a few songs on each of those albums that were better than anything on Sound of White Noise, they both had plenty of filler as well. Plus, Joey never fit Anthrax's thrash era music at all. It always sounded so forced. Their next best until now was Persistence of Time. It had the least filler of them all up until Sound of White Noise, and because they shifted to a more melodic approach, Joey fit better as well.

 

[redfly]

Sure people who's first Metallica album was the black album. Not into watered down radio metal myself.
POT is their best one for me.
for me Joey made them stand out. Let everyone else scream. Joey is the only real singer out of the big 4

 

[mrthrax]

Each to there own,the whole journey of anthrax and singer changes got them
Where they are today,so glad they got back to top form

 

[redfly]

I see what you did there

 

[Talking Backwards]

Sure people who's first Metallica album was the black album. Not into watered down radio metal myself.
POT is their best one for me.
for me Joey made them stand out. Let everyone else scream. Joey is the only real singer out of the big 4

I don't know if you're trying to suggest that Sound of White Noise was my introduction to Anthrax, because if you are, you'd be wrong. I started listening to them in '88. Also, it's funny that you mention Metallica, because that's a very good example of what I am talking about. Was it a good "Metallica" album? According to "Metallica fans" it was their sellout album and completely sucked. Did it completely suck though? No, it was an excellent hard rock/metal album. It just wasn't anywhere remotely as thrashy as their previous work, but the majority of songs were very catchy (I think it's their fourth best).

Also, you must be misunderstanding the difference between vocal ability and being a good fit for the music. His vocal style was never a good fit for the band until Persistence of Time. Yes, he could sing, unlike anyone else from the big 4, but so what? It never sounded right most of the time. Just look at what happened to Iron Maiden when Dickinson left and Bayley sung for them. He was no Dickinson, but he also wasn't actually a bad vocalist either. Yet the music that was written still had Dickinson in mind. It didn't fit his voice or style at all.

But hey, at least we agree on what the best pre-Bush era Anthrax album is I guess.

 

[redfly]

I'm not suggesting anything about you personally. But personally the people I know who favor those Anthrax albums also like bands like Kill Switch Engage over Testament. You say more people enjoy that record more. And I say that that is a direct result of going radio, which is exactly what they wanted. Just like Metallica and just like Metallica they had to water their music down to apply it to the mainstream. I thought the Black album was ok at the time but now I hear at so much filler.

And I'm not confusing anything. Joeys voice not fitting is your personal opinion.I know plenty of people that think Anthrax is back in top form thanks to his unfitting voice. It is a unique sound altogether. And it was theirs and now is again. It wasn't the fans that said kick Joey out.It was Anthrax chasing mainstream.

Now. Time for some FAK

 

[aliasp]

I wouldn't say Anthrax firing Joey was to go mainstream - if anything it's well documented that Scott was supremely frustrated with Joey not being able to convey the anger and tone in his lyrics he wanted - hence why they got Bush. A more aggressive sounding singer (something Scott said at the time given his frame of mind and circumstance it was a situation he couldn't work through - no alternative but for Joey to be replaced).

Yes the music morphed from thrash to more metal/hard rock (put that down to a band wanting to expand its horizons IMO) but it was hardly a grasp at mainstream radio friendly music. I wouldn't call SOWN radio friendly at all. Some songs on that album are absolutely monster and right up with their very best they've ever written.

Also I admit bar POT I think SOWN is their most complete album to date. Zero filler on that album. It still for me is the pinnacle of Bush era Anthrax.

But I agree that Joey fitted Anthrax perfectly for those first few records - I think he was great on POT but not so for his band members at the time.

NOTE: Look we are going into another John v Joey debate :-D

 

[Talking Backwards]

It honestly doesn't matter. Favorite vocalist aside, For All Kings rules. With Joey. However, it sounds even less like early Anthrax and more like traditional 80s metal (or NWOBHM) with a thrash layering on top here and there, instead of it being the focus. I mean, I can hear basically everything they've done from Fistful of Metal through Worship Music on this album, but it overall sounds like the above.

 

[redfly]

Well I know Scott has stated that a bunch and I'm sure that was part of it. But I never really believed it completely. I don't see how expanding your horizons leads to playing less complicated music. I mean..and really I'm not trying to start an argument with anyone. But Scott had always been in love with Metallica. Anthrax got thrashier with Metallicas influence and when Metallica went radio so did Anthrax. And I'm not saying every single Bush era song is radio. But c'mon lol it's on average much more digestible.

but like I said I'm sure not here to argue. Me personally, when they got rid of Joey I stopped buying Anthrax. And now I'm buying again.Works out for me I'm happy lol

 

[redfly]

It honestly doesn't matter. Favorite vocalist aside, For All Kings rules. With Joey. However, it sounds even less like early Anthrax and more like traditional 80s metal (or NWOBHM) with a thrash layering on top here and there, instead of it being the focus. I mean, I can hear basically everything they've done from Fistful of Metal through Worship Music on this album, but it overall sounds like the above.

I agree completely. It's not like the others except in parts. I stated this before and I really think it's the lack of Scott in the background vocals.

 

[Talking Backwards]

This is the first album in a while where even when I'm not actively listening to it, any random song will pop into my head from start to finish.