I'm not so sure. I don't know what to make of this, actually. But I would like to take a trip down memory lane, if anyone cares to read, because some perspective is definitely warranted here.
June 19, 1988. This is the date that I first heard Anthrax, on a shitbox little tape of I'm the Man that my cousin had. It was the live version, and I was hooked. OK, so on with Among the Living, Spreading the Disease, and the God-awful State of Euphoria. Anthrax was my band ... when all others around me wanted Guns n' Roses, Dee-Lite, and later on the grunge slop.
Ah yes, the grunge slop. From November 1991 until the summer of 1993, all I heard about was "the music revolution has now begun" and "metal has died". I even refused to listen to Anthrax because they changed lead singers mid-flight, as if Joey had not carried any more relevance because of his quasi-operatic approach. At the time, I could blame Joey for the turd-like status of State of Euphoria, and even some of the stuff he pulled on Persistence of Time induced vomit as well.
But I liked Joey. As I said ... Anthrax was my band, their classic stuff was superb, even if the live presence circa 1990 wasn't as intense as 1987.
Then a friend of mine cornered me one day and said I have to listen to Sound of White Noise. I didn't care, but I thought I would plug it in (I hadn't even heard "Only" on the radio at this time). As the music that blared out of my speakers, "Potter's Field", "Only", "Hy-pro-fucking-glo!!!" ... a new energy to this band suddenly emerged, and by this point in time a revelation had hit me like a passenger jet.
Face it people, most metal standards from the 80's started sucking wind in the early 90's with more slickly produced garbage. Metallica? Megadeth anyone? "Just like the Pied Piper, led rats through the streets?" ... I don't think so. Fates Warning and Queensryche were in a race to see who could rip off Rush more. Testament slammed us with Souls of Black and The Ritual, the two worst moves in their career. And then Overkill, skull crushers extraordinaire, leave us with ... I Hear Black.
It was Anthrax that gave a middle finger salute to Metallishit, Megalosers, and the rest of the grunge bunch, MTV included, by saying "fuck you, this is our new sound, and don't listen and don't play it if you don't like it". Sound of White Noise was a breath of fresh air to those were so sick of dick-rock in the early 90's like the Cranberries, Garbage, and Hole. And it was also a guiding light to those who were in high school (like I was) between 1991 and 1995, when the metal faithful were very few and far between. It gave me a reason to say "fuck you" to those who were so desperately trying to convince me that Anthrax went the way of the Dodo bird, and that alternative (popular alternative??) was the future.
Now, as I sit here, at age 27, not so angry anymore, I am wondering what kind of polite "fuck you" statement Anthrax is trying to make. Is this a "fuck you" to their fans? To MTV? How about to another, perhaps younger (more deserving?) band that might have played Ozzfest instead? I'm not sure. Was their reason for doing this so that Ozzfest Inc. would pick them up on the next bill, only if they rejoined with their classic lineup? Is Sharon calling the shots in Anthrax these days? Perhaps telling them what their setlist should be, maybe?
Some questions have no answers.
But I will say this. Tour footage shows Anthrax on the Among the Living tour just destroying things. Tearing up the stage, ripping through songs, and basically just punishing people. The energy was unmistakable. Tour footage from the Persistence of Time tour show Anthrax (with the exception of Scott, maybe, and some hair flinging by Frankie) as a band that is tired of touring, tired of performing, and apparently of singer tired of singing, as Joey liked to let the audience do most of the vocals to rest his peace pipes, apparently. They looked bored.
I'm not sure if they are trying to get that kind of energy back into the band, or maybe just doing it to stroll down dinosaur lane. But if that Ozzfest rumor was true (and now they're not going out with Ozzfest?), and if that's the reason they did this, then the only ones who should be getting a "fuck you" is Anthrax. And this one should come from the fans themselves.
I'll hold judgement until further evidence is brought forth. But I think those expressions on the band's faces during those reunion pictures says it all.
Happy trails.
thraxhead (for 17 years now)
June 19, 1988. This is the date that I first heard Anthrax, on a shitbox little tape of I'm the Man that my cousin had. It was the live version, and I was hooked. OK, so on with Among the Living, Spreading the Disease, and the God-awful State of Euphoria. Anthrax was my band ... when all others around me wanted Guns n' Roses, Dee-Lite, and later on the grunge slop.
Ah yes, the grunge slop. From November 1991 until the summer of 1993, all I heard about was "the music revolution has now begun" and "metal has died". I even refused to listen to Anthrax because they changed lead singers mid-flight, as if Joey had not carried any more relevance because of his quasi-operatic approach. At the time, I could blame Joey for the turd-like status of State of Euphoria, and even some of the stuff he pulled on Persistence of Time induced vomit as well.
But I liked Joey. As I said ... Anthrax was my band, their classic stuff was superb, even if the live presence circa 1990 wasn't as intense as 1987.
Then a friend of mine cornered me one day and said I have to listen to Sound of White Noise. I didn't care, but I thought I would plug it in (I hadn't even heard "Only" on the radio at this time). As the music that blared out of my speakers, "Potter's Field", "Only", "Hy-pro-fucking-glo!!!" ... a new energy to this band suddenly emerged, and by this point in time a revelation had hit me like a passenger jet.
Face it people, most metal standards from the 80's started sucking wind in the early 90's with more slickly produced garbage. Metallica? Megadeth anyone? "Just like the Pied Piper, led rats through the streets?" ... I don't think so. Fates Warning and Queensryche were in a race to see who could rip off Rush more. Testament slammed us with Souls of Black and The Ritual, the two worst moves in their career. And then Overkill, skull crushers extraordinaire, leave us with ... I Hear Black.
It was Anthrax that gave a middle finger salute to Metallishit, Megalosers, and the rest of the grunge bunch, MTV included, by saying "fuck you, this is our new sound, and don't listen and don't play it if you don't like it". Sound of White Noise was a breath of fresh air to those were so sick of dick-rock in the early 90's like the Cranberries, Garbage, and Hole. And it was also a guiding light to those who were in high school (like I was) between 1991 and 1995, when the metal faithful were very few and far between. It gave me a reason to say "fuck you" to those who were so desperately trying to convince me that Anthrax went the way of the Dodo bird, and that alternative (popular alternative??) was the future.
Now, as I sit here, at age 27, not so angry anymore, I am wondering what kind of polite "fuck you" statement Anthrax is trying to make. Is this a "fuck you" to their fans? To MTV? How about to another, perhaps younger (more deserving?) band that might have played Ozzfest instead? I'm not sure. Was their reason for doing this so that Ozzfest Inc. would pick them up on the next bill, only if they rejoined with their classic lineup? Is Sharon calling the shots in Anthrax these days? Perhaps telling them what their setlist should be, maybe?
Some questions have no answers.
But I will say this. Tour footage shows Anthrax on the Among the Living tour just destroying things. Tearing up the stage, ripping through songs, and basically just punishing people. The energy was unmistakable. Tour footage from the Persistence of Time tour show Anthrax (with the exception of Scott, maybe, and some hair flinging by Frankie) as a band that is tired of touring, tired of performing, and apparently of singer tired of singing, as Joey liked to let the audience do most of the vocals to rest his peace pipes, apparently. They looked bored.
I'm not sure if they are trying to get that kind of energy back into the band, or maybe just doing it to stroll down dinosaur lane. But if that Ozzfest rumor was true (and now they're not going out with Ozzfest?), and if that's the reason they did this, then the only ones who should be getting a "fuck you" is Anthrax. And this one should come from the fans themselves.
I'll hold judgement until further evidence is brought forth. But I think those expressions on the band's faces during those reunion pictures says it all.
Happy trails.
thraxhead (for 17 years now)
