The what's going on in Thrash thread

[Slammed]

Dave's definitely been doing some self reflection on this new album looking at the lyrics.

From Life In Hell
I'm a disease, and I'm addicted to myself

You lie, you steal, and you cheat everyone

It won't be long until you do it again, you'll see

From Killing Time
You're a pathological liar
And your alibi was a lie, it was all just an act
And that's a fact

When you start moving your lips
I know that you're lying


From Célebutante

it's evident you've never met
A mirror you didn't love


Overall, after another listen I kind of like this album. Sure it's no Peace Sell, or RIP but those albums are 30+ years old, even Dave has to evolve in that time. Even songs with somewhat goofy lyrics like Mission To Mars aren't terrible, although the topic doesn't quite fit with the rest of the album. I'm not a huge fan of Ice T but he doesn't do enough on the album for me to hate either the song on the entire album. Same goes for Sammy Hagar's input, actually the Sammy song is quite melodic and tuneful.

 

[zerostatic]

On my first listen...maybe Sweating Bullets is an everyday experience for Dave?

 

[zerostatic]

As my daughter would say "new Megadeth is very Megadethy"
There's no mistaking the music, the voice, the whole album screams Megadeth, just it scream current Megadeth not old Megadeth. That's not to say it's terrible, there is some good riffing, some good tunes and Dave's vocals are obviously a love or hate type thing. There is some recycling of riffs from previous albums going on which I suppose he's allowed to do. Dave's even made some weird statement about this being a shout out to old NWOBHM and I guess I can hear it a little bit. But is it worth the wait, or the pre-release praise it was getting? I'd say as a Megadeth fan yes, but it surely wont win over any new fans.

I agree with nearly all of this. I will give some more spins and see if anything sticks to determine if I want to pay money to add it to my collection. It does sound like Megadeth and as background music while working today it really seems like songs and riffs I may have heard before, haha.

Celubtante has some cringy lyrics. After one listen I would say it is probably going to end up a middle of the pack release. Somewhere between United Abominations and Th1rt3en.

 

[Slammed]

I certainly don't think Dave's got better at writing lyrics over the years. This whole "I'm Megadeth and my name must be on everything" is one of the problems with Megadeth. He needs to allow others to co-write, maybe even write full songs on these albums. It's amazing that he pats himself on the back so hard about letting someone like Ice T and Sammy appear on a track, yet he wants to change other players inputs to make sure he keeps his name on the credits. It's the other players inputs over the years that have created better Megadeth.

I still don't hate it, (although I'd have liked the two extra songs on the CD not just streaming services), and maybe I'd place it above Dystopia given that I haven't listened to Dystopia in a while, but I'm not really getting his NWOBHM vibe and I'm not sold on every song.

 

[TempleOfBlood]

How did you like Dystopia? I thought it was Megadeth's best in a while. If they can top that album I will be surprised and happy!

I didn't really like it at all although I gave it a couple of spins and own a cheap used copy. I think Kiko's solos are far batter on the new album and he has settled in the band now very well.

If you like it, that's cool. I know most Megadeth fans do.

 

[TempleOfBlood]

I certainly don't think Dave's got better at writing lyrics over the years. This whole "I'm Megadeth and my name must be on everything" is one of the problems with Megadeth. He needs to allow others to co-write, maybe even write full songs on these albums. It's amazing that he pats himself on the back so hard about letting someone like Ice T and Sammy appear on a track, yet he wants to change other players inputs to make sure he keeps his name on the credits. It's the other players inputs over the years that have created better Megadeth.

I still don't hate it, (although I'd have liked the two extra songs on the CD not just streaming services), and maybe I'd place it above Dystopia given that I haven't listened to Dystopia in a while, but I'm not really getting his NWOBHM vibe and I'm not sold on every song.

Apparently Kiko and maybe even Dirk did some co-writing on the album.

Dave and Shawn Drover worked together years ago on one of the best Megadeth songs ever ("Headcrusher") so I agree with ya.

 

[TempleOfBlood]

Anthrax announced on FB:

"Sadly due to ongoing logistical issues and 2022 costs that are out of our control, we have no other option but to cancel the European leg of our upcoming 2022 tour. We will however be coming to the UK as scheduled.
Tickets can be refunded at point of purchase"

With gas prices and inflation costs for everything I am surprised more bands are not cancelling tours. This is rough news coming out of the pandemic. If Anthrax can't make it work it makes me wonder how others make it work. Is this a sign of decline for Anthrax?

I think so but I guess we'll see. Big 4 reunion shows are way in the rear view mirror, and that is by their own admission what saved their career before. Now they have to keep themselves going, and they just don't have the tools to do it IMHO.

 

[TempleOfBlood]

I agree with nearly all of this. I will give some more spins and see if anything sticks to determine if I want to pay money to add it to my collection. It does sound like Megadeth and as background music while working today it really seems like songs and riffs I may have heard before, haha.

Celubtante has some cringy lyrics. After one listen I would say it is probably going to end up a middle of the pack release. Somewhere between United Abominations and Th1rt3en.

I thought the song about Mars had some cringey lyrics too. I agree that this new one is in the middle of the Megadeth pack with some standout moments. I think "Life in Hell" is a really good song though.

 

[TempleOfBlood]

I think the decline of Anthrax has been happening for a while. When you take into account they are headlining a tour with a 6 or 7 year old album playing a set that has up to 4 covers in it and a set that really hasn't changed since they last toured there, what incentive is there for fans to buy tickets, especially if there is other shows to see?

I'm sure costs are higher than they used to be but lets face it 'higher costs' is just another way of saying 'we didn't sell enough tickets'. I'm sure other bands will be effected by the higher costs of living, especially in Europe where some stuff has rising astronomically, and some will cancel. But Anthrax have pretty much brought this on themselves, even their diehard fans are getting sick of waiting for this album that is still another 12 months away at best.

Megadeth day today

I'm more sick of the same old setlist than waiting for bands to release a new album. Let's face it, even if a veteran thrash band releases an amazing new album they'll probably only play 2 songs from it. I'm sick of pretty much all veteran thrash bands' "hits".

 

[Slammed]

Apparently Kiko and maybe even Dirk did some co-writing on the album.

Dave and Shawn Drover worked together years ago on one of the best Megadeth songs ever ("Headcrusher") so I agree with ya.

Yeah they have a few credits on the new album and that is a good thing for Megadeth, especially with Dave now saying there is several more albums in their future.

Unfortunately though the BS between him and Jnr has started. I don't begrudge someone for fighting back when someone throws shit at them publicly. But I would have thought that by now Jnr would have worked out that it's pointless doing so to Snr because Snr always has to have the final say and there is plenty of media outlets willing to keep the shit flowing.

 

[Slammed]

I thought the song about Mars had some cringey lyrics too. I agree that this new one is in the middle of the Megadeth pack with some standout moments. I think "Life in Hell" is a really good song though.

I think there is some really good moments on the new album, but there is also some average parts which bring it down. Dave's proved he can still write a fast, thrashy song, he's even proven he can make a catchy song, but he hasn't strung it together for a full album. I've always said that any future releases for me will be based on how much I like this album and I like it enough to still be interested in what Dave creates next.

 

[Slammed]

I'm more sick of the same old setlist than waiting for bands to release a new album. Let's face it, even if a veteran thrash band releases an amazing new album they'll probably only play 2 songs from it. I'm sick of pretty much all veteran thrash bands' "hits".

It makes you wonder what the set list will be after Anthrax release a new album. They will no doubt still be playing the same mid-tier festival events with a few headline gigs thrown in, but they'll have another 12 or so tracks to choose from. Some of those old, tired tracks will have to be removed from the set list, but how many can really be removed before the band are out of their comfort zone? How many of the new songs which they claim are so great are actually going to make the set.

 

[zerostatic]

How many of the new songs which they claim are so great are actually going to make the set.

Hopefully a lot of them. The last two albums are outstanding and full of bangers that sound great live.

 

[Slammed]

But how can they put them in their set? Their last album has only had a maximum of two or three songs in the set for the last 6 years. I don't remember how many are in from the previous album. There really is no room in their current sets for new songs while they are so reliant on the old songs that they've played for 30+ years. Even with a headline gig like what they did with BLS what songs can they afford to loose to play what will essentially be unknown songs?

All long time bands would have a similar issue, but bands like Maiden, 'Deth, even Overkill with 19 albums under their belt mix shit up from time to time. Making room for new songs does come at a cost to fan favourites but Anthrax are really going to struggle to do that in an 8-10 song set. I can realistically seeing them dumping Antisocial, Got The Time, Bring The Noise, or Caught In A Mosh. That's a third to half their set and the rest doesn't only need to be made up of a mix like Indians, Among the Living etc it has to have new songs added. I can see why they don't want to release something new.

There was new riff posted somewhere over the last 24 hours. I haven't listened to them because I can be bothered but it's taken 6 years to get some riffs out there, expect the album in 2040.

 

[zerostatic]

They released some new riffs? How do they sound?

How dare you even joke about Anthrax dumping Antisocial!

Didn't Anthrax support Slayer on their farewell tour? I bet it was tough to go out there every night to warm the crowd up for Slayer and know that despite being in the game for 30 years they can't draw a crowd like Slayer.

 

[Slammed]

I don't remember where the links were, I guess they were on Metal Injection or Blabber because they weren't on FB, but I think they were instagram links because I stopped clicking on instagram ages ago when they often didn't play for me.

Yeah Anthrax did play with Slayer, I think they were second band on in a 4 band set. Testament was also on the list for some gigs because Gene played drums for Charlie one maybe two nights, then did Testament and then did the lights and cameras for Slayer. When they came to Oz although they played festivals it was Slayer, Behemoth, Anthrax and someone else. Both Behemoth and Anthrax played separate side gigs, Anthrax to 200 people Behemoth to 1500.

Antisocial, Antisocial, Anti-social. We all know the chant, we are all pit ready!!!

 

[zerostatic]

Both Behemoth and Anthrax played separate side gigs, Anthrax to 200 people Behemoth to 1500.

All the times I have seen Anthrax it has been to crowds closer to 1500 or 2000 in size than 200!

Back in 2005 I saw Fear Factory play to a full house at the House of Blues on the Las Vegas Strip..I'd estimate the crowd at between 1500 and 2000. I saw them a decade later playing a shitty club in a rough ass part of town to a crowd that was 200-300. That is a sharp decline!

 

[Slammed]

Anthrax used to have a good following here they were never big enough to sell arenas by themselves but they'd sell 4000 seats, then early Bush era it would be 2000 seats. But by about 2010 they'd dropped to almost nothing because they stopped touring here. When Scott toured here with his spoken words he sold less than 1500 tickets in the entire country. It got to the point that they couldn't tour here on their own and I really don't see that changing in a hurry. The only upside is that if they tour here their live set doesn't seem as old

Anthrax isn't the only band it's happened too but they have suffered more. Megadeth will probably suffer too and it will be interesting to see if they headline a tour here for the new album or just hop on a festival date. Yet bands like Overkill, Dark Angel, even Vio-lence book smaller venues and sell multiple concerts tour after tour. Bands like Alestorm sell 1500 capacity clubs and play multiple shows in 5 out of 7 states.

 

[TempleOfBlood]

But how can they put them in their set? Their last album has only had a maximum of two or three songs in the set for the last 6 years. I don't remember how many are in from the previous album. There really is no room in their current sets for new songs while they are so reliant on the old songs that they've played for 30+ years. Even with a headline gig like what they did with BLS what songs can they afford to loose to play what will essentially be unknown songs?

All long time bands would have a similar issue, but bands like Maiden, 'Deth, even Overkill with 19 albums under their belt mix shit up from time to time. Making room for new songs does come at a cost to fan favourites but Anthrax are really going to struggle to do that in an 8-10 song set. I can realistically seeing them dumping Antisocial, Got The Time, Bring The Noise, or Caught In A Mosh. That's a third to half their set and the rest doesn't only need to be made up of a mix like Indians, Among the Living etc it has to have new songs added. I can see why they don't want to release something new.

There was new riff posted somewhere over the last 24 hours. I haven't listened to them because I can be bothered but it's taken 6 years to get some riffs out there, expect the album in 2040.

I can see them temporarily dropping those songs except for "Caught in a Mosh", which I suspect has been played at most every show they've done since that album was released.

 

[Slammed]

I can't. They've relied on them so much, it's like they need the same songs so they don't need to practice. Scott's always praised Antisocial and thinks there version is the greatest released, it also gets the crowd moving because everyone knows it. Bring The Noise has been dropped before but since Scott and Charlie have named it as a song that changed generations of metalheads and brought metal and rap fans together I can't see them wanting to loose that piece of relevance. And Got the Time is the only song Lars Ulrich could name when prompted to name an Anthrax song, that song aint going anywhere while Lars can mention it. The songs that will go are songs like Among the Living, Indians etc that they will claim aren't fan favourites. Just like they ignored most of the fan requests when they posted them a few months before the BLS tour