Anthrax/Worship Music/2011

I was a huge fan when Joey Belladonna fronted Anthrax during their heyday in the mid to late 80’s. I can remember sporting a white “No Frills” Anthrax t-shirt to school with pride. Yeah, I was badass. That was of course, a much different band than the Anthrax of today. Whereas the other three members of the much-ballyhooed “Big Four” (Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth) all hailed from the Golden State, the Anthrax of my youth was unapologetically New York. In interviews and on stage they spoke with thick New YAWK accents. This was kinda cool to a Midwest kid from Ohio. It was like some longhaired extras from the set of Goodfellas walked up on stage in Public Enemy t-shirts and jams and started belting out “I Am the Law.” The California thrashers dressed in a uniform of high-tops, skintight jeans, and black tee shirts. Anthrax wore shorts. Megadeth, Slayer, and Metallica were for the most part, humorless. Anthrax was often downright funny. Jeff Hanneman of Slayer played a guitar with a Dead Kennedy’s sticker. Former Anthrax lead-man, Dan Spitz played one with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Metalica recorded an E.P. of metal and punk covers called “Garage Days Revisited.” Anthrax recorded an E.P. comprised mostly of three different versions of a hilarious Beastie Boys-like track titled “I’m the Man.” But make no mistake; Anthrax could bring the heavy with the big boys, thus their inclusion in the Big Four. However, humor and general silliness aside, Anthrax had one other striking distinction that separated them from their Big Four brethren —a singer who could really sing.

But that was the 80’s. The 90’s would be a whole 'nother kettle of fish for heavy metal.

By 1991, metal was about to reach the zenith of its popularity with the super-duper, mega-platinum “Black Album” by Metallica. However, in that same year a little album by a little known band from Seattle, Washington would also be released. Nirvana’s “Nevermind” would wash away the remnants of 80’s crotch-rock and usher in a new era of alternative “grunge” rock; a post-punk revolution that would reboot the music landscape for Generation X. Gone would be the virtuosic shredding of classically trained guitar wankers, vapid songs about fucking, and musicians donning more hairspray and make-up than a stage full of Miss Universe contestants. In its place the 90’s would find flannel shirts, Doc Martins, detuned guitars, introspective — if not downright depressing lyrical subject matter, MTV Unplugged, Bill Clinton, Columbine, and AOL Internet CD-ROM’s in every store, all topped off with copious amounts of Generation X angst. Grunge was here.

Metal Bands like Anthrax were left to wonder just where they fit into the new musical landscape. It was time for a good old-fashioned look in the mirror. Unfortunately, lead singer Joey Belladonna would be the odd man out. The band, (maybe rightly so) figured Joey’s soaring 80’s vocal delivery wouldn’t fair well in the grunge era. Anthrax recruited Armored Saint vocalist, John Bush — whose pipes where more Chris Cornell and less Steve Perry — to be their lead singer. With their new front man in place, Anthrax adopted a darker, more serious 90’s sound and released a fantastic album, 1993’s, “The Sound of White Noise.” The success would be short lived however, as the band would struggle the next ten years with record labels, line-up changes, and an alternative musical climate that was hostile to metal bands in general.

With the release of “Worship Music”. Anthrax fans finally get a chance to hear what a modern Anthrax record would sound like with Joey Belladonna on lead vocals once again. The ironic thing is that “Worship Music” sounds in a lot of ways like a 90’s record. The riffs are more reminiscent of a detuned 90’s sound than those that we enjoyed in the 80’s. Joey Belladonna’s vocals are deeper on the record. Don’t get me wrong the range is there, and in fine form, but he seems to be singing in a lower register on most of the record (probably to be in key with the detuned guitars). It’s not a bad thing. It works and he sounds amazing. On a track like, “Crawl” he even sounds like 90’s grunge superstar and vocal mercenary Chris Cornell.

“Worship Music” somehow manages to sound like a natural successor to both 1990’s “Persistence of Time” and 2003’s “We’ve Come For You All.” The album continues the darker feel of “Persistence of Time”, while continuing the detuned modern riffage of “We’ve Come For You All.” After a brief instrumental into, “Worship Music” opens with it’s only true thrasher, a scorcher of a track called, “Earth on Hell.” It’s the perfect track to open with and let the fans know that after an eight year absence, Anthrax are back and ready to rip your dick off. Track two, “The Devil You Know”, stomps along merrily with a Helmet-esque stop and start riff. The song features a hooky chorus and an AC/DC groove. “Fight’em ‘Till You Can’t” is an obvious first single. A fun metal tune about surviving an unfortunate encounter with the undead, “Fight’em” sports a memorable pre-chorus Scott Ian chant ala “Among the Living” and a powerhouse chorus. Once again Joey shines on lead vocals. The song also gives the best drummer in metal, Charlie Benante, a chance to shine in his own “Tom Sawyer” moment at the tail end of Rob Caggiano’s killer guitar solo. Of course, Frank Bello returns and the criminally underrated bassist once again ably lays down the fat.

The centerpiece of the album is the epic “In the End”, a song lamenting the loss of two of metal’s giants; Black Sabbath’s Ronnie James Dio and frequent Anthrax guest soloist and Pantera axe-man, Dimebag Darrell. I would say that “In the End” is the best song on the album if every other song didn’t also deserve that distinction. “Judas Priest” is another notable sprawling epic. Hell, they’re all notable. “The Giant”, “The Constant”, and album closer “Revolution Screams” are all stellar additions to the Anthrax cannon of thrash metal.

Joey Belladonna is the star of “Worship Music.” He came back to the band he helped make one of the Big Four and simply hit it out of the park. It is his best vocal performance on an Anthrax album. “Worship Music” is a mature record by a seasoned band. The record didn’t come easy and its troubles have been well documented (we won’t get into all of THAT here). It is easily the best new release by any of the Big Four. It is an album that shows incredible growth, but it is also one from a band who knows who, and are comfortable with, what they are. Whereas thrash peers like Megadeth, Slayer, and Metallica have chosen to play it safe with their recent releases, Anthrax have chosen to evolve and push the envelope. The result is one of the most rewarding metal albums you will hear. Whereas most bands struggle to release music that can stand next to their greatest achievements, Anthrax have pulled off the seemingly impossible; at almost thirty years of age they recaptured the greatness of their 80’s output, brought it into the twenty-first century, and surpassed it. “Worship Music” is Anthrax’s best album. 9.7/10