To the casual TV viewer, Anthrax is just a metal band whose immensely-goateed guitarist, Scott Ian, seems to appear in every single VH1 show aired since 1999.
Multicolored facial hair aside, Anthrax was one of the most influential - yet overlooked - metal bands of the 80s. Eschewing leather for board shorts, it was one of the first metal bands to wear street clothes on stage. Musically, the thrash pioneers were just as influential, bridging the gap between the new wave of British heavy metal bands like Iron Maiden and current thrash bands like Metallica.
Given the recent trend in metal for bands to reunite their "classic" lineups - Dave Lombardo returned to Slayer and Rob Halford once again fronts the mighty Judas Priest - Anthrax had a little reunion of its own to celebrate their 20th anniversary, bringing together the lineup featured in its now-legendary album "Among the Living." To commemorate the reunion and subsequent tour, Anthrax is releasing both a greatest-hits collection, entitled "Anthrology: No Hit Wonders (1985-1991)" and a live album from the reunion tour, "Alive 2."
"Anthrology" documents the band - singer Joey Belladonna, guitarists Scott Ian and Dan Spitz, drummer Charlie Benante, and bassist Frank Bello - at perhaps their creative zenith. Consisting of two discs covering 30 tracks, "Anthrology" includes quite a bit of material from each of the band's albums released during that time.
Things are kicked off with "A.I.R," which opens with a stomping, midpaced riff before charging into full-on thrash mode, and the pace really does not let up for the rest of the collection. However, that does not mean that Anthrax has no dynamic range. There are several moments of respite, such as the acoustic-driven, ballad-leaning opening half of "Armed and Dangerous."
Be forewarned: "Anthrology" is an air-guitarist's dream, with killer riffs that will have even the most jaded metal fan's head nodding. The collection is full of truly awesome guitar work from Spitz and Ian, everything from incredibly driving riffs to technical soloing, the latter of which remains musical and never devolves into complete wankery. "Medusa," "Among the Living," "I Am the Law" and Anthrax's ode to slamdancing, "Caught in a Mosh," are the sort of songs that will have you pumping your fist, banging your head and screaming - even though you forgot to lock your door.
"Indians" tempers its straight-ahead speed metal with Iron Maiden-esque dual harmonized riffing and an epic chorus, while "Gung-Ho" is just a pure thrashfest, featuring some thunderous double bass courtesy of Benante. Several songs also feature Anthrax's hardcore influence, most evident in the gang vocals and call-and-response heard in "Among the Living" and "Efilnikufesin (N.F.L)."
One major thing that separates Anthrax from many of its peers is its sense of humor and willingness to be goofy, which is evident in the fantasy-themed "Medusa" and the Judge-Dredd-comic-informed "I am the Law." But where this lovable goofiness is perhaps most obvious are their experiments with combining rap and metal, namely the hilarious "I'm the Man" - which features an incredibly heavy riff that reeks of "Hava Nagila" - and the Public Enemy collaboration, "Bring Tha Noize." Don't blame Anthrax, however, for the musical debacles Korn and Limp Bizkit, because even though these tracks were recorded more than 10 years ago, they still seem fresh and fun, not meatheaded and incompetent like the aforementioned bands.
"Anthrology" also features two versions of "Antisocial," one in English and one in French, as well as covers of Black Sabbath's "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and Joe Jackson's "Got the Time." The inclusion of these rare tracks will please hardcore fans.
Like any greatest-hits collection, "Anthrology" is meant for the casual fan, giving the uninitiated a primer on the band's material. In this respect it succeeds. It is full of great tunes, including many of their classics along with their live staples, making it a great starting point for a new fan to get into the band. Although it is not complete because it draws only from the first half of the band's existence, it is nonetheless very worthwhile for anyone who wants to give Anthrax a listen.
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