Having released two genre defining albums in Fistful Of Metal and Spreading The Disease, it was Among The Living that put them in the big leagues. They are also known as one of the big four. Along with Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer, they were the pioneers of the thrash movement. Although I’ve often wondered how Slayer are acknowledged in the same breath as they were, in my opinion, terrible. All they did was played fast and had a dark image. Exodus were far more deserving. Anyhoo, I digress.
Anthrax, hailing from the East Coast, had a different take than all of the bands on the West Coast, as they came from a harder background and their sound was edgier. There is not one bad track on this album – it’s rightly held up as a classic of the genre and is full of power, angst, and energy. Anthrax have a groove and a swing to their music that none of the other protagonists of the genre had at the time. Amon The Living, Caught In A Mosh, I Am The Law, and Indians are still played live by the band today – they would probably be lynched if they did not play them. They also have a great sense of humour as Efilnikufesin (N.F.L) shows. The only thing that goes against it (just a tad) is the dead production. I know the band had run ins with the producer Eddie Kramer at the time, but it still is a 10/10 from The Grooveman!
