Unbelievably, this album is now five years old. Now, I’m not dissing John Bush, as the albums he sang on were good – it’s just that they didn’t sound like Anthrax albums, and I guess the fans thought the same as sales (both product and live) were dwindling. So call me a sceptic, but it was more than coincidence that we saw the return of Joey Belladonna as the front man. It feels as though this album, and Worship Music, were a continuation after the Persistence Of Time album. This is a really good record!
Opener, You Gotta Believe, is classic Anthrax and a fine return to form. Monster At The End would have been a great single if it had been released as one. They also have recruited one hell of a guitar player in Jon Donnais. It’s taken them a while to get a true replacement for Dan Spitz. Charlie Benante is one of metal’s great drummers and seems to dive under the radar constantly, but he plays his ass off here. Breathing Lightning has a great intro before blending into a classic Anthrax riff and groove. Special mention to Joey B for a great vocal and injecting some melody into proceedings. Suzerain is the heaviest track on the album and is another killer track. Evil Twin was a lead off track for the album and you can see why – it’s classic Anthrax. The slow brooding intro of Blood Eagle Wings follows and sees the band trying a slightly different approach, but still retaining that Anthrax DNA. The best track on the album Defend/Avenge is next. A great intro, a huge descending riff, and killer vocal – epic stuff!! All Of Them Thieves is also a contender for best track, another killer groove and riff plus epic drumming from Charlie. This Battle Chose Us is the penultimate track, and a fine head banger it is with another descending riff. The close out track Zero Tolerance is a fast thrash race for the finish line.
This is a double album, and yet again, the final track is etched. What a waste. If you have no studio tracks then fill it with Live tracks. Charging $40 for 3 Sides is a rip. Anyway, besides that it’s a great album and a worthy addition to the Anthrax catalogue.
9/10 from The Grooveman.
