Although glam metal was the most popular subgenre of metal during the 80s, there was another movement that started in the underground in the early 80s and became commercially successful in the mid 80s: Thrash metal. While glam metal was all about show and the looks and making music to please the masses there were still those guys who did not care about that. In thrash metal the music was more important than the looks and the bands took metal to a more extreme direction. Thrash metal is characterised by its speed, aggression, low-register guitar riffs and shredding lead guitars. The lyrics are less about sex and love and rock & roll but more politically or environmentally critical. Thrash metal was heavenly influenced by the NWOBHM (Motörhead is often mentioned as being crucial to the evolution of thrash metal) and hardcore punk. The "big four" of thrash metal are: Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeath and Slayer. And I decided to start - quite deliberately NOT with Metallica but with Anthrax.
When watching the glam metal episode of Metal Evolution one guy stuck out to me and I remembered him, because he was so passionate about what he said. Scott Ian, founding member of Anthrax described that it drove them [thrash metal musicians] crazy that bands like Poison were called metal. "That's not metal. We were metal. Iron Maiden is metal. That shit that was coming out of L.A. or anywhere else where you had guys dressing like girls was not f*cking metal. [...]"
So I quite remembered Scott Ian as the adversary of glam metal right from the beginning. And as I am not a fan of Metallica, I decided to start my journey into thrash metal with Anthrax.
Here is the roundup: Anthrax was formed in 1981 in New York by Scott Ian (rhythm guitar). Scott Ian is still a member of the band today and the only founding member by now. Anthrax have released 11 studio albums and although the band experienced many line-up changes (especially on guitars) vocalist Joey Belladonna, bassist Frank Bello and drummer Charlie Benante have been involved in most of the albums.
Anthrax have released 11 studio albums and I noticed that "Anthrax" was not like "Anthrax". The band have been open to different musical influences and their releases are very different. So for the sake of keeping this article short I decided to stay close to the glam metal area and write about Anthrax in the 80s and early 90s with lead vocalist Joey Belladonna. More articles are sure to follow.
I've been putting off listening to thrash for some time now as I was really sure I would not like it. To my surprise - I absolutely enjoyed listening to Anthrax' first album Fistful of Metal (1984) and I love their second album Spreading The Disease (1985). How very fitting the title is today.
Quite similar to Iron Maiden's debut album Iron Maiden, Anthrax' debut album Fistful of Metal is said to be still a bit fuzzy. The band had not quite found their style yet. I was pleased to hear the cover version of Alice Cooper's I'm Eighteen, as I had come across this song right at the start of my metal research and I have played it frequently since then. The album Fistful of Metal is the only album featuring vocalist Neil Turbin and not many songs have been played live afterwards or included in compilations as they have not quite been "The Anthrax style" yet. I especially like Panic and Deathrider from the first album and have put both songs on my playlist.
The band's second album Spread the Disease is the first album to feature vocalist Joey Belladonna and said to be a one of the best examples of thrash metal and I was pleased with myself that I was able to hear the thrash metal characteristics quite clearly. The 80s are still very present in this album to my ears and if you look at the video to Madhouse also clearly visible. All songs are great to listen to and I've put four of them on my playlist, my favourite being Medusa, where Belladonna's voice is just shining.
Together with Joey Belladonna Anthrax released four studio albums between 1985 and 1990. The band was highly motivated and driven. Belladonna's voice is one major reason why I like listening to Anthrax. He has a clean and melodic voice and an operatic singing style, which is not a given in thrash metal.
Anthrax was one of the first thrash metal bands that explored more flamboyant metal styles. In 1987 they released the rap-metal single I'm the Man. Later in 1991 they toured live with Public Enemy after releasing their joint version of Bring the Noise. Both songs are so vastly different from their usual thrash metal style and I am having so much fun with them. They are also both on my playlist.
After releasing the single I'm The Man Anthrax released their third and most praised studio album Among the Living (1987). Among the Living was Anthrax' breakthrough album and made them part of the "Big Four". The music was faster and more aggressive and is considered prototype thrash metal. The album sold well despite no radio airtime and only moderate rotation on MTV and was certified Gold in 1990.
The following albums State of Euphoria and Persistence of Time were also Gold certified and peaked at position 30 or 7 respectively. Persistence of Time marked a significant change in the Anthrax style as the band moved away from their humorous lyrics and performances on to more serious topics.
Nevertheless Anthrax did not take themselves too seriously. In 1992 they had their own episode (Dinner with Anthrax) in Married with Children.
In 1992 Joey Belladonna was fired from the band over creative differences. He returned from 2005 - 2007 for some live shows and then again in 2010. Joey Belladonna was replaced by vocalist John Bush from 1992 - 2005 and the John Bush era is a perfect topic for another blog article in itself as his style took the band into yet another musical direction and helped them to release their best charting album to date.
For today this is all about Anthrax and I can say - thrash metal was not as bad as I had anticipated. With Belladonna I have found yet another vocalist I really like listening to and I absolutely admire the musical craftmanship behind this subgenre. Thrash metal songs are fast and technically demanding and it deserves me sitting down and listening closely. I already have several other thrash bands lined up in my Spotify library and will continue broadening my mind. Stay tuned!