Published on Nov 28, 2005
In an effort to pay tribute to their early days, specifically
1985-1991, Anthrax has just issued four releases at once — two
sets of identically titled CD/DVD pairs. First there’s
Anthrology: No Hit Wonders (the music version is two CDs;
the video version is one DVD), and then there’s
Alive 2 (one CD or one DVD). In total, these three CDs and
two DVDs serve as a collection that includes all of Anthrax’s
noteworthy songs from that period. This week on the DV, we will
travel through the band’s early material. My personal favorites
like “Indians” and “Medusa” appear on both releases, which is an
added bonus. With all the CDs and all the DVDs, you can experience
favorite songs in their original studio format on
No Hit Wonders as well as live from their reunion on
Alive 2.
Anthrology: No Hit Wonders starts at the beginning.
Anthrax’s
Spreading The Disease was released in October of 1985.
According to the liner notes, the band doesn’t consider
Fistful Of Metal to be their true first release. According
to guitarist Scott Ian, “[
Disease] was the first one that really came from the band as
a unit.” In addition, vocalist Joey Belladonna hadn’t joined the
band. Rewriting history, eh? When
Disease was released, vocalist Joey Belladonna and guitarist
Dan Spitz were members of the band. The lineup for these releases
also features current members drummer Charlie Benante, guitarist
Scott Ian, and bassist Frank Bello.
Kicking off with seven tracks from
Spreading The Disease seems very applicable to the purpose
of this release. Keep in mind that the songs on this collection are
remixed or touched up in any way. This is Anthrax in the raw, so to
speak, with the energy and double-bass overdrive during “Gung Ho”
that won the fans. This is the band that released the anthem
“Medusa” and the stomping “The Enemy.” The material here has aged
well. The energy is contagious.
Continuing on to the
Among The Living release, there are six strong tracks
included. This release came out when I was a senior in high school
and I admit I wasn’t ready. However, it was this disc, several
years later in my friend’s bedroom, that introduced me to Anthrax.
My friend was playing guitar in one of the many incarnations of a
basement band I was in and he put in
Among The Living. It was around 1989, and I was finally
ready to embrace the band. The opening guitar notes, followed by
the toms of Benante, won me over. When the tempo kicked up to a
frantic pace after the instrumental opening, my jaw dropped. There
was energy and power as Belladonna began singing.
The other song on this release that will always be special is
“Indians.” At the time, I remember reading about how Anthrax was a
band with a conscience since they wrote “Indians.” I wasn’t really
into whether they had a conscience or not. I was more interested in
the opening drums from Benante. I hold
Living high on a pedastal, next to Metallica’s
Master of Puppets, as being one of the ultimate drum
releases of all times.
CD 1 ends with two tracks from the
I’m Te Man EP. There is a cover of Black Sabbath’s “Sabbath
Bloody Sabbath” and their joke song “I’m The Man.” Anthrax playing
Black Sabbath sounds as heavy in 2005 as it did in 1987. “I’m The
Man” still cracks me up as the band shuffles through their rap
parody. This is the “Def Uncensored Radio Version” so you get all
the curse words to make your heart sing joyfully, but turn it down
or put on headphones if you are listening to this song when your 9
year-old daughter enters the room, especially if she times it to
enter at “And all of them can suck our…”
CD 2 starts with six tracks from
State Of Euphoria, which was released in September 1988.
With
Euphoria, the band was on a creative high. “Make Me Laugh”
was the song that always sent shivers down my spine. The other high
for me on this release was the mid-tempo stomp of “Finale.”
In the summer of 1991, Anthrax was part of the Clash Of The
Titans tour. They were touring in support of their
Persistence Of Time album when they hooked up with Slayer,
Megadeth, and Alice in Chains. They released
Time in August of 1990 and had gotten MTV
Headbanger Ball airtime with their video of their cover of
Joe Jackson’s “Got The Time,” which shows up here. Other noteworthy
tracks from this release are the mini-epics “Keep In The Family”
and my personal favorite “In My World.”
To end this collection, the band inserts their collaboration
with Public Enemy “Bring Tha Noize.” When this came out in July
1991, it was prior to Linkin Park. It was prior to Korn. It was
prior to all the other ‘groundbreaking’ rap-metal bands that have
saturated the radio airwaves. This track paved the way for those
bands.
In total, this release serves as a way for casual Anthrax fans
to be introduced to the band in a sequential order. Longtime fans
now have a two more CDs to insert in their 6 CD changer with
Attack Of The Killer B’s,
Attack Of The Killer A’s and
Among The Living when they want the perfect Anthrax
shuffle.