Published on Nov 27, 2015
It’s hard to believe but it’s been thirty years since Anthrax released their legendary album Spreading The Disease. Now the time has come to celebrate the anniversary with a deluxe edition including rare live tracks and enhanced, remastered sound.
This being the first album with new frontman Joey Belladonna and new bassist Frank Bello, the band had something to prove. They managed to prove they were a much better band than they’d previously been with former singer Neil Turbin and with this album, they began establishing themselves as one of the premier thrash bands of the era.
On this deluxe edition, the remastered sound really pushes everything to the front and brings the album’s tracks to life again, particularly on standouts “A.I.R.” and “Lone Justice.” The band’s punishing intensity really began to blossom here; “S.S.D./Stand Or Fall” is one of those tracks that still manages to sound as heavy now as it did back in 1985. It’s really a Testament (pun intended) to Anthrax’s overall legacy.
A song like “The Enemy” would sound great on FM radio right alongside “Master Of Puppets.” Damn, this band was amazing! Of course, “Madhouse” was the song that everyone latched onto and while I don’t think it holds up as well as say, “Gung-Ho,” it definitely still has its place among classic ’80s thrash.
This deluxe edition is rounded out by rare live tracks and rhythm tracks, which show the creation of the album and the aftermath. Now of course, Anthrax would only get bigger and stronger from here, creating some of their best albums and some of the most endearing thrash songs ever created. But this was the real beginning and it more than holds up after all these years!