Tag Archives: Megaforce Records

Genre, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews, Thrash Metal

Anthrax – Caught In A Mosh (Song Review)

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“Stomp stomp stomp, the idiot convention”

The iconic title of this classic Anthrax track was inspired by an incident where one of the band’s guitar techs almost came a cropper in the midst of a slamming audience and lamented getting “caught in a mosh”. The obvious lyrical approach would be to pen an ode to thrash fans and their boisterous antics but Anthrax’s guitarist/lyricist Scott Ian took a different tack. Caught In A Mosh refers to being stuck in a shit situation at home, work or wherever. It’s an idea that results in some memorable, off-the-wall lyrics (“Your mother made a monster, now get the hell out of my house”).

Musically, the New Yorkers are at their frenetic, violent best with exuberant bass guitar, hurtling drums, crushingly tight rhythm guitars and a positively humongous middle-eight riff. But even in the midst of one of their most mayhem-inducing tracks, Anthrax still make room for a song. The chorus, where Joey Belladonna’s golden melodic vocals alternate with the band’s gang-shouts of the song’s title, is an absolute joy. Caught In A Mosh is a brilliant, exciting, all-time thrash classic. Which one of those words don’t you understand?

Genre, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews, Thrash Metal

Anthrax – Lone Justice (Song Review)

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“Clear the streets as he rides into the town”

Lone Justice is one of the more mid-paced traditionally heavy metal songs on Anthrax’s second album, 1985’s Spreading The Disease. It doesn’t have the pummelling intensity of thrashers like A.I.R. or Gung-Ho and it’s fairly cartoony in terms of riffs and lyrics. But it’s still one of my favourite songs on the album. It’s got some great Steve Harris style bass going on and has a thumpingly hard-edged delivery, mainly due to Scott Ian’s hugely crunchy guitar tone. The track’s slower pace also allows the band’s (then) new vocalist Joey Belladonna to shine. He pushes a lot of air on the verses before settling in to a very cool melodic mode for the chorus. It’s so exhilarating that I don’t even mind constantly mishearing his description of the hero’s “stubbled chin” as the much less cool “double chin”.

Genre, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews, Thrash Metal

Testament – Burnt Offerings (Song Review)

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“Making the legacy known”

Evil feelings in the air? Then it’s time for some thrash. Taken from the first (and my favourite) Testament album The Legacy, Burnt Offerings is timeless, definitive moshing right down to its half-note riffs, shifting pace and Chuck Billy’s ballsy vocals. I love the black magic vibe of a lot of these early Testament tracks and Burnt Offerings has got that in spades. It’s like a moshed-up Mercyful Fate song with its seances, tarot cards, spooky intro and creepy-crawly verses. It’s an infernal thrash classic that… won’t die!

Genre, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews, Thrash Metal

Anthrax – Metal Thrashing Mad (Song Review)

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‘Fistful Of Metal/Armed And Dangerous’ 3 x 10″ Vinyl 25th Anniversary Edition

“I’m the madman at the wheel”

This classic rager from Anthrax’s 1984 debut album Fistful Of Metal is still one of their best songs. As well as featuring an early use of the “thrash” term, it’s just a great gear-shifting metal tune: the stomping opening riff breaking out into the speed metal of the verse before hitting the power chord open road of its unforgettable chorus. Best of all, Metal Thrashing Mad has survived all the incarnations of the band with subsequent singers Joey Belladonna and John Bush both recording their own brilliant takes on the tune. But I’ve opted for the original Neil Turbin version here cause his vocals send it pleasingly Manowar-d and I recently bought an awesome vinyl edition of the album.

Album Reviews, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal

Anthrax – For All Kings (Album Review)

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Some albums are so OK you have to buy them twice.

Funnily enough, after reading an article about Anthrax’s Scott Ian (reportedly) behaving like an arsehole, I ended up going on a big Anthrax kick and buying another copy of their last album For All Kings. Goes to show all publicity is good publicity!

I wasn’t all that impressed by For All Kings when it was released back in 2016 but after hearing some of the songs live on the recent Kings Among Scotland release, I felt like revisiting it.  And ended up not only listening to it again but enjoying it enough to add the ‘Tour Edition’ to my collection (for its extra disc of demo versions). Some great tracks here like You Gotta Believe, Suzerain, Evil Twin and the title track. I’d prefer the sound to have more attack and I find songs like Breathing Lightning and This Battle Chose Us a bit too slick for comfort but, judged on its own merits as a We’ve Come For You All kinda album, it’s a solid and memorable release. Just don’t ask Scott Ian to sign it for you.