Tag Archives: The Big 4

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

Megadeth – Mary Jane (Song Review)

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“Prepare my friends to follow me”

Thrash giants Megadeth go all King Diamond on Mary Jane, weaving a witchy tale of vengeance from beyond the grave. Taken from 1988’s drug-addled So Far, So Good… So What! the track has a thick ghostly atmosphere (aided by the album’s reverb-heavy sound) and a haunting mix of clean and distorted guitars. As always with Megadeth, the guitars are state-of-the-art with numerous twists and turns but frontman Dave Mustaine excels vocally too with a tortured and hate-filled performance. Nowadays I tend to associate ‘deth with songs about politics and society but, in their earlier days, songs about magic and the occult were pretty common and Mary Jane is one of my favourite of the lot. In fact, it’s one of my favourite Megadeth songs… period!

Classic Rock, Genre, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews, Thrash Metal

Metallica – Orion (Song Review)

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I have a notion to write about some instrumentals so let’s start with one that’s often rolled out as the best metal example of the form: Metallica’s Orion. I’m not inclined to rank such things but I wouldn’t argue with this song taking top spot on such a list. Orion is classy and classical metal and a great showcase for Metallica’s much-missed bassist Cliff Burton, who’s writing and musicianship dominates here. It’s extremely well-paced with not a minute wasted as the tune shifts from claustrophobic mega crunch to more open lead breaks and melodies. Burton excels throughout with a range of bass leads and harmonies that all cement his legendary reputation. I especially enjoy the organ-like churn that gets the song off to an ominous start and the tranquil melody mid-song is one of the band’s most moving moments and still takes me back to the feelings of wonder and discovery I felt as a teen getting into all this stuff in the first place.

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.