Anthrax – The Greater of Two Evils
Sanctuary, 2004
1. Deathrider
2. Metal Thrashing Mad
3. Caught In A Mosh
4. A.I.R.
5. Among The Living
6. Keep It In the Family
7. Indians
8. Madhouse
9. Panic
10. I Am the Law
11. Belly of the Beast
12. N.F.L.
13. Be All End All
14. Gung Ho
Twelve long years ago, John Bush officially took the reigns as Anthrax’s third vocalist; the hopelessly dated-sounding Joey Belladonna had been ousted as the band looked to focus on the future, one which was quite devoid of the voices that sold metal in 1987. Grunge had creeped in, all music in general was looking darker and more grim, and Anthrax fell directly in line by the time Sound of White Noise hit the shelves with Bush’s pipes all over it.
In the time since, there has been more than just a moderate divide between the classic Anthrax fans of old — the ones who remember the band first hitting the stage wearing shorts, the ones who first saw this clump of white metalheads tackling rap — and the ones who fully embrace Bush and the darker style that Anthrax took as a whole. While the megahits haven’t exactly flowed from the band’s catalog in recent years, those who have kept up with Anthrax are well aware that there’s no hard rock band on the radio that compares. Slowly and quietly, Anthrax has been floating just under the radar, yet unable to bridge that gap from their old fans to their new ones.
Enter the idea of The Greater of Two Evils: always an Internet presence, Anthrax went straight to their fans to ask which classic pre-Bush tunes they should re-record with the “new” vocalist. The result was overwhelming for many of the band’s more widespread tracks as well as some which didn’t necessarily get a lot of respect as being particularly memorable. Entering the studio for a couple of days to straight crank out fourteen tracks, Anthrax now wields what will hopefully serve to help mend their fractured fanbase once and for all.
Many of the song choices are expected — “Indians,” “Caught In A Mosh,” “Metal Thrashing Mad,” and “I Am The Law” all see their day in court. Refreshingly popularized on the soundtrack to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, “Madhouse” also gets the treatment, along with fan favorite “N.F.L.” and Persistence of Time fare “Belly of the Beast” and “Keep It In the Family.” If one was ever any sort of Anthrax fan, even if it was just during the “Bring Tha Noize” era, these were known staples of the band’s catalog and prime fodder for rehash. Most of these songs only receive minor tweaking and updating, and Bush’s vocals match what he’s been doing live for many years.
However, the best tracks are arguably the ones that received a lot more than just a new vocalist. “Deathrider,” a 20-year-old ditty from the Neil Turbin era, was overhauled and updated with marvelous results; rather than remaining a kitchy relic of the beginnings of speed metal, the band fully breathes new life into the decent song that was hiding underneath. “Be All End All” may be the only showing from the lackluster State of Euphoria, but it more than stands tall next to everything else on the tracklist. “Panic” is another ancient goodie that gets a kick-to-the-face makeover, and the romping “Gung Ho” is more fun than ever and wraps up the disc with a bang.
And not a cover tune in sight, for those wishing to hear “Got The Time” — there’s plenty of live fare for that. No “Antisocial,” either, no “Lone Justice,” and thank all of our lucky stars, they didn’t decide to take another stab at “I’m The Man.” Truly, the tracklist doesn’t leave any huge gaps, although seeing what was done with “Deathrider” and “Panic,” it almost leaves one begging to see what the remainder of Fistful of Metal or what other lesser-known tunes they could turn around.
Can one argue over the quality of an album which is nearly a “greatest hits” type compilation of songs? After all, the majority of the tracks chosen for rehash are ones for which the band was widely acclaimed. Make no mistake, “Indians” sounds great with Bush on vocals, and “Belly of the Beast” sounds much more representative of its convictions with a meatier growl behind the mic. One could argue the production of the album, as it sounds almost unfinished at times where expected backing vocals should fill thin gaps; perhaps the band should have considered a bit more polish rather than leaving it as a “recorded live” atmosphere.
So why, then, does this album seem to sound so bland? Is it years of overexposure to the originals? It really doesn’t make sense; the album has all of the elements that should bring all of the Anthrax fans together to reminisce and enjoy all over again. But there still seems to be some sort of spark missing. It just doesn’t sound like the enthusiastic, happy lovefest that it was meant to create. The first few listens are incredibly fun, but after that, the novelty wears off and it only leaves one longing to hear the originals. Considering how obviously superior the new tracks are to the old, that’s rather a pity.
