The 1980s were golden years for the thrash metal genre. Talented bands emerged all over the world and quickly became popular. But there were a few groups that could not be surpassed. They began to be called the "big four of thrash metal", which all musicians were guided by. The four included American bands: Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax.
Anthrax are the least known representatives of this symbolic four. This was due to the crisis that overtook the group with the advent of the 1990s. But the work that the band had spawned before that became the "golden" classic of American thrash metal.
The Early Years of Anthrax
At the origins of the creation of the group is the only permanent member Scott Ian. He entered the first line-up of the Anthrax group. At first he was the guitarist and vocalist, while Kenny Kasher was in charge of the bass. Dave Weiss sat behind the drum kit. Thus, the composition was fully completed in 1982. But this was followed by numerous reshuffles, as a result of which the position of vocalist went to Neil Turbin.
Despite their fickleness, the band signed with Megaforce Records. He sponsored the recording of Fistful of Metal's debut album. The music on the record was created in the speed metal genre, which absorbed the aggression of the popular thrash metal. Also on the album was a cover version of the Alice Cooper song I'm Eighteen, which became one of the most successful.
Despite some success, the reshuffles in the Anthrax group did not stop. Despite the fact that it was the vocals that became the main asset of the debut, Neil Turbin was suddenly fired. Young Joey Belladonna was taken in his place.
The Arrival of Joey Belladonna
With the arrival of Joey Belladonna, the "golden" period of the creative activity of the Anthrax group began. And already in 1985, the first mini-album Armed and Dangerous was released, which attracted the attention of the Island Records label. He signed a lucrative contract with the group. Its result was the second full-length album Spreading the Disease, which became a true classic of thrash metal.
It was after the release of the second album that the group was known all over the world. The joint tour with the musicians of Metallica also contributed to the increase in popularity. With them, Anthrax played several major concerts at once.
A video was filmed for the Madhouse song, which was aired on MTV. But very soon the video disappeared from the TV screens. This was due to offensive content regarding the mentally ill.
Such scandalous situations did not affect the success of the group, which released the third album Among the Living. The new record cemented the status of thrash metal stars for the musicians, standing on the same level as Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer.
In September 1988, the fourth album, State of Euphoria, was released. He is now considered one of the weakest in the classic period of Anthrax. Despite this, the album gained "gold" status, and also took 30th position in the American charts.
The group's success was reinforced by another release, Persistence of Time, which came out two years later. The most successful composition of the disc was the cover version of the song Got the Time, which turned into the new main hit of Anthrax.
Decreased popularity
The 1990s came and went, and it was disastrous for most thrash metal bands. Musicians were forced to experiment to keep up with the competition. But for Anthrax, everything turned out to be a “failure”. First, the group was left by Beladonna, without whom the group lost its former identity.
Beladonna's place was taken by John Bush, who became the new frontman of Anthrax. The Sound of White Noise album was very different from anything the band had played before. The situation provoked new creative conflicts in the group, followed by a reshuffling of the line-up.
Then the team began to work on grunge. It became an obvious confirmation of the creative impasse in which the musicians fell. All the experiments that took place within the group made even the most devoted "fans" of the Anthrax group turn away.
It was only in 2003 that the band took up heavy sounding, vaguely reminiscent of its former work. The album We've Come For You All was Bush's last. After that, a protracted downtime began in the work of the Anthrax group.
The group did not cease to exist, but was in no hurry with new records either. There were even more rumors on the Internet that the band would never return to active studio activity.
Return to Anthrax's roots
The long-awaited return to thrash metal roots did not come until 2011, when Joey Beladonna returned to the band. This event became a landmark, since it was with Beladonna that the best records of the Anthrax group were recorded. The record Worship Music was released in September of the same year, becoming one of the main events in heavy music.
The album received positive reviews, aided by a classic sound devoid of elements of grunge, groove, or alternative metal. Anthrax have taken to old-school thrash metal, and it's no coincidence that they're part of the legendary Big Four.
The next album was released in 2016. The release of For All Kings became the 11th and became one of the most successful in the team's career. The sound on the album turned out to be exactly the same as on Worship Music.
Fans of the group's early work were satisfied with the material. In support of the record, the group went on a long tour, during which they visited the most remote corners of the globe.
