Worship Music

Anthrax come back from the underworld

Were Anthrax a patient, there would hardly be any crazy and bold doctor around to bring them back to recovery. The legendary US thrash-metal band found themselves o the verge of extinction once the twenty first century arrived. Everything happened so fast. Thrash in its original form was no longer attractive to the new generation listeners, and the band withered day by day. Some of the musicians lost the interest, and the other simply quit. As a result, Anthrax in the twenty first century is not more than one album, We’ve Come For You All (2003), and a complete chaos in the lineup as the ensemble shifted the singers three times in ten years. The vital signs were once again seen after the old heroes of extreme rock toured side by side with Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth during the Big Four series. As they looked at and listened to their colleagues who had revealed more energy and vigor, the Anthrax men realized it could all be saved. However, it was them who had to do it. And the best way to bring a new life into the band was releasing a new album. The CD arrived in 2011, that is eight years after the previous release, and was called Worship Music. Welcome back, Anthrax!

Drive flat out, scream your lungs out

The first attempts to record Worship Music were made several years ago, when Anthrax were having a different throat-ripper, Dan Nelson. He appeared to be a bad match and left his duties to the audience’s darling Joey Belladonn, who was there when the group manufactured the most standout records. Joey’s voice has significantly roughened, which is no surprise if you remember that the last album released by Anthrax with him on board was Persistence Of Time dated 1990. No more screams on high notes from this man although those might be the most required thing on the new album Worship Music. And the reason is Anthrax got sick and tired of beating the roundabout ways and returned to the thrash metal highway. Just like the glorious genre requires, the album kicks off with a brief intro, Worship, and then rushed forward flat out without even warning to get off the way. Earth On Hell is a song stuffed over the edge with old Anthrax clichйs that would makes even tough metal head bangers shed a tiny nostalgic tear. Next comes the more rock and roll in style, but as aggressive in manner The Devil You Know. The hammer-like start is sealed by Fight’em Till You. The song is inspired by the movie maniac George Romero who shoots films about none other, but living dead only. And it takes no more than four track to leave our brains in smoking ruins.

A perfect album for a thrash fan

Even the mean guys from Anthrax have some room for mercy in their hearts and this mercy makes them slow down a bit after the sweeping start. I’m Alive, and In The End are made of the same parts: a moderate intro that gives way to a more lively verse and then follow a smashing chorus with a magnificent solo. As the album draws near its ending, Anthrax offer a couple of fine experimental tracks. Judas Priest is a discreet research work in the progressive rock area; Crawl is a low-tempo piece with focus fixed on Belladonna’s singing; and The Constant is a modern hard rock performance. In the end, the album drops a real concert bomb, Revolution Screams. It is a trick track: the song is followed by a concealed cover of New Noise by Refused. It comes to a conclusion that Worship Music is a solid and efficient work from the genre’s leaders, who have got over an enduring and severe disease and came back to where they were. This work is a priceless gift to all those who love Anthrax and old-school thrash.