I haven't done one of these posts for a while, so let's jump right in and take a look at Loudwire's ranking of the Anthrax studio album discography...
Original article: https://loudwire.com/anthrax-albums-ranked/
11. VOLUME 8: THE THREAT IS REAL (1998)
What they say:
"Recorded during an emotional all-time low for Anthrax, shortly after their separation from Elektra Records, Volume 8: The Threat is Real was not without its moments (see 'Catharsis' and 'Born Again Idiot'), but this was clearly a band in crisis: too far removed from their thrashing origins to turn back; no longer confident about their ability to evolve (see the country music madness of 'Toast to the Extras'). So instead of sinking or swimming, Anthrax treaded just enough water to make it out of the '90s alive."
What I say:
One of the strangest albums from the Anthrax camp - just listen to the country-tinged 'Toast to the Extras' - but in my opinion not actually their worst. I mean, it's far from their best (in fact, it's not even their best with John Bush) It's inconsistent and patchy, sure, but some good songs did slip through the cracks here, namely the bruising 'Crush', catchy 'Catharsis', grungy 'Inside Out' and the crazy fast skits '604' and 'Cupajoe'. This was Anthrax in alt. metal mode, a product of it's time. If you take it for what it is, it's really not a bad record - even if it isn't that good either.
10. STOMP 442 (1995)
What they say:
"Anthrax doubled down on their career reinvention on their second LP for Elektra (and with frontman John Bush), but 1995's Stomp 442 lacked the consistent vision and songwriting inspiration of the preceding Sound of White Noise, and highlights like 'Fueled', 'Riding Shotgun' and the very Pantera-like 'In a Zone' were few and far between. Behind the scenes, general uncertainty about the band's lead guitar spot (recently vacated by the long-serving Dan Spitz) obviously confused both the band and longtime fans, whose loyalty and patience were being tested to the limit."
What I say:
In my opinion, this is the album that should've taken the lowest spot - but I wouldn't say it trails far behind Volume 8 either. You can't go into Stomp 442 expecting Among the Living Pt. II - especially after the darker tones of Sound of White Noise - so hearing the groove-based metal of this record comes as no surprise to me. The problem is, there's little heart and soul in these tracks. Everything's competently performed and written, but as a whole the album's largely forgettable. 'Random Acts of Senseless Violence' isn't a bad opener, 'Fueled' is catchy and one I like to crank loud while the ballad 'Bare' is actually quite pleasant. But the bulk of this record is about as generic-sounding as '90s alternative/groove metal gets. Listenable, sure, but that's simply not good enough for a band of this calibre.
9. WE'VE COME FOR YOU ALL (2003)
What they say:
"Perhaps because reports of Anthrax's demise during the latter 1990s were greatly exaggerated, 200's We've Come for You All felt like something of a comeback - or maybe fans were just grateful that the band hadn't changed their moniker altogether after pressure to do so after the anthrax scares that followed 9/11. In any case, new lead guitarist Rob Caggiano helped convey a sense of stability to the proceedings, even though eclectic songs like 'Safe Home', 'Black Dahlia' and 'Taking the Music Back' didn't provide enough clues for fans to determine just who Anthrax were at this point in time."
What I say:
I used to consider this to be the best of the John Bush-era albums, but I'm not so sure I agree with that anymore. There's a lot of cool material to digest here, but as a whole We've Come for You All is very disjointed and directionless; it has retro metal tributes ('Strap It On'), classic thrash metal ('What Doesn't Die'), catchy yet grungy cuts ('Superhero' and 'Refuse to Be Denied'), catchy mainstream rock balladry ('Safe Home'), fun stadium rockers ('Cadillac Rock Box' and 'Taking the Music Back') and even a black metal-tinged edgy number ('Black Dahlia'). And I dig all this stuff quite a bit - it's fun. But as a whole there's far too many songs here and the constant shift in styles and tone makes it quite a demanding listen to hear in one go. Plenty of good songs here then, it's essentially just an album I have to be in the right mood to sit through.
8. STATE OF EUPHORIA (1998)
What they say:
"Just when Anthrax thought they could do no wrong, the newly minted members of thrash's platinum selling Big Four took a step back with 1988's State of Euphoria. In a nutshell, the album was a watered down (and rather repetitive) sequel to the mighty Among the Living, and the band's good humour was unfairly seen as a weakness by many anally retentive metal fans. But, hindsight being 20/20, these same fans would soon revise their harsh first impressions and start longing for the days of old-school Euphoria thrashers like 'Be All, End All', 'Make Me Laugh' and 'Finale'. Better late than never."
What I say:
Unfortunately, the writer of this Loudwire article (Eduardo Rivadavia) is 100% correct when he talks about the criticisms State of Euphoria initially received from fans and critics. It's not like this was ever a critically-panned album or anything to that extent, it was just looked at in lukewarm fashion after Among the Living. Honestly though, I think this album is excellent. Not quite a 9/10, but not far off. Songs like 'Misery Loves Company', 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind', 'Finale' and 'Be All, End All' are as thrashy as you could ever want, while 'Make Me Laugh' is an absolute molten metal classic and 'Antisocial' is a ridiculously fun singalong anthem (originally a Trust song). This album as a whole goes on a little too long and in general it trails behind Spreading the Disease and Among the Living, but it's only a minor downgrade from those seminal works.
7. FISTFUL OF METAL (1984)
What they say:
"Anthrax's first LP was the only one to feature founding bassist Danny Lilker (later of Nuclear Assault, Brutal Truth, etc., etc.) and vocalist Neil Turbin, but its music was also unique in that it captured the fledging group's conversion to thrash metal, literally on the fly. Months earlier, Anthrax had made Metallica's acquaintance and performed some eye-opening gigs to ruthless Bay Area audiences, and so Fistful of Metal essentially chronicles their transition away from the older metallic influences heard on 'Howling Furies' and Alice Cooper's 'I'm Eighteen', and towards their moshing future on 'Deathrider', 'Panic' and, of course, 'Metal Thrashing Mad'. A little inconsistent but so much fun!"
What I say:
Yep, this isn't a full-on thrashfest, sitting closer to speed metal more than anything else... but in all honesty, outside of Among the Living, State of Euphoria and Persistence of Time, most Anthrax records aren't all-out slabs of thrash anyway in my opinion. And I disagree with the Fistful of Metal being inconsistent statement. Yeah, there's a mixture of old-school heavy and speed metal tracks here, as well as some thrashers, but the album's great from start to finish and flows just fine in my books. Neil Turbin probably wasn't the right man to sing on any of the band's later works, but his wailing style is brilliant on this one, and the songs kick ass - particularly 'Deathrider', 'Metal Thrashing Mad', 'Subjugator', 'Anthrax', and 'Howling Furies'. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the Alice Cooper cover was thrown in due to record label requests, and the rest of the band weren't really interested in it. Either way, it's surprisingly good. A fine debut album that deserves a reputation as a true slice of US heavy metal. Different than what was to come, sure, but I love it.
6. FOR ALL KINGS (2016)
What they say:
"Anthrax not surprisingly turned everything up to 11 on their eleventh studio album, For All Kings, which built on the resounding triumph of Worship Music with one of the most well rounded efforts of the group's long career. Sure, the all-out thrashing of yesteryear has been replaced by short, focused bursts, but these are meshed seamlessly with more deliberate tempos and the impressively catchy choruses showcased by the title cut, 'Suzerain', 'Zero Tolerance' and many others. Only time will tell whether these tunes will earn a permanent place among Anthrax's top achievements, but we sure won't bet against them."
What I say:
A very nice continuation of 2011's comeback, Worship Music. I don't think it's quite as strong as it's predecessor, but For All Kings is a rock-solid melodic speed/thrash metal record all things considered. There's great thrashers on here with opener 'You Gotta Believe' and finale 'Zero Tolerance', possibly one of the fastest songs they'd recorded since the glory years. But there's also a couple of very hooky metal masterclasses in 'Monster at the End' and the insanely melodic, uplifting 'Breathing Lightning' - probably my favourite track on the record. It's an extremely competent latter-day Anthrax album, I just find there to be a few less memorable tracks overall when stacked up against Worship Music. So putting it at number 6 is slightly too high for me, but the album's still great either way.
5. SOUND OF WHITE NOISE (1993)
What they say:
"Although its daring experiments seem altogether foreign, even unnatural, compared to the 'classic' Anthrax sound today, there's no denying that, with Sound of White Noise, the band delivered one of the most distinctive metallic responses to grunge's fearsome challenge. Dark, disturbing, lyrically provocative, and amazingly versatile (just compare hit single 'Only' to the brutish 'Room for One More', or the haunting subtlety of 'Black Lodge'), Sound of White Noise was hailed by critics, outsold preceding efforts on a global scale, and also earned some of the highest chart placements of Anthrax's career. All this while smoothly welcoming former Armored Saint singer John Bush to the 'thrax fold."
What I say:
First things first - 'Only' and 'Black Lodge' are masterpieces, and easily 2 of the best songs the band ever recorded. John Bush was also the perfect vocalist for this album. There's also a smattering of other decent cuts here with 'Hy Pro Glo', 'Potters Field' and Room for One More', but as much as I like Sound of White Noise, it just isn't one of my favourites, sadly. I really want it to be, but it just isn't! The riffs are kind of lacking in creativity throughout while the production has this strange fuzzy (?) overtone that has never quite comfortably settled with me. The super-serious shift in tone doesn't really bother me - they had to change if they wanted to make any money at this point in their career, and I like the cold feel of the album overall... but there's just not enough great songs on here to make the record, well, truly great. Still, 2 of those songs are at least among my favourites.
4. WORSHIP MUSIC (2011)
What they say:
"It sure wasn't easy, but Anthrax pulled off one of thrash metal's most anticipated reunions when they reinstated longtime vocalist Joey Belladonna in time for their tenth studio album, the cleverly titled Worship Music. Moreover, because its songs were written and re-recorded over such an extended period of time (an incredible eight years had elapsed since preceding record, We've Come for You All), their overall high quality was matched by a hybrid convergence of sounds spanning the length and breadth of Anthrax's career. In other words, Worship Music is the Anthrax album for all seasons, boasting songs as powerful as they are infectious and memorable, including latter day fan favourites like 'The Devil You Know', 'I'm Alive' and 'In the End'."
What I say:
A brilliant comeback for the band, and Joey Belladonna in particular considering he'd been absent since 1990's Persistence of Time. Considering this album was originally written for Dan Nelson to sing on (which explains the extended period of recording time), everything sounds incredibly natural with Joey back in the fold. The album is chock-full of superbly catchy melodic heavy metal pieces, namely 'Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't', 'I'm Alive', 'Crawl' and the masterful epic 'In the End'. No, it's not the fastest Anthrax record, nor is it the heaviest - it's the sound of a band aging gracefully, and crafting top-tier heavy metal with the best of them.
3. PERSISTENCE OF TIME (1990)
What they say:
"Persistence of Time is the probably the most lyrically cynical, musically challenging, and all in all humourless album of Anthrax's career. An obvious reaction to State of Euphoria's much-criticized flippant outlook, punishingly dense creations like 'Time', 'Blood' and 'In My World' reflected a band that was demanding to be taken seriously. Others, such as 'Keep it In the Family' and 'Belly of the Beast' unintentionally revealed growing internal friction that not even a rambunctious hit cover of Joe Jackson's 'Got the Time' could long disguise. And yet, for all the turmoil festering just beneath its surface, Persistence emerged as a victory of negativity expressed through art - perfect fodder for naturally depressed metalheads everywhere."
What I say:
An accurate description, although the darkest Anthrax album to me is still Sound of White Noise. The Joe Jackson cover, 'Got the Time', is far too fast and fun to be ignored. Persistence of Time is definitely the second darkest Anthrax album though. Unlike Worship Music, this is the fastest, heaviest Anthrax album overall too - songs like 'Time', 'Keep it In the Family', 'Discharge' and 'Belly of the Beast' are so heavy and hard-hitting, and I lose count of just how many relentlessly awesome detuned riffs there are on this record. It ties with Among the Living for me as the finest in their discography.
2. SPREADING THE DISEASE (1985)
What they say:
"Anthrax's most eminently lovable LP (even Among the Living made fans work for their dessert, just a little), 1985's sophomore Spreading the Disease captures the excitement of thrash metal's rise to power like few other LPs - by any band. Among its nine, genre-defining tracks, grateful fans found songs that were both immediately catchy ('Madhouse', 'Gung-Ho') and detailed with instrumental intricacy ('The Enemy', 'Armed and Dangerous'); some rooted in familiarly metallic, violence and fantasy subjects ('Aftershock', 'Medusa') while others actually made listeners think ('A.I.R.', 'Stand or Fall'). At all times, the furious onslaught rarely paused this white-knuckle ride, which lay the groundwork for the most popular phase of Anthrax's career."
What I say:
The first effort with Joey Belladonna, and in my opinion his best ever performance with Anthrax. Unlike the shouty vocals of their rivals, he sings in a classic heavy metal vocal style throughout almost the entirety of the record. Spreading the Disease still isn't a fully-blown thrash album in my opinion (although certain tracks most definitely qualify), but this has zero effect on it's greatness. In fact, this was the first record that really sounds like the Anthrax you know and love - especially after the preceding Fistful of Metal. 'Gung-Ho' is one of the fastest, craziest Anthrax 'bangers ever, 'A.I.R.' is a riff-tastic slab of speed metal, 'Armed and Dangerous' is surprisingly proggy while 'Medusa' and 'The Enemy' are excellent mid-tempo romps and 'Madhouse' is a concert staple for a reason. Can't exactly argue with the authors' description, though it doesn't quite beat Persistence of Time for me.
1. AMONG THE LIVING (1987)
What they say:
" Even amidst some stiff competition, Among the Living ultimately rises to the top as the quintessential Anthrax LP. Led by the maturing songwriting of band leaders Scott Ian and Charlie Benante, Anthrax's classic lineup (completed by Belladonna, Dan Spitz and Frankie Bello) fully hit their stride while guiding their pit-dwelling fan-base to the moshing promised land. Thrash never witnessed a better album-opening trio than Among's formidable title track, 'Caught in a Mosh' and 'I Am the Law', and the essential thrashers kept right on coming ('Efilnikufesin', 'Indians', 'Imitation of Life' etc.), covering a series of self-empowering messages and popular culture touchstones (comics, Stephen King) that every teenaged metalhead could relate to personally. This connection, as much as Anthrax's peaking musical brilliance, certified Among the Living as one of thrash metal's definitive cornerstones."
What I say:
A predictable number 1 from Loudwire, but the only other album I can argue with for first place would be Persistence of Time. Either way, Among the Living displayed further progression from Spreading the Disease. The songs have gotten faster, heavier and (mostly) better. The last 3 tracks ('One World', 'A.D.I./Horror of it All' and 'Imitation of Life'), while enjoyable enough, sadly prevent Among the Living from being a near-perfect thrash record, but the rest of the album is some of the best thrash you'll ever hear. The lyrics are great, the riffs are pummelling, and the album as a whole has a slapstick charm that separates it from what Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth were doing. It's not a masterpiece, but it's an absolutely essential recording that deserves it's place in every metalhead's collection.
There wasn't really any placements on this ranking that surprised me, unlike some of the past one's I've analysed. Aside from Worship Music sitting at number 4 - a placement I was actually pleasantly surprised by, because I love Worship Music - this entire list was fairly predictable and hard to argue with overall. My own ranking might be different, but I totally get why the author of this article put things in the order he did here all the same. I will say that I like Fistful of Metal quite a lot more than this guy does however, and also that Sound of White Noise definitely isn't a top 5 for me. As much as I love Anthrax - and I really do - I don't think they ever created any masterpieces, unlike their rivals Slayer, Metallica and Megadeth. But they still have a respectable catalogue of their own with many, many great records that I highly recommend. This is my own ranking... ask me again tomorrow though, and Persistence of Time may have swapped places with Among the Living...:
11. Stomp 442 (1995)
10. Volume 8: The Threat is Real (1998)
9. We've Come for You All (2003)
8. Sound of White Noise (1993)
7. For All Kings (2016)
6. State of Euphoria (1988)
5. Fistful of Metal (1984)
4. Worship Music (2011)
3. Spreading the Disease (1985)
2. Persistence of Time (1990)
1. Among the Living (1987)
