Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Thrash is just not my style and Anthrax presents such an onslaught of sound and percussion and playing every single note, that I felt like I was gritting my teeth waiting for a reprieve that never came. Technically impressive but hard to listen to. 3 feels mean but that's where I was.
This was a lot more like AC/DC than the mental image I had of Anthrax was
never thought I would actually like a trash metal album and not just respect it.
I don't normally like thrash metal but actually quite enjoyed this.
I can listen to this to broaden my musical and personal horizons for like 20-30 seconds. Unfortunately that's all I can offer; this isn't for me and that's great.
Hab die Platte selbst aus Thrash-Fan glaube ich vorher noch nie komplett gehört. Anthrax werden ja oft als Schlusslicht der Big Four bezeichnet; mMn zu Unrecht, schließlich hat die Band über die Jahre einige Banger zu verantworten. Selbst die letzten Alben waren immer noch unglaublich gut und stehen für mich nur in Konkurrenz zum Spätwerk von Metallica. Das zeigt sich auch auf diesem Album: das ist sehr kompetent gemachter Thrash, die Songs laufen butterweich rein, irgendwo ist immer ein spannendes Riff und ich mag einfach Joey ikonischen Gesang. Was der Platte fehlt, ist dieser eine Über-Hit. "Indians" und "Caught in a Mosh" kommen dem am nächsten, aber wenn sich hier noch "Madhouse" des Vorgängers drauf finden würde, dann würde es diese Platte auf ein ganz anderes Level heben. So bleiben es nur sehr gute 4 Sterne, weil viele Songs eben "nur gut" sind und ich den Closer leider gar nicht mag, der versucht, nach dem Vorbild von Metallica eine finale Abrissbirne a la "Damage Inc." oder "Dyers Eve" zu zünden, aber daran leider scheitert.
Ein Klassiker der Thrashkultur. Mich hat das Album damals erst nach ein paar Durchgängen so richtig gekriegt. Aber dann auch richtig. Es hat ja quasi nur Hits - also Hits im Sinne von Thrash. Live macht das ganze noch 10x mehr Spaß. Einen Punkt würde ich dennoch abziehen aufgrund der sehr durchgängig ähnlichen Liedstruktur. Da hätte noch etwas mehr Abwechslung noch mehr (und vllt. auch im Mainstream? zumindest etwas) gefunkt. Ich habe auf jeden Fall wieder mindestens 4 Ohrwürmer für heute, danke.
Das Genre gibt mir ja gar nicht so viel, klar paar Hits bleiben hängen, aber auf die Laufzeit passiert mir zu wenig
I enjoyed this more than I thought I was going to. Metal isn’t a genre I generally gravitate towards but occasionally I can get it. And this album was decent and kind of fun. Also there was a song about Judge Dredd that I never would’ve expected, so that was a fun surprise
Good for a one time listen, but that’s enough.
We have Metallica at home Bump 3?
als punk kan ik ook dit maar matig smaken... niet slecht, maar persoonlijk vond ik de ouwe Metallica beter...
The same song on repeat.
A sick metal album but its fatal flaw is the terrible production.
Anthrax's best album. Hits hard all the way through. 5.0/5.0: Iconic
great, no notes
I understand, and can respect, why this is an influential metal record, but I also don't like almost anything about it.
meh
Thrash
The music is good - but is let down by the least 'metal' voice outside of Korn... They should have done what Maiden did and replace the vocalist.
Classic thrash metal album, although I was kind of bored by the end of it.
What a fucking ripper of an album. Not a bad riff in the entire thing and the entire thing sounds massive. Listened to my dad's OG copy on vinyl for this and it was excellent beginning to end. 9/10
Good, but not my style. Bit too typical.
standard thrash its jus repetitive
My first listen to Anthrax. Not my usual stuff, good tho'.
Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Indians, One World, Medley: A.D.I / Horror of It All I don't really know how to rate this. At 500+ albums, most music sort of just goes in one ear and out the other, even when I give the album 2 to 3 listens. The only time an album seems to have an impact on me is when one of two things is true: I absolutely love it or I absolutely hate it. Everything else just sort of sits in the middle. Yea. that's how scales work. And averages. Duh. But rating mostly everything a three feels like a serious cop-out. Perhaps the answer is a either half-stars or a 10 star rating system, but that's unlikely to happen. It probably doesn't help that I have no functional ability to discern good or bad singing or instrumentation. Even after 500 albums, I am a terrible objective critic on how well or poorly albums actually plays. Practically everything I write is personal emotions. But I digress. This album feels less aggressive than Slayer's Reign In Blood. It's not 70s heavy metal, so its much less melodic; it ain't no Black Sabbath. It doesn't seem to have the same broad appeal as Iron Maiden or Metallica, probably the "thrash" part of thrash metal holds it back in the zeitgeist. The first minute of Medley: A.D.I. / Horror Of It All is a break from the trash and its quite nice. I wish there were more punctuations in the music like that. If you don't like thrash metal, you probably won't like this. I don't really particularly care for thrash metal, but I also don't actively dislike it, so........ so............. 3
*Among the Living* is quite a surprise to me. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't this - first off the sound is incredibly legible, which isn't always the case with bands on the extreme end of music. You can hear every attack of the drums, every riff so clearly, every word. The lyrics are also not at all what I was expecting - every song is either espousing fairly progressive (especially for 1987) politics or re-creating a Stephen King novel. The fact that I can understand every word is kind of nice. The stand out performances for me are the rhythm guitar and drums. The drummer is absolutely killing it all through the album, and is so clean and precise it's hard for me to not focus on him on every song. Some of his fills are absolutely world-class..... Super impressed. Thrash metal is not my genre, but this album rocked. FOUR STARS
Banger !! 4.5
Did Stephen King get a co-write? ;-) More indebted to Maiden and Priest than I remember.
What speed metal is at its finest.
For the first minute or so, I was like ‘oh man, is this gonna be awesome?’ and then the singer started singing. I think most early metal has aged pretty poorly, kind of like early rap. The rest of the album kept up the ‘fun instrumentals, corny vocals’ thing for the most part.
*no music, just noise of banging instruments
4/10… trash / 80s metal / *1987
Look, I like metal as much as the next guy, but this album is kind of a mess. The lyrics are so so cringy, but also that's how a lot of 80s thrash and speed metal was. This one though, I just couldn't get behind it. None of the songs hooked me or got me pumped. The guitar work was pretty good, drumming and bass standard. Like I don't really have any complaints other than the dated cheesy world-issues lyrics but Among The Living just didnt do it for me. It's stereotypical thrash, which is very much influenced by Anthrax, so good for them I guess. Standouts were "One World" and "A.D.I/Horror of it All." I do think the album gets better as it goes on. It just didn't do enough to bring itself out of mediocrity. It's a 2.5 up to a 3 because I liked the sound more than I disliked it.
Sort of hard to evaluate, because I don't care for this genre, or this music -- but goddamn, that is some immaculate production, and I can't call it objectively bad as a whole. I wouldn't mind a bit of Anthrax every now and then.
2,9/5
Not my fav thrash metal album of all time, but solid.
Cool.
I should like this album more than I do but frankly I've never been a big Anthrax guy.
Was expecting something better, pretty mediocre and underwhelming
Not the most soothing and relaxing musical experience. I’ve heard some of this album many years ago. Didn’t really enjoy it then or now. For what its worth, it is well executed thrash punk. 2 stars
Every song sounds the same. So boring and tedious.
This album is ok. It's definitely a metal album of its era. If I discovered this as a 15YO I probably would have loved it. Alas, I am close to 40-oh. Wait. This album is sweet. It grows on me as it goes along. Skeleton in the Closet is my pick. Indians is a great, too.
Is it weird that "Indians" reminds me of '70s Kansas (the band, not the state)?
If I had an older sibling they would listen to music like this. I somehow just know it. I enjoyed this album, and Anthrax is good, but I think I prefer the other big thrash bands overall.
Eh, not my thing, but a more fun version of not my thing at least.
Clearly some good musicianship. The lyrics and the vocals didn’t do anything to help get it above a 3, though.
Thrashy Goodness
It's loud thrashy goodness. You get exactly what you'd expect from this one. Not my preferred choice of thrash, but I guess I'm pretty picky about my thrash: Metallica, a little Megadeth here and there, and like one Testament album are my jam.
Thrash Metal im Comic‑Modus: schnell, laut, aber oft erstaunlich eindimensional. Die Riffs rasen, doch sie bleiben selten hängen; der Humor kippt ins Alberne, und die Songs wirken wie Variationen derselben Idee. Energie ist da, aber wenig Substanz.
3.8 I never really got into Anthrax before. The vocals dont really do anything for me, but you can put that thrash up against the best.
Bologna on hand. If you aren't banging your head along to Indians, I don't know if anything here will get you going. If this is a surprise for you, go listen to Persistence of Time where Anthrax really found their groove (and Frank Bello's bass sound).
It starts a little too disjointed and with some heavy influences from Metallica’s Master of Puppets but eventually hits its own stride later on. Definitely a fun discovery.
Not a fan of trash/heavy metal But all in all it's a good record Songs are tight
Cool record, doesn’t all click with me but found it mostly very enjoyable Fav Track: Among The Living Least Fav Track: Imitation of Life
Overall: 9/10 Years ago, I absolutely hated Anthrax. It's strange to think back to that time because I absolutely adore them now. This isn't my personal favourite Anthrax album, but I understand why it's the one that was included in the list. I love Joey's voice so much, I think Scott is such a great guy and fun personality, and then you have the uncle/nephew combo of Benante and Bello just tearing their instruments apart. I would go so far as to say that Anthrax is one of the best live bands I've ever seen in concert. I'm so glad I came around and learned to love them, because my life is better for it. Fav Song: I Am the Law
It never fails to surprise me just how much music can effect my mood! I had to listen to this album in small, controlled bursts; within minutes, it would turn my cheerful disposition into an anxious, stressed and above all, angry demeanor! I love it when music evokes emotion, but I just find this too strong to contain!
I've been trying to listen to this for weeks. Every time I started it my ears said 'not today Bec'. I eventually got through it today through gritted teeth and actually just hating every moment, and usually I like a bit of metal - but not like this :(
It's a very middle of the road metal ablum. I didn't feel any of the sounds or production was anything special. And in retrospect none of the somgs stand out much or are very memorable. It's fine, but not really my thing.
Good, not standout. Bog standard thrash.
This is better than most of its ilk. There’s melodies and musicianship and lyrics that aren’t laughable. But the rump-rump-rump rhythm guitar and senseless rapid fire of the bass drum reminds you what this is. After all, the best turd in the punch bowl is still a turd.
Killer riffs and killer solos. Pretty pure thrash. The vocals really reduce the listenability though
Pretty good standard 80s thrash. Didn’t stand out to me but not bad
Way not the best Anthrax album but a classic.
FUCK YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
Out of "the big four" I think Anthrax won me over as my favourite on this album. You can hear the punk influence and they manage to stay away from some of the metal tropes and cliches that the others lean into. I still have to take this on context of time and place to appreciate it, but as a bit of musical nostalgia this was a pretty fun listen.
I’ve always heard that while Anthrax were one of the big 4 of thrash metal along with Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth, they were the odd ones out. I guess that may be true as far as popularity goes because Anthrax is easily the least well known of the 4, but this album still goes as hard as any of the other big 4 I’ve heard. The guitars are fast, heavy, and precise and the rhythm section is driving. My only complaint is that I don’t love the over dramatic vocalizations in a few of the songs.
Fajny. Taki klasyczny thrash. Dla mnie 4
Næh, det va ikke nokka for mæ. Men det e æ jo heller ikke overraska over å oppdage, så det e helt greit.
Feels like Anthrax’s star has faded the most out of the big American thrash bands. I’d never listened to them until this, and while it wasn’t bad, man really can’t sing, huh? The vocals, while maybe not as strained-pooping sounding as Metallica, are a little silly. The thrashing is fine. Still nothing capable of matching Megadeth’s Rust in Peace.
Volvemos del receso con Anthrax, banda del género ideal para ir a un gimnasio o practicar boxeo. Diría que de los 4 grandes del Heavy Metal, esta es la que menos me ha llamado la atención. La banda suena un montón pero no me terminan de cerrar la voz principal ni los coros. Favourite track: Indians. Gracias y hasta mañana
I honestly thought that Anthrax were Canadian when they first started. Honestly, there sound has always seemed to me to be a mix of Triumph and April Wine with a little of The Sweet thrown in to the mix. You can hear this clearly on I Am The Law which 12 albums into a career kind of revitalized metal a bit after having been crushed by Punk Rock. However, this would be short lived as Nirvana would soon wipe out metal turning it largely into a fringe movement in the nineties. I guess as one of the so-called big 4 of thrash along with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer, Anthrax is more of a survivor tale. If you had experienced hardcore punk during this period, then you would recognize that Anthrax and thrash metal in general was not as hard as the then current hardcore scene. It was clear that the clean vocals, conventional song structures and the dry drum sound just didn’t compare with what was going on in the pink scene during that period. By 1987, Husker Du which was the most melodic and fastest of the hardcore bands had evolved, slowed down, become poppy and signed to a major level. Thrash was clearly an outgrowth of the punk rock scene. Compare Cro-Mags, Youth of Today, Uniform Choice, BL’AST, Suicidal etc. with Ánthrax during this period and you can see that this record is the boy band version of those records. This is no shade to Scott Ian and Joey Belladonna who clearly were watching the evolution of Metallica in real time as well as the insane popularity of AC/DC and adapting to what what sell records and increase concert ticket sales. The Cro-Mags record Age of Quarrel had come out the year before and the gang vocals on that record appear on Among The Living. So, all that said, there are some good tracks on Among The Living particularly Efilnikufesin (N.F.L), I Am The Law and Caught in a Mosh. I loathe the Indians track. As an aside I’m AOK with the unusual and often comedic lyrical choices. Stephen King novel references, comic books, movies etc are actually kinda punk rock. The Misfits made a career out of that shit. So, is Among The Living groundbreaking? No. Is it life changing? No. It’s a solid thrash record and nothing more. 3/5.
Yeah... it's Heavy metal with screaming vocals and the instrumentals are doing nothing special
Don't normally like heavy metal but this was pretty good
Seth - 1/5 Logan - 1.5/5
Fine, kept me busy at least. Don't think I'm a thrash fan tho. Highlights-A Skeleton in The Closet, Indians, and One World.
One of my faves from my youth
uffff nei danke. Aber geils cover. Among the two Pointers
I'm concerned because Wikipedia only really explained what happens when you are exposed to Anthrax with skin contact or being inhaled. Not about hearing Anthrax. Over an hour can't be good, can it? I plan on listening for longer than the album. The only hole in their sound is the singer but I think the Punk sensibility in their song writing matches the vocals. Looks like I'm gonna die from hearing Anthrax. Brain melted thoroughly. 4
Ice always under rated this band because ive always been a fool
I heard the first ten seconds and immediately switched it off.
Middling metal very little depth. Noisy and aggressive, but in the image of others.
This was the first of three covers by Don Brautigum, who previously painted Metallica’s iconic Master Of Puppets. “Poltergeist had a very strong visual image to me and I liked the way it looked,” Charlie Benante, the drummer, explained to PureGrainAudio. “I was always into horror, and Among The Living was basically about good and evil. It was just about how much evil there is amongst us.” Charlie Benante. Seizing control of the band’s aesthetic after the widely-ridiculed Fistful Of Metal sleeve, Benante has conceived, overseen and approved every image the band have since stamped their name on, tracing an artistic line from the garish excesses of the 80s, through the moody, minimalist 90s, to the hip superhero likenesses and ‘Pentathrax’ insignia of their post-millennial graphic design. In 2016 Charlie told Artist Direct “That’s one of the reasons I still take the time and effort to make an album cover: I want our audience to get lost in it.” source Loudersound.com Who is he trying to kid? Don Brautigum has some skills and using the same illustrator for 3 sleeves gives some continuity, but the sleeves are horribly immature. The iconic logo for the American heavy metal band Anthrax was designed by their former lead guitarist, Dan Spitz. He created the classic text-based graphic for the band in the 1980s. Source logos world.net Love it or hate it, its spelt correctly and its repetitious use for merch will be the envy of many a worldwide brand. All of this is great if you like grown men shouting while aimless tuneless noise fills the background.
Quand j’ai vue que s’était ça l’album du jours j’étais comme « really ? » maisn finalement s’était super cool et j’ai passe un bon moment
Me encantó el diseño de tapa, lamentablemente no soy del metal
Wow. These guys could shred. Listen to them, and you can hear their punk influences in both musicality and writing. Plus they’re funny in parts. Sometimes they reference pop culture, other times their admonishing sell-outs. A noted departure is a thoughtful tribute to their collegians friend Cliff Burton. This album shows why Athrax is on the Mount Rushmore of Thrash.
I was hoping I'd enjoy this more than I did, but there's a redundancy to a lot of the songs that means nothing really stands out to me. I discovered how much I actually enjoy System of a Down and Black Sabbath because of this challenge so I'm always on the lookout for something new that I'd never really listened to, but unfortunately this is not it for me. Shout out to the intros of 'Indians' and 'A.D.I. / Horror of It All' for making me sit up and go, "oh, this is something different," (even though, tragically, they quickly lapsed back into the same monotony of the previous tracks).
This was just about okay but I find metal in general to be a pretty dull genre. The higher tempo helped and I didn't hate this, but I can't see a scenario where I'd choose to put it on.
Appreciate the lyrics overall. Don't love the pushing drums & guitars, or the screaming vocals.
I made it through two whole songs. That's enough of that.
Eh
note my fav
The music sounds tough as hell, the singer sounds so wimpy and pubescent, and the whole thing is kinda fun and stupid
The only question for me is, is this a 4 or a 5, and that hinges entirely on whether I judge it on its merits in its context and in some kinda absolute what do I like rubric. In other words, thrash metal isn't my thing, but this is beautifully executed. I have a ton of appreciation and respect for their musical talents, but will always skip almost almost any song with incessant double base, for example, as I find it boring and mildly aggravating. That doesn't mean I don't love a tasteful double base in its place, but speedy songs driven staccato guitar and a rolling double base are very much "meh" in my books. That said, that's far from the only thing here. And there's at least a few songs I can see myself actually putting on and enjoying which is a few more than I was expecting.
If I grid my teeth and listen to the lyrics, there's some cool & reasonable social justice content. But it's awful hard to pay attention to this music if I'm not feeling angry.
Potentially a good band but the singer is in the softer rock genre
Honestly this is interesting thrash with the hardcore elements but the vocals didn't match the heavier energy and I just kind of plodded through this one. It would be a 5/10 or 6/10 but I'm feeling a little mean so I'm gonna go for a 2
i genuinely think music like this is so flavorless
Err, well I listened to it all. Couldn't tell you one song from another and found it annoying
Märkää bassoo ja tukkahevii hell yea
Hard for me to rate this as I dont live in the metal universe and I think you need to in order to appreciate most of it. Melodically, not to bad. The vocals kind of suck but maybe who cares. A whole album is a lot but its not just them.
Great instrumentals, very good thrash metal lyrics, all in all an exemplary form of the genre, and some of anthrax's best. It also makes me want to go rewatch netflix's Bastard!
Not my bag but not as bad as I feared? I wish the vocals were a little lower in the mix - the singing style isn't as annoying as many 1980s metal, but just so there would be no chance of ever understanding the lyrics.
I knew we were unlikely to escape this collection without a little taste of Anthrax, and here we are. Pretty much what I remembered from high school, for good and bad. They always felt like the younger brother to Metallica and Megadeath, and perhaps the chippy cousin to Slayer, and really the only one of the four where you can (somewhat, sometimes) understand the lyrics. I don't think I ever heard this particular album, and I liked reading that the album title and the dedication were for the recent death of Metallica's Cliff Burton during Anthrax's supporting tour, and lots of props for the Judge Dredd references in "I am the law". I'm *severely* disappointed, however, that the "1001 Albums" editors didn't choose their album with what I considered (and still do, to some degree) the most mind-blowing rap/metal collaboration I'd ever heard, joining with Public Enemy for "Bring tha noize", although now that I've looked this up, I guess I can give the editors a pass, since it only appeared on their 1991 b-sides /outtakes compilation album "Attack of the Killer B's", and further digging reveals that I've heard that track in this collection thanks to the inclusion of PE's "Apocalypse 91".... But back to *this* album, this is perfectly fine thrashy metal, but nothing particularly distinctive, and reminded me of a kind of less-compelling mix of Iron Maiden's screaming vocals and twin lead guitars (especially on tracks like "A skeleton in the closet" and especially "Indians") and early Metallica's driving thrash. (And kind of sad that their non-standard-metal tour wear of shorts and t-shirts, and their slight embrace of hardcore sounds, brought out calls of selling out or not being "serious" enough....)
I admire their commitment if not their lyrics and enjoyed the occasional punk overtone.
Very headbang worthy collection of tunes, somehow never gave them a go for the brief adolescent period that I was into Metallica/megadeth
Pretty certain the title track is temu leper messiah This was fine, nothing exciting that makes me want to listen to it again 3
3.5
If they had a different vocalist and lyricist this might be alright.
Ah yes the Big 3 of Thrash Metal! Metallica, who became the best-selling Metal band of all time by far; Slayer, who took the genre even further in its speed and aggression; Megadeth, who began out of spite of Metallica and are kinda there I guess. All of them have made vital contribution to Metal, especially when it comes to its acceptance in the mainstream... Wait... What do you mean it was the Big *4* of Thrash Metal? Anthrax? What?! Key tracks: I Am the Law
I have loved this album since I was in high school back in the early 90s and I still love it now. Every song is awesome.
Yeah. So love the album cover… After Metallica’s Justice for All and Slayer’s Reign in Blood I think I can honestly say 80’s thrasher metal is not my scene. I just don’t jam to the speed. No variation on it does a thing for me. I dig Metallica’s Black album. But relentless machine gunning drums pretty much destroy everything I love about percussion. Anthrax is supposed to be “bouncier and punker” than Slayer, which seemed so potentially good, from my standpoint. But… yeah. Um… like I said. Not my scene. 3 Boolean: True? Don’t really know how important this album is to this sub-genre. Don’t care about this sub genre enough to figure it out.
9 songs The instrumentals are great, and I generally enjoyed the songs. My only gripe is that the vocals don't have as much bite or grit as I feel like the songs deserve and need. Joey's voice is very Iron Maiden like, and the instrumentation underneath doesn't really complement it; I think John Bush's voice fits Anthrax a lot better imho.
A solid thrash-y album. Not the hugest metalhead let alone thrash fan, but one thing I noticed straight away something I liked from this was the louder bass guitar sound. I find the Metallica's thrash era has reduced bass sound for some reason. But thrash with bass guitar adds a hell lot of more punch to the overall sound. The production is pretty solid, thank god it's not like And Justice For All's production. The lyrics seem to be pretty typically for the genre, anti-authoritarian, war, anti-corruption sort of stuff. The vocals weren't the strongest point, though I think for thrash that isn't really the focus. His voice seemed a bit like Bruce Dickinson in the first song, but once I sat and listened I started to hear my nuances. Might return to this one if I'm in a metal (especially thrash) sort of mood and want to rediscover or discover some classics of the genre. Highlight Song/s: "Among The Living" and "Indians"
Fast. Metal. This one is hard. I want to give it a 4 cuz it rocks and shreds but it gets a little too much repetitive and tiring too. 🤷♂️
Not bad. Tolerable to kinda cool.
I'm not a fan of the genre, but this is a good album. The musicianship was excellent. Even though it's thrash/heavy metal, I could hear lots of classical influences. It was also nice that you could hear what the singer was singing and what he was saying was often meaningful.
Idk yall this kinda rips. I'm learning more about thrash through this list and this is the kinda shit that I'm glad I've come across. What's lost in all the discourse about the album though, is how much these guys were SPITTIN from a political perspective. Love the lyrics. Highlights: One World
I am the law 🪖😠⚖️🔫
Thrash metal written by punks. Nice.
No, just no...anybody else getting a headache during the constant repetition of the words 'cry for the Indians' on the song titled, "Indians"? Then the same repetitive yelling of 'one world' on "One World" ugh! At least I didn't have to listen to the Deluxe Album.
epic
Wel dik maar relatief zijn de andere bands dikker
didn't even bother - do not need a 2 day head ache
Decent guitar work just not the style of metal I like.
Obviously in terms of like, cultural impact, Metallica is by far the most significant American Thrash band. If you think about it, it’s pretty remarkable that a thrash band got itself so deep into the mainstream. I would argue that Anthrax did something even more remarkable, which is being a big four thrash band that seems like they would be cool guys and fun to hang out with. Imagine hanging out with guys from any of the other three. What a nightmare.
Heard Before? Nope. I got into and then out of thrash pretty quick. Notes: - metal's many critics are right. it's silly, samey and formulaic. so what? - hate this guitar tone, but love the bass tone. what's wrong with me? drums sound fine, vocals are as good as Anthrax gets. - lyrics are ridiculous-political instead of ridiculous-religious. i can get behind that. - songs lack songwriting, plus there's too much weedly-weedlie for me, but that's like complaining that all a fish does is swim. Verdict: WE ARE ANTHRAX / WE CAME TO THRASH / THIS IS OUR ALBUM / NOW WE ARE THRASHING / LISTEN TO US THRASH / OH YEAH / THE WORLD IS FULL OF BAD THINGS / THOSE BAD THINGS ARE REALLY BAD / BUT WE ARE ANTHRAX / WE CAME TO THRASH Listen Again? I was fully entertained, but feel no need to revisit.
Sometimes guitars sing, sometimes they weep, sometimes they just chime along. Dan Spitz makes guitars scream. Anthrax put the metal in thrash metal with this one. So many good tracks. I can't help but shout along to "Efilnikufesin (N.F.L)."
I really tried to listen to the whole album, but just couldn't do it. Not saying it is a bad album, it just isn't for me.
Aight
No this isn’t for me.
I don't know the band. Head pounding music. Not for me.
This is the first metal album on the list and the first one I would consider way outside my listening comfort zone. I would say most of these songs are sons I would change the channel on if they came on the radio that's why this is such a nice exercise in giving everything a full listen. Idk how much this is true but this sounds so typical to me of metal (google says theyre one of the big 4 of the thrash metal genre). I was particularly surprised by the song cry for the Indians about the plight of native people in this country and one world about unity and the cold war which is just not what I thought metal covered lyrically.
Shit
Shhmid
Legendary album. A little ruogh for commercial play so can't giv eit a 5 star but its an amazing album
A solid thrash album which is let down by the vocalist. I've never gotten along with Joey Belladonna's vocal style. It just sounds far too nerdy.
This is really fucking overrated. The riffs are amazing and the drums are really good as well. The problem begins when Joey Belladonna opens his mouth; the man cannot sing for shit. The best song is the opening track and then the rest goes downhill from there. The vocals are just a major barrier.
It’s was very loud
i can hear the punk influences, which i like. a nice addition to my appreciation of most metal music
I can't channel my internal edgy teen enough to get behind this one.
Pas client.
I can appreciate parts, but no. 1
At first I thought it wasn't as bad as I was expecting but after a while it just all sounds the same . Not as 'rah' as it might have been but still not my sort of stuff .
Knew I'd hate this, was right. At least I'll never have to listen again.
Much better than expected from a Metal/Thrash album. I normally avoid this genre, mainly due to the usual incomprehensible grunting and guttural roaring of the vocalist. But at least this dude sung. The continuous frantic pace is still cliche. I’d give this a 2.5 if I could, but I’ll round it up to a 3 as I like the album cover!
As expected, to my ears it is generic trash, sorry thrash metal. Nothing to get remotely excited about. At least it is more palatable than many acts from this genre.
We have a vaccination for this now correct?
This project continues to confirm that metal is just not for me. This feels overly technical, but not very musical.
I think this is pretty bad but liked it, if that makes sense?
Heavy metal music here from Anthrax, or perhaps thrash metal. They took on some serious topics with their lyrics, so they get credit for that. Unfortunately the music, although fast and loud, seemed ordinary to me.
Imagine a band called "Coronavirus". (There probably is one, tbh). I feel like I'm gonna hate this, even though Scott Ian was likable on vh1's "I Love The..." shows. Yep, I hate it. Long songs, lots of guitars, the opposite of beautiful singing, typical metal lyrics (war/death/benevolent aggression). Wish I were listening to Eminem's 'Square Dance' instead. More backwards words here too ("Efilnikufesin") - I haven't dutifully been keeping track of them, but now I regret that because they're much more common than I realised. 'Imitation of Life' is the name of an R.E.M. song; I wonder if they copied it (an imitation of Imitation of Life). Highlight: "Judge Drucker, the man, he is the law / Druck it" (lol) Language observation: why do so many people say Amthrax with an "m"? It's like the opposite of place assimilation. Maybe it's like one of those overcorrection deals where people assume the "n" was assimilated and it's actually an "m". An exanple I'll never use.
Boring, one note
Hmmm.. yeah,no. It’s too heavy metal for me and on top of that the guys voice annoys me. I listened to the first song and realised I don’t have to listen to this, so I won’t!
Good old school thrash metal! They are pretty good and deserve to be on the top four of the main bands of metal!
Could not get into this at all today. I'm realising that I think for hard rock and metal, drumming and drum sound are important to me. I think there's some flashy fast drumming here but it sounds and feels paper thin to me. Guitar sounds are a little buzzy too - it's altogether a bit more punk sounding than I'd like
Wonderful visit with an old friend. Nostalgia five!
Interesting album. Not amazing. Liked a few of the tracks but really wasn’t blown away by much of anything. There’s better Anthrax tracks than most on this.
Alldeles för roligt för att inte ge åtminstone en svag fyra
Kul lyssning, om än inte det bästa som jag har hört i genren.
Om man tar det sämsta från dom andra Big 4-banden så får man detta. Ingen verkshöjd och jättetråkigt.
Röjigt!
Ja nej det här är nog bara en sämre version av annan liknande musik tyvärr
Yeah, kinda meh. More punk than thrash, which is why I give it a 2.
This hit me just right. And I wondered why I never listen to metal or hardcore anymore. Am I soft now? What went wrong?
Preferita: medley
Two metal classics back to back. I've been wanting to check out Anthrax for quite some time and I'm glad I finally did. Might take sometime before I really fall in love with the band though. Favorite track: I Am The Law 3.5/5
My first listen to anything by Anthrax, other than their _Bring the Noise_ collab with Public Enemy. Not a fan of thrash really so no surprise that this was just ok, and much like what I was expecting. There were some decent riffs and the vocals were pretty accessible for the genre but generally, it alll felt a little stiff and predictable. I wouldn't complain if someone threw it on but not one I'll be reaching for myself again.
Musicianship is great, the vocals are corny. Metal is kinda like stand up comedy for me, the old stuff just doesn't hold up. I didn't grow up listening to this so I have no nostalgia for it and would rather listen to something more modern when I'm in a heavy mood (which is admittedly a rare occasion). Ok, they got me on the last song "Imitation of Life", it fucking rips and the vocalist goes into kind of a punk thing. I dig it. Added that to my 1001 playlist and bumped up my rating from 2 to 3
Awesome album
Olha só… minha vida inteira sempre tive um desgosto por Rock pesado, metal e afins. Mas recentemente tirei aqui um disco do Iron Maiden e dei a ele 5★, e agora esse do Anthrax não ficou tão pra trás assim. A lista está me ajudando a apreciar melhor um espectro musical que negligenciei por tanto tempo. Ajuda também que recentemente estou numa febre de jogar Guitar Hero, então acabo me expondo bastante ao gênero por esse meio. Os Riffs aqui são intoxicantes. Semelhante ao Iron Maiden, o que me atrai aqui é a parte técnica do disco. Tudo é executado muito bem, a percussão mas principalmente os riffs colossais. Tipo de som que entra no seu corpo e afeta até a parte mais profunda da sua alma, realmente te movimenta, e é impossível não apreciar isso. Maravilhoso. 5/5
It isn't Metallica but its a fun album to listen to. 3.5/5
Once got sent an Anthrax album in the mail, anyway due to a massive misunderstanding the police showed up at my house asking if I had connections to terrorist groups
'Murder, murder / Commit cold-blooded murder / Like Nazis during World War II / They only follow orders.' Oh wow, that's some profound shit, I almost don't know what to say. While I take to some of the thrash drums & the punky vibes, I don't care for what Among The Living is in essence, an album that's boring, lifeless, repetitious, purposeless. It's Belladonna & his tough-not-tough screaming & his brief moments of melodiousness that are the real tough sell for me. Literally ever track sounds the same - the same exact riffs, the same pounding drums, & the same vocals that revel in the same trying to get a point across that's no point at all. 'Apathy can never solve.' That's like a 12-year-old trying to sneak in a 'big' word to impress.
Not my type of thing most of the time, but I enjoyed this.
Cool thrash, would definitely revisit
Pues mucho mejor de lo que esperaba. Este era el típico grupo de heavy que nunca habría escuchado en su época y si no fuera por esta lista tampoco: "Among the Living", "Caught in a Mosh", "I Am the Law", "One World" y "Imitation of Life". Un 4 estrellas ****.
banco mucho, pero honestamente no es mi genero! todavia no puedo entrarle perdon. Pero reconozco que está piola, simplemente no es para mi
It’s not bad. Nicely layered instruments. Melody is on the weak side. It’s like a beautiful mille crepe cake but tastes mediocre.
ive said it before during this experiment - thrash metal isn't my jam. its a good album, but not one that i would really ever come back to. nothing against Anthrax, it just isn't my jam
Probably the first time I’ve ever listened to a full Anthrax album and overall it felt like a pretty easy entry point into metal music. Nothing too crazy but still plenty of fast paced heavy rock. Nothing too my usual style but I’m not mad about it being on the list by any means.
My boss's boss's boss called me at 12pm on a Friday saying that I needed to get a research proposal put together and submitted by the end of the business day. I've never done a research proposal and I didn't even know where to submit it. I put on this album, cranked out a great idea, and submitted it with 15 minutes to spare.
Love this classic thrash metal album. Is it cheesy? Yes, but I still love it. 5/5
Like Metallica but without the catchy riffs. From time to time Dimebag aces it with a harmonized Lizzy/Queen riff, but mostly it's chugging without a great riff.
Anthrax have probably always been my least favourite of the Big 4 but I I still really enjoy them. They're a lot of fun live For me this is the height of their combination of tight musicianship and catchy songwriting. Joey Belladonna's vocals are also a nice change from most thrash vocalists and I think Scott Ian should get more recognition, he's a fantastic rhythm guitarist Typically I would give this 4.5 and I would round it down, but I'm going to round up this time Highlights: Caught in a Mosh, Among the Living, Efilnikufesin, One World
The album that propelled Anthrax to the big time, and rightfully so. This is one of the best-sounding thrash albums to my ears - just the right amount of grit but never so much that Scott Ian and Dan Spitz's guitar figures aren't readable. The band picked a fight with producer Eddie Kramer over the mix and I'm happy to say the right party won. From a lyrics standpoint, it's fascinating to hear Ian, well, thrashing about - trying to articulate some sort of coherent moral viewpoint for his frustrations and often lacking the language to do so. It's why he veers from feting Judge Dredd one moment ("I Am the Law") to lamenting the might-makes-right conquest of Indigenous Americans the next ("Indians"). Which is why "Caught in a Mosh" remains so sublime, decades later: it captures the exact feeling of realizing you live in a carceral society - parents, teachers, bosses, the entire medieval Universal Chain of Being weighing down on you. When you realize that, well, you *act out* - and this album is the band doing that, productively, sublimely, for fifty minutes straight.
I like the sound but I miss something remarkable or unique. So I prefer Megadeth or Metallica instead. favourite: "Indians" 2,5
more metal today. anthrax is said to be one of the greats when it comes to the world of thrash metal music. this is their third album, and the album was dedicated to cliff burton, the bassist for metallica who died in a big bus accident. this album is said to be the first time they've decided to pull no stops and crank things up. it's honestly standard fare, as far as '80s metal music goes. is it solid? absolutely. it makes sense that metallica had these guys as their opening act, if you're about that sort of sound you'll definitely want to keep it in your rock collection... i'm not a complete metalhead here, so while this album is generally high quality, it's arguably not my first pick if someone wanted to blast shit like that and mosh. this album sounds like how guilty gear plays and looks.
Las dos primeras canciones me gustaron bastante pero el metal melodico ya no me gusto nada, not my thing 6/10
this sounds pretty average
no es mi onda
Pre Listen: Anthrax? I sure hope not! Another band I've never heard of. I'm begging for it to not be punk or even punk-adjacent, I don't know how many more of those I can take. Notable Tracks: Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.) | A Skeleton In The Closet - Tied for my favorite songs on the album. Both tell neat little stories with the lyrics, have shredding guitar work, and stellar drum work. Medley: A.D.I. / Horror Of It All - I like the intro, I was actually hoping for a more acoustic song around track 4 because of how much I was enjoying the lead guitar. The fade in from acoustic to electric did not disappoint. Post Listen: Thankfully I did not contract Anthrax listening to this album. I actually quite liked it. Nodded along to most songs, head banged a bit even to my listed favorites. They remind me a lot of Metallica, but without the painfully slow and boring parts that I don't like. I already enjoy Metallica a good bit, so seeing as how they're like Metallica but better, I thoroughly enjoyed this album. Everything from a musical standpoints gets high marks from me. The vocals are complimentary to the music, the bass keeps tempo well. The highlights (rightfully so for the genre) are the guitar riffs and drums. They absolutely shred, amazingly electric. As much as I love the lyrics for some fun rhymes and interesting subject matters, they sometimes give off school-shooter vibes, kinda cringe. Another critic I have is that some of the songs do blend together. This resulted in not one least-favorite song, as most songs not listed kind meshed together a wee bit. This wasn't as damning an issue as it is on other albums, because the overall sound from all tracks left a positive impression on me. Overall, this album's a robust piece of rock. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. 4/5. EDIT - Damn, I *really* enjoyed this thing more than I thought I would. I've listened to this album front to back several more times since I reviewed it, and it hasn't gotten old or stale, and I've grown fonder of other songs on it. Bumped to a 5/5, will be adding more songs to my playlist.
Fine.
2 stars on the strength of the musicians. This would have been a 3 if the album was instrumental. Hate the singing.
Never liked Anthrax..my first full album listen. I gave it a try and I hope this is the last time. I can say I liked some of the music but the vocals SUCK
Feels like your typical 80s metal band but not bad.
I’m certain I’m not the target demographic for this album, but nevertheless I liked it anyway. Not a band I’ll likely return to but I’m the realm of “heavy Metal” I’ll let it serve as a barometer of what I might be into…
I thought this was going to be harder thrash than it was, and found myself enjoying it. I'm a simple metal guy and mostly just like Metallica, but this was good
Not for me so 2 outta 10
Ok
Not really my thing
It’s so cool to learn more about the original influences for thrash metal! Not my usual casual listening choice but very nice.
no thank you 😌
311/1001 Anthrax - Among the Living Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ This falls on the right side of metal for me, where the vocals aren't impenetrable and it goes hard. I'll be delving more into this.
My thrash metal tastes are pretty limited. I mainly gravitate to Metallica when I have the itch. However, this album was surprisingly good. I am the law was a blazing good time. 3.5/5.
Good OG thrash
If they set out to play tuneless crap at high speed, they almost succeeded. But on too many tracks the band struggle to keep up with the drums.
Great.
This is the good noise. I am glad that trash metal is included in this list as well None of the songs on this album really stuck though
I was vibing
When i was younger I thought this was just noise, but i appreciate the musicianship behind the noise now.
80s metal Favorite track: caught in a mosh other picks: Indians, among the living
16 year old me thought this was th greatest album ever. 52 year old me isn’t THAT positive but I understand why I thought that. Pummeling riffs, lyrics about the films and books I read and energy by the bucketload. Genre defining stuff
Not my jam but it was cathartic having rage metal in the background on the day i buried my father. 2/5
Some solid old school thrash with rather intelligent politically charged lyrics, even if the way the words are delivered can feel bone-headed at time. Albums like this kill any argument that heavy metal is for the dumb. The riffs on this thing are exceptional and you can tell within minutes into opener 'Among The Living' that the band are not going to let the sound stagnante by how often they charge things up. It almost makes you think you are going to be hearing a heavier prog album before those vocals kick in. Considering that I have never quite gelled with Megadeth, I'm very pleased at how much fun I had with this today.
Liked Metallica back in the day but I am old now and don't like thrash metal so much
Really good. Mixed on vocals
It's an album from prime-era Big 4, of course it's gonna a headbanger. Solid 5 Stars.
I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. I mean, I hear why they’re the part of the “big 4” of thrash metal after listening to this. From top to bottom, it’s pretty damn good, & you can’t ever say there’s no energy on this. It’s well-written, even with a number of tracks taken from pop culture references & retelling Stephen King plots, and the constant tempo shifting gives it a good sense of progression in each track that stops the album from hitting any intensely stale points. Unfortunately, there is a staleness that eventually washes over the album, mostly in its latter half. At 50 minutes long, it’s just a little much for how little variance there is from track to track. I’m personally not complaining about the soundscape here, since their technical efficiency is off the charts, but I'd be remiss to act like every track here isn’t just a manic drum beat with tempo shifts placed throughout from an instrumental standpoint. Obviously, it’s more than that, but that general blueprint is the standard for most of the 50 minutes here, and at a certain point, it just gets to feel a little much. Part of that comes with a slight dichotomy between some of the lyrics & the instrumentation behind it – Metallica knows when to switch up their style based on what the song is about. Anthrax seemingly does not; a track like “Efilnikufesin” feels like the biggest example here, with the sincere lyrics about how drug abuse has wrecked so many shining stars full of potential… being met with a similar soundscape to the other 45 minutes. It’s a constant pulse that gives the actual intent of the track no room to shine or breathe, and that slight disconnect is this album’s biggest issue. Ultimately, it just doesn’t flow as cleanly as its peers do, and while it’s not enough of an issue to make me consider bumping this down to a 4, it does feel like something that should’ve been solved by 1987, given that “Master of Puppets” was a year earlier & they spent the entire time before recording this album touring with Metallica. None of that rubbed off on them? I guess it just might not be Anthrax’s style, but still. Regardless, I think it’s a pretty good album with no real skips behind it (although skipping WITHIN tracks to get past some of the longer intros feels fair), and while I might go down on any future listens if it just doesn’t click the same way, I’m impressed enough by the full package here to go from a 4.5 up to a 5 on a first pass. I think it’s worth being on the list.
Decent just not my genre.
I have a limit to the amount of this kind of hardcore thrashing heavy metal I can listen to, and the length of this album comes perilously close to surpassing that limit. Still, there's no denying these guys were great at doing the kind of thing they wanted to do. If that thing is not for me, that's not really on them.
No
Not for me
3/5
Yuh ts hard as fuck boi
Yo! Closer to a 5 than a 3.
meh
Yeah that's definitely an album.
raahhhhhhhhhhhh ja lekker albumpie maar ik heb niet zo veel met thrash metal los
Not good
Anthrax is another band that I've dabbled with but not listened to a whole lot of. Pretty solid thrash. "Caught in a Mosh" is probably the best song. I'm digging "I Am The Law" and "One World" too. Sweet riffs, nice vocals, great production, really quite good. Some very good lyrical depth here too. Maybe I should listen to more Anthrax...
not for me
I don’t think we really need all this thrash. A bit of Metallica and Megadeth is plenty.
I AM THE WALKING DUDE
Though I don’t necessarily like thrash, Anthrax has a soft spot in my heart for their funny commentary on the anti-establishment themes. Scott Ian is a great metal guitarist, and the rhythm section holds it down with driving beats. This is their best album, but have always been a fan of their collaboration with Public Enemy. 3⭐️
It was okay. Typical Anthrax. Nothing special
I guess I don’t get it. It all sounds pretty uniform to my ears. I guess maybe if you really like thrash metal you might like this? I cannot support my opinion with any authority, but this was just not for me. I mean, it’s hard and I’m sure you could mosh to it, but I was pretty bored by the second half and was relieved when it was over.
I hate it
Y'all ain't ready to face the truth that Anthrax is ✨️culture✨️ and it shows
When punk went metal.
No. No. No.
Not my usual go to music, but I enjoyed this! Some great guitar in here 4 ⭐️
Metal's not my thing, but there are metal albums I'd enjoy more than this one. For me , thrash metal songs need to be short and ferocious, not six-minute epics that recount the plot of a comic the guy read. Every song on this album is over five minutes long! And as with Metallica, the vocals don't match up to the music. It demands Satanic death metal growling.
hard heavy hitting metal. not really my vibe, but would slap when playing tony hawk pro skater
reconfirming i am meh on metal, maybe of the better ones though
Among the Living 3.7 Caught in a Mosh 3.5 I Am the Law 3.5 Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.) 3.6 A Skeleton in the Closet 3.4 Indians 3.6 One World 3.3 A.D.I./Horror of It All 3.7 Imitation of Life 3.6 Score: 3.544444444
not my genre
I grew up through the late 80s and early 90s as a childhood Metal fan. I scrawled Anthrax and their logo into school books. I later became a DJ in Metal bars. And yet, I have never listened to an Anthrax album. I knew maybe 2 songs by them as a kid. I bought a greatest hits CD for DJ purposes, but thought it was pretty poor. So here we are, my first Anthrax album proper. The problem with Anthrax, for me, was that they didn't have anything that madr them special when compared witht the other Big Four of Thrash. They didn't have the intensity of Slayer. The technical skills of Megadeth. The songwriting chops of Metallica. They always felt like the add-on. The stupid Metal cliché fan's favourite band. Which isn't fair, of course. But listening to this album, it does little to change my mind. The songs are simply not as fast, angry, or as good as what the other bands were making. Which leaves the open question of their inclusion in the Big Four. Why not Annihiliator, or Kreator, or Exodus, or Testament? Another issue may be the production quality. Comparing this to the other thrash big boys of 1986, this sounds thin. Weak. Not as full or chunky. It has a lot more in common with your garden variety thrash bands of the time. Sure the songs are decent, they playing is great, and I love all the Stephen King references. More listens are deserved, I suspect. It feels like a 3 star album when I think of Master or Reign, but as this list is light on Metal, I'll give it another star.
Ja, wat vind ik hier nou van. De punky nummers ga ik tbh best goed op, maar de meer thrash metal stukken weer minder. Decent.
Er bestaat zo veel goede metal en wij krijgen dit... Ik kan heel weinig met de meeste trash metal, zo ook met Anthrax. Dit voelt op veel momenten een beetje als Black Sabbath at home, met een vleugje grootse arena-rock. Echt helemaal niets.
ANTHRAX MENTIONED?? Ngl it’s not the same listening to them after hearing them perform live 🔥
Pretty fun thrash metal. Not as good as its contemporarys but i could listen to this again. If youre a fan of thrash metal youll probably emjoy this 7/10 Favourite: Indians Least Favourite:A.D.I. / Horror of It All
Helt ok. Väldigt slutet av 80-talet med skrikig sång. Inte det bästa bandet inom thrash-genren men helt ok. Det är rivigt albumet igenom och det är ett plus.
Way too much yelling. No thanks.
No thanks
Espero que la correspondencia que me llegó mientras escuchaba este disco, no esté contaminada
Yesssss!! The title track was a great intro to this album. Super steady riff, great drums. I don’t usually listen to heavier stuff, but I did enjoy this. Caught in a mosh was a super fast, fun track that honestly I could imagine moshing to. I am the law was also epic. I liked that NFL had more melodic elements to it. Some of that guitar was so smooth, so great. A Skeleton in the Closet had some really great drumming. Indians was good and I really liked One World. The Medley had so many great moments to it, it’s hard to pick out a few favourites. Imitation of life was a good way to close the album! Sick guitar solo. Overall, a pretty enjoyable time that didn’t feel as long as it was. 4/5 ⭐️ 118/1089
It suddenly dawned on me whilst listening to this album is that there is no other genre of music where the bands name fits perfectly with the music being played. Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Death Angel, Havoc, Testament, Exodus, Overkill, this lot Anthrax as well as many others could only be thrash metal exponents. If I were to start a thrash metal band think I’d go for something like The Fluffy Bunnies to be different and get noticed. I normally get these musings when listening to something which has become a chore and my brain seeks higher stimulation elsewhere. But that is not quite the case here. Unlike a lot of thrash ‘vocalist's’ who usually only growl rather than sing, I can actually hear what’s being sung. There is also a welcome absence of those industrial sounds and banging’s which seem to blight other albums. Instead there are some of good guitar riffs played at 90 mph. The speed everything is delivered is admirable but not good for continued listening of over 15 minutes. But I found the first 15 minutes rather enjoyable albeit if I were to pick another 15 later elsewhere on the album I doubt I would be able to tell the difference. This is my ongoing problem with this stuff in that it all sounds a bit ‘samey’. 3/5 29/4/26
This is a tough one. I loved this record back in the day, and they solidified east coast metal. But listening again songs like caught in a a mosh, Indians and NFL among others are so corny. And this record sounds like shit no balls. All that said it’s a million times better than some of the shit I’ve heard here. 4 stars.
Big metalhead here, I've never been mad on Anthrax. They're the most forgettable of the big 4, but having listened to this they're maybe the most accessible - at least for a thrash band. This doesn't stink, but I'm unlikely to revisit it
Monster riff after monster riff. The hardcore influences are evident and it’s got that NYC toughness. I’m also a bit biased as I used to be a metalhead, so is this an automatic favorite of mine. My one gripe is the songs are bit long, but that is common for heavy metal.
It's thrash. I don't think it adds anything new to the table, but it definitely thrashes.
I didn’t hate this as much as I hate most metal I’ve gotten in this list.
You know this is not my bag and that’s ok
Way more enjoyable than the laughable grumpy antics of Metallica and especially Megadeath but not quite as much fun as Slayer. Interesting reading how they were so excited to work with veteran producer Eddie Kramer and then he was initially a bit nonplussed about what they were doing. And then the disagreement over the final mix. I think you can hear all that. The guitars are weirdly muted/buried just a little bit in certain places for a thrash album. The vocals sometimes seem like they are floating above the mix and sometimes overwhelming the guitars. None of that particularly bothered me as I thought it added to the scrappy feel of the thing. But I was surprised at how much time it took them to get that scrappy sound. It does sound very live which is cool .
Не ще да ги слушам сега, ама звучат като нещо което бих слушал ако бях на 16 през 90те
A touch aggressive for a 6am walk but did enjoy it. Fave was Caught in a Mosh. Want to revisit in the car when angry.
Good old Heavy Metal, a little too raw for me to listen to voluntarily.
Haven't really heard much of these guys but enjoyed this one
It is very difficult to take this music seriously. And it is a chore to listen to.
Following Marvin Gaye’s orchestral soul masterpiece with full-throttle thrash metal is possibly the most dramatic single-step pivot this project has served up, and the context didn’t help. A long work day and a Marvin Gaye hangover are not ideal conditions for Among the Living — though in fairness, it’s hard to imagine conditions where this would land as personally essential. The talent is real and worth naming honestly. Anthrax are the most playful and groove-aware of the Big Four thrash acts, and Scott Ian’s rhythm guitar work gives the record a propulsive backbone that’s genuinely impressive. The humor and self-awareness that led them to collaborate with Public Enemy and write songs about Stephen King novels distinguishes them from the pure aggression of their peers. These are musicians who clearly love what they do. The problem is simple exhaustion. The relentlessness that defines thrash metal’s appeal to its devotees is exactly what makes it difficult for this particular listener — the same diagnosis that landed Rust in Peace at a barely-there three a few records back. The craft is undeniable. The personal connection is nonexistent. Would never choose to listen to it, would never call it bad. A three for the talent. Honestly earned, honestly limited.
Антракс на мій смак сильно слабший за інші гурти з четвірки. Мені не дуже подобається вокал, він іноді такий занадто хевіметальний. Також не те щоб є якісь прям феноменальні хіти чи гітарна робота, така, щоб аж іскри летіли, чого очікуєш від трешу. Що подобається, це коли заходять в сторону кросоверу та панку. Є прямо дуже такі рухливі та качові пісні. З цієї перспективи альбом має свій прикол. Може, давно не слухав, але цього разу через це сподобався більше ніж зазвичай.
Серед так званої великої четвірки треш-металу антракс завжди були для мене найменш прикольним гуртом, хоча хейтити Скота Іена неможливо звісно. Я навіть колись чув їх наживо, але теж не сподобалось. Втім якщо слухати якийсь їхній альбом, то мабуть цей. Тут є такі хіти як індіанс чи кот ін мош, є якась майже хардкор складова місцями, але все ще цій музиці не вистачає вигадливості чи хітовості чи агресивності - коротше всього того що було в інших.
Awful.
# Album Name: Among The Living # Artist: Anthrax # Rating:4/5 # Comments: Wow, quite shocked with this one. I hate the last slasher album i got but this was a hidden gem. This bangs hard. # Top Tunes: ATL / Caught in amosh / i am the law / NFL / Indians / ADI # Would I listen to it again? Yes
그냥 락임
I know they're legends, but this just isn't a style I get into. I gave it a listen. Can't say I'd ever listen to them again. I will give them more respect than the Coldplay I just rated a 2, so I guess they get a 3.
Anything I say about this album is going to fall on deaf ears, judging by the overall rating from the masses. I will have to quote here by saying "talking to you, is like clapping with one hand ... you're all caught in a mosh". I love this album. I know all the words, I had the live VHS back in the day that I would watch again and again. So to all of you who rated this 2 and under ... Efilnikufesin!
Not bad just not my cuppa tea and therefore this review is obviously biased by own bad taste.
decently enjoyable. not my normal music but fine
Yep. That’s thrash metal. I will give them that vocally, there are elements of punk in the performance which at least separates their sound a little from others in the genre. But it still feels like every song is literally the same. That being said, it’s not terrible. But I don’t get how people can listen to this over and over without getting bored. 3/5
Nothing special about this album. Typical middle-of-the-road metal. Didn’t enjoy it.
Finally got around to this one. Tons to love—the riffs are hard as fuck, the bass and drums are groovy, the solos are laser focused and unique, and the production is super punchy, probably my favorite on any thrash album. Unfortunately the vocals just aren’t my bag. If your name isn’t Bruce Dickinson or Rob Halford, it takes a lot to convince me on the clean and at times operatic style of vocals. Perhaps I can at least tolerate them if it means I get to have my ass beat by those riffs again.
bueno no está macabro pero ñe. Skeleton in the closet es nice
About a month ago I "had" to listen to Slayer, thanks to the generator (and the list too of course). I hated every moment of it. I'm rarely offended by anything, but that album was just too much. With that memory in mind, I audibly groaned this morning when Anthrax came up. I've never listened to them, but I just assumed it would be more of the same. Instead what I got was an album of songs that I mostly tolerated. I liked the lyrics I could understand. Besides the lyrical content, I enjoyed much of the music too. What I didn't care for were the vocals. I just found them very 80's metal sounding. Which I guess makes sense as this was an 80's metal album. No actual standout songs, but I liked Among the Living, A Skeleton in the Closet, Indians, and One World more than the rest.
I would vibe with this more if it had more bass and if I didn't get a 2 hour orchestral metal album last week.
slaps
I'm only on track eight, but it's time to call it folks. Stop. He's already dead.
As a metal fan I was aware of this being Anthrax’s best known album. I’ve actually seen them live on The Big 4 Tour back in 2011 which was phenomenal. So far what I’ve heard can be best described as a headbanger’s dream. Super fast paced crushing riffs and just some wild sections. Notably “Caught In A Mosh” which is one of my favourite songs that I already knew by these. The drum break at the start of Caught In A Mosh is fantastic. So far each song on the album has hooked me. Absolutely love the wild energy and franticness here – quite refreshing for this list. It does help that I’m a huge metal fab anyway. Overall this is a full package of an album where everything shines and there’s rarely any let up. Couple that with my love for metal (particularly older metal with Metallica and Judas Priest being two of my all time favourite bands) this is a confident 5 stars from me.
Although I listen to a lot of metal thrash hasn't been a subgenre that I ventured in to much. I have of course heard the big bands including some songs from Anthrax before but never really listened through an album. It sounds mostly like what I was expecting but the singing is much faster at times than I would expect. That fast singing the I feel doesn't really work well with the tempo of the music is what gives this a lower score for me. The instruments sound great with the kind of distortion I was expecting. It was fun listening through an entire album in the genre and that is exactly the thing I love about doing this list.
I’m not a fan of the genre myself but can understand the appreciation of this album.
You know, I really like thrash metal so I'm a little embarrassed that I never gave Anthrax a listen. I've known about them since I was a kid but I just never picked up an album, The vox aren't the greatest but the rest holds up right next to any other great thrash album, 4 stars!
Hate it
Took years off my life
This is fine metal. I have heard much worse and much better. Definitely right in the middle for a group I have never given a thought to.
A solid listen, good musicality, listened to the whole thing despite genre not always speaking to me.
Fun '80s thrash metal doesn't offer much opportunity to be dull, it's not Metallica but it's got a satisfying amount of weight Sometimes it's just the right time to have a good time
Du métal, pas mon style...
Fantastisk metal av typen thrash. Drøye riffs og drivende rytmer, samt en stilig punk-estetikk. Top 3: Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.), Caught In A Mosh, Indians
++: Among the Living, Caught in a Mosh, I Am the Law, A Skeleton in the Closet, A.D.I./Horror of It All, Imitation of Life +: One World +-: Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.), Indians 8,8/10