Among The Living

Not my type. But enjoyed the powerful heavy vibes.

Bad 80s metal

2.5 Listenable, didn’t hate it, just not really my type of music.

YES.

It started so hard, but then became uninteresting??

Bought on the day it came out

Galloping guitars Stampede on metal wastelands Yelling all the way

Was rocking out to the instrumentals and for a brief moment thought I enjoyed thrash metal? The tempo changes and guitar solos were electric!…but then I heard the vocals and something inside me curdled. Vocals were over the top, cheesy, and almost cartoonish at times that it cancelled out my greater immersion and enjoyment. Despite this, the album wasn’t entirely bad and I can appreciate the influence Anthrax had on the history of metal. Standout songs include Imitation of Life and Medley which I may revisit in a distant and more desperate future.

I think the common theme here is that the opening instrumentals are sick, then I kinda tune out when the singing starts. Honestly the drummer is the one that impressed me the most, he switches tempo so quickly but seamlessly on a lot of these openings. IDK, I'm not a huge metal head, but I feel like if I wanted to listen to the genre I'm looking to get punched in the stomach. These vocals just kinda give me a tummy slap.

I enjoyed this way more than expected. Lots of 80's music had this weird dichotomy of going hard but also being cheesy? In general, I love the drama that thrash metal brings, and Anthrax brought it. Faves: "A Skeleton in the Closet" - what a crazy story and guitar solos "Indians" - good reminder of what America is really like, especially in light of Reagan politics of the time "Imitation of Life" - I enjoyed the screams, and I too hate plastic people, but it's too late, we are all made of micro-plastics at this point

The album cover is interesting, but I just struggle to get into thrasher music. The guitar sequences all sound the same to me. Why not add some distortions and just be shoegaze smh. 2.5 rounded down(?) because it really wasn't good, bad it isn't super bad

This genre (Hard Rock? Metal?) is one where I definitely have strong preferences, but I can't articulate what makes me like some things and dislike others. But this is doing nothing for me. Nothing here seems obviously incompetent. But I just found it a little empty.

I was fully prepared to give this album two stars. But then I saw the lyrics to "A Skeleton In the Closet" and the part that said "<FUN PICKIN' PART>", and that was a good reminder that this is kind of fun.

It is what it is. Why do these kinds of bands turn the vocals into something so bland if they are trying to be so expressive ? Almost a 1 on Indians alone.

The worst bits of slayer Megadeth and twisted sister combined. I LOVE rock and metal and I found this interminable

Well hilarious. A song about Judge Dredd and one plea for world peace off a butt-rock thrash metal alum made me giggle. There’s some decent punk rock energy on this record. The musicianship isn’t nearly as high as I was expecting for a metal album on this list-is call don’t know why it’s on here. But I listened to it and laughed. Will likely not revisit.

I can appreciate this as a work of art in its own right that was important in it's genre of music. That said, it's not my personal cup of tea. I've never been a fan of thrash music, or any music where the instrumentation (while impressive) overpowers or drowns out the lyrics. It is also a product of its time and comes across SO 80's.

Much like the plague, Anthrax is something that should be avoided.

Boring metal, low 3

No. Why does it sound so tinny

Something felt off about this. I really expected to like it, but I think it was the vocals that made it feel off? Or, it's because I just listened to iron maiden and deep purple, and this is just simply not as good as those.

Solid album.

There is nothing here that standsout for me. 2 stars or D+.

Hell yeah finally some good shit. You could run through a brick wall after listening to this

A good thrash album, could hear a lot of Metallica and maiden vibes in it. Will have to listen again.

The year this album dropped, a slew of metal bands started taking over the airwaves. I instantly gravitated to most of them, mainly because they were often close enough to the pop music I'd been immersed in, but also because Back to the Future made me fall in love with guitar solos. Plus, I was nearing teenhood, so their obsession with sex fed right into my hormones. I'm not entirely sure when I found Among the Living, probably in 89 or early 1990. I never heard them on the radio in those days, but thankfully I had a friend who was into them. I do know that it was critical in shifting my tastes though. Zero songs about love and getting laid, which I'd come to believe was the center of the genre. Their lyrics were more thoughtful. They had opinions to share with the world on social issues. And for a nerdy kid who was into horror and comics, the fact they had songs inspired by both completely resonated with me. Oh yeah, and they had a sense of humor too, though they weren't heavily leaning on it. I kept up with them through the 90s, eventually getting to see them play a few times and getting to meet Scott Ian once thanks to my decision to wear my Public Enemy tee to their concert. You could argue Joey's vocals are dated, and while I won't disagree much I think it perfectly fit them at that time. I've lived with their music long enough it's never bothered me, but I'm sure plenty of uninitiated listeners won't be on board. Their loss though. Hopefully the riffs, basslines, and Charlie's beats, all of which are timeless, can still win over new fans. Listening to it again today, I'm reminded there's not a weak song in the bunch. It never loses steam. And, yeah, I still love it.

Favorite Track: Indians

I'm sure this is great for the genre, but it's just not my style.

Better than Metallica black. That’s my only standard for thrash metal.

I don't know much about thrash and can't say much about Anthrax. My meagre understanding was that they were big dumb rockers among the Big Four. Metallica were the exemplar; Megadeth were technicians; Slayer were extremists; and Anthrax were dumb. I don't know who told me that, but I guess they meant Anthrax are fun and sort of sloppy. Anthrax aren't dumb though. The obvious influence of hardcore makes everything more immediate than those other bands: the live feel, the short bursts of guitar solo, the barrage of chords, sometimes sludgy, sometimes sharp. Each song is like an album's worth of Black Flag songs put together. The metal tradition is more apparent in Joey Belladonna's high Halfordian vocals. The two styles meet in the subject matter, straight-forward social commentary with conscience - very Fugazi, but also there in Sabbath. Megadeth may take the germ of War Pigs and turn it into conspiracy theory, but Anthrax seem to get the point and sing it plain. Whoever told me Anthrax were dumb was probably also the person who told me that grunge was the meeting of punk and metal, but Anthrax were already there and sound nothing like Soundgarden, Green River, or Tad. Then the big four of grunge don't sound any more alike than the big four of thrash. Probably not worth comparing them, because, for all the enjoyment of Among the Living, I didn't enjoy it as much as Rust in Peace. 2.5 This one is hard to judge. There is much more declamation and call and response shouts than melody here. While that adds another layer of primitivism which isn’t inappropriate to thrash metal it doesn’t leave the casual listener much to grab hold of; Metallica and Megadeth even at their thrashiest are more accessible than this. I still enjoyed it well enough - if it is a little two-dimensional at times it does both of those dimensions well: it’s fast and it’s ugly. I’ll take it. 2/5

Opening riff for “Caught in a Mosh” sounds strikingly similar to the opening riff to Nirvana’s “School,” or vice-versa. Strong riffage, killer double-bass, but still have a tough time with the vocals.

Uh huh huh yessssss dude https://youtu.be/UDCsVkqE1tQ?feature=shared

Exactly what I expected an album called Among the Living by a band called Anthrax would sound like. Among the Living and Indians were good! I would describe this as a medium/medium-rare metal experience, which is 👌🏾

Gave up after song #1. Just wasn’t born into that thrasher life

mehhh I guess Metallica and Megadeth on their own weren’t enough to sustain the genre. Anthrax is very clearly only for the heads.

This album goes hard. I ramped the volume up and enjoyed it! I think I’ll add a couple of tracks to my weight lifting playlist. Not quite as good as MetallicA, but I’m biased I guess.

I think I only made it all the way through two songs? This isn't really for me. It could be my current mood, I suppose. I'm sick today and feeling slow and beat up. I'll toss this on the pile to give it a second listen because I definitely see merit here. What I did appreciate was the clear vocals at the top of the mix and that these guys are clearly all excellent musicians. I think they do a good job at what they do, and I can definitely see places other bands have drawn inspiration from Anthrax. I wouldn't blame anyone for liking this album. 2

Another one of those bands that I've been aware of but never really dug into it. This was pretty cool and I'm glad to have listened to it but it's just a bit mediocre. Fave: I Am the Law

This gets an indirect nostalgia bump. In the mid nineties, in my early and mid teens, I went through an only-metal phase. Of the Big Four thrash bands, I loved Metallica, liked Slayer, actively disliked Megadeth, and was just kinda meh about Anthrax. I think that was probably just because their mid nineties output was all I got exposed to? Those were the days when it was not trivially easy and free to dig into a band's back catalog, which is a shame, because I woulda liked their early stuff quite a bit, I think. 😞 Wouldn't have rated them above Metallica or Slayer, tho. 😏 Fave tracks - "Among the Living", "A Skeleton in the Closet", "Indians" (A thrash metal answer to Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills", right, although the singer has Native American blood so it's less dicey, heh.)

Nah

brabo em

Un buon album, anche se nessuna canzone mi ha colpito particolarmente.

Pretty fun album, especially while you're sitting in traffic. First song is fuckin' banger.

Not the worst metal but still not my thing

Aujourd'hui, j'ai demandé à ChatGPT d'écrire un texte blasé à partir des notes de mon écoute. Il y a des albums qui vous réconcilient avec un genre, qui en ravivent la flamme et qui vous rappellent pourquoi vous avez un jour aimé cette musique. Et puis, il y a ceux qui vous font douter de tout. Cet album appartient à la seconde catégorie. Dès les premières secondes, on sent un esprit punk qui prend parfois des accents de Licensed to Ill-era Beastie Boys, une insolence brouillonne qui aurait pu être rafraîchissante… si seulement elle menait quelque part. Au lieu de ça, on navigue en terrain connu : des riffs en pilote automatique, une structure ultra prévisible (intro -> double-time -> retour au tempo initial avec voix) et un chant qui aurait mieux fait de rester coincé dans les années 80. Le batteur, au moins, fait le boulot. Il a cette énergie frondeuse, un peu idiote mais viscérale, qui fait qu’on se surprend à hocher la tête. C’est d’ailleurs lui qui porte le disque sur ses épaules, ce qui en dit long sur le reste. Car côté guitares, ça ne manque pas de vélocité ni de savoir-faire, mais à quoi bon quand les compositions peinent à leur donner du relief ? Ces mecs savent aligner des riffs, mais semblent incapables d’écrire une chanson. Et puis, il y a ce chanteur. Un festival d’intonations caricaturales tout droit sorties d’une mauvaise parodie de Hair Metal. Quand le groupe lui répond en chœur, on se demande s’ils cherchent à masquer la faiblesse des lignes vocales ou s’ils tiennent vraiment à user jusqu’à la corde cet effet déjà surexploité. Mais au fond, le vrai problème de cet album, c’est son absence d’identité. Il n’a ni la rage d’un Slayer, ni la complexité d’un Megadeth, ni l’ampleur d’un Metallica. Ce n’est pas un disque mauvais, c’est pire : c’est un disque qui ne laisse aucune empreinte. Une machine bien huilée qui tourne à vide. Le Thrash peut vieillir comme du bon métal, lourd et indestructible. Ici, il rouille déjà.

C'est rigolo. Bon fit avec mon état d'esprit matinal. Le mix est souvent dégueulasse, surtout le drum. J'ai l'impression que mes speakers rushent avec les basses fréquences dans certaines tounes. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.) à 1m19s, c'est particulier. Un peu trop long, j'aurais pris 15 minutes de moins.

The music is pretty good. A lot of really interesting tempo/meter changes make it engaging. But it's otherwise really bland and not good. The singer is oddly not built for metal, in my opinion. Like, he doesn't have the power that I want/expect from a thrash metal singer. Yeah, the album never really does anything special. There are moments where it sounds like they could be about to do something great, but either they never develop the idea further, or they go back to a more basic sound. It just ends up not really doing anything interesting for me. Favorite Song(s): Among the Living

I still hate heavy metal😟

I've listened to less Anthrax than the other 3 of the Thrash greats, but this album is still an absolute ripper. It's a bit catchier and poppier than most, but without losing its edge at all.

Ok… not as high quality as the other metal bands of their time

Meh. The voice ruins it for me.

Exactly what I needed today. Classic thrash excellence.

This started strong but mellowed out a bit towards the end. The spoken vocals weren't as strong and the heavier ones. All around not bad though. 3/5

A weird choice of band and album for this list. I can understand a representative album from Metallica and Slayer, Megadeth also somehow fits the bill, but Anthrax is just a bit too much. The vocal is terrible, even compared to Dave Mustaine. Music sounds like a bad off takes from previously mentioned three bands and no one actually cares about lyrics. A really weird and disappointing choice.

Didn't really care for it.

Sounded like a discount Metallica. Not about it.

I like metal, but this is not very good. It's just strictly dominated by Metallica - tries to do the same thing, but does it less well in every way. In particular, they have no change-of-pace of any kind - although that's probably a virtue for their fans - and they have fewer soaring moments, with less focus on instrumental virtuosity overall. Basically it's sludgy. Not for me.

this cant be real

Some meaty riffs, but the vocals are lacking and it just feels a bit... silly

This is what happens when you hand a comic book nerd a guitar and too much coffee. Riffs on riffs on riffs. Relentless and chugging along like a steamroller made of power chords, and lyrics that feel like they were written on a Trapper Keeper in detention. It’s got some of that early Metallica speed, but without the same bite. A couple of moments grab your attention, but it’s mostly just a blur of headbanging with no real payoff. Fun in the moment, forgettable after. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions: - Caught In A Mosh

Not my jam. I could not really hear much variation from song to song AT ALL and felt like a high pass was applied too much during the mix.

Really liked the metal instrumentals. The vocals were okay. Overall sounded like off-brand Metallica. A true rating would be 3.5....I'll round down cause some of the songs went on for too long.

Very generic metal to my ears. I'm sure they were pioneers of the sound and everything but I just can't get behind it. Indians wasn't bad for the first half or so. There's almost no bass in the mix of this whole album. Odd choice.

Hell yeah! That was a wild ride. I love Thrash Metal!

mah? un po’ too much ma neanche troppo male, in generale not my cup of tea

Alveg minn tebolli. Samt ekkert það spes. Þrjár stjörnur fyrir góð riff og trommuspil.

too hard and angry for me

Not really for me. All merged into one song.

A bit repetitive but not bad

Fizzy but didn't hate it

Lite väl brötigt. 2/5

🤘🏼

Thoughts before listening: Metallica (and to a lesser extent Megadeth) are the only band in the big 4 of thrash metal that I have ever given much attention to. Maybe it was just that Anthrax's heyday was before my time while Metallica was VERY relevant in the early 90s when I started listening to music. I may recognize a song or two on this album, but I most of this will be new to my ears. Review: This is okay. Lots of pounding drums and chunky guitar riffs going on here with a sound that is very reminiscent of hardcore punk, especially with heavy usage of group shout alongs. The vocals however are a bit of a weak spot to me. Feels like the dude is trying to hit the high notes of a band like Iron Maiden, but just can't quite pull it off. The best song on here is "Caught in a Mosh" which is considered a classic of the metal genre, and is the only song I knew before listening today. 3-stars

Mid metal.

Ok

Just not for me

This definitely scratches an itch. For whatever reason, I've recently been craving a lot of metal, particularly thrash metal. And this is exactly the kind of thing I want to hear.

Норм. Лучшая песня - Caught In A Mosh.

This is technically excellent, but not my thing.

Anthrax is definitely my least favorite of the big four thrash bands. But this def has its moments especially when it goes a bit power metal. Album cover is cool as hell too.

These guys rock. The album is very very good, borderline a 5, just needed one more epic tune.

I like the genre, but I have never been an Anthrax fan. This album did not change my opinion. 3/10

Some really catchy and hard tunes here, and there is good musicianship. If I had been a teen in the 80s, I could see this being one of my main things.

I felt the same way about receiving this album that I imagine I’d feel if I had contracted Anthrax.

Thrash Metal. Interesting lyrics, decent tunes, but not the greatest voice.

i like metal, but this is too raw for my liking and i think it’s lacking some hooks. awesome guitar work though. i wish i could give it a 2.5, slightly better than antony and the johnsons but not as tolerable as miles davis

tracks themselves weren’t basic but altogether the songs sounded pretty much the same, i don’t know i didn't like it that much x

Gear: Dunu SA6 Artwork: ✋🎩⬛ Production: 🧏‍♂️📏💩 Music: 🤘⏭️🤷‍♂️ Rating: 🐌(🐌)/5

2.5 Metallica if they were slightly more annoying

Sounds like 8th floor kitchen during the GH era (it all sounds the same anyways 🤗)

this album fuckkksss, i don't understand why it has such a low rating here, unfair. maybe y'all haven't listened to it loud enough🙂‍↔️🙂‍↔️

Blown away this band is spoken of in the same breath as Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth. So average and they whining vocals are tough to listen to 2*

Fantastic guitar mastery, excellent changes in tempo and dynamics. Hardly a big criticism, but the overall effect is a bit polished, the vocals aren’t my favorite, and the lyrics are on the nose. Overall, though, very solid work.

Exactly what I always thought this would sound like (derogatory)

This record undeniably rips, shreds, slays…and then Joey Belladonna starts singing. Look I enjoy thrash metal as much as the next guy but the melodic singing is just not vibing, and the songs sound like they were written by a bunch of nerds in a basement. Which like, yeah that’s all metal bands but still. The songs are still good, and a hard thrashing metal record still gets some recognition. “N.F.L”, “I Am the Law” and “A Skeleton in the Closet” get the most here. But if this is Anthrax’s finest moment I can do without more.

cornball metal to the n-th degree i’ll take this over like Metallica Cumshot Album but this is bargain bin big 4 core

+1 for an entire track devoted to Judge Dredd

I really don’t like metal but this wasn’t too annoying.

No thanks

Better than I expected

If I was in 6th grade—pimples and orthodontics—I may have liked this. Wrong demographic these days. I do envy the drummer. He is going to live a long time with his off-the charts cardio profile.

Wow. I liked this much more than I anticipated. I'm typically weary of metal due to the guttural porcine singing - but maybe I just have a bias due to more modern metal. I have so very little experience with the genre other than a short stint in my middle-school "edgy" years. This album just hit today.

Not in the mood for Thrash metal these days, but these guys can play!

I had never listened to Anthrax before at all, but enjoyed this much more than I expected. They kinda sound like a love child of Metallica and Iron Maiden. The riffs and drumming are great, really intense and catchy. The only negatives I would have really are that the vocals are a bit hard to understand in places, and the lyrics I did catch are lacking a bit of depth. They sound a bit immature compared to say Metallica on Master of Puppets, which tackled a lot of similar themes in a more nuaced way. Still an enjoyable listen, but I wouldn't be rushing to check more of their albums out, considering this is meant to be their peak.

pretty fun sound

Thrash metal has always been my least favourite genre. So far, I’ve been won over by Metallica and Megadeath, but Anthrax is the worst of the worst.

Well, this is trash... TRASH METAL!!! :D This didn't sound bad, but everything sounded very similar. And out of "Big Four", Metallica was always my favorite.

Thrashy but not really in the way that I like

It's like they're a lamer version of Metallica.

Welcome to some powerful metall

Its like Metallica mixed with SoaD. A lot harder than Metallica and much closer to more modern metal at times. 7/10

No

Took me back to the summer between high school and college. So many great memories associated with this one.

I liked this album a lot more than I thought I would. Thrash has always been a "love-it-or-hate-it" genre for me, and this album is no exception to that. The best parts/songs are the ones that sound the least thrashy, I never understood blast beats and why they have to be in every song. But a good album nonetheless, though I definitely think this solidifies Anthrax as #4 of the Big 4 for me. Top tracks: Caught In A Mosh, Indians, Medley: A.D.I. / The Horror Of It All

Among the Living is a tough listen. The vocals are grating, and the riffs blur together, making every song feel like a repeat of the last. It’s chaotic without being memorable, a disappointing effort overall.

I am very much not familiar with this band and this type of music, and yet, I had a lot of fun listening to this. The album's main flaw, to me, is the execution. The instrumentation was amazing, of course, but the production was too minimalistic and took the punch out of the songs, the lyrics were mostly great and poignant, but at times too cheesy and on-the-nose, and the vocals... they were TRULY the worst part of the record. Never been a big fan of high-pitched/operatic singing in metal, but I can appreciate when it works (like in Iron Maiden). This is not the case. Joey's voice is okay at best and lame at worst, and the quality of it usually depends on how hard he's trying at any given moment. I don't like when he's trying to be Bruce Dickinson and I don't like when he's shouting lines to make them catchy (they usually aren't). Some lines just fit poorly to the rhythm and rhyming, and they feel forced. And that's the problem with his vocals: they do feel forced. But whenever they don't, that's when I enjoy it. And I know this is a contrarian take, based on the reviews I've read here, but I like low-effort Joey. Sometimes, less is more.

Huh. So apparently I do enjoy thrash metal I just hate growly demon vocals.

Not the biggest thrash guy, but I can appreciate it. It doesn't have their best songs, but its okay.

its fine for what it is, good even.. i’m just not an 80’s metal guy..

shite

Solid.

Let’s party

I never really listened to Anthrax, but this is awesome.

Not terrible but not for me

I listened to one of my friends rant about Phish shows over hearing this album in the background, so I didn't pick up much of the finer details. Still, first impressions are strong. Probably an 8

Yet more proof Metallica fucking sucks. I like this a lot! Other than I Am the Law, a song which has absolutely gotten an innocent killed by a cop as it played in his head

minden metálalbum közül, amit valaha végighallgattam, ezt adom a legjobban, majd még meg kell fejtenem, hogy ez mitől van. :D de ha az előzőnek hármast adtam, akkor ennek is - nagyon jólesett, nagyon izgalmas volt, de nem tervezek egyhamar visszatérni hozzá

What a crazy mess! I enjoyed this a lot. Part heavy part thrash, definitely metal.

Yeah. No.

Very good

Don’t mind it for 3 minutes This album is a lot longer than 3 minutes

Opening riff is nice and doomy slow for a trash band and right into a fast gallop.

Among The Living // I Am The Law //

This album comes with a Lynx giftset and the packaging smells of brylcreem. But I'm giving it an extra star got the song about Judge Dredd

#455. Can I hire Anthtrax's PR guy? Dude's a genius. How this guy got this mid tier band to be called a part of a "big four" is an idea that's always mystified me. It's not like you've ever met any Anthrax fans either, everyone else seems to think they're pretty mid too. How they got to be so highly regarded by critics or whoever is a topic that should be studied. 3/5: mid Song added to playlist: Indians I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

Personal flaw but I'm unable to listen to these metal albums. I know Anthrax is huge in their circle though but it isn't for me. 2.5/10 (1.25/5)

It was going okay until the singing started. Comedy gold. The sound isn't for me, fair enough, but I still don't understand why all these metal bands have to have their lyrics written by 13 year olds. Bonus star for making me laugh out loud a couple times.

Far better than Megadeth, not quite Metallica. The voice sound mixing seems a little off, but it's not too distracting. The music here is fast, furious, changes on a dime, and is endlessly creative. Songs will have multiple parts at different (fast) tempos. This happens in each song here, and my favorite was probavly Imitation of Life. A Skeleton In the Closet was also really good. Maybe I needed some thrash after a week and a half in the 60s, but I really enjoyed this listen.

Pretty decent thrash album. Great riffs! Favs: Among The Living, Caught In A Mosh

Ok

Not bad but not great.

I like how Anthrax took some good notes from their predecessors on this album, and the thrash comes through in a fun, interesting way. The unfortunate thing is that nothing on the record is very memorable. ONE WORLD! DON'T ABUSE IT! Never mind, I remembered that.

The goofiest gang in thrash metal's "Big Four" lives up to their billing, mixing humorous, metaphorical social commentary with the requisite rage.

Not really in my wheelhouse but I can hear the merit. Pretty enjoyable listen. There's not such a divide between the tribes: there's a line through hardcore, on towards techno and some hip-hop that unites a certain right-on-brother ethos: hard-ass sounds with a humanitarian and essentially quite soulful message. OK, so I'd personally rather listen to those other genres but I like these guys and to my ear, they sit on that continuum. Thrash for your rights, if you like.

норм, четкий альбик. подойдет для экстремального спорта.

Quintessential thrash album. 50 minutes of speed and chaos. This was great to listen to after slamming espresso and dealing with a bunch of stressful stuff at work.

Great guitar riffs. Is there any connection between them and the vocals? Sounds like they weren't even listening to the tracks while recording, just singing their balls off. The drumming reminds me of the story that Bonham once bought a double bass kit. After the first time he used it, Page found his drum tech and told him that if he ever gave John two bass drums again, he would no longer have a job with Led Zeppelin. Ultimately, like Deep Purple, I may not like what these guys are doing, but kudos to them for knowing what they want to sound like and going for it without giving a s&% what prigs like me think.

Bello spinto, simpatico!

Decent metal album. At the time it probably felt fresh, now it feels quite dated.

Ich habe das Album seit gefühlt 20 Jahren nicht mehr gehört. Heute muss ich feststellen: ohne das treibende Drumset wäre es nur die Hälfte wert. Kommt aber auch nicht in Reichweite von Alben der Konkurrenz wie Master of Puppets.

The listen was another proof to me that I really dislike trash metal - it's one of the few genres I'll never get into. I listened to it from start to finish but I can't say much nice about it, it's very repetitive and boring. It sounds a bit like Metallica but a weaker version. 1 star, sorry.

among the big four thrash metal bands!!!

10/12/24 I have never really listened to an Anthrax album and it wasn't actually too bad.

Sounded a lot like a Metallica

My favorite Metallica album yet! 1.5!

A lot of the same metal sound. I am/was actually a metal-head, but this is too repetitive.

It's not really my genre, but this is a solid thrash metal album. I did like how clearly each instrument and the vocals came through, it was very easy to parse the music whereas sometimes thrash metal sounds like a messy car wreck with everything tangled together. No favourite track on this album for me, I didn't really connect with it much. And I'm glad to see more metal on this list in general, so no regrets listening through.

Oh man, teenage flashback with this one, a real guilty pleasure that I didn't tell anyone I loved. My older brother loved metal and I would sneak his cassettes when he wasnt home, normally was listening to late 80s hip hop but this album is a banger

Nice sound

Nope

Oh my goodness, what a racket. It sounds like my music system is broken. And if it's not, then it will be soon. Metal, thrash metal and all that stuff is not for me. To protect my ears, my mind and my speakers, I left it at short samples. That's even worse than gangsta rap. Although ... Let's see what I say about the next Gangsta Rap album. 1/5

Thrash metal. A good representation. Though I still think "I'm the Man" is their best song.

of the thrash metal I’ve been forced to listen to because of this project this is the most tolerable

yawn

If this album was an instrumental, it would be teetering on 5 stars. My problem with this, as well as a lot of other more mainstream metal, is the absolutely ridiculous vocals that take away any seriousness from the playing and make the songs purely about some guy yelling about something. It takes a track that is hard and full of energy to something that feels like parody (at least to me). Unfortunately the vocals take this from a 4.5 to a 2.5 for me.

Not terrible. The genre is quite formulaic and this could be an 80s Metallica/megadeth/maiden etc album

I tried to pinpoint why I can't get into trash metal, and I think it's because of the monotonous guitar sequences. For music that's meant to be high energy it's surprisingly tedious and dull. It's not unlistenable for sure, but I just didn't find anything particularly interesting about it. It felt more like one long song with barely any tempo or melodic changes (the drummer did a great job though). 2.5 stars

went kinda hard, can't care to write more also Modern Lovers was meant to be a 2 😭

Tracks reviews (my favourite segment): 1. Among the Living - I loved the main parts but then the guy started talking... I don't like the voice and some parts of the song get goofy. The lyrics aren't great either. If the rest of the songs have more of the main musical progression of this song I'm sure they will be great, and this one could have been... / 2. Caught In A Mosh - It was alright. I definitely liked some parts of the song more than others / 3. I Am The Law - bro is not harrier dubois skull (someone forward this joke to talha via email). Song is wack and very underwhelming / 4. ? - same as last but when they start shouting it goes... still mild but yk / 5. A Skeleton In The Closet - okay this album might be wack / 6. Indians - yapping and pretentious. bad / 7-9. skipped through idc anymore I think this album MAJORLY misses the mark on theme/vibe(?), lyrics, voice, and a lot of the music. I'm realizing that I quite like thrash metal, but not this. First song was the best and....well see my review of that. I'll give it a 2 since I enjoyed parts of it ig and I want to see more from this genre potentially

Dms heavy, la vdd ima skip this one

One of the better one star albums, I'd say. I can see how some people would be into this. I like that the lyrics are distinguishable as words (even if they sound very stupid to me, both sonically and lyrically). The guitar could sound cool to the right type of person. I'm just not that type of person.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Was ok.

Sounds like something I would’ve pretended to like as a teen to piss off my mum.

Never really cared much for Anthrax. Maybe they pioneered this sound, but I doubt it.

Genius - nuff said

I AM THE LAW

1001 Albums #11 sorry i hate this pretty sure banging my head into a wall and listening to this result in the same headache

Thrash metal isn’t my usual go-to, though I’ve spent plenty of time with Metallica and Slayer. Of the remaining Big 4, Megadeth, while undeniably powerful, never fully clicked with me—possibly due to Dave Mustaine’s voice. Anthrax, however, has always been more of a mystery. Despite their presence in old Kerrang! and Metal Hammer magazines I read and a hazy memory of seeing them on a festival bill, 'Among the Living' was my first proper deep dive into their music. I approached it with little context but high expectations. Sadly, this wasn’t the 'aha' moment I had hoped for. Don't get me wrong, Scott Ian’s riffing is ace—dynamic, intricate, and more than just fast for the sake of speed. Charlie Benante’s drumming is equally impressive, providing tight, inventive rhythms that anchor the album with precision and energy. Compared to their peers, Anthrax leans more melodic and accessible, giving them a distinct edge within the thrash scene. But Joey Belladonna’s vocals left me cold. He’s a capable singer, but his delivery on this album often feels rushed, like he’s cramming too many words into a phrase. The lyrics, packed with pop culture references and humour, don’t help either. While thrash doesn’t need to be overly profound, the throwaway feel of these themes lacks the timelessness I’ve come to associate with the genre’s best work. Among the Living undoubtedly showcases Anthrax’s skill and energy, but I struggled to connect. I can see why fans hold it in such high regard, but for me, it falls short of being truly memorable. Did/Do I own this release? No. Does this release belong on the list? Questionable. Would this release make my personal list? No. Will I be listening to it again? While enjoyable, there are other albums in this lane I’d reach for first—it’s arguably the best album from the least interesting band in the Big Four.

I get it, this is some rad thrash metal, and Anthrax propagates prolific kick ass t-shirts. I'm right there with Beavis & Butthead moshing on the couch while an ear-searing video comes on. But actively listening to an entire album is like a Drano enema of the head. Plus, it started to invoke an association with Metallica, with whom I'm sour since they did a cameo on Billions as congenial to the asshole main character on the show. 'Which asshole? Can you be more specific?' But, Anthrax gets a pass on that (perhaps) undeserved conflation since they colabed with Public Enemy on 'Bring the Noise', which was fun for one song to mix it up. I doubt I could listen to a whole album of that though either.

A few interesting riffs, but I can’t get on board with the speed metal

Dont really like his voice and the music was a little 1d too.

Songs i know: 0 Songs i like: most of em Praise be to koffi for delivering us this muted power chord, face melting riffing, shredding wonder of an album. First time being exposed to this album and won't be the last, an absolute beast of an album.

This fucking slaps If I was gonna nitpick, I’d say it’s maybe a track too long and I’m not a fan of screechy vocals in metal. Your Dio‘s your Rob Halfords etc. But those really are just nitpicks, this is proper eighties thrash metal and I can’t believe I’ve never heard it before. Gonna listen to more Anthrax. Caught in a Mosh and I am the Law (shout out for the Judge Dredd reference) are highlights, but I don’t think there was a duff track on it and all of it grooves, which is very important. 5/5

Unreal thrash album. Has to be one of the best of its era and genre. Unrelenting and full of bangers. Can't believe I haven't listened to it since I was a kid. What I love about it the most is that it actually sounds fun. Might be the slightly clearer singing style or the midsong shifts in dynamics but it doesn't get bogged down in the whole murky and muddy sound of similar thrash bands trying to be the most evil or badass sounding. Noticed a NY Hardcore/punk influence on this with the overlapped vocals and gang shout style which maybe adds to the fun of it. Get the impression they don't take themselves too seriously. Standouts: All of it but especially... Among the Living Caught in a Mosh A Skeleton in the Closet One World Imitation of Life Low Points: Couldn't name one. Loved every moment. So fucking good.

Never listened to an Anthrax album. Loved this especially the thrash bit at the end of I am the Law, will listen again. It’s up my street

I used to llisten this kind of music when I was younger but this is just a bunch of sounds and shouting. I don't like my music being as rough, although there seems to be melody in the basis of what is happening.

7—/10 It slaps but I can’t stand the vocals.

Anthrax are the only band out of the big four that I don't really know anything about, so I am glad to finally listen to them. This album has some great riffs and grooves, but I think the singer is really what is holding me back. I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if it had more traditional metal singing like Slayer instead of the hardcore/punk inspired singing. He isn't a bad singer, he is actually pretty good. I just think I would enjoy this album a lot more if was sung in a different style. Low 4.

Non melodic, mechanical, loud, irratic. Thrash metal, in short.

Lika bra, om inte bättre än samtida Metallica, definitivt bättre än Iron Maiden. Detta hade varit mitt soundtrack om jag varit lite äldre.

Oh boy, this one is embarrassing. I used to like this album in high school, but haven't heard it in many years. It is so bad. The music is simplistic and the lyrics are cringeworthy. And how many songs based on Stephen King stories do you need on an album? Their answer is "more than one", apparently. I'm not giving this a "1" for a couple reasons. One is nostalgia, and the other is that this isn't actually unlistenable. I was cringing, but I was never totally hating what was playing. I'm saving the ones for way worse albums.

2 - Energy, fast, loud and I'm still bored listening...

I didn't find this particularly difficult to listen to as I kinda expected I would, but I also didn't really think much of it. There were only a couple of moments where it managed to distract me from my work, and that feels a little bit disappointing from a metal album. 2.4/5

Partially for nostalgia reasons I still really enjoy this, I used to love all that thrash metal when I was a teenager. I realise why I stopped listening to it as much though, since it does get a bit tiring towards the end despite being just a 50 min album. Great riffs and super fun regardless.

Out of the "big four" of eighties thrash metal, (Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth) Anthrax are probably the closest one to hardcore punk music, as this album proves again and again. Which automatically warrants them an extra point to my usual maximum 2/5 grade in that style. I obviously still have a hard time to see the merits of this metal subgenre more than three decades after the fact generally speaking, so mind-numbingly dumb the small fry in that style is. And metal subgenres age so fast on my book anyway. Only Metallica's *Master Of Puppets* and 'black album' will surely be included in my list, Megadeath's *Rust In Peace* will probably be as well, and Anthrax just might (with this particular record). Don't think Slayer will, though. Fooling around with n*zi imagery and the Holocaust, even if you clearly don't support any of those horrors, is not a laughing matter. And their music is too goddamn tiring anyway, more grating than energetic. I'm digressing here, and I know I should only address this Anthrax album in my review. Unfortunately, I feel like whatever my take is on it, it will be of not much use. Fans of that old genre will dismiss me as one of those listeners who "doesn't (fully) get it". And the others will probably agree with me without learning anything themselves. If the legendary collab between Anthrax and Public Enemy, "Bring The Noize", had been in this LP's tracklist, I might have bumped up my grade a half-point. Alas, *Among The Living* was released three or four years before that collaboration happened. It still puts a favorable light on Anthrax. But it can't really help me write today's review. I'm almost done with this project (at least when it comes to the albums listed in Dimery's different editions of his book--I know more stuff will follow...), and here's one of the most important lessons I take out of using this app for three years: before I started doing so, I had three pet peeves when it comes to music styles--they were reggae, country / western, and thrash metal. This app has helped me change my outlook on the first two, because it sometimes pointed to records that made me lower my guard very quickly. It made me see how a lot of artists in those genres can create great or at least very good albums. But not much of that happened when it came to thrash metal--apart for the couple of albums I've listed up there. And it's either because I'm too close-minded OR that there is something that's beyond repair in that style. I'll never know for sure, but honestly I don't care that much about it... And don't talk to me about the aggro "energy" in those records. Hardcore punk has it in spades, and it's not ruined by those cheesy, godawful vocals. Other stripes of metal can do wonders in that department. The late noughts 'emo' wave produced some striking LPs. And post-hardcore and noise rock still regularly yield unsung masterpieces. And yet NONE of those genres are correctly represented in Dimery's book. Sometimes, I have a sneaking suspicion it's because the "big four" have sold so many albums during the eighties, and that the critics in Dimery's team that are specialized in "aggressive" genres are too much interested in commercial success in the first place. And if that's really what makes them favor thrash metal, they can eat shit. It's probably not the case though. It's just that Dimery's team is missing key contributors to widen a scope that direly needs to be widened. That also works for jazz, post-rock and the current post-punk / crank wave revival, by the way. And even for more recent strands of pop and hyperpop. Here's me hoping that the suggestions made by users of this app once they finish the initial project can fix that a little... Anyway, here's a "neutral" grade for today's album. Because "among the living", you can find far more than just... thrash metal. 3/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 8/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3) Number of albums left to review: 18 (plus the 80-ish extra LPs listed on this app, included because different past versions of the book have mentioned albums that have since been dropped in subsequent editions) Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 421 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 252 (including this one?) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 313

3/5

3,5

Kunnon tuplabasarit! Ymmärrän kyllä, miksi tämä albumi vetoaa kansaan. Hauskan naiivi välillä. Toisinaan vähän liian - tai siis sanat ovat vähän yksinkertaisen kuuloisia (? en tarkkaan analysoinut). Puuroutuu pidemmän päälle mun korvissa, en ihan meinais jaksaa.

Näissä biiseissä on hyviä puolia (ne saavat nytkyttämään päätä), mutta minun on kahlattava läpi metallikansailun päästäkseni niihin käsiksi. Tosin huutoköörin ja liidivokalistin epäilmiselvää vuoropuhelua on viihdyttävää kuunnella. 2,5

Ok

Anthrax didn't appeal to me when I was younger, but I wasn't really into thrash or heavy music at the time. Fast forward 30 years, and I'm very much into heavy music, but I still can't get into this. It just sounds very messy, and very antiquated. It sounds like a garage band, really. it's just very much a thrash album of its time. I realize Anthrax are hugely influential and hugely important in the progression of heavy metal, but it's just not a great album. 2.5 stars.

Stripped-back and goofy fun.

No, not having this. Awful high school rock band with terrible vocals. Get in the bin. Boring is the nicest thing I can say about it

Krasses Album. Nicht meine Musik.

Turgid, pompous overblown. No thanks.

i think if this album were about half as long it would be perfect to me highlights: among the living, caught in a mosh, one world (oct 23 2024)

Skill involved? Of course. Are these sounds made by musical instruments? Sure. Is it music? Debatable. Next time I want to be screamed at in an echo chamber of constant cacophony, I'll just take my kids to the next indoor amusement park birthday party. Easily could've died without hearing this one.

Outstanding album, lots of energy and great riffs.

I’m not going to turn into a huge Anthrax fan - but this was surprisingly not awful. I dug how thrashy it was and there’s a bit of math metal sounding moments.

Welcome to my gym playlist, Anthrax

Тяжело далось прослушивание, хотя музыка определенно интересная

I listened to this on a chilly Tuesday morning while working, and banging my head, thrashing about, and screaming your work day away was a blast. This album is fun, energetic, and serves as a musical pick-me-up. Favorite Track: "A.D.I./Horror Of It All".

I've listened to this album like three times but not written a review, so let's just say that it's a very enjoyable metal album and move on 4/5

This started okay but soon got VERY monotonous. I really couldn't tell one song from the next. And what is 'Indians' all about? Hard work for little reward.

Came close to not listening at all. This shit just isn't for me. I gave it a go. There's something almost spiritual about it all, even if I'm a non-believer in the metal bollocks.

Thrash metal. Ni fu ni fa.

Gritones y mismo ritmo frenético.

It's almost comical how bad some of these heavy metal bands are.

3 thrashy

I can see why this might have been influential. I just didn’t like it very much.

Hell yeah! You can't go wrong with 80s thrash metal. Of course, thrash metal was largely defined by 4 specific bands: Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and the focus of this review, Anthrax. Despite being part of the "big 4", Anthrax isn't really talked about as much is its contemporaries. I mean, when it comes to peaks, they were never really as innovative as Metallica, as technically impressive as Megadeth, or as heavy and intense as Slayer. That's not to say that they weren't innovative, impressive, or heavy. I think Anthrax is definitely all of those things. However, their main appeal to me is how fun they are. Among the Living is a fun album. You just put it on and headbang for 50 minutes. Sometimes that's all you need. Of course, I don't want to downplay the great qualities that this album has, so I won't. The vocals from Joey Belladonna are enjoyable. Not quite as good as someone like James Hetfield's vocals, but he's probably a better vocalist than Dave Mustaine. The sound is great. It's a pretty consistent album in terms of tone, but when the sound is so great it hardly even matters. The lyrics are pretty good too. There's some solid variety. From commentary on the poor historical treatment in the song "Indians" to a Judge Dredd tribute in "I Am the Law." It's great! Anthrax definitely belongs in the pantheon of all-time great metal bands. I love this, and I want more. Give me more metal. Please. High 4/5.

3.75

Uh... 5 stars for this one! Thrash metal??? How can you go wrong, love this shit!!! 🤘🏽

I can appreciate the representation that metal gets on this list. There aren’t a lot of them, but the ones they have are generally very solid choices. Who the kings were of the 80s thrash and speed metal era aren’t really debatable. It has always been, and always will be, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax. But out of these four, I feel the latter definitely gets the least representation and love. I wouldn’t say for any particular reason. They just haven’t had the staying power of the other three. But they are equally as good in many regards. This album is also dedicated to Cliff Burton. Which really highlights how beautiful metal can be while simultaneously being so aggressive. The performances on here are incredibly strong. And super powerful. Slayer is the closest thrash band to straight death metal. Megadeth and Metallica balance the heaviness with some softer sections. Even delving into acoustic stuff every once in a while. But Anthrax on this record is straight speed and thrash for 50 minutes. So many incredible double bass parts all over this thing. Plus, this might have the best sounding production out of all of the big 80s thrash records. It sounds massive, and the bass guitar tone is super dense. I’ll be honest though. The vocals aren’t amazing. I’m not sure why most metal bands during this time had singers with relatively high range. James Hetfield is easily my favorite thrash singer of the main four. But he doesn’t exactly have much competition, since the other three aren’t amazing. But this is still a quality release from one of 80s metal’s most kick-ass bands. Rating: 7/10

9.5/10. It's bloody Anthrax. They are among the big four thrash metal bands!!! The album is dope, and revolutionary. It features a plethora of amazing riffs!!! :)

Sure. This album was alright. The vocals are soooo drrrryyyyyyy. Which I guess makes them cut more in the mix but yeah this was sort of a dud for me.

So bad it's ... bad.

Only really knew I Am The Law but the rest was what I expected, absolutely over the top 80s metal which sparked a nostalgia for me going round to my Dads pals house and hanging out with his son who was a few years older and he got me into all this sort of stuff, good fun

Solid Metal album. Heavy Metal is jot generally my favorite genre, but I found this more enjoyable than most. The instruments were definitely the star with the singing being good enough. Probably not something I would come back to, but an album I'm glad we got to expand my musical horizons. 3.5 with half stars.

10

It was alright. Perhaps because of the age, it didn't feel groundbreaking. Time changes were all over the place. Vocals were lacking. It felt like I was listening to Generic Metal Album #22342. I'd have given it 1 star, but songs about Stephen Kings, "The Stand" and "Apt Pupil" as well as a song about Judge Dredd pushed it up to a 2 for me.

I think the best thing about this album is the cover art. For the music.. What is with these 80s metal bands and just changing tempos at the snap of a finger? I don't get it. When I'm vibing with the guitars and the drums, it suddenly changes to something completely different! I hate it! I can only imagine the writing process was something along the lines of "Hey this riff sounds cool, let's add it in!" All of the intros to the songs were great. They all had me hyped up to hear the rest of the song. And then I was met with disappointment with the rest of the song. The most "consistent" song in that sense, and the one I enjoyed the most from this album, was I Am The Law. Indians was okay too. There's only 1 feeling that can describe this music, anger. I just felt like I wanted to break stuff while listening to this record. By the 4th song, I was ready to turn the album off. However, I actually enjoyed the back half of this album more than the front half. In contrast to my previous statement, there were actual transitions between sections and so I felt like the songs flowed better. I don't think there's any reason for me to return to this album. Not even for a single. 1/5

Thrash. Loads of fun. Don't know Anthrax well but this is good. Further evidence that it's Metallica I don't like, not thrash. Caught in a Mosh is a blast. Okay a few tracks in I'm getting a bit numb and bored. Ahah, One World must have the lamest lyrics to any metal song with a positive message. Lyrics don't get better on the next track. Music is great fun all the same. Sack it, let's go down the middle.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, but that was a low bar. This is definitely the best kind of anthrax to be subjected to though.

Hmm not a thrash metal guy. Simpsons: No

I want to enjoy thrash music like this more, but it really does all sound the same.

I’ve heard of this band but have never listened to them. I enjoyed this album and will check out more of their work when I have some free time.

As a major public figure, it pays to be vigilant around suspect packages. This comes from personal experience. When North Norfolk Digital was sent a box of heavy metal CDs, muggins here was about to open it when fellow DJ Rudy Gibson shouted over, ‘Careful, Alan. That contains anthrax.’ I looked at him, scarcely able to believe what he was suggesting. But he continued in more emphatic tones: ‘The box of heavy metal CDs, Alan. Contains anthrax. You understand? Anthrax?’ I ran to the boot of my car, pulling off my jumper and shirt, and then stood at my boot, slathering and rubbing my hands and face, chest and neck with handfuls of Swarfega. My colleagues watched from the upstairs windows, checking I was OK. Of course, I quickly realised that Gibson had been joking and that Anthrax was the name of a heavy metal band or singer whose CD might have been in the box. I looked up at the window and waved and laughed and dressed and mused on how fantastic it was to have colleagues who could share practical jokes like this. Sure enough, I got into the spirit and played a practical joke on Gibson by getting my assistant to phone him during one of his shows to tell him his elderly mother had had a fall. He was all over the place! But still, I think twice about opening strange packages. It was alright, better than I expected.

Thrash metal kind of all sounds the same to me, and I hate it when people say that about the music I like so I really do wish I could say more.

Anthrax is my least favorite of the Big 4 of thrash, Slayer being the top for me. That being said they do hold their own in this genre. The guitar work of Scott Ian and Dan Spitz is solid and Charlie Benante’s drums are quite impressive. The one element that makes Anthrax a hard band for me to get into is Joey Belladonna’s vocals. He’s a good singer, his tone just always seems out of place in the band. Really he’s a much better singer than Dave Mustane and yet I’d rather hear Megadeth. Sometimes it works but most of the time for me it doesn’t. I still enjoy an occasional revisit to these classic thrash albums from Anthrax but it always reaffirms my thoughts going in, Slayer fucking rules.

Classic thrash! The music is killer. The vocals don't really go with the music, in my personal opinion, but it clearly has worked for them and their fans. I have never really listened to a whole album from Anthrax, but I dig this one. 4 on the music.

I've heard some Anthrax in high school. Songs like "Now It's Dark" and the Public Enemy collab "Bring The Noise." I know they are part of the Big 4 (along with Metallica, Megadeath, and Slayer), but I haven't really gotten into them. An open minded listen isn't enough to change my opinion. Chug-a chug-a chug-a. Joey Belladonna does have a decent singing voice for metal, a cross between Iron Maiden, DIO, Motley Crue, and Bad Religion. The guitar riffs and solos are decent when not simply djenting along; the drumming is tight despite how difficult it is to keep up at such a fast pace for so long a time. It definitely takes talent and dedication to write and play these songs, and another sort of talent to convince your bandmates that these songs are worth the effort. Unlike the thrash of early Metallica records, I find the vocal and guitar melodies a bit weak; much of the guitar work appears to be complicated filler, without making a confident musical statement. Not my favorite genre. I can appreciate the talent required to play this, but a must-hear album before you die??? It feels like it was included on this list to fulfill some unsaid metal quota. I'd be curious to see--when this project is all said and done--which albums were eventually removed from the list. I know this one gets my vote.

What can I say about this? I've never listened to Anthrax but have heard about them over the years and Scott Ian seemed to be on TV a lot back in the day. It's pretty over the top, and they did their thing, but it's hard for me to find much here that I can vibe with. At least now I know what Anthrax sounds like?

I. Could. Not. Stop. Laughing. I am sure it was was not the intention of the band to have that effect, but I couldn't help it. The music was just insanely over the top. I would say cartoonish even. It was like a mixture of metal and punk. I did have fun listening to it, and it was my first listen ever to Anthrax. If a group of werewolves were to get coked up and make an album, I am absolutely sure this is what it would sound like. My favorites were 'Among the Living' and 'Indians'.

Not my favorite flavor of metal, but I can see their influence

4 stars

No, thank you. I did sample it, and immediately disagreed that there was any need to listen to the whole thing before I die. So, I didn't listen to a lot. My rating is, therefore, unsound. I'm not disputing how much practice it takes to sound like this, incidentally. I just don't like it, and I'm not in the mood to be objective.

I might be wrong here, but Metallica were your older cousins, telling you scary stories and introducing to bits of life that perhaps your parents didn’t want you to know about. Slayer was the weird guy up the street who you should avoid but was too compelling with horror stories who lived in a creepy house and couldn’t be ignored. Megadeth was the lunatic up the road, spouting conspiracies and railing against immigration and the gubmint. But again, compelling. Anthrax were the goofy guys, barrel of laughs, just great fun to be around. What and how you you were laughing about was a whole other thing, again, probably not parent approved, but there you are. And that’s this album. Heavy? Yes. Intense? Yes. But a self deprecation and humour that isn’t apparent on the other three. Most people will only need to hear this once, but it’s a good listen. 3.5.

I'm not into metal.

This takes me back to when I was a teenager. My mate Tim loved this record when it came out, and we listened to it a lot. We both liked thrash, but were much more attracted to the skateboard friendly end of the genre (Anthrax, plus local faves like the Hard-Ons, Massappeal, the Hellmenn) rather than the metal-dude end (Metaliica, Megadeth, Slayer). I didn't skate, but Tim did. The skate-thrash bands were a bit funnier and relatable. Anthrax had a sense of humour. It wasn't always so serious, maaaaaan. This album really took me back, and I enjoyed the clean, unpretentious production (by Eddie Kramer, which surprised me to read). This is a really minor note, but I find the use of double kick on this album tasteful. Many bands just run the double kick the whole way through songs, and I find it exhausting and, ironically, reduces the impact of the speed. Moshing was enormous fun when I was 17, but not feasible for the more mature gentleman (as I am now).

I should have been a metalhead. Guess it's never too late...

A high 3 / low 4. I love the musicianship. Some excellent drumming and guitar work, but that 80s style of metal vocals just doesn't vibe with me. I probably won't add any of these songs to my playlist, so for that reason I'm going to have to say a 3.

Thrash metal, my beloved ❤️

Thrash is just not my thing. Probably wont ever listen to this again. But I can at least now say that I know what Anthrax sounds like.

One of the big 4 thrash bands and probably the most underrated and overlooked but Anthrax have some great tunes and can rock as hard as the rest. Caught In A Mosh, Indians, NFL, I Am The Law & the title track are some of the best thrash tracks ever, great album

Vaguely annoying

Pretty decent. It's not that it's not my thing, but for this kinda thing it needs to be outstanding for me to love it, but I like it. It is probably a 3

Not my cup of tea, but although I expected to hate it, I was able to listen to it. To my ears, most of these songs are really repetitive. Not sure that it’s fair for me to rate it, as the rating is a reflection of my personal taste, and I just don’t care for this genre. Although I could give it a listen once, I would never choose to listen to it again. Life is too short.

The smallest of The Big Four, and one I'd never listened to before. This takes a while to get going, and even at at it's best it's not as good as the other three, but it's OK. Scott Ian is a great rhythm player and the album gallops along like a decent thrash album should, but it doesn't quite have that certain something that Ride the Lightning or ...And Justice For All or Seasons In The Abyss has, and so not even Judge Dredd can get it above three stars.

didn't do much for me

Met vlagen zeer energiek, gave wendigen, en lekker ruig. Maar af en toe ook net een beetje matig. Net 4

3++

Not for me 2/5

Anthrax have always kind of been the hanger-on of the big four of thrash metal. Metallica are anthemic and diverse and have an astounding cultural impact, Slayer are intense and relentless, Megadeth have their blistering guitar solos and some prog-rock leanings, and Anthrax are just kind of there doing the same kind of thing. They’re like Suede to Oasis/Blur/Pulp, or like Frankie Jonas This is regarded as their best album and it’s a good album. Nothing I haven’t really heard before from the other three apart from maybe a more punk-inspired approach, and the whole thing is just very solid. Great performances all round, strong lyrics, but just failed to make much of an impact

Anthrax vocals always turn me off initially, but I stuck around for the awesome riffage and this album totally grew on me over the course of the listen. 3.5/5

Never really enjoyed this band although I always thought I ought to. They seem like they're the most punk aligned of the big 3, and yet it's never clicked much. I did enjoy this listen though. The vocals are somehow not what I want them to be. 3.49/5

I’ve been listening to Anthrax since my teens, but I don’t really know if they’re THAT essential. I’d easily swap this for another, less-represented metal genre or even another Iron Maiden or Black Sabbath album. Still, this is as good as they get, and it makes sense that half of it still gets played every night. What made Anthrax stand out is their ability to have fun with themselves, but still take themselves seriously when needed. And that still holds up, on top of solid songwriting. B

Gives me frat-rock vibes

Reminded me of Metallica, like a British variant. Vocalist, and their guitarists held the same tones and whatnot. 2.8

I'm not typically a thrash metal fan but this album surprised me! The first song Among the Living had me a bit worried for the rest of the album but it kind of warmed me up for what was to come. I can't say I comprehended all the lyrics, but what I could hear were very progressive, very liberal ideas. It always surprises me for some reason when a metal band has progressive lyrics because I feel like metal at some point became associated with machismo. But more often than not you have these lyrics that nobody can hear or understand and because the music is so fast and loud a certain type of person adopts this as their music. There is a guy I work with who loves System of a Down, Pearl Jam, and Rage Against the Machine. He plays them all day every day and he is clearly a right leaning republican. It kills me. He has no idea. Anyway, I should have never judged Anthrax by their deadly chemical powder name because I surprisingly enjoyed the messages they scream on this and the thrash they exude. For anyone not into thrash, this is maybe the best there is.

Not as bad as I was initially anticipating, but still not good enough to listen to ever.

Not my thing

6/10 Enjoyed this fairly formulaic and one note album a lot more than expected

they seem a parody of metal

I don't like it - But I don't dislike it as much as some of the other junk on this list.

STANDOUTS: nothing, i DNF'd every song OVERALL: 1/5

Metallica = earth Megadeth = wind Slayer = fire ...and Anthrax would be water 💦 Just experienced them all yay. Did I got it right?

Mublanikufesin

Another great album

I don't dislike Anthrax, I don't like Anthrax. All the songs sound pretty much the same to me.

Great album

Thrash metal. Didn't even bother after 1 track

Energetic start to my day.

i am a metal newbie, but i enjoyed my time with this one. it's aggressive, bombastic, and pretty listenable. the musicianship here is pretty great and the lyrics i enjoyed. pretty cool!

Musically intense, vocals seem a little shrill for the music (cross between Rob Halford, the dude from Iron Maiden, and Chris Cornell). Kinda samey, causes ear fatigue over a whole album. Highlights: "Among the Living" (that double-time drumming), "I Am the Law" (nice chugging riff and gang vocals in the chorus) Notable: "Indians" (pretty sure this would be considered "problematic" in the present-day)

Pretty decent for thrash metal ngl. I was expecting worse but was instead pleasantly surprised. All the tracks flowed well and it kept hold of my attention for the most part. Best - Caught In A Mosh, I Am The Law, Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.), and Indians Worst - no bad songs 3.50/5

Irgendwie wie erwartet aber doch überraschend. Auf die Länge hin jedoch zu eintönig. ***1/2

Talk about not being able to choose a good singer for your band

This is trash (literally)

Energetic thrash metal for angry people!

Love the first song

Si, trashea un poco menos que Metallica en su mejor momento, pero eso es un elogio.

like the Motörhead album this was a lot more listenable than I thought it was going to be but it just got really boring towards the end... 2.5/5

BEST SONGS: - Caught In A Mosh - Efilnikufesin (N.F.L)

Adding to my "Heading Out to Fuck Some Shit Up" Playlist now.

3.5-4

Well if you are going to listen to thrash metal you might as well listen to one of the best.

Enjoyed it way more than I thought I would

My introduction to Anthrax was in the late 80s during college. It was not by choice. It was because some of my friends liked them. I did not. I still do not. I am no longer in touch with those college friends. If I were I imagine they would be wearing red MAGA hats and “Grab her by the pu**y” shirts. Hard pass.