Anthrax - Worship Music (2011)

I for one, welcomed back Joey Belladonna with open arms, so lost was I by the bands John Bush meanderings. Judging by sales and reviews, 'Worship Music' is what everyone hoped for and more, the band stomping the stage as part of the Big Four and ready to thrash again. Should we believe the hype ? Well, in most cases yes...it's Anthrax, and for me 'Spreading The Disease' and 'Among The Living' are two of metal's greatest records, even 'State...' and 'Persistence...' were decent affairs, and now we've come full circle, thrash metal is back in a big way, there's lotsa fresh new talent (albeit too many bands paying respects to the past with their sound) and so we always hope we'll never be let down by the original masters...Slayer have always stuck to their guns, as have Megadeth, whilst Metallica for me anyway, have been a disgrace since '88, but can Anthrax enable us to worship the scene again ? There's no doubt that Anthrax aren't just here to make up the thrash numbers, the mighty riff attack of Ian and Caggiano is one that reduces houses to rubble. If there's always been one band known for its chug then it's Anthrax, but this time round there's a refreshing, melodic, yet pummelling chug bolstered by the startling Belladonna and a renewed set of pipes....there's no jokes, no gimmicks, just pure cranium carvery as the five piece hammer home a weighty affair that clearly finds no purpose in reminiscing on the days of mosh! 'Earth On Hell', and the mighty mayhemic 'Fight Em Til You Can't' propel Anthrax back to the top of the league, blessed with amazing melody, this could easily be Sabbath circa Ronnie Dio, and Maiden at it's most sublime, with added velocity. Bello's bass is, as expected, of earthquake standard and Benanate's drums raise the levels of the boom, and that guitar sound is so punishing, lead weight, crushing, devastating, and crisp and clear. Anthrax 2011 isn't necessarily a thrash band - 'Worship...' simply concretes their legend without the need to resort to tried and tested ways. The monstrous 'Judas Priest' and album closer 'Revolution Screams' are titanic in structure whilst 'I'm Alive' is destined to become a timeless metal anthem, the melody an absolute killer. As the album progresses the band does tend to slow, but as I said, Anthrax have no need to thrash anymore, but instead have crafted an album of highly polished metal anthems that never once require bermuda short buffoonery but instead take the classic, cold steel energy of bands such as Sabbath (circa Dio), Priest, Maiden, and their own sense of knowing, to construct a dark rumbling beast. 'In The End' a prime example of how a band such as Anthrax need not worry about the wave of pretenders that have saturated a field they once ruled. Anthrax will always rule, in what ever form they take, but the skin they seem most comfortable in is one that within its fold includes Joey Belladonna. Metallica - listen to this and weep.

8.5/10