Anthrax - 'Worship Music' Album Review

Knowing the history of the creation of this album, it's an amazing tribute to the band's resolve that it was actually completed. Even more remarkable is that it's the best metal album of 2011 so far. If you don't know the story, here's the Reader's Digest version: after Anthrax finished touring in support of their 2003 album 'We've Come for You All,' the band's classic 1985-1992 lineup got back together for a reunion tour. However, after that tour ended, vocalist Joey Belladonna and lead guitarist Dan Spitz made hasty exits. Then-current vocalist John Bush, who apparently wasn't in favor of the reunion tour to begin with, also left Anthrax for his old band Armored Saint (although he did play a few shows with Anthrax in 2009). Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour jammed with the band, but nothing ever became of that. Anthrax eventually recruited an unknown singer by the name of Dan Nelson, but tensions between him and the rest of the band resulted in him being quickly fired. Finally, Belladonna was asked to come back for a third go-around and to finish the album, which would be the first one to feature him on vocals since 1991's 'Attack of the Killer B's.' He agreed and the band basically rebuilt the album from the ground up.

All that drama would've probably torn apart most bands. Not Anthrax, though; quite the opposite, in fact: 'Worship Music' is the best album the band has released since 1993's 'Sound of White Noise.' As a matter of fact, 'Worship Music' sounds like a lost album recorded between 'Persistence of Time' and that record. Overall, the new album's not as thrashy as the classic Belladonna-era output, but not as grunge-inspired as the Bush-era catalog either.

The quiet, almost reflective "Worship" merely serves as a brief intro to "Earth on Hell," our first real taste of Anthrax 2011. This song doesn't waste any time: it comes at you like a .45-caliber hollow point bullet shot point blank into your face. It's fast and ferocious and Belladonna erases any doubts that he is--and always has been--the perfect vocalist for Anthrax. In fact, special mention must be made of Belladonna's vocal performance on this album. He had an unenviable task of essentially coming on board after the album was written and re-doing all the vocals, but he made this album his own. Even those Anthrax fans firmly entrenched in the John Bush camp will be forced to admit that Belladonna hit it out of the park. Of course, if you caught Belladonna's performance at The Basement on June 3rd (see my review here), you shouldn't be surprised in the least.

The next song--and first single--"The Devil You Know," is reminiscent of Bush-era Anthrax, but as I said, Belladonna's voice is perfectly suited for this music. Last year, he controversially claimed that he could've performed on the Bush-era albums just as well as Bush, and this album lends a lot of credence to his claim.

"Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't" is not only the best song on album, but easily one of best songs Anthrax has ever recorded. The only real throwback to their albums of the 1980s, it could've easily fit on 'Among the Living.' The song even has the tongue-in-cheek lyrics that were common to that era of the band. Zombies are more popular than ever, and if there's one metal band I want to record a song about them, it's Anthrax. "The murder in your eyes is just the will to stay alive, you gotta fight 'em / Cause there's no humanity when the dead come back to feed, you gotta fight 'em, fight 'em!" I love it! This song alone devours the entire zombie-themed EP released by The Devil Wears Prada last year (read my review of that EP here). The song also features one hell of a brutal riff from Scott Ian, one of the greatest rhythm guitarists in the history of metal. He's a giant, right up there with Iommi, Hetfield and Malcolm Young.

That's just one of many masterpieces to be found here. "I'm Alive," with its heavy, chugging intro courtesy of bassist Frank Bello and drummer Charlie Benante, one of the tightest and most powerful rhythm sections in rock, is another track that can stand proudly among the greatest songs in the Anthrax catalog. "In the End" charts waters rarely navigated by Anthrax; it's one of the few truly epic songs the band has ever done. It's one of the deepest too, a moving tribute to two recently deceased metal icons: Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell Abbott and the legendary vocalist Ronnie James Dio. "Lone Star was dark tonight / Our diamond shined so bright / I watched it go / Farther than he ever dreamed." What a beautiful eulogy for Abbott.

Speaking of Dimebag, this album marks a sad milestone: it's the first Anthrax album since 'Sound of White Noise' that the late guitarist did not contribute to. I bet if he was still alive, Dimebag would've been asked to record a solo for "The Giant," a mountain of a song with a crunchy, Pantera-esque groove. I can't listen to this song without wondering.

There are a few clunkers on the album, especially towards the end, but 'Worship Music' goes out on a high note with "Revolution Screams," an angry call to arms guaranteed to whip the mosh pits into frenzies when played live.

Actually, the album doesn't end there: a hidden track was appended about eight minutes after "Revolution Screams" ends--a cover of "New Noise" by 90s Swedish hardcore punk bank Refused. Pretty interesting, but hidden tracks are soooo mid-1990s.

 
Not only is 'Worship Music' a feast for the ears, the cover art truly is art. Comic book artist Alex Ross has created an iconic album cover: a menagerie of evil-looking faces congregating around the Anthrax pentagram the band's been using for the past decade. And look sharp: the band's "Not Man" is just visible under the band's name, and is that Iron Maiden's mascot Eddie in the top-right corner?
 
I think it's safe to assume that not many people expected this album to be the masterwork that it is. After all, this is a 30-year-old band that's been to hell and back in the last half-decade. But in a year filled with surprising metal albums, 'Worship Music' might be the most shocking, as well as the best.