Artist: Anthrax
Label: Beyond
Release Date: 11/23/99
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Title: Return of the Killer A's Artist: Anthrax Label: Beyond Release Date: 11/23/99 |
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Abyss's Review:
OK. Reviewing a greatest hits album is pretty much pointless, so I'm not planning to spend much time on this one. Most metal fans I know are well aware of Anthrax's catalogue, and either own it all already, or couldn't care less. This band is close to my heart due to the fact that they are one of my first favorite bands within the genre, seeing as how I didn't get into metal until the mid eighties. And there is no doubt that, by 1990, Anthrax was the only thrash band that could compare popularity-wise against the fallen angels, Metallica. It is hard to believe now, but Anthrax, at one point, was more recognizable amongst the MTV crowd than the thrashers from San Francisco. And they highlight this point best by leading this collection off with "Bring the Noise," their version with Public Enemy. At the time it was originally released, this was considered revolutionary, mixing hard-core political rap, with thrash, but in retrospect it may have been the beginning of the end for Anthrax as a mainstream, commercial entity. Shortly after being signed to a lucrative record deal, things began to fray. First was the removal of Belladonna at vocals, being replaced by Armored Saint's John Bush. This was not poorly received by fans and critics alike, as The Sound of White Noise, was well received it seemed. But, at the same time, the "underground" metal community became suspicious, and seemed to drift away. This proves that, no matter how sincere a crossover is, it is not going to be received well by the heavy metal faithful. And let's face it, as much as many metalheads enjoy the more recent Anthrax albums (and stand by the fact that they haven't sold out), they aren't as heavy as they used to be. Spreading the Disease and Among the Living still stand out way above the other albums. These are the classics, even though the others are quality. So this would only be a good purchase for the old fans that only had a passing interest in the newer material. Because, let's face it, if you like newer Anthrax you probably own all of this stuff. The one inducement for everybody else to purchase this albums is a hidden track after "I Am the Law," which I can only assume will be on their next release. In all honesty, it fits the recent Anthrax mold. Good but not great, and unfortunately it fades out quite quickly, and one never gets a very good feel for the song. In short, not enough for me to be overbrimming with excitement for the next release.
"This would only be a good purchase for the old fans that only had a passing interest in the newer material."
Death's Review:
I am generally not big on greatest hits packages. Anyone who is a big enough fan to notice this album's release should already have the balance of this material in their collection. Any potential new fans out there probably won't notice. Thus, the target audience for Killer A's is questionable at best.I do kinda enjoy having it. For one thing, I never bothered to replace my worn out Belladonna-era cassettes with CDs. And while the few old songs included here can by no means serve as a replacement for ownership of those actual albums, it's nice to have a few of these tracks on CD.
Another bonus is the inclusion of "Ball of Confusion," a cover of the Temptations classic, which features vocals by both Belladonna and Bush. A cool song, and a nice novelty, which, if nothing else, solidifies one fundamental Anthraxian truth: John Bush is a much better singer than Joey Belladonna. One listen to their vocals side-by-side on this track makes that point abundantly clear. Do I like the Bush-era Anthrax better than the Belladonna material? Interesting debate. For sheer mosh-inducing metallic madness, few records top Among the Living. And Belladonna really belts it out on the early-metal classic, Spreading the Disease. But those records are about the riffs and accompanying drumming, more than vocal prowess. Bottom line, even going back to the Armored Saint years, Bush just has the more soulful and interesting voice. Not only has he amirably forged his own legacy with the band's 90's releases, his performances of several Belladonna numbers in recent Anthrax live sets bring previously overlooked tracks to classic levels of intensity (e.g., "In My World").
"Do I like the Bush-era Anthrax better than the Belladonna material? Interesting debate." Two other reasons to be interested in this collection: the remixes and the hidden track. Unfortunately, while the hidden track at the end of the album absolutely rules, it fades out halfway through. It sounds like a raw, underproduced, yet killer Bush-vocals Anthrax track. Does anyone know what this is or where it comes from? More importantly, why didn't we get to hear the whole thing? The remixes are equally disappointing. To my ears, "Pottersfield" is a classic song with which meddling should be forbidden. How distorting and mechanizing certain lines of the tune adds to its enjoyment is anybody's guess. Both remixes (the other being "Hy Pro Glo") are so half-assed they actually detract from your enjoyment, and you simply long for their original versions.
I do enjoy the liner notes and packaging. If you are a big Anthrax fan, they just make the purchase fun. There are pictures and clippings from throughout the band's history. Something is written about each track -- where they were at the time they recorded it or some little memory of a killer live performance. This stuff brings great insight and allows the nostalgia to flow. Although I was a bit put off by their seeming need to trip over themselves to remind you that they practically invented the new school rap/metal sound (no argument, they did) with tracks like "I'm the Man" and "Bring the Noise," their statement that "It's all about metal" at the end of the fan letter is right on the mark and makes up for their willingness to brag about spawning Limp Bizkit and the like.
Leaving considerations of extras, remixes, etc. aside, the merit of any compilation/retrospective/boxed set, etc. has to lie in the track selection. Some, like the Metalworks Judas Priest collection, impress and surprise with an adventurous selection of material that shows excellent taste in the band's work. In many ways, this is where Killer A's falls the hardest. A band with this much great material can probably do without three covers ("Ball of Confusion," "Got the Time," and "Antisocial") in one single-CD collection. Of these, "Antisocial" (yeah I know it was a video and a minor hit) has to be the most useless thing Anthrax ever recorded -- it does nothing for me, like Megadeth's version of "Anarchy in the U.K."
Moving quickly through the tracks, "Only" is essential and has to be one of the greatest metal songs ever recorded. "Pottersfield" would rule if the remix didn't fuck it up so. "Ball of Confusion" is the new track, "Crush" is OK but a bit overly melodic, "Room For One More" is awesome and still makes me want to get up and start breaking things. "Inside Out" is a great song and one of the standout tracks from the underrated Volume 8. The "Hy Pro Glo" remix again mucks up a good song, "Fueled" is a great catchy metal tune from Stomp 442, and "Among the Living" is killer and the perfect track with which to open the Belladonna selections. I never was that keen on "Got the Time," but "Indians" is essential metal. I told you how I feel about "Antisocial," while "I'm the Man," as groundbreaking as it was, really sounds kinda stupid after all of these years. "Madhouse" represents nicely on behalf of the seemingly forgotten classic Spreading the Disease (Fistful of Metal evidently didn't make the cut), and "I Am the Law" is a great closer. The bonus track sounds great at the end until it fades away.
"All in all, Anthrax is a great band, but really, I'm just waiting to see what Bush, Ian, Benante, and Bello dish up for their next studio effort." All in all, if you love Anthrax like I do, you might want to have this in your collection. If you are a newer metalhead, or somehow missed Anthrax prior to this, perhaps this is a good introduction and thus you should support the band and buy the release. There are great songs here that every metalhead should know and love. Yet I can't help feeling that these folks would be better served buying Sound of White Noise and Among the Living and putting them both on shuffle at the same time. Personally, I'm more psyched for the DVD. All in all, Anthrax is a great band and I'm psyched to welcome Joey back for half the set on the new tour. But really, I'm just waiting to see what Bush, Ian, Benante, and Bello dish up for their next studio effort. Either that, or I say wait till March 2000 for the new Armored Saint.
Hel's Review:
I immediately realized that this would be the most unique greatest hits compliations ever released. Why? Because, usually, a greatest hits collection from a band with more than one singer in their history will either re-record the oldies with the new singer or they will ignore that era of their history almost altogether. Since I knew there was an upcoming tour with both singers in the works, I knew there would be none of that here.
I also knew that a band with the history that Anthrax has behind it, would put out a fun package. I was certainly right there. The booklet does not contain the usual collage of various live photos and/or silly photos of the band. Instead, the collage found inside is of assorted memorabilia. Cool shit that's fun to look at, and interspersed in there is where you see the aforementioned photos. The photos are unobtrusive, and not what the collage is all about, but rather, a perfect inclusion.
"My favorite part of the letter from the band is a statement that reads, "It's All About Metal." Fuck yeah." This is all seen, however, after you are presented with a letter from the band addressed, "Greetings, Loyal Listeners." My favorite part of the letter is toward the end, a statement that reads, "It's All About Metal." Fuck yeah. Looking further, each song has anecdotal notations from Scott Ian. This is clearly a release for the long-time fans. I, for one, am appreciative.
The CD itself is painted with more cool memorabilia and I'm happy with it even before it is in my player. Once inside, it is almost exactly what you would expect. I was a little surprised at the emphasis on the John Bush era but, in light of my above comments, I guess I shouldn't have been.
The first unexpected thing I found while listening to it was the "Potter's Field Hypo Luxa Heremes Pan Remix." Unfortunately, it was not good unexpected, but bad unexpected. The song was definitely better before. That's not to say that re-mixing is a universally bad thing. But this version makes me think there's something wrong with my speakers. (The other remix, "Hy Pro Glo," is not as shockingly bad, maybe it was the "Hermes Pan" that ruined the other track.)
This is quickly followed by another of the unexpecteds. I knew there was supposed to be a new song with both singers. I didn't expect it to be so commercially palatable (a Temptations tune? Why'd they pick that?). There are two things that keep me from panicking. The first is the statement I quoted to you earlier. Even if this did become a radio hit, the unwitting consumer would bring it home and find out it's all about metal - it even says so! The other thing that comforts me, since the vocal styles of Bush and Belladonna are so different, it's possible that this was all they could come up with that they both sounded good on.
"Bush is a far superior singer. Which would also explain why no one has heard a peep from Belladonna since they parted ways. Brutally put, he sucks." Whether in the same song, or just consecutive songs, this side by side comparision reinforces a conclusion I had already made. Bush is a far superior singer. Which would also explain why no one has heard a peep from Belladonna since they parted ways. Brutally put, he sucks.
This is not to say that I dislike early Anthrax or even that I am not looking forward to seeing Belladonna do those songs live on the upcoming tour. I do think that this will all have an unexpected benefit. I think that when the fans who have never accepted Bush hear and see them side-by-side, they will have to see the truth. Antrax is an even better band now than it was back then.
Proof-positive of that, let your stereo play after you'd think the album is over. There's a taste of a song there, Bush on vocals, and it's heavy as sin. I want to hear more of that.
Still, it is a greatest hits collection and has the same inherent problem as cover albums, it's just not breaking new ground. Granted, there's one new song, but the commerciality of that as well as the crap that came out of remixing "Potters Field," plus the fact that it's a greatest hits, all add up to a lower score that I would prefer to give a new Anthrax release.
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