Artist: Anthrax
Label: Mercury
Release Date: 1985
Rating: 5 Skulls
|
|
Title: Spreading the Disease Artist: Anthrax Label: Mercury Release Date: 1985
Rating: 5 Skulls |
|
|
|
||
Death's Review:
There are three distinct phases of Anthrax: the traditional metal stage of Fistful of Metal and Spreading the Disease, the popular thrash stage of Among the Living, State of EuphoriaPersistence of Time, and the Jon Bush era of Sound of White Noise, Stomp 442, and Volume 8: The Threat is Real. Each have their relative merits, but we are here to celebrate the classic first stage of Anthrax, and, most particularly, Spreading the Disease.The album is classic because it sounds urgent and alive yet traditional and true. As much as I categorize it as "stage 1 Anthrax," it really is the bridge between the pure speed metal of Fistful and the commercially friendly moshing of the classic that was to come next, Among the Living. Listen to the main riff in "A.I.R." (or the "Fight! Or go insane" part) or the chorus of "Madhouse" and tell me you don't hear true, face peeling metal yet want to start flailing around your room at the same time!
What's more, Spreading contains Joey Belladonna's best vocal performance by far. Songs like "Medusa" and "A.I.R." acutely display his significant vocal talent, while others like "Armed and Dangerous" solidify and maintain Anthrax's thrashier elements. Listen to the high notes and then listen to the attitude on "Lone Justice," for example. Awesome. And the lyrics are outstanding for this kind of music: empowering, positive and aggressive. One of my favorite passages:
"Who are you gonna live your life for?
Conformity will trap you like a locked door
Independence means owning your own decisions
Authority will put your soul in prison."Words to live by.
In the end, no other Anthrax album ever ended up sounding quite like this one. It should be held high. A classic piece of metal history.
[- Metal Judgment Home -] [- Email Metal Judgment -]
©1999 Metal Judgment. All rights reserved.