Anthrax w/ Death Angel
Rating: 4 Skulls
Death's Review (5/29/03, House of Blues, Hollywood, CA):
Old school thrash reigned on Sunset Strip last week in a major way: Death Angel and Anthrax back-to-back on the same bill! This was the second time I was to see Death Angel post-Thrash of the Titans, and by now I was clued in that this band was still vital and still kicking major ass in the live setting. We got into the venue this night just in time to see them destroy Hollywood yet again. This band kicks serious ass, and a new studio album from them is an absolute must. It has always been clear that these guys were great musicians that understood how to play as well as how to write fun and interesting music. It has also always been clear that these musicians were basically meant to play together, that the whole of Death Angel is greater than the sum of its parts. What's changed (. . . "forever movin', forever changing . . .'") then in the last decade? What once was a bunch of thrashy kids has evolved into a band of seasoned vets. Somebody sign Death Angel please. Someone else please take them out on a national tour so they can kick your ass live too.
Anthrax
Photos by Hel except where noted.Before long, there was Anthrax. As you may know, I like the new album, and hadn't seen them live since that tour they did with Judas Priest. But I find myself defending Anthrax lately against things they say in the media that lead friends of mine to declare the band out of touch with the metal scene. Sometimes it gets harder and harder to do. Recent comments about how a lackluster response to the new material at the Texas shows was revealing of a decline in the metal scene as a whole was so contrary to everything I myself have been witnessing lately in this era of multiple metal music video shows on national cable stations in the U.S. and a seemingly endless barrage of top-flight metal package tours hitting major U.S. markets at a rate of three or four shows a week, it is hard to imagine that metal is dying so much as the guard is changing. Embrace the new school Anthrax, just as fervently as you avoid the nu metal. The metal scene is peaking, not dying, and the best is yet to come.
Death AngelThe Anthrax stage set was killer. I like the pentagramish looking symbols with the raised "A" that was on the bass drums and the side mesh coverings. The giant album cover backdrops also gave the whole thing a "larger than life" feel and looked cool on the House of Blues stage. The band wore their "team Anthrax" jerseys, each number presumably corresponding to the number of years that person has been in the band. Ian, #22, was - as always - very cool to watch tear into his guitar parts with intensity and aggression. Benante, #21 (or #20? -- I can't remember) lived up to the "Octopus" nickname and delivered a performance worthy of his legendary status. Bello, #19, ran around like the madman he has always been, focusing as much on the backing vocals at times as he was on the bass, and generally acting crazy and keeping the lighthearted part of the Anthrax tradition alive in 2003. John Bush, #11, came out sporting a shaved dome! Surprising, but probably ultimately a good move on his part, giving him a more streamlined, modern look. He sounded great live, as always.
AnthraxThe set list was both awesome and annoying. The band doesn't play that many songs, yet we heard three covers this night ("Bring the Noise," which is worth playing, and "Got the Time" and "Antisocial," which are not, even though sadly those two amped up covers are two of the more popular Anthrax tracks with the masses). They did open up with a cool string of fast, thrashy material from the new album, "Intro" into "What Doesn't Die" into "Black Dahlia," all of which sounded awesome and which collectively set a great tone. And they busted out two forgotten, classic thrashers, "Madhouse" from Spreading the Disease and "Metal Thrashing Mad" from Fistful of Metal, an album Ian described (joked?) from the stage as having the worst cover art ever. I was psyched. Bush sounded best on the latter, although both were fun to shout along to in the live setting and both setlist easter eggs were appreciated by the old school, hard core fans in attendance. "Caught in a Mosh" and a encore that offered us a choice between "I Am the Law" or "Indians" (we got "Indians" - "War dance!!!!!!") based upon audience response represented the classic Among the Living album. We also were treated to Bush era classics like "Only" too. All in all, a killer show, perhaps a bit short given Anthrax's legacy, but a great Thursday night out for sure.
And oh yeah - the show was sold out too. I guess the decline of metal hasn't yet made it to LA.
Hel's Review (5/29/03, House of Blues, Hollywood, CA):
Death AngelAs all shows in LA seem to, this one started early. By the time we arrived, just after 8, openers Grade 8 were long over and Death Angel was already onstage. There were two lines we'd have to stand in, the first to get the photo pass, and the second was the actual line to get inside the sold-out venue, and they were both nauseatingly long. Death worked his magic and managed to find the most kind and helpful employee in the entire history of the House of Blues. Cory not only got our tickets from the booth and walked us into the venue, but after the end of Death Angel's set he came back to help straighten out the mix up that had left me without the photo pass I was supposed to have. The fact that the venue did not have my pass was not unusual. In point of fact, all across the country, venues have been screwing up carefully laid plans and multiple MJ writers have had frustrating experiences, many of which have ended in said writer going home empty-handed. Needless to say, I was vastly relieved that I wouldn't be forced to try and sneak pictures from the crowd.
Instead, I was able to photograph Anthrax for the obligatory three songs from the luxury of the spacious photo pit, with only the company of two other photographers to potentially get in my way. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's go back to where our story truly begins: about two songs into Death Angel's set. I took my pictures from the top of a set of stairs off to the side and gloried in the energetic set being played out in front of me. I've been fortunate to see Death Angel live a couple of times over the past few years, first at the Thrash of the Titans, then again opening for Halford here in Hollywood last February. Both of those shows were great, but having these performances, and a few others, under their collective belts has brought them right back to fighting form and tonight they were completely on fire. The audience was nothing less than rabid and toward the end of their set, the band made several comments about the extreme enthusiasm exhibited by this audience. I am utterly thrilled that this band seems back to stay and can't wait to see what they have in store for us in the future.
Anthrax
Photo by DeathMy time in between bands was devoted to straightening out the mess surrounding my photo pass. Once again, HOB's Cory came to my rescue and helped me wade through the red tape. When I finally had it in hand, I realized that Anthrax's appearance was imminent and I knew that per HOB rules, I'd only have three songs, so I immediately struck out for the photo pit. Moments after my arrival the curtain opened and Anthrax began their set with a couple of songs off the new album. The brevity of the new songs became glaringly clear to me as I desperately scrambled to get the pictures I needed before they kicked me out. For a change, presumably because I wasn't the only one who did not get the pass they were supposed to, there were only two other people in the photo pit with me, so at least I didn't have to battle for position with my colleagues. Moments later, my photo time ended, so I settled in and watched.
Death AngelThe crowd in Hollywood this night seemed to be most familiar with the newer era Anthrax material, and old gems like "Madhouse" and "Metal Thrashing Mad" seemed to go over many of these people's heads. Their performance was energetic and they were extremely happy that the capacity crowd was enthusiastic. The old story about the crowd going nuts for "Bring the Noise" when they toured with Pantera was trotted out yet again, which really annoys me - Dude, let it go, this tour was SIX YEARS ago!! Just because the crowd loved it then really has very little relevance. This is one of several small things that cause me to believe that Anthrax is completely out of touch with the world of metal today. That, the recent ranting from Charlie Benante about the popularity of metal declining in the US because their Texas shows were poorly attended as recently reported by Blabbermouth.net, and the Metalupdate.com interview with Scott Ian in which he listed Stone Sour, Slayer, and System of a Down as their "musical peers" - all of these in combination make me feel that they don't really understand the real metal scene (as opposed to the Fuse/Much Music USA and MTV2 versions) as it stands today.
Yet, all in all, it was a really great night out in LA. Death Angel's set ripped down the house and was worth the trip all by itself. I eagerly await everything and anything new this band may produce. Anthrax is, well, Anthrax. I probably felt rather lackluster about them because, at this stage in the game, I have been to a lot of their shows over the years, and I guess I'm getting a little beat on them. Plus, I'd read that thing about Charlie right before the show, and I was really irritated by the pure ignorance of the comment. Believe it folks - metal is on the rise and you're all sitting in the front row. I'll leave you with these three words: Death Angel's back! \m/
Chainheart's Review (5/29/03, House of Blues, Hollywood, CA):
After almost a four-year hiatus the mighty Anthrax have returned with a pummeling new offering that is already being heralded as one of the top metal release of the year. We've Come For You All has everything an Anthrax fan could have hoped for and more. The songs are well written with massive hooks and the drums sound as if they are going to make the speakers explode. Finally, after all of these years they allowed John Bush to display his true vocal range, as he previously did with Armored Saint years ago. This record will satisfy the die-hard fans, while attracting a younger audience without compromising their classic sound. What really makes Anthrax stand out from the pack was the intensity of their live show and this only got tighter as the years went by. With Metallica lost in their own world and Megadeth out of commission it is amazing to see Anthrax still standing tall after all these years. Add the Bay Area thrash titans Death Angel to the mix and you have a lethal dose of metal insanity that is sure to have you caught in a mosh. It was time for L.A. to spread the disease.
AnthraxThis was a night that I have been waiting weeks for and I had a good feeling that the L.A. crowd was going to be ready to give it their all. As I walked up to the venue I noticed that the show actually sold out and people were getting turned away. I made my way in as Death Angel was already on stage and they were tearing the place apart. This quintet moved around the stage as if they are on fire and they definitely know how to put on a killer show. Their songs are what Bay Area thrash metal is all about and this crowd was going insane over it. They played a good amount of classic tracks including "Kill As One" and "Mistress of Pain" proving that they are back and ready to take the world by storm. The guitar work was simply incredible and the vocalist just had the range and energy to keep the set moving at a fast pace, while keeping it exciting. The group are expected to have a new full-length album by early next year and now I am looking forward to it. This was who Anthrax should have had open the entire tour and it was easy to see that this crowd was warmed up.
Once the lights went up I made my way up front to get a good spot and once the intro started I knew this was going to be a high energy show. The shouts of Anthrax were loud and clear, as people kept screaming it out until they took the stage. They immediately kicked into "What Doesn't Die", the first track off the new album, and it sounded perfect. They were all feeding off eachother's energy and this song sounded brutal, especially with Charlie Benante's drumming madness. He once again proves that he is one of the best drummers in metal today. You can also see that he is now very influenced by black metal bands such as Dimmu Borgir through his flaring blast beats and choice of fills. The group kept things going with "Black Dahlia" another blistering track from the new album and this is the most straight out aggressive track they wrote in years. Benante nails the blast beats several times throughout the song and it is just sheer brutality. From here they went right into the classic hit "Got The Time" and this got the crowd moving. Scott Ian (guitars) and Frank Bello (bass) were doing their trademark stomps all over the stage and they did not miss a beat. Once again Bush nailed the song perfectly and now this show was kicking into high gear.
Death AngelAt this point they could see that they had people's attention and proceeded to head right into "Caught In A Mosh" that immediately caused a huge circle pit. This is one of the songs that should be mandatory for Anthrax to have in their live set because it goes over so well. You could see all of the old school fans and newer fans all joined together having a great time. After giving the crowd a chance to catch their breath Ian started the intro to "Inside Out" and this is another song that just has some old school thrash elements with a massive groove that quickly hooks you in. Once it kicked in the entire floor was jumping up and down as Bush kept pushing the crowd for more. New lead guitarist Rob Cagianno played flawlessly and his attitude fits the band perfectly. I thought it was going to be very difficult for anyone to fill the shoes of Paul Crook but it looks as if they have finally found the right person for the job. The group was just getting warmed up and I was ready for more.
They went onto play other hits such as "Fuel", "Madhouse" and "Only" but there were some other tracks that definitely stood out among the rest. The new single "Safe Home" from We've Come For You All is an amazing hard rock song that should be getting airplay on commercial stations throughout the U.S. When they played this live it was incredible and Bush further showed his dynamic vocal abilities. They also surprised me when they kicked into "Black Lodge" and this I did not expect. Since I have not seen this song played live too many times it was a great addition to the set and they followed this up with "Nobody Knows Anything" that is the best song on the new album. This is a full on aggressive metal assault that showcase the most insane double bass attack Benante has shown in years. There is not a bad song on the new album and live they come across even more powerful.
AnthraxAs the set came to a close they remained onstage and Ian commented on how he refuses to go hide behind the backdrop while the crowd begs for more. They went on say how the next song they were going to play spawned a whole new music revolution and I think we all heard this before. They went into "Bring The Noise" and this song I could have definitely done without and I think that it has just been played into the ground. The crowd seemed to still get into it but I still wanted another classic tune before the show ended. They did stay onstage to play one more song and Bush started to take requests. Ian would start playing the intro to "I'm The Law" and "Indians" that ultimately got the best response prompting them to go right into it. This was a great way to end a killer set and I walked away feeling like I got one of the best Anthrax shows possible.
There is no way that I could not give this show a five out of five and I did not want this show to stop. From the amazing line-up to the energetic crowd it just felt great to be there and for me just watching Anthrax play live is special event. I have been standing by this band for years and they have never let me down and I don't see them doing so anytime soon. This is a real metal band who are not afraid to be who they are despite that translating into not being on major tours and jumping on any trends. This group have stood tall for almost 20 years and the music they write now is in a way more powerful and aggressive than their older material. I hope Anthrax gets the chance to play in front of bigger crowds because they make today's newer bands look pitiful in comparison. If you do not own the new Anthrax album then do yourself a favor and buy it. Trust me when I say that you will be able to put it down after one listen and it is good to see them leading the metal charge once again.
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