Review Summary: Still Metal Thrashing Mad
Anthrax has always seemed the smallest of the Big 4, however recently you could argue that they’ve certainly been the best. While Metallica bask in their own popularity and constantly postpone any work towards recording new material, while Megadeth are recovering from their “Super Collider” flop in 2013 and while everyone’s throats become sore from shouting "SLAYERRRR" so much to distract themselves from the fact they haven’t actually done anything daring in 10 years, Anthrax have been rising in leaps and bounds.
If you need another reason to suspect that Anthrax are back on track from their lengthy hiatus, other than 2011’s “Worship Music”, then “For All Kings” will certainly convince you. They still prove that they are metal thrashing mad fanatics of the genre with tracks such as ‘Defend Avenge’ and ‘This Battle Chose Us’ where strong riffs trample through with no finesse and crazy solos spring out from nowhere. ‘You Gotta Believe’ displays their melodious side with airy harmonies that become potent hooks to thrash metal however it still delivers a fine dish of (albeit slow) cat-and-mouse rhythms from guitars and drums alike.
The talent behind the instrumentation of Anthrax is showcased equally between all members on “For All Kings”. On ‘Suzerain’ founding members Scott Ian and Charlie Benante show no signs of aging despite it being 35 years since Anthrax’s conception. Whenever a blast beat explodes into action, Banante particularly exhibits his percussion precision as if he still maintains his youthfulness of the 80’s that will give any fan of metal a good ol’ thrashgasm. New to the band is former Shadows Fall guitarist, Jon Donias. While his predecessor Rob Caggiano was a great ingredient to Anthrax, his absence is barely noticeable as the melodies and solos in ‘All Of Them Thieves’ proves that Donias is a worthy replacement and has clear respect for the role of being a guitarist for one of the most popular thrash bands around. Frank Bello is an effective bass where he provides bounciness rather than solemnity to the downbeat bass however on the animated ‘Blood Eagle Wings’ his bass is shrouded behind his energetic band members by unfocused production.
If you’re looking for the hardcore punk aspect of Anthrax then Joey Belladonna is the place to start. The radicalising and condemning lyrics in ‘Evil Twin’ depict the vicious French Charlie Hebdo shootings in 2015 where Joey describes the evil twin as the person behind the savage massacre of the innocent compared to their humane twin. With a lyrical theme as strong as this his snarling performance is just as powerful. Furthermore, the satirical quality of hardcore and punk is mimicked on ‘Zero Tolerance’ where Joey describes terrorism in lyrics such as “zero tolerance for extremism/racial hate/killing children” and the brief cry of “What have you got to say to that mother ***ers?!” before a tirade of Scott’s furious solos symbolise their lividness with a -quite literal- zero tolerance attitude.
Scott Ian described "For All Kings" as “the most metal album they have recorded in years.” As clichéd as this statement is, he’s not lying. Anthrax out do themselves once more with another album that, in recent times, puts their esteemed colleagues to shame-again.
