Review Summary: A no-nonsense slab of speed-thrash that ends up being quite a mixed bag.
It’s not too contrarian to say that Anthrax’s placement in the Big 4 has likely always seemed questionable (sales metrics, bro, it’s not that deep). But while folks will pull out the Bermuda shorts or the rap collabs for their primary evidence, I think it was there from the start with the nebulous blob that was the line between thrash and speed metal when Fistful of Metal first released in 1984.
The Anthrax we see on their full-length debut is drastically different from the beast they’d become as well as from many of their peers at the time. Neil Turbin’s Paul Stanley-on-helium wails are a far cry from your Paul Baloffs or even your David Waynes, the riffs make no bones about their hard rock foundations, and the punk influence isn’t as obvious compared to somebody like Overkill. If Kill ‘Em All was trying to be Diamond Head on steroids and Show No Mercy was an occult Frankenstein of Venom and Iron Maiden, then this album feels more like the path that their fellow New Yorkers in Riot could’ve taken between Fire Down Under and Thundersteel.
But rather than getting bogged down in revisionist claptrap, these tropes are applied in such a way as to warrant those associations. Carl Canedy’s trebly potato production certainly sets a raw precedent but the musicianship is feral in its own right. Charlie Benante’s drumming is their strongest asset here, standing toe to toe with Dave Lombardo in power and precision, while Dan Lilker’s bass provides a tough boost and the twin guitars do well to keep up.
On the flip side, the vocals are much more of an acquired taste in comparison as falsettos are thrown around with reckless abandon alongside commanding verses. It’s easy to see why Turbin wouldn’t last much longer in the band, but I can’t help but love his unrefined cockiness here. For how much Anthrax would come to be associated with constant fourth wall breaks and winking at the listener, there’s something to be said for the seeming lack of self awareness here.
And with that, the songs themselves certainly go for the throat. “Death Rider” and “Metal Thrashing Mad” (Oh, THAT’S why they’re a thrash band, they just used the word in an old song title) are a thrilling one-two punch, the former setting up immediate intensity with choppy riffs and raspy sing-shouts while the latter is a hard-driving anthem with the album’s most enduring melodicism and insanely held-out wails. “Panic” is a more low key winner with its relentless drumming and building verses complemented by the Judas Priest-indebted shredding.
Unfortunately; the first half is also beset by an obviously tacked-on cover of Alice Cooper’s “I’m Eighteen.” In addition to sucking out the original’s laid back vibe in favor of a dull attempt at mid-tempo stadium metal, the more leveled-out playing reflects a very bored-sounding band. Turbin has since mentioned that he’d wanted to do a cover of something from AC/DC, but there’s not much guarantee of that working for them either. Thrash covers of seventies rock songs almost never work seemingly by design and this is but one example.
Thankfully things pick up from there, avoiding that low but also hitting not quite as high. “Subjugator” and “Soldiers of Metal” can admittedly run together and “Anthrax” is an odd case where a band’s self-titled song just didn’t seem to catch on, but they’re all worthy entities that put in some solid beatings. “Death From Above” and the closing “Howling Furies” are much better attempts at bringing in some variety, the latter pairing percussive rhythms with another catchy chorus and the latter works toward a darker aura along the lines of a slower Exodus number.
For being such a straightforward slab of no-nonsense speed-thrash, it’s kinda funny how much of a mixed bag Fistful of Metal ends up being. It feels almost out of place in Anthrax’s overall trajectory with its raw presentation and less adventurous style, and the song qualities vary even if you go by the inherently niche standards. Yet at the same time, the playing is endearing and there are enough great tracks to keep it from falling into forgettable weirdness.
I wouldn’t recommend this to somebody as a first impression of what Anthrax does, but then I also know people who don’t like them but enjoy this. It’s not the sort of album that demands to be brought up in the grand design of heavy metal’s ongoing evolution, but it’s a fun ride.
