Review Summary: A dark horse in every sense of the word
Having seemingly stopped to catch their breath on State of Euphoria, Anthrax’s fifth album saw them enter the nineties with another major leap forward. Like many other thrashers at the time, Persistence of Time sees the band broadening their scope with noticeably longer songs and even more mixed tempos than before. The darker tone also feels like a proper realization of what had merely been hinted at previously and the bitter lyrics suggest that conflicts external and internal were reaching a boiling point.
While the dynamic largely keeps to a similar balance as the previous album, the musicians adapt their playing to accommodate the changes. The rhythm section especially benefits as the drums apply their dexterity to more varied patterns while the bass might be at its most prominent.
The vocals also understood the assignment, opting for a lower pitched delivery dripping with as much venom as their melodicism can muster. Scott Ian has admitted that he didn’t think Belladonna’s voice fit the angrier lines he was writing, but he might’ve been channeling some of his own resentment to make it work. At the very least, I wager he hasn’t sounded this confident since Spreading the Disease.
It’s also great to see the songwriting rekindle the catchiness and drama that its predecessor was missing. “Blood” is an especially striking example as its opening drums and ominous guitars build into a tried and true stacking of hook after hook. This ambition culminates into the pairing of “Intro to Reality” and “Belly of the Beast,” the former’s lanky bass line feels almost like a more subdued Primus noodle whose buildup flows smoothly into the latter’s spiraling rhythms and anxious vocals.
Even the more straightforward thrashers have a certain weight to them. “Gridlock” feels especially heavy with the vocals meeting the crunchy guitars at their lowest lines yet while “H8 Red” and the closing “Discharge” see that Among the Living-style punkiness given an even more sardonic attitude. The cover of Joe Jackson’s “Got the Time” risks being out of place with its brisk two-minutes and attempt at the old fun attitude, but the brevity feels needed with all the disillusionment afoot and you gotta love that sweeping bass line and hectic back and forth vocals.
But much like their pals in Metallica, this is an album that really makes you feel the weight of it all. The overall length is at its most noticeable and certain songs like “Keep It In The Family” risk feel overstuffed or with stiff structural transitions. The songwriting is brilliant enough to make it easy to forgive but something like “One Man Stands” probably could’ve been cut.
Persistence of Time is a dark horse in every sense of the phrase, literally putting in a darker attitude while making an understated case as one of Anthrax’s greatest outings. Hindsight lets one see it for the crossroad it served, culminating the band’s evolution while also asserting the inevitability of the changes ahead. It’s a lot to take in and may not be so fun on the surface, but the songs haven’t lost their singalong appeal even in the darkest times.
