Review Summary: Better than I remember but somehow still not as memorable in the grand scheme
As suggested by that nineties-riffic album cover, Anthrax seemingly wanted to leave all traces of their past behind them with Stomp 442. Like a comic drawn by Rob Liefeld, the band hones in an especially aggressive edge as any old school thrash sensibility is completely phased out and even the grunge atmosphere seen on Sound of White Noise left as quickly as it came. They don’t even have a proper lead guitarist in light of Dan Spitz’s departure, having Paul Crook on a guest basis with.a couple others that included Dimebag Darrell of all people.
Speaking of ol Dime, the groove metal’s complete takeover reflects strongly in the musicianship. The guitars now totally dominate the proceedings, exerting rhythmic patterns with a headstrong thrust occasionally rounded out by squealing leads. The vocals also largely drop their melodicism and put more focus on faster patterns that almost border on rapping territory through a Phil Anselmo-inspired holler.
While there isn’t much to the songwriting that puts it in thrash territory, there remains a priority on high-octane beatdowns. I wouldn’t put the opening “Random Acts of Senseless Violence” among the band’s best tracks, but its urgent riff set and aggro-motormouth vocals make it feel like an explosive extension of “Bring the Noise” with some “Refuse/Resist” for flavor. “Fueled” and “King Size” are great for maintaining the energy even if their hooks aren’t quite as ear-catching while the filtered vocals and extra hits of dissonance help make “In A Zone” feel even more adrenalized.
Getting into the back half sees more experimental outliers start to pop up. “Nothing” brings some Soundgarden-isms to its riff set while “American Pompeii” has a somewhat clumsily executed alt-rock flair. The closing “Bare” winds things down nicely, evoking desert imagery with its acoustics and echoing vocals.
Stomp 442 is an odd album in that it’s better than I remember but ultimately still not very memorable in the grand scheme. I can appreciate the band’s full commitment to off-the-cuff groove metal, but there’s an ‘almost there’ feeling throughout as most of the songs don’t leave a deep impression. I can understand it having appeal for fans of this harder style but for better and for worse, this is the first album where Anthrax truly no longer sound like themselves.
