Considered by many as pioneers in the
heavy metal genre, Anthrax ranks as one of heavy metal’s
most influential bands, due in large part to the masterful
way they combined punk and heavy metal to create the unique
sound of thrash metal.
First emerging in 1983, Anthrax – Dan Spitz,
Charlie Benante, Joey Belladonna, Scott Ian, and Frank
Bello – got their first big break in the form
of a recording contract with Megaforce Records. Their
first album “Fistful of Metal” debuted in
1984. It, combined with their ensuing albums, would
catapult Anthrax to superstardom.
“A Fistful of Metal” was followed with
two albums in 1985, “Armed and Dangerous,”
and “Spreading the Disease” and “I’m
the Man” and “Among the Living” in
1987. Anthrax won fans, in large part, with their lyrics.
Instead of dealing with serious issues, the band wrote
about every day things – from movies to comic
books – that teens and young adults could relate
to.
As a new decade dawned, Anthrax started experimenting
with their sound, this time trying their hand at rap.
The result was the band joining Public Enemy on tour
and even recording “Bring in the Noise”
with Public Enemy in 1991. The transition proved to
be a smashing success, and Anthrax concert tickets were
all the rage.
The following year Anthrax left the Megaforce label,
this time signing with Elektra Records. Their marriage
to Elektra would prove short lived and after releasing
only two albums – Sound of White Noise in 1993
and Stomp 442 in 1995 – Anthrax left for greener
pastures.
Instead of signing with another record label, the band
members created their own, Ignition, complete with their
own recording studio. Still, it was another three years
before they released their next studio effort. “The
Threat Is Real, Vol. 8” hit store shelves in 1998.
The following year, Anthrax released “The Return
of the Killer A’s: The Best Of,” a collection
of the band’s greatest hits.
Anthrax went on to release several more albums, including
“We’ve Come For You All” (2003), “The
Greater of Two Evils” (2004), and “Alive
2: The Music” (2005).
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