Anthrax - For All Kings (Nuclear Blast) 2016
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After eight years of inactivity, Worship Music saw Anthrax’s dormant beast body reawaken back in 2011 as the band solidified their return with classic vocalist Joey Belladonna. However, if “Worship” meant that the legendary New Jersey thrash outfit was still alive, their newest and second record after Belladonna’s return has now a totally different mission: World domination.
From the frenzied riff-festival of “You Gotta Believe”, through heavy mid-tempo crushers such as “Monster at the End”, “Suzerain” or “Blood Eagle Wings”, and returning at times to their older classic sound with lightning-fast thrashers like “This Battle Chose Us!” or “Zero Tolerance”, Anthrax show us throughout the record that they’re ready to take the throne, probably not as kings, but as the freshest and most relevant band of the Big 4 in our current days. Belladonna sings better than ever, Charlie Benante and Scott Ian’s rhythms sound tighter than they’ve ever been, and new kid Jon Donais’ lead guitar work sounds simultaneously inventive and refreshing, as the guitarist made the wise decision of choosing to tread his own path instead of simply emulating either Spitz or Caggiano’s styles.
There’s no room for doubt: the catchy dynamics and unrelenting heaviness of For All Kings make it easily surpass 1990’s Persistence of Time and take a seat right next to 1987’s Among the Living, as one of the Anthrax’s finest records. Brilliant.