IN REVIEW: Anthrax - "For All Kings"

Considering how long Anthrax has been doing this thing they call "metal" (35 years to be exact), one would be reasonable in expecting lesser quality from a new album in 2016. The fate of their peers in metal's "Big 4" didn't bode well; Metallica are working on a new record at a snail's pace (as of this writing about 7½ years removed from Death Magnetic), Megadeth's continued attempts at relevance are being met with increasing levels of apathy, and even the once-unimpeachable Slayer managed to release a bit of a dud last time out.

What, then, of Anthrax? Having finally released what amounted to a rousing comeback in 2011 with Worship Music, many fans were nonetheless tempering their expectations going forward. After nearly five years between albums and another personnel change, we were left to wonder what Anthrax had left to offer at this point in the game.

As it turns out, the answer is plenty; a 90-second orchestral intro opens the record, leading to blistering salvo You Gotta Believe, with its frenetic riffing and shouted chorus of "Impale!" being just two of its most standout properties. A slow-building bridge gives the breakneck pace pause, as the tune confidently roars back to life with the first of many, many scorching solos courtesy of Scott Ian and new (and, might I add, very formidable) axeman Jon Danais, formerly of Shadows Fall.

The furious pace isn't maintained throughout, but the tracks that do deal in speed are phenomenally executed; lead single Evil Twin carries the mark of Anthrax's best eighties work, and is a highlight reel for Joey Belladonna, whose voice is in excellent form here. Granted, he's got access to more studio trickery than he did in the band's original heyday, but the overdubs are effective and never feel too gratuitous.

Truth be told, Belladonna may be the MVP of this album. Having had minimal involvement with Worship Music until it was time to record vocals, For All Kings sees him much more invested in the creative process, not to mention the improved range he shows on the mic. He also provides stickier choruses here, as evidenced most blatantly on Monster At the End, Breathing Lightning and Suzerain, a trio of tracks that wouldn't sound too out of place on modern rock radio.

Although by and large For All Kings might be a bit slower than longtime fans are used to, there's a great deal of power and fury maintained despite the decrease in tempos; just listen to Blood Eagle Wings, a virtual ballad by Anthrax standards which doesn't conjure a single thought of "sellout". It's unsettling in its violent beauty, and that's before taking that video into account (although indeed, Brian Posehn, that was brutal). 

It's not all top shelf here, and a few tracks didn't quite hold my interest on repeat listening, although there aren't any eye-rolling missteps (the closest is All of Them Thieves, which chugs along in fits and starts but rarely finds its groove). However, it's arguable that the best is saved for last. At the end of an album that houses eight-minute epics interwoven with quiet segués sits Zero Tolerance, a sub-four minute thrashterpiece that finds Anthrax sprinting to the finish. Twisting and turning throughout its sections and finding new thrills at every turn, it's a wholly triumphant exclamation mark on what was already a very good record.

It's not altogether a jaw-dropping new career peak, but no one was really expecting that; then again, I can say with a fair amount of confidence that Anthrax haven't released an album quite this rewarding in 25 years, which is longer than most bands stay together. If that's not a glowing enough endorsement for you, let's just say that Anthrax have crafted a strong enough effort to earn themselves the throne as this decade's Kings of the Big 4.

February 26, 2016 • Megaforce

Highlights Evil Twin • Blood Eagle Wings • Zero Tolerance