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Anthrax Information
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'Anthrax' is a New York City-based heavy metal band, who released their first full-length album in 1984. Anthrax was one of the most popular bands from the thrash metal scene in the '80s and, possibly, the biggest band to come out of the East Coast thrash scene. The "big four" of thrash metal are invariably Megadeth, Slayer, Metallica, and Anthrax.
They have made several appearances on television shows such as Married... with Children, WWE RAW and NewsRadio and have appeared in movies such as Run Ronnie Run (performing as the fictional band Titannica) and Calendar Girls.
History
Early career (1981-1986)
Anthrax was formed in the early 1980s by guitarist Scott Ian, drummer Charlie Benante, bassist Dan Lilker, guitarist Dan Spitz and vocalist Neil Turbin. After signing with Megaforce Records, they released their first full-length album, Fistful Of Metal, in 1984. This was an inauspicious debut for a band that would soon rise to the forefront of the thrash metal scene. By 1985 when Anthrax released their first classic album, Spreading the Disease, their lineup had solidified into a cohesive unit. The addition of vocalist Joey Belladonna and bassist Frank Bello brought a much improved sound to the band.
Breakthrough and rising to success (1987-1991)
Almost immediately Anthrax morphed from a stereotypical Judas Priest knock-off to the thrash metal style that would garner them so much fame. Mixing equal doses of punk and speed metal along with a generous dose of humor quickly shot them to the forefront of the burgeoning thrash movement. While the other major thrash bands, Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica, were deadly serious, Anthrax wrote songs about comic books and Stephen King novels. Because of this Anthrax appealed to a more general audience even if they were never quite as popular as their contemporaries.
In 1987, Anthrax's third album Among The Living was released to great acclaim among the metal community. Among The Living is generally considered the band's best album and contains all the typical elements of an Anthrax album. "I Am The Law", a tribute to Judge Dredd, "Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)", a discussion of John Belushi's drug addiction and death, the politically correct "Indians" and the mosh pit anthem "Caught In A Mosh" are all considered Anthrax classics today.
Anthrax was always a band prone to experimentation, and in 1991 they collaborated with pioneering Rap artists Public Enemy on a joint version of PE's "Bring The Noise." While Run-DMC had worked with Aerosmith back in 1986, "Bring The Noise" is widely regarded as the very first Rap Rock hybrid, though this was not the first time a Rock band had fully incorporated Rap into a song. Anthrax actually claims that credit with an earlier song, 1987's "I'm The Man", a comedic song originally slated to be played with the Beastie Boys, although they did not actually get to play this song with Anthrax until 1991's remake. "Bring The Noise", however, was a hit, and the band had a successful joint tour with Public Enemy. Within a few years, bands such as Rage Against the Machine, KoRn, Limp Bizkit, and a host of others had picked up the rap/rock or rap/metal mantle and gone on to various degrees of success.
Post-Belladonna period (1992-2004)
In 1992 Anthrax parted ways with vocalist Joey Belladonna and replaced him with ex-Armored Saint vocalist John Bush. The band jumped ship from Island Records to Elektra Records and released Sound Of White Noise on the label in 1993. Bush was a more "serious"-sounding vocalist, and Sound of White Noise was well received by most of the band's audience. Unfortunately the musical landscape of the early 1990s was changing drastically; Alternative Rock was the rage, and metal was no longer being pushed by the music industry.
In 1995 the band released Stomp 442, an album for which Electra refused to provide real promotion - it quickly disappeared without trace. Obviously upset at what they felt was an attempt by the label to kill the album, Anthrax attempted to sever ties with Electra. During the hiatus between Sound Of White Noise and Stomp 442, longtime guitarist Dan Spitz left the band, leaving Anthrax as a quartet for years.
Anthrax signed with a small independent label, and in 1998 managed to release Vol.-8 The Threat Is Real, a punishing album which had the potential to return Anthrax to the top of the metal heap. Unfortunately, almost immediately after Volume 8's release, the independent label they were signed to went bankrupt and disappeared, making the album extremely difficult to find. Regrouping the band signed with another label and released a greatest-hits album although that label soon went out of business as well. During this period a two-vocalist tour featuring both Joey Belladonna and John Bush was proposed and set to go, until Belladonna decided to pull out at the last minute.
Despite the hardships and various legal entanglements regarding who had the rights to certain albums, Anthrax managed to soldier on. In 2002 new guitarist Rob Caggiano joined the band, and the following year the band released We've Come For You All, an album hailed by the metal press as a long-awaited return to form. In early 2004 the band returned to the studio to record Greater Of Two Evils, a rerecording of the band's early work with the then current lineup. Around the same time bassist Frank Bello announced he was leaving the band to join Helmet and was replaced on tour by former Armored Saint and Fate's Warning bassist Joey Vera.
Reunion (2005-present)
On April 1, 2005, the announced that the Among The Living line-up of Scott Ian, Charlie Benante, Dan Spitz, Joey Belladonna, and Frank Bello would be reforming. At this time it is unclear whether John Bush and Rob Caggiano have left the band and whether the "classic" lineup is permanent or just a touring opportunity. Scott Ian released a statement, saying that John and Rob are not officially gone; but the press release announcing the reunion of the "classic" lineup seems to provide evidence to the contrary. The band is also claiming to release an album featuring new material in 2006.
Miscellany
Several members have launched affiliated side projects, such as Scott Ian's Stormtroopers Of Death.
A number of Anthrax albums have featured guests, most notably Dimebag Darrell who appeared on Stomp 442, Vol.-8 The Threat Is Real and We've Come For You All.
Scott Ian is currently engaged to Meat Loaf's daughter Pearl Aday.
Discography
Albums
EPs
*Armed and Dangerous (1985)
*I'm The Man (1987) (includes live tracks)
*Penikufesin (1989) (only released in Europe, collection of State Of Euphoria sessions)
*Free B's (1991) (promo release, includes live tracks)
Compilation albums
*Attack Of The Killer B's (1991) (collection of live, raraties and previously unreleased material)
*Moshers: 1986-1991 (1998) (import release)
*Return Of The Killer A's (1999)
*Madhouse - The Very Best of Anthrax (2001)
*The Collection (2002)
*Universal Masters Collection (2002)
*The Greater Of Two Evils (2004)
*Anthrology: No Hit Wonders (1985-1991) (2005)
Live albums
*Fistful of Anthrax (1987) (only released in Japan)
*The Island Years (1994) (recorded live in 1991 and 1992)
*Music of Mass Destruction (2004)
*Alive 2 (2005)
VHS/DVDs
*US Speed Metal Attack (1986) (split video with Agent Steel and Overkill, recorded live in Germany)
*Oidivnikufesin (1987) (recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon)
*Through Time (P.O.V.) (1990)
*Live Noize (1991) (recorded live on the Persistence of Time tour)
*White Noise: The Videos (1994) (released only in Japan, complete collection of the Sound of White Noise music videos)
*Attack Of The Killer A's (1999) (includes live performances of the Persistence of Time tour)
*Music Of Mass Destruction (2004) (DVD version)
*Rock Legends (2004)
*Anthrax Anthralogy: The DVD (2005) (includes live performances)
*Alive 2 (2005) (DVD version)
Singles
| 'Year' | 'Title' | 'Chart positions' | 'Album' | | US Hot 100 | US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock | UK | | 1987 | "I'm The Man" | - | - | - | - | I'm The Man | | 1987 | "I Am The Law" | - | - | - | - | Among The Living | | 1987 | "Indians" | - | - | - | - | Among the Living | | 1988 | "Make Me Laugh" | - | - | - | - | State Of Euphoria | | 1989 | "Anti-Social" | - | - | - | - | State Of Euphoria | | 1990 | "Got The Time" | - | - | - | - | Persistence of Time | | 1990 | "In My World" | - | - | - | - | Persistence of Time | | 1991 | "Bring The Noise" (with Public Enemy) | - | - | - | - | Attack Of The Killer B's | | 1993 | "Black Lodge" | - | - | 38 | - | Sound Of White Noise | | 1993 | "Hy Pro Glo" | - | - | - | - | Sound Of White Noise | | 1993 | "Only" | - | - | 26 | - | Sound Of White Noise | | 1993 | "Room for One More" | - | - | - | - | Sound Of White Noise | | 1995 | "Fueled" | - | - | - | - | Stomp 442 | | 1996 | "Nothing" | - | - | - | - | Stomp 442 | | 1996 | "Bordello Of Blood" | - | - | - | - | Bordello of Blood Soundtrack | | 1998 | "Born Again Idiot" | - | - | - | - | Volume 8: The Threat Is Real | | 1998 | "Inside Out" | - | - | - | - | Volume 8: The Threat Is Real | - | | 1998 | "P&V" | - | - | - | - | Volume 8: The Threat Is Real | | 1999 | "Ball Of Confusion" | - | - | - | - | Return Of The Killer A's | | 2003 | "Safe Home" | - | - | - | - | We've Come For You All | | 2003 | "Taking The Music Back" | - | - | - | - | We've Come For You All |
Band members
Current members
*Scott Ian, rhythm guitar
*Charlie Benante, drums, guitar
*Joey Belladonna, lead vocals
*Frank Bello, bass
*Dan Spitz, lead guitar
It is unclear whether John Bush and Rob Caggiano have left the band permanently or if they are on temporary hiatus during the reunion tour.
Former members
*Paul Crook, lead guitar (touring guitarist only; never an "official" member of the band)
*Greg D'Angelo, drums
*Dan Lilker, bass
*Joey Vera, bass (touring bassist only)
*Neil Turbin, lead vocals
*John Bush, lead vocals
*Rob Caggiano lead guitar
It is unclear whether John Bush and Rob Caggiano have left the band permanently or if they are on temporary hiatus during the reunion tour.
Related topics
During the 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States, the band altered their website to provide information about the disease because many people had come there simply by entering anthrax.com in their Web browsers. Amid what could have become a PR nightmare for the band, they issued a on October 10, 2001 that jokingly mentioned that they were going to change the name of the band to "something more friendly, like 'Basket Full of Puppies.'" The band later put a nail in the coffin of all of the name-change rumors that erupted from the press release at a November 2001 9/11 benefit concert, when they took the stage wearing boiler suits with a different word on each one that, when they stood single-file in a specific order, spelled out the sentence "WE'RE NOT CHANGING OUR NAME". A picture of the band wearing the suits can be seen on the inner tray card of We've Come For You All.
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