Anthrax, "For All Kings"

Anthrax

“FOR ALL KINGS”

Megaforce Records

As in Anthrax’s heyday with Joey Belladonna in the 1980s, “For All Kings” stands out as powerful thrash metal with a distinctive sound that is unmistakably their own. True, the band has its fair share of darker lyrics about burned and melted halos and murder and mayhem, in keeping with their latter-day pentagram “A” symbol, but Anthrax is not a band to attempt to emulate all the rest.

Many might expect “For All Kings” — and their previous two releases — to sound like something of an evolution from “Persistence of Time” (the band’s fifth studio album, released in 1990) and to be sure, that element is present. It’s hard to imagine this Anthrax donning colorful surfing shorts and performing more comedic songs like “I’m the Man.”

However, this is not simply a throwback to the Belladonna albums. Instead, “For All Kings” proves to be an evolution of the band on the whole, taking cues from the era of former lead singer John Bush as much as it does the classic ’80s era.

In fact, possibly as a result of performing so many of Bush’s hits like “Only” on Anthrax’s tours, Belladonna’s voice has morphed into something of a hybrid between Bush’s deeper vocal style and the classic high-pitched wail Belladonna (and Anthrax) was known for in the 1980s.

What’s more, Anthrax remains true to its longtime messages without welching on them in exchange for the current array of metal topics. On “Zero Tolerance,” the band continues their outrage about social injustice and political corruption.

“Breathing Lightning” is perhaps the song that sounds the most like 1980s Anthrax with Belladonna’s voice carrying the melodic song through talk of “the right thing” while Jonathan Donais’ lead guitar matches him in pitch and ascending harmony.

— JC Macek,

PopMatters.com