"Among the Living" Album Review
Alpha101 I kind of have a complicated relationship with Anthrax. They deserve a lot more credit, as they are one of the fastest bands in the big 4, second to probably only Slayer, and the vocals are to die for. But, also, their music does get a bit repetitive and annoying at times, and I grow bored quickly. Even though I'm not a huge Anthrax fan, I've always really liked this album, and I'll explain why."Among the Living" is a killer opening to a killer album. The haunting first few seconds are followed by a heavy invasion of guitars, the drumming is ferocious, and the song's fast and energetic. What's not to like?
"Caught in a Mosh" is probably the band's most famous and recognizable song. I've always thought that the song was a bit overrated, and I still stand by that notion, but it's slowly grew on me, and it's now one of my favorites by the band.
"I Am the Law" is the second best song on the album. There's not one single bad thing that I can say about this song. The lyrics are some of the best written in heavy metal, and it's one of those songs that, in my opinion, will never be forgotten.
"Efilnikufesin (NFL)" is another pretty classic track. It's fast, the riffs are some of the most memorable in thrash metal, and the lyrics, are, once again, very well written.
"A Skeleton in the Closet" is an average song. It's really one of the only letdowns on the album. It isn't bad, but it's just a really big let down. It's fast, but that's pretty much the only pro that I can think about for this particular song.
"Indians" is my favorite song by the band, and on the album. It's opening is easily recognizable from most metal fans, the lyrics are great, and the chorus is one of my favorites in history. This was the highlight of the album.
"One World" has a great opening, an even better chorus, but it does fall short in some areas. It's a pretty good song, but it is lacking in more ways than one.
"Medley: A.D.I. / Horror of it all" isn't a bad song, but I've just never felt the desire to listen to it more than once. It just never grabbed me, and it's one of the lease desirable tracks on the album.
"Imitation of Life" kind of ended the album on a bad note. It's not a terrible song, but it's probably the weakest on the album.
Overall, this is one of the strongest thrash records to date. It has a lot of the band's best songs on it, and has been a favorite of mine for a very long time. If you ever wanted to get into Thrash, then I think this would be the first album that you should listen to. It embodies pretty much everything metal stands for, though it does fall short in a few areas.
8.8/10 - Great Album