Top 10 Best Anthrax Albums
-
Among the Living
It is a bit overrated. I personally think Spreading the Disease is just a bit better, but it's still a great album. This is what gave them a mainstream audience, with the album going gold (500k sales). It doesn't quite feel as aggressive as their past two albums, but with the amount of classic songs this album gave us, who cares?
Love the title track. I could listen to this album for an eternity and never get tired of it. Especially Caught in a Mosh, One World, and I Am the Law. There really isn't much more to say than this album is perfection.
Each track is memorable and draws me back almost as soon as I take the earphones out. The bass also gets to shine, which I love.
-
Spreading the Disease
Among the Living is probably the most brutal speed metal album ever made, but for the purists, Spreading the Disease is easily Anthrax's finest album. Its production is tremendous, there's barely a comedic line to be found, and Dan Spitz and Scott Ian kill it on this majestic speed metal beast.
As a sophomore effort, it's right up there with Ride the Lightning and Peace Sells... The improvement over their debut is quite simply remarkable. In fact, it's so good that it's not only Anthrax's best but should be included in the top ten metal albums of all time. Just check out Gung-Ho and Madhouse and see how immense this album sounds three decades on without a remaster.
-
Persistence of Time
What an amazing album, filled with bangers like Got the Time, Blood, Time, and Keep It in the Family. The first half is full of some of their best songs, but like Among the Living, it falls off a bit in the last couple of songs. Still, it is amazing overall.
By far the most mature Anthrax release lyrically and in musicianship. If you can get past the toned-back thrash sound, this album has it all. Everybody is on point on this record, and the songwriting is phenomenally austere to boot. This is what metal music needed at the time.
-
Worship Music
Great to see Joey Belladonna back on vocals. He gave the band a refreshing sound and reminded us why he's one of the greatest metal vocalists.
This album shows us that quality thrash songs are still being written, and hopefully, there will be more to come.
Song quality and speed match Among the Living, but the production is better! Amazing album!
-
State of Euphoria
Most underrated album of all time, by anyone. On any Anthrax album, there are one or two songs that are so good that they will be stuck in your head for the rest of your life. But what makes State of Euphoria so good is that you never get sick of the songs no matter how many times you hear them.
I loved Among when I first heard it, but 25 years later, I pretty much only listen to the title track and A Skeleton in the Closet. With SOE, I still listen to almost everything: Make Me Laugh, Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Misery Loves Company, Schism, Finale, and especially Now It's Dark.
I still listen to more tracks than any other album except Worship Music, which is too new to have gotten old.
-
Fistful of Metal
The only real aggressive, wicked, wild thrash metal made by Anthrax. Their best in my opinion. Joey's vocals are just too soft for me. Metal thrashing mad!
Sure, Among the Living and Spreading the Disease are the masterpieces, but this is pure, raw thrash. It makes you metal thrashing mad!
The song Metal Thrashing Mad explains this entire album in just three words.
-
Sound of White Noise
It's a decent album, too long for me personally and with too much filler. John Bush was great on vocals, but it feels a bit less Anthrax-y without Joey. This also felt a bit more mainstream, but I don't see that as a bad thing.
There is no doubt that this album should be #1 on this list. I simply don't understand why it's not. This ranking is whacked. Not only is it the best Anthrax album, but one of my favorite albums of all time.
#2 on the list is correct, and #3 should be We've Come For You All. Just listen to Sound of White Noise. Songs like Only, Room For One More, Packaged Rebellion, and Black Lodge. Enough said.
-
For All Kings
The album as a whole was fantastic. Everything was perfect here, a quality thrash album. The stuff Anthrax were making in the 2010s was far ahead of what their peers (Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer) were making at the time.
Out of all the Big 4 (and thrash bands in general), Anthrax is putting out stuff that the others can only dream of making. Seriously, this and Worship Music are arguably better than the records Anthrax put out back in their prime!
I think they are more mature here after they created Worship Music. I think they had a lot of ideas on Worship Music, but in this album, they are more established with their sound and songwriting.
-
We've Come for You All
One of Anthrax's most sonically diverse efforts to date, We've Come For You All features the experimentation of Vol. 8, but with direction. The incessant hard rock of Stomp 442, but with more memorability and accomplishment. The atmosphere and relentlessness of Sound of White Noise, but with a certain confidence and improved production.
Basically, it's the best Bush album, and I would dare call it the best Anthrax album.
Songwriting is unmatched on this. This album contains the most memorable Scott Ian riffs, in my opinion. Not one weak tune in the bunch!
-
Volume 8: The Threat Is Real
Too inconsistent, too long, too mainstream, too alternative, and they even wrote a country song. But aside from that, it's not as bad as people make it out to be. Catharsis is an underrated masterpiece.
An excellent album with lots of consistently good songs. Really diverse. Probably the best Bush-era album.
-
?
Cursum Perficio
A great album from a 10 year gap, gives a very testament like vibe when it comes to intensity, the title track, the long goodbye, the edge of perfection, its for the kids, T.O.M.B, watch it go and everybody's got a plan reminds me why anthrax is the best out of the big 4, one of their strongest albums to date.
-
?
Penikufesin
-
Stomp 442
Not my favorite, but a worthy contender. The album can be a bit inconsistent at times, but overall it's not too bad. It also opens with one of Anthrax's best songs, and the next 2-3 songs after that are very strong.
Underrated album - hence it gets my vote...
Better album than it gets credit for!
-
The Greater of Two Evils
John Bush + Belladonna-era music = perfection. This album is great. I love Bush albums and Belladonna albums alike (I prefer Bush, though), but this is an awesome mashup.
-
Anthems
-
I'm the Man
-
Armed and Dangerous
