enFOCUS
  • Home
    • PRAY U PREY, Suicide Watch, Alehammer, Prophecy Of Doom, The Omega Kill, Selfmadegod Records
    • Extreme Metal, Scour, unleashes new single, Propoganda.
    • Eddie Van Halen Dies at age 65
    • Power Trip frontman Riley Gale passes on
    • SUPERGROUP THE WHEELBLOCKS (FEAT. MEMBERS OF FOZZY, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ALICE COOPER, EX-MACHINEHEAD) RELEASE COVER OF IRON MAIDEN'S "ACES HIGH"
    • The Fight For Freedom, The Rail Club
    • GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE, Waning Hymns, Earsplit PR, Scry Recordings
    • Dining With Dogs, The Problem With Friends, Puzzled, The Dead See, Josh Paul, Mark Key, Marcos Morales, Black Ops
    • Swallow The Sun, Live Accoustic Show
    • Opeth, In Cauda Venenum
    • Lacuna Coil, Black Anima Album Review
    • New Year's Day, Come For Me, music video
    • NOCTURNUS AD, Sci-Fi Death Metal Veterans Unveil Mind-Bending "Apotheosis" Video; Paradox, Profound Lore
    • TENEBRAE IN PERPETUUM, Anorexia Obscura , New LP By Italian Black Metal Act Sees Release Next Week Via Debemur Morti Productions
    • THE UNLIKELY CANDIDATES, NOVOCAINE
    • Phil Anselmo, EN MINOR, Stephen Taylor, Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals, Woven Hand, 16 Horse Power, Kevin Bond, Superjoint, Christ Inversion, Artimus Pyledriver, Jimmy Bower, Eyehategod, Down, Superjoint, Calvin Dover, Joiner Dover, The Dover Brothers,
    • CRIMSON MOON, Mors Vincit Omnia, Debemur Morti Productions, Black Metal
    • Philip Anselmo’s En Minor will release its debut seven-inch Friday via Housecore Records
    • Philip Anselmo’s En Minor will release its debut seven-inch Friday via Housecore Records
    • Tribute to Naturre GB of Tengger Cavalry
    • ABRAHMA, Lost Forever, In Time For The Last Rays Of Light, Small Stone Records
    • 99 Crimes, Paul Lidel , Chris Jordan, Jeff Lynn, Dangerous Toys, Dirty Looks, Miss Crazy
    • Album Review, Warbeast - BC/AD 2019, Bruce Corbitt, Scott Shelby, Joey Gonzalez, Drew Shoup, Lyric Ferchaud
    • Bruce Corbitt Memorial, Jeanna Corbitt, Scott Shelby, Joey Gonzalez, Drew Shoup, Lyric Ferchaud, Warbeast, Rigor Mortis, Phil Anselmo
    • HEAVY AS TEXAS, Exhorder, Marzi Montazeri, Kyle Thomas, Crunchy Western Records, Thrash Metal, To Keep a Promise", Mark Borchardt
    • Diamond Head to release new album "The Coffin Train" on Silver Lining Music
    • Farewell Bruce Corbitt
    • MR. MACHINE, Bill Moseley, Drew Shoup, Lyric Ferchaud, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, House of 1000 Corpses, Warbeast, Devil's Rejects
    • INCITE Joined by Six Feet Under's Chris Barnes on Grooving New Track "Poisoned by Power"
    • Date From Hell, Film Review
    • 1 Night, 3 Bands, 3 Women That Rock, Halestorm, In This Moment, New Years Day
    • YATRA: Maryland Doom Trio Premieres "Smoke Is Rising"
    • SOEN: Swedish Progressive Metal Unit To Release Their Fourth Album, Lotus, In February 2019 Via Silver Lining Music; Cover Art Revealed
    • Life of Scars, When The Devil Walks In, by Cody Powell
    • The Resurgence, Indisgust, Flesh Hoarder, Disfigured, Insanity, Left for Dead, Dirty Tricks, Wikkid Wayz, Waves of Fear, The Organics, Superfoot, Prolicide, Impulse To Devour, Cerebral Desecration Paegan, GoatsMilk, The Monk, Light Unseen, Overthrow, Hat
    • Five Finger Death Punch
    • The Darkness, Review from Austin TX
    • War Cloud, SXSW, Austin, Fuzz Rock, Stoner Rock, Doom, Rock & Roll,
    • Runescarred, Interview with Ven Scott, Tim Driscoll
    • Steak, SXSW, Austin, Stoner Rock, Desert Rock, Fuzz Rock, Rock&Roll
    • Blackwülf, SXSW, Austin, Sinister Sides, Vinyl album
    • Absolute Hero, Death of Innocence, Sarah Nichole, Justin Moegling, new video release
    • KAOTEON, Damnatio Memoriae, Stream, Lebanese extreme Death Metal
    • PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, Choosing Mental Illness As Virtue
    • Corrosion of Conformity, No Cross No Crown, Interview
    • Vincent Castiglia: The Art of a Modern Master
    • Corrosion Of Conformity, Pepper Keenan talks to music journalist J. Bennett about No Cross No Crown
    • Domkraft, The End of Electricity, Interview by Matt Bacon
    • Summoner, Scott Smith, Chris Johnson, Joe Richner, A.J. Peters, Matt Bacon, Stoner Rock, Atmospheric Rock
    • BLACK MARE, DEATH BY DESIRE, Death Magick Mother, Sera Timms
    • Great Electric Quest, Interview by Matt Bacon
    • Overkill, a visual review by Ruby Scholling
    • Sasquatch Interview by Matt Bacon
    • Arden & The Wolves, Interview by Ruby Scholling
    • Raveneye, Oli Brown, Aaron Spiers, Adam Breeze, Interview by Phil Scholling
    • Black Heart Saints, Review of new album "Alive" by Phil Scholling
    • Marzi Montazeri, Tim "Ripper" Owens, The Uprising
    • River City Rock Fest, 2017
    • Interview with Mark Lierly of Pallbearer, by Matt Bacon
    • The Munsens, Interview by Matt Bacon
    • Black Thorn Halo, Deadline video, Austin Heavy Metal
    • Greta Van Fleet , Highway Tune
    • Seether, Stoke The Fire, From the upcoming album, Poison The Parish
    • CONNOISSEUR: Over The Edge Streaming In Its Entirety
    • , "Hyborian: Volume I", One Day Early!
    • This Month on NAIL THE MIX: Renowned Danish Producer Tue Madsen (August Burns Red, Behemoth, Suicide Silence) Dissects the Mixing Process for Meshuggah's "MonstroCity"
    • Max & Iggor Cavalera Return To Roots, Sepultura
    • Texas Independence Fest 2017, Anthrax, Killswitch Engage, Devil Wears Prada
    • Guitar Master FELIX MARTIN Reveals New Track "Bom" via music video
    • Superjoint Tour Review
    • Force Of Rage, Guardian of the Wall, Album Review
    • Superjoint Interview by Ruby Scholling, Caught Up In The Gears Of Application
    • Cauldron, Interview by Matt Bacon, Canadian Metal Trio
    • Night Demon, Interview by Matt Bacon
    • Top 13 Heavy Metal Albums of 2016
    • Bill + Phil, Songs of Darkness and Despair
    • SUPERJOINT Confirms Winter Headlining Tour With Battlecross And Child Bite; Band To Appear On For The Sick Benefit For Eyehategod's Mike IX Williams
    • The Budos Band, Jazz, Funk, Afro-beat, Soul, Heavy Metal
    • SUPERJOINT, Caught Up In The Gears of Application, Phil Anselmo, Jimmy Bower, Kevin Bond, José "Blue" Gonzalez, Stephen Taylor, Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals, Woven Hand, 16 Horse Power, Down, Eyehategod, Warbeast, Christ Inversion, Artimus
    • Elder Interview by Matt Bacon
    • Nic Nassuet, Gothic Folk Artist, Goth, Punk , Horror, Neofolk, Grunge Rock
    • Slayer, Anthrax, Death Angel - Fall 2016 North American Tour Review
    • Inside Metal: The LA Metal Scene Explodes, Lars Ulrich (Metallica), Stephen Pearcy (Ratt), Carlos Cavazo (Quiet Riot, Ratt), Jack Russell (Great White), Don Dokken (Dokken), Dave Meniketti (Y&T), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Chris Holmes and Randy Piper (W
    • Tennger Cavalry, Mongolian Nomadic Folk Metal
    • Gritty Scottish Rockers THE BROKEN RAVENS Release New Track "My Shrine"
    • Testament Interview by Matt Bacon
    • PAIN Led By Hypocrisy's Peter Tägtgren Unleashes Video Clip For "Call Me" Featuring Joakim Brodèn Of Sabaton
    • Halestorm Interview by Matt Bacon
    • Steven Tyler, Out on a Limb, We're All Somebody From Somewhere
    • Steven Tyler, Out on a Limb, We're All Somebody From Somewhere
    • NEUROSIS Reveals Further Album Details And Artwork For Their Eleventh Album, Fires Within Fires
    • Top 15 Rock Screams, Rollins Band, Queensryche, Pantera, Metal Church, Tool, Flyleaf, Linkin Park, Judas Priest, The Who, Guns N Roses, Dir en Grey, Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, Skid Row, Pink Floyd
    • Guitar Hero
    • Witches of Doom, goth, stoner, doom rock, heavy metal, Italy
    • The Top 10 Most Metal Album Covers, Amon Amarth – Surtur Rising, Judas Priest – Painkiller, Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power, Manowar – The Triumph of Steel, Mastodon – Once More ‘Round the Sun, Rhapsody – Legend
    • Ian Sokoliwski, Gothic Artist, Comics, Photography
    • Statesman Skyline Theater at the Long Center Grand Opening with Boston
    • Dream Theater, The Astonishing, Review by Trey Booth
    • River City Rock Fest, Disturbed, Scorpions, Megadeth, Sixx AM, Hellyeah, Sevendust, Pop Evil, Hatebreed, Devil Driver, The Sword
    • Bret Michaels, Ratt, Warrant, FireHouse, Jack Russell’s Great White, & Steelheart, Enchanted Rock Fest, Cedar Park Center
    • Sergio Yazbek, Brazilian Guitarist Extraordinaire, Cidade Negra, Obina Shok, Jean Pierre Senghor
    • Texas Independence Fest, Despised Icon, BURY YOUR DEAD, UNEARTH, CARNIFEX, THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD, OCEANO, RINGWORM, PHINEHAS, NEKROGOBLIKON, ON BROKEN WINGS, PSYCHOSTICK, REFLECTIONS, FIRE FROM THE GODS, NO ZODIAC, ENTERPRISE EARTH, URIZEN, HOLLOW
    • Live From Havana: The Rolling Stones!
    • Philadelphia
    • Underoath, Concert Review
    • ACIDIC
    • Enchanted Rock Fest Giveaway
    • Chris Duarte
    • Ulrich Ellison & Tribe
    • Dead Love Club
    • Dangerous Toys, Black Heart Saints
    • Ulrich Ellison & Tribe
    • Anthrax, For All Kings, Album Review
    • Bo & The Bluesdrivers
    • Arlo Hannigan
    • Megadeth, Dystopia
    • Chad Smith. PARALLAX, The Art of Drums
    • Housecore Horror Festival
    • Warbeast
    • Discordia
    • Sound of Madnezz
    • Patricia Vonne Taking the Past and Rockin' it into the Future ​
    • Making it happen in Austin…. Filmmaker Francois Larosa.
    • Michael Milligan
    • Austin Guitar House
    • Marzi Montazeri
    • Bloodlines: The Life & Art of Vincent Castiglia, Part Two
    • Ulrich Ellison, "Chasin' The Dream - The Life of a Musician"
    • Drummer on Fire: Acacio Carvalho
    • Bloodlines: The Life & Art of Vincent Castiglia
  • Music
    • Listen Local! Bull Y Los Bufalos, Of Gods & Monsters, Deen Castronova, Timothy Gaines
    • Ulrich Ellison
    • Jazz Master/Trumpet King Jeff Lofton Gives An Engaging Interview On Music And Racism In America
    • Tyrone Vaughan
    • Live Review: The Cult Rocks Harder Than Ever Under A Super Moon Sky
    • Live Review: Carry On Wayward Sons! Kansas’ 40th Anniversary Tour Hits Austin
    • Live Review: Incubus 2015 Tour
    • Album Review, Dead Earth Politics, Men Become Gods
    • 4th Annual CARY Blues Blast
    • Housecore Horror Festival 201
  • Live Photo Gallery
    • Y&T, Dave Meniketti, Live Concert Photography
    • Cyndi Lauper
    • Experience Hendrix Tour
    • Lemmy Kilmister
    • Whitesnake
    • Nickleback
    • Korn
    • Faith No More '89
    • Phil Anselmo
    • Carlos Santana
    • Slipknot
    • Slayer
    • Dead Earth Politics
    • Alice Cooper
    • Joe Bonamassa
    • Ulrich Ellison
    • Whitechapel
    • Dweezil Zappa
    • RUSH
  • Videos
    • Prog-Rock Group SOEN Reveals Music Video for Introspective Track "Lucidity"
    • Ulrich Ellison & Tribe, I'm Down video
    • Mass Extinction Six from Jonestown
    • Tengger Cavalry, Mongolian Heavy Metal puts it's spin on Pokeman Gym Battle Music
    • Pilgrim, Putting the Doom in Doom Metal
    • MESHUGGAH, Born In Dissonance
    • Iron Maiden "The Book of Souls World Tour" at Wacken, GERMANY (04/08/2016) FULL SHOW
    • Dead Earth Politics, Runescarred
    • David Bowie, Lazarus, Final Gift
  • Contact Us
Picture
PicturePhoto credit: Jimmy Hubbard
​Anthrax never got the credit they deserved among their Big Four peers. Metallica was always smarter, Megadeth was always faster and Slayer was always heavier. Meanwhile, with their signature brand of metallic punk and cheeky lyrics, Anthrax remained the proverbial dark horse of the bunch, the irreverent cousin at the dinner party who cracked dick jokes and spilled mustard on his white shirt as the rest of the family watched with disdain.
 
But as the century turned, so did the tables. As the other three bands began retreading their past work and releasing albums that were contrived at best and self-parody at worst, Anthrax started incorporating new elements into their sound. They dropped some of their wicked wit, discovered their love for a killer groove and began writing genuine arena anthems.  The end result is For All Kings, an album that, despite some ham-fisted lyrics and synthetic production, is the best album from any member of the Big Four in years.
 
For All Kings picks up where the band’s last album, 2011’s Worship Music, left off—namely, with an intro that stalls its momentum. “You Gotta Believe” desperately wants to be an epic composition, with its choppy riffing, dizzying guitar solos and mid-song tempo change. Unfortunately, these riffs are mostly pedestrian, and Anthrax doesn’t excel at the brooding, grungy psychedelia that makes up the song’s midsection. It’s a valiant effort that ultimately falls flat.
 
Thankfully, Anthrax gets all their bad ideas out of their system early, regaining their footing on the mid-tempo “Monster at the End.” In both structure and title, it’s startlingly similar to Worship Music’s “In the End,” showing the band’s unbridled sense of melody and knack for pop hooks dying to burst out of their heavy metal casing.
 
The band hits full tilt on the title track, opening with Joey Belladonna’s heroic wail atop subtle guitar swells that fit the vaguely hymnal sound heard throughout Anthrax’s recent work. Belladonna’s vocal cords have evaded the wear-and-tear of his peers, instead becoming deeper, richer and more emotive with age. The sneering, hyperactive punk who once declared “Talking to you is like clapping with one hand!” now sings with the grandiosity of Bruce Dickinson or Ronnie James Dio (for whom Belladonna’s affection is no secret).
 
One of the most impressive aspects of For All Kings is how rarely it resembles a full-on thrash album. Instead, Anthrax often churns out melodic hard rockers like “Breathing Lightning,” with beautiful guitar leads and soaring choruses tailor-made for stadium sing-alongs. The band practices incredible restraint on the nearly eight-minute “Blood Eagle Wings,” whose deliberate pacing, dime-stop tempo changes and lightning-fast guitar solos hearken back to the multi-part thrash epics of yesteryear.
 
Of course, they can still rock with abandon. “Suzerain” rips open with a stunning breakdown courtesy of drummer Charlie Benante, whose versatility and virtuosity are nearly unmatched today. His double-bass work on the last minute of “Defend Avenge” is jaw-dropping, as is the song’s “Angel of Death”-inspired outro riff. The band recruited former Shadows Fall guitarist Jonathan Donais for lead duties on this album, and he dutifully packs his solos full of technical wizardry—and even a flash of soul. If anything, Donais proves that before it got bastardized by synthesizers and binary riffs, early metalcore (otherwise known as the New Wave of American Heavy Metal) was actually a logical progression from vintage thrash.
 
For All Kings is less clumsy and pandering than Metallica’s last legitimate album, Death Magnetic. It’s got fewer crotchety political tirades than any of Megadeth’s recent work. (It also doesn’t have “Burn!”) It is unequivocally better than anything Slayer has released since 1990, point-blank. In closing song “Zero Tolerance,” a breakneck thrash extravaganza that takes shots at religious extremists, politicians, racists and any other despicable subset of the human race, Belladonna wails, “I am fire, I am death and I am fire, I am death, I’m out!” Regardless of your thoughts on Anthrax in regards to their peers or on the general state of modern-day thrash, one thing is clear: This band knows how to make an impact. You’ve got to admire that. 

Today.  From "For All Kings" Tour
Yesterday.  Or specifically 1987
Proudly powered by Weebly