Anthrax
Sonisphere’s artist pages are written by real fans for real fans. Thanks to Simon Youel for this one…
Perhaps the most underrated of the Big Four, Anthrax are sure to make the population of Knebworth go Metal Thrashing Mad. Often hailed as one of the originators of thrash metal, Anthrax have been melting faces since 1981, and have been integral to the development of metal as we know it today. Famous for smashing the boundaries of the genre, they were amongst the first to unite metal with hardcore punk, and later even combine Rap into their music with their Public Enemy collaboration, a bold step that Fred Durst and his Nu Metal pals have a lot to thank for. Never a band to take themselves too seriously, Anthrax are all about having a great time, with lyrics about raising hell (as well as the odd comic book character), and a live show that’s like a Madhouse, with Wardances aplenty.
Anthrax first thrashed onto the metal radar with their 1984 debut Fistful Of Metal, which managed to climb to Number 8 in the UK charts. However, vocalist Neil Turbin and bassist Dan Lilker were fired and eventually replaced by Joey Belladonna and Frank Bello, on vocals and bass respectively. These additions formed the legendary 80’s ‘Thrax lineup, consisting of Joey, Frank, Scott Ian, Dan Spitz and Charlie Benante, which went on to forge some of the most adored thrash albums of the genre’s golden age, such as Spreading The Disease, Among The Living and Persistence Of Time. 1993 then brought us the similarly prestigious era of John Bush on vocals, starting with Sound Of White Noise. This brought up a challenging dilemma for metalheads, which has been a hot topic of debate for years: Joey or John?
After some confusing line up changes, including the very temporary reign of Dan Nelson on vocals, John Bush once again returned in 2009, after many “Bring back Bush” campaigns, just in time to deliver a mind-blowing performance at last year’s Sonisphere. With John currently unofficial vocalist, Anthrax are stronger than ever, ready to be unleashed upon thrash-hungry metalheads across Europe with Sonisphere, and we can’t wait to be Caught In a Mosh.
Current members:
John Bush (vocals)
Scott Ian (rhythm guitar)
Rob Caggiano (lead guitar)
Frank Bello (bass)
Charlie Benante (drums).
Must have album: Among The Living (1987)
Song we hope they play at Sonisphere: Caught In A Mosh
Watch this!
Anthrax ‘Antisocial’ Sonisphere 2009
Official Site:
www.anthrax.com
