I am completely new to the new
Anthrax, I haven't heard even one song off of
Worship Music (I did hear the little cover EP and it wasn't bad) and I haven't heard anything from John
Bush except for
Sound of White Noise (that album can suck it) so this has been an interesting listen for me.
Anthrax is one of the thrash bands that I have the most respect for, they have always been
Anthrax, they aren't cocky sellouts (
Metallica) and they don't beat the same formula into the dirt like some other bands do. They also aren't conforming to that atrocious "new" age of production in which the guitars sound like shit and the focal point of everything is the double bass (
Exodus and way too many others to count). I honestly didn't know what to expect in listening to this, but I must say, this is good. Actually, I'm surprised, this is very good. I was not expecting anything like this, 'Thrax have proven once again that they rule with another great album. This is really refreshing to listen to, I see it as a continuation of what
Persistence of Time was doing, which is a good thing; the goofy
Anthrax is totally gone in favor of the heavier, more focused
Anthrax. These guys will never, ever, best what they did on some of their older albums, but with this collection of fresh and creative metal songs they are
Only adding more and more to what makes
Anthrax awesome.
The songs on "
For All Kings" are pretty diverse, with each containing different songwriting elements that keep everything fresh. Most of these are adhering to a more mid-paced formula full of more melodic and catchy chorus' and musical sections. Some of these riffs and ideas are downright spectacular and I have got to give Scott some props for continuing what he does best. The more simplistic riffs are reinforced by some spectacular drumming by charlie. He really has always been one of my favorite metal drummers, and he is fantastic on this album. It sounds like I could be talking about any of the old
Anthrax albums with descriptions like that, but this is definitely not the case. The talent of these guys is still refreshing and full of energy and ideas. Most of the modern thrash that I hear is just a try-hard attempt at being brutal or being heavier then the last album or whatever, but
For All Kings actually sounds like
Anthrax were full of ideas and had the will power to actually put together a good album. Tracks like "
Evil Twin", "Suzerain", "Defend/Avenge", "This Battle Chose Us", and the best on the album, "
Breathing Lightning" are all spectacular showcases of a band that definitely still has the stuff. The most striking thing about this album is by far its very melodic and atmospheric tendency. This is very obvious in the title track and "
Breathing Lightning", and also in "Suzerain". A great example of what I mean is on the track "
Breathing Lightning", which begins with a soft, and quite beautiful clean intro before blasting off into some wicked riffs until the awesome chorus. The "Angels sing" section of this song is one of my favorite moments on the album, it's beautiful, and after that part ends you get a taste of how wicked the new guy is with some awesome leads. Using words like "Beautiful" when describing a metal album might sound a bit weird, but it's a refreshing and exhilarating experience to hear some modern metal that actually steps outside the box to do something creative. It really does get annoying hearing the same thing re-hashed over and over again, and that is something that I think most of the newer metal bands can't wrap their head around, i'm glad
Anthrax realizes this. Don't get me wrong, this album is still a heavy freaking metal album all the way, with burly riffs and thrashy drums, but It's nice to see that these guys are still exploring and experimenting as a band, and I gotta say, it paid off.
So while the songwriting is totally new and refreshing, the instrumentation is on par with the usual
Anthrax that I'm used to. Scott still riffs like a beast, Charlie is still playing some of the very best drums out there too. Good 'ol Injun Joe has definitely still got it, even though he can't still hit those crazy highs. He doesn't try to push his voice too far at all though, he knows his limits and he makes sure to make the most and then some out of his voice, props to you Joey. Frank is a beast on this album, as always. He is playing with a heavier, more thicker bass tone that fits the album wonderfully. I have to give some major props to the new guy: Jon Donais, this guy is awesome! I have no idea where this dude came from but damn he is great. His solos are all fantastic. He is not an all out shredder, but he has some wicked chops and I really appreciate his melodic take on the leads, it works great. The production is some of the best I've ever heard. Everything is balanced perfectly, and when I crank the volume, everything has this badass punch that a lot of modern metal albums don't have. I don't know how
Anthrax did it, but I'm impressed, it is almost as if they are a completely rejuvenated band.
I have been listening to this album nonstop for a while now, it is honestly fantastic. Some people are probably thinking that I'm just sucking up to this because I am an
Anthrax fan, but I'll have you know, I hate modern thrash almost completely, that includes the stuff by the old bands. So when my sis told me that this album was amazing, I was super skeptical until I popped it into the player. While the first track, "You Gotta Believe" is by far the weakest on the album, the album just gets better and better. I still can't get over how good "
Breathing Lightning" alone is, definitely my favorite on the album. Overall, this is outstandingly consistent and fresh. I didn't want to give this album a good score at first, because new metal doesn't really hold up to the classic stuff, I was wrong to expect mediocrity from this record, it's fantastic. I highly recommend this to any other skeptics out there, and all fans of all kinds of metal should definitely pick this up. I am so pleasantly surprised by this album, and I'll probably listen to this one as much as I do the others, I've been listening non-stop since its release and it keeps getting better. Bravo
Anthrax.
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