Anthrax – Among the Living – 1987

Among the Living is what led me to discover Anthrax, no doubt about it. At the time, I was hanging out with a pretty big fan of the band and, as a result, gained quite a bit of insight. But it was only this album that I felt I absolutely had to have! I’ve never been ecstatic about the entire record, to be honest. There are six out of the nine tracks that I have a special affinity for, and in terms of listening quality, they can’t be surpassed by anything! They are so darn good that there are no concepts that cover them. It’s as simple as that!

Thrash, with a twist

Musically, it’s, of course, Thrash Metal, but with a little twist. Anthrax don’t seem to take themselves too seriously. Not on Among the Living and not ever really. They base a lot of lyrics on comic books and popular culture and don’t necessarily dress in studs and leather. It’s a bit more laid-back, so to speak.

When I wrote about Nick Wall’s book on Metallica – Enter Night, Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante was mentioned several times as an extraordinary percussionist. I had never thought about it before, but when I listen to the album in today’s, there is indeed something to it. Normally, I listen for catchy guitar riffs, but here, it’s almost Charlie Benante’s drumming that is the most virtuoso. There are also songs where the bass is more prominent as a riff-creating rhythmic instrument than Scott “not” Ian’s guitar.

Must-have

So what do I say? More than half of the songs are absolutely fantastic, while the three leftovers settle for being categorized as really good. I definitely think Among the Living is an album that should be in every Metal listener’s collection. It’s somehow groundbreaking and definitely what put Anthrax on the map! The album is dedicated to Cliff Burton, who passed away six months before the release in a bus accident.