115-543: Crumbsuckers were an American crossover thrash band formed by bass player Gary Meskil in 1982 in Baldwin, Nassau County, New York . Crumbsuckers combined thrash and hardcore punk sounds and themes, making an impact on the scene with their 1986 debut album, Life of Dreams . Though the band was supported by its fanbase and fellow artists, Crumbsuckers' second album, Beast on My Back , failed to deliver on expectations. The departure of lead vocalist Chris Notaro in 1988 started
230-567: A "Bring Back Bush" campaign, which was endorsed by Ian. Soon afterwards, Benante said that Bush had rejoined the band. In February 2010, Anthrax performed five shows as part of Soundwave in Australia. After the Australian shows, Bush said the band intended to re-record the vocals of several tracks from the upcoming album. In late 2009, Anthrax confirmed their participation in several "Big Four" concerts with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer as part of
345-491: A change from Anthrax's earlier work, with a dark sound influenced by alternative rock , and it received mostly positive reviews. Critic Dave Connolley of AllMusic wrote that Bush "has a lower-register voice than Belladonna, and the result is menacing, premeditated, and sinister." The song " Only " was released as the album's first single. In the liner notes for Return of the Killer A's , Ian said that James Hetfield told him it
460-616: A chord with metal fans wary of Anthrax's "silly" side. The most successful single from the album was a cover of Joe Jackson 's "Got the Time", which Jackson said he enjoyed. Persistence of Time was certified gold by the RIAA in early 1991, and the band toured for nearly two years to promote the album, opening for Iron Maiden on their No Prayer for the Dying tour in Europe and North America, and appearing on
575-409: A fall US and Canadian tour with Slayer and Death Angel . The band continued to tour within the next two years, embarking on The Killthrax Tour with Killswitch Engage twice (in 2017 and 2018), and along with Lamb of God , Behemoth , Testament , Napalm Death and Obituary , they supported Slayer on their final world tour from May to December 2018. On February 1, 2017, the band embarked on
690-590: A fellow Baldwin native and guitarist, although no credit was actually given on the record sleeve. (Cardin had also contributed ideas to a few tracks that found their way on Life of Dreams .) The band was nominated as the "Best Hardcore Rock Band" in the 1988 New York Music Awards. By now, Crumbsuckers were rubbing shoulders with some of their musical peers, including high-profile bands such as Anthrax , Megadeth and Metallica . The shoulder-rubbing also extended to lesser commercially successful artists, such as Agnostic Front , Bad Brains , Cro-Mags and Carnivore . It
805-511: A five-song demo unofficially called The Crumbsucker Cave (the name given to the place where Crumbsuckers used to rehearse) at Nino Studio in Baldwin, which included a cover of Chubby Checker 's " The Twist ". It was with this demo that the band landed their first CBGBs showcase, and subsequent "hardcore" matinées. At that time, the lineup consisted of Dave Brady (vocals), Dave Wynn (guitar), Gary Meskil (bass) and Kevin 'Toast' Carroll (drums). From
920-409: A gloomy piano passage, played by Lenihan's cousin, Mike Francis. The piece had originally been written on guitar (and performed later as such in the live arena), but offered a surprise to those listeners who had become familiar with Life of Dreams , and differed from other metal/crossover albums of the era. The guitar-driven instrumental tracks "Rejuvenate" and "Initial Shock" were penned by Matt Cardin,
1035-401: A guest vocal appearance. Towards the end of 1998, Tommy Boy ended its distribution deal with Ignition, after which the label went bankrupt, disrupting its distribution. Anthrax then signed with Beyond Records , who released the greatest-hits album Return of the Killer A's (1999), after which Beyond went out of business as well. During this period a two-vocalist tour with Belladonna and Bush
1150-419: A lack of promotional support, and Volume 8: The Threat is Real (1998) suffered from the bankruptcy of their record label. Bush left Anthrax in 2005, after which the band reunited with Belladonna and lead guitarist Dan Spitz . After Belladonna and Spitz's departure in 2007, Anthrax recruited singer Dan Nelson and commenced work on a new album, although Nelson would part ways with the band in 2009. Following
1265-399: A new project called Rawhead. Meskil and Richardson came on board but, over a period of months, a revolving door of guitarists ensued. Lenihan was dismissed and replaced by another Baldwin guitarist, Al Zaleski. He was later replaced by a third Baldwin fret-wizard, Tom Klimchuck, who would eventually take a sabbatical from the band. In the late summer of 1991, Meskil came up with a new name for
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#17328559496011380-675: A new version of "I'm the Man" and a cover of "Bring the Noise" on which Ian did some vocals. In early 1992, shortly after signing a $ 10 million record deal with Elektra Records and following their appearance in Married... with Children , Belladonna was fired from Anthrax over creative and stylistic differences. After firing Belladonna, the remaining members of Anthrax auditioned several vocalists including Mark Osegueda of Death Angel and Spike Xavier of Mind Over Four . However, Armored Saint vocalist John Bush
1495-589: A notable turn towards a more metal edge, with songs such as "Life of Dreams" and "Return to the Womb" written around this time. Following Brady's departure, they needed to recruit a new singer and soon found one from another local hardcore band, Krakdown: Chris Notaro. With the "classic" lineup now complete, they set about recording and releasing their first album. The band recorded their debut album Life of Dreams at Systems Two Studios in Brooklyn, New York City, in 1985, which
1610-630: A return to thrash metal and the return of singer Joey Belladonna. Although the songs are credited to the whole band, since Spreading the Disease the music has been written almost entirely by Charlie Benante and the lyrics by Scott Ian , although John Bush made some lyrical contributions during his tenure in the band. Anthrax has been influenced by a variety of music, including classic rock and hard rock acts as Rush , Cheap Trick , AC/DC , Kiss , Queen , Thin Lizzy , Boston and Journey , all of whom
1725-516: A short US tour with Lamb of God and released their eleventh studio album For All Kings on February 26, 2016. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 charts at number 9, surpassing the number 12 debut of Worship Music . In March, they opened for Iron Maiden on the Latin American leg of their The Book of Souls World Tour . Anthrax spent the summer playing festivals in Europe before embarking on
1840-444: A short-lived reunion with Bush, Belladonna rejoined the band for a third time in 2010. Anthrax's first album with Belladonna in 21 years, Worship Music (2011) was released to critical and commercial success, reaching number twelve on the Billboard 200. The band's most recent album to date, For All Kings , was released in 2016. Anthrax has released 11 studio albums, several other albums, and 26 singles, including collaborating on
1955-429: A similar direction with their last three albums of the 1980s, Crossover (1987), 4 of a Kind (1988), and Thrash Zone (1989). Crossover played a major role in the development of metalcore in the early 1990s. The sound remained prominent in that genre through pioneering groups including Ringworm , Rorschach , Merauder , All Out War and Integrity . Municipal Waste were the forefront crossover act in
2070-551: A single with American hip hop group Public Enemy . Four of the band's studio albums ( Among the Living , State of Euphoria , Persistence of Time and Sound of White Noise ) have also achieved gold certifications by the RIAA . According to Nielsen SoundScan , Anthrax sold 2.5 million records in the United States from 1991 to 2004, with total worldwide sales of ten million. Anthrax
2185-412: A successful US tour opening for Raven and others to support Fistful of Metal . In August 1984, Turbin and Anthrax went their separate ways after long-standing personal issues. In his book Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal , music journalist Eddie Trunk admits pressuring Jon Zazula , Scott Ian and Anthrax into firing Turbin because of his personal taste in vocals. Singer Matt Fallon
2300-477: A temporary vocalist until Ian's former schoolmate Neil Turbin joined the band in late August 1982. Turbin joined the band partly because of guitarist Walls, who Turbin later said was "the best guitarist Anthrax ever had". The band recorded its first demo tape during this time. The band's first performance with Neil Turbin was at Great Gildersleeves, a New York club, in September 1982. This lineup played regularly in
2415-575: Is a fusion genre of thrash metal and hardcore punk . The genre emerged in the mid–1980s, when hardcore punk bands, such as Suicidal Tendencies , Cryptic Slaughter , Corrosion of Conformity and Dirty Rotten Imbeciles , began to incorporate the influence of thrash metal. At this time, the genre was particularly prominent in the New York hardcore scene, where groups including Agnostic Front , Leeway , Cro-Mags and Stormtroopers of Death were widely influential. The genre largely declined in popularity by
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#17328559496012530-560: Is a speed metal equivalent of the Rolling Stones , then New York-based Anthrax must surely be the genre's Beatles ." The band's sixth album, 1993's Sound of White Noise (its first with singer John Bush), incorporated grunge and alternative metal influences in a darker vein. Critics consider the band's studio releases from the Bush era as having a more alternative metal, grunge and groove metal sound. The album Worship Music marked
2645-590: Is considered one of the leaders of the thrash metal scene from the 1980s and is part of the "Big Four" of the genre, along with Metallica , Megadeth and Slayer . They were also one of the first thrash metal bands (along with Overkill and Nuclear Assault ) to emerge from the East Coast. The band's current lineup consists of Scott Ian, drummer Charlie Benante , bassist Frank Bello , vocalist Joey Belladonna and lead guitarist Jonathan Donais . Anthrax's lineup has changed numerous times over their career, leaving Ian as
2760-498: Is often cited as particularly influential. Their 1982 split LP with fellow Washington band the Faith showed both bands exhibiting quick, fiery, high-speed punk rock. It has been argued that those recordings laid the foundation for early thrash metal, at least in terms of selected tempos, By 1985, pioneering Boston hardcore bands including SS Decontrol , DYS and the F.U.'s had begun to play heavy metal. Author Steven Blush said of
2875-400: The 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. They played two sets and became the first of the "Big Four" to attend the open seas festival. During the theater set, they played a cover of Stormtroopers of Death 's "March of the S.O.D." and debuted the song "Blood Eagle Wings". Anthrax released the live album and DVD Kings Among Scotland in 2018 which was recorded during their Glasgow, Scotland show on
2990-534: The Billboard albums chart. In 2018, Bandcamp Daily writer David Anthony credited Power Trip , Iron Reagan , Enforced, Mindforce, Iron Age, Red Death and Primal Rite as the leaders of a crossover thrash revival movement. In the 2020s, various publications credited the genre as being revived by groups including Drain and Pest Control . Anthrax (American band) Anthrax is an American thrash metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 by rhythm guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker . The group
3105-625: The Clash of the Titans tour with Megadeth , Slayer and opening act Alice in Chains . In 1991, Anthrax collaborated with Public Enemy on a version of " Bring the Noise ". This was a hit, and a successful tour with Public Enemy followed. "Bring the Noise" has been a live staple for Anthrax since they first played it in concert in 1989. The compilation Attack of the Killer B's was released in 1991, and featured three tracks from their 1989 EP Penikufesin ,
3220-552: The For All Kings tour. In a March 2017 interview, drummer Charlie Benante hinted that Anthrax would begin working on their twelfth studio album that summer. He also revealed that there are a few unreleased tracks from the For All Kings sessions that could serve as a genesis for the follow-up album, stating, "I think there are two or three that we could dust off and use as a starting point." When asked in May 2018 if they were working on
3335-662: The 1980s, was accidentally left behind at a venue in Paris, France while Chuck was touring with Genitorturers in 2002. Since that loss he has adopted a Gibson SG for his live shows. Crumbsuckers' musical family tree has extended in many different directions, including: Darkhaus, Pro-Pain – (Meskil), Life of Agony , Pro-Pain , Stereomud , Medication – (Richardson), Christian Death , Electric Hellfire Club , Genitorturers , Glitter Guns, Vasaria – (Lenihan) and Carnivore [reunion shows], Lava Baby – (Piovanetti). Crossover thrash Crossover thrash (often abbreviated to crossover )
3450-427: The 1990s; however, its influence developed the prominent metalcore genre. Since the 2000s, crossover thrash has experienced a number of underground revivals, which have produced notable acts including Municipal Waste , Trash Talk , Power Trip and Drain . The term "thrash" originated as a way of referring to hardcore punk, seen on the 1982 hardcore compilation New York Thrash . Journalist Malcolm Dome coined
3565-550: The 2000s, being credited by publications including AllMusic and Spin as leading a revival of the genre. Other notable groups of this era included Short Sharp Shock , Send More Paramedics amd Gama Bomb . During the late 2000s and early 2010s, crossover band Trash Talk gained significant success in the hardcore scene, which led to them signing to Tyler, the Creator 's record label Odd Future Records . The band's fourth studio album 119 (2012) which peaked at number 119 on
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3680-514: The 2010 Sonisphere Festival dates in Europe. John Bush decided that he did not want to commit to the band full-time, and left Anthrax for the second time. Joey Belladonna returned to the band in early 2010 for the Sonisphere dates as well as committing to record a new studio album with the band. In June 2010 Anthrax, Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer performed on the same bill for the first time ever at seven Sonisphere shows. The Sofia , Bulgaria show
3795-500: The Bundys win a similar TV contest. Anthrax returned to the studio at the end of 1989 to work on their fifth album, again with Dodson as the producer. Released in August 1990, Persistence of Time was written and recorded during a period of turmoil for Anthrax, as Ian had recently been divorced from his first wife, and the middle of the recording session was interrupted by a fire that caused
3910-680: The Disease opening for Black Sabbath was canceled after four dates due to Sabbath singer Glenn Hughes ' voice problems. In April 1986, Anthrax attempted its first tour of Europe beginning in Bochum, Germany, supported by Overkill and Agent Steel . The tour included a show near Chernobyl, Ukraine, immediately after the Chernobyl disaster . Later that year, Anthrax toured Europe with Metallica. The tour began on September 10 at St David's Hall and ended on September 26 in Solnahallen, Sweden. The Swedish show
4025-593: The EP included the two songs from the "Soldiers of Metal" single that had Neil Turbin performing on them. Anthrax's second album Spreading the Disease was released in October 1985. It was well-received as both a technical leap forward from Fistful of Metal and as a more original effort, and remains one of the band's most highly regarded albums. With leftover studio time from these sessions, Ian, Benante and former bandmate Dan Lilker collaborated with vocalist Billy Milano to form
4140-636: The Law " is about the comic book character Judge Dredd . The title track to the album Among the Living is based on the Stephen King novel The Stand , in particular the character of villain Randall Flagg , while "A Skeleton in the Closet" is based on King's novella Apt Pupil and "Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)" pays tribute to actor and original Saturday Night Live cast member John Belushi . The song "The Constant"
4255-476: The Living in its entirety. Although the lineup was expected to record a new album after the tour, in January 2007 Ian said that Belladonna had not agreed to a reunion. John Bush also said he wasn't ready to re-commit to Anthrax and said he had been asked to return but had declined. Asked if he wanted to rejoin the band when Belladonna left, Bush said that he "just didn't feel right to do that." In December 2007, it
4370-478: The New York–New Jersey area over the next several months. Anthrax was also on the same bill as then-up-and-coming Metallica for several shows in the spring of 1983. Guitarist Walls left Anthrax that summer because of friction with Ian, and drummer D'Angelo left a month later. Turbin said he was seriously considering leaving because of the loss of Walls and D'Angelo, but he stuck it out for another year. Walls
4485-458: The Noise ". Anthrax toured for over a year to promote Among the Living , touring Europe again with Metallica, the United States with Metal Church , Testament , D.R.I. , Exodus and Celtic Frost , and supporting Kiss on their Crazy Nights tour. Anthrax released their fourth album State of Euphoria in September 1988, and it was produced by Mark Dodson , who had previously worked with Judas Priest , U.D.O. and Metal Church . While
4600-622: The United States, including Agnostic Front , N.Y.C. Mayhem and Stormtroopers of Death (New York); Cryptic Slaughter and Suicidal Tendencies (Greater Los Angeles); Corrosion Of Conformity ( Raleigh, North Carolina ); Dirty Rotten Imbeciles (Houston); and Negative Approach (Detroit). New York thrash metal, in particular, already bore a greater emphasis on hardcore's influence, with metal band Anthrax often playing alongside New York hardcore bands. Around 1984 this relationship lead to hardcore bands Leeway and Agnostic Front beginning to write music influenced by thrash metal, followed by
4715-513: The Wicked tour in North America, and then headlining European tours with Living Colour , Suicidal Tendencies and King's X , and the U.S. Headbangers Ball Tour with Exodus and Helloween . Also in 1989, MTV sponsored a contest in which the winner had her home trashed by the band. This would later inspire Anthrax's 1992 appearance on the television series Married... with Children , in which
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4830-575: The Womb," disappeared for many years but have since surfaced on YouTube .) "Trapped" originally featured as the opening song on an underground video compilation of English and North American punk bands called Hardcore , released by Jettisoundz in 1986. The track is now widely available to view on YouTube . In the spring of 1987, guitarist Dave Wynn left the band and, after a few guitarists came and went, Robbie Koebler stepped in to help record their sophomore album Beast on My Back (the acronym B.O.M.B. being assigned to this release). The album opens with
4945-455: The album tracks. With Klimchuck all the while considered the official Pro-Pain guitarist but still unavailable to tour at that time, the baton was then passed to another new guitarist, Nick St Denis, who helped bring a measure of stability to the line up for the next few years. Pro-Pain released three albums between 1992 and 1996, touring extensively in Europe and the U.S., but the departure of founding drummer Dan Richardson in 1996 left Meskil as
5060-611: The album was being mixed by Dave Fortman , who had worked with Evanescence and Slipknot . In early 2009, Anthrax began a brief tour opening for Iron Maiden in South America. In July, band manager Izvor Zivkovic confirmed the departure of Dan Nelson due to illness. Nelson denied this, saying that he was fired. All subsequent performances were canceled except the August UK Sonisphere Festival, which featured John Bush on vocals. Fan response after his performance led to
5175-462: The album was not quite as well-received as Among the Living , owing to its "rushed" finish, State of Euphoria was certified gold about five months after its release, and one of the singles " Antisocial ", originally by French heavy metal band Trust , became an MTV staple as part of the rotation on Headbangers Ball . By 1989, Anthrax was starting to play at arenas as a headlining or opening act, first supporting Ozzy Osbourne on his No Rest for
5290-507: The album, guitarist Scott Ian stated, "Very, very, very preliminary stages. There's a couple of really great riffs. Charlie's sent around some really great ideas. But we haven't actually started working on anything. We've just been too busy touring." A month later, bassist Frank Bello claimed that Anthrax had intended to be back in the studio by mid-2018, but because they agreed to open for Slayer on their farewell tour , they were not expected to start writing their new album until at 2019 at
5405-457: The band began to merge the nascent sounds of hardcore punk and street punk with elements of heavy metal. The band's influence was immediate and widespread, helping influence the beginnings of grindcore , crust punk , black metal and D-beat , and notably pioneering thrash metal groups Metallica , Slayer , Anthrax and Sepultura . In his book Choosing Death author Albert Mudrian called Discharge "the ultimate crossover act, marrying
5520-561: The band began working on its next studio album in late 2013. They released a live DVD, Chile on Hell in 2014 which featured the band's 2013 performance at the Teatro Caupolican in Santiago, Chile. In early 2015, the band confirmed that they had recorded new material and embarked on a tour with Volbeat. Since Belladonna's return to Anthrax, the band has been nominated for three Grammys, in 2012, 2013, and 2014. The band began 2016 with
5635-452: The band had covered on its EP Anthems . Their other influences include heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath , Iron Maiden , Judas Priest , Accept , Motörhead , Exodus , UFO , Saxon , and Raven , as well as hardcore punk bands such as Bad Brains , D.R.I. , Suicidal Tendencies , and GBH . Anthrax is a member of the "big four" of thrash metal with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer, and often credited as one of
5750-466: The band on lead guitar. During the 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States the band changed its website, providing information about the disease after people began searching "anthrax.com" on internet search engines. Amid a potential PR nightmare, Anthrax issued a press release on October 10, 2001, joking that the band's name would be changed to "something more friendly, like 'Basket Full of Puppies'." Anthrax dispelled any name-change rumors derived from
5865-464: The band recorded the "Soldiers of Metal" single, which was produced by Ross the Boss of Manowar . The B-side was the song "Howling Furies" which was taken from a previous demo with Greg D'Angelo on drums (his only Anthrax recording). Anthrax released their debut album Fistful of Metal in January 1984. Former guitarist Walls said he was shocked that the album was released without giving credit to Walls as
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#17328559496015980-400: The band to become a watchmaker, leaving Anthrax a quartet temporarily. In 1995, Anthrax released their seventh studio album Stomp 442 , on which Charlie Benante played most of the lead-guitar parts. Benante was assisted by Paul Crook , who later became the band's touring lead guitarist for several years, and Dimebag Darrell of Pantera . The album's release followed a shake-up at Elektra
6095-506: The band to join Volbeat . It was announced shortly afterwards that Jonathan Donais of Shadows Fall had been hired as the band's touring lead guitarist. Donais was confirmed as an official member in August of that year. In March, Anthrax released the Anthems EP featuring cover versions of 1970s rock songs as well as two new versions of the song "Crawl" from Worship Music . According to Ian,
6210-418: The band to lose more than $ 100,000 worth of gear and their rehearsal studio. The band members also claimed it was during this period that there were talks of potentially working with a different singer, a situation that Belladonna was unaware of at the time. Considered by fans to be their serious effort, Persistence of Time was darker, more technical and more progressive than the band's previous work, striking
6325-405: The band was already contracted to fulfill a winter tour in Europe (with Onslaught as headliners) in late 1988, but Notaro's replacement for those shows, Joe Haggerty, failed to deliver the vocal performances which had become a trademark of their overall sound. Within a few weeks of returning home from their European Tour, Haggerty was fired and replaced with a local singer, Craig Allen. New material
6440-568: The band would not recover from their split with Belladonna; it was certified gold by the RIAA nearly two months after its release, and gave Anthrax their highest chart position to date at number seven on the Billboard 200 . The album also saw Anthrax continuing to headline arenas and theaters or amphitheaters, taking several bands such as Suicidal Tendencies , White Zombie , Quicksand , Fight and Clawfinger out as supporting acts. After Sound of White Noise longtime guitarist Dan Spitz left
6555-564: The band's gradual decline, despite the Crumbsuckers' attempts to create a new identity. Even so, the band had already cemented themselves as pioneers of the crossover thrash movement. Crumbsuckers played its latest reunion show (with Chris Notaro on vocals) at the 2015 Black N' Blue Bowl Festival at Webster Hall (formerly the Ritz ) in New York City on May 17, 2015. In June 1983, the band recorded
6670-519: The band's lineup. Anthrax's third album Among the Living (1987), which brought the band mainstream success for the first time, is recognized as one of the greatest thrash metal albums. The band's next two outings, State of Euphoria (1988) and Persistence of Time (1990), further cemented their reputation as one of the most successful thrash metal bands, with the latter giving Anthrax their first Grammy Award nomination. In 1992, Anthrax signed to Elektra Records for $ 10 million and Belladonna
6785-468: The band, Pro-Pain , and the band gathered at Pyramid Sound Studios, Ithaca, New York to record their debut album, Foul Taste of Freedom . However, further lineup changes took place here, with Milano being sent home (as Meskil decided to take over the vocal duties himself), whilst Lenihan was briefly drafted back in to play lead guitar, only to be ejected for a second time shortly afterwards. A new guitarist, Mike Mays, eventually ended up playing lead guitar on
6900-494: The course of their formative years, 1983–1985. Crumbsuckers' shortest ever officially recorded song was "Shot Down", clocking in at 55 seconds, but they had an even shorter song called "Kids At My School" which lasted only 47 seconds. This latter track finally made it to vinyl some 30 years later, on Turn Back Time: The Early Years 1983–1985 . Only two songs on Life of Dreams featured lyrics written by new vocalist Chris Notaro ("The Longest War" and "Mr Hyde"). The song "Charge"
7015-442: The crossover album Cause for Alarm in 1986, which led many in the scene to deride them as sell outs . Writer Freddie Alva stated in a 2014 article that "[Cause for Alarm's] combination of heavy metal precision and hardcore energy created a landmark for the crossover sound". In the following years many crossover bands began to form within the scene, notably Crumbsuckers , Nuclear Assault and Ludichrist . The Cro-Mags released
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#17328559496017130-688: The crossover album, Best Wishes in 1989, which also heavily impacted the scene, which was cited as a major influence by much of the 1990s New York hardcore scene. Los Angeles band Suicidal Tendencies, have been described by publications including Metal Hammer as "the godfathers of crossover", following their transition from hardcore into the genre on Join the Army (1987). The band would reach commercial success with their first two major-label albums, How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today (1988) and Controlled by Hatred/Feel Like Shit... Déjà Vu (1989). Dirty Rotten Imbeciles 's music took
7245-476: The earlier work with the band's then-current lineup. Bassist Frank Bello announced shortly afterwards that he was leaving the band to join Helmet , and was replaced by Fates Warning and Armored Saint member Joey Vera . In April 2005, Anthrax announced that the "classic" lineup of Scott Ian, Charlie Benante, Dan Spitz, Joey Belladonna and Frank Bello would reform. At some shows on the following tour, they played Among
7360-429: The earliest. In a November 2020 interview with Full Metal Jackie , Ian stated that Anthrax would "certainly be ready to make a record next year", but added that its release date could be pushed back to 2022: "In my brain, I don't wanna put a record out until I can play shows." He later stated that "at some point there should be a [new Anthrax] record" in 2023. In April 2023, Benante said the band would begin recording
7475-726: The first bands of the genre to emerge from the East Coast, along with Overkill and Nuclear Assault . The band has been credited for laying the groundwork for rap metal and nu metal . According to Nielsen SoundScan , Anthrax sold 2.5 million records in the United States from 1991 to 2004, and 10 million worldwide. Anthrax has influenced multiple bands such as Pantera , Sepultura , Cannibal Corpse , Testament , Slipknot , Death Angel , Korn , Limp Bizkit , 311 , Papa Roach , Avenged Sevenfold , Killswitch Engage , Children of Bodom , Sevendust , Terror and Insane Clown Posse . Anthrax has been known to reference or draw influences from numerous sources in popular culture. " I Am
7590-470: The first time since his departure in 1988 and featured the same lineup from the tour of that year; Lenihan, Meskil, Notaro, Piovanetti and Richardson. The venue was sold out. Sixteen years passed until Crumbsuckers reunited once again on August 3, 2006, at B.B.Kings in New York City , to commemorate 20 years since the release of their debut album Life of Dreams . Once again, Alex Meissner helped initiate
7705-488: The formation of Stormtroopers of Death in 1985, by members of thrash metal Anthrax and Billy Milano of hardcore band the Psychos . With the national rise in popularity of thrash metal many original NYHC bands became increasingly heavier and harder in sound as the metal influences grew stronger, consequently some NYHC bands who were previously skinheads started growing their hair and adopting metal looks. Agnostic Front released
7820-484: The fusion: "It was natural. The most intense music, after Black Flag and Dead Kennedys , was Slayer and Metallica. Therefore, that's where everybody was going. That turned into a culture war, basically." By the mid–1980s, hardcore bands including the Bad Brains and Cro-Mags had begun to embrace the heavy riffing style of metal. In the following years, the earliest crossover albums were being released by groups across
7935-452: The group's classic songs. In a 2016 interview with Metal Voice, and again in a video that he uploaded to YouTube in December 2020, former guitarist Greg Walls claimed that he had contributed to the writing of the songs on the band's first album, Fistful of Metal , specifically claiming to have written all the music to "Metal Thrashing Mad" and the majority of "Panic" but the band copyrighted
8050-519: The height of their success, Dan Richardson later turned down an opportunity to join Nine Inch Nails before going on to play drums with Stereomud on their first two albums. Gary Meskil paid a fitting tribute (and respectful nod) to his former band by recording a new version of "Just Sit There" on the 2003 Pro-Pain album, Run for Cover . Lenihan's trademark white Aria Pro II Flying-V guitar, featured in many photographs from their live shows during
8165-439: The money he made he himself took guitar lessons from Al Pitrelli . Between band rehearsals, drummer Dan Richardson pushed himself by donning a set of headphones and jamming along to albums such as Rush 's Power Windows to hone his drumming skills. Furthermore, he often utilized an electronic metronome during band rehearsals to get the band to play with pin-point accuracy. After leaving Pro-Pain, then joining Life of Agony at
8280-591: The new album in two weeks for a 2024 release. Frontman Joey Belladonna began recording his vocals on November 5, 2023. The band's recording of " Antisocial " was prominently featured in the 2017 movie It but was not included on its official soundtrack release. Anthrax – alongside Testament , Corrosion of Conformity , Armored Saint , DevilDriver , John 5 , Doro and Metal Church – participated in Megadeth 's first-ever cruise called "Megacruise", which took place in October 2019. They resumed live activity during
8395-450: The only constant member of the band. Ian and Benante (who replaced one-time drummer Greg D'Angelo in 1983) are the only two members to appear on all of Anthrax's albums, while Bello has been a member of Anthrax since 1984, replacing Lilker. After cycling through a number of members, Anthrax released their debut album, Fistful of Metal (1984), with singer Neil Turbin . Turbin was replaced by Joey Belladonna later that year, stabilizing
8510-410: The only original "Crumbsucker" in the band. From there, Pro-Pain added a second guitarist. In 2006, longtime Pro-Pain guitarist, Tom Klimchuck, played on-stage with Crumbsuckers at their Reunion Show at BB Kings, playing in tandem with original lead guitarist, Chuck Lenihan. In 2015, current Pro-Pain guitarist, Adam Philips, joined Crumbsuckers on stage in the same capacity as Klimchuck did in 2006. In
8625-451: The passion and intensity of punk with the speed and extremity of heavy metal." The initial contact between punk rock and heavy metal involved a "fair amount of mutual loathing. Despite their shared devotion to speed, spite, shredded attire and stomping on distortion pedals, their relationship seemed, at first, unlikely." Void has been credited as one of the earliest examples of hardcore/heavy metal crossover, whose chaotic musical approach
8740-498: The press release at the November 2001 New York Steel 9/11 benefit concert , when they took the stage in boiler suits with a different word on each one which ultimately read "We're not changing our name". Bello has stated they did so after receiving support from members of the NYPD and FDNY, who believed that changing the name of the band would send the wrong message. A picture of the band in
8855-470: The primary songwriter on "Panic" and "Metal Thrashing Mad", as well as smaller songwriting contributions throughout the album. Tensions were building between Lilker and Turbin for various reasons, eventually leading to Turbin firing Lilker without informing the rest of the band. He would soon form the band Nuclear Assault with former Anthrax roadie / vocalist John Connelly. Lilker was replaced by Benante's nephew and roadie Frank Bello . The band then went on
8970-424: The reunion, having rebuilt broken bridges between some of the original band members. The sold-out venue witnessed an appearance by original members Dave Wynn and Dave Brady on the classic track "Hub Run." Around 2000, fans gathered that evening to celebrate the anniversary, including a significant number of old friends of Crumbsuckers from the early days (many of whom had driven or flown considerable distances to attend
9085-602: The show). Everyone considered the evening to be the equivalent to a "big old class reunion," with Dream Theater 's then-drummer Mike Portnoy making particular reference to the evening on his personal website. On December 24, 2014, it was announced that the band would reunite once more, to play the Black N' Blue Bowl (in New York) in May 2015. The lineup of Chris Notaro (vocals), Gary Meskil (bass), Chuck Lenihan (guitar), Adam Phillips (guitar), and Dan Richardson (drums) successfully took to
9200-399: The side project Stormtroopers of Death , and recorded the album Speak English or Die in three days. It was released in August 1985 and is now considered a pioneering crossover thrash release, featuring one of the earliest examples of a blast beat on record. Afterwards, the project was put on hold as Ian and Benante turned their focus back on Anthrax. The US tour to support Spreading
9315-501: The single " Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't " from the then-upcoming new album on their website as a free download to thank fans for their patience in waiting several years for new material. Worship Music was released on September 12, 2011, and debuted at #12 on the Billboard Top 200 album charts, their highest chart position since Sound of White Noise in 1993. In January 2013, Anthrax announced that lead guitarist Rob Caggiano had left
9430-462: The songs without his credit. In the same videos, Walls also claimed that he told Scott to drop the name "Rosenfeld" and simply go by "Scott Ian". Anthrax is one of the bands responsible for the emergence of speed metal and thrash metal . It exhibited a typical thrash metal sound on its early albums and was known for humor and comic book references in the lyrics, distinguishing the band from its contemporaries. According to Rolling Stone , Anthrax
9545-456: The stage on May 17, 2015. Crumbsuckers' combined styles earned them respect among the CBGBs matinee crowd. In 1985, they recorded a second demo at CBGBs, with a new five-piece line up, featuring budding drummer Dan Richardson and began searching for a record deal. It was during this time that long-time vocalist Dave Brady left the band. Notaro, known for his gruff vocals and high-energy stage antics,
9660-401: The suits is on the inner tray card of We've Come for You All . In 2003, the band signed to Sanctuary Records and released their ninth studio album We've Come for You All , praised by metal journalists as a return to form. The band then spent the summer of 2003 on tour with Motörhead . In early 2004, Anthrax released The Greater of Two Evils , a "live in the studio" re-recording of
9775-502: The summer and fall of 2021, with a livestream performance that saw the band celebrate its 40th anniversary, as well as appearances at U.S. festivals such as Aftershock and Welcome to Rockville . Although 2021 marked the band's 40th anniversary, the planned global anniversary tour was delayed due to travel complications arising from the COVID-19 pandemic ; instead, the band performed a livestream concert on July 16 of that year. The tour
9890-564: The summer of 1990, Meskil (inspired by a visit from a devoted English fan, Alex Meissner), put together a Crumbsuckers reunion show with Chris Notaro, being that Meissner had felt somewhat "cheated" seeing Crumbsuckers in the UK in 1988 without Notaro. Crumbsuckers' first reunion show was held at the Sundance Club in Bayshore, Long Island, on August 24, 1990, with Chris Notaro returning to vocal duties for
10005-482: The term "thrash metal" in 1984, in reference to Anthrax's song " Metal Thrashing Mad ". The name "crossover" was coined in reference to Dirty Rotten Imbeciles 's 1987 album Crossover . Hybrid forms of metal and punk had existed as early as the mid-1970s, with the most notable act being Motörhead . However, Discharge were the first band to turn the fusion into "something a little more long-term". With their 1980 EPs Reality of War , Fight Back and Decontrol ,
10120-540: The time of their first matinée performance, they prided themselves on playing all original music, with the occasional homage to such tracks as Black Sabbath 's "Sweet Leaf" and the theme from Inspector Gadget . Early in 1985, looking for a sharper edge, they added a second guitarist, fellow Baldwin resident Chuck Lenihan, and replaced Carroll with a local 16-year-old drummer, Dan Richardson. Lenihan's metal-influenced guitar solos contrasted with Wynn's blues-based offerings. Both Crumbsuckers' lyrics and musical direction took
10235-436: The vocalist was fired during a 2009 tour. In October 2014, ex-vocalist Neil Turbin accused guitarist Scott Ian of "fabricating lies" about his split with the band in 1984 to "draw attention" to Ian's autobiography. In October 2015, former guitarist Dan Spitz took issue with a 2004 Guitar.com article (since offline) which suggested that the band's drummer, Charlie Benante, was responsible for laying down lead guitar on many of
10350-756: The year before, which saw the firing of the label's president, Bob Krasnow , who was replaced by Sylvia Rhone . During a meeting with the band, Rhone told Anthrax that she wouldn't have signed their record deal. Elektra did not promote Stomp 442 , and it was less commercially successful than its predecessor. Frustrated by this, Anthrax severed its ties with the label. In late 1997, Anthrax signed with Ignition Records, an independent label distributed by Tommy Boy Records . The label released Volume 8: The Threat Is Real in July 1998. As on Stomp 442 , Benante performed lead guitar parts along with Crook and Darrell. The album also features Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo making
10465-529: Was Anthrax's last performance before the bus accident the following day, which killed Metallica bassist Cliff Burton . The band's third studio album Among the Living was released in March 1987, and is often considered by both the band and critics to be a major breakthrough for Anthrax. Produced by Eddie Kramer , it showcased the band's humorous, experimental side and began a lyrical trend focusing on movies, politics, comic books and Stephen King novels. The album
10580-458: Was a "perfect song". In keeping with the band's eye for unlikely collaborations, classical composer Angelo Badalamenti provided music for "Black Lodge" (a nod to Twin Peaks ). This album demonstrated that Anthrax had fully shed its cartoonish persona in favor of mature, thoughtful songwriting, which began with Persistence of Time . The success of Sound of White Noise dissolved any fan worries that
10695-473: Was a founding member of the Long Island band Krakdown , contemporaries of the already well-established Crumbsuckers. Getting Notaro on board was a natural fit and very much in keeping with the Long Island vibe. Crumbsuckers' musical style has been assigned many genres, including Hardcore , Speedcore , Thrash (which extends to Thrash/Punk and Thrash/Metal ), Crossover and Speed Metal . The band's name
10810-576: Was allegedly conceived following an incident in the canteen at Baldwin High School, where Gary Meskil observed a fellow student sucking the crumbs off his plate; "'Hey, look at the crumbsuckers!'" Meskil supposedly exclaimed and, from there, the name Crumbsuckers was born. Crumbsuckers were one of the first bands to mix the two genres of hardcore punk ethos and heavy metal pathos, as evidenced on their debut album Life of Dreams . The songs were written by Gary Meskil, Dave Wynn, Chuck Lenihan and Dave Brady over
10925-446: Was announced that original Anthrax bassist Dan Lilker would be performing with the band for the first time in 40 years on their spring 2024 tour dates by filling in for Bello, who was unable to perform due to "personal reasons". Anthrax co-headlined a European tour with Kreator in November and December 2024, with Testament as the opening act. In 2012, Anthrax and former vocalist Dan Nelson reached an undisclosed settlement after
11040-519: Was announced that the band's new vocalist would be Dan Nelson , formerly of Devilsize, and Rob Caggiano would return as lead guitarist. In May 2008, Anthrax played its first show in 19 months at Double Door in Chicago. In his monthly Food Coma column posted in December 2008, Scott Ian wrote that he had "been in the studio working on the new Anthrax album", promising to be "giving birth to a really pissed off, loud, fast and heavy child." He later wrote that
11155-413: Was backed with a rap-metal hybrid " I'm the Man " as its B-side. Anthrax further indulged its appreciation for rap by appearing on the title track of U.T.F.O. 's album, Lethal , and their worship for the genre was also attributed to Ian wearing a t-shirt of Public Enemy both on stage and for publicity photo shoots; in response, Public Enemy name-checked Anthrax in the lyrics to their 1988 single " Bring
11270-425: Was briefly hired in late 1984, but he and the band soon parted ways. The remaining members decided to play live shows as a four-piece billed as "The Diseased" with Scott Ian on vocals, performing hardcore punk covers until a permanent singer could be found. In 1984, Joey Belladonna was chosen as the new vocalist. The Armed and Dangerous EP marked Belladonna's recording debut with Anthrax. The 1992 reissue of
11385-700: Was broadcast in cinemas and later released on DVD and Blu-ray . The bands would also play a few shows in the U.S. the following year, including a concert at Yankee Stadium in September 2011. In April 2011, Anthrax headlined in the Philippines for the first time at the annual Pulp Summer Slam with Death Angel and Hellyeah. The band also headlined the Jägermeister side stage at the Mayhem Festival of 2012, co-headlined by Slayer and Slipknot , and toured with Testament and Death Angel . In June Anthrax released
11500-467: Was called Majesty. Waving a strong demo tape before the bosses at Mechanic Records, Chuck Lenihan campaigned hard to get them to offer Majesty a record deal, which they eventually agreed to in 1988, giving Majesty their first big break. Shortly afterwards, having recorded and released their debut album, Majesty changed their name to Dream Theater . In the late 1980s Lenihan spent many of his Saturday mornings teaching guitar to local aspiring guitarists. With
11615-420: Was completed by singer John Connelly , and bassist Paul Kahn. Kahn was briefly replaced by bassist Kenny Kushner before Lilker took over on bass. Future Hittman singer Dirk Kennedy replaced Connelly for a few months and the band brought in lead guitarist Greg Walls. Weiss was then replaced early on by drummer Greg D'Angelo , who was recommended to the band by Walls. Ian's younger brother Jason Rosenfeld had been
11730-420: Was dedicated to Cliff Burton's memory. Propelled by the singles " Indians " and " I Am the Law ", the success of Among the Living not only turned Anthrax into a household name (along with the remaining "big four" of thrash metal–Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer ), but eventually earned them one of their first certified-gold records by the RIAA . "I Am the Law", which was released as the album's second single,
11845-443: Was delayed to 2022, with a North American leg beginning on July 16 with Black Label Society and Hatebreed as support, followed by a European tour to begin on September 27 with Municipal Waste , and then they toured North America again in January and February 2023 with Black Label Society and Exodus . The band also released the full livestream setlist as a live album under the title XL on July 15, 2022. On March 28, 2024, it
11960-516: Was designed and painted by Sean Taggart, a local New York artist who had provided gig flyers for NYHC bands, as well as providing album covers such as Agnostic Front 's Cause for Alarm , Carnivore 's Carnivore and Retaliation , Prong 's Primitive Origins and Whiplash 's Power and Pain . Crumbsuckers recorded videos for three tracks from Life of Dreams "live" at CBGBs in 1986, with only one track, "Trapped," being commercially released. (The other two tracks, "Bullshit Society" and "Return to
12075-443: Was during this period that Marc Piovanetti (from Carnivore) joined Crumbsuckers as a full-time guitarist, following the long-standing vacancy left open since the departure of Dave Wynn (and the subsequent entourage of stand-ins). Following a successful U.S. tour to promote Beast on My Back in 1988, playing with such bands as Sacred Reich and Pantera , Notaro decided this was not for him, citing "musical differences." At that point,
12190-468: Was formed in Queens , New York City, on July 18, 1981, by guitarists Scott Ian and Dan Lilker , with Ian's friend Dave Weiss on drums. The band was named after the disease of the same name which Ian saw in a biology textbook, chosen because it sounded "sufficiently evil". Lilker originally intended for Scott Setari to play bass in the band, during their early phases as a cover band. Anthrax's initial lineup
12305-591: Was one of the few heavy metal bands to receive critical praise and redefine the genre during the 1980s. Original guitarists Scott Ian and Dan Spitz' styles were described as "aggressive and head pounding", with power chords and "chugging" pedal points providing the sonic drive. Author Thomas Harrison wrote that Anthrax played metal at a faster tempo because of its punk influences. It is said that many pioneering thrash musicians, such as Anthrax, were influenced equally by heavy metal and punk rock. In 1989, Brad Tolinski of Guitar World magazine noted that, "If Exodus
12420-656: Was originally composed as an instrumental song "Charge of the Light Brigade" and was erstwhile earmarked for inclusion on Life of Dreams . However, it was later extended, with lyrics added, and eventually found its home on Beast on My Back . Although an all-American band, Crumbsuckers' heritage is mostly derived from European lineages: Germany (Meskil), Great Britain (Richardson), Ireland (Brady & Lenihan) and Italy (Notaro & Piovanetti). While Crumbsuckers were riding high in 1988, they remained great friends with another Long Island band who had yet to fully blossom. That band
12535-537: Was planned, but Belladonna decided not to participate at the last minute; however, on the mentioned Return of the Killer A's compilation, a cover of The Temptations song " Ball of Confusion " was recorded with the then-current lineup of the band (Ian/Benante/Bello/Bush/Crook), in addition to former vocalist Belladonna and former bassist Lilker. This is the only song to feature both Belladonna and Bush on co-vocals. Despite hardships and legal entanglements over album rights, Anthrax continued. In 2001, Rob Caggiano joined
12650-422: Was released through Combat Records the following year. Produced by Norman Dunn, the album contained 16 tracks clocking in at less than 33 minutes. Life of Dreams delivered a collection of 158 punk/metal-style riffs, with metal-style and blues-style guitar solos, frequent time changes and Chris Notaro's gravel-style vocals. Life of Dreams met with very mixed reviews in the music press. The album's cover artwork
12765-416: Was replaced by John Bush of Armored Saint . Bush's first album with Anthrax, Sound of White Noise (1993), reached number seven on the Billboard 200 chart (their greatest chart success) and spawned the radio hit " Only ". Anthrax's subsequent albums with Bush would experience less critical and commercial success; the band would part ways with Elektra following the release of Stomp 442 (1995) due to
12880-679: Was replaced by Bob Berry, who was recommended to Turbin by Rhett Forrester of Riot . Berry was in turn soon replaced by Dan Spitz , who was previously a member of the New Jersey thrash band Overkill . Drummer Charlie Benante replaced D'Angelo in September 1983 after a several-month courtship by Ian. By this time, Ian and Lilker had befriended New Jersey record store owner Jon Zazula , to whom they had given their demo tapes to critique. Zazula's new record label Megaforce Records had recently released Metallica's debut album Kill 'Em All to great success. In late 1983, Zazula agreed to sign Anthrax and
12995-535: Was spent recording a considerable number of professional studio demos between 1989 and 1990, although nothing was ever officially released. Heavy Rain disbanded in late 1990. A combination of contractual arguments and disagreements as to which direction the band should take, coupled with the poor response from potential record company interest led to the project's collapse. From the ashes of Heavy Rain (and Crumbsuckers), Lenihan began jamming with former ( Stormtroopers of Death and M.O.D. ) vocalist Billy Milano , under
13110-410: Was the standout favorite and had in fact been floated as a potential replacement for Belladonna a few years earlier, due to questions about his reliability stemming from drug and alcohol abuse. The band's first album with Bush and for Elektra, Sound of White Noise , was released in 1993. Produced by Dave Jerden (then-known for his work with Jane's Addiction and Alice in Chains ), the album marked
13225-541: Was written and tightly rehearsed, with a new sound emerging, leading to the band dropping the name Crumbsuckers in favor of a new identity as Heavy Rain. Heavy Rain offered a more radio-friendly rock sound, with vocals more akin to Queensrÿche 's Geoff Tate. Whilst they retained small doses of Crumbsuckers' vigorous guitar solos, most songs were recorded and presented in a much more straight, hard rock feel. These new songs failed to attract any interest or support from record companies who had been approached. Much time and effort
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