The only thing we love at Metal Army America more than metal is a good cause. This one involves rallying around a studio that is a living piece of music history. PYRAMID SOUND STUDIOS in Ithaca, NY was the birthplace of countless crucial albums in the early days of Thrash metal under the supervision of famed producer/owner Alex Perialas. For nearly forty years the studio has stood as a monument to one man’s vision, talent and helped lay the foundation for the sound of many classic underground and hit records that is still emulated today. The press release tells the rest of the story:
“PYRAMID SOUND STUDIOS, launched by Perialas in 1974, has recorded artists from BAD RELIGION, ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT, OVERKILL, AGNOSTIC FRONT and BRIAN WILSON to local favorites THE HORSE FLIES AND DONNA THE BUFFALO, as well as student projects. PYRAMID SOUND STUDIOS, as well as student projects. PYRAMID SOUND STUDIOS is a pinnacle in the local area, being that local musicians do not always have the ability to travel to New York City, Los Angeles, etc. to record their albums. Located directly next to the Clinton St. Bridge, which is undergoing heavy construction until November, the building is at risk of being condemned as a result of the project, stirring alarm among the local and online community.”
“This is one of those things that is a state and city project where they’re replacing a 70-year-old bridge and its right in our footprint, if you will. With the building of this new bridge, there’s a chance that if they aren’t careful, they could do damage to the studio,” states owner Alex Perialas. “I’m currently working with the administration to land on an amicable solution to the situation. This has been a landmark facility for years. We pretty much created a style of music here that people had never heard of before. It would be a shame to lose such an integral part of music history due to this temporary construction.”
“In many ways, both the mayor’s and the common council’s hands are tied, given that the construction on the Clinton St. bridge is federally funded. Earlier this week, supporters of PYRAMID SOUND STUDIOS launched an online petition to help save the historical building. Thus far, over 550 people have signed. You can sign the petition at this location.”
Spain’s ANGELUS APATRIDA return with The Call, it is their third album for Century Media. Although this thrash quartet has had their issues taking a stranglehold of their native Albacete, they have been slaying Spain, and audience member that stands in their way for years. This has lead them to open up for such groups as SLAYER, and MEGADETH, and their current jaunt with 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, GOATWHORE and HAVOK. They are the only band from Spain (in any genre) that can currently tour Europe, and I don’t mean a few dates in spread out here and there, check out the itinerary for the aforementioned tour that they’re currently a part of, and you’ll see that they’ll be all over the old continent during the next few months. There is a reason why the legendary David Ellefeson pulled the band aside, and encouraged them to take their talents stateside, as US audiences would without a doubt eat up what the band has to offer.
The Call is a natural progression for the band, it shows the band maturing, and evolving far beyond what they have done with their two previous outings Clockwork and Evil Unleashed. This by no means diminishes how good those albums are, it’s just that the band has taken great leap forward with The Call. The band has once again teamed back up with Clockwork producer Daniel. I had a chance to speak to lead singer Guillermo Izquierdo recently, and he mentioned that Daniel made it his mission to make The Call more than just another album. He took it upon himself to push the band, and make this not only the best album possible, but something very personal for him as well, something that is looked back as a defining moment for him as a producer.
The album starts off with the first single “You Are Next”, which coincides with a video game themed video that was released a few weeks ago. If you’ve followed the band at all, you’ll realize that Guillermo vocal style is completely different on this track, and throughout the album. On the band’s previous outings there is an undeniable resemblance to Dave Mustaine. With “You Are Next” he reminds me of Zetro, the former lead singer of EXODUS. You can still hear the Mustaine influence at times, but you can also hear a little Blitz from Overkill, a twinge of Phil Anselmo and shades of Rob Halford in a few spots. While speaking to me he admitted to Mustaine influence, and said “I didn’t want to keep doing Mustaine part 2, while writing the music, it was really calling me to go in a different direction with my vocals. So I naturally followed what seemed natural.” Couple that with Cardoso pushing, and constantly challenging the singer and you have the vocal performance that is displayed throughout the album.
But by listening to the album, you can see that Cardoso challenged the entire band to up their game. The other noticeable improvement is the precision of the rhythm section. Again, this isn’t knocking the band’s previous albums, but Victor Valera like a sharpshooter with his precision on the album. His playing is tighter than it has been on the previous albums; it is at a completely different level than it has been in the past. Bassist Jose J. Izquierdo locks everything down with and is up to the challenge to equal Valera’s playing. Again, the band’s influence can really be seen here with the two locking into place like the legendary combination of Menza and Ellefson. Realize that I’m saying like, not equal to or better than, I need to clarify that before anyone gets all upset over that previous statement.
I keep mentioning Guillermo’s singing, but his and Davish G. Alvarez guitar work has always set the band apart (in my mind) from other contemporary thrash bands. Their playing on this album not only contains their best work as a guitar tandem, but takes what they’ve done in the past and infuses it with other aspects of metal that you may not be accustomed to hearing from the band. This only enhances what they bring to the table with The Call.
Aside from the standard lead single, you’ll find “At The Gates of Hell”, which is like a locomotive building up steam before running you over. “Violent Dawn” which to me blends the cross-over greatness of D.R.I. with some riffing in the vein of SLAYER’s King and Hanneman. “It’s Rising” which offers which offers shades of Painkiller-esque JUDAS PRIEST and a solo outro reminiscent of the heyday of PANTERA. “Blood On The Snow” could have easily of been slotted in on Countdown To Extinction, while “Killer Instinct” is more in more influenced by Peace Sells. “The Hope Is Gone” has an aspect that previous albums did not contain, and that’s melody in band’s chorus. Ok, yes, they’ve had melody in the past, but not this well formed. The chorus of this track permeates your mind, and bounces around in it, in an infectious fashion. “Fresh Pleasure” is an ode to the connection between the crowd, the band, and a nice cold beer. “Still Corrupt” discusses topics that have been present since the origins of thrash, crooked politicians. “Reborn” is a track that really smacked me in the head when I first listened to it. This track to me is a real defining moment for the band, and when I heard it, I had to go back and give it a few more listens to almost believe the track was this good! This track closes the standard edition of the album up. It seems to be a statement by the band, as if to say, ok you’ve heard the album, now realize this is who we are, this is part of our evolution. This track is a full on metal song, with a catchy, infectious chorus that is perfect to hear a crowd at Download, Wacken, Uproar, etc. singing in unison with the band. The riffing is very matriculate, it isn’t full speed thrash, but it really grinds and pummels you from start to finish. As does the entire album, I mention these influences, but I do have to stress that it is all done in the bands own fashion, it isn’t a carbon copy of the band’s I’ve referenced, it is ANGELUS APATRIDA.
I’ve always been opposed to hearing bands cover well known songs. You have to A) have the sack to try and take on certain tracks B) do them well enough so that they aren’t laughable. ANGELUS APATRIDA has never shied away from covers, previously doing PANTERA’s “Domination” and IRON MAIDEN’s “Be Quick Or Be Dead”, and doing them well. This album is no different; they cover possibly my favorite JUDAS PRIEST song “Hell Patrol”, and man is it good! They do all of these covers in their own fashion, but in a way that still keeps the song connected faithfully to its original composition. This is truly a testament to the band’s musicianship, and their ability to pull the tracks off. The expanded edition wraps up with an updated take on a track that appeared on their 2007 album Give ‘Em War called “Free Your Soul”.
This album is recommended to anyone that remotely enjoys any of the bands I have mentioned in this review. On The Call ANGELUS APATRIDA brings old school thrash, and metal into the present, while applying their own ingredients, and making it all truly their own. See them on their current tour, or hopefully they’ll jump stateside shortly. The album is a digital only release in the states and comes out on May 8th.
Few original thrash metal bands can claim they have been as consistent as OVERKILL. While many groups of the early days of the genre disbanded or lost their way musically, these East Coast mashers have stayed the course. The vast majority of their back catalog is full of anthemic, catchy music that works on record or especially In the live setting. Rather than repeat themselves or cling to some kind of past glory, the band continues to evolve slightly record to record and still writes great songs. This proved to be the case for their last album Ironbound and is also true of their new album The Electric Age.
Opening with “Come And Get It” the band does what they do every album, provide a kick-ass table setter of a song to begin with. With it’s classic 80s tempo and sharp riffing, the song is angry, violent fun. Singer Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth sounds ageless with his snarling, high range. The middle section of the song has a cool vocal sing–a–long chant that is downright otherworldly. If you didn’t know it was an OVERKILL record you might mistake this part for a progressive rock album or even a revamped BLACK SABBATH cover. Fear not though, it is full on metal. “Electric Rattlesnake” is another barn-burner with all of the typical themes you expect from the band. There is even a moody breakdown section in a throwback to some of their early 1990s albums. Even though I found the lyrics slightly cheesy, the gang vocals are great and you can see this track going over big at a concert. Having the same lineup since 2005 is really reaping some rewards today. Their collective writing has rarely been this representative of the total capabilities of the band. “Wish You Were Dead” is another fast killer song with a lot of back bone. Guitarists Dave Linsk and Derek “The Skull” Tailer crush with their licks and riffs. Since they have similar sounding tones (except for when Linsk solos) it is cool to hear the players come together in unison after jamming different parts. So heavy it’s not fair. The next track “Black Daze” is a real standout cut. It has a stomping power-groove feel that will put a smile on any mad headbangers’ face. The tough beats are accented by the sharp changing chords and again Blitz just kills with his snarky, powerful lines. This might very well be his finest hour as a singer. A track like this also really makes you appreciate the rhythm section of DD Verni and Ron Lipnicki. Verni, along with Blitz founded the band and has a hand in most of the writing of the tracks. He has a great punchy tone and plays some inventive lines under the chaos. Lipnicki is a solid drummer with an economical style and not focused too much on flashy. He has the requisite chops to do the songs justice and reminds me a lot of MEGADETH’s Shawn Drover. “Save Yourself” ratchets the speed element back to 11. The song is under four minutes, but feels like two. Another great vocal tour de force from Blitz and the rest of the band is the highlight here along with one of the nastiest solos Linsk has ever played. I don;t think he ever went about the 12th fret of his guitar once either. “Drop The Hammer” starts of with some impressive beats from Lipnicki, before the main tempo kicks in. This song definitely has “circle-pit” written all over it. Another cool breakdown (not that kind) has a great, old school thematic twin guitar-solo not unlike IRON MAIDEN. OVERKILL is that rare band that can mine its own style, break some new ground and yet still pay tribute to their heroes. “21st Century Man” veers into political commentary with the usual vitriol you have come to expect from them. Top notch licks and a head-nodding, marching beat top things off. “Old Wounds, New Scars” might be the best track on the whole album. Only Bobby Blitz can pull off a line like “Got a lotta mouth for a Jersey white boy” and have it not sound corny. Musically the song excellent with everything you want out of a modern thrash song. “All Over But The Shouting” also rules the roost. There are many neo-thrash bands half the age of this band that couldn’t write a song this good. They ought to take notes and bow down at the alter of “Chaly”, their mascot. The first minute or so of final track “Good Night” is a pensive lullaby, almost in the form of a madrigal from classical music. Gently plucked guitars turn back in to another thrash/punk master piece in the style of the bands’ more fun tracks. This album sounds like it came out in 1989 or 1990, but somehow fresh and not dated putting the band in the rare company of EXODUS and TESTAMENT among their peers. The band may be over thirty years old now, but this reviewer suspects we have many more years of great OVERKILL albums to look forward to.
Of all of the old-school metal revivalists 3 INCHES OF BLOOD might have the most credibility of anyone. Emerging half a decade ago from Vancouver, BC the band hung their hat on a mix of New Wave of British Heavy Metal stalwarts like JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN with an added kick of Bay Area Thrash. This potent mix, plus a no nonsense approach to writing and intense live performances have earned the band a strong following. However, they are a bit hard to rate for me. On one hand they write fun, cheesy and occasionally great power metal songs. They are really entertaining to a certain segment of metal fans. On the other hand they are never going to be thought of as a band that sounds better than a collection of great sounding influences. Still, there is a power in knowing what your band is and is not. You will certainly be hearing a lot from them in 2012 as they are participating in The Metal Alliance Tour this spring.
Right from the first notes of “Metal Woman” the music is just as epic as you would expect. The band excels at writing anthemic odes to all of metals’ splendor and greatness with the same zeal AMON AMARTH writes about Vikings or CANNIBAL CORPSE writes about serial murderers. Devil horn worthy riffs open the track before gurgling bass and drums beat out an insane rhythm to mosh two. When singer Cam Pipes unleashes his first wailing scream it is godly sounding. With the timbre of a ROB HALFORD and the passion of a RONNIE JAMES DIO, Pipes delivers the goods with style. The track is a tribute of metal women fans everywhere and is already a crowd pleaser live as you would imagine. Second track “My Sword Will Not Sleep” is equally rocking and has some killer riffs. Some of the bands chugging chords and intense beats call to mind early METALLICA or OVERKILL at times. The band does a nice job of changing keys and licks early and often to keep things interesting. There is a bit of a return to the growling vocals from guitarist Justin Hagberg too on a few tracks. The ending jam in double-time is killer sounding and really exciting. “Leather Lord” is another top track with impossibly high singing from Pipes. The breakdown of this tune is a modern take on MAIDEN with bombastic emotions and great musicianship. Hagberg and his axeman in crime Shane Clark craft great licks and leads with tons of classic sounding harmony lines. After the mellow instrumental “Chief and the Blade” comes “Dark Messenger” which might be the best song on this album. It has everything you want from the band and more. Unintentionally “Look Out” reminded me of HENRY ROLLINS’ comic send up of the late Mr. DIO, but in a sweet way. The middle keyboard/guitar solo part is right out of 1975, but it works. “4000 Torches” has more cool guitar jammage to enjoy. Drummer Ash Pearson and new bassist Byron Stroud (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD/ex-FEAR FACTORY/CITY OF FIRE) hold it down rock solid so the guitarists and Mr. Pipes can wail over every song. Stroud joined up recently and his addition makes sense since he also manages the group. Other standout tracks are “Leave It On The Ice” and the impressive “Men Of Fortune”. If you love songs that are all about the story of metal, you will love this band.
As I sit in my hotel room with my ears still ringing and my neck sore it is easy to look back on the last few hours wistfully. For fans of metal a thing like The Big Four is a big really deal, even if the idea of these bands might bore you to tears. Plenty of people dismiss these acts (yes, even SLAYER has detractors) as vain attempts to cash in on nostalgia. Even if you have a legitimate axe to grind against the headliner, it is their popularity that enables a concert of a magnitude rarely seen on American soil. We just don’t get the big metal festivals like Europe, South America, Australia, Japan and even Saudi Arabia gets now. If you do care then this was the event of a lifetime. I know how big it was for me to have this concert take place essentially just a few miles where grew up and cut my musical teeth on thrash and other music. It was truly an epic happening and it felt like it the entire time.
Having never been to the new Yankee Stadium before I have to say it was really impressive. Even outside, you couldn’t help notice how larger than life the place is compared to the old building. The inside was just as impressive with massive walk ways and tons of natural light. Meanwhile metal heads were everywhere and the lot of us were pretty happy. Similar to when the Zombie March goes through the upscale mall on a rampage of craziness, it was cool to see all of these black shirted disciples just chillin in the venue. I met people from all over the world who were at this show as well as saw old friends and made some new ones.
The Big Four show served as the record release party for Worship Music.
I was a little concerned as 4 PM neared and ANTHRAX hit the massive stage filling the outfield. The venue was only about 1/3 full before their set and I was kind of annoyed it was starting so early on a weekday. Then a video came on with the band and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. declaring this day “ANTHRAX Day” in the Bronx” which was awesome. As the intro siren wailed I got goosebumps all over and a pretty huge cheer went up as the band came out like heroes. They came out wearing replica Yankee jerseys, but instead of the interlocking “NY” they had a pentagram logo “A”. As they opened up with “Fight Em Til You Can’t” it was pretty amazing. The song has been out a while so the crowd was into it big time. The band was as explosive as ever live. Joey Belladonna sounded amazing as did Scott Ian and Frankie Bello back him up on the gang vocals. Joey’s voice is almost made for the arena or stadium setting which not something you can say about every metal vocalist. It’s hard to believe, but after 30 years, he might have come into his own on Worship Music (Megaforce). From the there on out it was a fairly standard ANTHRAX set list, which was OK by me for the most part. “Got the Time” is always fun for its sing-a-long parts and Frankie Bello’s bass solo. Scott Ian addressed the crowd and thanked everybody for sharing this unbelievable experience with them. Old-school jams like “Madhouse” and “Caught In a Mosh” are just some of the reasons a lot of people got into the band: just fast and in your face thrash. As usual Charlie Benante just killed behind the kit. He might be the most talented individual who graced the stage on this day, save for Dave Lombardo. Joey again sounded amazing and Rob Caggiano killed both solos. Realistically he is the best regular lead guitar player the band has ever had. The cover of TRUST’s “Antisocial” was next, but I might have preferred another older song instead. Still, it was high energy and it was cool to hear a filling up stadium sing the ending jam of “An-ti-so-cial!”. Another new jam, “The Devil You Know” is tough little number has has that classic New York City sarcasm going for it. “Indians” had huge mosh pits for the “wardance” part which was awesome too. “Metal Thrashing Mad” was epic with Joey still able to reach the heavens with his high screams. As for the closer of “I Am The Law”, it was grand, but also was over all too quick. I’d could have went for about ten more songs, but the purpose of this opening slot was to open the show and reacquaint people with the band, outside of their fan-base. Under that light they did their job and did it great.
Anthrax had a big week with the new album, Big Four show and of course the proclamation of ANTHRAX DAY!
Set List:
Fight Em’ Til You Can’t
Got The Time
Madhouse
Caught in a Mosh
Antisocial
The Devil You Know
Indians
Metal Thrashing Mad
I Am The Law
In the days leading up to the show rumors were swirling that MEGADETH would cancel their appearance entirely. Dave Mustaine’s shoulder and neck injury that cost the band some shows at the end of the Mayhem Festival tour had come back and more severely and by the time you read this Dave may have gone under the knife already. Luckily he toughed it out and didn’t want to let down the fans and the other bands. Say what you want about King Dave, he does care. The now more than half full building was rocking as Deth hit the stage with drummer Shawn Drover taking his drum throne and playing the beginning of “Trust”. Immediately noticeable was Dave striding on stage with just his typical model single-neck V and not the heavier double neck. Dave definitely seemed to be in pain, but played and performed flawlessly. The entire band did in fact. “Hangar 18” was next and sounded killer. I have to agree with Dave when he says this is the best version of the band in ages, they were all spot on and tight. Dave and Chris Broderick killed their solos in the song although Dave was a bit less expressive than he normally is. After the song Dave addressed the crowd and talked about not wanting to let down the fans or the other bands, in spite of his doctor advising him not to play. Then he launched in to the lone surprise of the set, “She Wolf”. The thrashy song from Cryptic Writings was a welcome surprise under the circumstances. Next was “Public Enemy#1”. As a new song off of the upcoming Thirteen (Roadrunner) it was the least well known song of the day. Still, it was solid and reminded me of the early 1990s Deth albums. “Headcrusher” followed and was enjoyable even though I am over Endgame since the band never got to air out most of that material. “A Tout Le Monde” was in its customary place in the middle and at this point some of the air went out of the balloon for me. I’d prefer any other song to this one, especially in this setting. However, a lot of people were singing along in the now approaching full venue. All of the fire and passion that I felt was missing roared right back in the form of “Sweating Bullets”. The song was heavy, super tight and so much fun to hear all of the fans scream the refrain along with Dave. Plus he now plays the shredding solo live that Marty Friedman did on the record which is a mighty impressive feat, even for the #1 metal guitarist of all time. Following that up with another Countdown to Extinction era gem “Symphony of Destruction”, was a great choice. Closing with the usual, but still timely 1-2 punch of “Peace Sells” and “Holy Wars” was a great way to bring their set to an end. I know Dave was in terrible shape and the mid-song set choices were a little flat, but the band did a near perfect job of perfoming under the circumstances. They certainly stacked up well against the other bands, which is all that matters to their rabid fans and Dave.
Considering his injuries, Dave Mustaine and MEGADETH were amazing!
Set List:
Trust
Hangar 18
She Wolf
Public Enemy #1
Headcrusher
A Tout Le Monde
Sweating Bullets
Symphony of Destruction
Peace Sells
Holy Wars
SLAYER fans don't care who else is playing this show.
Let’s face it, SLAYER doesn’t need the Big Four because they are fucking SLAYER! However, that SLAYER is part of this does totally legitimize it in every way. In the slot right before METALLICA and with dusk falling on the Stadium, the venue was hyped up for LA’s finest musical export besides VAN HALEN. The epic logo banner hung across the back of the stage and when the intro music played one felt a surge of energy through the entire building. Walking out to huge cheers, they immediately launched into “Disciple”. I was immediately stoked because I know Dave Lombardo doesn’t like to play the songs from that era. The band was really on their game and powerful sounding, with Gary Holt (EXODUS) grabbing my attention right away. Gary, taking the place of Jeff Hanneman, who is still not recovered from his lingering illness and injuries, was great. The entire band was killer and sounded tight as they continued the evil onslaught with “Postmortem”. Tom Araya may not be able to carry the high range of his angry yell for an entire set anymore, but he is still a terrific front man. His ability to bounce back from many ailments gives me some hope for Mustaine and his issues. As per usual Kerry King was his badass self. Tearing up the rhythms and leads in his own special way, the guy just dominates the stage. Next up was “Hate Worldwide” which was also heavy and cool. Kerry was mouthing along to the lyrics the entire song through. The set represented their entire career with jams like the “War Ensemble” (best mosh pit on the stadium floor, besides ANTHRAX), the excellent “Psychopathy Red” and of course “Chemical Warfare”. I must confess that a few times during the set I caught some slip-ups by the venerable Dave Lombardo. Overall he was excellent, but I noticed he was using inner ear monitors for this show and perhaps that was the issue. An interesting side story here: my buddy in the pit, Nick Gallop, lead guitarist from the band ABYSS decided to crowd surf to “War Ensemble” at which point he was summarily ejected from the show. Luckily a dude outside was waiting for his friend who never showed up, handed Nick a floor ticket for free and he promptly walked right back in to the pit. Never doubt the kindness of metal heads, ever! Meanwhile “Silent Scream” was next and was literally the most epic song of the day, perhaps by any band. I have to say one of the best things about SLAYER was them having Gary up there. He was completely on point, nailed Jeff’s solos and was a trip to watch as always live. After “Dead Skin Mask” they played another recent cut in “Snuff”. Then came the now customary (at least the last three times I have seen them) ending run of “South of Heaven”, “Raining Blood”/”Black Magic” and of course “Angel of Death”. All the songs were great, but “Angel of Death” in particular was sicker than ever. Why? Because I will likely never again hear 60,000 people scream the words “Angel of Deeeeaaaaatthhhhh!” in unison; that’s why! No wonder some people left the show right after SLAYER left the stage.
Kerry King was killer, as usual.
Set List:
Darkness Of Christ (intro)
Disciple
Postmortem
Hate Worldwide
War Ensemble
Psychopathy Red
Chemical Warfare
Silent Scream
Dead Skin Mask
Snuff
South Of Heaven
Raining Blood
Black Magic
Angel of Death
As the set changed over for the final time Sirius/XM Liquid Metal host Jose Mangin took the stage as the MC to pump up the crowd. Jose is one of the cooler guys I’ve met in metal and he is as die hard as they come as a fan. Don’t judge the guy based on the playlist of the station he works for. As he led a roll call of the bands playing, the names were mostly met with cheers. Some people booed at the mention of the headliner. I don’t get it. Not that the band is bullet proof or anything and I firmly believe they deserve most of their well-earned criticism. On the other hand they made this show possible. Without METALLICA this show does not happen. And the people that booed their name, paid that same band they hate to get in the door. Dummies. Besides if you know that METALLICA from 2011 is coming out to play and the one from 1985 is never coming back, what’s the fuss about man? All that was forgotten when the stage darkened and the theme song from “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” played. The song has always pumped me up too because I had a hunch the band would not disappoint me and I was right!
METALLICA and The Big Four + Yankee Stadium= a spectacle to behold!
Opening with my all-time favorite song of theirs, “Creeping Death” it was pretty amazing way to kick things off. The crowd was fully into it as James Hetfield’s right hand led the way to riff heaven. It was so loud, it was ridiculous especially on the “die, by my hand part..” which was insane. Watching them run around and destroy on this stage, playing this song in my hometown was nearly too much for me. Lucky I had my bff Curtis, who turned me on to Ride The Lighting in junior high school, right next to me to thrash around with. As Rob Trujillo and Lars Ulrich started the familiar bass and drum riff intro to “For Whom The Bell Tolls” it got even louder for on of their biggest hits ever. The laid back groove of the song was perfect and James Hetfield sounded great. He has lost some of his power over the years and people quibble over the screaming versus singing, but I’m not phased by it. James hits almost all of his notes and as always does a fine job of getting into the character of his lyrics. He may have been rocky at this thirty years ago, but today he is excellent as a performer and a true entertainer. Next up was “Fuel” from Load and was highlighted by huge flame-throwing turrets on the sides and top of the stage. The band has long mixed a sense of the theatrical with their live enterprise and tonight was no exception. The song is not their greatest, but it’s fast, fun and I needed a break from headbanging at this point, so it was cool by me. Then came the first of several shocking set list choices in “Ride The Lightening”. I have to check with my friends, but I don’t believe I have ever seen the band do this song in the seven other times I have seen them. This was flat out unexpected treat. Lars is certainly a shell of the drummer he was in his prime, but on some of these older tracks he certainly kept up very well. He definitely cheated on some beats during the night as he does these days, but he definitely played well on this one. Next was “Fade to Black” which was another gem. Other than James mid-song PETER FRAMPTON-like “do you feel like I feel” silliness, it was great. I would be remiss to fail to mention how spot on Kirk Hammett was on this night. Perhaps more than any member of METALLICA except for James, Kirk seems really energized by The Big Four shows and his leads were tight and had little of his usual live meandering. His solo for FTB was as epic as any on this day/night.
James was having a ball up there and seemed caught up in the hugeness of it all a few times.
“Cyanide” off of Death Magnetic followed seemed to go over big in the building. The song is solid and it’s long guitar solo and band jam in the middle is definitely the highlight of the track. Another DM track followed in “All Nightmare Long”. By contrast this song is one of the best songs on their last album and fairly thrash sounding. Lars in particular shined on this track since it features some of the better playing of his in recent times. The fan pleasing “Sad But True” was next and was one of the best sing-a-long moments of the night. The band proved masterful at creating the right pace and mood for the ending of a long day of metal and rock. Then is was time for surprise #2: “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)”. They did a note-for note perfect rendition of the song. Then in yet another shocking masterstroke they also played “Orion” which they almost never do. It was perfect with lighters and cellphones everywhere. James remarked after the song that Cliff was in their hearts and missing from these Big Four events. Next came the bombs and the fireworks that precede every performance of “One”. The song that launched the band in the public consciousness (and perhaps pushed them away from true thrash) was as always, a highlight of the night. The entire place was singing/screaming along with James until the very end. The harmony leads by James and Kirk were tight, but Kirk’s solo flight a little rushed. Otherwise it was good. Quickly in succession the band rifled off both “Master of Puppets” and “Blackened” which again blew my top. I am getting up there in age so I am not ashamed to say I was both hoarse and achy by this time of the night. “Blackened” was another song rarely heard and broken out for the fans on this night. After a brief acoustic solo piece by Kirk they stayed downshifted in chill mode for “Nothing Else Matters”, it allowed me to catch my breath for a spell. Playing “Enter Sandman” next was fitting since Yankee Stadium is the home of all-time Major League Baseball saves leader Mariano Rivera who runs out to the mound every appearance with this very song blaring.
Kirk Hammett was at the top of his game on this night.
After a brief break the band came back out for the encore jam. James talked about being humbled and honored to be able to play with the bands and even shouted out Gary and Exodus. Rather than one of the songs they have been doing at other shows, the jam tonight was “Overkill” by MOTORHEAD. I have to say it was cool as hell with all of the bassists and drummers on stage taking on such an iconic song. It was kind of sloppy, but so much fun! The ending finale had Lars jumping off the kit and letting Benante, Drover and Lombardo each take a spin on the ending (with different bassists each) which was cool as shit. I was totally happy with that. However, METALLICA was not done with us just yet. When they launched into “Battery” that was it for me. I don’t think even back in the day when I saw them, the band jammed this many classics into a set list. The show ending of version of “Seek And Destroy” was a house lights on, classic rock feeling affair and the band definitely gave out the bang for the bucks spent by all. I know I for one will never forget this show as long as I live.
Metal Army sat down with ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello on the eve of The Big Four concert at Yankee Stadium. We were at the Hard Rock Cafe at the stadium directly following the ceremony declaring the day of the show ANTHRAX DAY in the Bronx. Frank chatted with us candidly about the honor of being recognized for their legacy, growing up in the Bronx and coming home again, their new album Worship Music and life in general. He was really funny, emotional and humble throughout our time together. What follows is an excerpt of our wide ranging chat.
MAA: This has to be a tremendous honor for the band. How does it feel?
FB: It’s massive! At heart I am a Bronx guy, always. I still live in New York, obviously. For me, having the Borough President (Ruben Diaz Jr.) here, a really good guy declaring it Anthrax Day, giving us the proclamation, it’s such a big deal for us. It’s amazing, really. I have to go back to my roots: growing up, being a New York guy, growing up in The Bronx, coming to Yankee Stadium all of the time; you always dream of stuff like playing in a band and playing Madison Square Garden. You never really fathom playing Yankee Stadium. When we got the call about playing Yankee Stadium, number one: I was intimidated and number two: I couldn’t believe it! All the the things go through your head like “Is it really gonna happen?” and “Is it gonna rain?” all those things. Even today it is really surreal. I think the only time when I’m going to realize it is happening is that I might take the train down, the Metro North from my house to the show to beat the traffic. And I think when I walk in the door and step on that stage- it will really hit me that when we walk in the door. Like “wow, I’m really going to do this.” Even with the press today, it’s great to talk about it, but when it is really happening, when we step on that stage at Yankee Stadium for the show, it will be overwhelming.
MAA: Yankee Stadium concerts are always big events like BILLY JOEL and PINK FLOYD in the old building and PAUL MCCARTENY recently in the new one…
FB: Wow! Think about that! Look at those names alone! And now ANTHRAX will be in that equation. Just being around that, that alone means so much. And understand that it is METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX, but we are gonna get put in that crowd with all of them, it is such a beautiful thing. It’s an accomplishment I will never forget.
FB: (raising a glass of beer) Cheers!
MAA: Cheers to you sir!
ANTHRAX 2011: Ready to unleash the beast and for the next chapter to begin.
MAA: How did the Office of The Bronx Borough President contact you about this initially?
FB: Well, they reached out to us. They found out that three of us are legitimately from The Bronx. I’m glad they took recognition of it. This is a big day for The Bronx. It is about three guys coming home. I’m proud of The Bronx. I feel very lucky to grow up where I did. Charlie and I are from here and Rob came into the band later, he is too. Right form the initial stuff in the band, Charlie auditioned in his room in The Bronx for ANTHRAX. So it’s a big deal to us. I could not be happier or more psyched that this happening in The Bronx.
Looking at a wall dedicated to band mate Scott Ian, Frank Bello wonders aloud when his wall is going up.
MAA: America doesn’t get the metal festivals like Europe and New York only occasionally gets a show of this stature, certainly never for thrash metal. The Big Four is as big a single day event as NYC can have. How important is this for the band and fans of the band to share this together here?
FB: If you think about it this band has been around for thirty years. To have a record coming out before this show, which is shameless promotion, but I have to say that Worship Music, comes out September 13th , the day before. The next day is the concert we are playing Yankee Stadium and it is overwhelming. This entire press junket has been absolutely nuts. We played Jimmy Fallon the other day, tomorrow we are playing one show in Arizona and then the concert here Wednesday. And FYI I am shooting a movie in Brooklyn the day after the concert and I have a 7 AM or 8 AM call time and I don’t know how I’m going to look or feel. This is a crazy time in my life….
(At this point Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. came over to say bye to Frank and agreed to have a shot with the band on stage at The Big Four show, right before their set.)
FB: Wow! The Bronx Borough President just came over to say goodbye to me after declaring Anthrax Day. For a guy from The Bronx like me, this is crazy! Did you think that was gonna happen? We’ve been through a lot. We’ve been over all of the details and I think the thing for me and for the fans is to live in the moment. All of this work is leading to something big for us. You’re a music guy and you are from here so you can appreciate this. I just want to live in the moment and appreciate things because before you know it Yankee Stadium will be here and gone. Even for this beer (sips) I am living in the moment. (laughs)
Yet another ANTHRAX cover by comic book artist Alex Ross.
MAA: Now that it is done and about to be heard by everyone, how do you feel about the album?
FB: It is the culmination of everything we have been through. It might sound like a sob story, but it is not a sob story and to be blunt about it, if people think it is a sob story go fuck yourself! But I’m really proud that we got here. There was a lot of times I never thought we would get here. To have a release date for this record is even bigger than the show. It was eight years of pain and hardship. You wanna talk about punching walls? I had to re-plaster a few in my house and that’s the truth. From all the negative came this great positive. I think we deserve that because we have been through a lot. We wear it on our sleeves because we are from The Bronx and we can’t hide our emotions. I’m glad we don’t. You have obviously done your homework, so thank you. You know this has always been a working band. It hasn’t always touring or making records, but we are always at work in this band. There has been a lot of hardship. And then lawyers get involved. When lawyers get involved with things, they can hold up a lot of stuff in your life. It’s not a parking ticket we got. It was a lot of bullshit, but I’m glad its done and over with now. We couldn’t be tighter as a unit right now. Personally we know there is a plight here. There is something we all have to do. We need to accomplish this. This is all part of what we are trying to do now. People hearing the record, that is great. That is the goal. We are trying to get this music out to the people and couldn’t be happier with it.
MAA: I have to say the thing that stands out most to me is Joey Belladonna’s performance. What do you attribute his performance to considering what he had to overcome?
FB: I’m still a big fan of this music. Just because you play in a band, doesn’t mean you aren’t also still a fan of the music. As a fan of this band and this music, for me Joey was like the cherry on top. I know it’s cliche, but we had these great songs that Charlie, Scott and I wrote a while ago. When Joey came in, I couldn’t believe what was coming back to me. My god! I was overwhelmed and I kept saying ‘oh my god, he did it again! He did it again!’ Joey’s gonna have to pay me for this. (laughs) He’s always been a great singer, but I don’t know what kind of fountain of youth he has, but he is better than ever. Joey has gotten better. He was always great, but as an ANTHRAX fan, he has never sung better. As a band member standing on the side of the stage with him every night, he has never sounded better. As I have said in other interviews, I am the background singer in ANTHRAX. I am jealous of him that I have to warm up for like 45 minutes before the show to get in the higher range and he just runs out there and sings (sings high notes like Joey), and it’s like nothing to him. He sounds amazing and is phenomenal. I say I’m jealous, but I say it in jest. I’m so impressed with the guy to come in with this mountain of songs and made them his own. Let’s face it, he put his stamp on his record. It sounds like ANTHRAX, you heard it so you know. It sounds like the ANTHRAX you know. After thirty years and having this album coming out in 2011 and playing Yankee Stadium, it is pretty good to be in ANTHRAX right now. I’m really psyched right now.
Frank Bello switched to Hartke amps after hearing David Ellefson's rig during the first Big Four shows.
MAA: This record has more bass breaks than ever a bit of a meaner tone in your sound too. Where did all that come from?
FB: Thank you! To put it in perspective. I had done all my bass for the record. I tired the Hartke stuff out and I loved it. I switched to Hartke I went back in and redid all of my bass tracks. For me to do that amount of work, it had to be right. I take a lot of pride in my bass work. I was the fan who grew up listening to Geddy Lee and Steve Harris and Geezer Butler, studying every note until it was right. I did that until my fucking fingers and mind got it right. Just repetition until it got into my head. So when some 15 year old kid comes up to me and says I grew up on your bass playing, that means everything to me. I want to give something back and pass the torch. Bass saved me. And music saved me in general because I could have ended up like some of my friends in the streets and out on drugs, but instead I was in my room on a Saturday night leaning bass lines. I’m glad I took the route I took. I still want to be challenged. Last night I was up until 2 or 3 in the morning re-learning a rush song. “La Villa Strangiato”. I used to know it verbatim and I forgot a small part of it. I was playing this one part over and over until I got it down. I went to my iPod and I just kept rewinding it. I just wanted to get it right. It’s important to me. I’m not Geddy Lee. He’s one of my favorite bass players. But when I hear that it means a lot to me that you noticed that, so thanks!
MAA: The band just announced killer headline tour with TESTAMENT and DEATH ANGEL in support. How did that come about?
FB: Well if you look at it, we are all friends. First and foremost. My friend Johnny Tempesta just joined up with TESTAMENT again for the tour. I talked to Chuck Billy and suggested Johnny to them. And I told Johnny to call them too because I said ‘Johnny, they need you!’. We made it happen so I’m really psyched about that because we went to Lehman High School together and he’s one of my best friends. We also played in HELMET together. It’s going to be a drinking tour (laughs), I’ll tell you that! It’s all about packaging today. There is not a lot of money out there, we know that so we need to create value for the fans. TESTAMENT and DEATH ANGEL are really great bands in their own right. So it’s cool that all the bands are great and we are all friends and can have a good time together. That was our goal: come out with a strong record, a strong tour and kick fucking ass!
MAA: I think the only fear of the long-time fans of the band is whether or not we will get to hear the John Bush-era songs live ever again?
FB: First, I wanna hear from the fans. What they want is important to us. We also have new record out and obviously we have to promote this. The songs on this record, I would play them all! It’s that good. I don’t think there is one down song on the record and I would play any of them live. As a fan I would play everything. We have this big catalog and you have to ask the fans. You have to do the standards too, but I wanna pull stuff out of the closet. I have no problem with that. People still ask for “Lone Justice” at my clinics!
MAA: “Lone Justice”!
FB: Yeah! People on our website are really crazy for that one. I have no problem with any of that. We have been really busy with this show and and the album release so we haven’t sat down to talk about it yet. So far we have done “Only” and “What Doesn’t Die” with him. All I can say as one of the guys in the band is that we will find a way to do some of those. But I’m sure we will put a great set list together.
MAA: At the end of the day ANTHRAX has had as many highs as lows in thirty years. Can you reflect on this and how the band has survived?
FB: It makes you stronger. The tough times, I could have definitely done without some of that, honestly. Sitting in Yankee Stadium with an album about to come out, it’s a good time. But it makes you stronger because we have no choice. As New Yorkers and guys from The Bronx we know all about that. You can either crawl up in a ball or dust yourself off and get back on that horse. But today is a great day. We have a new record coming out and then a little show at Yankee Stadium. (laughs) I really want to run on the field. I need to find away to do that.
MAA: Just keep Scott away from the batting circle and Monument Park!
Well it is finally here. The album I have been waiting for, seemingly for years. ANTHRAX is my favorite thrash band ever. They may not have the ducketts of some bands or the full respect that they deserve, but for me they always had the most smarts, heart and balls of any band in the thrash metal scene. Since half the the band is from my home town of The Bronx New York, I have always repped them hard and enjoyed most everything they’ve done. That doesn’t mean the road has been easy. They have had a terrible combination of tons of bad luck and hideous deals in their career. Fortunately for them what they put down in musical history cannot be ignored, disrespected or undone. Ever. The band has been riding high leading up to this release. Especially with all the expectations that have come from longtime fans and new potential casual fans (likely from The Big 4 hype) the stakes are incredibly high.
Prepare to bow down and give praise when you hear Worship Music. Photo by Matthew Rodgers.
Opening with the pastoral sounds (a recurring theme on the album) that could be church music and a whispered phrase of “worship music”, is kind of the 2011 musical equivalent of SLAYER’s similar move from twenty-five years ago. When that ends all sonic hell breaks loose and I had to crack a relieved smile. “Earth On Hell” is a great first song. Patented Charlie Benante blast-beats/speedy double-kick work and Scott Ian’s killer right hand of death guitar riffs flat out crush you. Those guys are given every album at this point. However, the immediate and lasting treat for fans is the sublime voice of Joey Belladonna. I love Joey, but he was definitely going to be the make it or break it element to be true. Joey absolutely nailed his vocals on this and every track. He sounds ageless and strong, even better than he was back in the day. For all of the conjecture doubting whether or not he could replace John Bush from everyone (including by this reviewer), that idea gets dismissed starting now. The song itself is the perfect opening salvo in their comeback. After the second chorus, a ticking clock (shades of Persistence of Time album) amps up the rabid urgency. The mid-song break down is classic ANTRHAX: terrific beats, thick bass lines from Frankie Bello and a great solo by Rob Caggiano (he also co-produced the album) who continues his run as the most consistent shredder the band has ever had. Also of note, the fine lyrical depth from Scott for the concept. And that is all in just the first song!
The next two songs you might have heard already: the two singles “The Devil You Know” and “Fight Em Til You Can’t”. They are full of the high energy thrash and rock that the band has been doing for years. I could live without the BIGGIE SMALLS lyrical reference in the former tune, but it is understandable considering the bands history with better artists in hip-hop. Joey sounds powerful, his soaring high range carrying the tracks and does some fine harmonizing as well. Great choruses with added tough guy gang vocals are a plus, but Joey is definitely allowed to be the star which is just killer to hear. “I’m Alive” is a stomping rocker in the mold of some of the tracks off of We’ve Come For You All. The intro had a really catchy shuffle riff that is a lot of fun. While this is certainly the most “thrash” sounding album the band has made since the early nineties, they have always had these mid-tempo tracks ready in their bullet belt. I suspect this song could be a third single and be the one to really capture the ears of new fans in a big, big way. Frankie Bello’s great bass lines are really pronounced in the mix and this helps all of the songs. It seems like the band let him off the leash and I’m happy to hear it. After an interlude with some laconic church bells you hear “In the End”. Nicely paced, heavy and epic sounding, this song is another potential breakout track. It has a classic sounding thrash breakdown and has a naturally cool high scream from Belladonna too. The ending of the song has a feel not unlike TESTAMENT and OVERKILL vocally. These are some of the melodic elements at play the band has not had in their arsenal for a long time. “The Giant” is one of the best new songs and in the style of the thrashin’ Thrax classics. It is so heavy and true sounding, this song easily could have been on State of Euphoria! “Judas Priest” has another chugging, power-groove riff and a cool part for Joey to sing over in the pre-chorus and chorus. Caggiano also rips another blistering lead. Benante also continues to beat his own high standards as one of the best metal drummers ever as well. For a change of pace “Crawl” is moody and slow with another huge refrain. “The Constant” is another mid-tempo bruiser of a track. The band flits back and forth between thrash tempos and hypnotic tribal beats more than any album since Sound of White Noise. “Revolution Screams” ends things in old-school fashion with discordant chromatic riffs, a fast headbanging beat and intricate IRON MAIDEN style harmonized melodic parts. The bonus track version of the record has a cover of Thrax favorite REFUSED’s “New Noise”. This album will easily go down as one of the top five or six best efforts in the bands’ storied history.
There has been a significant buzz building around neo-thrashers DIAMOND PLATE and their just dropped debut album. With a brash name and much talked about live performances in their native Illinois, they have been more than a blip on the metal radar for 2011. Even back to their previous releases they certainly had the chops to take this music somewhere. Since the field is now crowded with names like WARBRINGER, EVILE, LAZARUS AD, GAMMA BOMB, HOLY GRAIL, BONDED BY BLOOD, WHITE WIZZARD and of course MUNICIPLE WASTE, the competition to stand out and above the crowd is thick as can be. The key will be to separate themselves from their peers quickly as they embrace this higher profile, particularly on upcoming tours supporting KITTIE and WARBRINGER.
After the opening track sound bytes of news clips the title track peels the lid off and drops the monstrous riffs. Much like all of their peers dominating the sub-genre DIAMOND PLATE has been born and bred on old-school thrash bands like SLAYER, EXODUS, OVERKILL and ANTHRAX. What they do differently is inject a bit of mature modern sensibility that only the best of the newer bands have similar to the thrashier moments of REVOCATION or perhaps JUNGLE ROT. DIAMOND PLATE has also learned it’s not enough to just sound like your music could have been hatched in 1985, but discerning fans still want some well written songs to hang their SUICIDAL TENDENCIES hats on. Vocalist/bassist Jon Macak has an unmistakeable death metal howl that at least separates him from a legion of Paul Baloff clones. His voices calls to mind a young John Tardy of OBITUARY fame. Second track “Pull the Trigger” has plenty of the requisite Gary Holt/Dave Mustaine handy work in the guitars needed to keep things classic sounding. I especially like drummer Jim Nicodemus’ stick work in this track too since he is tight, powerful and not overly complicated. In addition to doing a strong job on the vocals Macak is a fabulous bassist and has no trouble leaving the guitarists to do their own thing and giving his lines a life of their own. The cleverly named “Tomb With A View” is a cruel little number. Starting out with a crushing riff a la PANTERA, the song builds and builds intensity and character. The mid-song melodic riffs are killer. Lead guitarist Konrad Kupiec (his name is so metal!) and rhythm guitarist Mario Cianci do a nice job of splitting up their parts. Kupiec in particular is a soulful shredder who has a sweet vibrato he uses to accentuate lead parts. “Fool’s Paradise” reminds me of middle-era OVERKILL. A mid-tempo jam with a mean power-groove riff and another cool delivery by Macak. Kupiec adds some more sinewy leads in the chorus that really add to the emotional gravity of the track. “Relativity” is the most throwback sounding cut on the album, even though it has some amazing chord/tempo changes. “Casualty of War” is one of the best songs on the entire album, encompassing everything the young group does well. Special mention goes again to Kupiec and Nicodemus for their technical prowess. “More Than Words” is not the love ballad from the 1980′s but a neat instrumental jam. “At the Mountains of Madness” is a real speed metal workout with sweeping riffs, galloping rhythms and some great gang vocals. On the epic closer “Empire Tomorrow”; the band literally lets it all hang out with a stunning show of musicianship few can pull off at their relative young age. Color me impressed by this debut and I look forward to catching them on the road soon.
With a logo this seriously baddass, it has to be thrash.
