Album Reviews

To be perfectly honest, I was kinda hesitant about a new Anthrax album seeing as their last album I got excited over was 1993’s “The Sound Of White Noise”. So let’s just get this over with right away. On “For All Kings”, Anthrax reminds everyone just why they are one of thrash metal’s Big 4 as they run circles around plenty of younger bands. And even some older ones. Especially Metallica might want to sit down with this album and take notes. It might remind them of just how it’s done.

Sure, the album opens with a bombastic intro that is cheesy as hell, but as soon as “You Gotta Believe” bursts out the gates, there is no stopping these dudes. There’s some awesome shredding from Jon Donais on his first Anthrax studio album and he more than holds his own next to Scott Ian. Over the course of six minutes they thrash away with reckless abandon, only taking their foot off the gas halfway through to include a lengthy instrumental break. Meanwhile Joey Belladonna shows just how much of an integral part he is of the Anthrax sound that it makes you wonder why on earth he left the band on two occasions.

From there on, they keep plowing away with cuts like “Suzerain” and closing track “Evil Twin”, both of which harken back all the way to the band’s classic albums. Complete riff-fests with anthemic choruses. Cuts like “Monster At The End” and “Breathing Lightning” on the other hand, show Anthrax at their most accessible and catchy. And then there’s the eight-minute long “Blood Eagle Wings”, an instant classic that starts off mellow before locking into a nice groove. From there on it just keeps on gaining steam before erupting into one badass solo about five minutes in.

That being said, there is some filler to be found on here as well. Both “All Of Them Thieves” and “Zero Tolerance” aren’t terrible, but they do kinda pale in comparison to the album highlights and could have easily been left on the cutting floor.

With “For All Kings”, Anthrax deliver the classic thrash attack you hope for from a band of their stature with riffs and choruses that make the Hulk look small in comparison. Sure, it’s not a perfect album, but there’s plenty of tracks on here that make you take notice, which is a lot more than you could say about the last Metallica and Megadeth albums.