Description

As one of the Big Four of thrash, Anthrax helped usher in a style of metal that not only dominated the 80s, but laid the template for metal to come. Yet while their Big Four counterparts, Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer, were West Coast acts, Anthrax formed in New York City. Its a distinction that set them apart from their peers: the group remains the most notable East Coast metal act of the era, infusing the music with some distinctly New York sensibilities not least a CBGB-indebted punk intensity to their playing. On top of that, Anthraxs grip on melody meant that, for all their aggression and astounding precision speed playing, they also wrote unavoidably hook-laden songs, making them a unique proposition among the thrash metal elite.

Heavily influenced by Iron Maiden, Motorhead and Judas Priest, Anthraxs debut Fistful of Metal was issued in 1984 a year after Metallicas Kill Em All hit shelves and featured the short-lived line-up of vocalist Neil Turbin, guitarists Scott Ian and Dan Spitz, bassist Dan Lilker and drummer Charlie Benante. The album helped put the band and New York on the metal map and introduced the foundations of thrash. Lets face it, Fistful Of Metal gave us our career, Ian notes. It got the band some attention, made people all over the world aware of what we could do and for that reason alone I have to be grateful to everyone involved. The record was vital in launching us, and everything weve done, and become, since stems from that debut record.

*Red with black splatter vinyl.