ANTHRAX - FISTFUL OF METAL ALBUM REVIEW

 

Good, But Not Great - 80%

By ThrashFanatic, April 25th, 2018

Written based on this version: 1984, 12" vinyl, Megaforce Records

Any self-respecting thrasher has certainly heard of Anthrax. We all heard the story, two classmates form a band named after a disease they read about in a textbook in their biology class. Neil Turbin, Scott Ian, Dan Lilker, Charlie Benante and Dan Spitz was the original Anthrax, and after the "Soldiers Of Metal" single was recorded, Jon Zazula signed the band. "Fistful Of Metal" was the 3rd Big Four debut to come out, after Metallica's "Kill Em All" and Slayer's "Show No Mercy". The record had some killer tracks here and there, but ultimately fell flat due to hollow production. This is a classic however, and would be the only Anthrax album to feature Lilker and Turbin before both got fired.

Now before I mention the songs, I would just like to go on record by saying the production is extremely dry and hollow, and lacks any real punch. There is a reverb that I don't like about this, they could of done better. Anyways, the record begins with "Deathrider", which has some good riffs. To be honest, I'm not as crazy about Scott Ian as many thrashers seem to be. He is certainly a great rhythm guitarist, but he never impressed me as much as Hetfield, Mustaine or Hanneman. The vocals of Neil Turbin are pretty decent, but he clearly doesn't match the greatness of Joey Belladonna that would follow on the next record "Spreading The Disease". Dan Lilker is an incredible bassist, he is the standout performer here. I prefer his work with Nuclear Assault however, I just don't think he belonged in Anthrax despite the fact he pretty much founded the band along with Ian. Dan Spitz's solos are damn good, they are probably the best solos he has done along with the solos on "Spreading The Disease" and "Among The Living". Charlie Benante as we all know is one of the greatest thrash drummers on the planet, but I feel like his talents aren't showcased here as much as his later work.

"Metal Thrashing Mad" is basically the song that helped coin the term "thrash", after Kerrang! referred to the song as "thrash metal". This song shows off the impressive vocal range of Turbin, this is undoubtedly his best performance. The next track bemused me however. No disrespect to Mr. Alice Cooper, the guy is certainly talented, but which person at Megaforce Records thought it was a good idea to add a cover of "I'm Eighteen"? They must have been smoking something, because this is totally out of place and doesn't fit well on here at all. Hell, even Scott Ian himself refused to take part in the recording of the cover from what I read. This deducts points off the overall score of this review. "Panic" is easily the highlight, the awesome drum work from Benante is remarkable, and the main guitar riff is a classic. Don't forget that guitar solo! This one is a must listen. Most of the rest of the record however is pretty disposable unfortunately, there are some filler tracks which put me to sleep on occasion. This overall drains the life out of the listener, where did the exciting, vibrant thrashing madness go? Hmmm....

Well my question was answered with the redeeming last 2 tracks, "Across The River" and "Howling Furies". "Across The River" is a neat little instrumental which contains some sick shredding and "Howling Furies" brings some much needed life back into the whole listening experience. I love the guitar harmony near the middle of this track, it sounds metal as fuck! This is how you redeem yourself and save your record from falling completely flat!

"Fistful Of Metal" is definitely essential listening for any thrash fan, I mean come on, it's fucking Anthrax! However, I rarely find myself listening to this record, because there are a lot better debut thrash records out there. I have to admit that Turbin was an awesome vocalist on this album, but I feel like he wouldn't of fit on later Anthrax albums. So my overall verdict? Buy this and add it to your collection. Listen to it once or twice, then place it on the shelf to collect dust. I recommend this for fans of Judas Priest, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Motorhead and Diamond Head.

Highlights: "Metal Thrashing Mad", "Panic", "Across The River" and "Howling Furies

Track List  :

1. Deathrider

2. Metal Thrashing Mad

3. I'm Eighteen (Alice Cooper cover)

4. Panic

5. Subjugator

6. Soldiers of Metal

7. Death from Above

8. Anthrax

9. Across the River

10. Howling Furies

***Disclaimer*** 

 I do not own any copyright for any of this material! 

Copyright belongs to Anthrax  and Megaforce  Recordings! 

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ANTHRAX - FISTFUL OF METAL FULL ALBUM 

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