There is no doubt at all that 2011’s ‘Worship Metal’ was a real return to form for Anthrax, and that combined with the Big 4 appearances did them no harm at all, turning them onto a whole new audience of metal fans. So it comes as something of a surprise that what we now have is a collection of classic covers. I mean, Anthrax playing Rush and Cheap Trick? What on earth is going on? Belladonna is a major surprise here, somehow doing justice to Geddy Lee, Brad Delp, Bon Scott, Phil Lynott and others – to be honest I would not have imagined that he pull it off like he has, but I also think that is one of the issues with the collection itself.
This is Anthrax, but it doesn’t sound like them. This isn’t Anthrax taking some classic numbers and then making them their own, but rather it is like listening to a covers band doing their very best to sound like the original. And what is the point of that? For me the best song is “TNT” which is probably the closest to their normal sound, but while I enjoyed the whole album I just didn’t understand why they bothered with it. I’d much rather hear new songs from Anthrax, than them copying someone else’s. It is well played, well recorded and produced, but now it’s done let’s please have a new album of originals.
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