Anthrax - The Persistence Of Time

 

Details :

• Year of release : 1990
• Label : Island/Megaforce ILPS 9967
• Review format : LP

Arguably the thrash band with the most commercial nous, Anthrax had previously scored quite a bit of commerical success with their collaboration with Public Enemy. Follow-up to the poorly received State Of Euphoria this album was their sixth release and would ultimately mark the end of the road (for about 15 years at least!) of Joey Belladonna on vocals.

I caught the tour to support this album when Anthrax supported Iron Maiden and it was actually that performance that convinced me to buy the album. Much heavier than my normal listening tastes, I hadn’t played it for years before digging it out this last week to review here.

The clock ticks away before heralding the typically thrash metal grinding guitars of Time. Relentless riffing throughout but its interesting lyrically and the fact that the vocals are legible set Anthrax apart from many thrash acts. The solo’s almost Maiden-esq in places too. Rolling drums launch the dark, brooding Blood. Not the most uplifting song you’ll ever hear but its dawning on me that whilst heavy, it’s all not as outlandishly heavy as I remembered it to be. Sure the guitars are noisy and the rythym pounds your head but there’s clear seperation in the sounds and its far more listenable than expected.

Keep It In The Family lurches along a little slower but with plenty of time changes as Belladonna delivers a soap-box vocal, lyrically challenging and serious in comment - Rock ‘n Roll All Night it isn’t. Heavier In My World and Gridlock complete a side of little variety but some ability.

On side two the excellent instrumental Intro To Reality evokes comparison to early Sabbath before it segues into Belly Of The Beast. A good start that doesn’t really equip you for the surprise of the album that follows. In the thrash world were men are men and keyboards merely firewood a cover of a Joe Jackson track is pretty brave but its just what they do with the superb Got The Time. Bass heavy and at just 2:44 barely half the length of anything else on the album they stamp their identity all over this. Indeed it’s the only track that bares the humorous aspect Anthrax had displayed earlier in their career. It actually got a lot of play in the UK (especially from Simon the DJ at the Lloyds Rock Night on a Wednesday!) and proves the band adept at incorporating once again different genres into their sound.

Back to the album formula with H8 Red and then Do I Hate You? with its screaming guitar solo is excellent angry metal. The opening to One Man Standing owes much to Iron Man but develops into something very different before Discharge closes a relentlessly heavy album.

Summary : Very little of that lunatic humour Anthrax displayed earlier in their career is in evidence here. A much heavier work with some serious social commentary within the lyrics but, well played and well produced its ultimately more satisfying than some of their releases. With the exception of Got The Time your not going to be singing along much but it is more accessible than I remembered and is a good example of well played ‘thrash’ metal.

If You Listen To One Track Listen To : Got The Time

Score : 3.5/5