Anthrax - Worship Music review
| Band: | Anthrax |
| Album: | Worship Music |
| Style: | Heavy metal, Thrash metal |
| Release date: | September 2011 |
01. Worship (Intro)
02. Earth On Hell
03. The Devil You Know
04. Fight 'Em Til You Can't
05. I'm Alive
06. Hymn 1
07. In The End
08. The Giant
09. Hymn 2
10. Judas Priest
11. Crawl
12. The Constant
13. Revolution Screams
14. New Noise [Refused cover] [bonus]
Let us get this out of the way immediately: yes, it's true, Worship Music only has about three thrash songs on it. Yes, "Fight 'Em 'Till You Can't" bears some striking similarities to "Gridlock" off of Persistence Of Time. Joey Belladonna is overdubbed a lot. Most of the album is slow or mid-paced. Essentially, this album is different. It is not the same Anthrax that Joey left In 1992. If you hit 'play' expecting to hear "Indians" or "Time," you will be sadly disappointed. However, on its own merits, Worship Music is a masterpiece.
The production on this album is slick and professional, making Worship Music both very modern-sounding and one of Anthrax's heaviest records to date. The band members themselves sound appropriately rejuvenated, perhaps even more psyched for their big comeback than their loyal fans. If there is one thing this album does not lack, it is energy. You can almost feel Scott Ian's shamelessly goofy grin poking through the wall of guitars. Certainly most of the songs are slower than the typical thrash fan could appreciate, but the passion with which each note was played is palpable. "In the End," a tribute to the late Dimebag Darrell and Ronnie James Dio, is saturated with the kind of sincerity not often found in Anthrax's works. "Judas Priest" (another tribute, believe it or not) is equal parts catchy and crushing - without a doubt one of the high points of the album. One of the most noteworthy characteristics of this album is that the songs are far more melodic than much of Anthrax's previous material. They seem to trade speed and intensity for accessibility, but remain truly Anthrax nonetheless.
Some critics contend that the band tries too hard to sound like Nickelback on this album. It is true that Worship Music is incredibly poppy by thrash standards; given the typical thrash fan's musical predilections, it is no surprise that this new- and fresh-sounding release has drawn numerous comparisons to modern "hard rock" bands. At the same time, it would not be fair to abandon Anthrax so quickly. Perhaps it just takes a few runs through, but this album will grow on you. "I'm Alive" is one of the most driving and infectious songs I have heard all year, and I certainly didn't hear anyone complaining when they performed it in concert.
Ultimately, Worship Music is a very atypical album for Anthrax, but it deserves an open mind. Anthrax fans especially should be open to experimentation; after all, when have these guys ever done what people expected? In my opinion, Worship Music is the best thing Anthrax has ever released. It may take some getting used to, especially if you were expecting breakneck speeds and a dozen mosh-able tracks, but overall this taste is worth acquiring.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by ScreamingSteelUS | 24.12.2011
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Rating:
6.6
6.6
|
Rating: 6.6 |
I contracted my first case of Anthrax in '87 when a friend started blaring "I'm The Man!" in his truck one night. Was hoping for the best on this album? and went back nearly 25 years for the inspiration for this review. Hit play and sing along! Now they're Anthrax and they take no shit Over the last three years had eight vocalists Read more ›› |
Rating:
7.9
7.9
|
Rating: 7.9 |
Eight years have passed since Anthrax, the so-called "kings of mosh", last released a studio album. Although their heavy metal shift (from their thrash origins) wasn't causing much anticipation for this album at first, several announcements and the return of Joey Belladonna, as well as the online promotional release of the excellent track "Fight 'Em Til You Can't", caused this album to be one of the most anticipated metal albums of the year. A decent amount of people were expecting it to be a groundbreaking thrash metal album, including myself, and most others at least expected it to be a somehow solid release. Read more ›› |
Rating:
6.9
6.9
|
Rating: 6.9 |
"At last!" one might shout being finally able to lay hands on the newest Anthrax effort, Worship Music. Eight long years we waited for some new material. Well, alright, new material released officially on CD. It's easy to assume that the role of this album - apart from bringing some good music of course - was to prove that Anthrax didn't vanish and are still here to remind the youngsters what thrashing is all about. Did they manage to do it? Well... Read more ›› |
Comments page 2 / 2
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Posts: 18274 From: Sweden  |
ahh fuck it I got ninja'd.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675 From: UK  |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 12.01.2012 at 21:50 I would doubt that there is one single review on this site that would be universally agreed upon by everyone who read it. Which only proves my point. A review is for stating your views on an album, and why you view it in a negative or a positive light. Not to justify your opinion of it. Because justifying it to everyone, isn't possible.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 40071 From: The Netherlands  |
Written by Angelic Storm on 12.01.2012 at 21:54 why the hell does it say you quote Troy?
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Posts: 18274 From: Sweden |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.01.2012 at 22:00 Because Troy posted in this thread you blind man. 
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Posts: 21306 From: Canada  |
Written by Angelic Storm on 12.01.2012 at 21:54 This album was assigned a 9.6 by the reviewer. The words in his review back up why he assigned it such a high mark by explaining what about the album warrants such a high score. It's a subjective rating but the review is a more objective way of saying "this is a 9.6 because..."
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 40071 From: The Netherlands |
Written by Angelic Storm on 12.01.2012 at 21:54 Why you view something in a positive or a positive light is justifying your view. To justify means to demonstrate or prove to be just, right, or valid. It sdoes not mean that that person has to convince others.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Posts: 18274 From: Sweden |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 12.01.2012 at 22:01 Not to mention that if you say that it's the best Anthrax album... You kind of have to at least explain why you think so, you don't have to convince anyone... just explain why. Ffs Marcel... second time I got ninja'd.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 40071 From: The Netherlands |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 12.01.2012 at 22:03 and the old fat creeky man is on a roll 
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Posts: 18274 From: Sweden |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.01.2012 at 22:07 not to mention blind if you didn't see Troy the first time.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 40071 From: The Netherlands |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 12.01.2012 at 22:09 why the hell do you think I wear glasses and the last time I got new ones is five years ago
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675 From: UK |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.01.2012 at 21:52 Well, saying something is the "best ever" will inevitably stir up a hornet's nest, and as soon as I read that, I knew what would happen. Yes, maybe he could have explained exactly why he thought that, but at the very least, it was easy to see why he liked the album from the wording he used. And the review was already long enough, I felt. The problem with making a statement like "it's their best ever", is it's a very bold statement, and also very hard to justify, at least if it goes against the general consensus, which I think in this case, it definitely is. I like the album a lot, and even I don't think it's their best, or even second, or third best. But I'm not going to question someone who does believe it's their best.Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.01.2012 at 22:03 But it's not really possible to "prove" something like an album's quality. A review is only ever one person's view, nothing more than that. A review, no matter how well written, is proof of nothing, other than the reviewer's own personal opinion of the album.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Posts: 18274 From: Sweden |
Written by Angelic Storm on 12.01.2012 at 22:13 Marcel isn't saying that he needs to prove a point to the readers. A reviewer doesn't need to prove anything to anybody... but to his own review!, this is what he didn't do. Like the saying goes "can't blame a man for trying"... You have to at least try to explain why you think the way you do. "I think it's their best album... but I have no idea why", that's the impression you get when you read that.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675 From: UK |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 12.01.2012 at 22:37 When I read that, I just got the impression he thinks it's their best ever.  Hopefully he will comment on exactly why he thinks that, but in the context of the review, and the fact it's already a decent length, it wasn't really necessary to go in depth about that I don't think. At worst, I don't think that one small blip is enough to mar what was actually a pretty well written review, at least overall. Certainly better than anything I could come up with anyway.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Posts: 18274 From: Sweden |
Written by Angelic Storm on 12.01.2012 at 22:45 Oh the review isn't actually bad tbh... I just expect people to back up their points better. I would be satisfied if he did in the end. Because it's basic code of public opinion. If you say out loud "I think X" and say nothing when someone ask you "yeah, ok... but why you think x?"... Then there's absolutely no point of saying anything at all in the first place. I'm ready to defend someone's opinion as long as they can defend their own opinions themselves as well. I didn't question my parents opinions back when I was little but now there's absolutely nothing wrong in being skeptical when there's no explanation available.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675 From: UK |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 12.01.2012 at 22:48 Well, hopefully when he comes into this thread again, he will explain exactly why he thinks it's their best. In the context of the review as a whole, I think it was just a minor oversight to not go into more detail about that, though yep, I'd personally like to know why he thinks that.
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| ScreamingSteelUS Editor-in-Chief Posts: 5668 From: USA  |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 12.01.2012 at 20:36 I would have to agree.
---- "Earth is small and I hate it" - Lum Invader I'm the Agent of Steel.
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| ScreamingSteelUS Editor-in-Chief Posts: 5668 From: USA |
Wow, such a heated debate... I feel so... validated.
---- "Earth is small and I hate it" - Lum Invader I'm the Agent of Steel.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 40071 From: The Netherlands |
Written by ScreamingSteelUS on 13.01.2012 at 01:33 at least we're having a proper debate here at the expense of your review and not some stupid meme kind of comment p,osting but a couple of us are still dying to know why you think this is Anthrax's best 
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675 From: UK |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 13.01.2012 at 01:45 Yep, that type of thing is becoming waaay too prevelant these days, unfortunately... Whilst I am surprised at what exactly I sparked off debate wise (at one point yesterday, I had 10 notifications in my inbox all at once in the space of a few minutes, which is definitely a record for me! lol), it was a good debate to have still.  Written by ScreamingSteelUS on 13.01.2012 at 01:54 It is very catchy, and that is definitely the albums' strength for me. Whilst I don't know the exact numbers, I feel sure that out of all the new albums I heard last year, this one is the one I probably listened to the most. The songs do bore into your head, and stay there. As for the generational thing, I was in the weird situation of getting into Anthrax whilst Joey was still in the band, but "Sound Of White Noise" was the first Anthrax album to be released after I became a fan. Whilst SOWN is not my fave Anthrax album, I do like it a lot, and think it's easily the best of the John Bush era albums. But I don't think that's a generational thing, why I think that, as I basically grew up with John Bush being the Anthrax singer, and I still found their post-SOWN output to be totally inferior to the Joey era stuff, even though I did enjoy them a bit.
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| Metalex Posts: 79 From: Canada  |
You give a really high score to this albulm in my opinion i would given a 8/10, but i aggree with you this is a great albulm not like their firsts albulms but since 1990 i think this is the best of their release and as an longtime ''Anthrax fan'' i once more agreed with you this album need a big open mind! cheers all! 
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