ANTHRAX
“KINGS AMONG SCOTLAND”
Album Review by Gavin Brown

9/10

Anthrax have always been on one of the most renowned live acts in the metal world and seeing the band in their natural habitat is something that any self respecting metalhead should definitely witness at least once in their life, and once they have, then it’s safe to say that it wouldn’t be the last. Kings Among Scotland sees the band in their element onstage in front of a rabid crowd at Glasgows famed Barrowlands venue and blast through a selection of their most loved songs. The band open with the rampant thrash of A.I.R from Spreading The Disease and from then on in, deliver a set that spans their whole career delighting the audience in the process with the set split into two halves.

The first half mixes classic older songs from like Madhouse and Medusa from Spreading The Disease and Be All End All from State Of Euphoria  with newer offerings like Blood Eagle Wings, Breathing Lightning and Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t from recent albums For All Kings and Worship Music. The songs are delivered with passion and energy as they are blasted through and Anthrax sound like they are having a ball playing them live. Even after that bombardment, it would be fair to say that the band would have done enough to make that a memorable set but it is merely a great start before the main event presents itself amid that main event is a treat for Anthrax lovers, particularly those of a certain vintage.

As the familiar strains of the bands Blues Brothers theme ring out, the band erupt with a version of Among The Living, that sounds just as vibrant as it did when they first released it back in 1987 and proceed to play the album the title track is taken from in its entirety (albeit in a slighter different running order). The explosive Caught In The Mosh, the prototype Rap-metal of I Am The Man and a berserk version of Indians are unleashed with vigor with vocalist Joey Belladonna on fine for as they run through the classic album while the renditions of tracks from the album like A Skeleton In The Closet and Imitation Of Life are greeted with delight from the Anthrax faithful. The Among The Living material still sounds fresh despite it being thirty years since the album was released and the crowd respond in kind and roar their approval throughout as band members Belladonna, Scott Ian, Charlie Benante, Frank Bello and new(ish) guitarist Jonathan Donais play their hearts out and with the warm Glasgow welcome they receive, it’s no wonder they chose to immortalise this performance.

As the band end their performance with an encore with a triumphant Antisocial, it sounds more like a pivotal event rather than a mere concert and proves exactly what an Anthrax gig should sound (and feel) like, this is metal, thrashing madness at its finest from a legendary band playing such an important album in full.

TRACKLIST

1- A.I.R
2- Madhouse
3- Evil Twin
4- Medusa
5- Blood Eagle Wings
6- Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Cant
7- Be All End All
8- Breathing Lightning
9- Among The Living
10- Caught In The Mosh
11- One World
12- I Am The Law
13- A Skeleton In The Closet
14- Efilnikufesin (N.F.L)
15- A.D.I/Horror Of It All
16- Indians
17- Imitation Of Life
18- Antisocial

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