Line #51 Music/Anthrax


1	[[quoteright:638:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/anthraxmarch2021_638.jpg]]
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3
4	->"''Now, we're Anthrax and we take no shit\
5	And we don't care for writing hits\
6	The sound you hear is what we like\
7	I'll steal your pop tarts like I stole your..."\
8	"...Socks!"\
9	"No man, what's the matter with you?"\
10	"I'll get it the next time, I mean it...''"
11	-->-- "'''I'm the Man'''"
12
13	One of the Big Four of ThrashMetal (alongside Music/{{Metallica}}, Music/{{Megadeth}}, and Music/{{Slayer}}), the UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity-based Anthrax was formed in 1981.
14
15	Unlike the aforementioned bands[[note]][[DeadpanSnarker Megadeth to a lesser extent than the other two]], [[NarmCharm since they also have their moments in this regard]], while Metallica's moments are mostly outside their music[[/note]], Anthrax are known for having a [[MonsterClown sense of humor in their music]] - they stood out by recording quite a few songs [[JustForFun/OneOfUs inspired by movies and comics]], and their brightly-coloured surfer appearance. They also discuss social issues in their songs ("Indians", "Who Cares Wins", etc.)
16
17	They are also one of the first metal bands to incorporate rap in their songs ("I'm The Man"), and Music/PublicEnemy joined them to do perform a new version of their hit single, "Bring the Noise"[[note]]PE’s DJ Terminator X would later have a guest spot on the song “1000 Points Of Hate"[[/note]].
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19	Anthrax went through four lead singers throughout their entire career: Neil Turbin (1982-1984), Joey Belladonna (1985-1992 and 2010-present), John Bush (1992-2004), and Dan Nelson (2007-2010). Currently, the band consists of Belladonna, rhythm guitarist and bandleader Scott Ian (1981-present), drummer Charlie Benante (1983-present), bassist Frank Bello (1984-present), and lead guitarist Jon Donais (2013-present)
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21	!!'''Discography:'''
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23	* ''Fistful of Metal (1984)''
24	* ''Spreading the Disease (1985)''
25	* ''Music/AmongTheLiving (1987)''
26	* ''State of Euphoria (1988)''
27	* ''Persistence of Time (1990)''
28	* ''[[NewSoundAlbum Sound of White Noise]] (1993)''
29	* ''Stomp 442 (1995)''
30	* ''Volume 8: The Threat Is Real (1998)''
31	* ''We've Come for You All (2003)''
32	* ''Worship Music (2011)''
33	* ''[[CoverAlbum Anthems]] (2013)''
34	* ''For All Kings (2016)''
35
36	----
37	!! N.F.T.! SEPORTNIKUFESIN! N.F.T.!
38	* AlbumTitleDrop: In "Be All, End All" for ''State of Euphoria'' and in "Time" for ''Persistence of Time''.
39	** An unusual example on ''Among the Living'', where the title track namechecks the ''previous'' album, ''Spreading the Disease''.
40	* AsHimself: On the ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' episode "My Dinner With Anthrax" and the ''Series/{{NewsRadio}}'' episode "Negotiation".
41	* BadassBoast: "I'm Alive" from ''Worship Music'' is one from Satan.
42	* TheBandMinusTheFace: Went through four lead singers, the most successful being Joey Belladonna, though John Bush has his supporters as well.
43	* BandOfRelatives: Charlie is Frank's uncle, even though they're only three years apart in age (Frank's mother is Charlie's older sister).
44	* BedlamHouse: "Madhouse", complete with LaughingMad, from ''Spreading the Disease''.
45	* BigShutUp: From "Caught in a Mosh":
46	-->"Shut up shut up I don't want to hear your mouth."
47	* BilingualBonus: [[Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire Soror Irrumator]], loosely translated from Latin, means [[BrotherSisterIncest "Sister Fucker"]].
48	* BoDiddleyBeat: Used during the verses of "Indians"
49	* BountyHunter: "Lone Justice" from ''Spreading the Disease''.
50	* BrilliantButLazy: According to the band, this was the reason Dan Lilker was asked to leave in 1984. He and earlier vocalist John Connelly would go on to form Music/NuclearAssault. He would reunite with Scott Ian and Charlie Benante in 1985 to form Music/StormtroopersOfDeath.
51	* CatchPhrase: "{{NOT}}"
52	* ChristianRock: After a fashion; Former guitarist Dan Spitz converted to Messianic Judaism when he left the band and only plays this music now.
53	* ClusterFBomb: "Now It's Dark," and "Startin' Up a Posse"; "I Am the Law" can be misheard as one.
54	* ContinuityNod: The opening words of the opening title track of ''Among the Living'' are "Disease! Disease! Spreading the disease," which was the name of their previous album.
55	* CoolCar: "Cadillac Rock Box" is a subversion. Despite the title, the song has nothing to do with the Cadillac brand of automobiles but is instead about one of [[Music/{{Pantera}} Dimebag Darrell's]] favorite guitars[[note]]Dimebag was a guest musician on this song[[/note]].
56	* CorruptChurch: "Make Me Laugh" from ''State of Euphoria''.
57	* CoverAlbum: two. ''Anthems'', which includes covers of {{Music/Rush\|Band}} and Music/ThinLizzy. And also ''The Greater of Two Evils'', which featured the band's 2004 lineup covering their songs from the pre- John Bush era.
58	* CoverVersion: Anthrax has covered "I'm Eighteen" by Music/AliceCooper, "God Save the Queen" and "Friggin' in the Riggin'" by Music/SexPistols, "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" by Music/BlackSabbath, "Antisocial" and "Sects" by Trust (both in English from the originals in French), "Carry On Wayward Son" by Music/{{Kansas}}, "Parasite", "Watchin' You", "She" and "Love Her All I Can" by Music/{{Kiss}}, "Pipeline" by The Chantays, "Got the Time" by Joe Jackson, "Protest and Survive" by Discharge, "Remember Tomorrow" by Music/IronMaiden, "Dethroned Emperor" by Celtic Frost, "No Time This Time" and "Next to You" by Music/ThePolice, "Celebrated Summer" by Music/HuskerDu, "Phantom Lord" by Music/{{Metallica}}, "The Bends" by Music/{{Radiohead}}, "Snap / I'd Rather Be Sleeping" by [[Music/DirtyRottenImbeciles D.R.I.]], "Cowboy Song" and "Jailbreak" by Music/ThinLizzy, "Anthem" by {{Music/Rush\|Band}}, "We're a Happy Family" by Music/TheRamones, "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun" by Music/BeastieBoys, "Ball of Confusion" by The Temptations, and "Exit" by Music/{{U2}}. Eclectic indeed.
59	* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Persistence Of Time'', which did away with the cheeky humor and geek culture references of the band's 80's albums for songs about racism ("Keep It In The Family", "H8 Red"), serial killers with [[DarkAndTroubledPast tragic personal histories]] ("In My World") and celebrity degradation ("Discharge").
60	* DeathFromAbove: They have a song with same title and theme on ''Fistful of Metal''.
61	* DoubleMeaningTitle: The band named ''Worship Music'' after religious programming they stumbled upon while watching TV - the program title meant it as in music for the worship of God, but they liked that it also could mean the act of worshiping music itself.
62	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness:
63	** ''Fistful of Metal'' is more of a SpeedMetal / TraditionalHeavyMetal album than the rest of their 80's output, being more melodic riffs and less overt punk influences. It is also the only album to feature Neil Turbin, who sounds completely different from Joey Belladonna, and only album to not feature long time bassist Frank Bello. The whole thing, not unlike Music/{{Slayer}}'s ''Show No Mercy'', like an American [=NWOBHM=] album.
64	** The first album with John Bush, ''Sound Of White Noise'', is a bit different from their later Bush-era albums. Its production is rawer, its songs are more brutal, and Bush uses far more multilayered vocals and high pitched screaming than on the following three albums.
65	* EpicRocking: "A.D.I./Horror of it All", "Who Cares Wins", "Blood", "Keep it in Family" and "This is Not an Exit".
66	** "Poison My Eyes" is an underrated example.
67	*** Ahem...[[AtomicFBomb "ONE.FUCKING.WORLD"]] from ''Among the Living''.
68	*** "Finale" and "Now It's Dark" from ''State of Euphoria''.
69	*** "Time" from ''Persistence of Time''.
70	*** ''For All Kings'' has "You Gotta Believe", "Breathing Lightning", and "Blood Eagle Wings".
71	* FadingIntoTheNextSong:
72	** "Intro to Reality" → "Belly of the Beast", as well as "Time" → "Blood" (both examples from ''Persistence of Time'', no less)
73	** "Across the River" → "Howling Furies"
74	** "Worship (Intro)" → "Earth On Hell" from ''Worship Music''
75	* FireAndBrimstoneHell: "Howling Furies" from ''Fistful of Metal''.
76	%%* Five Man Band:
77	%%** TheLeader: Scott
78	%%** TheLancer: Frank
79	%%** TheSmartGuy: Joey
80	%%** TheBigGuy: Charlie
81	%%** [[SixthRanger Fifth Ranger]]: Jon
82	* ForDoomTheBellTolls - "In the End" on ''Worship Music'' begins with ominous-sounding church bells.
83	* GadgeteerGenius: Former guitarist Dan Spitz hand-modified his touring amps for extra gain. He eventually left the band to pursue a career as a professional watchmaker, and is today considered one of the best in the world.
84	%%* TheGiant: They have a song with this title.
85	%%* {{Gorn}}: The video for "Blood Eagle Wings."
86	* GriefSong:
87	** "Bare" on ''Stomp 442'', written by John Bush after the death of his father.
88	** "Pieces" on ''Volume 8: The Threat Is Real'', written and sung by bassist Frank Bello after the death of his brother Anthony.
89	* HesBack: Joey Belladonna, for some of the fanbase.
90	* HeavyMeta: "Metal Thrashing Mad," "Panic," "Soldiers of Metal," "Anthrax,"
91	* HiddenTrack: ''Volume 8: The Threat Is Real'' had "Pieces", an unlisted song which follows "Stealing from a Thief". Both songs were eventually separated. ''We've Come For You All'' has a hidden track which happens to be some kind of rice (?) shaker being recorded.
92	* HorribleHistoryMetal: "The Enemy" from ''Spreading the Disease'' is about UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler and UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust.
93	* HorribleHollywood: "Imitation Of Life" and "Discharge."
94	* IAmSong: "I Am the Law," "I'm the Man."
95	** Honorable Mention goes to "Keep It In The Family", with a couple of big "I AM"s in the chorus.
96	* {{Instrumentals}}: "Across the River" from ''Fistful of Metal'', "13" from ''State of Euphoria'', and "Intro to Reality" from ''Persistence of Time''.
97	* IntergenerationalFriendship: Current lead guitarist Jon Donais is more than a decade younger than the other band members, but he's a badass guitar player so the guys love him.
98	* {{Irony}}: The band's song "Starting Up A Posse" criticises censorship and says the band will never be censored. A censored version of the album it's on (''Attack Of The Killer B's'') was released, but with the song removed.
99	* LargeHam: [[LampshadeHanging Admitted by the band]] in the lyrics of ''I'm the Man''.
100	* LeadBassist: Frank Bello is a Type A and B.
101	* Letters2Numbers: "H8 Red" from ''Persistence of Time''.
102	* LiveAlbum: Several, starting with the compilation ''The Island Years.''
103	* ManlyTears: Joey shed some when he heard Music/{{Sevendust}}'s song "Blackout" for the first time.
104	* {{Mascot}}: Not Man, pictured above.
105	* {{Medusa}}: "Medusa" from ''Spreading the Disease''.
106	* TheNapoleon: Neil Turbin, apparently, if what Dan Lilker said about why Turbin fired him (Turbin apparently didn't like the fact that he towered over him) was true.
107	* NewSoundAlbum: ''State of Euphoria'' in the late 80's derived from the early SpeedMetal sound and the band went straight Thrash for change of the decade. ''Sound of White Noise'' introduced the band's 90's sound.
108	* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: The illustration from the "Fight 'Em Til You Can't" single has the band beating the hell out of zombie versions of themselves. [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc2hdbpxLI1rr30tpo1_1280.png Check it out.]]
109	* NobleSavage: "Indians" from ''Among the Living''.
110	* NonAppearingTitle: ''Fistful of Metal'' and ''Spreading the Disease''
111	* {{Not}}!: "I'm The Man", among a few others.
112	* NWordPrivileges: Despite all of the bandmembers being white[[note]]although Joey Belladonna does have some Native American ancestry[[/note]], the second verse of "Keep It In The Family" has the N-word in it. However, in this case, it's used to sneer at racists who unashamedly call black people that word.
113	* PissTakeRap: "I'm the Man"
114	* PowerBallad: "N.F.B. (Dallabnikufesin)" from ''Persistence Of Time'' is a parody of these.
115	** "Safe Home" could be considered a legitimate example of one.
116	* ProtestSong: "Indians," "Keep It in the Family," "H8 Red," "Who Cares Wins", "One World"
117	* PunctuatedForEmphasis: "Welcome! To! The! BELLY! OF! THE! BEAST!"- almost the entire first half of the song is sung this way. There are several other examples across their career.
118	* RapMetal: "I'm the Man"; "Bring Tha Noize" (with Music/PublicEnemy)
119	** A few Bush-era songs have traces of this, such as "Superhero" and "Random Acts Of Senseless Violence."
120	* ReligionRantSong:
121	** "Make Me Laugh" is a Type 3.
122	** "Think About An End" is a Type 2.
123	* RevolvingDoorBand: Anthrax has had [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Anthrax_band_members a lot of trouble]] keeping a lead singer and a second guitarist. Scott is the only original member left, although Charlie and Frank have been around almost as long (the band was founded in 1981; Charlie joined in 1983, and Frank in early 1984).
124	* RhymingWithItself: N.F.L. rhymes "life" with "life" in the chorus.
125	* {{Sampling}}: "I'm the Man" samples a scream from the late Creator/SamKinison, followed by a snippet from Music/{{Metallica}}'s song "Master of Puppets".
126	** The intro and outro for ''Sound Of White Noise'' sample “Train Sequence” by Geoffrey Somner and the movie ''Film/MyGirl''.
127	* SdrawkcabName: The various "nikufesin" songs.
128	* SelfBackingVocalist: Averted. Anthrax is the only band of the Big Four where the other band members regularly provide the backing vocals. Scott Ian does the lead rapping on "I'm The Man" and the last two verses on "Bring The Noise".
129	* SelfPlagiarism: Scott Ian recycled the introduction and main riff to "Imitation of Life" for the reworking/cover of M.O.D.'s "Aren't You Hungry" for the Stormtroopers of Death album ''Bigger Than the Devil''.
130	* ShoutOut:
131	** Many. For instance, "Fueled" is an homage to/mentions poet to Creator/CharlesBukowski.
132	** Scott wears a Music/{{Fishbone}} shirt in the video for "Antisocial."
133	** "I'm the man! I'm bad! I'm so bad, I should be in detention!" was a line from Rodney Dangerfield's Easy Money.
134	** "Hy Pro Glo" is a reference to... a Purina Dog Food commercial. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awdYHiAHmeQ No, seriously!]]
135	* StartMyOwn: Dan Lilker did this with Brutal Truth.
136	* StepUpToTheMicrophone: On "I'm the Man", drummer Charlie Benante shared lead vocal duties with Scott Ian. Belladonna played the drums on said song.
137	* SubvertedRhymeEveryOccasion: "I'm the Man" has it happen several times, with the band yelling at each other to get it right. They only get it right in the final verse.
138	-->For a heavy metal band raps a different way
139	-->We like to be different and not cliché
140	-->They say rap and metal can never mix
141	-->Well all of them can suck our...
142	-->...Sexual organ located in the lower abdominal area!
143	-->No man, it's "dicks!"
144	* SurprisinglyGentleSong: "Bare," "Pieces."
145	* SwordAndGun: Mentioned in "Armed and Dangerous" from ''Spreading the Disease''.
146	* TakeThat:
147	** A nuclear-level, ClusterFBomb-laden one to the PMRC in "Startin' Up a Posse".
148	** In the early 1990s, MTV released a so-called Rebel Pack, which was essentially an apparel kit comprising of a 'rebel' T-shirt, 'rebel' cap and so on. Anthrax's response to that was the song ''Packaged Rebellion''.
149	** A playful one at Music/FaithNoMore in ''I'm The Man 91'' ("All you new jacks/''What is it?''/We're getting mad/Get off our dicks"), basically calling them out for getting big with the song ''Epic'' mixing rap and rock when they'd already done it with the original ''I'm the Man.'' Scott Ian has said though that FNM is one of his favorite bands.
150	* TropeCodifier: For East Coast ThrashMetal along with Music/{{Overkill}} and Nuclear Assault, which incorporated a strong HardcorePunk influence, with emphasis on aggression and speed rather than technicality.
151	** Also for RapMetal along with Music/RageAgainstTheMachine.
152	* VocalEvolution: Joey's voice has really matured with age. Compare ''Spreading the Disease'' and ''Among the Living'' to ''Worship Music'' and ''For All Kings''. YMMV if his voice aged well or if he was better in the early days.
153	* WholePlotReference: The video for "Inside Out" plays out like the episode "Nightmare At 20,000 Feet" from ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959''.
154	* ZombieApocalypse:
155	** "Fight 'Em Til You Can't" from ''Worship Music'' is one of these.
156	** The video for "What Doesn't Die" features the band taking on a zombie horde.
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158	----
159	->''...I'm so bad, it's a crime...''
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Context Music / Anthrax