Among the Living

Get caught in a mosh. Shout along to a catchy tribute to comic book character Judge Dredd. Become immersed in a fantasy narrative paying homage to Stephen King s The Stand. Stare at the cover-art depiction of Poltergeist antagonist Rev. Henry Kane. Or simply marvel at the endless array of taut grooves and heavy albeit bounding rhythms. It s all on Among the Living. A thrash-metal cornerstone, Anthrax s 1987 set takes its place in the same revered pantheon as milestones by the band s Big Fourcontemporaries Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer. More so than on any other album it made, Anthrax achieves a phenomenal equilibrium of pile-driving aggression and good-natured looseness throughout, conscious of retaining an uptempo pace but tempering the speed with well-timed breaks. The approach accounts for why every song on Among the Living spills over with hooks that lead into rally-cry choruses. Charlie Benante s double-bass drumming provides a thunderous anchor; Joey Belladonna s bullhorn voice projects lyrics into the rafters; guitarists Dan Spitz and Scott Ian lock horns.