I was going to start my review of all time classic albums with Carcass’ Necroticism, seeing as it has been my number one album of all time since its release, but then thinking about it I knew that there could really only be one fitting album to start with. You see, Among the Living was a landmark album for me, and much overlooked by the metal masses in their adoration of the other three big thrash acts. Yeah, so Master of Puppets is a good album, Reign in Blood is breathlessly compelling and Rust in Peace is as godly a guitar platter as it is possible to produce, but for me, Among the Living knocks them all into a cocked hat.
Of course conventional wisdom would have it that Anthrax are the weakest link in the thrash family. This wasn’t the case way back in 1987. To me, this was the first really heavy album that I connected with. I’d bought Master of Puppets a year earlier, aged 11, and liked it, but I hadn’t got into that zone that only teenagers seem to get into. The endlessly poring over thanks lists, the examination of the lyrics sheets, the revision of humming the riffs. I lived, breathed and ate Among the Living, aged 12. Why?
The cover is perfect. Filling the acres of space on the vinyl cover, the painting of Randall Flag tipping his hat to the listener while the hordes of faceless clones filed past had a perfect hint of the macabre and dark humour of the album itself. The Anthrax logo, one of the all time metal classics, stood proud at the top, while the title itself nestled at the bottom of the page was a lesson in understatement. I’d bought the album from a friend of my dads – on the basis that the band had been featured in 2000ad comic, and had written a song based on Judge Dredd; the futuristic lawman who would later be played terribly by the woeful Sylvester Stallone. What awaited me was a peerless classic of chunky, addictive thrash.
Starting with the title track, I was blown away by the slow build up to the main eruption of lead heavy rhythm riffing. Sure, Master of Puppets has Battery, but Among the Living is a far better opening track. Scott Ian was on top of his game back then; having recorded their classic Spreading the Disease a mere two years earlier, this was an evolution in their sound, fully incorporating the brutal gang shouts of the hardcore scene into the final closing moments of the song. ‘Among the Living’ is a slow burning number that suddenly erupts, throwing a vicious time change in every time the stomping chorus comes back into play. Based on a Stephen King novel (The Stand), the track deals with the demands of the villain of the piece proclaiming “follow me or die!”, which seemed to perfectly fit the intent of the band as the opener. ‘Caught in a Mosh,’ the second track used the metaphor of mosh-pit violence to demonstrate the rigours and trials of life. The bass, courtesy of Mr Frank Bello writhes about all over the shop, while the always under rated Charlie Benante demonstrated that Dave Lombardo wasn’t the only drummer in town (in fact, Benante has claimed subsequently – and controversially – to have invented the oft-used blast beat). ‘I Am The Law’ erupts into play with one of the all time classic thrash riffs – the guitars also producing a roar akin to the engines of the Lawmaster motorcycle. Belladonna, a thrash singer as averse to the usual hoarse shouters, really let his pipes soar, while the rest of the band roared “DROKK IT!” in the background. Containing riffs more addictive than freebasing crack, the levity of the subject matter appeared to turn off as many fans as it attracted. In fact, the Bermuda shorts, comic book inspiration and fun loving image of the band were heavily frowned on by the metal police of the day – they simply weren’t po-faced enough or as gritty as their peers.
‘Efilnikufecin (NFL),’ a biting commentary of the perils of drug use (and supposedly on the death of John Belushi) brought up the end of side one, as I recall. The rhythm guitars here are so heavy in the tone thanks to the fantastic production that I remember wondering if they were actually hoping to capture the tone of an electric cello! ‘Skeleton in the Closet,’ another King inspired number, featured extremely rapid drumming, a racing, relentless verse structure with insistent, tense chorus demanding “Any Skeletons / Hiding in the Closet?”. Fan favourite ‘Indians’ was the socially correct number of the piece – examining the mistreatment of the American Native population, much in the same way as the classic Run To The Hills, though with a much heavier sound. The dizzying pre-chorus gave way to the rousing, anthemic shout-out of the main chorus. One World, another socio-political number which talked about not abusing mother earth (this was a tediously overdone lyrical inspiration to many of the thrash bands of the day), was perhaps the albums least exciting track, though still possessing some lead heavy guitar work. The plaintive instrumental introduction A.D.I. was a perfect header for the ferocious stomp of ‘The Horror of It All;’ a monstrous leviathan of a track, which seemed to want to steamroller your head until you submitted to the sheer depth of the music. Closer ‘Imitation of Life’ was the perfect choice to round off this remarkable album; claustrophobic guitar work, throbbing bass and menacing drum patterns combined with the psychotic whine of Belladonna to produce the perfect sound of pre-millennial tension.
This was the album that got me to reassess lots of other thrash acts, that finally ensured that I was a lifer in terms of heavy metal, and in fact made me open my mind to other bands. Although considered by many fans to be their finest album (and indeed this line up infamously toured a few years ago to play the entirety of the album – much to the chagrin of John Bush who left), it remains in the shadows of its more celebrated cousins. Anthrax may have more or less imploded into a pale joke of a band motivated by money more than music, but this incarnation of the band was at the height of their powers. Now, repeat after me…”AMONG! AMONG! AMONG!”
