Description

2021 double vinyl release on blue vinyls with gatefold cover

Contrary to what many believe, I feel this is a very good effort from Anthrax that is a step above Sound of White Noise. Their sound has definitely changed a lot since the thrash days. Here they rely more on vocal melodies and commercial sounds, but the riffs are still important enough to keep things from faltering, unlike on their later efforts. The guitar uses drop D tuning that combines with a good production to give the guitars a somewhat modern, heavy effect, but that effect is not over the top. Highlights of the album include the first 3 tracks (“Random Acts of Senseless Violence”, “Fueled”, and “King Size”), “Nothing”, and “Bare”. Unlike most albums in which the strongest material is centered at the beginning, this album never feels like it drops off too much, which is a testament to its strength. “Nothing” relies heavily on vocal melodies, but in this case it just fucking works. “Bare” is a very interesting track. It is a ballad, and I very rarely consider a ballad to be one of the better tracks on an album, but I really enjoy this song. It is quite different from a normal ballad and sounds nothing like Anthrax have ever done, before or after Stomp 442. This is a consistent, original, and interesting album from Anthrax. It is not very similar to anything they (or any other bands for that matter) have ever done.

Track list:
1. Random Acts Of Senseless Violence
2. Fueled
3. King Size
4. Riding Shotgun
5. Perpetual Motion
6. In A Zone
7. Nothing
8. American Pompeii
9. Drop The Ball
10. Tester
11. Bare
12. Grunt And Click