Heavy Metal Greats

Heavy Metal Greats:

Anthrax

Welcome back to Heavy Metal Greats. My name is Malcolm, and I’d like to welcome you to the second installment of this series. This week’s Great is Anthrax, another groundbreaking band in the heavy metal scene. This band’s first album, Fistful of Metal, debuted in 1984, paving their way to success. Like Metallica, Anthrax’s albums have, more often than not, become great hits, selling over 15 million records worldwide in under a decade. Their plethora of albums, huge fan base and hit songs rocketed them into heavy metal glory.

Anthrax, as of 9/12/14, has released 10 studio albums: Fistful of Metal, Spreading the Disease, Among the Living, and 7 others. Their most recent album, Worship Music, was released in 2011, and ranked #12 on the U.S. Billboard 200. This is just one example of the multiple successful albums the band has released. The most successful album released to date is Among the Living. Their least successful album was We’ve Come for you All, released in 2003, which still ranked 122nd on the top 200 list.

As for their fan base, Anthrax has over 2,500,000 likes on Facebook, and counting. This is not surprising, considering that the band formed in 1981 and has been touring and releasing records ever since. As with many other bands, Anthrax has their own website, where fans are notified of upcoming tour dates and album release dates; the website is simply called anthrax.com.

Anthrax is a band that continues to retain its unique sound, unlike so many bands that fall short of this quality and frequently change their styles around, confusing their fan bases. Because of their signature sound, Anthrax has managed to create multiple international hits. Their top 3, from 3rd to 1st, are as follows (according to loudwire.com): Caught in a Mosh, Armed and Dangerous, and I am the Law. These hits debuted from 1985-1987, the pinnacle of the band’s popularity. That is not to say that the band’s fame is at an end. On the contrary, the band’s most famous concert to date was held in Sofia, Bulgaria, where Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, and Metallica (in casting order) performed before a crowd of tens of thousands of loyal fans.

For all their past, present, and expected future success, Anthrax is widely considered one of the greatest heavy metal bands to have ever existed. The Big 4 event was so monumental in heavy metal history that it is likely a similar event will take place in the future, with Anthrax performing, once again, as the opener. In the next installment, I will discuss Megadeth, another one of the Big 4, and in my opinion, another one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time.

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