What Doesn't Die: Anthrax III's Live Debut

Anthrax crapped on their own credibility when they scrapped metal for a simpler, blander heavy rock sound. It didn't seem incongruous at the time, since they'd just added a new singer, but by 2003's We've Come For You All, 'metal' suddenly wasn't a dirty word anymore, and Anthrax got all pentagram-y and semi-sincerely pledged their souls anew to metal. We called bullshit. 

Granted, WC4UA is one of Anthrax's two post-Joey Belladonna albums with more good songs than bad, but the same can be said for the first two Van Hagar outings: good stuff if you're into lame, watered-down pop rock. Which you are. We are, too.

And now we cross into pure desperation: It was gross enough when the classic Anthrax line-up reunited for a big cash grab tour. (Not gross enough to keep the HooM team from the Chicago gig, which ruled, despite the stench of superficiality and intra-band dislike. Fuck that, "Caught In A Mosh" killed!) 

Yuckier still: Last night, Anthrax debuted in Chicago its latest, grossest line-up featuring that off-brand producer they've been using lately on guitars (good hair! nobody misses the mohawk!) and some guy from Shinedown on vocals. Or, at least, some guy from a Shinedown concert. Plus Meatloaf's untalented daughter's husband, the greasy pudge from *NSync, and the guy who was in Helmet for two hours. 

Image by Chad Lee