FINALLY

I love the guys at Metal Inquisition and their generous comments on HooM! but I gotta tell ya it's distressing to see MInq join/form the chorus of those bashing of former Anthrax singer Joey Belladonna. That guy was a juggernaut; his style gave Anthrax dimension, flex, and tons of range. Which made it bewildering to hear drummer/Backstreet Boy Charlie Benante later state that Belladonna's replacement John Bush boasted a wider range, and one better-suited to Benante's writing. Retro-translation: Belladonna refused to sing like a macho pseudo-hardcore wallet chain bonehead.

Anyway, Belladonna's no punching bag; he's a singer. They're uh special and when in possession of high-quality pipes, entirely excusable for weird and silly tendencies. This month, I got a text hailing his performance on State Of Euphoria finale uh "Finale" and I fucking agree: The tune itself cooks, it closes a brilliant album, and illustrates how the Bella-Bush change was ultimately a tragic one: This classic and dozens like it could never again be included in Anthrax's live show cuz Bush is not wired for that shit. Let's see if Benante chose Dan Nelson for his ability to do both cuz if not he's a fuckhead. Didn't choose him for his style!