The Greater of Two Evils in Bloomington, MN

"These are your favorite
Anthrax
songs from the
Turbin
/
Belladonna
era
. You voted and we listened." So writes
Scott Ian
in the liners to
The Greater of Two Evils
,
's tribute to their past, their fans, and their present tense. Message board voters built the track list, and they did well, hitting on a mix of classics and fan favorites from the group's first five albums. But
Two Evils
also unites the band's early creative zenith with the resurgent promise of 2003's
We've Come for You All
. That album wasn't a comeback, since
had never really left. But it was definitely a return to form after a few years spent casting around for direction. Hearing the 2004 lineup of
Ian
John Bush
Charlie Benante
Frank Bello
, and
Rob Caggiano
absolutely rip into cuts like
"Metal Thrashing Mad"
and
"Caught in a Mosh"
-- and have their passion matched by raw and thumping production -- combines the thrill of returning to a great old album with knowing that the band's loving it just as much as you.
Bush
is particularly engaged for
"Indians,"
Caggiano
's frenetic soloing to open
"A.I.R."
is a perfect foil to the track's near-
hardcore
bottom end. The beginning of
"Madhouse"
sounds like magnets ripping away iron plating, and
"I Am the Law"
"Gung-Ho"
are still clinics on
thrash
.
fans are sure to love
, especially since they picked the tracks. But what's even better about the set is how vital it makes the band itself sound. ~ Johnny Loftus