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Anthrax

Anthrax "Worship Music" album

- Release date : September 2011 -

Worship Music is the tenth studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. It is their first album of original material since 2003's We've Come for You All and the first to feature Joey Belladonna on vocals since 1990's Persistence of Time. The album was released on September 12, 2011 internationally, on September 13, 2011 in the U.S. and in Europe on October 23, 2011.

Worship Music sold 28,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, landing at position no. 12 on The Billboard 200 chart, the second highest position of their career and their highest since Sound of White Noise in 1993, which landed at position no. 7.

"Worship Music" album tracks and lyrics

"Worship Music" album reviews

Anthrax fans have had no choice but to be very patient waiting for the arrival of the group's tenth studio album overall, 2011's Worship Music. Doubling as the first Anthrax studio album since 2003's We've Come for You All and the first with singer Joey Belladonna since 1990's Persistence of Time, Worship Music was also recorded once before with singer Dan Nelson, and was to be released in 2009. After the group parted ways with Nelson shortly before the album's projected release, Belladonna was welcomed back into the fold, and all the vocals were re-recorded. But to Anthrax's credit, it all fits together seamlessly, resulting in arguably their finest studio album since, well, the last one that Belladonna sang on! With vintage '80s metal sounds reconnecting with the masses in the early 21st century, one of thrash metal's originators picked a fine time to unleash a strong and inspired effort, especially on such standout stompers as "The Devil You Know," "Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't," and "In the End." And while the subject of "Judas Priest" is not the heavy metal band of the same name, the track still serves as a tip of the cap to one of heavy metal's all-time greats (and what makes the tribute even more fitting is that the year that Worship Music was released, Halford and company announced their impending retirement from touring). As with past Anthrax records, it's not all about pushing the pedal to the metal from start to finish, as evidenced by the slowly building beginnings of "I'm Alive" and "Crawl." Despite the long Boston/Def Leppard-esque layoff, Anthrax certainly deliver with Worship Music.

*** by Greg Prato, All Music Guide ***

Thrash metal legends Anthrax mark their thirtieth anniversary with their tenth studio album. Their first album in eight years also signals the return of front man Joey Belladonna, who left the band after 1990's Persistence of Time. The reunited band sounds as fresh and eruptive as ever, with the purposive chug of riffs spraying out of the speakers on "The Devil You Know" as Belladonna's dramatic metal yowl delivers a wailing winner of a hook ahead of some blistering guitar from Rob Caggiano.

The album opens with the frantic riffs spitting out like bullets on apocalyptic "Earth on Hell". The pulse-quickening assault of guitars and thundering bass would be one of the album's finest moments if some rarely clunky songwriting did not distract you from the sonic ass-whooping: "Coming to kick you to sleep / The damage inflicted is gonna be deep." The rest of the album fares much better lyrically, with even zombie-infested "Fight 'Em Till You Can't" delivering menacing lines like "The murder is your eyes is just your will to stay alive" amidst the maniacal, hard-charging verses and soaring call-to-arms hook.

The burly riffs and beat stomping out of the speakers delivers a pounding drive on "Revolution Screams" as the anxious itch of grizzled, chunky riffs slowly find a melodic march of metal-kissed guitar near the conclusion of "In The End," dramatically finding hope amidst desperation and despair in the nearly seven-minute epic. Sounding like an orchestra-laced grunge power ballad at points, "Crawl" feels a little out of place, but it is a rare misstep on the otherwise fantastic album. The muscular, battle-ready vigor of the band serves "Judas Priest" well, as they pay homage to the classic band with a tale of revolution: "Reign, reign / The ending of yours has begun / The ending of yours has begun."

The band finds inspiration from Lost on the clever, Daniel Faraday centered "The Constant," as the swampy grumble of churning guitar over a steady jogging beat finds them traveling through time, searching for their "constant" before losing their minds. The album's best moment comes from the fierce storm of grinding guitar marching alongside Belladonna's snarled lip demand for allegiance on "I'm Alive," with another fantastic, fiery guitar solo. Anthrax puts their foot squarely on the gas and rarely lets up, showing off some great guitar and memorable songwriting along the way.

*** by Chad Grischow, IGN ***