Top 10 Anthrax Songs
They're the kings of mosh, and they take no prisoners. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Anthrax Songs. For this list, we've chosen our entries based on a combination of the artist's fan favorites and their most commercially successful songs.
Special thanks to our users Euan Airbourne Henderson or submitting the idea using our interactive suggestion tool at http://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest
Script written by George Pacheco
#10: “Deathrider”
Fistful of Metal (1984)
They say that it’s best to start a story at the beginning, so we’re kicking off this Anthrax countdown with “Deathrider,” a speedy standout track from the band’s debut LP, Fistful of Metal. The song served as a fast and aggressive statement of intent for Anthrax’s early days, as “Deathrider” boasts a wrist-ripping main riff from guitarists Scott Ian and Dan Spitz, bolstered by some relentless double-kick drumming from Charlie Benante behind the kit. Meanwhile, the song’s chorus features an ear piercing shriek by then-frontman Neil Turbin, whose tenure with the band was relegated to just this album.
#9: “Lone Justice”
Spreading the Disease (1985)
Just as Anthrax’s Frank Bello just might be one of metal’s most underrated bass players, “Lone Justice” doesn't always get the love it deserves. This jam fromSpreading the Disease opens up with mosh-friendly bass and drum intro before launching into a heavy and melodic ode to the American wild west. “Lone Justice” has gained steam with fans since its 1985 debut, even making an appearance as a hidden bonus track on the band’s 2004 album of classic re-recordings with then-frontman John Bush, The Greater of Two Evils.
#8: “Room For One More”
Sound of White Noise (1993)
Dark. Brooding. Heavy: This was the sound of Anthrax Mark III. Now armed with former Armored Saint vocalist John Bush it was the Sound of White Noise album which would help redefine Anthrax as a muscular metal entity in the grunge-obsessed Nineties. The album exemplified a sound which still features massive, hooky riffs, yet which also operates more on a groove and subtlety. Think of it as Anthrax filtered down to its most pure metal essence.
#7: “Among the Living”
Among the Living (1987)
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Hardcore Anthrax fans will know this one right away, as this title track from their third studio album wastes no time in muscling its way into our list with a haunting intro melody, burly main riff and an absolutely incendiary chorus. Anthrax guitarist and lyricist Scott Ian has always been very open in repping his comic book and literature influences, and this is set on full display here on “Among the Living,” which is based upon Stephen King’s classic post-apocalyptic novel, “The Stand.” It’s a track which is simultaneously fun and fearsome, and an enduring classic to this very day.
#6: “A.I.R.”
Spreading the Disease (1985)
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Talk about an opener! This track from “Spreading the Disease” wastes no time in getting the party started. Charlie Benante’s rapid fire drums crack into the main riff which is virtually guaranteed to get bodies moving, while Joey Belladonna’s powerful vocal carries the chorus into fist pumping euphoria. “A.I.R.” was a song of firsts for Anthrax, as it kicks off the band’s penchant for acronym song titles, while also debuting a chunkier, mosh friendly, punky musical attack. It was a style with which lent Anthrax major success and one fans would flock to in droves.
#5: “Only”
Sound of White Noise (1993)
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Frantic guitars and blasting drums take a back seat to head bobbing grooves and soaring vocals here on our next pick, as “Only” proved that Anthrax could reinvent themselves just fine in the Nineties. Frontman John Bush is the star of the show here, delivering a vocal tour de force which rivals anything the singer had achieved with his former band Armored Saint, while the song’s restrained groove and staccato riff attack is hypnotic in its simplicity, yet emphatic in its intent to present Anthrax as an ever evolving and maturing songwriting machine.
#4: “I Am the Law”
Among the Living (1987)
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Anthrax comes out of the gate swinging hard here with this mean, heavy and epic ode to comic book legend Judge Dredd. “I Am the Law” takes no prisoners from first note to last, as guitarists Scott Ian and Dan Spitz go for the throat in a song which possesses virtually no weak points whatsoever; all red line riffing, breakneck drums and Joey Belladonna’s anthemic cries to “respect the badge, he earned it with his blood”. “I Am the Law” continues to be a live staple for the band, and one of Anthrax’s absolute best penned classics.
#3: “Madhouse”
Spreading the Disease (1985)
Only the band's second single and one of its earliest music videos, it proved to be a great way for fans to discover the band’s fast and loose sense of humor which permeated so much of the band’s '80s classics. “Madhouse” opens up with a back to back dose of Anthrax riff magic, while Joey Belladonna puts in one of his finest vocal performances here on his debut outing with the band. Meanwhile, the video itself is a staple of heavy metal music of the '80s, as a madhouse mosh erupts around the performing band. Classic stuff.
#2: “Indians”
Among the Living (1987)
The odds are pretty good that when most metal fans think Anthrax, this song probably isn’t very far from their mind. “Indians” is one of the songs most closely related to the band’s oeuvre; a statement of intent which encapsulates nearly everything for which Anthrax stands, from its driving guitar riffs and melodic vocals all the way to a vicious mosh breakdown. The song was also representative of Anthrax’s collective message of positivity as a band, as “Indians” calls out the unfair treatment of First Nations in America.
Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
-“Metal Thrashing Mad”
Fistful of Metal (1984)
-“Armed and Dangerous”
Spreading the Disease (1985)
-“Intro to Reality/Belly of the Beast”
Persistence of Time (1990)
-“Be All, End All”
State of Euphoria (1986)
#1: “Caught in a Mosh”
Among the Living (1987)
This is the big one. The song that always sends fists and bodies flying at any Anthrax show. Frank Bello kicks things off with his iconic bass groove as “Caught in a Mosh” strikes like lightning into the heart of metal fans everywhere as a true thrash metal classic. There’s a reason why this song is so connected with Anthrax as a band, as it represents so strongly the group’s musical intensity, aesthetic roots and electric energy. Simply stated: it’s the quintessential Anthrax song.
Did you agree with our list? What Anthrax song do you feel should’ve made the cut? For more heavy Top 10 lists, published every day, please subscribe to WatchMojo.com!
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