Anthrax, Testament and Death Angel Concert Review

My listening relationship with Anthrax and, to a lesser extent, Testament and Death Angel goes a long ways back to the halcyon days of my lost youth in the mid 1980s. Anthrax, the longest running of the three bands in question, first appeared in my consciousness with a vinyl copy of Fistful Of Metal, a record purchased brand new as a first printing on Megaforce Records at an old record store called “Rock N’ Records” in Wheeling, Illinois. A concert soon followed, as Anthrax stormed into the Cabaret Metro in Chicago sometime in 1985 or ’86 in support of Spreading The Disease, an album that is, still to this day, my favorite Anthrax album.

I’ve kept up with Anthrax over the years and, with the exception of State Of Euphoria, I’ve never really been disappointed with albums from the band. I enjoy Worship Music, the latest album from the reinvigorated Anthrax with famed vocalist (and my Man of the Year from last year) Joey Belladonna. I was, frankly, ecstatic to learn that Anthrax would be headlining a lineup of thrash metal heavy hitters for the second leg of an already successful tour, the first leg of which concluded before the “holidays.” Of particular interest was the fact that the tour would detonate in an intimate setting, the House of Blues in Anaheim, California, right smack dab in the middle of Downtown Disney of all places.

Set amidst the faux glitz and glamour of overpriced, ubiquitous Disney merchandise stores, a series of just one step beyond being a chain restaurants, and a seemingly endless supply of overweight tourists is the House of Blues, a mostly family friendly venue (although, I once saw Suffocation and Cryptopsy at the HOB Anaheim, and I distinctly recall some of those same tourists decked out in miscellaneous Disney paraphernalia while walking next to the HOB marquee advertising the death metal show) hosting this triple thrash bill.

As you might imagine, especially in a rather small, intimate setting, this show was beyond sold out, and, as I arrived, the line to enter the venue snaked for what seemed like blocks (the metalheads in attendance received some odd looks from the listless tourists). I was finally able to enter the venue a few minutes before Death Angel took the stage, and I crammed myself to the front.

I must admit to a fair degree of unfamiliarity with Death Angel, although I once had a battered vinyl copy of The Ultraviolence. Also, I once caught a very early incarnation of the band at the very first, now sadly defunct, Milwaukee Metalfest way back in 1987. Still sporting founding members Mark Osegueda and Rob Cavestany, the new version of Death Angel ripped through an energetic, 30 odd minute set that was very well received by the crowd.

A huge round of headbanging ensued as Death Angel opened with “I Chose The Sky,” and did not let up as Death Angel tore through the HOB. About the only disappointment that I could possibly have with Death Angel’s set was the exclusion of the monstrous “Kill As One.” Other than that, Death Angel were the perfect warm up for what was to come.

To be blunt, Testament are a well oiled machine. Alex Skolnick firmly resides within the band, and new drummer, veteran skinsman Gene Hoglan, has now stepped in to fill the shoes of the recently departed Paul Bostaph without missing a beat. A new album with Skolnick taking the songwriting helm is imminent, and Hoglan’s inclusion is more than welcome. Congratulations to Gene Hoglan for achieving a level of success now equal to his considerable talent and skills as a percussionist.

Testament were monstrous with a huge sound and the stage presence befitting a band at the top of their game, and very nearly at the top of the thrash metal heap. Fan favorites were the emphasis of their set with songs such as “Practice What You Preach,” “More Than Meets The Eye,” “D.N.R.” and “Into The Pit” being prominently featured. After an hour, Testament became a very hard act to follow as the HOB Anaheim crowd roared in approval.

After a tumultuous decade, Anthrax are poised to reclaim their position at the top of the thrash metal genre. Joey Belladonna is committed to the band, the band is committed to him, and the flighty Dan Spitz is a distant memory. Although not their best work, Worship Music is a step in the right direction and the songs from the album in a live setting are more than adequate to get the packed HOB crowd fired up.

Over the course of a gigantic 90-minute set, Worship Music is prominently featured, but so are various classics from the Belladonna-era of Anthrax. Besides drawing heavily from Among The Living, Anthrax also selected to play “Antisocial,” Got The Time,” and the hugely appreciated by old hands such as myself, “Metal Thrashing Mad.” Toss in a weird amalgamation of “I’m The Man” and a bizarre cover of “Chaos A.D.” from Sepultura, and Anthrax provided the capstone to a near perfect evening of thrash metal. Wow!!