Among the Living

Get caught in a mosh. Shout along to a catchy tribute to comic book character Judge Dredd. Become immersed in a fantasy narrative paying homage to Stephen King’s The Stand. Stare at the cover-art depiction of Poltergeist antagonist Rev. Henry Kane. Or simply marvel at the endless array of taut grooves and heavy albeit bounding rhythms. It’s all on Among the Living. A thrash-metal cornerstone, Anthrax’s 1987 set takes its place in the same revered pantheon as milestones by the band’s Big Fourcontemporaries Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer.


More so than on any other album it made, Anthrax achieves a phenomenal equilibrium of pile-driving aggression and good-natured looseness throughout, conscious of retaining an uptempo pace but tempering the speed with well-timed breaks. The approach accounts for why every song on Among the Living spills over with hooks that lead into rally-cry choruses. Charlie Benante’s double-bass drumming provides a thunderous anchor; Joey Belladonna’s bullhorn voice projects lyrics into the rafters; guitarists Dan Spitz and Scott Ian lock horns.