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Review: Anthrax/Municipal Waste, O2 Academy
Back in the day, there were hordes of bands like tonight’s opener Sworn Enemy – a hardcore/metal crossover act (but not what modern audiences would know as ‘metalcore’) from New York City.
Generally comprising punk rockers who’d learned to play their instruments and been seduced by the lure of metal, they often gravitated towards the thrash scene, to which they brought belligerence and highly political lyrics. Veteran touring partners of tonight’s headliner, these guys are no spring chickens and are at their best when they get a good chug going.
is needed now More than ever
“I won’t believe they really mean it until they call us ‘motherfuckers’,” a pal observes sagely. Sure enough, we are so addressed before long. They conclude their brief set with a jolly number entitled We Hate (“We hate your music/And we hate you too!”), which one trusts was not directed at any of the other bands on the bill.
“We are Municipal Waste from Richmond, Virginia.” Yes, sir: indeed you are. The hairy greaseball thrash quintet certainly look the part and seem delighted to be cavorting on a larger stage, having previously played locally at venues like The Croft. They also waste no time in rattling through a brisk set.
“That was 12 songs,” announces vocalist Tony Foresta during a brief pause for breath. “Would you like to hear another 69?”
What’s great about these guys is that they succeed in conjuring up the thrill and excitement of the early days of thrash metal for those of us who miss it – and, indeed, those young ‘uns who missed it.
A plea for crowd surfing leads to body after body being hauled over the barrier by security. Municipal Waste’s lyrics tend to be either comic or celebrations of partying, highlights being Breathe Grease and the splendid Headbanger Face Rip. They also seem to be particularly fond of Bristol. Foresta tells us that Unleash the Bastards was written here and reveals that the band is sticking around to play an additional ‘secret’ gig at the Golden Lion on Gloucester Road tonight.
A huge white screen is unfurled in front of the stage prior to Anthrax’s appearance. Normally, these things are used to conceal elaborate stage sets until the last possible moment, but tonight it’s there to facilitate an ego stroke: a short film, introduced by Keanu Reeves, in which the band’s peers (members of Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, Exodus, etc) and celeb fans (Lady Gaga, John Carpenter) queue up to sing their praises. But, hey, we’re here already. We don’t need to be persuaded of the magnificence of the band we’re about to see. That said, this is occasionally quite funny. “Wake up, drink some coffee, listen to Anthrax and you’re ready to kill dead people,” notes The Walking Dead‘s Norman Reedus.
Then the curtain drops and there they are in the flesh, hammering their way through Among the Living. Bassist Frank Bello is bouncing around like a teenager, making full use of the posing podiums, powerhouse drummer Charlie Benante is in total command of his huge kit, and there’s no let-up from rabble-rousing vocalist Joey Belladonna – even though he still seems like a classic rock guy fronting a thrash metal band – while newest recruit lead guitarist Jonathan Donais tends to avoid the spotlight. Scott Ian, meanwhile, remains a focal point, churning out riff after riff on a succession of flying Vs (just how many does he have?).
The setlist for this 40th anniversary tour is a career-spanning punter’s wet dream. Indeed, old timers with long memories will note that the first four songs were played at their very first gig in Bristol (Hall Formerly Known as Colston, November 15 1987): Among the Living, Caught in a Mosh, Madhouse and Metal Thrashing Mad. Scott Ian takes the opportunity to point out that the tour has gone on for so long that it’s now actually the band’s 41st birthday. Everybody sings Happy Birthday, which seems to genuinely move them. Who’d have predicted that this stuff would appeal to multiple generations?
We all know all the words, but it’s the Anthrax cover of Antisocial by French political rockers Trust (remembered chiefly for bequeathing drummer Nicko McBrain to Iron Maiden) that gets the heartiest singalong. A rare outing for Medusa from 1983’s Spreading the Disease reminds us of their trad metal roots, and gives Donais a great opportunity for a solo, while Scott Ian takes the lead vocal on the band’s Public Enemy collaboration, Bring the Noise. The cracking In the End from 2011’s Worship Music turns out to be the most recent song they play tonight.
Only marks a rare foray into the under-appreciated John Bush era, during which Belladonna temporarily left the band, but he manages to sing it with gusto. It seems, however, that he’s no longer permitted to wear the headdress for Indians, presumably for reasons of ‘cultural appropriation’, despite his own Native American heritage. That great radical reworking of Joe Jackson’s Got the Time gets a huge mosh pit going before a return to the Among the Living album for the concluding crowd favourite, Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.). And with a “Long live rock’n’roll!” they’re gone, leaving the Rainbow hit blasting from the PA. Here’s looking forward to the 50th anniversary tour.
All pix by Mike Evans
Read more: Metal & Prog Picks: October 2022
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