Anthrax Music Of Mass Destruction CD

Metal legends Anthrax in their first-ever live performance on DVD, also including a bonus CD of the Taking the Music Back Tour concert from Chicago's Metro in December of 2003. Includes top classics. The DVD also includes band member interviews, a featurette with famed comic designer Alex Ross, "What Doesn't Die" music video (Director's Cut) and the making-of the video.

Anthrax: John Bush (vocals); Scott Ian (guitar, background vocals); Rob Caggiano (guitar); Frank Bello (bass instrument, background vocals); Charlie Benante (drums).
Music of Mass Destruction captures a December 2003 Anthrax gig at Chicago's Metro. The band definitely hits on all cylinders during Mass Destruction's audio portion -- it runs through an athletic set of classics peppered with material from 2003's We've Come for You All, led by John Bush's powerful growl and the sold-out crowd, who the singer breaks into "Old Schoolers" and "New Schoolers" in a nod to Anthrax's newfound success at active rock radio. The single "Safe Home" is made more urgent by furious crowd participation, and "Nobody Knows Anything" -- another highlight from the new record -- features the double bass cannon fire of drummer Charlie Benante. The crowd rewards his song-ending drum solo with raucous chants of "Charlie! Charlie! Charlie!" With the audience acting as a sixth man throughout, as well as the inclusion of Bush's between-song rabble-rousing, Mass Destruction avoids the energy dissipation that often befalls live albums. Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano's guitars rip, and classics like "Caught in a Mosh," the infamous Joe Jackson cover "Got the Time," and "I Am the Law" more than make up for the few brief slips into utility metal dullness (most noticeably on "Inside Out"). Mass Destruction's audio portion wisely constricts the set that appears in full on the DVD; the minor editing makes Anthrax's gut-check warfare more visceral, tightening the grooves by excising filler. This isn't a self-congratulatory or bloated-by-fame live release -- this is a high-five to the fans, devil horns back to the throng of outstretched arms. Besides including the 16-song entirety of the Metro gig (viewable from different camera angles), Mass Destruction's DVD offers bonus tracks recorded a few days later at Flint, MI's venerable metal outpost the Machine Shop. There are also extensive and creative bandmember interviews, and an interview with comic book artist Alex Ross, who worked on the album's colorful liners. ~ Johnny Loftus
Unjustly relegated to B-list status in the past, Anthrax enjoyed a comeback of sorts during 2003, while supporting the album WE'VE COME FOR YOU ALL. Launching a successful tour, the New York metal veterans commemorated their revitalized status with the release of MUSIC OF MASS DESTRUCTION. Principally recorded on one night, the raw, energy-driven performances were captured at the Metro in Chicago, Illinois.
Vocalist John Bush, a tireless frontman, passionately leads the charge through classics ("Caught in a Mosh," "I Am the Law") and rips through newer material ("Safe Home," "Nobody Knows Anything"). Filling the long-standing vacancy in the group, lead guitarist Rob Caggiano is a deadly musical weapon. Charlie Benante remains the most underrated drummer in metal, while rock-solid rhythm guitarist Scott Ian thrashes through a furious set, working the fans into a frenzy with his trademark stomping moves. And, of course, Frank Bello's aggressive bass playing and spot-on vocal harmonies are key elements of the enduring Anthrax sound. (Note: The companion DVD offers an extended set list, band-produced segments, and an interview with famed comic-book illustrator and Anthrax album-cover artist Alex Ross.)