Anthrax - Bristol Review

I had barely returned from my recent long weekend in London, where I took in three very different concerts, before I was setting off on my travels again. As far as my concert-going calendar goes, the last few months of 2022 are pretty busy. Many of the concerts that were postponed many times over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic are happening now, so there will be a lot more gig reviews popping up on this blog before the end of the year. I returned to work for two and a half days, before heading back to the railway station to catch the train to Bristol. I had expected some difficulties in getting to Bristol, as GWR workers were supposedly striking - but the amount of trains in and out of Plymouth seemed to be pretty much normal. I got to Bristol with little fuss, then, and checked into a Premier Inn to think ahead to what was to come. The reason for the trip was to catch Anthrax on their 40th anniversary tour. In truth, as guitarist Scott Ian would later note, the American thrash metal band turned 40 a couple of years ago - but the pandemic meant that any celebrations needed to be delayed. I had been looking forward to the show for a number of months, and perhaps surprisingly it was to be my first Anthrax headline show. Previous tours must have fallen at inconvenient times, but also in recent years they have often toured as a high-profile support act to other bands. I first saw them with Motörhead back in 2012, and then again with Slayer in 2015. Since then I have seen them twice at the 2016 and 2019 iterations of Bloodstock Open Air - so I already had quite the live history with the band despite never seeing them as a headline act. The Bristol show of the tour seemed to be destined to be special, too, as it sold out well in advance. Some of the other shows sold out pretty recently, but the O2 Academy shifted all of its tickets quite some time ago. The South West was clearly well up for a night of thrash, then, which was great to see. In truth, Bristol generally attracts decent crowds at rock and metal shows - and none of the numerous gigs that I have been to at the city's O2 Academy have been poorly attended. It is a pretty decent venue, too, for a corporate box - and last night's Anthrax show was blessed with a loud and clear sound mix for all three of the bands that played. What does annoy me about the venue, though, at least recently, is how long it takes to get in. I have been to the venue many times over the years, and getting in never used to be a problem. All three of the times that I have now been since the pandemic, though, it has often taken me around half an hour to get through the doors - and I have not been all that far back in the queue each time. I would have said that it is down to the fact that they only have two metal detectors and insist that everyone empties their pockets and slowly creep through the detector - but they have been doing this for a few years and it never seemed to hold up getting into the venue before. Why it takes so long now is a mystery, but it meant that - as was the case last time - that the first band had started their set by the time I managed to get in.

Thankfully, I do not think that I missed much of Sworn Enemy's set - but missing any of it having turned up well in advance of the doors opening is frustrating. The venue really need to review this, as there were plenty of people behind me in the queue who would have missed a lot more of the show than I did. I knew nothing about Sworn Enemy prior to seeing them last night, but they turned out to be a New York-based hardcore/groove metal act. At first I was pretty non-plussed with their pretty typical sound - but as the set progressed I found myself enjoying them more. A clear sound mix helped, which ensured that the two guitars and the vocals were all well-defined - and I think it was the guitar playing that drew me in. So many bands of Sworn Enemy's ilk really just chug along song after song, but the riffing throughout their set was pretty decent. The lead playing of Jeff Cummings (guitar/vocals) was on point throughout, but it was the riffing that I enjoyed the most - with Cummings and fellow guitarist Matt Garzilli's interlocking grooves being the best parts of the set. The band's frontman, and sole original member, Sal Lococo was a captivating presence, too. He is quite a big guy, so he cut a formidable presence on the stage, whilst his harsh vocals were full of rage. At first I thought that I would get a bit tired of his full-tilt performance after a while - but it grew on me over time. The crowd, which slowly grew as the set progressed, generally seemed to get quite into the band, too. There was a mosh pit that opened up during a handful of their tracks - and the band received strong applause after each song. Sworn Enemy are not the sort of band that I would sit and listen to at home, but their set was fun to watch. Their sort of music often goes down well live, and their high-energy set was enjoyable.

I have much the same view when it comes to Municipal Waste's set, which followed. Municipal Waste are more my thing, though, although their brand of thrash is very much of the crossover/punk variety - rather than the NWOBHM-rooted thrash which I tend to prefer. The same could be said of Anthrax's sound, though, but for me Municipal Waste are very much more of a crossover act. I am not the biggest fan of crossover thrash, but I enjoyed my time with Municipal Waste. Again, they are very much a band that needs to be experienced live. Their short, fast songs have never made much of an impact on me when listening to them at home - but live everything changes. It helped that the O2 Academy was pretty full by this point, and lots were in the mood to mosh. I was stood near the back to stay out of all of that - but following the set's first handful of songs the level of moshing increased and the amount of crowd surfing really rocketed. From that point on, the set was a high energy affair and everyone was really getting into what Municipal Waste were doing. Like with Sworn Enemy's set, what stood out to me the most was the riffing. Guitarists Nick Poulos and Ryan Waste churned out riff after riff throughout the band's set - and the scratchy vocals of frontman Tony Foresta perfectly suited the band's punky music. It was clear that there were a lot of Municipal Waste fans in the crowd, and there was quite a bit of banter between the band and the crowd as a result. This is always nice to see, and the atmosphere throughout the Richmond-based band's set was great. As such, they did their job as a support act very well. Support acts are supposed to get a crowd ready for the main event - and Municipal Waste certainly did that - with their punchy material getting everyone riled up for Anthrax.

It did not seem that long following Municipal Waste's set that the lights went down and Anthrax's set started. Given the anniversary nature of the tour, though, the show started in a slightly unconventional manner with a video being projected onto the curtain which was covering the stage. This video featured various celebrities (mostly metal musicians, but not exclusively) talking about why they love Anthrax - which was quite fun to watch. If done poorly it could have sounded quite sycophantic, but the video was quite short so it did not outstay its welcome - and soon the curtain dropped and the band launched into Among the Living. Given the anniversary nature of the tour, the setlist was largely filled with classics and fan favourites. I have been critical in the past of Anthrax often relying on the same handful of songs live, but given the reason for this tour I expected the setlist to very much be a greatest hits affair. It would have been nice if a couple of deeper cuts were thrown in, but the show flowed very well - and every song really got the crowd going. There was never really a drop in energy - so the band's choice to rely on their standards was justified. Among the Living certainly got the set off to a great start, with the chorus being shouted back at the band loudly, but things really got going with Caught in a Mosh. This has always been a song that really whips crowds up - and it was no different in Bristol. Unsurprisingly there was lots of moshing during the track - and the singing during the chorus was some of the loudest of the night. In truth, though, the crowd sang loudly all night - and I think it actually surprised the band at times. Part way through the show, the crowd sang Happy Birthday to the band - which definitely came as a surprise to them. It was that kind of night, and the energy throughout was great - with even the more mid-paced tracks getting strong reactions. An early highlight for me was the duo of Madhouse, which was probably the first Anthrax song that I got into, and the NWOBHM-inspired Metal Thrashing Mad. The latter in particular went down very well, and contained a great vocal performance from frontman Joey Belladonna - who still has a strong voice. The crunchier Keep It in the Family was then played, which was probably the closest thing to a deep cut featured. It slowed the pace somewhat, but the track still ensured that the night's overall heaviness remained - before the energy levels were kicked up a notch again for the ever-present Antisocial and the raging I Am the Law. The former always encourages a lot of audience participation, and last night's show was no different - with the crowd singing the chorus loudly back at the band.

There was another slight drop in pace next, too, with In the End adding a more poignant edge to the set. It was the only newer song played, too, but the track has become a regular over the years - and it was greeted as warmly as many of the older classics. By this point, though, the band were somewhat on the home straight. Only 14 songs were played, but they were still on stage for over 90 minutes. Some of the band's songs are surprisingly long, and there were also moments that were stretched out a bit to include some extended soloing - usually from Jon Donais (guitar). I have always found it strange though that, as the lead guitarist, that Donais essentially stays rooted to the very side of the stage all night. He has always done this, and I wonder if that is basically what he has been told to do. As the newest member of Anthrax he is basically there to do a job, but it would be nice if the spotlight was shone on him a bit more. Towards the end he did venture away from his designated spot somewhat - but largely he stayed in the same place, even for his solos. He always impressed, though, and his shredding during Only raised the song to the next level. Following a short burst of Bring the Noise, the show-stopping Indians was wheeled out. This song brought Donais and Ian together for the dual guitar leads, and the famous wardance section in the middle saw plenty of moshing from the crowd. The track is always a highlight of an Anthrax set, and last night in Bristol was no different. The band did not play an encore, and instead just stayed on stage for the final two songs of the night. The punky Got the Time saw plenty more moshing, before the strong gang vocals of Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.) allowed for one last big sing-a-long before the show came to a close. Unsurprisingly the band then took their bows to huge applause and cheers - and it was clear that everyone in attendance, including the band, had had a great night. The setlist was:

Among the Living

Caught in a Mosh

Madhouse

Metal Thrashing Mad

Keep It in the Family

Antisocial [Trust cover]

I Am the Law

Hymn 1

In the End

Medusa

Only

Bring the Noise [Public Enemy cover]

Indians

Got the Time [Joe Jackson cover]

Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)

When you go to so many gigs so close together the magic can start to wear off a bit, but last night in Bristol still really stood out. Thrash gigs can be some of the best live experiences if the band is on point - and Anthrax very much were last night. Their energy was contagious, and the crowd lapped up every minute of it. I did not even mind the predictable setlist given the circumstances, and it was certainly one of those shows where everyone went home happy - if a little tired from all of the headbanging and moshing that had taken place throughout.