Due to their 40th anniversary being in the middle of a pandemic, Anthrax did what many other bands have done over the last few years which is play a gig without an audience and livestream it so fans could be involved. Since then, it has been released in multiple formats, capturing all the 25 songs they performed that night. Now, this is a celebration of the band’s history, and even Chuck D gets invited back to sing “Bring The Noise”, but there is no room for any of the John Bush era, which is a shame. But that is only a minor niggle for a band that have been kicking it hard since their formation, and in many ways they are the only surviving Big 4 band still true to their roots. The newbie is guitarist Jonathan Donais, who has only bee there since 2013 while everyone else onstage was there all the way back in 1984 (although both Joey Belladonna and Frank Bello have had time off for good behaviour) leaving only Scott Ian and Charlie Benante as the only ones to have played on every album.

There is a strong chance that your favourite Anthrax songs are included, and with a playing time of well over 2 hours there is plenty here for everyone. Why would you want to listen to a greatest hits album when you can hear the guys in their natural environment, kinking up a storm? True, it is a little strange to hear the band playing with no audience, but given the circumstances there was no audience! The guys are rightly celebrating their longevity, and I for one have long ago moved Anthrax to the top of the Big 4 rankings as they have been the most consistent of them all. Happy anniversary guys, and let’s hope for many more!

Rating: 9/10

Links:
https://www.anthrax.com/
https://www.nuclearblast.com/eu/