Perhaps the finest album of Anthrax’s career, this expanded version is something of a hotch potch. Apart from the original tracks, which come across remarkably well in this remastered form, there’s a live show from Tokyo in 1987 which captures the band in a riotously raw state.
This addition would have been enough to ensure the new version was worth acquiring. But what lets it all down slightly is the decision to include basic rhythm tracks of the Spreading songs – which seem to have been included just to fill up space – plus a demo of Medusa that is interesting, but also somewhat pointless.
However, the combination of the power evoked by the original album, plus the sheer thrust from the Japanese performance makes this a fine reissue package. Listening again to the way the band sounded in 1985, when the album was first released, makes you appreciate why they were regarded as part of the Big 4 of thrash. A classic.
