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Anthrax - Show Review and Live Pics

Live Pics / November 17, 2016

In a career that spans more than three tumultuous decades, legendary thrash metal band and card-carrying member of “The Big Four,” Anthrax is still churning out incredible music and they’re currently on tour in support of their newest album release, For All Kings. As if they were responding to my every whim, the heavy metal gods, in a jedi-like motion, waved their mighty hands and aligned the planets to not only bring Anthrax to my hometown for their 2016 jaunt around the world, but on-stage before me were the members of the band that, for me, epitomized the iconic Anthrax sound: Joey Belladonna, Frank Bello, Charlie Benante, and axe-master Scott Ian. A relative newcomer to Anthrax, Jonathan Donais of Shadows Fall, rounds out the thrash metal quintet.

If you detect an air of giddiness in my writing, it’s okay. I was a bit verklempt for the duration of this show. Ya see, I’ve been listening to Anthrax since 1989, when the anthem “I’m The Man” was played in my high school locker room every day before swim practice. And sadly, this is the first time I’ve got to see them live. Granted, I caught a couple songs from their set at the KISW Pain In The Grass show back in August, but this is the first time I would get to enjoy an entire set: to be in the pit capturing it in all it’s heavy metal glory.

Despite waiting outside in the driving rain for 45 minutes before the show, the night was not a disappointment. Death Angel took the stage promptly at 8:00 and completely melted our faces. Their hard-hitting heavy metal took the Hawthorne Theatre by storm, the likes of which, Portland hadn’t experienced in a long time. Their eight-song set, heavy from the first note of “Evil Priest” to the last chord of “The Moth” was a perfect opening for Anthrax. The audience, myself included, was totally pumped.

Once the set change was complete, the entire Hawthorne Theatre stage packed from side to side with monitors, we were ready to get our mosh on. From my vantage point in the tiny pit, I could see the side stage entrance where Scott Ian waited for his cue to lead this merry band of thrash metal titans onto the tiny Hawthorne Theatre stage. When the lights came up, each member of the band was on stage in their fashionable black workshirts.

The set opened with a little mood music before breaking into “A.I.R.” Security in the venue looked a bit overwhelmed as the thrash metal masters just keep pounding song after song. The Hawthorne was sold out long before the show and it looked to me that every single body was there in attendance. The fact that there was a ten-foot wide mosh pit in there simply defied physics. But, when Anthrax played “Caught in a Mosh” and “Madhouse,” the crowd had to show the band their enthusiasm.

One of the most touching moments during the show was when the band played “Antisocial.” I had retired myself to the balcony to catch the rest of the set. With a beer in my hand, I looked down from my perch above the crowd. Picture this… a lone Scott Ian, blue lights dancing around him as he stands center stage, his guitar in hand. The undistorted opening notes of “Antisocial” ring out and the crowd joins in, chanting along… “Whoa Oh Oh.” The entire crowd sang along with that lone guitar for what was probably eight measures, but felt like 30 minutes. It really doesn’t get any better than being at a show with “your people”.

After “Antisocial”, the band left the stage for a break before coming back out to rock three encores. The crowd joined in chanting again for the intro to “Be All, End All”, the show finally ending after “Indians.” This show did not have a dull moment. From the moment Death Angel took the stage until Anthrax said their goodbyes, it was balls-to-the wall, head-banging thrash metal in your face!

If you happen to have a moment in your busy schedule and can get out to see these legends of thrash metal, you owe it to yourself to do so. They’re setting sail with the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise in February, followed by a handful of dates in the United Kingdom, but I’m hoping they’ll be back in the states touring again soon. I raise a toast to the band. You certainly brought the noise!