897. Anthrax / Persistence of Time. 1990. 5/5

Anthrax's back catalogue during the 1980's was pretty impressive, with great albums such as Among the Living, Spreading the Disease and State of Euphoria showcasing their brand of heavy metal to the world. Some felt it was a little uneven, but the real fans of the band won't see it that way at all. When it came time for their follow up to these, no one could have foreseen the intensity and deliberation that went into the song writing and the recording process, to produce what is in my opinion arguably their best album.

The ticking start to "Time", followed by the frantic guitars and timing-perfect drums is the perfect start to the album, combining all of the best parts of Anthrax's music along with lyrics that can be chanted at the top of your lungs. Check out Charlie's drumming here, it is superb. This segues straight into "Blood" and the hard hitting "Keep It in the Family", which both mix slower heavier riffs with the faster and louder aspects. There is no doubt that this is not an out-and-out thrash album, something that some people are unable to get past. But it is damn heavy and still thought-provoking lyrically, which I know for me grabbed my attention immediately.
"In My World" returns the album to the upbeat tempo at which it performs its best, rollicking along once again and being driven by Charlie's rolling drumbeat and the flailing of the guitars, while Joey wails over top in fine form. "Gridlock" is the most thrash-like song on the first half of the album, even if it could be described as a 'mature' form of thrash.
The start of Side Two is a pearler. The instrumental "Intro to Reality" starts with a spoken word segment lifted from the Twilight Zone episode "Deaths-Head Revisited". It builds beautifully in a crescendo before crashing into the killer riff that then kicks in to Joey's spitting vocals that set the scene brilliantly for "Belly of the Beast", which lyrically tells the story of that same episode. It is a winning double act, and is perhaps the highlight of the album for me, when there are so many highlights to be had. This is followed by the sensational cover of Joe Jackson's "Got the Time", which not only ties in nicely with the album title but rifles along at that thrash speed everyone can enjoy. This is a ripping song, pulled off perfectly by the entire band.
The remainder of the album continues on the angry side of angry. "H8 Red", "One Man Stands" and "Discharge" all use 'hate' and 'lie' as a major theme in the lyrics, and the anger inherent in the music and lyrics appealed greatly to the young man I was feeling my way into the post-school world. All these years later it hasn't lost its impact.
All combatants are at the top of their game here. Joey Belladonna's vocals are just perfect, especially in songs such as "Time" and "Belly of the Beast" where a bit of attitude is necessary. Frankie Bello's bass work is terrific again, especially in the bass players' handbook song of "Got the Time". Dan Spitz and Scott Ian's duel guitar riffing is tight and complete, revelling in the speed and heavy chunk that proliferates this album, while Charlie Benante's drumming is as superb as always, the masterful timing and precision of his playing is a joy to behold, and its pretty much the star turn on this album.

1990 was a pretty big year in music. Megadeth had found their masterpiece, Judas Priest has rediscovered their killer instinct, Slayer had maintained their rage while still finding a broader fan base. There's no doubt that in this metal landscape, Persistence of Time more than held its own, and kept Anthrax on the top shelf of metal bands heading into the new decade. 26 years later and it still sounds pretty bloody awesome.

Rating:   "You walk this earth without a heart, you tear the innocent souls apart".  5/5