Megaforce Records - 1984
7/10
The debut Anthrax record is one of the finest examples of something I have a love/hate relationship with. It's a mere skeleton of the masterful work the band would become known for, and an essential part of my favorite thrash metal band topped only by Overkill. Fistful Of Metal hit the scenes a year after Slayer and Metallica all but defined the genre, and it's equally as charming as it is rough. What it really boils down to is how much chaos you're in the mood for.
Across the board, this works as the final bridge that covers the vague gap seen between speed metal and thrash metal. Within the cracks, I find that everything I like about Fistful Of Metal is also everything I dislike about it. Neil Turbin's unconventional shrieks fuel an aggressive edge that channels so much adrenaline, yet these same shrieks often sound misplaced, needing some fine tuning. The Eric Adams-meets-Paul Stanley approach thrown into overdrive is a nice tactic, but the delivery really could have been better quite often. The stripped down production is a feature I can always get behind, adding extra grit to the stronger numbers while also holding back areas that may have flourished better. The explosive energy of this boosts some songs to nasty proportions, while feeling awkward in others.
Now apply this same formula to the songwriting itself. It's so minimalist compared to what the band would soon use to define themselves, making it lack the hooks that I look for in their albums, yet when they're present, they snatch me every time. Thus, the entire album is a game of picking out what really sticks. "Metal Thrashing Mad" is somewhat the defining tune on the record, being one that Joey would continue using in live shows, and for good reason. The unraveling of the simple riff matches Turbin's outbursts wonderfully, and the rhythmic chops are timed beautifully with the chorus. Further, "Panic" is an explosive ditty with pummeling drums and ferocious solos while boasting some of the most competent vocal work. I'll even throw some praise to "Death From Above" because of its marching leads, elaborate chorus, and progressions along the lines of "Love Gun" by Kiss amplified tenfold.
Yet, for each banger, there's a stinker. I've always found "Soldiers Of Metal" to be an overrated tune for its status, containing the right energy but channeling it nowhere, complete with unnecessary wails. "Subjugator" also had potential but falls short in its awkward delivery, and don't even get me started on the mistake that was including an Alice Cooper cover in "I'm Eighteen." Everything else ranges from serviceable to underwhelming; I find it interesting that the band's title track "Anthrax" basically became a forgotten tune within a year or so thanks to its lack of memorability. Again, not a bad tune, but I'd be lying if I said it had lots of replay value. I'd almost go as far as saying Anthrax had a first-record identity crisis, unsure if it wanted to be the debut Def Leppard and Iron Maiden type, or the Metallica and Slayer type.
I digress, I really have to appreciate Fistful Of Metal for laying out the basis of what would become some of the greatest heavy metal of all time. I'm openly aware of my bias, and maybe if I heard this in 1984 without the context of what they'd become, I'd like it a little better. But revisiting it time and time again as someone who's parents did the deed a decade later than Anthrax's debut, it's missing a lot of what I'm after. The strong points are very strong, but the weak points hold the rest back.
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