ANTHRAX - "FOR ALL KINGS" (2016)

ANTHRAX - "FOR ALL KINGS"
(Running time: 59:39 minutes; 13 songs)
("Nuclear Blast Records"; 2016; CD):

Hey guys, next one is coming up online already today (or at least I'll try to). After last time (which means two hours ago or so) we went back in time, "review-wise", and landed again in 2015 (after yesterday we finally reached 2017 again) we now start to move ahead in time, "review-wise", again and this time we will have a close look on a 2016 album, yes, before we will then hit 2017 again with the next post (but that probably won't happen still today). So, yes, 2016 is now in the centre of our interest up here respectively a 2016 album that I will review right here and now for you, okay, this 2016 album is no other than ANTHRAX' last year "FOR ALL KINGS" longplayer that was released via the german "NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS" label. ANTHRAX returned with "FOR ALL KINGS" to carry on the legacy that they've created so far already with "WE'VE COME FOR YOU ALL" (an almighty masterpiece) and "WORSHIP MUSIC" (a damn strong one) so you can expect and prepare yourself for thrashing Modern Metal or modern Thrash Metal (I guess that depends on your own favorite perspective) and all with some good doses of some heavy hitting & sharp cutting Modern Rock in it, too; with a clear and damn strong focus on crushing grooves and a very forceful and charismatic rhythm work and with also a big focus on slashing mid tempo pace and just pretty cool and stunning as well as more or less often surprising and always strong rhythmic and "guitarwise" gadgetries. What I personally like very much is the fact that ANTHRAX play it all very fresh and independently, not copying anything or anyone and even not them-/theirselves. For sure, "FOR ALL KINGS" carries forth what they've started with the two above mentioned albums, no doubt about it, but "FOR ALL KINGS" really stands for it own and it definitely stands and holds its very own ground and this also in the ANTHRAX discography, well, and if you really desperately want to compare "FOR ALL KINGS" to any other ANTHRAX album then imagine a very unique and independently, self-contained mixture out of "WE'VE COME FOR YOU ALL" and "PERSISTENCE OF TIME" and you maybe get a pretty good imagination of what "FOR ALL KINGS" is all about. Make sure that you are well prepared for an impressive guitar work that shines damn bright in the rhythm department but that also carries huge loads of fantastic melodic lines, leads, and solos; for really fantastic lead vocals that absolutely excel on the whole album no matter what the conditions to master are (and that are nicely backed up here and there in a beefy way); and for a just forceful, stunning, tight, and to the point played rhythm section. It's all surely top notch stuff. ANTHRAX deliver that all on a very high skilled level and melt it all together via energetic and dynamic, intense and also pretty atmospehric and nicely varying songwriting, and all is on point. The whole album is also marked by a pretty cool and powerful "catchyness" and the songs are very melodic as well as "crushingly" in a rockin'n'groovin' way and showcase also a lot of hymnal/anthemic potential, as well as a lot of rousing and grapping moments and elements so that a lot of tension is caused. That the delivery is all the time on point should be clear and should need no further mentioning, and so it is here just mentioned for "reasons of completeness". Strong and good, also pretty diverse and socially aware/politically outspoken lyrics, a highly beautiful artwork, and a fat "bombing" powerful production sound then round it all up, yes, and this in a fine way. My personal favorites are "YOU GOTTA BELIEVE", "MONSTER AT THE END", the title track and über-anthem "FOR ALL KINGS", the absolutely brilliant "SUZERAIN", "ALL OF THEM THIEVES", and "THIS BATTLE CHOSE US". But the not mentioned songs don't fall off (much) anyway anyhow - beside the incredible boring and sort of "just" too "blocky" (in an annoying, negative way) "DEFEND/AVENGE" - even I would here and there wish for sort of a little bit more "fresh excitement" or how else you may call it other/better, hm, but maybe that's just me and so anyhow. At the end of the day I can calmly and clearly recommend ANTHRAX' "FOR ALL KINGS" to any fan of the "new" ANTHRAX and fans of modern Thrash Metal and hymnal thrashing Modern Metal as well as surely also fans of heavy hitting Modern Rock, yes, because it's simply a really strong and also a damn good album that you definitely should have in your collection, yes, and so in case you really don't have or even know it so far you just finally should get your ass off, go out, and get a copy of it, hell yeahr, because it's for sure a strong and a truly damn good album, point and fact. And now, yes, I guess that's it so far and so now I just wish you a nice evening tonight and we will read us sooner or later again the next days, cheers.

(8 of 10 points)

http://anthrax.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

ANTHRAX - "SUZERAIN" (2016, "FOR ALL KINGS")