On October 14th Anthrax released a 4CD set ‘The Island Years 1985-1990’, which collects together 4 albums along with rare B-sides and live tracks from their time on Island Records.  

Check out the landmark ‘I’m The Man’ with Public Enemy featured in this collection:  

Regarded as one of the ‘Big Four’ thrash bands in the world along with Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer – Anthrax are still playing today and are regarded as one of the best exponents of the genre.

For over 30 years, the band have proven to be intelligent, powerful, ferocious, streetwise, comedic and also innovative. Formed in New York the band quickly came to prominence via an independent album release, they were soon picked up by Island and here is a set of all the bands recorded output for the label collected together for the first time.

Looking back at their story you realise that they were among the first to introduce rap and hardcore into metal music and this 4 CD set collects the band’s golden era, one that saw them soar with inimitable passion and fire, as a true ability to blaze away with high speed riffage and complemented by a strong sense of melody and groove. Anthrax made their mark on the 1980s, including 3 UK top 20 album’s ‘Among The Living’, ‘State Of Euphoria’ and ‘Persistence Of Time’.

1987’s ‘Among The Living’, was the breakthrough album and sold close to 100,000 copies in the UK and features -  ‘I Am The Law’ a tribute the legendary comic book character Judge Dredd, and ‘Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)’, which needed to be read backwards in order to get the sense of what the band were on about. And it was a celebration of the life of the late John Belushi. Elsewhere, Anthrax show a socially aware side to their personality on ‘Indians’, while ‘Caught In A Mosh’ connected them firmly with their fans, who’d spend most of a gig moshing around in a frenzied elevation which was a depiction of the impact the music had on them.

In 1988, the band showed they had what it took to expand on their established fan base and style, as they put out the ‘State Of Euphoria’ album, reaching number 12 in the UK charts. They again created a selection of songs that showed their capacity for ensuring all bases were covered. On the social front, they dealt with the plight of the homeless with ‘Who Cares Wins’, while Stephen King was again an influence, as his novel ‘Misery’ provided the storyline for the song ‘Misery Loves Company’. And ‘Now It’s Dark’ was based on the acclaimed David Lynch film ‘Blue Velvet’. 

But perhaps most famous of all was their cover of ‘Antisocial’. Originally done by French metallers Trust in 1980, it was much for the way Anthrax tackled it that their version is now regarded by many as being definitive.

1990’s ‘Persistence Of Time’, became the band’s  third successive Top 20 entry. And is darker, heavier and more technically progressive than anything they’d previously released. Songs like ‘Keep It in The Family’, ‘In My World’ and ‘Belly Of The Beast’ were impressive in their fullness and creativity, while a cover of Joe Jackson’s ‘Got The Time’ was given a true Anthrax shunt.

This purple period represented here finishes in 1991 when  they recorded the landmark ‘I’m The Man’ with rappers Public Enemy – a true meeting of two different genres. 

Since then, Anthrax have had a multitude of line-up changes, which even saw a reunion of the glory line-up responsible for all the music here from 2005-7. And they have gone on to record some impressive albums and songs since.

However, what is here represents the band in their pomp. When they can certainly be considered one of the greatest metal bands of all time. True mosh monarchs and madhouse mirth masters.

Part 1 Spreading The Disease 

1.  A.I.R. 

2  Lone Justice. 

3.  Madhouse.

4.  S.S.C. / Stand Or Fall. 

5.  The Enemy. 

6.  Aftershock. 

7.  Armed And Dangerous.

8.  Medusa.

9.  Gung-Ho. 

Part 2 Among The Living 

10.  Among The Living.

11.  Caught In A Mosh.

12.  I Am The Law

13.  Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.) 

14.  A Skeleton In The Closet

15.  Indians

16.  One World 

17.  A.D.I. / Horror Of It All 

18.  Imitation Of Life

19.  Indians - Alternate Lead 

20.  One World 

21.  Imitation Of Life - Alternate Take 

22.  Bud E Luv Bomb And Satan's Lounge Band 

23.  I Am The Law - Live In Dallas/1987 

Part 3 State Of Euphoria

24.  Be All, End All 

25.  Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind 

26.  Make Me Laugh 

27.  Antisocial 

28.  Who Cares Wins 

29.  Now It's Dark 

30.  Schism 

31.  Misery Loves Company

32.  13 

33.  Finale

34.  Friggin' In The Riggin' - 12" Version 

35.  Antisocial - Live 

36.  Antisocial - French Version 

37.  Parasite

38.  Sects

39.  Pipeline 

Part 4 Persistence Of Time

40.  Time 

41.  Blood (Persistence Of Time 

42.  Keep It In The Family 

43.  In My World 

44.  Gridlock 

45.  Intro To Reality 

46.  Belly Of The Beast 

47.  Got The Time 

48.  H8 Red 

49.  One Man Stands 

50.  Discharge 

51.  Protest And Survive 

52.  Who Put This Together 

53.  I'm The Man - The Illest Version Ever / Live In Japan/1990