Fistful of Metal

Fistful of Metal is a vivid debut on which Anthrax binds the steel-like hardness of NWOBHM (the New Wave of British Heavy Metal) and the explosive speed derived from hardcore punk. Bursting out of the New York underground scene, it features Neil Turbin on vocals. Scott Ian and Dan Spitz’s guitars, while still rough, have a sure edge, and Charlie Benante’s busy drums powerfully drive the whole. From the powerful drive of the opener “Deathrider” to the aggression of the signature “Metal Thrashing Mad,” the songs already clearly hold the aggression and playfulness that would form the later band, while cuts like “Soldiers of Metal,” “Death from Above” and “Panic” convey the initial impulse. Ambitious content that also includes a cover of Alice Cooper’s “I’m Eighteen.” A record on which one wants to savor the rough yet powerful energy of a band that had just burst from the New York underground scene, rather than refined polish. The origin of the brilliant career of a band that would later grow into a corner of thrash metal’s “Big Four” is clearly inscribed here. A powerful debut full of young Anthrax’s initial impulse — a record for knowing the band’s starting point.