Spreading the Disease

Spreading the Disease is the second album on which Anthrax, while keeping the sure aggression of high-speed riffs, foregrounds the high, piercing voice and big melody of the new vocalist Joey Belladonna. With Belladonna’s joining, the band gained a new weapon of sure songcraft, not merely speed. Scott Ian and Dan Spitz’s guitars cut in hard and sharp, and Charlie Benante’s drums move the songs finely and powerfully. From the powerful drive of the opener “A.I.R.” to the catchy aggression of “Madhouse,” which became a signature song, every song is engaging. In cuts like “Lone Justice,” “Medusa” and “Armed and Dangerous,” thrash metal’s taut tension and rich songcraft coexist extremely naturally. A record that clearly inscribes Anthrax’s own distinctive brightness and sure edge — not music merely competing in speed. Belladonna’s joining greatly leaped the band’s musicality. An extremely important breakthrough that established a sure direction leading to the later golden age — an important record in thrash-metal history.