Stomp 442

Stomp 442 is the seventh album on which Anthrax, while keeping thrash’s speed, greatly shifted its footing toward lower-centered riffs and heavy, powerful groove. Made after the departure of the long-serving guitarist Dan Spitz, it is also a record from a period when the band moved from a two-guitarist lineup to a new form. John Bush’s singing grows rougher, further heightening the songs’ urgency. Content that pursued 1990s-style heaviness. From the powerful drive of the opener “Random Acts of Senseless Violence” and the aggression of “Fueled” to a cut like “King Size,” every song is engaging, while cuts like “Nothing” and “Riding Shotgun” convey the work’s fullness. There is vivid color by a guest guitarist, but at its center is the powerful push-and-pull the whole band generates. A record inscribing a sure stance that, even in a period of great change, never lets go of Anthrax’s own anger and humor. Even within a heavier, more modern sound, the band’s sure character is not lost in the least. A powerful, engaging heavy-metal work showing the fullness of John Bush’s tenure — a record evoking the band’s underlying strength.