Anthrax: Fistful of Metal (1984)

I have talked a lot recently about my newfound love of Anthrax.  It was with this in mind that I decided to finally pick up one album from the band that I had been avoiding: their debut.  Now, I have not been actively avoiding it, just not making any special effort to pick it up.  The reason for this is that the vocalist on this album was Neil Turbin instead of Joey Belladonna, so I had no idea what to expect.  In addition, the style is not quite the same.

Anthrax's debut is a fantastic example of power/speed metal, not the hardcore-influenced thrash metal the band became known for.  The chunky riffs are not present, instead featuring much more melodic riffs that call to mind Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.  It is an upbeat and powerful album with fast-paced songs and blazing solos.

The other aspect of the album that sets it apart from the band's other releases is the vocalist.  Neil Turbin is a significantly different kind of singer than Belladonna or John Bush.  He has a wide range and is powerful and dynamic.  He is doing his absolute best impression of a NWOBHM singer on this release.  He throws everything he has into this performance and it is the big highlight of this album.

While this album is not as strong compared to the later Anthrax material or compared to the debut albums of the other members of the Big Four, it is quite a good album in its own right.  It is significantly different from Anthrax's other material, but it is still a better album than any of the John Bush albums, except for maybe Sound of White Noise.  It is an underrated album in Anthrax's catalog.