Storm Bert may be raging across the UK as this behemoth of a tour rolls into the Capital, but even the worst nature can throw at us cannot compete with the explosive three and a half hours that these giants of the Metal scene for over 40 years display. The young pups may be scratching at the door, but old dogs Anthrax, Kreator and Testament are in no mood to give up their place at the top table.
Anthrax
Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith – 23 November 2024
Words: Paul Hutchings
Photography: Steve Ritchie
There would be some, me included, who think that this co-headline show is lined up the wrong way. Following Kreator’s huge production is always going to be challenging, especially if your stage set-up merely comprises ramps and one big band name at the rear. No pyro for Anthrax, so time to let the music do the talking.
In the main, they do, although this is a setlist that is crying out for a refresh. The inclusion of the covers Antisocial and Got The Time at the expense of several other tracks from their extensive discography is disappointing, though the thousands singing along cabaret style to the “whoas,” don’t seem the least perturbed.
Maybe it is because my first encounter with the New York Thrashers was in 1986 when the young upstarts supported Metallica on Cliff Burton’s last tour. I saw them at Cardiff and Hammersmith on that tour, and I’ve seen them dozens of times since. Maybe it is because Anthrax’s catalogue contains many better songs, or maybe I am just more difficult to please.
Regardless, this is a smooth set that pleases most in the rabid crowd. They stoke the fires with the intro video, a repeat of the same platitudes they played on their 2022 shows, with the likes of Stephen King, Steve Harris and Gary Holt getting the biggest cheers, and Gene Simmons winning the pantomime villain award with a huge chorus of boos when he appears on the screen.
Boom! A blast of Potters Field before the curtain drops and the band rip into A.I.R. The pit swirls, there is frantic activity in the photo pit as the 12-minutes of shooting opens and Anthrax quickly hit their stride.
This is a stable line-up, with Charlie Benante elevated above, reminding anyone who needs a quick poke in the ribs what a great drummer he is. At times, it is almost effortless as he flies around his big kit. Frank Bello, last seen on these shores at Bloodstock in the summer when he filled in with Satyricon, is his usual blur of action, racing around the stage, fist-pumping at those on the front few rows.
It takes a couple of songs for Joey Belladonna to hit his mark, and he misses cues throughout the show. You can forgive the odd error, though, for once he finds his range, he is hitting those high notes like it’s 1987 all over again. At times, he seems more interested in filming the crowd with his Go-Pro, but on tracks like Metal Thrashing Mad, The Devil You Know and Madhouse, he is in imperious form.
Talking of Go-Pro, the band’s filmographer seemed intent on getting in the way for much of the show, to the extent that I was going to ask a friend to tell me when Anthrax had become a six-piece. It was a real distraction, which also impacted the band.
Anthrax is a band who is and always will be Scott Ian’s baby. When he is not throwing out those monstrous riffs, he is barking backing vocals, stomping around the stage and then interacting with us between songs.
He references 1986, the three-night stint in 1987 and their return in 1989. Since then, Anthrax’s stock has waxed and waned, and one can only ponder on why it has taken 35 years for them to be in a position where they can command audiences of this size again. He is a bit arrogant when talking about Among The Living, but given that it was the big break for the band, it’s unsurprising.
Maybe the absence of the title track is one of the surprises of the night, and it is left to the other three monsters from that album, Caught In A Mosh, I Am The Law and a sparkling Indians to do the heavy lifting.
Lead guitarist Jonathan Donais, at times, still looks like he would rather be somewhere else despite having been in the band for more than a decade. Apart from the occasional foray centre stage, he is content to stay on his side of the stage throughout the show. His lead work may be slightly hidden in the mix, but when he cuts through, there’s enough clarity to show his quality. 
As the clock ticks towards the grand finale, spaces appear around me at a rate of knots. Those who do leave early miss a grand final flourish as Gung Ho from Spreading The Disease closes things out.
Tonight is not the best I have ever seen this band, but an average Anthrax show is usually good enough. Tonight, maybe they were not fully on their game, but they still ensured a fine evening was finished in style.
The Eventim Apollo Thrash Metal Special. The young pups may be scratching at the door, but old dogs Anthrax, Kreator and Testament are in no mood to give up their place at the top table.
This was such a special evening the reviews have been published separately: Anthrax | Kreator | Testament.
