It’s two full hours of thrash brutality. Live from the legendary Barrowlands Ballroom in Glasgow, Scotland it’s Anthrax on the For All Kings Tour. It’s a terrific live album and frankly the live album we’ve all needed from this band. Yes, there are numerous live documents over the years of this band. But none are nearly as complete as this one. You’ve got that audio live album from 2005 when Joey Belladonna rejoined the band. But it’s an abridged live release. Then there’s the Island live album that was released so the band could fulfill its record contract. But the sound quality is horrid. There’s also the live recording from the Jon Bush era that’s decent. And the DVD only release from the Worship Music Tour. Which is a great show that deserved it’s own audio only.
But now we get the full package. There’s a DVD/Blu Ray and an audio only option on the new Kings Among Scotland. Some people, including myself, prefer the audio only. If I’m going to watch TV I’m going to watch TV. Not a concert. For that I’ll sit and listen and jam in my world with the album. Anywho, it’s a full two hour set, unabridged. The sound quality is amazing. The crowd is with the band from the very beginning to the very end. And it’s a pretty sizeable crowd. The venue is perfect; a very large sized ballroom. And the concert is split into two parts. The first set is some greatest hits and new tracks from the For All Kings album. The second half of the concert consists of the bands eponymous third album Among the Living in its entirety. A pretty bad ass set if I do say so myself.
The true sign of a great live band is when some tracks on the live album eclipse their studio counterparts. And that happens many times on this record. Even with the half step to full step down tuning: Blood, Eagle Wings, Madhouse, Be All, End All, and Evil Twin all better their studio brethren. And on Among the Living set: A Skeleton in the Closet, Indians, Efilnikufesin (NFL) and Caught in a Mosh are at their most epic. Joey Belladonna rules the stage with his incredible voice and natural front man energy. Scott Ian and Jon Donais’ guitars sound like liquid gold. Donais is undoubtedly the best lead guitarist in Anthrax post Spitz. Frank Bello’s bass cuts through the mix like a horse whip. And of course, Charlie Benante drives the bus at eight million. Playing with Dream Theater levels of precision and proving that he is without a doubt the best drummer of the thrash metal scene.
There are a few live documents from the Big 4 that really stand out as some of the greatest live albums of all time. Metallica’s Live Shit: Binge and Purge box set comes to mind. And Anthrax’s Kings Among Scotland right up there with it. Not only one of the great live thrash documents. But one of the best live albums I’ve ever heard. And I’m a live album junkie. Get this record if you’re a fan of thrash.
