Anthrax

小簡介
Anthrax 1981 年 6 月成立于紐約。在 80 年代的速度／鞭笞金屬（Speed / Thrash Metal）浪潮中,Anthrax 是在過去的 5 年里堅(jiān)持并適應(yīng)著搖滾樂壇這一瘋狂時(shí)尚的為數(shù)不多的幾支樂隊(duì)之一。他們將硬核朋克的速度、狂暴與重金屬的卓越的吉他技法和演唱結(jié)合在一起,以其早期專輯參與創(chuàng)立了重金屬音樂的一個(gè)分支。與 Metallica 或 Megadeth 不同的是,他們具有一種良好的意識,可以用幽默和現(xiàn)實(shí)主義來調(diào)節(jié)常常過于嚴(yán)肅緊張的音樂。
樂隊(duì)最初的成員是,主要作曲者 Scott Ian（吉他手）、Danny Spitz（吉他手）、Dan Lilker（貝司手）、Neil Turbin（主唱）和 Charlie Benante （鼓手）。他們幾人對滑板、連環(huán)畫和紐約的硬核朋克音樂有共同的愛好,這使他們的早期作品深受影響。
1982 年樂隊(duì)在一些小城鎮(zhèn)進(jìn)行了一次激動(dòng)人心的巡演,之后,他們遇到了鞭笞金屬教父 Johnny Z,他的 Megaforce 唱片公司與樂隊(duì)簽約并發(fā)行了《 Soldiers of Metal 》,迎合了當(dāng)時(shí)當(dāng)時(shí)搖滾樂迷們的口味。在 Johnny Z 的介紹下,樂隊(duì)為 Manowar 和當(dāng)時(shí)剛出道的 Metallica 做暖場。1984 年樂隊(duì)發(fā)行了首張專輯《 Fistful of Metal 》。其中的吉他演奏速度野蠻兇狠,歌曲名稱也駭人聽聞,但專輯未引起多大注意。不久以后,Lilker 離開 Anthrax 組建了 Nuclear Assault,Frank Bello 加入。這樣的成員沒有穩(wěn)定幾天,Turbin 被開除,先由 Matt Fallon 接替,而后又換為前 Bible Black 的成員 Joey Belladonna。
Belladonna 強(qiáng)有力的、歌劇式的演唱風(fēng)格使 Anthrax 以后的作品具有前所未有的深度和光彩。1985 年,發(fā)行了現(xiàn)場版的小 LP 專輯《 Armed and Dangerous 》。其中改變自 The Sex Pistols 的名曲《 God Save the Queen 》成為樂隊(duì)最受歡迎的現(xiàn)場演出作品。被大公司注意到后,1996 年樂隊(duì)為 Island 唱片公司錄制了下一張專輯《 Speading the Disease 》。該專輯使樂隊(duì)步入主流,并實(shí)際上奠定了此后五年間的音樂基調(diào)。其中有些歌曲是金屬音樂常用的題材,如核戰(zhàn)爭（Aftershock）、神話里的怪物（Medusa）,而像《 Madhouse 》、《 Lone Justice 》這樣的歌曲使樂隊(duì)獲得了大批歌迷。
在 1987 年的專輯《 Among the Living 》里,Anthrax 的風(fēng)格有了改變。在富有傳奇色彩的制作人 Eddie Kramer 的指導(dǎo)下,他們制作出許多杰出的作品,如《 Indians 》、《 Skeleton in the Closet 》、《 I Am the Law 》等,這些歌曲許多取材于真人真事。該專輯在美國成為金唱片,在英國登上排行榜第 18 名,其中熱門單曲《 I'am the Man 》登上英國榜第 20 名,其說唱風(fēng)格運(yùn)用得非常成功。
翌年,樂隊(duì)的新專輯《 State of Euphoria 》使他們鞏固了已有的商業(yè)成功。其中單曲《 Make Me Laugh 》登上英國排行榜第 26 名,但翻唱 Trust 的歌曲《 Anti-Social 》卻顯得不協(xié)調(diào)。
一場發(fā)生于樂隊(duì)Yonkers 錄音棚的大火是他們放慢了前進(jìn)的腳步,這次事故毀壞了10 萬美元的設(shè)備。1990 年,專輯《 Persistence of Time 》輕而易舉地登上排行榜第 13 名,其中又有一首翻唱歌曲,Joe Jackson 的《 Got the Time 》成為單曲榜上的熱門歌曲。由于樂隊(duì)一直在進(jìn)行說唱樂的嘗試,他們同 Public Enemy 的 Chuck D 一起創(chuàng)作了歌曲《 Bring the Noise 》,并于1991 年發(fā)行了專輯《 Attack of the Killer Bs 》。該專輯混合了說唱歌曲、早期 SOD 的歌曲和B 面歌曲。
這些跡象表明,樂隊(duì)開始不再是一個(gè)整體了。1990 年初的 Grunge 風(fēng)潮使搖滾音樂經(jīng)歷著一個(gè)巨大的轉(zhuǎn)變,同時(shí)重金屬音樂也趨于流行化。在這種局面下,Belladonna 搞起了 Grunge,繼而同他人合作。他最終離隊(duì),代之以技藝稍遜但作風(fēng)硬朗的 John Bush。
到1993 年 Warner 公司發(fā)行專輯《 The Sound of White Noise 》時(shí),樂隊(duì)已經(jīng)做出了最大限度的努力,以求吉他演奏更具當(dāng)代風(fēng)味。盡管該專輯登上《公告牌》排行榜第 7 名,但它并未達(dá)到在以前的努力下應(yīng)得的高度。樂隊(duì)想有所改變,但 Danny Spitz 的演奏風(fēng)格和缺乏激情的舞臺表現(xiàn)拖了其他人的后腿。他對樂隊(duì)創(chuàng)作少有貢獻(xiàn),并且把自己排斥于樂隊(duì)活動(dòng)之外,這導(dǎo)致他 1995 年離開樂隊(duì)。
盡管 1995 年 Anthrax 為 Warner 公司出的第二張專輯《 Stomp 442 》中的吉他分別由 Benante、Ian Dimebag、Darrell（Pantera 成員）和 Paul Crook（曾在 Belladonna 以前的樂隊(duì)里彈吉他）彈奏,但這是他們迄今為止最好的專輯。在 Grunge 甚囂塵上之時(shí),他們?nèi)耘f保持著重金屬的本色。Anthrax 是最不妥協(xié)的樂隊(duì)之一。
Nearly as much as Metallica or Megadeth, Anthrax was responsible for the emergence of speed and thrash metal. Combining the speed and fury of hardcore punk with the prominent guitars and vocals of heavy metal, they helped create a new subgenre of heavy metal on their early albums. Original guitarists Scott Ian and Dan Spitz were a formidable pair, spitting out lightning-fast riffs and solos that never seemed masturbatory. Unlike Metallica or Megadeth, they had the good sense to temper their often serious music with a healthy dose of humor and realism. After their first album, Fistful of Metal, singer Joey Belladonna and bassist Frank Bello joined the lineup. Belladonna helped take the band farther away from conventional metal clichés, and over the next five albums (with the exception of 1988s State of Euphoria, where the band sounded like they were in a creative straitjacket), Anthrax arguably became the leaders of speed metal. As the 80s became the 90s, they also began to increase their experiments with hip-hop, culminating in a tour with Public Enemy in 1991 and a joint re-recording of PEs classic Bring the Noise. After their peak period of the late 80s, Anthrax kicked Belladonna out of the band in 1992 and replaced him with ex-Armored Saint vocalist John Bush — a singer that was gruffer and deeper, fitting most metal conventions perfectly. Subsequently, their sound became less unique and their audience shrank slightly as a consequence, and after signing to Elektra for 1993s Sound of White Noise, the group left the label after just one more album, 1995s Stomp 442. At that point, Anthrax — now a four-piece consisting of Ian, Bush, Bello, and drummer Charlie Benante — built their own studio in Yonkers, NY, and after a three-year hiatus returned with their Ignition label debut The Threat Is Real, Vol. 8. 1999 saw the release of Anthraxs very first hits collection, titled Return of the Killer As: The Best Of, also their first release for the Beyond label. The album included a cover of Ball of Confusion, which featured a duet between current frontman Bush and former vocalist Belladonna. A proposed tour that was to include both vocalists was announced, but on the eve of its launch, Belladonna pulled out, reportedly for monetary reasons. The tour carried on, as Anthrax signed on to participate in a package tour during the summer of 2000 with M?tley Crüe and Megadeth, but left the tour after only playing a handful of dates. Anthrax appeared on the Twisted Sister tribute album Twisted Forever in 2001 (covering the track Destroyer), and began recording their next album the same year. In addition, guitarist Ian found time to regularly host the metal television program Rock Show on VH1, plus he appeared as part of the fictional metal band Titannica in the film Run, Ronnie, Run. VH1 programming heads eventually replaced Ian with Sebastian Bach, but the band was ready to head back into the studio anyway. New guitarist Rob Caggiano joined in the spring of 2002, just in time for the recording. A year later, Anthrax made their Sanctuary debut with Weve Come for You All. The bands dynamic hadnt changed, and touring in support of that album was met with overwhelming success. The CD/DVD set Music of Mass Destruction: Live in Chicago, which arrived in spring 2004, celebrated Anthraxs two decades in the business. Then, in 2005, Anthraxs entire original lineup of Ian, Spitz, Belladonna, Benante, and Bello reunited for a tour and the CD/DVD retrospective Anhtrology: No Hit Wonders [1985-1991]. Anthrax also issued Alive 2, recorded during their summer 2005 reuninon tour.