Among The Living
	Produced by Anthrax and Eddie Kramer
	Released on March 1987
	US CHART POSITION #62 . . . GOLD RECORD . . . UK CHART POSITION #18
	Find it at GEMM
90584-1 cover [high resolution photo]

A n important chapter in the story of Hell and High Water. The history of heavy metal is a rising tide, the high-water marks are monuments to its immoveable force. Paranoid (1971). Stained Class (1976). Van Halen (1978). Back in Black (1980). Kill ‘Em All (1983). Among the Living (1987). Vulgar Display of Power (1992). Long may they rest on the turntable spindle of history! Each of those albums pushed heavy metal to new heights by building on what had come before. In the case of Anthrax, they took parts of heavy metal and hardcore punk and fused it into a ferocious metal beast that gave voice to an inarticulate but mounting movement that was frustrated by heavy metal’s outmoded idiom. Instead of long-suffering guitar solos, Anthrax welded short, fiery blasts of guitar on top of crunching chords. Everything was pounded out in hardcore fury. It was proficient, it was impatient, it was irreverent to some ears but deeply relevant to others. Judas Priest had threatened to break the law. Now Anthrax threatened to enforce it. What occurred in between was Metallica, who changed the course of metal with Kill ‘Em All. After that, the only rule was no rules. Among the Living, like the monuments before it, followed its own musical manifesto: no lyrical boundaries (you could discuss comic books and communism on the same album), no narrow allegiances (punks, metalheads and rappers welcome) and no limits. No wonder then that, with all the extraneous bullshit removed, what emerged was the true voice of metal: rebellious, anxious and contagious. Unfortunately, you only get one opportunity in life to unconsciously create great art, and then you’re either consciously reproducing it or not reproducing it, which has been Anthrax’ (and most bands’) bane ever since Among the Living. Bojnifukesin though, especially on the first side.

90584-1 back cover	90584-1 lyric sleeve

TRACK LISTING

1. AMONG THE LIVING    5:16
2. CAUGHT IN A MOSH    4:59
3. I AM THE LAW    (Anthrax/Dan Lilker)    5:57
4. EFILNIKUFESIN (N.F.L.)    4:54
5. A SKELETON IN THE CLOSET    5:32
6. INDIANS    5:40
7. ONE WORLD    5:56
8. A.D.I/HORROR OF IT ALL    7:49
9. IMITATION OF LIFE    (Anthrax/Dan Lilker)    4:10
   
   All songs written and arranged by Anthrax unless noted
   

CREDITS

JOE BELLADONNA -- vocals
FRANK BELLO -- bass guitar
CHARLIE BENANTE -- drums, cover concept
SCOTT IAN -- rhythm guitar, cover coordination
DAN SPITZ -- lead guitar, acoustic guitar (8)
Jon Zazula -- executive producer
Eddie Kramer -- engineer, mixing
Chris Rutherford -- engineer
Paul Hamingson -- mixing
Don Brautigam -- album cover art
Bob Defrin -- cover coordination
Kent Joshpe -- logo
Waring Abbott -- photography
Ron Akiyama -- photography
Gene Ambo -- photography
Frank White -- photography

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