Volume 8: The Threat Is Real [Enhanced]

Volume 8: The Threat Is Real [Enhanced]

Track Listings

1. Crush

2. Catharsis

3. Inside Out

4. P & V

5. 604

6. Toast to the Extras

7. Born Again Idiot

8. Killing Box

9. Harms Way

10. Hog Tied

11. Big Fat

12. Cupajoe

13. Alpha Male

14. Stealing from a Thief

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
After thrash-metal pioneers Anthrax signed a $10-million, five- album deal with Elektra in 1992, they lost the hunger that propelled them early on. Their 1993 album, Sound of White Noise, was aimless and lackluster, and while its follow-up, Stomp 442, restored some of the band's former glory, it took Elektra's severing the band's contract (after just two records) to light a real fire under Anthrax's collective ass. Volume 8: The Threat Is Real! seethes with betrayal and animosity, lashing out like a lean, rabid Doberman. This isn't just the raging Anthrax of days past. It's a revamped, reinvigorated beast with a modern, pugilistic sound. Songs like "Inside Out" and "Killing Box" combine the full-fisted groove of Pantera with the melodic roar of Aerosmith, while "Crush" and "Catharsis" deliver a power-metal assault that recalls vocalist John Bush's last band, Armored Saint. The last couple of Anthrax efforts may have been false alarms, but this time the threat is definitely real. --Jon Wiederhorn

Tracks:

CRUSH
CATHARSIS
INSIDE OUT
P&V
604 TOAST TO THE EXTRAS
TOAST TO THE EXTRAS
BORN AGAIN IDIOT
KILLING BOX
HARMS WAY
HOG TIED
BIG FAT
CUPAJOE
ALPHA MALE
STEALING FROM A THIEF
PIECES
GIVING THE HORNS
THE BENDS
SNAP / I'D RATHER BE SLEEPING

Customer Reviews:

Another Monster Anthrax Album.......2007-04-14

Originally released in 1998, Volume 8: the Threat Is Real was the third album of "the Bush era". I was always aware of Anthrax growing up, but aside from their goofball "I'm the Man" single, the band never really made much of an impact on me until they replaced vocalist Joey Belladonna with Armored Saint's John Bush. Bush's energetic and intense yet still melodic vocal style just seemed like such a better fit for Anthrax's brand of thrash, and I still view that lineup's debut - 1993's Sound of White Noise - as the best Anthrax album ever.

Volume 8 is the band's first album since being unceremoniously dumped by their record company. Some have argued that the previous two Anthrax albums (1993's Sound of White Noise and 1995's Stomp 442) were mediocre efforts, causing the label to kick the band loose. Anyone can listen to either of those albums and come away unimpressed needs to have their heads examined! Volume 8 is another high-octane performance by the new and improved Anthrax, and picks up right where Stomp 442 left off. It is undeniably a metal album, albeit a more diverse one than previous efforts. You certainly wouldn't have found a country-esque song like "Toast to the Extras" on Among the Living! Guest appearances by Pantera's Phil Anselmo and Dimebag Darrell reinforce Volume 8's metal credentials

Anthrax is a band that gets smarter and more creative with each release, yet still manages to maintain their "metal thrashing mad" aggression. Volume 8 may seem a bit uneven at times, but with so many tracks there are bound to be a few "off" moments. Still, the fact remains that an average Anthrax song is still going to be better than many other bands' best efforts.

The 2003 reissue of Volume 8 features three bonus tracks, four if you count the fact that the previously hidden (and incredibly powerful) song "Pieces" is now a separate track. In addition to a new studio track called "Giving the Horns", the band gives us another pair of diverse covers - Radiohead's "the Bends" and DRI's "Snap/I'd Rather Be Sleeping". When it comes to cover songs, Anthrax never ceases to amaze me with their unorthodox choices. How many other metal bands will cover both Iron Maiden and Radiohead? If you're one of the faithful who bought Volume 8 the first time around, you may want to consider replacing your old version.

IMO the best Anthrax disc.......2007-02-20

Aside from the original stuff, this CD is by far the best Anthrax CD with the new singer.

Anthrax's *real* best album.......2006-04-15

If it hadn't been for poor marketing, this probably would have been one of the biggest hits of 98. After Stomp 442, which suffered from many songs that pretty much sounded alike, Anthrax increased their range for Volume 8 and came up with a collection of songs that are heavy, funny, and dynamic.

The only thing that stops it from being a 5-star winner is the fact that it's not all that groundbreaking. Still, it's far better than anything from the Belladonna years.

Anthrax continue to stretch out.......2005-11-10

Another reviewer noted that Dimebag Darrel played on this recording, and he did indeed assist on an album that saw a few different things going.

Anthrax still delivered heavyweight riffs, powerful vocals from Jon Bush and some incisive, biting tracks. "Born Again Idiot," that title pretty much says it all, and other killers were "Catharsis" and "Hog Tied."

There were a number of tracks were you heard some very different sounds from the band, with members taking up some different instruments and trying out some new stuff. Hardly filler.

The comedic side of the guys is still there. "Cupajoe" is hilarious (and is on my answering machine--keeps the telemarketers away!).

Doesn't matter what purists think--this album rocked, and I enjoyed it highly.

Everybody fails to mention that Dimebag Darrel contributes on this album........2005-08-13

This was the first Anthrax album I bought, I thought it was awesome. Not too much to say, other than it rocks most of the time. Oh yeah, Dimebag throws in licks on a couple of songs which is reason enough to buy it.

Average customer rating:

Another monster Anthrax album
Stilted title tilt
A 'Thraxian Fable Of Good And Bad
Way Over-rated Anthrax CD
Decent Anthrax Album

Volume 8: The Threat Is Real
Anthrax
Manufacturer: Tommy Boy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

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Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Sound of White Noise
Stomp 442
Stomp 442
Anthrax Live: The Island Years
State of Euphoria

ASIN: B000009CEO
Release Date: 1998-07-21

Tracks:

Crush
Catharsis
Inside Out
P & V
604
Toast To The Extras
Born Again Idiot
Killing Box
Harms Way
Hog Tied
Big Fat
Cupajoe
Alpha Male
Stealing From A Thief

Amazon.com

After thrash-metal pioneers Anthrax signed a $10-million, five- album deal with Elektra in 1992, they lost the hunger that propelled them early on. Their 1993 album, Sound of White Noise, was aimless and lackluster, and while its follow-up, Stomp 442, restored some of the band's former glory, it took Elektra's severing the band's contract (after just two records) to light a real fire under Anthrax's collective ass. Volume 8: The Threat Is Real! seethes with betrayal and animosity, lashing out like a lean, rabid Doberman. This isn't just the raging Anthrax of days past. It's a revamped, reinvigorated beast with a modern, pugilistic sound. Songs like "Inside Out" and "Killing Box" combine the full-fisted groove of Pantera with the melodic roar of Aerosmith, while "Crush" and "Catharsis" deliver a power-metal assault that recalls vocalist John Bush's last band, Armored Saint. The last couple of Anthrax efforts may have been false alarms, but this time the threat is definitely real. --Jon Wiederhorn

Customer Reviews:

Another monster Anthrax album.......2007-04-14

Stilted title tilt.......2007-03-28

The title of the lead track says it all - Crush. And this album does just that with bone crushingly heavy music in the form of tunes like Catharsis and Inside Out. This is a brutally stripped down heavy metal album, all pleasantness leeched out of the tunes. Their thrash roots are visible in the manic edge to a number of the tracks while some relief from the heaviness is possible if listeners direct their ears to 604 and Cupajoe - but that relief is only from the heavy duty lyrics - not the scurrying speed of the music.

All the protagonists are in fine form - Bush has a voice I've always admired and Scott Ian's stamp permeates the record. This album has a serious feeling of defiance about it, steadfastly hodling onto the bands niche audience. Though it must be said that despite the admiragble aspects such as steadfastness and the refusal of the band to mellow, this is not a loveable record, or even a particularly likeable one.

The reasons for this are the barren feel of the arrangements. Anthrax were always a thrash band, or at least a metal one, but their albums and projects have usually felt more lush than this. One tune that does stand out amongs it's peers is Toast to the Extras, which sounds like a piece of flippant silliness until you really consider what the lyrics are saying. At which point you may come to consider it the best tune on the album.

This '98 album saw Anthrax fighting a rearguard action to maintain their market share. And the struggle of this oozes through every pore of the album. Though the somewhat amusing fold out cover art is kinda nifty. It's also about the most optimistic aspect of this release.

Anthrax rock out and rock hard on this album. But there isn't the awesome tunes that we got on Stomp 442 and the band here make up for this via heaviness - the exception being Toast to the Extras. As of this relesae Anthrax were a band barely keeping their heads above water despite the good points of this rather dour album. 2.5 stars.

A 'Thraxian Fable Of Good And Bad.......2006-12-12

With 'Volume 8' - Anthrax proved that if the threat isn't immiment, it's at least somewhat real.

After the mix of the excellent & the average that made up most of Anthrax's post-'87 work, 'Volume 8' had a lot to prove, and for a good share of the opus, the songs catch fire, a thrilling opening salvo though gives way to some meandering and bland tracks on the 2nd half of the album.

The album starts explosively -- 'Crush', 'Catharsis', 'Inside Out', 'P&V' and the wonderful 'Toast' are all supreme, with special kudos going to 'Crush' as one of Anthrax's most thrilling tunes. Sterling and stirring stuff indeed. Five powerful tracks brim full of raucous guitars, great arrangements, and wonderful melodies. 'Toast to the Extras' is an eye-opener - a mixing of heavy rock complete with an almost authentic 'down home' country twanging lick, surprisingly, the experiment works brilliantly.

These 5 opening tracks represent the quality that this band are capable of, but,a lot of the rest of the album illustrates that annoying habit they have of following brilliance with dense, badly written dirges, when we know they're capable of so much more..

The rot doesn't set in untill after 'Idiot Rules' & 'Killing Box' -- while not as sterling as the 5 excellent tracks preceding, the songwriting does lose some of the flair and excitement. 'Harms Way' has some nice bluesy licks, but ultimatelty, goes nowhere, lost under a muddle of simply a bad arrangement with no hook. Same story with 'Hog Tied' and 'Alpha Male' -- potential is there, but, the songs just are not devloped well enough. And that is the maddening thing -- we know Anthrax are capable of so much more.

A high point is revisited as the album closes, with the great 'Stealing from a Thief', but overall, the album is, like many other 'Thrax albums, a mix of the inspired and the bored. For 6 tracks, the band inspires, truly wonderful and even experiemental sounds, and for the 2nd half, they lose the Muse...

3 1/2 stars though -- for the good-but-not-terrible 2nd half,they do make up for it with 5 or 6 thrilling 'Thrax tunes. And for that, the threat is very very nearly Real.

Way Over-rated Anthrax CD.......2006-02-11

When "The Treat is Real" was released, Reviewers seemed tickled pink that Anthrax was more then just a Thrash Metal Band, and seemed to through some pure rock and roll into the album. I heard this for the first time in many years, and Now I know why I didnt add it into my collection when it was first releaed. Flat out, there are about 5 really good "Anthrax" songs on this album, and the rest, well, I really couldn't even call it Metal. Its not Metal, and if someone wants to classify this album as Hard Rock, then the rest of it is really bad Hard Rock. The album seems to jump all over the place, with some really good songs, and then 3 or 4 diasters in between. I understand that Anthrax of old is long gone, yet there are some really good songs here, but only 5 outta 14 is way to much filler. If you want some better Anthrax Material of the new, then check out Stomp 442, but this one just doesn't cut the mustard. I have been listening to Anthrax since "Spreading the Disease" days, and I consider myself a fan of many years. This one is a total letdown, and I would skip this and just burn the good songs, cause the rest you really dont need to botch up your music collection.

Decent Anthrax Album.......2005-09-12

The first track on this is amazing, the following ones are good but not as good. I give this a 3.5 out 5, because; like Stomp 442 there's some great stuff on this but then again there are songs that don't stick in my mind.