Courtesy: Megaforce Records
Anthrax is considered by most metal fans to be one of the kings of the metal community. That title is fully justified, too after a single look through the band’s extensive catalogue. The music that the veteran thrash metal outfit has crafted throughout its life has maintained its place atop the metal mountain along with the likes of Slayer, Metallica and Megadeth. Late last month, Anthrax proved once again why it remains one of metal’s leading names when it released its new For All Kings 7” vinyls box set. The new collection is a set that any true Anthrax fan will enjoy. That is due in part to the songs selected for the collection. This will be discussed shortly. The collection’s packaging plays its own key part in its overall presentation, too. It will be discussed later. The set’s pricing rounds out its most important elements. It will also be discussed later. Each element clearly plays its own pivotal part in the overall presentation of Anthrax’s new For All Kings 7” vinyls box set. All things considered, this latest effort from Anthrax maintains the band’s place as rock and metal royalty.
Anthrax’s recently released For All Kings 7” vinyls box set is another recording proving why the veteran thrash outfit is still today rock and metal royalty. While the collection is technically a re-issue of the band’s 2016 album For All Kings, it is also a new release in that it presents the album’s original 11 songs and adds in some extra, previously unreleased takes on some of those songs. It also adds in a pair of cover songs in the form of Kansas’ ‘Carry On’ and White Stripes’ ‘Black Math.’ The previously unreleased ‘Vice of the People’ is also included as an extra bonus for fans in this set. While not every one of the songs featured in For All Kings gets the double treatment, a good portion of said songs does get that treatment, and audiences will appreciate those bonus takes. Case in point, ‘Blood Eagle Wings’’ demo take. The demo presents more of a garage rock sound than the final product presented in For All Kings. The final product is much fuller, though it doesn’t lose any of the heaviness of the demo, which audiences will appreciate. That can be determined in listening to the pair as the demo take doesn’t include front man Joey Belladonna’s vocals.
On another note, the demo and final take of ‘Breathing Lightning’ are virtually the same. The only difference between these two is that one is the full instrumental take while the other includes Belladonna’s vocal line. This is important because it allows audiences to fully take in the song’s arrangement without having to sift through that extra line. It would have been interesting to hear his track isolated. But beggars can’t be choosers. That aside, hearing the song’s isolated arrangement is important because it lets audiences hear nuances like the trash can like ping of drummer Charlie Benante’s snare or Scott Ian’s Kirk Hammet-esque guitar line. The snare drum by itself honestly sounds awful to this drummer, but when coupled with Belladonna’s vocals and the rest of the lines, it works. Ian’s guitar line, when coupled with the song’s bass line, makes the song even fuller. Again, it shows the importance of being able to hear not just multiple takes of the songs featured here but every side of songs in general.
The demo takes of FAK’s songs featured here are in themselves key to the collection’s overall presentation. Of course one cannot ignore the bonus b-side ‘Vice of the People’ and the band’s cover of White Stripes’ ‘Black Math.’ ‘Vice of the People’ is a heavy-full on slab of metal that will take audiences back to the band’s infancy with its driving arrangement and lyrical content. The band’s full-throttle cover of ‘Black Math’ is just as interesting of an addition to the collection’s whole. The band’s take of this song makes one think instantly of Motorhead, Thin Lizzy and so many other similar acts thanks to its arrangement. That is meant in the most complimentary fashion possible. Between these two bonuses, the FAK demos and the FAK finals, it should be wholly clear now why the songs featured in this collection are so critical to its overall presentation. They are collection’s foundation. Sitting atop that foundation is the set’s packaging, which is just as important to discuss.
The songs featured in Anthrax’s new For All Kings 7” vinyls collection form a solid foundation for the collection’s overall presentation. That is because of the rich picture painted through the songs. While they are undeniably critical to the collection’s overall presentation, they are not its only important pieces. The collection’s packaging is just as important to discuss as the songs. The songs culled for the collection are spread across a total of 10 7-inch discs, each in its own sleeve inside a larger box bearing the original FAK artwork. Each vinyl’s sleeve boasts its own single cover art. The box containing the separate vinyls is not small. But it also is not some overly bulky container either. Simply put, while the box is not small, it is still relatively ergonomically sound. It won’t take up too much room in anyone’s collection. In an age when people are so concerned about going digital to save space in their homes, this is very much an important element to note. Keeping this in mind, the collection’s box builds solidly on the foundation formed by the collection’s songs, setting up the last of the set’s most important elements—its pricing.
The songs featured in Anthrax’s new For All Kings 7” vinyls box and the collection’s packaging are both critical parts of the collection’s whole to discuss. That has already been noted. While both elements are clearly important in their own right, they are not its only important elements. Its pricing is the last of the collection’s most important elements but hardly its least important element. Comparing its price between Target, Wal-Mart, Amazon and Best Buy, the set’s price averages to approximately $87.28. In other words, its average price stays below the $100 mark even after tax and shipping. Considering the amount of material presented across the collection and the box’s size, that is actually not a bad average. While not necessarily cheap per se, it is still economical along with being ergonomic and enjoyable. Simply put, its average pricing would not break the bank for any longtime Anthrax fan or someone looking for the perfect gift for that special Anthrax fan. When that is considered along with the set’s packaging and its breadth of material, it proves to be a collection that will appeal to any Anthrax fan regardless of whether they consider the collection a re-issue of For All Kings or a new release overall.
Anthrax’s recently released For All Kings 7” vinyls box set is a collection that will remind the metal community in whole why Anthrax is still rock and metal royalty. Whether one considers it a re-issue of the previously released 2016 album or an overall new release, it boasts plenty to prove the band’s place among the rock and metal echelons including FAK’s original 2016 release and demo takes of many of the album’s songs, and a pair of bonus tunes. That wide breadth of material couples with ergonomic packaging and a price point that won’t break any fan’s bank. It proves this band still cares about providing quality and quality entertainment to its fans. It shows once again why Anthrax is still rock and metal royalty. Anthrax’s new For All Kings 7” vinyls box set is available now in stores and online. More information on the collection is available online now along with all of the band’s latest news and more at:
Website: http://anthrax.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/anthrax
Twitter: http://twitter.com/anthrax
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