Album Review: "Worship Music" by Anthrax

The Big 4 - Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax - were the kings of thrash metal in the '80s. Nothing was more prevalent in American metal than those four bands. But as time passed and music changed, the Big 4 changed as well, each taking a different direction in attempts to stay relevant and popular. Anthrax encountered the most difficulty of the four bands, and their releases became less and less frequent with time, even though the band seemed to be doing fairly well with vocalist John Bush. Then, after 2003's We've Come for You All, Anthrax suddenly disappeared from the public eye. There was always news of the band working on new material, but nothing came to fruition, not even after the band's brief stint with lead singer Dan Nelson and the attempts to release Worship Music in 2009. It took the band's reunion with singer Joey Belladonna to finally bring this album to life, and with it, Anthrax hopes to revitalize their career and remind everyone what made them part of the Big 4 in the first place.

Album Review: "La Raza" by Armored Saint

Armored Saint was one of the unsung heroes of the '80s thrash scene. Overshadowed by the Big 4 and plagued with lineup problems, the band never quite achieved the exposure to match the critical praise they received. Albums like March of the Saint and Symbol of Salvation became thrash classics over time, but Armored Saint didn't remain active long enough to see these successes, as Dave Prichard's death from leukemia and John Bush's departure from the band to join Anthrax spelled the end of Armored Saint in 1992. A brief reunion occurred in 1999, resulting in the album Revelation, but when Bush returned to Anthrax in 2001, Armored Saint again fell off the map. 2010 might prove to be the year for Armored Saint, though. With Bush back in the fold, the band's sixth studio album, La Raza, is a surprising effort that departs slightly from the sound of the band's older releases but will satisfy old fans and first-time listeners alike.

News Commentary: Should John Bush return to Anthrax?

In a recent interview with MetalSucks, Armored Saint/ex-Anthrax lead singer John Bush said that the possibility exists that he would provide vocals for Anthrax's Worship Music, an album that was supposed to be released in October 2009, but was delayed when then-singer Dan Nelson left the band. Anthrax has played some live shows with Bush since then, and the responses have been overwhelmingly positive. Fans and critics alike have been constantly asking current members of Anthrax if Bush would return, and the response has been one of uncertainty every time. Bush's statement that the possibility still exists will likely fuel a whole new wave of the same questions.