Anthems
Anthrax fans know the band has penchant for playing random covers, taking on old-school punk, classic rock, and even hip-hop. This *Anthems* EP is really a mini-album of unpredictable covers. The Rush-penned title track opens, with Joey Belladonna coming close to hitting all of Geddy Lee’s impossibly high vocal notes over Charlie Benante’s commendable attempt to s Neil Peart’s octopodal drumming style. But the real magic happens when Anthrax invents its own parts for the sections of the song that are too difficult to mirror. Conversely, taking on AC/DC’s “T.N.T.” is a noticeably less daunting task; the riffs that give that song its character are what many guitar students tackle when they first learn power chords. And Belladonna’s throaty inflections already sound like the late, great Bon Scott. This leaves Phil Campbell plenty of room to scribble down his lead guitar\'s signature. The band’s take on Boston’s “Smokin’” also sticks close to the original, while Journey’s “Keep on Runnin’” gets a heavy metal octane boost. But it’s Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak” that rocks hardest here.