LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts/ Universal
Music Enterprises) - Pioneering metal band Anthrax, one of the genre's most influential, innovative and respected groups, melded the speed and fury of hardcore punk with the guitars and vocals of heavy metal to help create speed and thrash metal. Now what many consider the group's greatest album, 1987's Among The Living, has been expanded with bonus tracks and a concert DVD, and digitally remastered for the first time, for the CD+DVD package Among The Living (Deluxe Edition) (Island/Megaforce/UMe), released November 10, 2009.
Issued simultaneously will be the two-CD set Caught In A Mosh: BBC Live In Concert (Island/Megaforce/UMe), which brings together 1987 U.K. concerts from the Among The Living world tour recorded at Hammersmith Odeon and the Donnington Festival. Making its U.S. debut, Caught In A Mosh: BBC Live In Concert was originally released internationally in 2007.
Among The Living, originally produced by Eddie Kramer and Anthrax, was the band's third full-length album and featured the lineup of singer Joe Belladonna, lead guitarist Dan Spitz, rhythm guitarist Scott Ian, bassist Frank Bello and drummer Charlie Benante. Building on an underground following with signature tracks such as "I Am The Law," "Caught In A Mosh" and "Indians," the album catapulted Anthrax to widespread recognition and earned the group's first gold award. Among The Living also marked the height of the band's use of horror and comic book inspirations, with the title track and album cover image based on the Stephen King novel The Stand, "A Skeleton In The Closet" on King's novella Apt Pupil, and "I Am The Law" on the comic book character Judge Dredd.
Added for the new Among The Living (Deluxe Edition) version are previously unreleased studio outtakes of "Indians," "One World" and "Imitation Of Life," an instrumental of "I'm The Man," a live-in-Dallas 1987 version of "I Am The Law," and "Bud E Luv Bomb And Satan's Lounge Band," originally released as the "I Am The Law" b-side. The bonus DVD is the live-in-London concert film "OIDIVNIKUFESIN (N.F.V.)," which went gold when issued on video in 1987. "This record was done at a time when life was moving so fast for us, and I think the music reflects that pace. I really enjoyed going back into 1986/87 and found some great stuff in my vault I had forgot about. I think Anthrax fans will enjoy this remastered collection; the high end and low end is back as how it was intended to sound. Thrash metal is alive and well in Among The Living," says drummer Charlie Benante.
Anthrax would go on to score a platinum EP and four more gold albums as well as break new ground with a fusion of rock and rap. The classic lineup reunited to tour from 2005-2006, after changes a dozen-plus years earlier. On its solo dates, Anthrax played one album in its entirety-Among The Living.
AMONG THE LIVING (DELUXE EDITION) - TRACK LISTING:
DISC ONE (CD):
ORIGINAL ALBUM
1. Among The Living
2. Caught In A Mosh
3. I Am The Law
4. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)
5. A Skeleton In The Closet
6. Indians
7. One World
8. A.D.I./Horror Of It All
9. Imitations Of Life
BONUS TRACKS
10. Indians (Alternate Lead)
11. One World (Alternate Take)
12. Imitation Of Life (Alternate Take)
13. Bud E Luv Bomb And Satan's Lounge Band
14. I Am The Law (Live in Dallas)
15. I'm The Man (Instrumental)
DISC TWO (DVD):
"OIDIVNIKUFESIN (N.F.V.)"
Live in London 1987
1. Intro
2. Among The Living
3. Caught In A Mosh
4. Metal Thrashing Mad
5. I Am The Law
6. Madhouse
7. Indians
8. Medusa
9. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)
10. Armed And Dangerous
11. A.I.R. / I'm The Man / A.I.R.
12. Gung Ho
CAUGHT IN A MOSH: BBC LIVE IN CONCERT - TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE - Hammersmith Odeon 2/15/87:
1. A.I.R.
2. Metal Thrashing Mad
3. Panic
4. The Enemy
5. I Am The Law
6. Madhouse
7. The Howling Furies
8. Medusa
9. Armed And Dangerous
10. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
11. God Save The Queen
12. Gung Ho
DISC TWO - Donnington Festival 8/22/87:
1. Among The Living
2. Caught In The Mosh
3. Madhouse
4. I Am The Law
5. Medusa
6. Indians
7. God Save The Queen
8. A.I.R.
9. I'm The Man
