Anthrax is an American band which stands alongside the greats of the thrash metal genre, Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth and this is reflected in the worldwide sales of over 10 million.
The band was formed in 1981 and the first album, Fistful of Metal, was released in 1984. After the album they were joined by Joey Belladonna and Frank Bello and the classic line-up was complete. The next few albums marked the halcyon days for Anthrax, with Among The Living (1987) going platinum and State Of Euphoria (1988) and Persistence Of Time (1990) reaching gold status.
In 1992, Belladonna left the band and was replaced by John Bush. The departure marked a downturn in fortunes. While 1993’s Sound of White Noise performed well, reaching the Top 10 of the Billboard charts, it was their last gold album. Trouble with record labels caused problems and the band struggled to get promotion for their releases. We’ve Come for You All (2003) reached a measly 122 on the Billboard charts.
In 2005 the classic line-up reformed and played a host of dates, but no new material was released. Belladonna left again and since 2007 the band has been playing with Dan Nelson taking up vocal duties.
