Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 09/20/2005
The first thing that hits you about
Alive 2 is how terrific it
sounds. Opening with
"Among the Living," Charlie Benante's drums and the sludgy, churning guitars of
Scott Ian and
Dan Spitz peel out of the speakers at 4,000 decibels. It's like they're trying to make up for a decade lost. And maybe they are.
Alive 2 chronicles a June 3, 2005 show at
the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ, and features
Anthrax's classic lineup reunited for its 20th anniversary. Along with
Spitz,
Ian, and
Benante, that includes
Frank Bello on bass and vocalist
Joey Belladonna. After
"Among the Living" the quintet rumbles through incredibly tight versions of
"Caught in a Mosh" and the double-bass-heavy
"A.I.R." Anthrax goes all the way back to 1984's
Fistful of Metal -- pre-
Belladonna -- for
"Deathrider," and the dude-heavy crowd greets
Persistence of Time's
"In My World" with chants of "
Joey!
Joey!
Joey!" The set closes with
"Be All End All" and the
Judge Dredd tribute
"I Am the Law." Fans will note that despite being a solid live album from start to finish -- it a better recording than 2004's
Music of Mass Destruction, and the
Belladonna-era lineup seems to be getting a thrill out of playing again --
Alive 2 only includes half of a commemorative
Dredd drawing. The other half's in the
Alive 2 DVD, which expands the song lineup to 13 songs and includes behind-the-scenes footage.
~Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
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