Thrash-metal legends Anthrax celebrated their 40th anniversary Friday night with an all-cylinders-firing tour stop at the Boeing Center at Tech Port. SanAntonio SATX SanAntonioTX SanAntonioMusic ThingsToDoInSanAntonio HeavyMetal ThrashMetal
New York City thrash-metal legends Anthrax celebrated their 40th anniversary Friday night with an all-cylinders-firing tour stop at San Antonio’s Boeing Center at Tech Port. Comrades Black Label Society and Exodus offered able support.
Finally, Anthrax appeared behind the curtain. The silhouettes of guitarist Scott Ian and drummer Charlie Benante towered over the stage, appropriate since they’re heart of the band. As the strains of “Among the Living” rang through the crowd, the curtain dropped, and the thrashing began. Throughout the set, the band played to its strengths: powerful, thrashy riffs and singalong choruses led by Ian’s slightly off-tempo shout, a nod to hardcore punk influences. The vibe was especially present in a cover of Joe Jackson’s “Got the Time,” which dropped near the end of the set. Crowd pleaser “Antisocial” also was a cover, this one by the French band Trust.
Exodus pulled out its own classics, from “Bonded by Blood” to “The Toxic Waltz,” starting the night in aggressive form. Vocalist Steve “Zetro” Souza let loose with a shrieking style that’s an underrated influence in the extreme metal style that emerged in the ’90s, post-thrash. Wylde had the distinction of singing the evening’s lone ballad, “In This River,” on which he played piano. During the song, the screen filled with pictures of the Wylde with “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott and his brother, Vinnie Paul Abbott, the late musicians who comprised half of Pantera. While oddly reminiscent of Cinderella’s “Don’t Know What You Got ,” the song still managed to give the evening its only sentimental moment.