[Review] Anthrax: Persistence of Time (1990)
Ten more pummeling tracks of thrash metal that left tire marks on Belladonna’s back.
Kronomyth 5.0: Life and death are fighting for my time
This might be their heaviest album yet in terms of sheer force. Heck, even Joe Jackson isn’t safe this time. I wasn’t a big fan of State of Euphoria, but Persistence of Time is a pure shot of adrenalin in the heart (with more or less the same risks of brain damage). The album’s heaviness is both its most redeeming feature and its lone weakness. Joe Belladonna’s voice is literally crushed by the sonic onslaught of Charlie Benante’s pummeling drums, slashing dual-guitar attack and thundering bass. The band cited artistic differences with Belladonna in 1992, yet the real problem seems to be that Anthrax didn’t leave enough room for a lead singer. I mean, how loud would you have to scream to be heard in this band? Every song is like six minutes of a sheer cliff where you’re endlessly falling as the wind rushes past your face. Now, that’s a pretty awesome feeling, so I’m not knocking it, only saying that a three-minute freefall is just as exciting. Take their cover of Jackson’s Got the Time or, better still, the cover of Discharge’s Protest and Survive that was appended to the Japanese compact disc. Those songs are amazing. The instrumental Intro to Reality, a clear nod to Black Sabbath, is also a nice touch. Not to say that you grow tired of the band’s epic metal—Persistence of Time picks up momentum along the way—you just wish Benante and Scott Ian weren’t so locked in to a specific sound. If you’re in the mood to bang your head against the wall of the world’s cruel indifference, Anthrax is your medicine. I’m not sure what you do for an encore after an album this intense, and maybe that’s why the band felt they needed to change direction since they’d taken their thrash metal sound about as far as it could go.
Original elpee version
A1. Time (6:54)
A2. Blood (7:06)
A3. Keep It in the Family (7:07)
A4. In My World (6:23)
A5. Gridlock (5:08)
B1. Intro to Reality (3:24)
B2. Belly of the Beast (4:46)
B3. Got the Time (Joe Jackson) (2:44)
B4. H8 Red (6:02)
B5. One Man Stands (5:39)
B6. Discharge (5:11)
Japanese CD bonus track
12. Protest and Survive
All songs written by Anthrax unless noted.
The Players
Joe Belladonna, Frank Bello, Charlie Benante, Scott Ian, Dan Spitz. Produced by Anthrax and Mark Dodson; engineered by Mark Dodson; mixed by Mike Barbiero and Steve Thompson; mix engineered by Mike Barbiero; executive producers: Jon & Marsha Zazula.
The Pictures
Cover concept by Charlie Benante. Album cover art by Don Brautigam. Photos by Waring Abbott.
The Plastic
Released on compact disc, cassette and elpee on August 21, 1990 in the US (Island, 846 480-2/4), the UK (Island, IMCD 178 / ICT/ILPS 9967) , Germany (Island, 210 929) and Korea (Island, SEL-RI 2211) with lyrics innersleeve. Also released on expanded compact disc in 1990 in Japan (Island/Polysrar, PSCD-1032) with one bonus track. Reached #24 on the US charts (RIAA-certified gold record) and #13 on the UK charts.
- Re-issued on picture disc elpee in 1991 in the UK (Island, ILPSP 9967).
- Re-issued on 30th anniversary remastered 4LP in 2015 in the Czech Republic (B0018963-1) with 13 bonus tracks.
