Once upon a time, Anthrax were counted among the “Big 4” of the thrash metal scene. Their lightning-fast riffs on top of Charlie Benante’s double bass caused more than a few cases of whiplash among their fans.
But time has a way of slowing things down, whether we like it or not. And, for Anthrax, the air brakes have been applying since Worship Music, their reunion album with singer Joey Belladonna. Their previous studio effort, For All Kings, further showed the move away from balls-to-the-wall metal.
Now, ten years after their last studio effort, Cursum Perficio has hit our hands… and, with rare exception, the transformation from speed metal kings to – well, a metal band who occasionally play fast – has been completed.
Look, I know the argument that people are going to present: as bands age, their sound matures, and sometimes that means moving away from the constant energetic blast beats. That may indeed be true… but, I would challenge, that maturity should also grant bands the ability to write songs with some lasting hooks that will keep the listener’s fists moving after the final note has faded out. And, on this one, there aren’t that many such moments.
“The Edge Of Perfection,” a song that band members have called the best song Anthrax has ever done, is one of the tracks that will make you sit up and pay attention. Granted, it doesn’t have the neck-snapping speed that classic songs like “Among The Living” had, but it’s got enough muscle musically and lyrically to rank among Anthrax’s most notable songs.
One wishes, though, that there were more moments like that. “My Victory,” the album’s closer, comes closest to reaching that high-water mark. Benante’s drum work is certainly on point, as are the dual guitars of Ian and Jon Donais, and it’s good to hear Frank Bello’s bass ring out in the background. As for Belladonna, he still has significant vocal power, even if he’s not going for those high screeches like he used to.
But this is where the praise for Cursum Perficio runs out. The remainder of the disc makes one wonder how in the hell it took Anthrax 10 years to come up with this material. “It’s For The Kids,” the lead-off single, hardly was the most ringing endorsement for Anthrax; it would have been better to have put “The Edge Of Perfection” out ahead of it, and not the other way around. Other tracks like “NYC ‘93,” “Infectious” and “The Long Goodbye,” have brief flashes of greatness, but just aren’t able to maintain the momentum for long.
It’s not that Cursum Perficio is a bad album; it’s not. But it carries the heavy weight of 10 years’ worth of expectations from the fans (and, undoubtely, their own). Much like any band who, for one reason or another, allows such a long gap between albums, the final product will just never live up to what we all expected as the finished product. Boston dealt with it; Guns ‘N Roses dealt with it. And, now, Anthrax has to deal with it.
There’s no doubt that long-time diehard fans of Anthrax will still add Cursum Perficio to their collections. I did (and, for the record, bought my copy). Whether or not this is an album that can grow on the listener… well, only time will tell. But I have a sinking feeling it will be collecting dust alongside For All Kings on my shelf, and have to sadly call this one a must-own only for the fans.