Band:	Anthrax
Album:	Spreading The Disease
Style:	Thrash metal
Release date:	October 30, 1985
A review by:	Pierre Tombale

01. A.I.R.
02. Lone Justice
03. Madhouse
04. S.S.C./Stand Or Fall
05. The Enemy
06. Aftershock
07. Armed And Dangerous
08. Medusa
09. Gung-Ho

44 minutes of a bunch of killerspeed classic american thrash metal awaits the listener with Anhtrax second album 'Spreading The Disease'. When I say killer I mean killer, most of the songs are played at amazing speed, skilled and tranined metal superathletes the five guys must be able to play this material alone on a concert. I know since I play in a band currently as a drummer I tend to be exhausted after playing for ten minutes at less speed than these guys.
Adding the amazing voice of Joe Belladonna, who is able to burst your eardrum with high-pitched screams you got what it takes to go into a mid-eighties-metal-battle and get out with a wild bunch of fans that is glad to mosh hard?

'Mosh hard? always!' That is the statement that closes the text part of the booklet to this album and that is what you can do from the first to the last second of this album. The opener 'A.I.R.' gives you a good preview of what is to come and the final song 'Gung-Ho' somehow kicks you out that same way, only faster. Fierce drumming, lightspeed guitar riffs and solos and screams like thunder manage to keep up the pace, even if there might be a slower part, the next ssecond is about to kick your ass. 'Madhouse' is one of the tracks that falls behind in terms of speed, but made it into my favorites of all time by the first listen. I got to know that song through a video game, Grand Theft Auto - Vice City to be exact, that gave a chain reaction in my brain and I wanted more. For me 'Madhouse' can't be beaten by any of the other songs on 'Spreading The Diesease', but all those speed-freaks out there may tend to find the opposite. For all of you this album has much to offer. For example 'S.S.C/Stand Or Fall' which begins with an oriental type of intro which is quickly relieved by a lightspeed solo and turns to a fast song. 'The Enemy' does the same thing, only it begins with a nice drumpart and then turns to staccoto riffing played in no time?
The bouncer 'Gung-Ho' is played at approximate 240 bpm. A short excursion: Gung-Ho is a chinese/mandarin term used to express an attituded of can do and working cooperation, the military character of this song may have come out, because the term was borrowed by american marines in the 1930's.

Though I'm not the type of mosh til your head falls of albums this still makes a solid appeal to me and it's played and sung significantly skilled by a bunch of fierce-hearted men, untamed, raw and powerful. Not to forget that it has one of my favourite songs. It's worth a 7.0