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Rating: Who says that EPs are useless? Take "Armed And Dangerous" by Anthrax, a fundamental band in thrash metal, which has remained true to its sound much more than other bands of the genre (Metallica?), this mini-album was released in 1985 on the occasion of Joey Belladonna's entrance, who replaced the previous singer Neil Turbin, and it is very well prepared, offering everything an EP should have to satisfy not only the collector fan but all those who like metal, and damn...
"Armed & Dangerous" pulls it off, and boy does it! It starts with the title track, the first unreleased song: truly a heavy metal masterpiece introduced with a guitar arpeggio that might suggest a ballad, but then the rhythm heats up and a speed metal song starts in full Anthrax style, the new singer is phenomenal to say the least; to me, he is the Bruce Dickinson of thrash metal, in fact, his voice tone is very similar to the singer of Iron Maiden, one of the bands that Anthrax has always been inspired by. More tied to the pure thrash metal sound is the second unreleased song "Raise Hell", with an anthem-like refrain and a structure that reminds one of a Judas Priest-style song with an accelerated tempo, still a nice song, but it's a step below the already mentioned "Armed & Dangerous", but even here Belladonna stands out for his truly commendable singing.
The third track is "God Save The Queen", the classic from the historic punk rock band Sex Pistols, perfectly reinterpreted by a band like Anthrax, who with this cover show their punk side, musically excellent, but not essential. The next two songs are played live and are "Metal Trashing Mad" (a song from which the term "thrash metal" was coined) and "Panic", two Anthrax classics, present on the debut "Fistful Of Metal" from the previous year, and interpreted by Belladonna they are even more captivating. Other unreleased tracks include "Soldiers Of Metal", a song that, in its main structure, pays a strong tribute to Maiden's "Transylvania", in fact, the riff is the same, but it's well disguised as it is not an instrumental piece (like the Maiden song), and then it has a fantastic solo and Belladonna's voice reaches great heights, concluding with another unreleased track, the wonderful "Howling Furies", a perfect song, that leaves behind the pure thrash clichés for a closer approach to NWOBHM of Maiden, Saxon, Diamond Head, with a spot-on riff, paced tempo, superb solos, and last but not least, spectacular high notes from the singer.
I repeat that "Armed & Dangerous" is not just for die-hard fans and collectors, but it is an excellent piece of Anthrax's discography and moreover, it is the first great showcase for an excellent singer like Joey Belladonna.
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