Originally released in 1998,
Volume 8: The Threat Is Real marked a return to form for
Anthrax after the disappointing
Stomp 442. Its metal was thicker, especially on the pummeling "Piss & Vinegar" and hysterical "Killing Box," but the band also branched out with the rambling country-rock of "Toast to the Extras." No one was suggesting that
Anthrax take up country & western full-time, but any experimentation, however unexpected, offered respite from its early-'90s rut.
Volume 8 quickly became a fan favorite, but, unfortunately, went out of print when its label -- the short-lived Tommy Boy offshoot Ignition -- went belly-up. Nice guys that they are,
Anthrax reissued
Volume 8 through its new label Sanctuary, and included a clutch of bonus tracks. In addition to the original acoustic extra "Pieces," the new version features a previously unreleased rocker called "Giving the Horns" and the video for "Inside Out." There are also covers of
D.R.I.'s "Snap/I'd Rather Be Sleeping" and
Radiohead's "The Bends," which isn't surprising for its inclusion, but for how much it sounds like
Tesla in
Anthrax's hands. ~ Johnny Loftus