AMG Review of Volume 8: The Threat Is Real [Bonus Tracks]

Johnny Loftus
All Music Guide

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.