The godfathers of American thrash have had a rough go of it in the 21st century. The Big Four – that’s Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax, if you’re new here – have released a cumulative 20 studio albums since 2000. What’s the best of those records? It certainly isn’t any of Metallica’s limp, post-St. Anger nostalgia trips. Megadeth buried a handful of great tunes on The World Needs A Hero and The System Has Failed, but they’re both too filler-heavy to recommend without reservation. Slayer’s God Hates Us All has its share of defenders, and I’ll at least entertain the idea that its nü-isms are successful on their own terms. Personally, I hear a band who was afraid of aging out of the arena circuit trying desperately to impress the Slipknot set. I think the answer might be Anthrax’s 2011 album Worship Music, which found them reuniting with their classic-era vocalist Joey Belladonna. When’s the last time you listened to Worship Music? Have you even heard it?
