Among the Living

Infobox Album | Name = Among the Living
Type = studio
Artist = Anthrax


Released = March 22, 1987
Recorded = October-November 1986
Genre = Thrash metal
Length = 50:13
Label = Island
Producer = Anthrax, Eddie Kramer
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:aq6tk6hx9krk link]
*"Kerrang!" Rating|5|5
Last album = "Spreading the Disease"
(1985)
This album = "Among the Living"
(1987)
Next album = "State of Euphoria"
(1988) |

"Among the Living" is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. The album was released in March 1987 by Megaforce Worldwide/Island and is certified Gold by the RIAA.cite web
url= http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Among%20the%20Living&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=Artist&perPage=25
title= RIAA Gold and Platinum Search Results|accessdate= 2008-03-31|publisher= Recording Industry Association of America]

Album information

The band and Eddie Kramer produced the album. The album includes the singles, "I Am the Law" and "Indians".

"Among the Living" features a drawing of Henry Kane (a character from "Poltergeist II" motion picture). The band stated in interviews that he was the one thing that scared them the most.

This was the last album to feature songwriting by original bassist Danny Lilker, who, despite having left the band after 1984's "Fistful of Metal", was continuously credited as the co-writer of certain songs for the next two albums. On "Among the Living", he is credited as the co-writer of the songs "I Am the Law" and "Imitation of Life."

The album was dedicated to the memory of Cliff Burton of Metallica fame.

In 2000 the album was released in Germany as a double album along with "Persistence of Time".

On Anthrax's re-union tour in 2005 the majority of their concert set consisted of material from "Among the Living", while on their 2006 tour at solo-dates they performed the album in it's entirety.

Track listing

#"Among the Living" (Anthrax) – 5:16
#"Caught in a Mosh" (Anthrax) – 4:59
#"I Am the Law" (Anthrax, Danny Lilker) – 5:57
#"Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)" (Anthrax) – 4:54
#"A Skeleton in the Closet" (Anthrax) – 5:32
#"Indians" (Anthrax) – 5:40
#"One World" (Anthrax) – 5:56
#"A.D.I./Horror of It All" (Anthrax) – 7:49
#"Imitation of Life" (Anthrax, Lilker) – 4:22

Personnel

*Joey Belladonna – Vocals
*Dan Spitz –Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar on A.D.I
*Scott Ian – Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
*Frank Bello – Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
*Charlie Benante – Drums

ong information

*"Among the Living" is based on the Stephen King novel "The Stand". "The Walkin Dude" is Randall Flagg, the main villain in the book, and the beginning verse: "Disease! Disease! Spreading the disease!With some help from Captain Tripps, He'll bring he world down to its knees" refers to the virus that destroys most of the population in the novel.
*The rerecorded version of "Among the Living" from The Greater Of Two Evils is used as a background to the Clerks 2 Teaser
* "Caught in a Mosh" is ranked number 29 in VH1's "40 Greatest Metal Songs."cite web|url = http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/103446/episode_this_list.jhtml|title = 40 greatest metal songs (40-31)|accessdate = 2008-06-11|work = VH1|publisher = MTV Networks] A cover version of the song is included in the game "".cite web|url= http://old.gameplanet.co.nz/mag.dyn/Reviews/3213.html|title= Guitar Hero Encore - Rocks the 80s|accessdate= 2008-01-26|author= "Gunner"|date= 2007-08-22|work= Gameplanet.co.nz|publisher= Gameplanet|quote= Songs included in this release include: Caught in a Mosh (Anthrax)]
*"I Am the Law" is about the comic book character Judge Dredd.
*"Efilnikufesin (N.F.L)" is about the life of John Belushi. Efilnikufesin is "Nise Fukin Life" ("nice fucking life", phonetically) backward.
*"A Skeleton in the Closet" is based on the Stephen King novella "Apt Pupil" in the novel "Different Seasons". It has since been made into a movie.

References