Anthrax

Released: February 26, 2016

Songwriter: Joey Belladonna Scott Ian Frank Bello Charlie Benante

Producer: Jay Ruston

[Instrumental Intro]

[Verse 1]
Spare me your tales of virtue, morals and good deeds
And honor those things
Not wanting to know what is true
Fate burns for you
So onto others due

[Pre-Chorus]
Making a choice, crossing a line
It's only a matter of time that's driving you
And forcing your will, kids are to kill
The second you started to think you were guilty
Making a choice, crossing a line
It's only a matter of time that's pushing
Never content, get off the fence
Taking you right to the brink, it's falling straight down

[Chorus]
Do you solemnly swear to use your powers for evil?
Only then can you be the vice of the people

[Verse 2]
For two millennia you filled your base as thieves
Electron to the breed
There's no story so good, your lies won't make it better
And your Adam is deader

[Pre-Chorus]
Making a choice, crossing a line
It's only a matter of time that's driving you
And forcing your will, kids are to kill
The second you started to think you were guilty
Making a choice, crossing a line
It's only a matter of time that's pushing
Never content, get off the fence
Taking you right to the brink, it's falling straight down

[Chorus]
Do you solemnly swear to use your powers for evil?
Only then can you be the vice of the people
Idiots killing the truth, such a glorious fable
It's easy to believe, to be the vice of the people
Vice of the people, vice of the people, vice of the people

[Bridge]
Do you solemnly swear to use your powers for evil?
Only then can you be the vice of the people
The vice of the people, vice of the people
The f**king, f**king, f**king

[Instrumental Solo]

[Chorus]
Do you solemnly swear to use your powers for evil?
Only then can you be the vice of the people
Idiots killing the truth, such a glorious fable
It's easy to believe, to be the vice of the people
Vice of the people
Do you solemnly swear to use your powers for evil?
Only then can you be...
To be the vice of the people, vice of the people, vice of the people

Known as one of the Big Four of thrash metal, along with Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica, Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City “who would quite literally build a genre from the ground up”. Their name was chosen after searching a biology textbook for a ‘cool sounding disease’ that sounded “sufficiently evil”.

Anthrax started out in 1981 with guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker. After adding vocalist Neil Turbin, guitarist Dan Spitz and drummer Charlie Benante, Megaforce Records (Metallica, Mercyful Fate, Manowar) released the band’s debut single “Soldiers Of Metal” in late 1983. Its success led to the release of the group’s first album Fistful of Metal. What set Anthrax apart from many thrash metal bands of their time was their occasionally sardonic and ludicrous lyrics, a trend that would continue for the rest of the eighties.

After a number of lineup changes, the band finally found a stable group; Ian, Benante, Spitz, Frank Bello on bass, and Joey Belladonna on vocals. This lineup then released Spreading the Disease, the first of the “classic Anthrax albums” and their first to chart in the US. Anthrax toured with Metallica on their Damage Inc Tour in late 1986. At this time, Ian and Benante also formed the side project Stormtroopers of Death, which was controversial because of its deliberately racist and misogynist joke lyrics.

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