Heart of Steel: Concert Reviews

Downtown, Farmingdale, NY 10-15, 2003

Review By Kieth McDonald
Thanks to Chipster PR for the live photos

As soon as I walked into the Downtown I knew I'd have a hard time getting close to the stage. The opening act had just ended their set and I figured there was at least a half-hour wait before Scott Ian and company was going to hit the stage. The room, which can hold a nice amount of people, was wall to wall Anthrax fans.

It was good to see the band hit a Long Island club, most of the time they played at some New York City venue that holds a few thousand instead of a few hundred. Anthrax hit the stage around 11:00 playing a 90 minute set the included songs from their new album We've Come For You All peppered with their classics. 'What Doesn't Die', off their new disc, opened the night of pure metal. Following that was a string of classics that included 'Only', 'Room For One More', 'Caught In A Mosh' and newer tracks like 'Safe Home' and 'Superhero'. But it was the hits 'Anti-Social' and 'Bring The Noise' that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Mosh pits opened up in front of singer John Bush, who did sound a little tired but still put on a great show.

This band has been around for a long time, which is very hard now-a-days. They are a solid, tight union that knows how to entertain a crowd. They give their fans all that they have and then some more. As I see more and more 'newer' metal acts try to emulate what Anthrax has done, I realize that few can do what they have done.

The band also held a 'meet & greet' after the show for a few lucky fans which was the highlight of the night. They hung out, taking pictures and signing autographs. Very cool. Check these guys out when they come to your town, you won't regret it.