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Crimson & Jet Black

    
       
       
       
     
             
Anthem are a heavy metal band from Japan formed in 1981 who, along with Earthshaker, Loudness, Saber Tiger and EZO, placed Japan firmly on the worldwide metal scene. The band have endured numerous line-up changes and an eight year hiatus (from 1992 to 2000), yet have still released an incredible twenty studio albums! That's more than metal legends Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, thrash icons Metallica and Slayer, and rock sensations, and one of the most influential bands of all time, The Beatles! Led by the ever present Naoto Shibata (bass), the bands most recent album 'Crimson & Jet Black' emerged in 2023...    
             
...featuring eleven straight up heavy metal anthems across fifty two fast paced and highly head bang-able minutes! The band are in fantastic form, pummelling the airways with a brand of metal that is full of purpose, power and intent, wholly based in the realm of traditional heavy metal. Anthem kick off their latest opus with the barnstorming 'Snake Eyes', full of ferocious pace, intensity, and a head bang ability that's second to none! The band are in devastating form, showing many bands their junior just how heavy metal should sound - fast paced "foot on the monitor" and highly infectious. After such a blazing start, the band roar on with the red hot 'Wheels Of Fire' - kicking much more ass than 'Snake Eyes'. And a massive melodic upsurge too! The chorus break a wonderful sing a long affair that every single listener, fan and follower are gonna sing at the tops of their voices. Anthem mean business, keeping the pedal pressed firmly to the metal.    
             
The band - similar to countrymen Loudness - have enjoyed a long and prolific career, proving they're far from finished, releasing album number twenty in the bands phenomenal forty year existence. The new album strides on at full tilt with the fast paced fury of 'Howling Days', pounding harder than either of the two previous songs, banging heads with more venom than ever before! I hope your neck muscles are fully warmed up, 'cause 'Crimson & Jet Black' is shaping up to be one helluva workout - simply breath taking stuff from the Japanese four piece! And with no sign of the incredible intensity level dropping, 'Roaring Vortex' takes flight, furiously slamming listeners with a pulsating jack hammer style barrage - the band slowing the pace to adopt the foot stomping mid tempo style of metal. The heaviness here is staggering, lesser mortals reaching for the painkillers, while the rest of us are yelling at the band "is that all you've got", the band replying with a defiant "no", smacking us hard in the face with 'Blood Brothers' - and no, not a cover of the Iron Maiden classic (off the bands 2000 album 'Brave New World'). Anthem's 'Blood Brothers', is the fastest song heard so far, storming by in hurried fashion, banging heads violently and sending the worlds mosh pits into overdrive!    
             
And as we reach the half way mark, 'Crimson & Jet Black' has been nothing short of stunning, the pace and power mixed with an insanely high infectious level is simply perfection. But when you think about it, what else would you expect from a band that's enjoyed four decades at the forefront of the heavy metal scene! 'Master Of Disaster' carries on the metal masterclass, devastating the landscape it scurries over, to leave only desolation in its wake. Anthem are reaffirming their position as one of the leading lights in heavy metal, with many new and younger bands looking up to them for inspiration. And with songs such as the thundering 'Void Ark' making a deep impression on the senses, it's easy to see why! The hustle and bustle nature of 'Void Ark' is amazingly melodic, and even without any vocals you just wanna sing along! Simply sensational stuff! And what do you reckon is the expectation of a song with the title 'Faster'. Well you're nearly right - for it certainly ain't slow, planting one foot firmly on the monitor and galloping on with all the aura of old school heavy metal. And let's be honest, are Anthem putting themselves in contention for the Album Of The Year title? Methinks that's a very strong yes!    
             
And as 'Crimson & Jet Black' enters its fourth and final quarter, the band maintain the sensational intensity level the album began with - 'Burning Down The Wall' smelling even stronger of old school metal than the previous song, the sound of the glorious eighties resonating from every pore of 'Burning Down The Wall'. But then why wouldn't it? Anthem are a band from the eighties - it's in their blood! The band return the heavy foot stomping style of earlier, the mighty 'Mystic Echoes' marching on with a majesty not heard before. There's a really high regal feeling here, 'Mystic Echoes' walking tall and proud with a swagger that just screams "look at me". And look you will, for that's how fabulously infectious 'Mystic Echoes' is - along with every other song on offer! The album comes to a close with the dynamic 'Danger Flight', a full on and intense gallop of foot on the monitor heavy metal. And one of the most melodious too - Anthem ending their new album in a blaze of glory.    
             
Overall, a superb album of melodic heavy metal, highly head bang-able and immensely infectious.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
             
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