TRAPPED IN THIS NIGHTMARE
I WISH I'D WAKE
AND MY WHOLE LIFE
BEGINS TO SHAKE
FOUR WALLS SURROUND ME,
AN EMPTY GAZE
I CAN'T FIND MY WAY
OUT OF THIS MAZE
Spreading the Disease
is the second
studio album
by the American
thrash metal band
It was the band's
first album to
feature vocalist
Joey Belladonna
and bassist
Frank Bello.
Background and Writing
After Anthrax
finished touring in support
of
Fistful of Metal,
vocalist
Neil Turbin
was expelled
from the band.
Matt Fallon
replaced him,
but was quickly fired
because he
lacked confidence
in the studio.
Producer
Carl Canedy
suggested the group
to audition
Joey Belladonna,
who was not familiar
with thrash metal.
Though the band members
were not pleased with
Belladonna's
musical background,
they hired him
and booked a
few shows with their
new frontman.
Spreading the Disease
was recorded at
the Pyramid Sound Studios
in Ithaca,
New York with
Canedy,
while
Jon Zazula
served as
executive producer.
The album featured
the single
"Madhouse",
for which a
music video
was produced,
but it did not
receive much airplay
on MTV,
because the station
believed the content
was degrading
to people with
mental illnesses.
Spreading the Disease
was the band's
major label debut
and was released by
Megaforce / Island Records.
It was the last
Anthrax album
to feature songwriting
from Turbin.
This was also
the first to feature
songwriting from bassist
Dan Lilker
after his departure
from the band, t
hough more of his
songwriting would be
featured on the
following album,
Among the Living.
Turbin wrote the lyrics for
"Armed and Dangerous"
and
"Gung-Ho",
and Lilker
contributed to the music.
Zazula was given
songwriting credit for
"Medusa",
his only contribution
for Anthrax.
Zazula was
originally credited
as the sole writer
of the song,
but album reissues
credit the rest of the band
as well.
Former vocalist
Matt Fallon,
who left during
the recording sessions,
claimed in a
2016 interview
that he contributed
to the lyrics
but was left uncredited.
The band has not
commented on
these accusations.
After recording
Spreading the Disease,
guitarist
Scott Ian,
drummer
Charlie Benante
and Lilker,
who had joined
Nuclear Assault,
founded the
Stormtroopers of Death
and recorded the
crossover thrash album
Speak English or Die.
In his autobiography,
I'm the Man:
The Story of That Guy from Anthrax
Scott Ian said
the acronym in the song
"A.I.R."
stands for
"Adolescence in Red"
and that it was a
wordplay of his on
George Gershwin's
Rhapsody in Blue.
The outro of
"Gung-Ho"
is a rondo from
"Sinfonie de Fanfares"
by the
Baroque composer
Jean-Joseph Mouret.
Cover Art
The cover art was made by
Peter Corriston
and
Dave Heffernon,
who had worked on
Led Zeppelin's
Physical Graffiti
sleeve.
Benante came up
with the concept of a
man being investigated
for radiation levels.
BONUS !!
(Live)
Metal Thrashing
(Live)
The Enemy
(Live)
Madhouse
(Live)
Howling Furies
(Live)
Armed And Dangerous
(Live)
Gung-Ho
(Live)
Soldiers Of Metal
(Live)
Medusa
(Joey Belladonna Demo)
Lone Justice
(1984 Rhythm Track Tape)
Metal Thrashing Mad
(1984 Rhythm Track Tape)
Raise Hell
(1984 Rhythm Track Tape)
Stand Or Fall
(1984 Rhythm Track Tape)
Aftershock
(1984 Rhythm Track Tape)
Armed And Dangerous
(1984 Rhythm Track Tape)
Madhouse
(1984 Rhythm Track Tape)
The Enemy
(1984 Rhythm Track Tape)
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