It’s been a week since Anthrax dropped The Edge of Perfection, the second single from their upcoming Cursum Perficio album. And I have to say that I cannot get enough of this song. It is simply unbelievable. It’s heavy, it’s epic, it soars like nothing they have ever done before, and every element combines to be about as perfect a slice of epic thrash as you are likely to hear.
Essentially, it is a love song about Scott Ian‘s family, yet it is darkly brooding with massive layers of guitars and rapid fire percussion building a wall of sound to underpin the ever excellent Joey Belladonna‘s huge vocal. In a recent interview with Allison Hagendorf, one of the most respected voices in rock, she described the song as an instant classic and pressed Scott for an opinion. The guitarist replied “I have zero modesty when it comes to that song. I truly think it is the best song we’ve ever done. It’s the apex of our career. It’s our magnum opus”. I cannot disagree.
Released 35 years ago on July 09, 1991, the Anthrax and Public Enemy version of Bring the Noise remains the ultimate rap metal crossover. Sure, Aerosmith / Run DMC‘s version of Walk This Way had made a massive impact, but speed metal with rapping on it was totally unheard of. Scott Ian and Chuck D, however,were among the first to recognise the shared power of Hip Hop and Heavy Rock and made this irresistable mash up work so well that it still sounds awesome to this very day.
Although Anthrax had first covered the track in their live set some two years earlier, Chuck D didn’t really take the thrashers seriously, and given the tribal nature of music at the time there was plenty of concern that both groups might lose some of their audience. However, Scott Ian was heavily into Hip Hop and was the architect who made it happen, famously keeping Joey Belladonna the band’s vocalist, completely in the dark literally until Chuck and Flav showed up in the studio. Despite the misgivings, the bands totally hit it off while hanging out together, and once the song was in the can it was an obvious banger, with the tour that followed seeing Public Enemy up the intensity of their live show to match their fellow New Yorkers. It ended up being Anthrax’s biggest hit in the UK, peaking at number 14, and his been a staple of their live shows ever since.
The song standing the test of time is no real surprise, given its undeniable accessibility and solid gold quality, but the fact that both bands are still relevant is no mean feat. Anthrax are set to release their twelfth studio album later this year with the first single, It’s For the Kids showing that, 45 years into their career, they have lost none of their vibrancy. Chuck D, meanwhile, never stops creating: 2025 saw the release of PE’s superb 16th studio album, Black Sky Over the Projects: Apartment 2025; this year he released the classy doPE project with John Densmore; then there is the book of Chuck’s art – Livin’ Loud: ARTitation; not to mention everything else he curates, promotes and collaborates in. Chuck may be approaching 66 but he continues to prove that age is just a number.
Check out the gallery below featuring the wonderful package of the limited edition 10″ picture disc. Classic.
As this is one of my most viewed posts and given that Public Enemy and Chuck D have remained as relevant as ever into the 2020s, I have edited and extended the post to fit the times: That Public Enemy are The Beatles of Hip-Hop is given, that Chuck D is the Godfather likewise, but there’s always been another level with Chuck and PE. Not only have they always been a band apart from the scene, but also the one rap group capable of crossing genre boundaries, as proven on tours with The Cult, Prodigy, and, recently, Guns n Roses. It’s no surprise that despite being in their sixties and with a career of over forty years they are still raging and delivering quality work; last year’s ‘Black Sky Over The Projects: Apartment 2025’ being all killer, while the soundtrack to ‘Live from Metropolis’ proved they are still a cut above the rest on stage.
Neither Public Enemy nor Chuck D could be described as subtle, they have a point to get across and do so forcefully, the politically charged subject matter of their lyrics more suited to the direct approach. For in your face delivery of barbed social commentary and raw power, Chuck’s booming baritone is unmatchable, his distinctively resonant voice setting him out as one of the most unmistakeable MCs of our time. It´s testament to his talent and Public Enemy’s standing that outside of the band Chuck has contributed to a number of collaborations in genres as diverse as Folk and Heavy Metal, check them out below…
Cutting Heads with John Mellencamp When folk singer Mellencamp wrote a song about his irritation at rappers using the “N” word in their songs, he needed a black voice and there was really only man he could call – ” I thought coming from me alone, it would be obtuse. But Chuck is the conscience of the whole black community. He was the only choice to do this song with me, because he’s the only guy that never participated in it, always kept his integrity and his wits about him.” Bluesy folk with a southern groove and a laid back rap from Mr D.
New Agenda with Janet Jackson When Janet Jackson took full artistic control of her career and made her phenomenally successful fifth album ‘Janet’, Chuck was the man to provide a hard edged counterbalance to JJ’s pop stylings. (Not so) Surprisingly, the black-pride anthem is a fine slice of slick pop music with a little added depth – tune.
Your Reality’s a Fantasy But Your Fantasy Is Killing Me with Boom Boom Satellites The big beat jazz punk of this Japanese duo makes for interesting listening and this extremely likeable track features a stellar vocal performance from Chuck. Now though, the only version still spinning on YouTube is the Coldcut remix, which is also awesome!
Survival a.k.a. Black Survivors with Bob Marley ‘Chant Down Babylon’ is an absolutely superb remix album of Bob Marley‘s music featuring a number of contributions from the likes of Lauren Hill, Busta Rhymes and of course Chuck D. There’s a short rough and ready rap from the Public Enemy frontman as well as spoken contributions. Great album, well worth checking out.
Bring The Noise with Anthrax This is without doubt the ultimate rap metal crossover collaboration and, back then, speed metal with rapping on it was pioneering stuff – damn, even Scott Ian contributes a verse. Quality. Check out the all star on stage mosh on this version.
Prophets of Rage with B Real, Tom Morello, Brad Wilk, Tim Commerford and DJ Lord
This was actually much more than a mere collaboration, it was a full blown band project with Chuck as second MC to B Real of Cypress Hill backed by Tom, Tim and Brad of Rage Against the Machine & Audioslave, as well as DJ Lord. They made an EP and an album and toured the world. Quite frankly, they were fucking amazing and it is still one of the best shows I have ever been to – they absolutely ripped it up in Rio and I had the privilege of being front and centre and shaking Chuck’s hand. Many thanks to DJ Lord for putting me on the guest list. Here’s a taste of what it was like.
Hard Pressed 