Anthrax Drummer Hates How ‘Among the Living’ Originally Sounded

Anthrax's classic 'Among the Living' album is getting the reissue treatment. The deluxe edition is being released on Nov. 10, with lots of odds and sods and extras. But for drummer Charlie Benante, the Anthrax archivist, it's all about the sound!

"This has been on my mind for quite a while," Benante told Noisecreep. "I wanted to do a remastered version forever since I hate the way it sounds. It sounds so thin, and it's not how we intended it. This was back in 1987, when it came out, so we needed to add some of the low end, the highs and the mids to it, to make it sound the way it should. I had a bunch of stuff in the archives that I thought would be cool to put on there. Universal liked the idea and wanted to bump it up to a deluxe edition, so it started to take shape."

Benante is the self-proclaimed "pack rat" of the band. He said, "I am the one who keeps two of everything and I am the go-to guy. When stuff is needed, they come to me and I send it out. Most of the time, it's me. [Guitarist] Scott [Ian] does some of it, too."

The deluxe edition doesn't just sound better, though. The inclusion of outtakes and alternate versions of songs makes for an entirely new and different listening experience for a 22-year-old metal essential! "There are outtakes and alternate versions of songs, whether it be a different vocal or guitar lead, for fans to get a kick out of just hearing that part that are so used to that's now totally different," Benante said. "From my own love of the Beatles, I freak out when I hear an alternate take or a different mix of something. I am such an audiophile and a Beatle-head, so I freak out when I hear stuff like that. It makes me so happy, so I did that with this release. There are a few B-sides and some live stuff from that era."