This music video features Anthrax doing what they did best, rocking it. Like many of the older metal bands, Anthrax usually kept it simple when it came to their music videos. Instead of going for gimmicks or a lot of bells and whistles, they just picked up their instruments and played as fast and as loud as they could. It’s not a bad approach. Though this video does feature clips of cattle and construction, it still puts the band front and center.
The song was recorded and this music video was shot during the time that John Bush was lead singer of the band, replacing Joey Belladonna after the latter was fired. Belladonna, of course, would later rejoin the band.
Director David Hogan has done videos for everyone from Blues Traveler to BareNaked Ladies to Shania Twain. He also directed Pamela Anderson in Barb Wire and served as a 2nd unit director on films like the third Alien film and Batman Forever.
This song is off of Anthrax’s sixth studio album, Sound of White Noise and it was one of their bigger hits from the John Bush era. No less than James Hetfield referred to this as being a “perfect song.” The video mixes surreal imagery with clips of the band playing.
If the man with the mirror looks familiar, that’s because he’s played by Frank Silva, who was also Killer Bob on Twin Peaks. This was Silva’s only role outside of Twin Peaks.
Director Paul Elledge was a photographer who also directed videos for Ministry.
Today’s music video of the day is a take on the classic episode of The Twilight Zone where William Shatner spots something on the wing of an airplane. This time, it’s not a goblin. Instead, it’s John Bush-era Anthrax!
Director Marcos Siega is one of those directors who did music videos for just about everyone who was anyone. Eventually, he moved on to directing episodic television, along with the occasional movie. Among the shows that he’s directed for: Dexter, True Blood, The Flight Attendant, and Batwoman.
One of the first rap/metal songs, I’m The Man was originally meant to be a collaboration between Beastie Boys and Anthrax. However, because the two bands could never work out their schedules, Anthrax ended up just doing the song on their own, with Frank Bello, Charlie Benante, and Scott Ian tying to do their best Beastie Boy impersonation. Even though the band viewed the song as just being a joke between friends, it went on to become one of Anthrax’s most unexpected hits.
Most listeners will recognize a sample of Sam Kinison as the source of the song’s primal screams.
I remember that, when this single was first released, there was an assumption that the song was about the supernatural but Anthrax themselves have said that the song is actually about World War II and sung from the point of view of a veteran, hence the lyric that “My kind won’t be seen again.”
The music video provides a view of both the band’s fans and Anthrax behind-the-scenes, promoting their tenth studio album, Worship Songs, preparing to perform, and performing on stage. As with many heavy metal videos, this video puts the emphasis on the work that goes into the performance.
The video below features flashing lights and similar visual effects that may be difficult for viewers with photosensitive epilepsy so, as always, watch it at your own discretion.
This music video features Anthrax doing what they did best, rocking it. Like many of the older metal bands, Anthrax usually kept it simple when it came to their music videos. Instead of going for gimmicks or a lot of bells and whistles, they just picked up their instruments and played as fast and as loud as they could. It’s not a bad approach. Though this video does feature clips of cattle and construction, it still puts the band front and center.
The song was recorded and this music video was shot during the time that John Bush was lead singer of the band, replacing Joey Belladonna after the latter was fired. Belladonna, of course, would later rejoin the band.
Who directed this? I have no idea. Neither does the imdb or the imvdb.
Yes, that is Keanu Reeves walking down a highway medium while Anthrax performs the song in this video. What is Keanu doing there? He was a long-time fan of Anthrax and he just happened to be available when this video was being shot. This video came out while Reeves was still riding high from The Matrix films and it is easy to imagine Neo wandering about aimlessly. It’s much more difficult to imagine the same thing happening to John Wick, who always has a destination in mind.
Other than the movie star cameo, this is a no frills video from Anthrax, one that lets the music do the talking. I’m not a huge Anthrax fan but I always appreciate relatively direct videos like this.
Madhouse was banned from MTV because of its’ portrayal of the mentally ill. I didn’t think I was going to get to a music video that was actually banned from MTV till I got around to doing Smack My Bitch Up by The Prodigy.
I’m bipolar, major depressive, get migraines, have been on more psychiatric meds than I can count, have been a cutter, and have been a patient in a mental hospital (inpatient and outpatient) to only name a few things in this area that I have had some experience with in my life. The person holding a fake baby makes me think of a woman I knew while in a mental hospital that had postpartum depression so bad that they gave her shock treatment (it helped her significantly). The people that appear mentally handicapped bother me because one of my lifelong friends has a younger sister who is mentally handicapped. I grew up around her, and have known others in my life who are in the same situation, but for different reasons. The nurse at the beginning reminds me of what we nicknamed “vampires” at the mental hospital that would come to take blood samples from us early in the morning in our beds. The person who accidentally lets one of the patients fall out of the wheelchair and the doctors smoking reminds me of people I’ve dealt with that treat the mentally and physically ill like they are nothing but a burden to them and/or even as if they are criminals. The whole music video and song reminds me of late 2014 and early 2015 when my brain completely turned against me, leaving me actually thinking I was trapped inside of something like The Matrix. To quote the song:
“Trapped, in this nightmare
I wish I’d wake
As my whole life begins to shake
Four walls surround me
An empty gaze
I can’t find my way out of this maze”
There were other things that accompanied that experience, and no doctor can tell me why it happened. I was just lucky I came out of it eventually.
The point is that I completely understand why some people would find this offensive. However, what I see when I watch this music video is a controversial short film that is drawing a parallel between the internal state of the mind of the mentally ill–we all are to some degree–with the apparent chaos of heavy metal and the actual chaotic relief of a mosh pit. I think Ben Kingsley in Shutter Island (2010) said it best when he described a migraine like having razor blades being shaken around in your head. Personally, I don’t find this offensive, but frighteningly accurate.
All that said, I can see why this would get banned from MTV, and probably should have been. It’s one thing for me to stupidly seek out Still Alice (2014) when I clearly should have known it would remind me of my brain turning to tapioca, but I did, and couldn’t finish it even with several anti-anxiety pills in my system. It’s another thing to be simply watching one of the most popular networks of the era, then have this music video suddenly show up on your TV. Despite being banned, it was still very successful and pushed the boundaries of what could and couldn’t be done in music videos.
This is one of those music videos where we apparently only know the director. That would be Amos Poe who only appears to have directed five music videos, including the one for Animotion’s Obsession. He has done other work in film that includes the documentary The Blank Generation (1976) that was filmed at CBGB during the birth of punk rock.
Since I have been in a metal state of mind since finding out that The Big 4 of thrash metal would be appearing together on-stage this coming April 23 at Indio, CA I just had to pick a metal song for the latest “Song of the Day”. The song picked was an easy choice. It was Diamond Head’s classic metal track, “Am I Evil?”, from their 1980 debut album Lightning to the Nations.
Taking inspiration from the openings of both Black Sabbath’s “Symphony of the Universe” and Gustav Holst’s “Mars, the bringer of war”, the beginning of Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil?” has become one of the most recognizable and beloved of all metal songs. Right from the start the song just oozes an aura of heavy evil and the lyrics of a young boy who witnesses his mother’s witch-burning and his quest to avenge that death just adds to the doom and gloom of the song.
Diamond Head was part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWBHM for short) bands which bridged the Atlantic from the mid-to-late 70’s all the way into the early part of the 80’s. While they were not as successful as other groups who came out of the NWBHM scene like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Def Leppard they were a huge influence on another growing subgenre of metal that was about to give birth in the U.S.
I speak of the rise of thrash metal and how it’s four horsemen (Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth) would look to Diamond Head as one of the NWBHM bands which influenced their sound with all four looking at Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil?” as one of those songs which taught them what heavy metal really meant.
It’s no surprise that during the concert tour season of 2010 these four giants of thrash metal would tour together and do seven shows with the show in Sofia, Bulgaria ending with three of the four bands sharing the stage to cover this Diamond Head classic.
Whether played by Diamond Head, Metallica or the Big 4 just listening to “Am I Evil?” definitely makes one feel like their soul just got darker and their heart colder. Just the way heavy metal should affect anyone and be glad that it does.
Am I Evil?
My mother was a witch, she was burned alive Thankless little bitch, for the tears I cried Take her down now, don’t wanna see her face Blistered and burnt, can’t hide my disgrace
27 every one was nice, gotta see them, Make them pay the price See their bodies out on the ice, take my time
Am I evil, yes I am Am I evil, I am man
As I watched my Mother die, I lost my head Revenge now I sought, to break with my bread Takin’ no chances, you come with me I’ll split you to the bone Help set you free.
27 every one was nice, gotta see them, Make them pay the price See their bodies out on the ice, take my time
Am I evil, yes I am Am I evil, I am man
On with the action now, I’ll strip your pride I’ll spread your blood around, I’ll see you ride Your face is scarred with steel, wounds deep and neat Like a double dozen before you, smell so sweet.
27 every one was nice, gotta see them, Make them pay the price See their bodies out on the ice, take my time
Am I evil, yes I am Am I evil, I am man
I’ll make my residence, I’ll watch your fire You can come with me, sweet desire My face is long forgotten, my face not my own Sweet and timely whore, take me home
First news that 70,000 tons of metal wasn’t a scam and thus automatically becoming the greatest cruise ever to put out to see. Now, news of The Big 4 doing a show in the US a week after the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California.
Who are The Big 4 and why do I sound excited about this news. Well, The Big 4 are the four greatest thrash metal bands and one could say four of the greatest metal bands to ever grace the land of heavy metal. The Big 4 show will include the bands Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer with the biggest of the four in Metallica looming over everyone. Yes, these four bands will be performing together for the first and only time on U.S. soil. They had done a similar tour over in Europe last year and each show were sold out and were a headbanging success.
While I won’t be able to make the show (already committed to attending Anime Boston which will occur the same weekend) I’m sure there’s enough people who read this site who live in California and wish to partake on this very metal of an event.
Tickets will go on sale on January 28, 2011 so metal fans who want to attend better get to buying them tickets and raise the horns!
*I’m sure necromoonyeti wishes he could attend this show as well as 70,000 tons of metal.
*Also, the fact that the Coachella Music Festival seems to be lacking in the metal department makes that 3-day event an #epicfail
Through the Shattered Lens 