Anthrax – Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ January 31st
A sold-out crowd packed the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ on Tuesday January 31st to rock out for hours with Metal Legends. Anthrax, one of Thrash Metal’s “Big Four”, headlined the night celebrating their 40th Anniversary. They were joined by Black Label Society and Exodus. The crowd was treated to fantastic riffs from 3 of the world’s best guitar players Scott Ian (Anthrax), Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society), and Gary Holt (Exodus). Everyone was moshing and rocking from the first riff.
The night kicked off with a high energy performance by the California Thrash Metal band Exodus. Their nine song set opened with “The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)” and included: “Blacklist” and “The Toxic Waltz.” In a heartwarming gesture, the band brought two kids from the crowd on stage to rock out with them at the end of their set. They closed out with “Strike of the Beast.”
Black Label Society, the heavy metal band fronted by Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osborne’s guitar player) took the stage next. Their rocking thirteen songs began with “Funeral Bell” and “The Beginning… At Last.” The set also included three songs off their 2021 album Doom Crew Inc.: “Destroy & Conquer,” “Set You Free,” and “You Made Me Want to Live.”
Finally, Anthrax took the stage and tore the roof of the Wellmont Theater. Their set began with a video presentation featuring many music legends congratulating the band on 40 years. The 12 song set kicked off with “Among The Living” and “Caught in a Mosh” and featured songs off 6 of their studio albums. The energy the band brought was palpable and the fans fed off it the entire night. They closed out the evening with “Bring the Noise ” and “Indians.”
Photos and Words by Simon Lindelblatt
