METAL MASTERS CLINIC 2 MAKES MUSIC DORKS HORNY, PHIL ANSELMO HAPPY

If you’re not a musician, last night’s Metal Masters Clinic 2 — held prior to Anthrax’s so-secret-everyone-knew-about-it show at the Best Buy Theater in NYC — was probably a massive bore. But to everyone else (like me!) it was a wet dream come true; Mike Portnoy having a drum-off with Charlie Benante, Ellefson talking about famous Megadeth bass riffs, Frankie Bello talking about watching porn and playing bass at the same time, all of them jamming on some classic tunes together, and, most notably, this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBjsXXneD4g

Ian, Bello, Benante, Ellefson, Portnoy, Kerry King and Phil Anselmo performing two Pantera cuts. It’s the kind of staged event that might otherwise be cringe-worthy in its attempt at spontaneity, but who gives a shit? As a fan it was really cool to see all those guys jamming up there at once. It was also my first time seeing Anselmo perform Pantera songs live.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1gcp6YCOpo

Anthrax followed it up with an hour-long set of their own, including to my delight three cuts from Worship Music (“Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t,” “The Devil You Know,” “Earth On Hell”) and a whole slate of classics. Belladonna sounded really good, the band sounded absolutely great. As with their performance on Jimmy Fallon, the band seemed absolutely stoked — stoked to be playing, stoked people still cared, stoked about the new record, stoked on life. Benante was so stoked he even rushed a couple of fills. A real treat for Anthrax fans wanting more than a short opening set at tomorrow’s Big 4 show.

Anthrax are co-headlining a U.S. tour with Testament later this fall. DO NOT MISS!

-VN