On October 30, 1985, "Anthrax" released their second studio album "Spreading the Disease".
We have collected for you some interesting facts about it:
1. This is the band's first album with singer Joey Belladonna.
2. The band members were not initially enthusiastic about Belladonna's addition as he did not come from a thrash metal background, but after being very impressed with his performance they accepted him for the role.
3. Before joining Anthrax, Belladonna was in a cover band. He was singing songs of "Journey", "Foreigner" and "Deep Purple" during the audition.
4. Before Anthrax accepted him as their singer, the band members just sat down and taught Belladonna what Thrash Metal is and played him all their recordings as well as material from Thrash bands.
5. Even then it was not perfect and Scott Ian had to work with Belladonna and literally explain to him how to sing and how to combine the syllables with the riffs.
6. Belladonna was not the first to fill the role of singer for "Anthrax". The band had already entered the studio with singer Matt Fallon, after most of the songs were ready, but he did not deliver the goods and the band quickly fired him.
7. Following the brief and unsuccessful "affair" with Matt Fallon, the band members have already considered splitting the singing roles between guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Frank Bello. Ian said they were thinking of the band "Kiss" which has two lead vocalists when the idea came up. Frank was supposed to sing the cleaner songs like Paul Stanley, and Scott the hardcore tracks.
8. A few months before the release of the album, the band released a mini-album (EP) featuring the first recordings with Belladonna. The mini-album is called "Armed and Dangerous", it includes a different version of the songs that will also be included in the album, as well as recordings of two songs from the band's first album, re-recorded with Belladonna.
9. This is also the band's first album with bassist Frank Bello.
10. Although leaving the band, the album features songs written by singer Neil Turbin.
11. The fired bassist Dan Lilker also received credit for writing some of the album's songs.
12. The clip for the hit single "Madhouse" was banned on MTV because the station believed its content humiliating the mentally ill.
13. This is the band's first album with the label "Megaforce".
14. The person who produced the album is Jon Zazula, the owner of "Megaforce".
15. Jon Zazula received credit for writing the song "Medusa".
16. After the recording of the album, guitarist Scott Ian, drummer Charlie Benante, and bassist Dan Lilker who left the bend, formed the band "Stormtroopers of Death" known for its crossover thrash style.
17. The only song from the album written after Belladonna took the role of the singer was "A.I.R.".
18. The one who wrote the riff for this song was drummer Charlie Benante.
19. The abbreviations of "A.I.R." Are "Adolescence in Red" and it was influenced by the name of Gershwin's famous composition "Rhapsody in Blue".
20. The song "The Enemy" was written about Adolf Hitler, the genocide he committed, and his responsibility for the results of the Holocaust.
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