When I was in high school one of my friends used to drive me home a lot before I was old enough to (legally) drive. He had a huge white Olds that fit like 20 people and had this pimp-grade blue velvet interior that I hope to make a cape out of some day. Anyways – I’m telling you about this car because we used to get super high in it and drive around a LOT while we listened to music (on cassettes) but for some reason we only had like 4 tapes and we always played them. The mix was kind of strange for white suburban kids like us: Tone Loc, NWA, Ozzy (tribute album), Guns & Roses, and the “corporate radio” rock classic Boston. That album of course featured the intensely overplayed “More Than Feeling”, but what got me was the how it opened with “Rock & Roll Band” and then blasted right into my favorite track “Smokin” a hi speed rockin’ blues banger that while trying to play it I melted the headstock on my first electric guitar while “taking a nap” with a lit cigarette. To my great surprise I didn’t burn my house down, and 20 years later “Smokin” has been covered by none other than my good friends, NY thrash metal legends Anthrax on their forthcoming Covers EP called, quite aptly, Anthems (the title is a nod to their ass kicking rendition of the Rush song). Am I super high right now? Why is Anthrax putting out a cover album? Why AC/DC (TNT) Boston (Smokin), Journey (Keep On Running), Thin Lizzy (Jail Break), Rush (Anthem), and Cheap Trick (Big Eyes) you ask? Well for one Anthrax has been dropping covers since their early days including Black Sabbath, KISS, Refused, JOE “Steppin Out” JACKSON, and of course their historic take on Public Enemy’s “Bring The Noise”. Clearly their influences are far wider than most would imagine for a metal band. In fact Anthrax has previously covered Cheap Trick’s “Auf Wiedersehen” (one of my favorites) as well as Thin Lizzy “Cowboy Song” (another killer cover) and have been known for their virgin-tight versions both live and in the studio. Anyone who isn’t impressed by how well the band nailed these songs and the crazy range of singers that Joey Belladonna so accurately mimics is either deaf or an asshole or possibly a deaf asshole. Seriously — Boston’s Brad Delp was on some Mariah Carey shit, ditto for Geddy Lee and Robyn Zander, while Steve Perry is arguably one of the best voices in rock. So if you want a hi speed trip down radio rock lane but prefer a little more pepper on your steak, head to your local record store or over to iTunes or Amazon as the album drops today, or wherever and get this one while its Still Smokin… you see what I did there?

Hear Anthrax’s version of Boston’s “Smokin'”, plus track cover images below…