I was driving my John Deere around my lawn last weekend... cutting the grass of course, not just driving it around, though just driving around on a John Deere is a perfectly valid activity. I had queued up some old thrash song from the 80s and the Spotify app continued to play like songs from its omniscient algorithm. Which led me to this wonderful little rediscovery. "Medusa," off of 1985's Spreading the Disease. I hadn't heard it years, and had been missing it.
Spreading the Disease is Anthrax's sophomore effort but the first appearance by vocalist Joey Belladonna. He's kind of an odd fit for a thrash band with his traditional metal/high octave/operatic style of singing, but it works with the band--especially on this song. He sounds fantastic. And the main riff is absolutely killer.
Interestingly, executive producer Jon Zazula has songwriting credit for "Medusa," his only such contribution for Anthrax. The lyrics are fun if very much on the nose, not sure how Medusa would stare at you were it not with her eyes, but there you go:
Medusa, she's staring at youMedusa, with her eyes
Medusa
In addition to the thrill of nostalgia from the song itself, my search for an accompanying visual led to this horrific, fantastically rendered scene from Clash of the Titans (1981).
This sequence genuinely creeped me out as a kid, and I still find it effective today. The unnatural jerkiness of Harryhausen's stop-motion animation only adds to the medusa's horrible otherness. Her eyes are particularly well-done, and I love the addition of the Naga-like tail.
Enjoy life on this Metal Friday.
2 comments:
Yeah, man!
I've been listening to a lot of Anthrax this week (pre John Bush, though I certainly do love 'Sound of White Noise'), I believe this is mostly due to your reminders on Friday's here.
I caught your blurb about 'Medusa' in 'Arcane Arts' and decided to listen to it on a long drive home from work yesterday.
I forgot/overlooked "Spreading the Disease' as I was wrapped up in their albums following it.
Spot on observation about Belladonna's singing style on his first album with them.
It's been interesting listening to their music with a more "senior" ear, just noticing much more then I did in younger days.
With you on Harryhausen and 'Clash of the Titans', nightmare fuel.
His skeletons always got to me as well.
Best,
Mike
\m/
Great comment... rock on Mike. "Medusa" holds up very well, doesn't it?
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