SPREADING THE DISEASE


Executive producer: Jon Zazula
Produced by Carl Canedy and Anthrax
Engineered by Alex Perialas
Assistant engineer: Carl Canedy and
Norman Dunn
Recorded at Pyramid Sound, N.Y.
Digital master by Howard Weinberg at
Masterdisk
Art direction: Peter Corriston
Illustration: David Heffernan
Album cover concept by Charlie Benante
Logo by Ken Josphe

1985 - ISLAND RECORDS

CHARLIE BENANTE - drums
SCOTT IAN - guitar
JOE BELLADONNA - vocals
DAN SPITZ - guitar
FRANK BELLO - bass guitar


A.I.R. (5:44)
Lone Justice (4:37)
Madhouse (4:17)
S.S.C./Stand or Fall (4:09)
The Enemy (5:23)
Aftershock (4:29)
Armed and Dangerous (5:43)
Medusa (4:43)
Gung-Ho

All songs written and arranged by ANTHRAX

* lyrics by Neil Turbin, co-author of music Dan Lilker
** lyrics by Jon Zazula


A.I.R.

Young and free, something you'll never be
A childhood's end, it's lunacy
Pure dictation, they don't listen
And you're just waiting for what you're missing

PRE-CHORUS

Welcome to your nightmare
you just can't walk away
It's time for you, to choose, your fate
You just can't let it lay
Welcome to your nightmare
Your whole life's on the way,
Today

CHORUS

You're no good, misunderstood, A.I.R.
All their hopes and visions, of what they want you to be
Crucial times, made up minds, A.I.R.
So high and mighty, though much too blind to see

Lead-Scott

Who are you gonna live your life for?
Conformity will trap you like a locked door
Independence means owning your decisions
Authority will put your soul in prison

REPEAR PRE-CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS
BRIDGE

Fight, or go insane, there's no one else to blame
Stop, their influence, you can't give them a chance 
Break, right through the wall, that separates us all
Start, your second life, without their hands in sight

Lead-Dan

You got your pride, you got your visions
Don't subside, don't ever give in
Don't compromise just keep on grinning
The games they play you just keep on winning
Keep on winning
Keep on winning
Keep on winning
A.I.R.

Lone Justice

There's two kinds, of people in this world 
The outlaws, and the lawmen that prevail
The bounty hunter's job is on the wrong side of the law
Intentions, of the truth and nothing more

BRIDGE

Burn 'em, clear the streets as he rides into the town,
Cause the nameless one's gonna have some fun
He's gonna bring an outlaw down
Wasted, it's over quick he's nailed 'em three for three
Then with his squint-eyed grin and stubbled chin,
He rides through history

The jury, in his mind the choices weigh
The trials, if you're guilty you're his prey
No judgement otherwise can change the lust
That's in his eyes
The sentence, will be carried out in stride

REPEAT BRIDGE
PRE-CHORUS

No name, like a shadow on a moonless night 
Real game, he'll be there to uphold
Justice, law and order
And you'll pay, the highest fee

CHORUS

When the gunslinger takes his piece

The money, it's the price you have to pay
When he calls, drop your eyes and look away
The man has taken life to balance scales 
Of wrong and right
Existence, each day a moral fight

REPEAT BRIDGE
REPEAT PRE-CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS
Lead-Dan
DOUBLE PRE-CHORUS
CHORUS

Madhouse

White coats to bind me, out of control
I live alone inside my mind
World of confusion, air filled with noise
Who says that my life's such a crime?

BRIDGE

Trapped, in this nightmare
I wish I'd wake
As my whole life begins to shake
Four walls, surround me
An empty gaze
I can't find my way out of this maze

PRE-CHORUS

'Cause I don't care
Fall in, fall out
Gone without a doubt, help me
I can't take the blame
They don't feel the shame

CHORUS

It's a Madhouse
Or so they claim
It's a Madhouse
Oh, am I insane?

My fears behind me, what can I do
My dreams haunt my sleep at night
Oh no, won't learn their lesson, white fills my eyes
And only then they see the light

REPEAT BRIDGE
REPEAT PRE-CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS
Lead-Dan
REPEAT BRIDGE
REPEAT PRE-CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS

S.S.C./Stand or Fall

Fighting for existence, looking for a way  
The race is getting harder, won't last another day
Try to make it happen, always on the go
Can't escape the hours, time will never know

PRE-CHORUS

Right now my new life has begun
I have to stand tall I can't run
They're trying to to take it away
I'm fighting the battle I...

CHORUS

Stand or fall, leave it to no one
Stand or fall, fight for my right
Stand or fall, they'll never break me
Stand or fall, Stand or fall

Lead-Dan

Looking deep inside myself to change
My world around
Never find an answer, but I still stand my ground
Never ending battle, my everlasting will
I'll come back when it's over, come back for the kill

REPEAT PRE-CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS
Lead-Dan
BRIDGE

Honor and loyalty so hard to find 
People I've trusted they're all left behind
Truth is the virtue they no longer seek
Stand with the strongest or fall with the weak

REPEAT PRE-CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS

All guitars on S.S.C. by Dan Spitz

The Enemy

The plans, of a race gone mad
A final solution to pass
All dreams are taken from their lives
No hope for the young all the old realize

PRE-CHORUS

He is but a solitary man
Whose prejudice will spread like a flame 
Throughout the land
He's enslaving those who will be free
Etching his own name in black, 
For all of us to hear and see

A yellow star for those accused
There's no escape once you've been pinned
A relocation only to confuse
And all their propaganda to hide the awful truth

REPEAT PRE-CHORUS
CHORUS

Screams-In the night
Scars so deep that they won't mend
Screams-In the night
Screams-In the night 
In their souls they can't pretend
Screams-In the night

Six million lives on the hands of heads of state 
They followed orders from above
Then one man when all was lost
He took his life, he'll never pay the price

REPEAT PRE-CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS
BRIDGE

They cannot hide or defend or disguise
For the truth is well known there's be no alibis
Judgement will pass and their tales 
Won't be kind
For the final solution was mass genocide

REPEAT CHORUS

Aftershock

VERSE ONE

The day will come, you cannot run 
White hot clouds fill the sky
See the red flare, blasting hot air
There's no place left to hide

VERSE TWO

Blinding our eyes as the sun turns to black
A world full of hatred and fear
All are committed, there's no going back
There'll be no one left to hear

Shock, there's no relief
Shock, no one will ever know why
Shock

Shock, panic won't cease
Shock, time to say our last good-bye
Shock

CHORUS

Aftershock, humanity's loss
Aftershock, all is destroyed
Aftershock, have no remorse
Aftershock, into the void

VERSE THREE

Never again we cannot depend
On leaders who see things so blind 
Time will not lend, and never amend
A lesson for all of mankind

REPEAT PRE-CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS
Lead-Dan
REPEAT VERSE TWO
REPEAT PRE-CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS
Lead-Scott

Armed and Dangerous *

Trapped up inside here, like lions in a cage
I've been a mark of injustice
Bound by these chains
Can't find a reason, I'm on my own
My destiny waits for a sign of me
I'm leaving alone

Lead-Dan

I'm out on my way now
It's been so many years
The chase is my lifeblood 
I have no more fears

VERSE ONE

Fire, burns in my veins
Anger, shows on my face
Hatred, it poisons my soul
Look out, I'm about to explode

PRE-CHORUS

Evil ones try to destroy us
We''re armed and prepared for attack
We'll take on the world with rebellion
We're dangerous down to the last

CHORUS

Armed and Dangerous
Armed and Dangerous

VERSE TWO

Am I evil, or am I insame
The lion inside of me, is no longer tame
A blade in my left, a gun in my right
To beat you within, an inch of your life

REPEAT  PRE-CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS
Harmony Lead, Dan and Scott
Lead-Dan
REPEAT CHORUS
REPEAT VERSE ONE 
REPEAT PRE-CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS

Medusa **

VERSE ONE

Endless curse, blood runs cold
Evil stare, will turn your flesh to stone
Land of doom, world of sin
All subside, don't venture near
The island where she lives
Oh, she'll suck you in

BRIDGE

Destroyer of life, Demon
Oh I'm ready to strike, Gorgon

VERSE TWO

Serpents bride, the end awaites
Human prey, no swords or armor
Shield you from your fate
Hey you, you can't escape
Wicked smile, full of lies
Head of snakes, approach her cave
But don't look in her eyes
Oh, her eyes

REPEAT CHORUS
PRE-CHORUS

Sieze, appease, deceive, die
Sieze, appease, deceive, die

CHORUS

Medusa, she's staring at you
Medusa, with her eyes
Medusa

VERSE THREE

Evil witch, cast her spell, seducing you
She'll take you to the very depths of hell
Cannot move, no eyes to see, a statue now
For all eternity Medusa laughs at you
And you're her slave

REPEAT BRIDGE
REPEAT PRE-CHORUS
CHORUS

Medusa, she's staring at you 
Medusa, with her eyes
Medusa, oh, she's cold
Medusa

Lead-Dan
REPEAT VERSE ONE
REPEAT BRIDGE
REPEAT CHORUS

Gung-Ho *

Striking down the enemy
Fighting hand to hand
Troops are thrusting onwards
Time to take command
Ready to devour
On the attack 
Bodies lie dismembered
Maimed, killed, and hacked

Draw fast, cut first
Live hard, die hard
Feel the point of the blade 
Lunging like an animal, killing all in sight 
Going for the throat, living for the light
In a bath of bloodshed, mixing with the sweat
Crawling through the barbwire, put it to the test

PRE-CHORUS

Fight, Fight, Fight
Fight, Fight, Fighting the war
Fight, Fight, Fight
Fight, Fight, Fight

CHORUS

Gung-Ho, Gung-Ho, Gung-Ho
Gung-Ho, Gung-Ho, Gung-Ho

Raging on the warpath, storming through the town
Blowing it to pieces, killing all around
Stand in our way, if you've got the balls
In a hail of bullets, your nailed to the wall

REPEAT PRE-CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS
Lead-Dan

We wait out the day, we burn in the sun
We move in by night, and kill everyone
Show no emotions, have no regrets
Made to take pain, no fear of death

REPEAT PRE-CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS
Lead-Scott

Draw fast, cut first
Live hard, die hard
Feel the point of the blade