Reckless Retrospectives: Anthrax vs. MTV

An incident involving an infamous music video & what artists can learn from it.

Welcome to the first installment of “Reckless Retrospectives,” a series that looks at some of the most rebellious artists of the past, the moments that defined them, and what artists of today can learn from them.

If you’re a budding creator struggling to grow a damn spine, then this series will be especially useful for you.

Here, we look back at an incident involving heavy metal pioneers Anthrax and their infamous showdown with MTV.

Formed in New York City in 1981 by rhythm guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker, Anthrax helped birth thrash metal, a heavy metal subgenre that fused the heaviness of hard rock with the raw speed of punk rock. Along with Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth, they are considered part of the “Big Four” of thrash metal, influencing countless bands in their wake. Anthrax has even flirted with rap throughout its career (heard on their 1987 single “I’m the Man” and even more famously in 1991 when they collaborated with Public Enemy to cover their song, “Bring the Noise”), paving the way for rap metal and nu metal. The band has featured numerous lineups over the years but continues recording and performing today.