Arson Anthem is an crossover thrash band that was formed in New Orleans in 2006 by vocalist Mike IX Williams (Eyehategod), guitarist Phil Anselmo (Pantera, Down and Superjoint Ritual), drummer Hank Williams III (Assjack, Superjoint Ritual) and bassist Collin Yeo (Ponykiller). The band’s self-titled debut EP came out in 2008 and their full-length Insecurity Notoriety came out toward the end of last year on Phil Anselmo’s Housecore Records.

For anyone who remembers CBGB’s Sunday hardcore matinees and the lineup of bands that were on Combat Records in the 80’s, that is exactly what you have with Arson Anthem. Insecurity Notoriety carries only minimal traces of its members’ other bands; instead you have seventeen tracks of raw, hardcore thrash blasting by like a speeding freight train. The majority of tracks clock-in under one minute with the only exception being the album closer “Teach the Gun (To Love The Bullet)”, which runs over three minutes.

Insecurity Notoriety was obviously recorded live in a one-take studio session as there seems to have been little-to-no attempt at production. On top of the raw lo-fi sound, you can hear the band talking and laughing between songs. Williams sings with a guttural bark which is accompanied by gang backing vocals on some tracks and the lyrics touch on typical hardcore themes of injustice and alienation. Phil Anselmo plays by-the-books screeching hardcore riffs while Collin Yeo lays down a twisting bass line beneath Anselmo’s chords. Hank III more than fills the space that remains by staying in lock-step with Yeo and delivering some pounding blast beats. Throughout the disc, the band seems on the edge of chaos and collapse but they never spin totally out of control.

Some of the stronger tracks are “Isolation Militia”, “Insecurity Notoriety” and “Polite Society Blacklist”.



Arson Anthem is playing the Housecore Records Showcase at SXSW on March 16th along with Ponykiller, Haarp and Warbeast.

"Illegal Downloading is Killing Music…but so is Arson Anthem"

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Arson Anthem