Horror of It All

Album: Among the Living (1987)
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Songfacts®:

  • This metal monster runs 7:49 - the vocal doesn't come in until 2:55.

    The song is about the death of Metallica bass player Cliff Burton, who was killed in 1986 when their tour bus toppled over en route to their next stop in Sweden. Anthrax was with Metallica on that tour, and among the first to learn the devastating news.

    "It had a huge effect on us," drummer Charlie Benante said in a Songfacts interview. "We didn't even know how to deal with it - with death. It was a very surreal moment. You have to also remember, this is a time when there were no cell phones, no social media, so only we knew what happened. It wasn't even out there yet. It was a very strange moment."
  • This opens with a Middle Eastern-sounding guitar bit called "A.D.I.", which stands for "Arabian Douche Intro."

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