Good for what it is
N. Durham | Philadelphia, PA | 05/26/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"After the last greatest hits compilation of Anthrax material, "Attack of the Killer A's", didn't go down so well with older fans of the band due to a surprising lack of older material, another compilation featuring only older material was pretty much a no brainer. "Madhouse: The Very Best of Anthrax" may be no more than a record company's attempt to cash in, but it does offer a fine selection of some of the band's best older material. Yes, "Ball of Confusion" isn't here, but we get "Antisocial", "Caught in a Mosh", "Indians", "I Am the Law", "Belly of the Beast", the uncensored version of "I'm the Man", and naturally "Bring the Noise". If you already own all of Anthrax's older albums, there is no point in owning this; however if your looking to get into the band, this along with "Attack of the Killer A's" is a good place to start."
It's not totally comprehensive, but...
Donn Hart | Boston | 11/24/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I'm a huge Anthrax fan. Always have been. But I was kind of conflicted with this one. I knew that this CD was a big faceless corporate record label trying to cash in on a great band. But what did I do? I cracked and bought it.Here's my approach: I accept the record for what it is. It's a compilation with a bunch of great songs on it. It may be missing "Ball of Confusion," as so many here have noted, but I'm thinking of what it does include.It's got "I Am the Law," "Indians," and "Caught in a Mosh," from arguably one of the best metal recordings ever, "Among the Living." It also has the uncensored version of "I'm the Man," which I so enjoy. And probably my two favorite songs the band has done, "Antisocial" and "Belly of the Beast." And it's got that great cut with Public Enemy, "Bring the Noise."I give it four stars because it's not officially licensed and it's not 100% comprehensive, so in theory it should be a three star recording, but the quality of the songs chosen warrant an extra star."