Anthrax: Kings Among Scotland (3LP Blue, Pink, Purple Vinyl)

Anthrax’s Kings Among Scotland is the kind of live album that reminds you why they have lasted. Recorded at the band’s sold-out show at Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow on 15 February 2017, it was first released on 23 November 2018, with the 3LP coloured vinyl version issued as a Record Store Day Black Friday exclusive. The coloured set is widely listed as a gatefold triple-coloured LP and carries the UPC 020286226086.

As a live record, this one works because Anthrax do not sound like a band politely running through the catalogue. They sound sharp, hungry, and completely in command. That matters with a band like Anthrax, because their best material lives or dies on energy. In the studio, songs like “A.I.R.,” “Madhouse,” “Caught in a Mosh,” and “Indians” are already built to hit hard, but on Kings Among Scotland they sound even more immediate, like the room is pushing the band harder and the band is pushing right back. This is not a lazy contract-filler live album. It is a proper statement of strength.

What gives the release extra weight is the structure of the set. This was not just a greatest-hits run. The show included the whole of 1987’s Among the Living, which is a huge deal because that album is one of the real pillars of thrash metal. Hearing Anthrax tear through that material live gives Kings Among Scotland a lot more purpose than a standard tour souvenir. It becomes part celebration, part proof of endurance. These songs still move, still bite, and still sound made for a crowd.

From a review angle, the best thing about Kings Among Scotland is that it captures both sides of Anthrax. You get the precision, the gang-shout hooks, the riff-driven chaos, but you also get the fun. Anthrax have always had a little more bounce and personality than some of their thrash peers, and that comes through here in a big way. The performances feel tight without getting stiff, which is exactly what you want. If you are after a live Anthrax release that actually earns shelf space, this is the one. It has the songs, the atmosphere, and the right kind of momentum.

For collectors, there are a couple of 3LP vinyl versions floating around, including the RSD triple-coloured edition and later black-vinyl box variants. The coloured one is the standout for pure collector appeal, especially since it was sold as a limited Black Friday release. Discogs and retailer listings tie the coloured 3LP to the 2018 US RSD edition, while the European box version is usually black vinyl with coloured inners and a booklet.