(ThyBlackMan.com) Back in 1988, Public Enemy recorded “Bring the Noise.” It appears as the first song on the A-side of It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and also had the strength to chart peaking at 56 in the U.S. The song featured a couple of shout outs with one being to metal band and one of the “Big 4 of Thrash Metal,” Anthrax.
The New York City band debuted a few years before Public Enemy. The future hip hop legends became aware of Anthrax wearing PE shirts during live shows as a show of respect. By 1988, Public Enemy had just dropped its second album and had garnered a following.
Anthrax was having similar luck as they were riding success and one of the major bands—if not the major band—in the east coast thrash metal scene. Their fourth album State of Euphoria released months after It Takes a Nation…
Public Enemy and Anthrax Team Up to “Bring the Noise”
It wouldn’t be until 1991 when the two acts would get together and re-record “Bring the Noise.” This collaboration would be one of the milestones of nu-metal and rap rock. At the time, it was a surprise remix why would these two acts get together and remix a hip hop hit?
Why not? Run-DMC got together with Aerosmith for a remix of 1975’s “Walk This Way” in 1986 for Run-DMC’s Raising Hell album. This remix was also major in the formation of rap rock. Plus that song picked up rewards and had a ton of play on MTV and radio. It wasn’t like be rap rock was becoming commonplace. This wouldn’t happen until the 1990s.
While “Walk This Way” was extremely fun and made for an exciting music video, “Bring the Noise” had an edge to it. In the late 1980s and early 1990s Public Enemy was nothing to mess with. This group was dangerous and in your face. Anthrax was the fun, party thrash band, somewhat different from some of it’s east coast peers and very different from the German and Bay Area thrash acts .
It had to be something of an odd collaboration on paper but it worked perfectly. “Bring the Noise” mixed both groups’ best parts for a fun song with an edge. The music video matched the song as well with an impromptu concert scene. Everything just works for this song.
Later, the song would appear on Anthrax’s Attack of the Killer B’s B-side compilation and Public Enemy’s Apocalypse ’91…The Enemy Strikes Back album.
Influence
As mentioned before, the “Bring the Noise” remix was on of the pivotal songs in forming rap rock. I’d also say it was a big song in nu-metal which was often aggressive hard rock or just modernized hard rock for the decade. There’s an overlap between the two genres but this song has a firm place in rap rock which popped big later in the 90s.
Not all rap rock bands list this tune as an influence. If anything, it’s a landmark song and one of the better ones. Also, it’s the song that is closer to the direction the genre would take. Bands such as Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, and Saliva have more in common with the Public Enemy and Anthrax collaboration than Aerosmith’s team up with Run-DMC.
“Bring the Noise” is a song you’ve heard a couple of times but do you remember when you first heard it? Let us know in the comments!
Staff Writer; M. Swift
This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.