Persistence of Time

Anthrax went back into the studio in the fall of 1989 with Mark Dodson, who had produced State of Euphoria. On 24 January 1990 a fire at their Yonkers rehearsal studio destroyed more than $100,000 of gear, and in late February they moved to another studio to finish. The tone is more contemplative than earlier work, with the humor and comic-book references dropped and a lyrical focus on tolerance and peace. The introduction to Intro to Reality uses dialogue from a Twilight Zone episode, Deaths-Head Revisited.

It reached number 24 on the Billboard 200, was certified gold on 17 January 1991 and was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Metal Performance category. Steve Huey of AllMusic wrote that it rivals Among the Living as the band's best album, while Rolling Stone's Kim Neely called it a foray into the dreary, gray bowels of urban hell. It was the last full Anthrax album with Belladonna until Worship Music in 2011. Singles were Got the Time and In My World.