Anthrax/God Forbid/Manntis

Old-school metalheads, rejoice: Bush's reign has ended. John Bush wasn't exactly Sammy Hagar — Anthrax released several solid grunge-metal albums with him at the helm — but the quintessential New York thrash outfit slowed its pace during his decade-plus stint from 1992-2004. Now Joey Belladonna, an unreconstructed, longhaired frontman, has returned to rally crowds with his operatic squeal and evocative anti-racism rants ("Indians," "Keep It in the Family"). Not only was the group's classic-era lineup more politically potent, it was also exponentially goofier, experimenting with hip-hop bravado, power-ballad parodies and profane country romps. Touring in support of concert compilations rather than fresh material, Anthrax guarantees aging headbangers another chance to get caught in the mosh. New Jersey's God Forbid takes early-Anthrax tendencies to extremes, accelerating the backdrops and intensifying the rhetoric. 2005's incendiary concept album, Constitution of Treason, documents the descent from widespread corruption to post-apocalyptic conditions. Rounding out the bill is Manntis, whose strong second-stage set on the reality show Battle for Ozzfest demonstrated that this California crew can convert audiences who came for the main attractions.