They may hail from New York, but when you've been around as long as Anthrax you make a lot of friends along the way. On Wednesday in West Hollywood, the band did their best to pay tribute to an "old friend" -- the soon-to-close venue known as the House of Blues on Sunset.

Prior to the performance, Frank Bello stated, "Every show we've done at the Sunset House of Blues has been a party. Everyone who we're friends with who's not on tour shows up, either to jam or drink or just hang out. And I'll really miss that." And the significance of playing the final metal show at the venue was not lost on the band or their fans, who made it a night to remember.

Firing on all cylinders out of the gate, Joey Belladonna hit some killer high notes, Bello and Scott Ian headbanged away and the band cranked out a blistering opener of "A.I.R." As the band rocked the house, Belladonna peered out into the crowd, pointing to friends and familiar faces who were rocking along with the band throughout the night.

An early set highlight was the inclusion of the rarely performed "Lone Justice," followed by "Madhouse," "Caught In a Mosh," the Stormtroopers of Death cover "March of the S.O.D." and "In the End."

Remarking how sad they were to see the venue go, the band challenged everyone to have as much fun as possible and make some memories while you can. Moved by the spirit (and the urging of a hardcore Anthrax fan named Robert Melendez anxious to hit the pit), this reviewer got in one final bruising trip into a sweaty House of Blues moshpit, Anthrax style, before the night was out.

Other highlights during the set included a performance of the Game of Thrones song "Soror Irrumator," the well-received "A Skeleton in the Closet" and the first live performance of "Across the River" since 1989.

After finishing out the body of their set with a flurry that included "Indians," "Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.) and a cover of Black Sabbath's "Neon Knights," the band returned to the stage for a blistering encore. They kicked off the final chapter of the evening with "I'm the Man," then brought out the big surprise of the night -- a guest appearance by Public Enemy's Chuck D. on "Bring the Noize." As Chuck's booming voice spit out the very familiar lyrics, fans sang along and you could see Ian and Bello taking the energy up a level before Charlie Benante had his chance to "let the drummer get wicked." The group finished out their night with the audience shouting back lyrics to the Trust favorite "Antisocial."

With this being one of the House of Blues' final shows, Anthrax put their stamp on the venue's legacy and left fans with a night they'll always remember.

Check out the set list from the show below and our photo gallery at the top of this post.

Anthrax House of Blues Sunset July 29, 2015 Set List

1. "A.I.R."
2. "Lone Justice"
3. "Madhouse"
4. "Caught in a Mosh"
5. "S.O.D." / "In the End"
6. "Soror Irrumator"
7. "Fight'Em Til You Can't"
8. "Medusa"
9. "Got the Time"
10. "A Skeleton in the Closet"
11. "Across the River" / "Be All End All"
12. "Indians"
13. "Among the Living"
14. "Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)"
15. "Neon Knights"
16. "I'm the Man"
17. "Bring the Noize" (with Chuck D.)
18. "Antisocial"

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