There are two different types of "sold out" at First Avenue: The kind where you can't buy tickets anymore, and the kind where you can't breathe. Last night's Anthrax and Testament double-metal-header was the latter kind of sell-out.

Coming just four nights after bratty young hip-hop crew the Odd Future also enjoyed a sell-out the club (but there was still ample room to roam), the metal vets probably had a bigger guest list -- and not to mention a bigger crowd just in terms of girth. Bulky fans or not, the room also perhaps felt more swollen and breathless just because of the music.

Anchored, as always, by Scott Ian's assault-vehicle guitar work and Charlie Benante's relentless, sea-sickness-inducing waves of double-kick-drumming, Anthrax never really lost its muster even over the past two decades when it mostly performed without singer Joey Belladonna. The heyday-era howler returned for last year's Big Four shows and then sang on this year's new album, "Worship Music," and on Sunday it seemed as if he had never left -- for better and worse.

Belladonna had the same fiery vocal range as well as the same billowy haircut as he had back in the day, and at times he still acted like it was 1987. Like near the end of the show when he stood above the drum riser and hollered, "Everybody on your feet!" You're not in stadiums anymore, Joey; we'd all been our feet since we left our car. And anyway, the crowd had been figuratively on its feet since the third song, "Caught in a Mosh," which wreaked its usual havoc and set up a rowdy three-song montage with "Madhouse" and "Antisocial." At least one of the new songs, "The Devil You Know," matched them in intensity mid-show.

Things turned absolutely nuts during "Indians," with the part-Native American Belladonna leading the chant and Ian introducing the song this way: "Our singer is one of the biggest Vikings fans," he said (not a lie; Belladonna's website lists a pre-game singing gig at the Metrodome as a career highlights). "You guys might've lost to Chicago tonight, but you can beat Chicago by having a bigger war dance than we had in Chicago last night."

Too bad the Vikes didn't play with that much physicality. Here's Anthrax's full set list:

Earth on Hell / Fight 'Em Till You Can't / Caught in a Mosh / Madhouse / Antisocial / I'm Alive / The Devil You Know / Indians / Got the Time / In the End / Only ENCORE: Among the Living / Metal Thrashing Mad / I Am The Law