ANTHRAX

ANTHRAX
(BIO)
2026

ANTHRAX—Scott Ian [guitar], Charlie Benante [drums], Frank Bello [bass], Joey Belladonna [vocals], and Jonathan Donais [guitar]—have always pursued the highest level of excellence when it comes to music. The six-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated band and 2026 GRAMMY® winner Frank Bello for Best Rock Performance with Yungblud have elevated the band’s status to legends. Anthrax’s pioneering work merging Hip Hop and metal pushed the boundaries of what music could be, cross-pollinating genres into new territory. The critically acclaimed group has consistently elevated the genre on their own terms, selling north of 10 million records, gathering dozens of platinum and gold plaques, and writing chapters of music history in blood, sweat, and tears across thousands of stages around the world. As the only East Coast representatives of “The Big Four (Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, Megadeth),” a back-breaking work ethic, insatiable ambition, inventive songwriting, and intense stage presence have defined their legacy as a pioneering force of nature since 1981.

Without compromise, they have quietly and infectiously spread metal into the mainstream. Rolling Stone touted the seminal Gold-certified Among The Living in the Top 20 of its “The 100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time,” while Pitchfork marveled at its “crunchy rhythms, howling vocals, dense riffing, and comic-themed lyrics.” Tearing down walls, the band presciently preceded the advent of rap metal with “I’m The Man” and the way-ahead-of-its-time Public Enemy collaboration “Bring The Noise.” They made a legendary cameo on Married…With Children, were written into Adam Sandler’s dialogue in Airheads, took the field of Yankee Stadium in pinstripes for a Big Four show, and lent their music to films such as the blockbuster It and Return of the Living Dead Part II as well as video game series like Guitar Hero and Grand Theft Auto. Their catalog hasn’t just transcended generations; it’s transcended planets. NASA famously utilized “Got The Time” as a wakeup call for the Mars Rover, enshrining ANTHRAX as “the first metal band to have its music heard in space.” 2016’s For All Kings bowed at #9 on the Billboard 200, netting their highest chart position in 23 years. Speaking to their influence, a 2022 tour intro video featured testimonials courtesy of A-list ANTHRAX diehards: Keanu Reeves, Lady Gaga, Stephen King, and more. Their various partnerships have spanned sold-out signature whiskeys and bourbons, a limited-edition Baleine dive watch with NEZUMI Studios, and the Among The Living graphic novel with Z2 Comics. You could liken the inimitable ANTHRAX sound to New York itself, delivering thrash metal as fast as a runaway subway car, as sneeringly hardcore as a grimy underground punk club, and as awe-inspiring and expansive as Manhattan’s nighttime skyline.

The journey has brought the quintet—Scott Ian [guitar], Charlie Benante [drums], Frank Bello [bass], Joey Belladonna [vocals], and Jonathan Donais [guitar]—to their 12^th full-length LP, Cursum Perficio [Megaforce Records]. It’s a magnum opus that’s as angry as it is alive. It’s everything you could want from ANTHRAX and more.

“It was quite a journey from the inception of this album to its completion,” Ian observes. “We were supposed to make this in 2020, but the universe had other plans for everyone. After the Pandemic, we got to be a band again. When we started working on the record, we were just happy to be in a room together. It was so exciting that it was like being reborn in a way. All of that energy and emotion went into the music. The fear of being forced out of our lives and the joy of coming back together are present. The title Cursum Perficio feels like ANTHRAX. It reflects what we went through to get to the point of finishing the record.”

“There was significant growth between Worship Music in 2011 and Cursum Perficio,” Benante elaborates. “This album is a culmination of everything we’ve learned. I was watching a Marilyn Monroe documentary, and I saw ‘Cursum Perficio’ written on a tile in her last home. When I found out what the phrase meant, it immediately clicked with me. We aren’t saying this is our last record, but our journey has come to an end. I believe we’ve completed the task.”

“We left it all on the table,” agrees Bello. “We really know who we are as ANTHRAX, what turns us on, and what we need to do. I don’t think anybody knows what’s next, but we’re hungrier than ever. From here on out, we’re going to go full throttle for every fucking minute.”

After some pre-COVID starts and stops, ANTHRAX hunkered down and focused on what would become Cursum Perficio in 2022. They tracked the bulk of the new material at Studio 606—owned by longtime friend Dave Grohl. Reteaming with producer Jay Ruston for the third time, they leaned on their longstanding chemistry. “There’s a live vibe with Jay,” notes Bello. “Between Jay knowing us well and the atmosphere at the studio, it was a great experience.”

The band took their time to perfect the tunes, letting the parts breathe and pouring countless hours into each track. “There are a lot of interesting songs on this one,” Belladonna notes. “I think we’ve lived up to expectations. We don’t slam out cookie-cutter records ever. This is definitely a cut above though.”

“We had to make Fistful Of Metal and Spreading The Disease to be able to write Among The Living,” Ian goes on. “In the same respect, it took Worship Music and For All Kings for us to be able to write Cursum Perficio. I very much compare this record to Among The Living.”

The lead single “It’s For The Kids” embodies this spirit. Right out of the gate, a bent note wails like a siren as if heralding an oncoming storm. Propulsive thrash drumming gallops into high gear, lean riffing amps up, and trudging bass claws and crawls. Following a hook-y refrain, crunchy power chords and thunderous drums lock into a call-and-response on the heavy-as-hell breakdown as Belladonna warns, “You crossed the line, and the smell of death is on you.”

“A friend of mine said, ‘This one is a straight-up love letter to your fans’,” Ian recalls. “That’s exactly what I wanted ‘It’s For The Kids’ to be. The album needed a four-minute thrash song that harkened back to our first era. Whether it’s the aggression or the big chorus, it represents all the best parts of Anthrax in a very angry four-minute package.”

“Everybody’s Got A Plan” hits like a haymaker, landing a one-two punch of face-melting riffage and earthquaking grooves. Tipping a hat to one of Mike Tyson’s most famous signature sayings, the chorus wisely reminds, “Everybody’s got a plan until they get punched in the face.”

“There’s a lot of energy in a compact space,” Ian comments. “I used the Tyson reference, because it’s a really good punch in the face…no pun intended,” he laughs.

Then, there’s the pièce de résistance “The Edge Of Perfection.” Clean guitar echoes and cymbals gently shake until a blastbeat blows open the doors. Guitars buzz like a motorboat on the River Styx, making waves through the darkness. In their wake, a crushing rhythm trails the melody of Belladonna’s lament, “My heart breaks…I’m on the edge…I’m on the edge of perfection.” It fittingly concludes with a skyscraping solo.

“It’s the apex predator of Anthrax songs,” grins Ian. “I think it’s the best song we’ve ever written and the best thing I’ve ever been a part of creatively. What’s the most powerful emotion that moves me more than anything? Of course, it’s love. Nothing moves me like the deep feeling that I get from my wife and son. I’m living on that edge for the rest of my life. This is mine, but there are a lot of ways to ruin it. I’ve ruined it in past iterations of my life, but it got me to where I am. Love is perfection, and I like being on the edge of it. I don’t want everything to be about all of the same shit. This record has a whole bunch of love, a whole bunch of fun, and a little hate.”

Benante adds, “When I think about songs like ‘Only’ and ‘Indians,’ you know that you hit something and you can feel it. That’s the way I felt about ‘The Edge Of Perfection’.”

“NYC ’93” takes a trip back in time “when you could still get lost,” revving up the time machine with another razor sharp riff deluge and urgent vocals. From the palm-muted assault and battery of “T.O.M.B.” to the triumphant “My Victory,” the album absorbs everything ANTHRAX does best into one body of work. The opening really sets the tone though. Benante’s fragile piano anchors the cinematic intro “The Persistence Of Memory,” giving way to an outpouring of raw feeling on “The Long Goodbye.”

“I wrote ‘The Long Goodbye’ about my dad who passed away from dementia in 2024,” Ian reveals. “He went through it for eight years. The only positive was my brothers and I had already said goodbye. We wanted him to have relief. My dad was always there for me. Without him, I don’t know if there would’ve been an Anthrax.”

ANTHRAX is here now, and their music will be here forever. Ian leaves off, “Knowing what we have in the holster with Cursum Perficio, it’s really exciting. The band has never been more on fire or excited about playing shows. I invite you to make this album your own, fucking jump in the pool, and have fun.”

“Anthrax has given me so much,” Benante concludes. “It’s given me a life. It found love for me. It helped give me a family. I never took it for granted. I love what I do. It wasn’t easy to get here, but I’m so glad we did.”

“It’s cool when music kicks you in the ass and gives you this weird lift,” adds Belladonna. “I hope everyone gives it a listen from top to bottom. It’s a special one for us.”

Bello offers a final word, “I want everyone to know this is the next great Anthrax record. I don’t know if this is the end, but I do know we’re going to have a fucking fun time.”

Rick Florino, April 2026