ANTHRAX are finally ready to end a decade-long wait: the iconic New York thrash veterans will release their twelfth studio album, "Cursum Perficio", on September 18 via Megaforce in the United States and Nuclear Blast in Europe. The record follows 2016's For All Kings, which debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200.
The Latin title translates as "My journey has come to an end" — but guitarist Scott Ian is quick to clarify: "I'm also not not saying that. But I tend to think if we're gonna say goodbye, we're gonna make more of a big deal about it than just sneaking it in an album title."
Speaking with Allison Hagendorf, Ian reflected on the tortured path to the record. Work began in late 2019 — only for the pandemic to slam the pause button. "Many times on Zoom calls with my bandmates, we asked: 'Are we ever gonna play a show again? Do we get to be a band again?'" When the trio of Ian, drummer Charlie Benante, and bassist Frankie Bello finally reconvened in a Southern California studio in 2021, the relief was palpable: "We were so happy to be in that room making music. You could feel the gratefulness on this record."
The album was mixed and ready last fall — but the band delayed its release after parting ways with their previous label arrangement. The first single, "It's For The Kids", distills Ian's fury at political failures to protect children: "The administration in power does nothing to protect the children of this country and does harm to children of other countries. If you disagree with that, you're wrong."
"Cursum Perficio" spans 11 tracks: Persistence Of Memory, The Long Goodbye, It's For The Kids, Everybody's Got A Plan, The Edge Of Perfection, Infectious, NYC93, Cursum Perficio, T.O.M.B., Watch It Go, My Victory. It will be available on CD and multiple vinyl variants including zoetrope and coloured pressings.