Anthrax are back. The veteran thrashers, who haven't released a new album since 2016's For All Kings, have announced a new single and confirmed the release of their twelfth long-player, Cursum Perficio.
The new single, which the band teased on social media alongside the message, "It's been more than a decade… but we're back," is called It’s for the Kids, and will be released this Friday. The album, meanwhile, is tentatively scheduled for release on September 18 via Megaforce.
Cursum Perficio – a Latin phrase that translates as "I finish the journey" and also serves as the motto of the Scottish Hunter clan – has been a long time in the making.
Work on the album began in 2018, with drummer Charlie Benante describing the sound as "a little more extreme and a little more angry in places." Two years later, guitarist Scott Ian revealed that work had continued during lockdown and that "We can do a lot over Zoom and FaceTime, sending music back and forth through email.”
Two years later, Benante shared a new riff and told fans he was "thinking about our new record… I think we have some heavy riffing on this one." And in 2024, the pair told Metal Hammer that "13 or 14" songs had been prepared.
“There’s a song which has the same kind of epic feel as In The End [from 2011’s Worship Music] and Blood Eagle Wings [from For All Kings],” Benante said. “It revolves around the journey we’ve been on in the band.
"There are three songs that don’t sound like anything we’ve done before. One called The Edge Of Perfection I had way before covid, and it has just stayed with me – the melody and the chords, but also the aggression."
In the same interview, Anthrax also spoke about recording the next album at Studio 606, the recording facility owned by Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl.
Anthrax arrive in Europe later this month for a run of festival dates and support shows with Iron Maiden, with more of the same to follow in the US in September. Full dates below.
Anthrax Tour Dates 2026
May 23: Athens Olympic Stadium, Greece
May 26: Sofia Vasil Levski National Stadium, Bulgaria
May 28: București Arena Națională, Romania
May 29: Belgrade OpenAir Corner - Luka Beograd, Serbia
May 30: Bratislava National Football Stadium, Slovakia
Jun 01: Budapest Barba Negra, Hungary
Jun 02: Nuremberg Löwensaal, Germany
Jun 04: Gdańsk Mystic Festival 2026, Poland
Jun 05: Plzeň-město Metalfest Open Air 2026, Czechia
Jun 06: Maastricht South of Heaven Open Air 2026, Netherlands
Jun 09: Dresden Reithale, Germany
Jun 12: Leeuwarden Into the Grave Festival, Netherlands
Jun 14: Ferrara Summer Festival, Italy
Jun 15: Zagreb Boogaloo, Croatia
Jun 16: Vienna Raiffeisen Halle im Gasometer, Austria
Jun 18: Dessel Graspop Metal Meeting , Belgium
Jun 20: Clisson Hellfest, France
Jun 21: Luxembourg City den Atelier, Luxembourg
Jun 24: Stockholm Gröna Lund, Sweden
Jun 25: Oslo Tons of Rock, Norway
Jun 26: Copenhagen Copenhell Festival, Denmark
Jun 28: Lyon 01 Groupama Stadium, France
Jun 30: Ramonville-st-agne Le Bikini, France
Jul 01: Bordeaux Le Rocher De Palmer, France
Jul 02: Viveiro Resurrection Fest, Spain
Jul 04: Cartagena Rock Imperium Festival, Spain
Jul 07: Lisboa Estádio da Luz, Portugal
Sep 03: Montréal Parc Jean-Drapeau, QC
Sep 05: Harrison Sports Illustrated Stadium, NJ
Sep 06: Harrison Sports Illustrated Stadium, NJ
Sep 17: Louisville Louder Than Life, KY
Sep 25: Los Angeles BMO Stadium, CA
Sep 27: Los Angeles BMO Stadium, CA
Sep 29: San Antonio Alamodome, TX
Oct 02: Mexio City Estadio GNP Seguros, Mexico
