Multi-GRAMMY Award-nominated New York Heavy Metal titans Anthrax have announced their long-awaited 12th studio album, Cursum Perficio, set for release on 18 September 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records and Megaforce Records in North America.
The new album marks the band’s first studio release in ten years since 2016’s For All Kings, which debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. The phrase “Cursum Perficio” is Latin for “My journey has come to an end” or “I complete my journey”, a fitting title for what the band describe as one of their most complete works to date.
Anthrax, Scott Ian, Charlie Benante, Frank Bello, Joey Belladonna and Jonathan Donais, recorded the album at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in Los Angeles. Produced by Jay Ruston alongside the band, the album promises the aggressive, fast-paced energy fans have come to expect from Anthrax.
Leading the charge is the first single, It’s For The Kids, a blistering slice of Heavy Metal packed with razor-sharp riffs, explosive drumming and an anthemic chorus designed for the live stage.
Scott Ian said A friend of mine said, It’s For The Kids is a straight-up love letter to your fans. That’s exactly what I wanted it to be.”
Charlie Benante added, “This basically is Anthrax at its best. Fast paced, thrashing, melodic fucking Metal.”
Frank Bello described the new material as the sound of a band still hungrier than ever, while Joey Belladonna praised the single’s “fire and punch”.
The accompanying video for It’s For The Kids also pays tribute to the band’s classic Madhouse era, featuring Anthrax fans prominently throughout the clip.
“It was quite a journey from the inception of this album to its completion,” Scott Ian said. “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 resembled what we went through to get to the point of finishing the record.”
Anthrax – Cursum Perficio Tracklisting
– 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
Anthrax say the album represents a major milestone in their 45-year career, delivering a record that is “powerful, pummeling, and poetic” in equal measure. Pre-orders are available from anthrax.bfan.link/cplp
