Who would have thought we would live to see this? A new album by Anthrax! Anthrax formed in 1981. One of thrash metal’s Big Four, the only member not to have emerged from the Bay Area scene, having come from New York. And they have always been something of an outsider in terms of both presentation and musical experimentation. The grey-haired and bald among you will no doubt remember the comedic rap-metal track I’m the Man, or the shorts the gentlemen used to wear. No fewer than ten years have passed since the previous record, the rather disappointing For All Kings. Never before has there been a longer gap between the band’s studio releases – the original plan was to begin recording this album in 2018 – although five live albums and an EP have appeared in the meantime. That EP, Cursum Perficio: Meet the Characters, was released earlier this month. In a series of spoken-word passages, it introduces various characters whom you would expect to play a role on the subsequent album.
After an intro The Long Goodbye is not the opening statement you hope for or expect. The rather dull song goes in one ear and out the other. It’s For the Kids is a different story, with the band showing that they still know perfectly well how to make thrash. Everybody’s Got A Plan is over before you know it, but The Edge of Perfection is a striking track. Drummer Charlie Benante ventures into black metal territory, while guitarist Jonathan Donais gets to cut loose with a fine solo. All the whoa-oh-ohs will go down well live, as will the truly blistering finale. A fantastic track.
Infectious earns the label “decent”. It takes some getting used to after the force of its predecessor. NYC 93, on the other hand, stands out immediately. It is a wonderfully agitated track with a suitably punchy chorus – “It ain’t worth doing unless you do it to death” – plus a satisfying acceleration toward the end. It is the kind of song that makes your lip curl and, in a live setting, draws your gaze towards the pit, where casualties seem inevitable. Exactly the sort of song your neighbours will be hearing often, whether they like it or not. The title track is pretty good too, with Jonathan Donais’s fiery solo as its highlight. T.O.M.B., which follows, is not bad at all either. It is a song with the potential to grow on you over time.
Watch It Go once again features those black-metal-like passages in which Anthrax almost blows you out of your chair. Cursum Perficio is actually a highly diverse album, although in this case that is not necessarily a virtue. In keeping with that eclectic approach, My Victory is a rather unremarkable closer.
Oh yes, speaking of the title Cursum Perficio: my Latin is a little rusty, but it can be translated literally as “I complete the course.” In other words: “My journey has come to an end.” There is no need to worry that this is an announcement of the band’s demise. That is not the intention, as Charlie Benante has already explained. The drummer revealed that he came across the phrase on a plaque in actress and model Marilyn Monroe’s home while watching a documentary about her. Still, with Slayer only very occasionally dusting off their instruments and Megadeth having announced the end, it is entirely possible that Anthrax will bring their own journey to a close with Cursum Perficio. If so, at least the band will bow out with a good, if unspectacular, album that surpasses its predecessor. Or, to put a positive spin on it: at last, there is new music from Anthrax again! Cursum Perficio is the band’s best album in ten years!
Score:
75/100
Label:
Nuclear Blast Records, 2026
Tracklisting:
- Persistence of Memory
- The Long Goodbye
- It’s for the Kids
- Everybody’s Got a Plan
- The Edge of Perfection
- Infectious
- NYC 93
- Cursum Perficio
- T.O.M.B.
- Watch It Go
- My Victory
Line-up:
- Joey Belladonna – Vocals
- Jonathan Donais – Guitar
- Scott Ian – Guitar
- Frank Bello – Bass guitar
- Charlie Benante – Drums, percussion
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