Appearing on the July 17 episode of Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello confirmed that the band’s long-awaited new album — the follow-up to 2016’s For All Kings — has officially wrapped recording and is heading into the mixing stage.
“The record’s done. It’s going into mixing now,” Bello announced (via BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “Look, I know it’s a long time coming, and thank you to the fans that are listening right now, and I know it’s been a while. But between COVID, side projects, everything, we’ve all had different lives, and everybody’s very much into what we’re doing now with ANTHRAX. So, you’ll be hearing something before the end of the year, for sure.”
When host Eddie Trunk asked if fans could expect at least a new single before 2025 wraps, Bello replied: “That is the plan, Eddie. That is the plan. ‘Cause nobody puts out records right away — just a song and then a song, and you tease it out.”
On the sonic direction of the new material, Bello teased evolution and intensity: “I can’t say the title [of the album yet], but what I can say is people who have liked the last two records… I think we took another step from that. And this isn’t just a salesmanship thing. I am, as a fan, really proud of the band stepping up like this — musicianship, songwriting. Joey’s vocals — I’m not even joking when I say this about Belladonna, it’s one of the best singing he’s done on an ANTHRAX record. I’m not even joking with that.”
He added: “We made sure the melodies, everything is right with this record. We’re ready to go. It’s been a long time, but I think we have the goods. I’m really proud of it, and I can’t wait to play this stuff. It’s gonna be a little challenging, definitely, but I’m looking forward to getting out there again.”
Looking ahead to the tour cycle, Bello confirmed that 2026 is already set aside for ANTHRAX to hit the road in support of the record. “That is carved out, from my manager Mike Monterulo, straight from his mouth. We’re concentrating specifically on ANTHRAX. Look, there may be shows here and there for other projects and that’s fine when we’re off, but it’s absolutely focused on ANTHRAX and the record and getting it out there and really making people hear the stuff.”
And there may be more on the horizon even sooner. “There’s things being booked now,” Bello revealed. “There might be even stuff being booked for this year, at the end of the year. We don’t know. The contract’s being signed right now. We’ll see. I can’t tell you right now, Eddie, ‘cause it’s not signed, but you’ll love the tour we’re talking about doing later this year, if that works out… It’ll be fun. I hope it works out… We are actually working on this and we are hungry.”
Recording for the new album resumed last November at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in California, with Jay Ruston returning as producer after previously helming both For All Kings and 2011’s Worship Music.
Earlier this month, vocalist Joey Belladonna confirmed to Chicago’s Rebel Radio 92.5 FM that he had completed recording his parts. “I’m really happy with what I’ve done,” he said. “And the band sounds great on the record… Obviously, things are going in the right form and the timing is right. So, all good. I’m happy. You’re gonna love it.”
Guitarist Scott Ian echoed the excitement last September, telling Guitar World the band had taken a slower, more deliberate approach this time around. “We’re taking our time and not rushing anything because we want it to be exactly how we want it,” he explained. “We’re not in a place in our lives anymore where we could have dropped everything… We have families and commitments now, so it can’t work that way anymore and hasn’t in a long time.”
As for the sound, Ian promised big riffs and big hooks. “There are crushing riffs and great, hooky choruses. Even some of the thrashiest songs have great choruses… We want this record to punch people in the face.”
Drummer Charlie Benante added in an August 2024 Metal Hammer interview that the new album includes “a song which has the same kind of epic feel as ‘In The End’ and ‘Blood Eagle Wings’… And there are three songs that don’t sound like anything we’ve done before.”
Bello had spoken earlier in 2024 about the delay between albums, emphasizing the band’s high standards: “We wanna make sure it’s right, and it is. We are very confident… I think we stepped it up a little bit, the heaviness… there’s stuff that we’ve never done before.”
In another 2023 interview, Ian described the songs as “very riff-centric,” noting, “It’s riffs with all capital letters. There’s a lot of faster uptempo material.” He teased one track in particular as “the fastest thing we’ve ever done,” alongside another inspired by classics like “Gung-Ho” and “Caught In A Mosh.”
Benante also pointed to the pandemic as a key reason for the extended timeline. “If we didn’t get hit with this whole global pandemic thing, [the album] would have been out probably two years ago, three years ago,” he told Metal Rules. But the added time allowed the band to develop a mix of older and newer material.
With over 40 years behind them, ANTHRAX continues to evolve while honoring their thrash legacy. Formed in 1981, the band has 11 studio albums, multiple Grammy nominations, and countless iconic shows to their name — including Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium with the “Big Four.” Now, they’re ready to unleash their next chapter.
