ANTHRAX previews its long-awaited twelfth studio album, “Cursum Perficio,” arriving September 18 via Megaforce in the United States and Nuclear Blast in Europe. This marks a ten-year gap since 2016’s “For All Kings,” a record that vaulted into the Billboard 200 Top 10. “Cursum Perficio,” a Latin phrase interpreted as “my journey has ended” or “I complete my journey,” signals a deliberate closing chapter paired with renewed vigor.
The official Joel Harlow-directed video for the LP’s second single, “The Edge Of Perfection,” is now available for fans to watch.
In a recent conversation on Full Metal Jackies, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian billed “The Edge Of Perfection” as “the greatest ANTHRAX song in the history of ANTHRAX,” claiming the band has never written anything this powerful in its career and stressing the personal drive behind the track’s creation, centered on family and chasing perfection.
Guitarist Charlie Benante told Metal Hammer in August 2024 that the music for “The Edge Of Perfection” was conceived well before the pandemic, retaining its melody, chords, and raw aggression over time. On the Talk Is Jericho podcast, he reflected on the early demos: cloud-based sharing, collaborative rewriting with Scott Ian, and the excitement of reuniting with Bello to refine the material into a cohesive, live-calibrated set.
Benante described the band’s approach to rolling out “It’s For The Kids” as a deliberate signal of continuity and momentum, emphasizing that the first single was meant to illustrate the band’s unyielding energy and scope. He acknowledged fans’ interpretation of the track as a “love letter” to the faithful, underscoring its role as a statement of intent.
From a ten-year delay to a creative revival, Charlie explained that personal timing and pandemic disruptions contributed to the gap. He noted that older ideas—such as the track “Target On My Back” from 2015—sat alongside newer compositions, yielding a blend of old and new material that finally coalesced into a cohesive LP. He described the writing process as a collaborative “band renaissance,” likening it to spring training in its energy and renewal.
“The Edge Of Perfection,” with its multi-variation demo approach, showcases Benante’s method of exploring riff permutations to invite inventive arrangements, a task that Ian and Bello have complemented with precise, thoughtful arrangement work.
Album Concept, Title, and Artwork
“Cursum Perficio”’s title emerged from a converging set of inspirations, including a Marilyn Monroe documentary in which the phrase appeared on a Beverly Hills tile. The band was drawn to the concept—“my journey has come to an end”—as a fitting frame for this moment in their career. The artwork, inspired by a blend of classic Houdini-era posters and contemporary Salvador Dalí-esque imagery, was developed with an artist whose distinctive poster-style aligns with the record’s mood. The visuals feature multiple easter eggs referencing prior releases, and each character on the cover carries a backstory to be revealed later.
Release Formats and Collector Variants
“Cursum Perficio” will roll out across several formats designed for collectors and fans alike: standard CD; Target-exclusive CD with a fabric patch; standard black double LP with a pop-up gatefold; Target-exclusive red double LP with a pop-up gatefold; Amazon-exclusive purple zoetrope double LP with a pop-up gatefold; merch-exclusive lilac vinyl double LP with a pop-up gatefold; Metal Injection-exclusive white vinyl double LP with a pop-up gatefold; Talk Shop Live-exclusive red ripple vinyl double LP with a pop-up gatefold; and Indie-exclusive red, orange, and yellow vinyl double LP with a pop-up gatefold.
Recording Venue and Production
Recording for Cursum Perficio took place mainly in 2022 at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in Los Angeles, with Jay Ruston producing alongside ANTHRAX. The project is described as a summation of the band’s legacy—angry, direct, and charged with life—while pushing their sound into newer, broader territory.
Legacy and Milestones
ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a flurry of activities and commemorations. Since forming in Queens, New York, on July 18, 1981, the band vaulted to prominence as a leading force in thrash metal, joining the ranks of Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth. Across five decades, ANTHRAX has released eleven studio albums, earned multiple gold and platinum certifications, and earned six Grammy nominations while touring worldwide and headlining venues including Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium as part of the Big Four.
Context and Creative Trajectory
“For All Kings,” many critics hailed the album as ANTHRAX’s strongest to date, marking a high point after a period of renewal that included the Worship Music comeback and the Big Four reunion tour. “Cursum Perficio” continues this arc, fusing reverence for the band’s history with a sharpened, contemporary edge that aims to satisfy longtime devotees and attract new listeners alike.
