In a brand new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program “Wired In The Empire”, ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna was requested if he has had an likelihood to start laying down any vocals on the band’s long-awaited follow-up to 2016’s “For All Kings” album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “No, I have never executed something but. I type of clear the air till the whole lot is about getting nearer to that time the place you’ll want to begin gearing as much as go in to sing stuff. It is an thrilling time to have the ability to tackle track from track, track to track and actually simply discover the perfect path to an excellent, nice model of one thing which will or will not be what you are anticipating, for me and for the followers and the band simply as properly. So, yeah, it is a actually attention-grabbing time. I like the studio.”

Throughout an August 2 look on SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian stated that he and his bandmates had not gotten very far within the monitoring course of for his or her subsequent LP. “We had a session right here in L.A.,” he stated. “Charlie [Benante, ANTHRAX drummer], Frankie [Bello, ANTHRAX bassist] and I tracked 9 songs. I completed the guitars on these proper earlier than we went to New York, so I do not know — someday finish of June; one thing like that. Frankie is presently in L.A. monitoring bass on these 9 songs… Since I’ve had time, like a month, to dwell with my guitar tracks, I’ve heard like plenty of issues that I feel are very cool to type of add. So I am entering into and spending a day performing some overdubs. [Jonathan] Donais [ANTHRAX guitarist] is already engaged on solos again east at his residence studio. And I’m engaged on lyrics. So I feel we’re properly into it, let’s put it that approach. There’s gonna be one other recording session October, perhaps November. Charlie‘s obtained these two home windows to get in, ‘trigger we have now one other 4 or 5 [songs] we need to monitor. We’re hoping, if issues simply keep on the very unfastened schedule we have now, I would wish to suppose by Christmas, New 12 months’s, we’ll have most of this wrapped up. Perhaps not combined, however definitely all recorded by then.”

Scott continued: “My purpose is to have three songs prepared for [Belladonna] to begin on subsequent month. Joey, it does not take him very lengthy. As soon as he type of wraps his head round it and type of runs it by means of his filter, he is a quick employee. So as soon as he begins, it does not take lengthy. It is extra, I feel, the onus on me of being pleased with the lyrics I am writing. ‘Trigger I really had, like, three or 4 songs written months in the past, after which I revisited them like a month in the past and I threw ’em all within the rubbish; I used to be, like, ‘That is crap.’ However I am in a significantly better place with that now.”

Relating to the musical course of the brand new ANTHRAX materials. Scott stated: “Actually of the 9 [songs] we have tracked to date, and, in fact, the tough type of demos we have now of a few of the stuff we’ve not tracked with drums but, from a riff viewpoint, it is positively — I imply it is riffs with all capital letters. Like if you happen to had been going to put in writing, you’ll write ‘riffs’ in all capitals with an exclamation level. The riffs are killer. It’s totally riff-centric. There’s plenty of sooner uptempo materials, definitely.”

Ian added: “I will say there’s a track — I will not say any titles but, ‘trigger it is nonetheless in all probability a working title — there’s positively one track, it is the quickest factor we have ever executed. There’s one other track that we’ve not recorded but that is additionally within the vein, extra of a ‘Gung-Ho’ or a ‘Caught In A Mosh’. As a result of Charlie and I discuss on a regular basis. I stated, ‘We nonetheless want one thing that is like a three-and-a-half-minute simply ripper. You recognize, one thing like that.’ After which we provide you with one thing like that and I am, like, ‘Hey, I forgot I am 60 now, and now I’ve to play this track for the subsequent three years.’ Simply make my life tougher.”

This previous Might, it was introduced that Ian, Benante and Bello had been within the studio with producer Jay Ruston, laying down primary tracks in preparation for Belladonna to file his vocals and for lead guitarist Donais so as to add his leads and solos.

On the time, Scott wrote on social media: “We began recording the brand new album final week and the primary session was a blast! The songs are killer, difficult and plenty of enjoyable to play – Riff-O-Rama. Tones are 1986 nice. Cannot await all of you to listen to what we’re doing.”

Charlie added: “We entered the studio and have begun recording our new file. I really feel that the songs are subsequent stage for us. The primary batch that I recorded had been a bit difficult so far as my drumming goes. The subsequent batch will likely be recorded in between my @panteraofficial schedule. I can not wait to file the subsequent batch… some nice stuff coming! The persistence to unfold the euphoric Music we worship amongst all you Kings ( and Queens) has at all times been our mission @anthrax”.

A month earlier, Benante was requested by Robert Cavuoto of Metallic Guidelines if his packed 2023 touring schedule with PANTERA will delay the discharge of ANTHRAX‘s new LP. He responded: “We’re really entering into two weeks to begin recording the file. However it in all probability would not come out until ’24 anyway. However the good half about it’s we’re entering into to begin recording it. In order that’s superior.”

Elaborating on why it has taken so lengthy for ANTHRAX to finish the writing course of for a brand new LP, Charlie stated: “If we did not get hit with this complete world pandemic factor, it could have been out in all probability two years in the past, three years in the past. However everyone knows what occurred. However now, being that a few of the songs had been [written] earlier than the pandemic hit, they’re previous to me. So now there is a bunch of recent songs that type of got here within the combine. In order that’s a very good factor. You possibly can by no means have sufficient… We’re nonetheless engaged on the older ones as a result of we actually like plenty of these.”

This previous January, Ian instructed Metallic Edge that he and his bandmates had “11 musical preparations”, in addition to “some” lyrics, that they had been engaged on for his or her subsequent album. “Clearly, I’ll be engaged on extra phrases and we’re getting there,” he stated. “I am hoping sooner or later we’ll be capable of get into the studio [this year] and file them.”

Benante additionally loudly puzzled if ANTHRAX may deal with releasing EPs within the foreseeable future versus full-length albums, as has been the case for a lot of the band’s four-plus-decade profession.

“What if it wasn’t a full album?” the drummer requested. “If we launched six songs after which we launched one other six songs. I do know from a file firm’s viewpoint that basically does not work, however in as of late…”

“Yeah. It is all so completely different now,” Ian stated, leaping in. “SLIPKNOT‘s saying now why even make full albums anymore. I get it. I get all sides of it. I nonetheless love a full album, however on the similar time I completely perceive the thought of what is the level of giving somebody 11 songs. Most individuals do not hearken to albums anymore. So, yeah — why not parse it out? I do not know. All I do know is sooner or later within the subsequent few months we’ll in all probability have 14 or 15 issues after which we’ll should resolve when we will file it and the way we will launch it.”

“Give it some thought,” Benante continued. “If ANTHRAX launched 5 songs and you’ve got these 5 songs, and also you take in it in such a special approach these days, too. I feel which may be the best way to go, reasonably than give all people 11 songs and it is like, ‘Oh — I solely had an opportunity to hearken to the primary 4 or 5.’ I do not know. I simply suppose perhaps the enterprise mannequin is completely different.”

“And even for us, enjoying songs dwell it is like, you set out a file with 10 or 11 songs on it with the concept, ‘Oh man, I can not wait to play this one dwell and I can not wait to play this one dwell,'” Ian added. “On ‘For All Kings’, we positively did not play all of these songs at any level. I feel there’s perhaps six songs on the file that obtained performed – and that is it. I virtually really feel such as you’re losing them. I perceive album tracks, however if you happen to put out simply 5 songs it could be straightforward to play all 5 of these on a brand new tour.”

“And simpler to digest, too,” Benante agreed. “You’ll admire it extra if it was simply 5 songs and, ‘These 5 songs are fuckin’ killer. I can not await the subsequent 5 songs,’ realizing that we’ll launch one other 5 – 6.”

Earlier in January, Benante instructed Ruben Mosqueda of We Go To 11 that ANTHRAX was planning to enter the studio someday this spring to start recording the brand new LP.

“Between the PANTERA [tour dates in 2023], we’re gonna be engaged on this file, this ANTHRAX file,” he stated. “We’re hoping to have it completed earlier than PANTERA go to Europe [in late May]. I’ve a bit window after that, earlier than [PANTERA‘s stadium tour with] METALLICA begins. At the least if I get my drum tracks executed, then the opposite guys can proceed to work on it. That is the plan. Except one thing else occurs, however hopefully nothing will occur.”

Final November, Bello instructed SiriusXM that the band is “not in a rush” to file the brand new album. “We wanna make sure that it is the suitable file,” he defined. “We will not simply throw out one thing that is not prepared. So we’re gonna actually make sure that it is the suitable file and dwell with it for a bit bit. We have now some brutal stuff and a few cool stuff arising — very heavy — we have been engaged on. All people can say that after they’re engaged on a file. However the proof is within the pudding. I am fairly pleased with what we have provide you with to date.”

In August 2022, Ian praised the manufacturing high quality on a few of the band’s latest albums, together with 2011’s “Worship Music” and “For All Kings”. He stated: [On] ‘Worship [Music]’ and ‘For All Kings’, for me, we have actually type of discovered our sound. We have this base stage the place we’re at proper now with [producer] Jay Ruston the place we all know it is gonna be nice, after which we may push it even additional. Particularly with the songwriting that we have now proper now, going into what’s going to finally be a brand new ANTHRAX album, it simply lends itself to even a extra aggressive manufacturing which I feel we can have no drawback engaging in.”

In April 2022, Scott confirmed to Metallic Injection that ANTHRAX had a number of songs already written for the upcoming LP. “All I can say is we’ll get within the studio once we’re prepared,” he stated. “I feel we’re getting there. I feel we have now nice songs. I feel individuals will likely be very joyful.

“To not make a bizarre comparability, but it surely’s our third file again along with Joey. Truly, it is an odd comparability. I ought to simply say it is our third album since our type of our reboot in 2010 and our third album again within the day was ‘Amongst The Dwelling’. I am not saying that that is [like that album], as a result of it isn’t ‘Amongst The Dwelling II’ in any sense, however I simply suppose we have now some nice songs and there is like a fucking mountain of nice riffs. I feel individuals are going to be very joyful.”

Ian beforehand mentioned ANTHRAX‘s upcoming LP throughout a July 2021 look on Full Metallic Jackie‘s nationally syndicated radio present. On the time, he stated: “We have been at it for a short while now. We really began writing in ’19 — pre-COVID — and type of stepped away from issues when COVID occurred. We had been all separate and aside and we might type of revisit a few of the demos, however we weren’t actively engaged on it.

“Yeah, it is the identical because it’s at all times been,” he stated. “I must suppose by the point we get to the opposite aspect of the writing course of and we resolve we’re able to go file it, I must assume it is definitely going to symbolize this time in our lives. And the world having gone by means of a pandemic, I’d think about definitely that is in a roundabout way, form or kind going to come back out by means of this subsequent file. I can not let you know how but, however I must suppose it will.”

ANTHRAX celebrated its fortieth anniversary in 2021 with various particular actions and occasions. Fashioned by Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of many first thrash steel bands to emerge from the East Coast and rapidly turned considered a pacesetter within the style alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Lively over the previous 5 a long time, ANTHRAX has launched 11 studio albums, been awarded a number of gold and platinum certifications, obtained six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 enjoying 1000’s of reveals, together with headlining Madison Sq. Backyard and enjoying Yankee Stadium with the “Massive 4”.

“For All Kings” was referred to as by some critics ANTHRAX‘s strongest album so far. Its arrival adopted a five-year interval throughout which the group skilled a rebirth of kinds, starting with ANTHRAX‘s inclusion on the “Massive 4” tour, and persevering with with the discharge of comeback LP “Worship Music”.