Anthrax shared an update about their upcoming album: “None of the songs are actually finished, but there are three songs that don’t sound like anything we’ve done before”

Drummer Charlie Benante and guitarist Scott Ian of Anthrax discussed the status of the recording sessions for their eagerly awaited follow-up album with Metal Hammer magazine.

There’s a song which has the same kind of epic feel as ‘In The End’ and ‘Blood Eagle Wings’. It revolves around the journey we’ve been on in the band. And there are three songs that don’t sound like anything we’ve done before. One called ‘The Edge Of Perfection’ I had way before COVID, and it has just stayed with me — the melody and the chords, but also the aggression. Charlie Benante

None of the songs are actually finished-finished. Joey’s sang on nine of them. I’ve got lyrics to write for four of them. I think all the songs will be good enough to come out in some way, shape or form.

Scott Ian

Frank Bello said in a different interview:

There wasn’t a rush, obviously. I know it’s been eight years since our last record, but we wanna make sure it’s right, and it is [right]. We are very confident. I’m not worried about how right it is. It’s right on exactly where I think, and the rest of the band think, we need to be. I love that it’s more complicated for me to play. I love the challenge of that. I think we stepped it up a little bit, the heaviness. Again, everybody’s gonna prop their record. Doing this for so long, this is how I feel. I don’t wanna get complacent. I want the challenge, ’cause I’m a fan. I’m a fan, and it has to stimulate me. And it has to get me going on stage.

He also discussed the musical direction of the new album.

On this record, there’s stuff that we’ve never done before. I’m just saying right out — there’s stuff, in a heavy way, which I’m very proud of. I like that we went that way with it and just went, ‘What the fuck was that?’ Some of the things that Charlie Benante does on drums, Scott and I were just, ‘What the fuck was that?’ And that’s great, ’cause you wanna raise your game after that. I think it makes everybody step up a little bit. I’m doing some bass stuff that I had some fun with on this that I would never have done. I think there’s a lot of cool stuff that’s going on vocally, melody-wise. I’m really happy where the next Anthrax record is going.