Due September 18 via Nuclear Blast Records and Megaforce Records (North America), the project marks the band’s long-awaited 12th full-length studio album and first in ten years.
Produced by Jay Ruston and Anthrax, the group began recording the project in earnest during 2022, working out of Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Los Angeles.
"It was quite a journey from the inception of this album to its completion," says Scott Ian. "We were supposed to make this in 2020, but the universe had other plans for everyone. After the Pandemic, we got to be a band again. When we started working on the record, we were just happy to be in a room together. It was so exciting that it was like being reborn in a way. All of that energy and emotion went into the music. The fear of being forced out of our lives and the joy of coming back together are present. The title 'Cursum Perficio' feels like Anthrax. It resembled what we went through to get to the point of finishing the record."
The phrase Cursum Perficio is Latin for "My journey has come to an end," "My journey is over," or "I complete my journey." It proves apropos for such a complete body of work.
"There was an awful lot of growth between ‘Worship Music’ in 2011 and Cursum Pacifico," Charlie Benante elaborated. "This album is a culmination of everything we've learned. I was watching a Marilyn Monroe documentary, and I saw 'Cursum Perficio' written on a tile in her last home. When I found out what the phrase meant, it immediately clicked with me. We aren't saying this is our last record, but our journey has come to an end. I believe we've completed the task."
As for the lead single, Ian says "A friend of mine said, 'It's For The Kids' is a straight-up love letter to your fans. That's exactly what I wanted it to be. The album needed a four-minute thrash song that harkened back to our first era. Whether it's the aggression or the big chorus, it represents all the best parts of Anthrax in a very angry four-minute package. For the video, we wanted to throw back to our 'Madhouse' video--thematically it just made sense and this idea opened the door for us to share the experience with our fans. For all of us!"