ANTHRAX‘s Scott Ian (guitar), Charlie Benante (drums) and Frank Bello (bass) have been in the studio with producer Jay Ruston, laying down basic tracks in preparation for singer Joey Belladonna to record his vocals and for lead guitarist Jonathan Donais to add his leads and solos. No title nor release date at this time, but this will be the band’s long-awaited first new album since 2016’s “For All Kings”.

Scott wrote on social media: “We started recording the new album last week and the first session was a blast! The songs are killer, challenging and a lot of fun to play – Riff-O-Rama. Tones are 1986 great. Can’t wait for all of you to hear what we’re doing.”

Charlie added: “We entered the studio and have begun recording our new record. I feel that the songs are next level for us. The first batch that I recorded were a bit challenging as far as my drumming goes. The next batch will be recorded in between my @panteraofficial schedule. I can’t wait to record the next batch… some great stuff coming! The persistence to spread the euphoric Music we worship among all you Kings ( and Queens) has always been our mission @anthrax”.

A month ago, Benante was asked by Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules if his packed 2023 touring schedule with PANTERA will delay the release of ANTHRAX‘s new LP. He responded: “We’re actually going in two weeks to start recording the record. But it probably wouldn’t come out till ’24 anyway. But the good part about it is we are going in to start recording it. So that’s awesome.”

Elaborating on why it has taken so long for ANTHRAX to complete the writing process for a new LP, Charlie said: “If we didn’t get hit with this whole global pandemic thing, it would have been out probably two years ago, three years ago. But we all know what happened. But now, being that some of the songs were (written) before the pandemic hit, they’re old to me. So now there’s a bunch of new songs that kind of came in the mix. So that’s a good thing. You can never have enough… We’re still working on the older ones because we really like a lot of those.”

This past January, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian told Metal Edge that he and his bandmates had “11 musical arrangements”, as well as “some” lyrics, that they were working on for their next album. “Obviously, I’m going to be working on more words and we’re getting there,” he said. “I’m hoping at some point we’ll be able to get into the studio (this year) and record them.”

A month ago, Benante was asked by Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules if his packed 2023 touring schedule with PANTERA will delay the release of ANTHRAX‘s new LP. He responded: “We’re actually going in two weeks to start recording the record. But it probably wouldn’t come out till ’24 anyway. But the good part about it is we are going in to start recording it. So that’s awesome.”

Elaborating on why it has taken so long for ANTHRAX to complete the writing process for a new LP, Charlie said: “If we didn’t get hit with this whole global pandemic thing, it would have been out probably two years ago, three years ago. But we all know what happened. But now, being that some of the songs were (written) before the pandemic hit, they’re old to me. So now there’s a bunch of new songs that kind of came in the mix. So that’s a good thing. You can never have enough… We’re still working on the older ones because we really like a lot of those.”

This past January, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian told Metal Edge that he and his bandmates had “11 musical arrangements”, as well as “some” lyrics, that they were working on for their next album. “Obviously, I’m going to be working on more words and we’re getting there,” he said. “I’m hoping at some point we’ll be able to get into the studio (this year) and record them.”

“Think about it,” Benante continued. “If ANTHRAX released five songs and you have these five songs, and you absorb it in such a different way nowadays, too. I think that may be the way to go, rather than give everybody 11 songs and it’s like, ‘Oh — I only had a chance to listen to the first four or five.’ I don’t know. I just think maybe the business model is different.”

“And even for us, playing songs live it’s like, you put out a record with 10 or 11 songs on it with the idea that, ‘Oh man, I can’t wait to play this one live and I can’t wait to play this one live,'” Ian added. “On ‘For All Kings’, we definitely didn’t play all of those songs at any point. I think there’s maybe six songs on the record that got played – and that’s it. I almost feel like you’re wasting them. I understand album tracks, but if you put out just five songs it would be easy to play all five of those on a new tour.”

“And easier to digest, too,” Benante agreed. “You would appreciate it more if it was just five songs and, ‘These five songs are fuckin’ killer. I can’t wait for the next five songs,’ knowing that we will release another five or six.”

Earlier in January, Benante told Ruben Mosqueda of We Go To 11 that ANTHRAX was planning to enter the studio sometime this spring to begin recording the new LP.

“Between the PANTERA tour dates in 2023, we’re gonna be working on this record, this ANTHRAX record,” he said. “We’re hoping to have it finished before PANTERA go to Europe (in late May). I have a little window after that, before (PANTERA‘s stadium tour with) METALLICA starts. At least if I get my drum tracks done, then the other guys can continue to work on it. That’s the plan. Unless something else happens, but hopefully nothing will happen.”

Last November, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello told SiriusXM that the band is “not in a rush” to record the new album. “We wanna make sure it’s the right record,” he explained. “We can’t just throw out something that’s not ready. So we’re gonna really make sure it’s the right record and live with it for a little bit. We have some brutal stuff and some cool stuff coming up — very heavy — we’ve been working on. Everybody can say that when they’re working on a record. But the proof is in the pudding. I’m pretty proud of what we’ve come up with so far.”

“Think about it,” Benante continued. “If ANTHRAX released five songs and you have these five songs, and you absorb it in such a different way nowadays, too. I think that may be the way to go, rather than give everybody 11 songs and it’s like, ‘Oh — I only had a chance to listen to the first four or five.’ I don’t know. I just think maybe the business model is different.”

“And even for us, playing songs live it’s like, you put out a record with 10 or 11 songs on it with the idea that, ‘Oh man, I can’t wait to play this one live and I can’t wait to play this one live,'” Ian added. “On ‘For All Kings’, we definitely didn’t play all of those songs at any point. I think there’s maybe six songs on the record that got played – and that’s it. I almost feel like you’re wasting them. I understand album tracks, but if you put out just five songs it would be easy to play all five of those on a new tour.”

“And easier to digest, too,” Benante agreed. “You would appreciate it more if it was just five songs and, ‘These five songs are fuckin’ killer. I can’t wait for the next five songs,’ knowing that we will release another five or six.”

Earlier in January, Benante told Ruben Mosqueda of We Go To 11 that ANTHRAX was planning to enter the studio sometime this spring to begin recording the new LP.

“Between the PANTERA (tour dates in 2023), we’re gonna be working on this record, this ANTHRAX record,” he said. “We’re hoping to have it finished before PANTERA go to Europe (in late May). I have a little window after that, before (PANTERA‘s stadium tour with) METALLICA starts. At least if I get my drum tracks done, then the other guys can continue to work on it. That’s the plan. Unless something else happens, but hopefully nothing will happen.”

Last November, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello told SiriusXM that the band is “not in a rush” to record the new album. “We wanna make sure it’s the right record,” he explained. “We can’t just throw out something that’s not ready. So we’re gonna really make sure it’s the right record and live with it for a little bit. We have some brutal stuff and some cool stuff coming up — very heavy — we’ve been working on. Everybody can say that when they’re working on a record. But the proof is in the pudding. I’m pretty proud of what we’ve come up with so far.”