ANTHRAX recruits RAVEN/Ex-FEAR FACTORY drummer MIKE HELLER as last-minute fill-in for CHARLIE BENANTE in San Antonio
01-10-2026
ANTHRAX recruited former FEAR FACTORY and current RAVEN drummer Mike Heller to sit behind the kit for the New York thrash metal legends’ September 29 concert at Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas as the support act for IRON MAIDEN and MEGADETH. Heller, who resides in San Antinio, filled in for ANTHRAX‘s longtime drummer Charlie Benante, who was unable to make the gig for reasons which were not disclosed.
Shortly after the concert, Heller took to his social media to write: “So I woke up today thinking that I was gonna spend a nice day with my cats and my drumpad… then out of absolutely nowhere at 2:00pm I get a call from my buddy Dirk Verbeuren [MEGADETH drummer]… he asks me if I’m in town tonight, and if I might know any ANTHRAX songs, and if I can fill in for Charlie Benante at 6:30pm tonight on the MAIDEN / MEGADETH / ANTHRAX tour…. Well… I didn’t know any ANTHRAX songs on the drums, but I quickly charted two out, raced down to the Alamodome… sat in traffic and got thrown to the wrong place to park.. finally got inside, sat down with the guys in ANTHRAX for less than an hour… charted the other songs as they told me how the versions they play live are different from the album… and then went on stage in front of 56,000 people or whatever, and did my best… Holy crap! How the HELL did I get here?!?!
“I have to thank Jon Donais, Frank Bello, Scott Ian, Joey Belladonna, Armando Aguirre, Paul Collis and all the ANTHRAX crew for having faith in me to be able to pull this off… and of course Dirk and Chris Jericho for vouching for me!!
“I still have no idea what happened! Next time, I hope I get more than a few hours to try to learn the songs… and hopefully I would actually be able to move the drums into a comfortable playing position for me… but this is a night I will never forget!”
ANTHRAX has recently released the official music video for “Cursum Perficio”, the fourth single and title track of the band’s album. “Cursum Perficio” arrived on September 18 via Megaforce in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast in Europe.
Watch “Cursum Perficio” below.
“Cursum Perficio” follows the previously released singles “It’s For The Kids”, which came out in May, “The Edge Of Perfection”, which was made available in July, and “Everybody’s Got A Plan”, which came out in August.
Watch Everybody’s Got A Plan”, “The Edge Of Perfection” and “It’s For The Kids” below.
“Cursum Perficio” marks ANTHRAX‘s first record in ten years since 2016’s “For All Kings”, which debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. The phrase “Cursum Perficio” is Latin for “My journey has come to an end,” “My journey is over,” or “I complete my journey.”
The “Cursum Perficio” track listing is as follows:
01. Persistence Of Memory
02. The Long Goodbye
03. It’s For The Kids
04. Everybody’s Got A Plan
05. The Edge Of Perfection
06. Infectious
07. NYC93
08. Cursum Perficio
09. T.O.M.B.
10. Watch It Go
11. My Victory
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