Anthrax “Cursum Perficio” Album Review by Cael McLeish

Sep 16, 2026

When you think of the Big 4 of Thrash Metal, I feel like everyone gravitates towards Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer more than they do Anthrax. To me, that feels completely undeserved, especially given the band’s incredible run since Joey Belladonna‘s return. Since 2011, Anthrax have been absolutely killing it, with Worship Music and For All Kings both ranking among my favourite albums of their respective release years. Now, with their first release in a decade, Cursum Perficio has finally arrived as a potential closing chapter for the band’s studio legacy.

Honestly, this album is a very literal representation of the notion that “good things come to those who wait”. In a lot of ways, this feels like a continuation of the expertly crafted For All Kings, in many others, it takes on an entirely different personality, one uniquely its own.

As the previous two albums have, Cursum Perficio opens with an intro track. Here, we have Persistence of Memory, a clever nod to the band’s 1990 album Persistence of Time. This then turns into the meaty intro of the first proper song, The Long Goodbye. While I felt Earth on Hell and You Gotta Believe were perhaps stronger as immediate hooks, this track really sets up the heaviness of all that’s to come perfectly. Lyrically, it serves as a bit of a foreboding prologue. “Too late, the world is colder / feels like the memory’s over”. It almost makes me think of COVID, and I suppose it could be, given how much of a dampener it put on the making of this album.

It’s For the Kids is already an all-time favourite from the band, and it has been since pretty much day one. This was the first sample of the album that the world got to hear, even going so far as to open their tour of Australia back in March with a jam on the heavy bridge riff. In fact, of the first five tracks of this album, the latter three are taken up by the singles, with Everybody’s Got a Plan and The Edge of Perfection following in short order. I do see some continuity between It’s For the Kids and Everybody’s Got a Plan though, as the bridge of the former speaks of putting the sharpest knives into the hands of children. I think I also hear a little bit of that effect intro from Kids in the solo of Plan.

The Edge of Perfection is a very different beast though, which really harkens back to epics like Blood Eagle Wings for me. I actually remember my father messaging me when this dropped as a single, saying that it gave him a bit of a Mastodon feel. With a few riffs on Marrow Deep making me think of Anthrax, it’s kinda convenient timing. Scott Ian has said this is one of the finest songs that Anthrax has ever written, and that it’s actually a love song for Anthrax. The lyrics depict his relationship with his wife and son as a hard-won victory and happiness that’s fragile to keep. This really is a great song.

Infectious is a sludgy rocker and I’m absolutely here for it. With a rather simplistic riff, this takes me back to their groove metal days of the Persistence of Time era. This one doesn’t have as much variety as the last few songs, but it’s actually refreshing to have a straight-ahead rocker. That is, until the solo, which is one of my favourite Anthrax solos after a single listen. What Jonathan Donais has brought to the table on this album is mind-boggling and feels so good!

NYC 93 is a killer tune, talking about the scene at the time. The song is about being a kid in a “perfect time and a place you could still get lost”. I feel this is one I will appreciate much more when I get a chance to sit down and read through the lyrics, but it really does sound great. The chorus chant of “it ain’t worth doing ‘less you do to death” is going to be a great live moment for sure!

The title track is exactly what I mean when I say this feels like a progression from For All Kings, as I feel so much of the Breathing Lightning DNA in this one. Every iota of this song is brilliant. While it’s a far cry from the sound of the 80s, I’m not ashamed to say this is exactly what I have loved about modern Anthrax in any way. “And now it’s over, your journey’s over”. If truly this is the final album, this is a hell of a statement to rally behind. Scott Ian has said that he doesn’t feel this is necessarily the last one, going as far to say “I think we’d make a bigger point about it”, but only time will tell.

T.O.M.B. is a heavy bastard, and that’s the simplest way of putting it. This song has an insane breakdown into the solo, with the drums and bass also getting a moment to show off. This one feels like one of the more filler entries on the album, yet it’s also extremely powerful, which is to say that nothing here feels wasted at all!

Watch It Go is the only song that feels very disjointed to me. The opening took me a minute to get my head around, and this is coming from a prog metal fan! It’s not bad in the slightest, but I don’t know that this is going to be one I turn back to very often in subsequent listens. Or maybe it will be something that I love more as I get more familiar with it. The bridge is quite cool. Honestly, the way this song sounds reminds me of Judas Priest from Worship Music. It also doesn’t exactly end, as much as it just stops. It almost sounds like there was meant to be a fade-out that wasn’t implemented. It’s really weird, and I love it.

The album ends on My Victory, a track that really sums up what Anthrax sound like for me. It’s pretty serviceable, the riff is pretty sweet, and I like the repeating lyrics as a hook, but I don’t really hear any new ground being covered that this album hasn’t already delivered on. But, while the main song doesn’t reach the same adrenaline-fuelled peaks that Zero Tolerance did for me, the outro jam is a great way to close the whole thing out. I think the really interesting thing to note for me is the final note, which sounds nothing like a typical final resolution, and sounds a lot more like a transition waiting for its next chapter to be written. I hope that we may yet see another Anthrax album, because it still sounds like these guys have a lot in the tank.

So, that’s Cursum Perficio. Every single song has something to like. While I’d maybe have flipped the order of songs around a little, maybe moved NYC 93 to second last and put Watch It Go up with Infectious, I feel this is a pretty great album. It’s certainly a stronger effort than the last Megadeth release, which is why I feel the question needs to be asked why these guys are often considered the lesser of the Big 4. These guys have been consistently putting out great compositions, even with different singers at the helm. Sure, there’s no equivalent to Indians or AIR here, but I don’t think there needs to be. Bands evolve over time, and if this is where they’re headed, I sincerely look forward to whatever comes next.

Purchase / stream Cursum Perficio: Pre-order | “It’s For The Kids”

Anthrax Cursum Perficio album cover — Anthrax, “Cursum Perficio”

Cursum Perficio is out September 18 via Nuclear Blast Records and Megaforce Records in North America. It is the band’s 12th studio album and their first in ten years since 2016’s For All Kings. Recorded at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in Los Angeles and produced by Jay Ruston and Anthrax.