Even though he’s got an insanely busy schedule thanks to his involvement in the Pantera tribute act that’s making headlines and killing it live, Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante says he still has his eye on getting a new Anthrax record written and recorded in 2023.
During a recent interview with Metal Injection, Benante revealed that the extremely influential thrash metal outfit had already begun work on a dozen or so songs, with a handful of those being “really, really strong.”
“So as far as the new material goes, in October we all met up again and worked on material again. We have, I want to say, maybe 11 songs now. And out of those 11, I really feel like six or seven of them are really, really strong. I want to have a few more. I have some ideas for some other songs that I think would put the record over the top. I’d like to see that happen.”
Anthrax as a band is somewhat staring at a period of limbo at the moment, as Benante will be heavily involved in Pantera land while they open for Metallica over the next two years and guitarist Scott Ian will be on the road with Mr. Bungle — although that commitment isn’t as long-lived.
Still, Benante said he knows work is being done in the background and that once schedules align, he and Ian will discuss what comes next. If everything works out, he said, Benante hopes to lay down his tracks in between tour legs.
“You know, Scott’s been working on lyrics, I know. And then I’ll see Scott in South America because Mr. Bungle is on a bunch of shows, too, with [Pantera]. So we’ll kind of get together and hang and talk about that. In a perfect world, I would hope that I have two months, three months maybe off before the Pantera stuff happens in the spring, and I could go and maybe lay down drum tracks and stuff and just get that thing going. So that’s what I’m hoping to do.”
It will be almost seven years since the release of their last record, 2016’s For All Kings, when the band gets back to the studio for their follow up. Add in the fact that Anthrax have already committed to a tour in between Pantera dates with Black Label Society and Exodus spanning from January 17 to February 18, and it may be a while before we get a new Anthrax album. But knowing them, it’s going to be well worth the wait.
Anthrax and Black Label Society w/Exodus
JANUARY 2023
17 Boise, ID, Revolution Concert House | [Tickets]
18 Seattle, WA, Paramount Theatre | [Tickets]
20 Vancouver, BC PNE Forum | [Tickets]
21 Penticton, BC, So. Okanagan Events Ctr. | [Tickets]
22 Calgary, AB, Grey Eagle Events Centre | [Tickets]
24 Winnipeg, MB, Burton Cummings | [Tickets]
25 Grand Forks, ND, Alerus Center | [Tickets]
27 Madison, WI, The Sylvee | [Tickets]
28 Mt. Pleasant, MI, Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort | [Tickets]
29 Chicago, Il, Radius | [Tickets]
31 Montclair, NJ, Wellmont Theater | [Tickets]
FEBRUARY 2023
2 Portland, ME, Cross Insurance Arena | [Tickets]
3 Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun Arena | [Tickets]
4 Bethlehem, PA, Wind Creek Events Center | [Tickets]
5 Boston, MA, House of Blues | [Tickets]
7 Corbin, KY, Corbin Arena | [Tickets]
8 St. Louis, MO, The Factory at The District | [Tickets]
10 San Antonio, TX, Tec Port Center + Arena | [Tickets]
11 Houston, TX, Bayou Music Center | [Tickets]
13 Wichita, KS, The Cotillion | [Tickets]
14 Oklahoma City, OK, The Criterion | [Tickets]
15 Albuquerque, NM, Revel | [Tickets]
17 Riverside, CA, Riverside Municipal Auditorium | [Tickets]
18 Oakland, CA, Fox Theater | [Tickets]