Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian recently discussed the band’s highly anticipated first studio album since 2016 in an interview published on The Rockpit. The album has been in development for approximately three years of actual writing and recording time. It is set to release this year.
“The album’s coming out this year. I am not going to tell you when, but I will say there’s an announcement coming soon,” Ian said. “We weren’t planning on [taking] 10 years [to release a new album]. In actual time if you take out the time we were on tour for ‘For All Kings’, ’cause that record came out in ’16, and we didn’t finish the touring cycle till November of ’19 on that album.”
Ian explained that the extended timeline was largely due to unforeseen circumstances. “And then, of course, the world had other plans for everybody. So it wasn’t until some point later in ’21 that that started picking up again,” he noted. The guitarist expressed his enthusiasm for the project. He described it as a powerful creation that only eight people have heard so far.
“I want everyone else to hear it. I’m so fucking excited. Eight people have heard this fucking album. So I can’t wait for people to hear it,” Ian said. “I know what we have. It’s like having just the most powerful weapon in the world at your disposal, but you’re missing this one little thing and you can’t use it.”
While Ian has remained tight-lipped about specific details, recent reports have provided fans with more concrete information about what to expect from Anthrax’s long-awaited return to the studio.
Blabbermouth reported that Anthrax’s new album is tentatively scheduled for release in May 2026. North American distribution will be handled by Megaforce, while Nuclear Blast will manage European distribution. This timeline aligns with Ian’s recent statements about the album arriving this year, though no precise release date beyond the May target has been announced as of mid-March 2026.
