Anthrax officially debuted their brand-new single, “It’s For The Kids“, during a live performance on Tuesday, May 26. The concert took place at the Vasil Levski Stadium in Sofia, Bulgaria, where the thrash metal pioneers served as the direct support act for Iron Maiden. Fan-filmed footage capturing the first-ever live rendition of the track has surfaced online and can be seen down below.
The new track “It’s For The Kids“ is the lead single from the band’s highly anticipated twelfth studio album, Cursum Perficio, scheduled for release on September 18 through Megaforce in the United States and Nuclear Blast in Europe. The upcoming release marks the first new full-length record from Anthrax in a decade, following up their 2016 album, For All Kings, which debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart.
The album’s title, Cursum Perficio, translates from Latin to mean “My journey has come to an end,” “My journey is over,” or “I complete my journey.”
In a recent interview with BraveWords, guitarist Scott Ian and drummer Charlie Benante discussed the production timeline and the origin of the album’s Latin title. When asked if the phrase means “staying the course” or “finishing the journey,” Scott Ian responded: “You’re asking the wrong people. Neither of us majored in Latin or went to medical school.”
Charlie Benante clarified that the title was actually inspired by a documentary about Marilyn Monroe. “There was a whole idea going around about, all the four bands, the Big 4 bands, kind of getting to the point where, ‘Wow, this may be the time that this could be the last record’. And I was watching this Marilyn Monroe documentary. She has this plaque in her house, which said, ‘Cursum Perficio’ which means ‘My journey has come to an end’ or ‘My journey is over’. And we were talking, and ‘What about this?’. We don’t really have to say that this is the end.”
Scott Ian added that the title also reflects the lengthy, decade-long process of creating the record. “I look at it as, it’s also the journey of this album.”
For the new album, Anthrax once again teamed up with veteran producer Jay Ruston, who previously helmed both For All Kings and 2011’s Worship Music. Portions of the recording and mixing sessions took place at Dave Grohl‘s renowned Studio 606 in Northridge, California.
Anthrax — Sofia, Bulgaria Setlist (May 26, 2026):
- “Among The Living“
- “Madhouse“
- “Caught In A Mosh“
- “Metal Thrashing Mad“
- “It’s For The Kids” (Live debut)
- “Antisocial” (Trust cover)
- “Got The Time” (Joe Jackson cover)
- “Indians“
Cursum Perficio track listing:
- “Persistence of Memory“
- “The Long Goodbye“
- “It’s for the Kids“
- “Everybody’s Got a Plan“
- “The Edge of Perfection“
- “Infectious“
- “NYC 93“
- “Cursum Perficio“
- “T.O.M.B.“
- “Watch It Go“
- “My Victory“
Anthrax 2026 Live Shows & Tour Dates:
European & UK Leg
- May 28, 2026 – Bucharest, Romania – Arena Națională
- May 29, 2026 – Belgrade, Serbia – OpenAir Corner – Luka Beograd
- May 30, 2026 – Bratislava, Slovakia – National Football Stadium
- June 01, 2026 – Budapest, Hungary – Barba Negra
- June 02, 2026 – Nuremberg, Germany – Löwensaal
- June 04, 2026 – Gdańsk, Poland – Mystic Festival 2026
- June 05, 2026 – Plzeň-město, Czechia – Metalfest Open Air 2026
- June 06, 2026 – Maastricht, Netherlands – South of Heaven Open Air 2026
- June 09, 2026 – Dresden, Germany – Reithalle Dresden
- June 12, 2026 – Leeuwarden, Netherlands – Into the Grave Festival 2026
- June 14, 2026 – Ferrara, Italy – Ferrara Summer Festival 2026
- June 15, 2026 – Zagreb, Croatia – Boogaloo Zagreb
- June 16, 2026 – Vienna, Austria – Raiffeisen Halle im Gasometer
- June 18, 2026 – Dessel, Belgium – Graspop Metal Meeting 2026
- June 20, 2026 – Clisson, France – Hellfest 2026
- June 21, 2026 – Luxembourg City, Luxembourg – den Atelier
- June 24, 2026 – Stockholm, Sweden – Gröna Lund
- June 25, 2026 – Oslo, Norway – Tons of Rock 2026
- June 26, 2026 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Copenhell Festival 2026
- June 28, 2026 – Lyon, France – Groupama Stadium
- June 30, 2026 – Ramonville-St-Agne, France – Le Bikini
- July 01, 2026 – Bordeaux, France – Le Rocher de Palmer
- July 02, 2026 – Viveiro, Spain – Resurrection Fest 2026
- July 04, 2026 – Cartagena, Spain – Rock Imperium Festival 2026
- July 07, 2026 – Lisbon, Portugal – Estádio da Luz
North American Leg
- September 03, 2026 – Montréal, QC, Canada – Parc Jean-Drapeau
- September 05, 2026 – Harrison, NJ, USA – Sports Illustrated Stadium
- September 06, 2026 – Harrison, NJ, USA – Sports Illustrated Stadium
- September 17, 2026 – Louisville, KY, USA – Louder Than Life 2026
- September 25, 2026 – Los Angeles, CA, USA – BMO Stadium
- September 27, 2026 – Los Angeles, CA, USA – BMO Stadium
- September 29, 2026 – San Antonio, TX, USA – Alamodome
- October 02, 2026 – Mexico City, Mexico – Estadio GNP Seguros
