Frank Bello Reveals What Made Anthrax’s New Album Worth the 10-Year Wait
Anthrax has a new record coming out on September 18th, marking the Thrash metal icons’ 12th studio album. Cursum Perficio will also be their first full-length effort since 2016’s All For Kings. Bassist Frank Bello discussed the wait and the magic of writing together in a new interview on The Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz.
“It’s been a run. Look, we’ve been around the block a few times: side projects, family, everything else… We had COVID. Ugh, God, everything,” he said. “But when you finally get together—the three of us, when Charlie [Benante], Scott [Ian] and I get together and write songs, it’s really a special thing. It really is. And when you finally hear it come to fruition, it’s like, ‘Oh man, finally. It’s been worth it all this time.'”
Anthrax recorded the new album at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606, where Bello was inspired by the gear on hand.
“That studio has a vibe, like an old school studio where you just wanna play. There’s a plethora of amps, drums, guitars, everything you want,” he said. “I found this old, great amp I wanted to use just specifically for the record. It was in the corner all the way in the back near the bass heads. It’s just one of those things that inspires you to play.”
His snarling signature Spector bass can be heard on the track “It’s For the Kids” from Cursum Perficio. Anthrax has been playing the song live, and the fan reaction has given the band a perspective on their latest work.
“The reaction to that alone was insane. We played it throughout the whole European run,” Bello told Paltrowitz. “We just finished two months in Europe, a lot of shows with Iron Maiden and a lot of festivals. Just a great reaction. It really makes you feel like everything you did for all this time to get this record ready is totally worth it.”
Cursum Perficio will be out September 18th. It’s available for preorder on CD, vinyl and as a digital download (Apple Music, and Amazon Music).
Watch Bello’s whole conversation with Paltrowitz below:
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
