Anthrax is facing backlash from fans after sharing animated character introduction videos to promote their upcoming album “Cursum Perficio.” Fans are criticizing the band for allegedly using AI-generated content instead of releasing actual music.
The controversy began after the band posted a video introducing one of the characters tied to the new album. The post read:
“Meet the characters from CURSUM PERFICIO. Listen to Chron’s full story on Spotify now.”
The post quickly drew criticism from fans who felt the content missed the mark. One fan was frustrated over the post, saying they prefer to hear from the actual music.
“These short stories give me nothing,” the fan wrote. “Wish they had released snippets of songs instead… who cares about these skits? With some ‘scary’ narrator, we are not 13 anymore!”
Another fan went further, calling out the use of AI in the promotional material and contrasting it with the band’s earlier work.
“I know you guys are getting up there in age and might not know any better with tech these days… but tell your marketing person to get fucked for using AI on these pointless little character intros none of us give a shit about,” the fan said. “A human-made sketch with a caption would suffice. Glad you proved the music videos weren’t AI, those rule… but this is so small and can literally put the new album in hot water over the dumbest shit.”
“Cursum Perficio” stands as Anthrax’s 12th studio album and their first collection of new music since 2016’s “For All Kings.” This makes it their most anticipated release in a decade. The album is set to drop on September 18, 2026, through Megaforce Records in the U.S. Nuclear Blast will handle the European release.
The animated character shorts at the center of the backlash are part of a broader promotional rollout tied directly to the album’s cover artwork. Anthrax began releasing these weekly clips on July 28. Each one introduces a different character featured on the album cover. The campaign is slated to wrap up with a final clip on September 1.
Beyond the character lore, Anthrax has been building anticipation for the album through actual music releases, dropping singles including “The Edge of Perfection,” “It’s for the Kids,” and, most recently, “Everybody’s Got a Plan.” These tracks give fans a taste of what to expect from the full album.
