Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian recently opened up about the band’s highly anticipated new studio album. He revealed his excitement and struggle to keep details under wraps in an interview with The Rockpit.
Ian discussed the timeline for the band’s first album since 2016. He addressed fan concerns about the lengthy gap between releases.
“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. “But, yeah, we want the album to come out this year. The fact that we’re putting out our first record since 2016 and we feel really good about it, that’s the focus and that’s the plan [for the rest of 2026], totally.”
The guitarist explained that the decade-long gap wasn’t entirely intentional. He cited the impact of touring schedules and global events.
“We weren’t planning on [taking] 10 years [to release a new album]. In actual time, ’cause 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,” he continued. “We had already started writing at that point for a new record. And we thought we were just gonna take off for Christmas and New Year’s at ’19 going into ’20 and then get back together in ’20 and make a record.”
Ian acknowledged how the pandemic disrupted their plans. He provided perspective on the actual recording timeline.
“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 said. “Really, if you look at actual time we spent writing and recording the record, it’s probably about three years, which, I think, that’s pretty average these days, certainly for a band [like ours].”
The guitarist expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming release. He acknowledged the challenge of keeping details secret.
“We’ve got lots of exciting shit up our sleeve. It’s so hard not to talk about shit. It’s so hard to not wanna just spill the beans and just fucking play the record for everybody already,” Ian said. “I think people don’t understand that. I see comments online of people [saying], ‘Where’s the fucking record?’ How do you think we feel? We’re the guys in the band.”
Ian concluded by emphasizing his excitement to share the album with fans. He described the anticipation in vivid terms.
“Granted, I’ve heard the record, of course, but who cares if I’ve heard it? That doesn’t matter. I want everyone else to hear it. I’m so fucking excited. Eight people have heard this fucking album,” he said. “So I can’t wait for people to hear it. I can’t wait. And 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.”
Ian’s comments come as the band has officially completed work on their twelfth studio album. This marks a significant milestone in their decade-long journey back to the studio.
X107.5 Las Vegas reported that Scott Ian announced the album’s completion on December 20, 2025. He posted on social media: “Album is done. First video is shot.” The recording process involved multiple phases. The band began sessions in spring 2023 and frontman Joey Belladonna started vocal recordings on November 5, 2023.
The production team behind the album includes familiar faces for Anthrax fans. Blabbermouth noted that producer Jay Ruston returned to helm the project. This marks his third collaboration with Anthrax following the band’s 2016 album For All Kings and 2011’s Worship Music. The mixing sessions and some recording took place at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in Northridge, California. This adds another layer of rock pedigree to the project.
Bassist Frank Bello has also expressed his enthusiasm for the completed work. He provided additional insight into the band’s mindset. “It’s been 10 years [since the release of the last album]. So we made sure it’s worthwhile,” Bello stated in a recent interview, as Blabbermouth documented. He added confidence about the final product, saying “the parts are all done. Everything’s locked in” and “I’m really proud of it, and I can’t wait to play this stuff.”
The band has already begun promotional activities for the album. It will be distributed through their established label partnerships. Chaoszine confirmed that Megaforce will handle distribution in North America while Nuclear Blast will distribute in Europe. Anthrax has also maintained an active touring schedule. They opened for Megadeth on the Canadian leg of their final tour in February and March 2026. Festival appearances across Europe, Australia, and Japan are scheduled throughout the year.
