Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian has responded to claims of a “liberal” agenda behind the band’s new song.
Ian discussed the lyrical inspiration for “It’s For The Kids,” the first single from the band’s latest studio album, Cursum Perficio. The song is about the ubiquity of school shootings. Some critics have called the band left-wing because of it.
Ian addressed those labels directly and described his own political position.
“I’m not a liberal. I’m a centrist,” Ian said. “I like skeet shooting and I enjoy going to a range and shooting at targets.”
He then explained the thinking behind the song.
“But I believe in common sense. And no matter what your political leanings, I think everybody can agree that nobody wants to see an 8-year-old shot in the face, which happens all too often.”
Ian also spoke about his feelings toward the United States and why he wrote the song.
“I love this country. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have some problems with it,” he continued. “The way we go about things in this country is just wrong, and it makes me frustrated to the point where I’m like, ‘F*ck it. I’ll just put my head down and write a song.'”
The comments come at a busy time for the band, which is promoting its new record. The reaction to the single has made the album’s themes a topic of conversation.
Cursum Perficio was released on September 18, 2026. It is Anthrax’s 12th full-length studio album. Megaforce Records issued it in North America. Nuclear Blast Records released it in Europe. The record has 11 songs and runs about 53 minutes.
Jay Ruston produced the album with the band. Ruston also worked on Anthrax’s 2011 and 2016 albums, so this is their third collaboration. The record was tracked between 2023 and 2026 at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in Northridge, California.
The lineup features Scott Ian on guitar, Charlie Benante on drums, Frank Bello on bass, Joey Belladonna on vocals and Jonathan Donais on guitar. The band also released a video for the album’s title track shortly after the record came out.
Bello has described the album’s darker sound as simply “where we’re at right now.”
