ANTHRAX Drummer Wants To 'Make A Statement Musically' With Band's Next Album

At last month's Download festival in the United Kingdom, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante spoke to Jose Mangin of Zippo Encore's "Dudes Talking S#*t In A Truck" about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" album.

"I was talking to the [other] guys [in ANTHRAX] about it," Charlie said. "I said, 'I don't wanna make another record.' Not that we'd just make another record, but this time I wanna make a statement musically. 'Cause I hear bands coming out with music, and I don't think they're putting much emphasis on longevity anymore. I think [they have the attitude], 'Let's just get this out so we can go on tour.' … I wanna make records so that our fans, six months to a year later, go, 'Wow! I just discovered this on that record.'"

According to Benante, fans can expect to hear some surprises on ANTHRAX's next disc. "There's some extreme stuff on this record that we touched on," he said. "There's different things that we're gonna try and do that's gonna make it next level."

Earlier in the year, Benante told Australia's "Everblack" podcast that ANTHRAX's new music is shaping up to be "a little more in the aggressive style."

"For All Kings" was called by some critics ANTHRAX's strongest album to date. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the band experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the 2010 "Big Four" tour with METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH, and continuing with the 2011 release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

The group's upcoming disc will be ANTHRAX's third full-length release since the return of singer Joey Belladonna, who came back into the fold for the "Big Four" shows, in the process helping inspire a new wave of creativity.