ANTHRAX's FRANK BELLO On 'Darker' Sound Of 'Cursum Perficio' Album: 'It's Just Where We're At' Right Now

In a new interview with Gino Alache of Rockum TV, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello spoke about the band's recently released twelfth full-length studio album, "Cursum Perficio". It marks the band's first record in ten years since 2016's "For All Kings", which debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. Asked how difficult it was for him and his bandmates to find the time to get all together and make the new LP, Frank said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's the hardest thing nowadays, 'cause as you get older, as we all do, we all have our separate lives. And this is work, but it's also... We're all over the country. Scott [Ian, ANTHRAX guitarist], Charlie [Benante, ANTHRAX drummer] and I, when we get together to write a record, we're all over the country. Scott's in L.A., Charlie's in Chicago, and I'm in New York. So what we usually do, 'cause we like good weather, we usually go back to L.A. where Scott [is], out there, and we rent a rehearsal place, and the three of us get together and we bang out songs. That's how it usually works. That's what we did this time. But it was increments and certain times when everybody's available. We had to get over the COVID, like everybody else. COVID was terrible. We couldn't do this in COVID. We couldn't write a record doing, like, FaceTime like this. We tried. It didn't work. There was a latency with the riffs, and there was no vibe. There was no vibe for us. The three of us have to look at each other when we're writing, and it makes sense that way. So I think it took a while. And life just took over. But all that in the past now. It's like we're right back. It's like we're right back coming into it, and I know it's been a long time, but from the reaction we're seeing, just from the first three songs [that were made available prior to the release of the full-length album]... And wait, I have to say this... Some people, interviewers, have heard the rest of the record, and they say, 'Wow, I can't believe the rest of the record with the bangers you have to come out yet.' People haven't heard these. That gets me more excited than anything, to be honest, 'cause I know what we have on the rest of the record. And yes, people have heard three songs so far, but, man… And I'm not just saying it to sell the record or anything. I'm just excited that I can't wait for people to hear that."

After Alache noted that the feedback from the fans is important, Bello concurred. "Oh, totally," he said. "'Cause I'm a fan. You have to understand, I come off as a fan. I'm lucky enough to be doing this for my living and for a long time. I understand that. But I also can't disappoint myself. I can't... It has to be right here in the gut. It's gotta meet that gut feeling where, 'All right, this song's ready to go.' And it feeds that fire, that angst that I have, that we all have, as fans, as songwriters, all that stuff, and making sure it's right to put out as an ANTHRAX record, and it's gotta be exactly the way we feel about it. And we're pretty stoked. We're pretty stoked right now."

Asked if he and his bandmates knew from the beginning how they wanted this album to sound, or if the sound developed naturally along the way, Frank said: "That's a good question. You know what happens? Look, we're all humans. I think the time and place you're at — I don't think you can think about how I want this record to sound. I think we know it's gonna be heavy. You always know, 'cause ANTHRAX is a heavy band, that comes out of us. It doesn't matter, however you think about it, it's just natural that we think heavy and it has to have that aggression, it has to have the angst and all that stuff that we all know and love. But I don't think you try to do it. I think it just comes. I honestly think it just comes, and I think we just know. When we're in a room together and we just start nodding, you say, 'Oh, all right, that's good. All right, yeah, that's gonna, that's gonna stay.' You know. You know. And, again, we're coming from fan point of view. We're fans, so we have to really be excited about this stuff ourselves before anybody hears it. And that's kind of how it's always worked with ANTHRAX. When it satisfies us, we hope like-minded people, our fans, will like it also. So, so far it's been great and we're really excited about what's to come."

Frank went on to say that "Cursum Perficio" represents and "evolution" in the ANTHRAX sound. "This is the next stage of ANTHRAX, after all these years, 40-something years," Bello said. "And I can't even believe, I can't even believe I say 40 years. It's crazy, 'cause I don't feel like that. I may look like that [laughs], but I'll tell you, I don't feel like that. I feel like I'm 17 and ready to go with a new record. Holy shit — we're coming out with a new record. Let's fucking go. Let's go on tour. Let's fucking rage. Let's have a good time. Dude, the way I look at it, man, you're on Earth this amount of time. Let's make it count. Let's make it count, and absolutely put it in fifth gear and fucking go for it. And that's the way I feel about life. "This record, for me, it sparks that. It sparks that. I can't wait to get out and fucking rage. Let's go. And the way I look at it, I'm gonna go see my friends. It's, like, you go on tour, and you see like-minded people, fans, and you build this thing. We play, you watch the shows, and we're gonna have this fucking moment, man. We're gonna have this moment together. And that's what it's about. That's the magic. That's the drug. That's the drug, where we get to play shows and get that energy with fans, and it all becomes one fucking energy. And I love that more than anything, and that's what keeps me going."

As for how "Cursum Perficio" compares musically to "For All Kings", Frank said: "Well, I think this is a darker record. I think it's a bit of a darker record. It's just where we're at. It just comes from a darker place, for whatever reason. I have no reason for that. I have no recollection of why that happened. But it just happens to sound darker to me. And people have said that before too, which is fine, 'cause I think that lends to the heaviness of it all. You don't think about it — it just comes. It's a natural thing, and I think that's just where... Maybe the world, maybe the world. We're all sponges, right? Our minds are sponges. The world comes in, life comes in, and it just sets this mood. Maybe that's just where it's at, and maybe that's our tone right now. And that's fine, 'cause I think it lends to the heaviness of the record. Even after these [first] three singles [from 'Cursum Perficio'], you'll hear... There's more to come in the heavy factor. So I like that we put these songs out so far, but, man, I keep saying, 'If you like this, wait till you hear this.' And I'm not, again, selling the record. I'm just excited, 'cause as a fan, it's, like, wow, we have these other songs."

Earlier this month, ANTHRAX released the official music video for "Cursum Perficio", the fourth single and title track of the band's latest album. Documentarian Don Argott, who directed LAMB OF GOD's "As The Palaces Burn" film and co-directed Taylor Swift's "The End Of An Era" film, helmed the black-and-white clip, which stars London May, best known as the sometime drummer and bassist for Glenn Danzig's former band SAMHAIN.

"Cursum Perficio" followed the previously released singles "It's For The Kids", which came out in May, "The Edge Of Perfection", which was made available in July, and "Everybody's Got A Plan", which came out in August.

"Cursum Perficio" arrived on September 18 via Megaforce in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast in Europe. The phrase "Cursum Perficio" is Latin for "My journey has come to an end," "My journey is over," or "I complete my journey."

"Cursum Perficio" is available as a standard CD; Target-exclusive CD with a fabric patch of the album cover; standard black double LP with pop-up gatefold; Target-exclusive double LP, red zoetrope with pop-up gatefold; Amazon-exclusive double LP, purple zoetrope LP with pop-up gatefold; merch-exclusive lilac vinyl double LP with pop-up gatefold; Metal Injection-exclusive white vinyl double LP with pop-up gatefold; Talk Shop Live-exclusive signed with red ripple vinyl double LP with pop-up gatefold; Indie-exclusive red, orange yellow vinyl double LP with pop-up gatefold.

The band dove into recording "Cursum Perficio" in earnest during 2022, working out of Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Los Angeles. They carefully pieced together what would be this magnum opus, mining their history with reverence, delivering on fan expectations tenfold, and broadening the scope of their signature sound. Produced by Jay Ruston and ANTHRAX, the result is an album that's as angry, aggressive and alive as their most celebrated fare.

ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a number of special activities and events. Formed by guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Active over the past five decades, ANTHRAX has released 12 studio albums, been awarded multiple gold and platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with the "Big Four".

"For All Kings"' arrival followed a five-year period during which the group experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the "Big Four" tour, and continuing with the release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

Photo credit: Travis Shinn