Anthrax – Cursum Perficio
Anthrax – Cursum Perficio
Nuclear Blast/Megaforce Records
Release Date: 18/09/26
Review by Victor Augusto
8/10
One of the things that I most admire in a couple of bands is when you feel that passion for metal, no matter what is happening with them. One example I always mention, as a Brazilian Metalhead, is all the effort I saw coming from Andreas Kisser and Sepultura rebuilding the band while many people kept pushing them down. They are always giving their soul to every concert and album release. Maybe it looks silly to mention, but I really take this dedication as inspiration for my life, and that is why Heavy Metal can be more than just the fact of enjoying the music.
Another band I’ve never seen going easy on stage is Anthrax, and I love to see Scott Ian and Frank Bello talking about music with the same passion and excitement as we see in kids that are starting to enjoy this musical style. If you add the fact that a band with more than 40 years on the road has released relevant albums over the last 2 decades, which means Anthrax could easily live by album anniversary tours, but no! They decided to keep composing new and relevant material for their passionate fans.
Among this inspiring scenario, we were blessed with new material: after 10 years, having an album putting together many elements from all Anthrax eras, without sounding repetitive. Everything starts a bit cadenced in ‘The Long Goodbye’, but right after, Anthrax shows their most killer side with ‘It’s for the Kids’. What an amazing dissonant riff to start this song, followed by a destructive drum fill by Charlie Benante. Seriously, if I must introduce Anthrax to a kid who has never heard of this band, this track would be a perfect example to win new fans. Maybe it was their intention, considering the song’s title.
There is a new side I’ve seen them play since this solid return of Joey Belladonna, who put out more epic and long tracks. ‘The Edge of Perfection’ maybe represents this new side, and although you hear regular melodies here, there is a short guitar arrangement and notes that give a short sensation of Black Metal influences, including blast beats, but just as references and not the main style here. Again, the magic of a band not reinventing themselves, but still putting new stuff for their fans.
Another song that made me curious was ‘NYC 93’ that, to my surprise, carries more melodic riffs despite the lyrics showing daily life in New York City in 1993. I mean, I was expecting a bit more hardcore for this one, but it is cool. I don’t know if I didn’t pay attention to what people talk about Jonathan Donais solos or lead guitars since his joining the band, but I must say his job is perfectly capable of ensuring how good he is to the band. Probably he doesn’t need this approval, but it is always good to reaffirm it. If we talk about Joey Belladona, it is the same. Even for me, I wasn’t a huge fan of his vocals (but I like it), I can’t mention his interpretation in the beautiful song ‘Infectious,’ and I say beautiful because of what? A beautiful solo and catchy riffs!
As the band members said, the album title means something like “My journey ends here”, but it doesn’t mean the end of the band. For me, it is clear that the main message is just one: their journey to prove why they are legends ends here! More than 40 years on the road with many ups and a couple of downs, but still delivering a passion for music that you don’t see even in younger bands, it means that they need to prove nothing to anyone else.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Persistence of Memory
02. The Long Goodbye
03. It’s for the Kids
04. Everybody’s Got a Plan
05. The Edge of Perfection
06. Infectious
07. NYC 93
08. Cursum Perficio
09. Target on My Back
10. Watch It Go
11. My Victory
LINE-UP:
Scott Ian – Guitars
Charlie Benante – Drums, Percussion
Frank Bello – Bass
Joey Belladonna – Vocals
Jonathan Donais – Guitars
LINKS:
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