Breaking Down Anthrax’s New Single “It’s For the Kids”

As mentioned, there are a plethora of callbacks to the early years heard on this new single. In fact, the chaotic whammy bar lead guitar that kicks off “It’s For the Kids,” feels like an intentional nod to the intro lead guitars heard on the band’s iconic hit “Madhouse." Not to mention, both songs’ music videos take place in an insane asylum.

Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian talked about the intentions behind this song stating, “A friend of mine said, "It’s For The Kids” is a straight-up love letter to your fans.’ That’s exactly what I wanted it to be. The album needed a four-minute thrash song that harkened back to our first era. Whether it’s the aggression or the big chorus, it represents all the best parts of Anthrax in a very angry four-minute package. For the video, we wanted to throw back to our ‘Madhouse’ video--thematically it just made sense and this idea opened the door for us to share the experience with our fans. For all of us!”

The Possible Meaning Behind The Album Title, CURSUM PERFICIO

For longtime fans of Anthrax there are a lot of elements to pick out in the artwork for CURSUM PERFICIO. The chopped in half body carries an expression similar to the man on the cover 1985’s Spreading the Disease, the melted clock in the background is a clear homage to 1990’s iconic Persistence Of Time cover, and the elderly man wielding the saw looks to be the same man featured on the cover of the band’s 1987 opus, Among The Living. Couple this with the album title CURSUM PERFICIO which translates to "my journey ends here,” it’s possible that Anthrax could be hinting at this 12th album being their swan song.

This wouldn’t be a surprise at all. Half of the big four of thrash which includes Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax has already retired or are on their farewell tour cycles. There are more bands every year from the same era as Anthrax that are announcing farewell tours and their retirement. Of course this is all speculation, but this is what Anthrax Drummer Charlie Benante had to say regarding the album title:

“There was an awful lot of growth between Worship Music in 2011 and CURSUM PERFICIO,” Benante said. “This album is a culmination of everything we’ve learned. I was watching a Marilyn Monroe documentary, and I saw ‘Cursum Perficio’ written on a tile in her last home. When I found out what the phrase meant, it immediately clicked with me. We aren’t saying this is our last record, but our journey has come to an end. I believe we’ve completed the task.”

Bottom Line

Time will tell whether or not CURSUM PERFICIO is Anthrax’s final album. The album has been in the making for nearly a decade, and if this first single is anything to go by then it’s clear Anthrax hasn’t lost their touch at crafting certified thrash bangers. It’ll be interesting to see if the band has any other homages or tricks up their sleeves with this album when it drops later this year on September 18th.