Anthrax - Cursum Perficio

Persistence Of Memory; The Long Goodbye; It’s For The Kids; Everybody’s Got A Plan; The Edge Of Perfection; Infectious; NYC93; Curium Perficio; T.O.M.B; Watch It Go; My Victory

(Megaforce)

Ten years is a long time between albums for any band, but for Anthrax it has given Cursum Perficio an intriguing sense of occasion. The title may translate from Latin as 'I complete my journey', but there is little here to suggest a band preparing to quietly ride into the sunset. Instead, Anthrax sound like veterans with unfinished business.

Opening instrumental Persistence Of Memory sets a suitably ominous tone before The Long Goodbye arrives with a heavy, deliberate stomp. It is not the instant thrash assault some might expect, but it establishes one of the album’s defining characteristics: Anthrax are no longer interested in simply recreating the sound of their youth.

Then comes It’s For The Kids and suddenly the old-school Anthrax switch is flicked. Scott Ian’s guitars crunch with familiar menace, Charlie Benante attacks the drums with trademark precision, and Joey Belladonna delivers the kind of soaring vocal that remains central to the band’s identity. It is a furious, hook-laden reminder of exactly why Anthrax became one of thrash metal’s defining names.

But Cursum Perficio is at its most interesting when it steps outside the expected. Everybody’s Got A Plan brings groove and melody into the mix, while the sprawling The Edge Of Perfection expands the band's palette considerably. Atmospheric passages collide with sudden bursts of aggression, giving the song an unpredictable edge and allowing Benante plenty of room to demonstrate why he remains such a formidable drummer.

Infectious keeps the weight firmly in place, while NYC 93’ feels like a blast of New York attitude injected straight into the veins. It is one of those tracks that doesn't need to overcomplicate things: sharp guitars, pounding rhythm and Belladonna cutting through the noise – what a great song it will sound live.

The six-minute title track takes a more measured approach, proving that Anthrax are comfortable letting songs breathe rather than cramming every second with riffs. T.O.M.B. and Watch It Go subsequently restore some of the album’s muscular momentum before My Victory brings proceedings to a suitably emphatic close.

Definitely worth the ten year wait.