Anthrax Delays New Album to September, Lead Single and Video Still Planned

Charlie Benante confirmed in a March 19 interview that Anthrax has pushed its long-awaited new studio album to September 2026, though the band still plans to release a lead single alongside a music video ahead of that date.

The delay is the headline, but Benante's schedule is anything but quiet. He and former Butcher Babies singer Carla Harvey are co-leading The Violent Hour, a project that Harvey described in a March 17 Instagram update as having "half an album in the can." The debut album is reportedly halfway finished, and the project already has a self-titled EP scheduled for July 25, available for preorder now. The first singles from the group feature guest appearances by John 5, the guitarist known for his work with Mötley Crüe.

Production on The Violent Hour's material has been handled by Johnny K, the veteran producer behind records for Disturbed and Megadeth. Harvey's Instagram post made her enthusiasm for the collaboration clear: "LOVED working with @johnnykarkazis (he's made some of your favorite albums)."

The project also has festival appearances locked in. Harvey's update specifically named Rocklahoma, Louder Than Life Festival, and Aftershock Festival as upcoming live opportunities for The Violent Hour to perform the new material. The band has also released a single titled "Hell Or Hollywood" as a preview of what's coming.

For Anthrax fans, September 2026 now becomes the target, with the lead single serving as the first real taste of where the band has taken its sound. For anyone watching Benante specifically, the months between now and that album drop are going to be anything but a waiting game.