ANTHRAX Debut On Billboard Top 20

"Worship Music", (Megaforce) Anthrax's first studio album in eight years and its first with vocalist Joey Belladonna since 1990's "Persistence of Time," blasts onto next week's Billboard Top 200 Albums chart at #12, the band's highest chart debut in two decades, and second-highest in its career, selling 28,500 copies.

And if that's not enough, "Worship Music" debuted at #4 on Billboard's Hard Rock Chart, #3 on the Hard Music Core Chart, and #2 at both the Indie and Indie Core Stores charts.

"I am most proud of our fans who came out and gave us the amazing support they did," said Anthrax's Charlie Benante. "To have our record debut at #12 is a great accomplishment."

Added the band's Scott Ian, "I'm absolutely thrilled with the fact that our Anthrax Army came out in force this week to show the world that good music matters. Thank you to all our friends, old and new! It's a privilege to do this for you."

While the recording of "Worship Music" was challenging and at some times difficult, it was at the core of an extraordinary experience for a band that had questioned its very future. Anthrax's turning point took place in 2009 at a Cleveland hotel bar with Metallica's Lars Ulrich when he first brought up the idea of The Big Four. That led to Anthrax's decision to get Belladonna back in the band on a permanent basis, and to the complete refashioning of the previously-recorded tracks for "Worship Music" with Belladonna's inimitable vocal stamp. Pre-release reviews of "Worship Music" hailed the album as not only a career-best for Anthrax, but "the metal album of the year," and last week's New York homecoming concert at Yankee Stadium as one of the original architects of speed and thrash metal with Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth - The Big Four - only added to Anthrax's remarkable renewal.

Anthrax hits the road beginning October 14 on a five-week, coast-to-coast tour with Testament and Death Angel.
Dates are listed below.
10/14 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Orbit Room
10/15 Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater
10/16 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
10/18 Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion
10/19 Denver, CO @ The Summit Music Hall
10/22 Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theater
10/23 San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
10/24 San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
10/26 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
10/28 Dallas, TX @ South Side Music Hall
10/29 Austin, TX @ Emo's East
10/30 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
11/1 Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
11/2 Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
11/4 Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
11/5 Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
11/6 Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore
11/8 Clifton Park, NY @ Northern Lights
11/10 Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
11/11 Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
11/12 Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom * NEW
11/13 Huntington, NY @ The Paramount * NEW
11/15 Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
11/17 Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
11/18 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues * NEW
11/19 Milwaukee, WI @ Rave Ballroom

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Tags:  Anthrax, Megaforce Records, billboard  

Jason Fisher    September 21, 2011