Anthrax's 'Worship Music' Debuts at #12 on the Billboard Charts!

Legendary Thrash Metal band Anthrax, released their tenth studio entitled 'Worship Music' on Tuesday, September 13 via Megaforce. The very next day the band performed at the 'Big Four' Concert at Yankee Stadium. Today, it was announced that Anthrax's first studio album in eight years and its first with vocalist Joey Belladonna since 1990's Persistence of Time, blasted 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.

- 10/11 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
- 10/21 Las Vegas @ LVCS – No Anthrax
- 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

Related links:
Big Four - Horns Up Rocks Video Special
Joey Belladonna at the Big Four
Anthrax Official Site
Anthrax on MySpace
Anthrax on Twitter