The countdown has begun. In a matter of weeks, New York thrash metal titans Anthrax will return to Australia for a run of shows that promises speed, sweat and a catalogue built to ignite a pit.
For more than four decades, Anthrax have operated as one of heavy music’s most enduring forces. Formed in 1981 by guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker, the band quickly became a defining presence within thrash metal’s explosive early years. Alongside Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer, they formed the genre’s infamous “Big Four”, shaping a sound that fused hardcore urgency with the ferocity of classic heavy metal.
The upcoming tour revisits that legacy while pushing it forward. Beginning at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on March 23, the band will storm through Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney across four tightly packed nights. It’s the kind of schedule that suits Anthrax’s live reputation: loud, direct and unapologetically physical.
Expect a setlist that cuts across eras. From the breakneck punch of Among the Living to the muscular modern edge of For All Kings, the band have spent decades building a discography designed for packed rooms and raised fists. Tracks that once fuelled underground tape trading now land as enduring anthems in a global metal community.
Fronted by vocalist Joey Belladonna and anchored by the long-standing core of Scott Ian, drummer Charlie Benante and bassist Frank Bello, Anthrax remain one of the rare thrash bands that still feel as urgent onstage as they did during the genre’s formative years.
Tickets HERE
ANTHRAX AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES
Monday 23 March – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
Wednesday 25 March – Hindley St. Music Hall, Adelaide
Thursday 26 March – Festival Hall, Melbourne
Saturday 28 March – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
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