Gelap Pekat

Veteran metal band ANTHRAX headlined the HMS Hammer second stage earlier tonight (Monday, June 15) at this year's Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards. Now in its second year, the Golden Gods second stage invited 300 lucky metalheads on board HMS Hammer, which sailed up and down the river Thames for three hours docking at Indigo2 and depositing the bands — ANTHRAX alongside support acts CLUTCH, TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED and MALEFICE — and fans on board in time for the start of the award show.

In honor of the legends that headlined this year's second stage, Metal Hammer magazine rebranded the boat HMS Anthrax.

Watch fan-filmed video footage of ANTHRAX's performance below.

Dave Fortman, a former member of UGLY KID JOE who has also worked with artists such as MUDVAYNE, EVANESCENCE, and SLIPKNOT, began mixing ANTHRAX's new album, "Worship Music", last month in a New Orleans studio. The CD, now set for a fall release, is the band's first studio effort in six years and marks the recording debut of new lead vocalist Dan Nelson.

ANTHRAX will return to the U.S. to headline the first night of the third-annual, four-day Rocklahoma festival on July 9 in Prior, OK.

Two thousand and nine marks the 25th anniversary of ANTHRAX's debut release, "Fistful of Metal". To celebrate, Megaforce Records released a limited-edition (only 2,000 copies were made) vinyl release of the album last week, on May 12, 2009. The package is spread over three 10-inch records in a tri-fold die cut jacket, and includes the group's 1985 EP, "Armed and Dangerous". The "Fistful of Metal" vinyl limited edition reissue retails for $39.98 and is available at ANTHRAX's official web site, Anthrax.com, Amazon.com and record stores across the U.S.

Metal Hammer heard four tracks ("Burn The Past", "Earth On Hell", "New Noise" and "Bleed") from "Worship Music" and has posted a short review at this location. Other songtitles set to appear on the album include "Vampires", "Crawl", "The Devil You Know", "The Giant" and "Fight 'em 'Til You Can't". The album was produced by Caggiano and ANTHRAX.