Tireless Thrash Metal at Gröna Lund: Anthrax Proves Their Mastery in 2026

Anthrax was formed in New York in 1981 and is historically counted among “The Big Four” – the four pioneering bands that defined the thrash metal genre during the 1980s, alongside Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth. Over the course of their career, the band has sold millions of albums, gone through several lineup changes and stood out early on by crossing genres, including through their much-discussed collaboration with hip-hop group Public Enemy in the early 1990s. On September 18, 2026, Anthrax will release their twelfth studio album, Cursum Perficio, marking their first full-length album in ten years.

The show at Gröna Lund was part of the band’s ongoing European tour, which also includes appearances at major summer festivals such as Tons of Rock in Oslo and Copenhell in Copenhagen. The tour is taking place in the shadow of a recently announced setback: drummer and original member Charlie Benante has been forced to sit out the shows between June 20 and July 4 due to a hand injury, meaning that stand-in drummer Darby Todd handled the sticks in Stockholm.

After rolling through last week’s massive festival shows at Hellfest and Graspop, it was a well-oiled machine that stepped onto Gröna Lund’s Stora Scen.

Singer Joey Belladonna moved constantly across the stage, smiling, making heart gestures with his hands and flicking guitar picks out to the fans. His vocal power remains intact despite his 65 years.

Bassist Frank Bello added to the dynamic with nonstop headbanging and expressive stage presence, while guitarist Scott Ian, with his physicality and relentless energy, cemented his role as the band’s central engine. Lead guitarist Jonathan Donais kept a slightly lower profile on stage but delivered solidly whenever it was time for solos.

Stepping into Anthrax at short notice is no small challenge, but drummer Darby Todd, filling in for the injured Charlie Benante, handled the band’s fast thrash tempos with precision and high energy.

The show kicked off at full speed with “Among the Living”, “Got the Time” and “Madhouse”. When “Caught in a Mosh” then blasted into motion, a mosh pit was in full swing in front of the stage and, from what I could see, it kept going for the rest of the show. At regular intervals, crowdsurfers also came flying through the sea of people.

After a few more classic tracks, Scott Ian announced their new album, due in September, and emphasized that it will also be available on vinyl.

In a following piece of stage banter, he suddenly shouted, “KISS! I just had to say it”, a direct reference to the American rock band’s legendary concert at Gröna Lund on May 28, 1976.

Ian also noted that this was the first time Anthrax had ever performed at an amusement park, joking that there would be a puppet show on stage after their set.

The performance of the new single “It’s For The Kids” became the evening’s definitive statement of intent, proving that Anthrax sound just as hungry, heavy and relevant in 2026 as they did during their glorious 1980s heyday.

The most unexpected moment of the evening came during the penultimate song, “A.I.R.”, a track the band had not previously performed on this tour. The unfamiliar song choice became apparent in the intro, where Todd made a mistake. The situation was quickly rescued after guitarist Scott Ian stepped forward and marked the beat with some air-drumming, after which Todd found his way back into the arrangement. It was only after this incident that Joey Belladonna formally addressed the drummer change to the audience, saying: “We got a new drummer, we forgot to introduce him.”

This was the first time I had seen Anthrax live. I had high expectations, and they truly lived up to them. You could see that the guys in the band are still having fun at work after 45 years in the same business. As they say: old is still gold.