Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian has issued the following statement via the band's official fan club site;
"Finally, we're going back to work. We're going to Chicago to work our asses off and write a record. It's time. We're ready. One problem... no singer. We were offered a direct support slot on a major tour this spring and Joey [Belladonna, vocals] decided he did not want to move forward. The reunion is over. We tried to make it work but I guess that's the problem, you can't 'make' something work. It's gotta be natural and at least becoming a band again and playing live was...
"...Thank you from the very depths of my soul for being the best fans in the world. We got to relive something that I never thought we could and it turned out better than I ever thought it would. We didn't have to force it, it just happened and it was great.
"My curiosity was piqued by the idea of what ANTHRAX would sound like now with Joey singing. Over the last few months we've discussed this endlessly to no avail. The problems that were there could not be fixed no matter how hard we tried and in the end Joey made the decision."
"I know a lot of you out there are disappointed by this and that's the last thing we ever want. None of us want to disappoint. If we were meant to make a reunion record we would've. Some things look easy on paper but the reality is that they are impossible and what works for one band doesn't work for others. Maybe we could've forced something and cashed in on a new record but that's not the way we operate. My reality is I feel we have some unfinished business with the 'We've Come for You All' line-up and I will do my best to finish it.
With the recent end of Anthrax's reunion tour, it's unclear whether John Bush (1992-) or Rob Caggiano (2001-) will return to the band. There has been no word on whether Dan Spitz will remain with Anthrax for the new album, but there's been no word that he won't either.