Heavy metal icons Anthrax celebrate four decades together this year, and to celebrate they’re hosting a global livestream event.

The band, who formed in July 1981, will be premiering their livestream event from midnight BST on July 17 2021.

The livestream will see Joey Belladonna, Scott Ian, Frank Bello and Charlie Benante perform an extensive setlist pulling songs from throughout their four decades together.

“I was a 17-year-old metal-head kid from Queens when I started this band,” said Ian in a press statement, who is the band’s sole original member remaining.

“I am a 57-year-old metal-head kid from Queens about to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this band. That means for 40 years, I’ve gotten to do exactly what I’ve wanted to do – and getting to do what I love and being a part of something so much bigger than myself has made the time, the unbelievable weight of 40 seems so light.”

The announcement of the livestream follows the band previously teasing “something big” for their anniversary back in April.

At the time, Benante also revealed that the event would see the band perform a string of songs they’ve never performed live before, as well as ‘Time’, the opener to their Grammy-nominated 1990 album ‘Persistence of Time’.

“That’s one of the songs that we want to do,” Benante said. “We would make a special thing, because the song is a bit of a workout! I like that song.”

In the lead up to today’s announcement, the band have been steadily releasing a stream of content to get fans excited, including an ongoing docuseries with each episode focusing on a different album and featuring interviews with both past and present members, as well as fellow musicians and colleagues.

Some of the artists that have spoken as part of the docuseries include Dave Grohl, Slash, Tom Morello, Robert Trujillo and more.

Ticket bundles, including one which also gives you a virtual meet and greet with the band, are on sale now via the band’s website.