The album's creation was a lengthy process, with work beginning as early as November 2008. The album was delayed due to issues with the departure of vocalist Dan Nelson, and the re-joining of John Bush who ultimately decided not to commit to the album. The band eventually reunited with Belladonna, and finished recording in April 2011. Worship Music was positively received upon release, with critics describing it as "fresh and eruptive as ever" and qualified it as a return to form for the band. The record debuted at number 12 in the United States, their highest chart position since 1993's Sound of White Noise.
In the December 2008 edition of his monthly SuicideGirls column, Food Coma, guitarist Scott Ian revealed that he had been in the studio working on the new Anthrax album since November 4. Ian went on to say that drums, bass, and rhythm guitar had been arranged for 19 tracks, and that the process of recording the vocals had begun. "We should be mixing at the end of January and soon after that giving birth to a really pissed off, loud, fast and heavy child." In a subsequent May 2009 Food Coma column, Ian announced that the album was being mixed by Dave Fortman, whose previous credits include albums by Evanescence and Slipknot.
The album was initially scheduled to feature Dan Nelson on vocals. However, following the events later that year, he was no longer a member of the band. When asked what would happen to the completed studio album featuring Nelson's vocals, Ian said: "Until we have a new singer, I can't tell you what will happen to the record. We'll probably change a few things on it, including the vocals." Ian also indicated that the album's release could be delayed until 2010. It was assumed that John Bush was going to record new vocals for the album after his reunion with the band. However, this did not happen. In an interview at the time, Bush said he was trying to re-record vocals for some of the songs that had already been recorded.
Bush eventually decided that he did not want to recommit to Anthrax full-time and left the group. As a result, the band reunited with Joey Belladonna. Following shows during the summer and fall of 2010, the band returned to the studio. Some of the completed songs were left as is, adding Belladonna's vocals, others were re–written, and some entirely new songs were composed with Belladonna. Drummer Charlie Benante suggested the album's title after the eponymous TV show. Although Ian stated that the album name could be changed, this turned out not to be the case. In October 2010 at Nassau Coliseum, Anthrax performed the song "Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't" for the first time. It was at this point that Ian said fans should expect the new record in late 2011.
In December, Ian stated that the band had almost completed the new album and only had to re-record two or three tracks. Ian further confirmed that all the material would feature vocals by Belladonna. Noisecreep reported that Worship Music had been shelved until Belladonna completed new vocal tracks. The band finished recording Worship Music in April 2011, and called it their "most emotional album". "Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't" was released as the lead single on June 24, 2011. It was released for free download as a way of saying "thank you" to fans' loyalty in waiting in anticipation for the album. Three days later, Ian announced that the band had started the mastering process for the upcoming album. The cover art was revealed the following month.
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