Noisem – Cease to Exist (TBA)
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Noisem went through some massive changes in since the release of their last album, Blossoming Decay. Namely, the band went from having five members, down to three, though still maintaining the founding Phillips brothers. They're also proving that three is all they need to make the noise they were before. After some touring, most notably with Soulfly and Cannabis Corpse, the band buckled down for their third album, Cease to Exist. Noisem showed that they're a much more mature and very pissed off band than ever though, with their first single “Sin Rash” which was released through the 2018 Adult Swim single series. With big changes in the band and a much more honed sound than ever, 2019 will see the best version of Noisem yet. – Aaron Price
Obsequiae – TBA
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2019: the year of Castle Metal. Minnesota's Obsequiae is finally (FINALLY) returning with new music. Their last effort, Aria of Vernal Tombs, was such an enthralling and scintillating piece of music. Melodic black metal with swaths of medieval harp and other classical and unique instruments made Aria one of the best albums of 2015. Each song felt like a journey further into the Renaissance or the Age of Discovery. It seems Tanner Anderson and company are dipping back into the well for their next full-length record and it's bound to be one of the best things 2019 will produce. – Cody Davis
Opeth – TBA
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The 2010s saw Swedish titans Opeth soften the metal side of their progressive reign in favor of a retro 1970s aesthetic. A controversial choice, the resultant three albums still retained enough trademark allure within their vintage explorations to warrant veneration (hell, Pale Communion is a masterpiece). Thus, their not-yet-titled 13th studio record is highly anticipated. While little is known about it, mastermind Mikael Åkerfeldt has revealed that he’s got about ninety minutes of new music to sift through, with between twelve and fifteen tracks rumored to make the final cut.
As for what they’ll sound like, he’s choosing to be more cryptic than confessional, recently telling hmv.com: “I just find it a bit ridiculous when bands and artists are trying to explain how magnificent their next album will be. I have high hopes, however.” There’s little doubt that it’ll follow in Sorceress footsteps—if not offer something a tad heavier—and it’ll likely be out before the summer (since the band will need something to promote at Poland’s Prog in Park III this July). – Jordan Blum
Periphery – Periphery IV
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Unless you’re completely new to metal, or a Katy Perry fan who stumbled on this page after a Google search went wrong, Periphery will barely need an introduction. As pioneers of the still-controversial djent movement, Periphery’s work has been pretty divisive in the past—but over time, they’ve become increasingly accepted, and rightly so. Periphery III: Select Difficulty—which was technically their fifth full-length, taking the monolithic double album Juggernaut into account—dropped back in 2016, and proved to be arguably their most brutal, accessible, and accomplished outing so far.
Naturally, Periphery IV—currently being assembled under the working subtitle Shrek 2—is going to be one of the most anticipated progressive releases of 2019. After last year’s April Fools track “Beta” racked up almost 250,000 YouTube views, Periphery’s in-studio updates have gradually gathered pace, while die-hard fans responded by suggesting such alternative subtitles as Target Acquired, Anger Management, A New Hope, Age of Ultron, Electric Boogaloo, and Calm Ya Tits. I very much doubt that Periphery will act on those contributions—but you can be certain that Periphery IV will be hailed as yet another landmark record from a band at the peak of their powers. – Leon TK
Rammstein – TBA (April)
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Rammstein hasn't released new music in 10 years now, but somehow it feels like an eternity. The band was taking their time writing and recording new material, even stopping to do a bit of touring, just to get back in the live groove – but last year, they finally hunkered down and completed the album. They promise five music videos will be released to coincide with the album, and if the band has proven anything in the past – the visuals are just as important to the album as the sounds. I can't wait to hear and see what new ways Rammstein shocks us. – Robert Pasbani
Rob Zombie – TBA
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Guitarist John 5 has made the audacious claim that the new Rob Zombie album will be better than "White Zombie-anything." At this point, you know what you're going to get with a Rob Zombie album. Much like with Slayer or Motorhead, Zombie has perfected his sound and he's not about to stray from the formula. What I want to know is how many YEAH!s will there be on the album? – Robert Pasbani
Slipknot – TBA
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2019 marks the highly anticipated return of Slipknot. After nearly five years since the release of .5: The Gray Chapter, fans couldn’t be more excited for the new album to drop this summer. Even the band is feeling the energy. Percussionist M. "Shawn" Crahan spoke to Kerrang about it, saying, “It’s on. We’re all ready to go. Everybody is so excited.”
There aren’t too many details yet, but frontman Corey Taylor promises that it will be heavy, calling it “one of the darkest chapters in [the band's] history”—in a good way of course. Slipknot chose to release the first single “All Out Of Life” back in October, accompanied by a music video which was directed by Crahan. An unannounced move that was as exciting as it was surprising. The band has since released teasers featuring outtakes from that video shoot as well as various studio sessions.
Tour dates have already been confirmed for this summer, including a debut appearance at the Iowa State Fair—something that the band says is a “dream come true”. If this is a taste of what’s to come, then it’s going to be epic. – Amber Stevens
Spirit Adrift – Divided by Darkness (Summer)
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Nate Garrett is a musical madman, the guy never seems to rest. His sonic child, Spirit Adrift, is making its triumphant, arena-sized return in 2019. Him, Chase Mason, Marcus Bryant, and Jeff Owens look to achieve their next form as a soaring phoenix with the head of Randy Rhoads on Divided by Darkness—which will be released by 20 Buck Spin. The Arizona outfit is one of the brightest bands at the front of a burgeoning wave of neo-classical metal that channels the fist-pumping, denim-clad metal days of old. Garrett and Mason are set to have a huge 2019 with the release of new Spirit Adrift and Gatecreeper albums in a few months span. – Cody Davis
Testament – TBA
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It's been three years since we've heard new music from Testament, and the band have been busy helping out Slayer play some of their final shows. They just entered the studio, according to previous interviews, so they must have those memories of thrashing in their mind and I bet the band will deliver another stellar classic by years-end.
Tomb Mold – TBA
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I guess the Moldy Bois aren't taking any time off. After Manor of Infinite Forms appeared on an infinite amount of year-end lists (not to mention they also released another demo, Cerulean Salvation), Toronto's Tomb Mold is looking to repeat success in 2019. With the tear they're currently on, I don't see them missing too many year-end lists come the end of this year either. The quartet taps into a visceral death metal that truly stood out against a stacked bill of great death metal albums last year. 2019 is shaping up to follow a similar suit—lightning may just strike twice. – Cody Davis
Tool – TBA
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The 13-year wait is almost over. Tool’s new album is Definitely going to come out this year. Right after new Necrophagist and System of a Down music, Wintersun’s Time II and all the James Cameron Avatar sequels release.
Alright, fine. Something substantive. So, the band posted photos of their studio work last year and the band is at least willing to discuss their progress on occasion. Lots of touring going on, too. That’s not necessarily indicative of a new record—again, see System of a Down—but hey, it’s not a bad sign, either. Regardless, like I said when I wrote this blurb last year, if Hell freezes over and Tool actually puts out new music, it’ll likely be the most significant industry event of the year. – Tyler Hersko
Wednesday 13 – Necrophaze
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Everyone’s favorite Duke of Spook, Wednesday 13, is coming back in 2019. The new album, Necrophaze, is expected to be released this summer as a follow up to 2017’s Condolences. This will be the second album the band has released through Nuclear Blast Records, and it will be interesting to see what they’ve come up with. It is being recorded in Los Angeles, in a “real studio," something the band has never done before. While the producer is still unnamed, Zeuss, who worked on Condolences, will be mixing the record.
According to the Mr. 13 himself, this will be “the ultimate horror album." It’s rumored to not be as heavy as its predecessor, but a little more fun, with a “haunted house” vibe. There are even a few guest appearances, but he remains tight-lipped about who they are. He has been posting updates to social media, so fans can follow the album’s progress there.
One thing that he did go into detail about was the album artwork. “It’s going to be completely thought out; there’s a lot of cool artwork,” he said. “I’m still that old school fan of having the total package, and this package I’m working on is going to pull you into that world. It’s going to be a cool visual thing; something I haven’t done before. It’s the next chapter; we’ll see what happens…" – Amber Stevens
Whitechapel – The Valley (March 29)
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I've really enjoyed the direction that the band has taken lately; being a lot slower while still bringing the heat on the heavy. Judging from the singles already released, "Black Bear" and "Brimstone" Whitechapel is going to bring the thunder again. The Valley is said to be based on vocalist Phil Bozeman's childhood in Tennessee and some of the journal entries of his mother and her struggles. It seems that this album is going to be an extremely personal one to Bozeman, and that cannot be bad. – Sol Encina
Yellow Eyes – TBA
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The black metal world travelers of Yellow Eyes have been one of the more radiant examples of the genre in the last decade. 2017's Immersion Trench Reverie and 2015's Sick With Bloom are, personally, two of the best albums to come out over the last handful of years and I'm eager to hear what their newest installment is. They've grown from a bedroom project to an internationally-acclaimed metal band and feature some of the sharpest, blackened minds in music—brothers Will and Sam Skarstad, Michael Rekevics, and Alex DiMaria—who have their hands in a number of great black metal acts. – Cody Davis
Youth Code – TBA
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The Industrial-Core duo made up of Sara Taylor and Ryan George will more than likely return in 2019 after their successful sophomore, Commitment to Complications, and we couldn’t be more excited for it! Produced by the industrial wizard, Rhys Fulber of Front Line Assembly, CTC was an album that infected punk rocker to rivet head with the mood to move and simultaneously brought us back to the vibes of the early ’90s while pushing their futuristic brand of something completely new. Simply said, Youth Code has been one of the more exciting groups to emerge on the heavy metal platform over the last few years, and worth keeping your eye on! – Frank Godla
More anticipated releases on the previous page…
