17. Nachtmystium: Resilient (Early 2018)
After almost four years, the first new recorded music from Black Metal vets Nachtmystium will finally be upon us in the form of the three-track, twenty-seven minute Resilient which is destined to be a profound return to form and a worthy entry into the band’s lauded discography. For more, follow the band here.
Things have been happening. Instagram told me so! It’s been three years since the incredible “comeback” Doom Abuse and over a year since ‘best of’ compilation Capsule was released and featured brand new tracks “Young & Realistic”, “Skylab 1979”, and “ESP”. The Faint is a at a point in their career where they can take however long they want to craft high quality songs and albums and, without fail, their fanbase will be beyond satisfied as said high quality songs and albums are ALWAYS worth whatever wait may occur.
15. Ghost: TBA (Spring 2018)
Ending 2017 with a surprise digital live album (The just released Ceremony and Devotion, available here), a new studio album due in the spring PLUS a new front person in the form of Papa Emeritus Zero (Sure hope the sound doesn’t change too much with a new vocalist and all…) means that 2018 is sure to be a banner year for Ghost!
14. A Perfect Circle: TBA (TBC)
Forget Tool. APC’s upcoming fourth album is the one to watch and pin your hopes on since it’s been confirmed from every member of the band that it is, in fact, coming out in 2018. “The Doomed” was a great tease as was their most recent tour and to get you even more excited, APC started off the new year by releasing “Disillusioned” which is available now via all digital outlets with a limited edition 10″ to follow.
13. Devin Townsend Project: TBA (TBC)
Something is coming from DTP in 2018. No, wait, FOUR somethings are coming from Hevy Devy in the new year according to the man himself via a posting on Twitter. And one of those somethings will be a new DTP record. His last DTP album, Transcendence, transcended all that preceded so whatever comes from the man who’s penned such classics as “All Hail The New Flesh”, “Deadhead”, and “Secret Sciences” is sure to be a banger.
12. Alice In Chains: TBA (TBC)
The band has been recording and with a spring tour already booked, it’s highly likely that AIC’s sixth record, and third with William DuVall, will finally see the light of day after a five year gap from when The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here was released. Producer Nick Raskulinecz is once again at the helm so if 21st Century AIC is your jam, then this one will surely appease (And honestly, 21st Century AIC is just as relevant and potent as when the band began)
11. Eldridge Rodriguez: TBA (TBC)
Squashed between Alice In Chains and Misery Loves Company comes a local band featuring former members of The Beatings and rightly belongs to be ranked exactly where it is on this list. The Castrati Menace was an insatiable slab of post-rawk/alt-rawk gorgeousness and earlier this year, ER teased the upcoming new album with the So Hard EP. If that didn’t excite you then you might be reading the wrong list of stuff to get excited about in 2018. Follow the up-to-the-second deets on all things ER on FB here.
10. Misery Loves Company: TBA (TBC)
Kind of a pipe dream but still! They’re back! And working on new material! So a new EP or *gasp* LP could materialize in 2018 and we would be sure to promote the hell out of it here
But to refresh for the kiddies out there: Misery Loves Company is an Industrial behemoth in the vein of Ministry if they made The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste in the 21st Century who encompass tribal, brutal, and melodic sounds all at the same time. Their last album, 2000’s Your Vision Was Never Mine To Share, really opened the door on where the Swedish metallers could go and if the recent “Would You?” (Which we reviewed here) release is any kind of tell, then what’s coming is going to be beyond grand.
9. Clutch: TBA (TBC)
As Clutch wrapped up their 2017 touring, they let loose live a couple of new tracks off their upcoming twelfth record (Four if the interwebs is to be believed) which they’ll start recording early in the new year. And at this point in Clutch’s career, is there any doubt that it’ll be one of the greatest rawk records of the new year?
8. The Soft Moon: Criminal (February 2nd)
When has The Soft Moon put out anything that’s been mediocre or middle of the road? Like, really? Spearheaded, as always, by Luis Vasquez, The Soft Moon is back after three years with Criminal which promises to be just as, if not more, bleak than anything the band has released to date. Check out one the recent singles to be unveiled below:
7. Silvertomb/A Pale Horse Named Death: TBA x2 (TBC x2)
6. LizZard: TBA (TBC)
Easily one of our favorite new artists to come out of the 21st Century, France’s LizZard combines hard rawk and prog seamlessly and both their previous releases have managed to epically pound each other as they progressed beyond one another. The latest is in the can and ready for release soon and sounding just as awesome thanks to “Singularity” which was recently released and previewed the new full-length.
5. White Noise Owl: Condition Critical (Spring 2018)
This beast is coming in the Spring according to the band which is made up of former/current members of Ultraspank, Snot, Lo Pro, Evanescence, Skrape, and more. Their debut EP, released in 2015, still owns but first single “Something” off the upcoming full-length is just the icing on the hard rawk cake and sure to whip awaiting fans into a frothing fervor for what comes from Pete Murray’s latest project. For more on WNO, click here.
4. Middle Class Rut: TBA (April 2018)
After a will they/won’t they Kickstarter (If backed: new album! If not: MCR is done once again), MCR is back from a hiatus with a third album ready to go thanks to their loving fans (Myself included). Will it sound like 2013’s Pick Up Your Head or more like Zack Lopez’s Bloodlines. Or something completely different? Whichever the end result, the album will be killer no matter what. That’s the Middle Class Rut guarantee!*
*not an actual thing
3. Ministry: AmeriKKKant (March 9th)
Uncle Al previewed two tracks on his most recent tour (Just released single “Antifa” and “Wargasm”) and in concert they slayed. Add the fact that Ministry is releasing an album in the era of one of the most hated Republican leaders sitting at the throne in the United States (We have a throne, right?) and fans are sure to be in for a treat. As a point of reference, I present Psalm 69 and Rio Grande Blood. Be prepared.
2. Will Haven: Muerte (Early 2018)
It’s almost here! Muerte, the long teased new full-length from one of the best (and still most underrated) underground metal bands will see the light of day in 2018.
Deftones, who championed the band when they were starting their meteoric rise, will be lending a hand once again in the form of guitarist Stephen Carpenter who’ll be making a guest appearance on a track called “El Sol’. And speaking of tracks: the track listing is set, the album is done, touring is being mapped out with some shows already booked later this month in California. Muerte is almost here!
1. TR/ST: TBA (early 2018)
Yep, this is gonna be our number one pick for 2018 because Robert Alfons and TR/ST do not disappoint. Whether it’s their recorded work or live appearances, the electronic super stylings of TR/ST continually get better and better with time. So far we’ve had three teases from the upcoming album in the form of “Slug”, “Bicep”, and most recently, “Destroyer”, and they’ve all been beyond our hopes and dreams of what we expect to be an album that tops our best of 2018 list as well.