And now we begin our downward trend…meaning, of course, that we’ve hit that point where matching up the number of albums on the list with the year we’re heading toward is kind of ridiculous so we’re going to switch with lucky number 13 for the time being.
Like my last list, I’ma cheat a little with some honorable mentions beforehand because in this case as well I’ve already heard the following beasties and I know they’re fantastic (Obviously stay tuned for our reviews of each and every one of these):
Jason Bieler and The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra- Songs For The Apocalypse (January 22nd/Frontiers SRL): The driving force of Saigon Kick, guitarist Jason Bieler has been delivering for years beyond his underrated ’80’s outfit with a wealth of songs in varied styles which are all currently up on your favorite streaming services and on our personal favorite, Bandcamp, which you can check out here. On January 22nd he’ll unleash a new solo record filled with a solid roster of guest musicians and most important, solid tunes. Look for our review super soon.
Front Line Assembly-Mechanical Soul (January 15th/Metropolis Records): FLA is back and we just reviewed the Electro behemoth that is Mechanical Soul which you can read all about it here.
LizZard –Eroded (February 19th/Pelagic Records): We get chills each time France’s LizZard announces a new record with an equally stunning new single and then even more ecstatic when the trio manages to once again outdo themselves and expectations of fans each and every time like they’ve done with Eroded.
Mikey Rukus-Bring The Rukus (January 15th): This thing is HUGE! Channeling the spirit of nu-metal with a sound that’s like the Electro-fied heaviness Static-X crossed with the Pop sensibilities of Linkin Park, the musical director of AEW steps out of the shadows for a record that’s every bit as diverse and interesting as the wrestling themes he comes up with on a weekly basis. Our review is here.
On the unscheduled/pipe dream side, music lovers should also expect new sounds from Clutch, Ghost, Mastodon, Megadeth, QOTSA, Arctic Monkeys, Carcass, Crowbar, Duran Duran, and Danny Elfman.
Now onto the big list:
13. Stabbing Westward-TBA (TBD): The ONLY reason this is so far down the list here is that it was supposed to come out in 2020 split over several EP’s before being released together as a stunning new entry into the SW discography. What was released before the pandemic struck was incredible (Dead And Gone) and then the end of last year also saw a follow up EP featuring SW’s take on Ministry, Depeche Mode, and The Cure classics to whet the appetites of fans once again.
12. Love And Death-Perfectly Preserved (February 12th/Earache Records): Korn’s Brian Welch had a post-Korn career that was kind of overlooked and has unfortunately been on the backburner since his return to the Nu-Metal titans in 2013 but that’s all about to change with the release of L&D’s highly anticipated sophomore full-length, nine years after the debut landed.
11. Fozzy-TBA (TBD/Sony): At one point this bad boy was named 2020 and slated to come out in April of the same year and then a global pandemic changed plans. For everyone. In the interim, front man Chris Jericho got to be more of a boss on AEW, with scattered live Fozzy performances and a sick live streamed event (Which we attended and reviewed here). Based on the strength of single “Nowhere To Run”, Fozzy’s forthcoming record may just be their best yet!
10. The Soft Moon- TBA (TBD): THIS is why we wait until the last possible moment to post these things. These Electro connoisseurs have been teasing something all week and, honestly, the strength of their catalog puts The Soft Moon on here with just snippets of new stuff available.
*Update* The Soft Moon’s mastermind, Luis Vasquez, announced and released an instrumental album under his own name called A Body Of Errors which you can find here.
9. Rob Zombie-The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (March 12th/Nuclear Blast): I was so excited about this release that when it was announced I bought multiple copies in different vinyl patterns to celebrate. Fans have been chomping at the bit for new tunes from Zombie and the small preview in the form of October’s “King Freak” was, to us, enough to make the long five year wait between records seem worth it. Guitarist John 5 has been quoted as comparing the new stuff to the sounds of the legendary Astro-Creep 2000 so that’s just another reason to get excited for the band’s Nuclear Blast debut.
8. Gojira- TBA (TBD/Roadrunner Records): Will this actually materialize in the new year? Supposedly finished and ready to go, a new full-length from France’s progenitors of modern heavy Prog should’ve hit around the time they hit the road for a MASSIVE tour with deftones and Poppy. What fans did get was a lone single (“Another World”) as a tease instead but recently, there’s been hints of a bigger announcement around the corner and we’re definitely keeping our fingers crossed that it’s news on the follow-up to 2016’s Magma.
7. Lucia- TBA (TBD): If you follow the KMFDM songstress on her social media pages then you know a new solo album’s been brewing for some time with the first sounds currently being readied for the masses. Fans of her work with the Industrial legends as well as her pre-KMFDM career have a lot to get excited for with an album that’s sure to show off new facets of the phenomenal songwriter and singer.
6. Fear Factory- TBA (April/Nuclear Blast): The last FF record to feature Burton Bell has GOT to be a beast, right? Fear Factory’s last banger, 2015’s Genexus, kind of flew under the radar for the iconic industrialists of Metal but with legal battles finally over and founder Dino Cazares with the keys to the Cadillac firmly in hand, the 10th album from the LA metallers will serve as both the ending of an era and the beginning of a bold new chapter. Speaking of FF’s resident axe slinger, we can exclusively reveal via a recent conversation with Cazares that the record will not only feature feature FF regular and Front Line Assembly’s Rhys Fulber but also Yes’ Igor Khoroshev who both contribute on keys and programming. And! The outro to the album was programmed by Tyrant Of Death’s Alex Rise.
5. Every Time I Die- TBA (TBD/Epitaph): The second artist on this list to feature a current AEW superstar (Guitarist Andy Williams is one half of monstrous tag team The Butcher and The Blade), Every Time I Die ended 2020 by releasing three new tracks (“Desperate Times”, A Colossal Wreck”, and “AWOL”) as a preview of their highly anticipated ninth studio album. There’s no solid release date yet but what’s out there now are some of the most stylistically diverse and exciting tracks that ETID has ever released.
4. Youth Code TBA (March 5th): Youth Code kicked off 2021 with an announcement that a new album is coming in March and will be a collaborative effort with Trap-Metal producer King Yusef. There’s not much else known beyond that but if it’s anything like the track that YC dropped earlier in 2020 (“Puzzle”) then fans are in for a definite treat.
3. VOWWS- TBA (TBD): The Australian Death Pop duo kept relatively busy last year despite the dumpster fire happening all around us beginning with a national tour opening for Poppy (My second and third to last live shows of 2020) followed by releasing a few new singles post-lockdown (Including a unique collaboration with visual artist Jesse Draxler). Sonically, VOWWS continue to evolve as heard on the newer material so regardless of the overall end result, album number three is bound to be an intriguing listen.
2. Ministry TBA (TBD/Nuclear Blast): With no touring happening last year, Ministry had to postpone what was sure to be one of the best Industrial packages in recent years with KMFDM and Front Line Assembly on board to celebrate 20 years of the legendary The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste album. In the meantime, Uncle Al continued to rail against the system while also focusing on finishing a new Ministry record. If what’s planned for the forthcoming opus sounds anything like “Alert Level”, released last April, then fans might be looking at a record on par with the mighty one that they’re still slated to celebrate the anniversary of on the road this Spring.
1. Deadsy-Subterfuge (TBD): The greatest Electro band you never paid attention to is back! For the old goth, the ’80’s child, and the metalhead in me, Deadsy is everything. Fronted still by Elijah Blue Allman, Deadsy announced a return last year with new merch, their previous two records finally available on streaming services (With Phantasmagore getting a remaster and vinyl release which you can order here) and most important, A NEW RECORD! Currently titled Subterfuge, the initial plan was a new song last fall with the new album arriving earlier in the new year but so far, fans have only a short snippet of a new tune to tide them over. Fifteen years might seem like a long time to wait for the goods but if it means that the end result is a new Deadsy masterpiece then what’s just a little more time?