As we finally put 2023 to bed for good, we at MetalSucks have been talking about what’s coming down the pipe in terms of new albums from some of our favorite artists. There’s already so much talk about X band heading into the studio to commit their new tunes to vinyl, cassettes, and digital streaming services as well.
Honestly, 2024’s looking like it’s gonna be a great year for metal. Though we haven’t chosen them for our “most anticipated” list, we’re excited to check out whatever comes out from acts like Anthrax, Spiritbox, and Fear Factory, to name a few. Hell, we’re even interested in whatever Mötley Crüe’s cooking up, if only to hear John 5’s contributions to that band.
So without further ado, here are the most anticipated albums as chosen by most of the MetalSucks pool of writers and contributors.
Judas Priest – Invincible Shield
What else is there to say at this point about the mighty Judas Priest?! Over the last 54 years, the band from Birmingham, England has pretty much done everything you’d expect from a heavy metal band — they’ve played the biggest venues, they’ve won major awards, and have finally been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With most of the band now in their 70s, you’d expect them to slow down but nope — they’ve got a new album coming out this coming March.
From what we’ve heard of Invincible Shield, Judas Priest continues to sound like they’ve still got some jet fuel left in the tank. The singles they’ve released, “Panic Attack” and “Trial By Fire” fucking kick ass, so it’s safe to assume that the new album’s going to kill. And after the incredible 2018 release of Firepower, I’m expecting Invincible Shield to continue proving that age ain’t nothin’ but a number. Because if Rob Halford, Ian Hill, and Glenn Tipton can still hang with the “young bucks” of Scott Travis and Richie Faulkner, then that means we can all what we love well into our golden years. We just might not ever kick nearly as much ass as Judas Priest does.
– Hesher Keenan
Upon Stone – Dead Mother Moon
Out January 19 via Century Media, Upon Stone’s debut full-length is much anticipated. They slammed into the hardcore scene with their debut EP, Where Wild Sorrows Grow, out in 2021. They revolutionized the place that more melodic, metalcore influenced sounds have in modern metallic hardcore, and their sound is strong and unique. I can’t wait to see what their full record has in store for us.
– Mandy Scythe
Doedsmaghird’s Debut (Title TBA)
Doedsmaghird is the project of Vicotnik, the beloved co-founder of both Dødheimsgard and Ved Buens Ende. Given that Vicotnik is one of the greatest visionaries of our time, Doedsmaghird’s debut is sure to be a true masterpiece.
The band’s first stand-alone track, “Then, to Darkness Return,” amazed us with its indescribable brilliance on Peaceville’s 35th-anniversary compilation, Dark Side of the Sacred Star (2022). The upcoming Doedsmaghird album will serve as a companion piece to Dødheimsgard’s latest record, Black Medium Current, which I would describe as one of the greatest works I’ve ever heard.
Recently, Vicotnik told Metal Injection: “… remember that the Doedsmaghird album and Black Medium Current are connected.” We can expect unsurpassed artistry, mind-blowing compositions, top-notch lyrics, and a journey that takes us back to the ’90s yet delivers awe-inspiring innovation.
– Bree Halmstad
Chelsea Wolfe – She Reaches out to She Reaches out to She
Once you get over how unhinged that album title is, you can contend with the splendid trip-hop vibes of the lead single of Chelsea Wolfe’s return to the heavier side of her music. Considering the acoustic folk leaning of her 2019 album Birth of Violence, it’s refreshing to hear a return to the experimental edge of 2015’s Abyss.
Will it have the death/goth doom metal vibes of Hiss Spun? Time will tell, but regardless of its “metal-ness,” this thing seems ready to set fire to the coffee shops her last album might’ve settled into.
– Max Heilman
Darkest Hour – Perpetual | Terminal
I don’t know about you, but Darkest Hour’s Godless Prophets & the Migrant Flora from 2017 was a record that just left me speechless. Given the band was at at that stage in their career, everything about it was vibrant, youthful, immediate, and all-encompassing. Upon revisiting that release recently, it’s still a crowning achievement for a band that ebbed and flowed for years.
The fact that it’s been seven years since that record was unleashed has given me high hopes that Perpetual I Terminal will stand up just as well. Now with their new album slated for a February 23 release, I’m only now realizing how bad I missed this band and their music. I can’t wait to bring back this old, underrated friend back into my world and add it to the collection of music that Darkest Hour has given me over the last 20 years.
– Petar Spajic
King Diamond – The Institute
While it’s unclear exactly when The Institute will release, we can only hope that it’ll be this coming year. The prospect of getting new King Diamond music is one that excites me to no end, since we haven’t had an album them since 2007.
King Diamond had put on a fantastic performance last time I saw them in 2015 at the last Mayhem Festival, so it’s exciting to know there’s new material coming. And on a personal note, I became a fan of King Diamond because my mom’s also a fan (I even have an “Abigail” record clock she passed down to me), so it’s exciting that we’ll be able to listen to their new music together.
– Jess Ripper