The year 2019 looks to be a huge one for heavy metal and the anticipation is building.
Bands like Tool, Slipknot, Megadeth, Korn, Youth Code, Anthrax, Avenged Sevenfold, Opeth and more have promised new releases. Here are the 40 we are looking to most in alphabetical order.
3Teeth – TBA
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The industrial metal outfit, 3Teeth, really broke onto the scene in 2017 with its monster sophomore opus, <shutdown.exe> and hasn’t looked back since. Quickly grabbing the attention of rivet heads and metalheads alike, the band continues to carry the torch of a cross over genre lathered in saw wave madness. Hand-picked by Rammstein to open their New Year's Eve celebration, they went on to dominate a stage 20 times their size, giving us a glimpse of things to come. – Frank Godla
Amon Amarth – TBA
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We don't know a whole lot about this album, although it is done being recorded. It's probably safe to say, it’ll be a melodic death metal album and it’ll be about Vikings. Amon Amarth’s previous outing with Jomsviking was their first stab at a concept album. The album centered around one main character and his story with the Jomsvikings. On top of that, it was the second of two consecutive albums that featured a guest vocalist. Jomsviking featured Doro Pesch as the voice for a female Viking and “Hel” from Deceiver of the Gods brought in Messiah Marcolin of Candlemass fame.
Johan Hegg talked about a couple songs that will be on the album. “Berserker of Stamford Bridge” is about the end of the Viking-era focusing on the Vikings invading England. While being less specific, “The Shield Wall” is about the Viking tactic of literally making a wall out of shield and marching towards the enemy, or defending from them. This isn't the first time that they've written about an idea and not an actual event. “Blood Eagle”, from Deceiver of the Gods, was about the torture tactic of pulling apart someone's ribs and pulling out their lungs so they suffocate. Simply put, Amon Amarth have tested a lot of new things the past couple album and we can be sure this new album will have tried and true Amon Amarth sound, there will probably be some new ideas to get stoked about as well. – Aaron Price
Anthrax – TBA
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While Joey Belladonna’s return to Anthrax, Worship Music, successfully proved that the band still had it, 2016’s For All Kings was a triumph. It had the memorable riffs and melodies the band is known for coupled with the shredding of Ex-Shadows Fall guitarist Jon Donais who proved he wasn’t just a fill-in. I don’t expect their 2019 album to reinvent the Anthrax wheel the same way the John Bush era did, but I fully expect another excellent thrash album as on Anthrax can put out. – Daniel Cordova
Astronoid – Astronoid (February 1)
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I’ve been a big fan of Astronoid’s work since their early Stargazer EP, and the release of their game-changing debut LP, Air, not only became my instant favorite of 2016 but swept the metal scene in admiration of their unique work. The band returns with their sophomore self-titled album this February and thus far proves it’ll be the next stepping stone that brings these guys all the way to the top, and I couldn’t be happier for them. – Frank Godla
Avenged Sevenfold – TBA
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I'm not ashamed to admit that I've been a big fan of them for years, even if releases like Hail To The King (2012) and The Stage (2016) have not been, in my opinion, the best example of their prowess. Nonetheless, several teasers that they have been in the studio have led us to believe that we should be seeing a new release from them this year, which gets me excited. The band seems to present a new side of themselves with every new release, and I'm absolutely down for the ride. – Sol Encina
Baroness – TBA
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It's been a while since we've heard something from Baroness. The Savannah sludge group, led by John Baizley, released Purple in 2015. Since that time, the band saw the departure of longtime guitarist and vocalist, Pete Adams. In his stead is Gina Gleason who has assumed those roles. While Adams was one of two remaining founding members, Gleason is a savvy pick to replace him. The videos of her performing with the band bode well for a new studio album this year. She injects a new dynamic into the band and it'll undoubtedly be a fresh take for a band who has been a mainstay in heavy music for over 15 years now. – Cody Davis
Blood Incantation – Hidden History of the Human Race (Late 2019)
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The Denver death metal demons are priming their cosmic return this year and it promises to be even more powerful than 2016's Starspawn. Confirmed to be titled Hidden History of the Human Race, the second full-length album—to be released by Dark Descent Records—will see the band further build on their demented, earth-shaking sound. In a statement to Decibel Magazine, Paul Reidl (vocals/guitar) said, "Everything is more space, more atmosphere, more technicality, more harmonies, more brutality, more prog, more slam, more melody, more aggressive, more experimental, more old-school, more futuristic, etc."
Having heard a brief bit of the new material Blood Incantation has been working on in a live capacity, I can confirm this is very much the case. Death metal is primed for another huge year, Blood Incantation is in a position to be at the front of that wave. – Cody Davis
Born Of Osiris – Two Releases
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Born of Osiris already kicked 2019 off with a bang with the release of The Simulation in early January, but it's only one part of a two-part concept album, with the second serving coming later this year. BOO have upped their game with recent tracks showing a maturity in songwriting, while maintaining their ability to write awesome breakdowns. We're looking forward to what else they have in store for us. – Robert Pasbani
Carcass – TBA
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There’s been no shortage of legacy death metal bands that have put out comeback albums in the last few years, but Carcass’ phenomenal Surgical Steel stands heads and shoulders above the rest. It has been over five years since the record came out, but the lengthy wait for the band’s next offering might finally be nearing its end. Carcass was already demoing a record’s worth of music last year, and enough time has passed for there to be reasonable expectations about a 2019 album release date. If Carcass does release the fruits of their labor sometime in the next 12 months, it’ll be one of the year’s most-hyped releases. – Tyler Hersko
Chelsea Wolfe – TBA 0 Most Anticipated Heavy Metal Albums of 2019" width="700" height="467" /> Photo by Nick Fancher
The queen of eerie rocking drab has built a corner of the earth for her unique style, and with infectious albums like Pain Is Beauty (2013) and Abyss (2015), there is no question why. Her last album, Hiss Spun, proved to be her heaviest and darkest album yet, grabbing the attention of many metalheads with titles like “Vex,” so it’ll be interesting to see where she takes it next. Rumor has it 2019’s release will be acoustic, but don’t let the lack of a wire fool you, it’ll be some of the darkest music you hear all year. – Frank Godla
Children of Bodom – Hexed (March 8)
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What will probably be the biggest change in sound for Children of Bodom, the band's 10th studio album Hexed is finally on its way. Children of Bodom has seen some massive changes to their lineup over the past few years with guitarist Roope Latvala leaving prior to I Worship Chaos. This left frontman Alexi Laiho with complete control over the writing and recording of the guitar parts. With Hexed though, newcomer Daniel Freyberg has had presumably a fair amount of input on the sound. The lead single “Under Glass and Clover” may have that similar Bodom sound, but also mixes in a hint of black metal touch to add to its pure aggression. While some people think this is a band who has gone stagnant, I beg to differ. This is a band who can sound similar and different on every album and adding a new voice to the mix will hopefully give this album even more of a push than the previous few. – Aaron Price
Darkthrone – TBA
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It's an exciting time to be a Darkthrone fan. 2016's Arctic Thunder was an impressive offering from the Norwegian legends, as it showed the band taking a more serious approach to their music, as opposed to writing crusty thrash retreads about how things were better in the 1980s. This doesn't necessarily entail a return to their black metal glory days, it does point to a band getting better at weaving its influences together in an interesting way. Whatever the band produces in 2019, it's sure to follow the same legacy they've always maintained: in their hearts they are the fist, in the face of the false! – Drew Zalucky
More anticipated releases on the next page…
