35 Most Anticipated Metal + Hard Rock Albums of 2022
The post 35 Most Anticipated Metal + Hard Rock Albums of 2022 appeared first on Consequence.
The pop culture forecast for 2022 is looking mighty fine, and we’re previewing everything we’re excited about this year with a series of lists. Just so you have it all in one place, we’ve also published our Most Anticipated (Non-Heavy) Albums, Most Anticipated Films, Most Anticipated TV Shows and Rising Artists to Watch roundups.
Every corner of the music industry has been affected by the pandemic, and the realms of heavy metal and hard rock were put in a precarious limbo following the lockdowns of 2020. For visceral genres so reliant on the energy of live performance, the lack of shows cast a malaise over the scene, resulting in an album drought.
For many acts, it simply didn’t make sense to release an album they couldn’t support with a tour. Many, like Avenged Sevenfold, decided to wait out the uncertainty and delay their LPs until this year. As the band’s singer M. Shadows boldly put it: “We’re not going to put [a new album] out if we can’t go play it live.”
The paradox is that heavy metal and hard rock is a 24-7 way of life for those who live and breathe it. Even during a pandemic — despite the pandemic, for that matter — headbangers have an unquenchable thirst for creating and listening to new music. Without live shows, this became an even more dire need. In other words, heavy music was still being made, only the release dates were artificially staggered — many to 2022.
When compiling our list of the most anticipated heavy albums of the year, we realized just how many great bands were prepping new material for release. What started as a “Top 25” grew to this list of 35 — there were just too many notable drops to mention. From the LPs that already have release dates like Ghost, Korn, and Meshuggah to our “fingers-crossed” hopefuls like Metallica, Rammstein, and Guns N’ Roses, here are the heavy albums we want to hear the most in 2022.
— Jon Hadusek,
Senior Staff Writer
January:
Jethro Tull, The Zealot Gene (January 28th)
A new Jethro Tull album didn’t seem probable when frontman Ian Anderson revealed that he was suffering an incurable lung disease back in 2020. At the time, Anderson said that his days as a singer were numbered, making the band’s upcoming effort, The Zealot Gene — the first Jethro Tull album in 18 years — that much more triumphant. Single “Shoshana Sleeping” sees Anderson in fine form vocally and laying down his signature flute lines with flair. — Jon Hadusek
February:
Korn, Requiem (February 4th)
Korn’s 14th studio album Requiem is one of the highest profile heavy releases of early 2022. The alternative metal icons have settled into a satisfying sound that blends the extreme with the emotive, keeping longtime fans while attracting new listeners drawn to Korn’s genre-defining aesthetics. There’s a depressive yet hopeful quality to the singles we’ve heard so far, as singer Jonathan Davis wears his heart on his sleeve while the rest of the band deliver technical metal with anthemic flourishes of melody. — Jon Hadusek
Catch Korn on tour; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
Author & Punisher, Krüller (February 11th)
Described as a “musician meets mechanical engineer,” Author & Punisher — aka Tristan Shone — is known for ingenious self-made musical instruments, crafted from mechanized and highly technical components. Shone utilizes these musical inventions to craft compelling heavy music influenced by noise, drone, industrial, and heavy metal. For his latest album Krüller, the Author tapped Tool’s Danny Carey and Justin Chancellor, who make notable guest appearances on the LP. Lead single “Drone Carrying Dread” hints as a more melodic direction, but Author & Punisher records present endless sonic possibilities. What has Shone concocted this time? — Jon Hadusek
Catch Author & Punisher on tour with Tool; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
Cult of Luna, The Long Road North (February 11th)
Cult of Luna’s touring plans may have been curtailed by the Omicron variant, but we’re not letting that dampen our excitement for the ominously titled The Long Road North. The Swedish masters of atmospheric sludge have offered up a pair of singles from the LP — “Cold Burn” and “Into the Night” — both of which live up to the mighty expectations of the band’s hyper-dedicated fanbase. — Jon Hadusek
Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, 4 (February 11th)
Slash might not be a singer, but he has a knack for finding good ones. His ongoing musical partnership with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators has blossomed into a top-billing rock institution. For fans of bluesy hard rock with a touch of ‘70s and ‘80s stadium-ready nostalgia, you can’t go wrong with tracks like “The River is Rising,” the lead single from Slash and company’s forthcoming album 4. — Jon Hadusek
Catch Slash on tour; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
Voivod, Synchro Anarchy (February 11th)
Sci-fi prog metallers Voivod released one of the finest albums of their long and storied career with 2018’s The Wake. Can the Canadian vets churn out another career-defining record with the upcoming Synchro Anarchy? Based on singles “Planet Eaters” and “Paranormalium,” it would appear so. Voivod are truly exploring the outer limits of prog-tinged thrash, even by their own standards. — Jon Hadusek
Zeal & Ardor, Zeal & Ardor (February 11th)
Zeal & Ardor, the project of Manuel Gagneux, has been a favorite of the Heavy Consequence staff since we bore witness to the band’s incredible live performances. Gagneux’s creative vision is uncompromising, and he continues to render genre-bending heavy music that emphasizes his world-class voice. Metal luminaries Mastodon and Opeth tapped Zeal & Ardor as support for their co-headlining tour for good reason. We wouldn’t be surprised if Gagneux becomes a household name in heavy music circles before long. This stuff is just too good to be slept on. — Jon Hadusek
Scorpions, Rock Believer (February 25th)
“Peacemaker,” the lead single from Scorpions‘ 19th studio album Rock Believer, sees the pioneering German band in fine form, melding melody with hard-rock chords and metallic flair. It’s another strong entry for a band that essentially defined the template for ’70s hard rock and the heavy metal of the ’80s. Singer Klaus Meine Meine co-produced Rock Believer‘s 11 tracks with the support of Hans-Martin Buff, as the group opted to record each song live. It’s also Scorpions’ first studio full-length to feature Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee, who joined the band as a full-time member in 2016. — Jon Hadusek
March:
Sabaton, The War to End All Wars (March 4th)
Nobody combines war history and heavy metal better than Sabaton. The Swedish band’s upcoming 2022 offering The War to End All Wars focuses on the “atrocities, miracles, and events tied to the early 20th century’s World War I.” It continues Sabaton’s string of historical concept albums, as they weave brutal tales of the past through the medium of power metal. The album’s epic single “Soldier of Heaven” points to another undisputed victory for these headbanging historians. — Jon Hadusek
Vein.fm, The World Is Going to Ruin You (March 4th)
Vein.fm might have had to change their name (adding the “.fm” due to apparent copyright issues), but the band’s ambitious metalcore leanings remain intact. “The Killing Room,” the lead single from their forthcoming album, breaks nearly four years of silence (a 2020 remix album notwithstanding) and sees Vein.fm — it’s still painful to type it that way — in peak form. Thankfully, the wait for their highly anticipated second LP won’t be much longer. — Jon Hadusek
Ghost, Impera (March 11th)
The sheer amount of rumors surrounding the release of Ghost’s fifth studio album is a testament to the anticipation of fans. The band finally announced Impera in late January, along with unveiling the single “Call Me Little Sunshine.” Ghost also dropped the song “Hunter’s Moon” as part of the Halloween Kills soundtrack, ending a three-year drought of new material. Band mastermind Tobias Forge hinted that this would be Ghost’s “Metallica Black Album” moment. As evidence of how big Ghost have become, the band is co-headlining a US arena tour with Volbeat. — Jon Hadusek
Catch Ghost on tour; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
Animals as Leaders, Parrhesia (March 25th)
Guided by the otherworldly talents of guitarist Tosin Abasi, Animals as Leaders have become a forerunner in the realm of progressive metal and djent. The band continues to push the boundaries of rhythmic syncopation and dissonance, as heard on “The Problem of Other Minds,” the lead single from the forthcoming Parrhesia. As a treat for fans, Animals as Leaders will be performing the album in its entirety on their US tour this spring. — Jon Hadusek
Catch Animals as Leaders on tour; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
Soul Glo, Diaspora Problems (March 25th)
Last year, we chose Soul Glo as one of our top 5 emerging punk/hardcore acts. On cue, the Philadelphia band have delivered arguably the strongest hardcore single of 2022 thus far with “Jump!! (Or Get Jumped!!!)((by the future)).” It’s the first we’ve heard from the band’s forthcoming album and Epitaph Records debut Diaspora Problems. The album will be a surefire contender for year-end lists if it delivers on the visceral rage of that lead single. — Jon Hadusek
Catch Soul Glo on tour; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
April:
Meshuggah, Immutable (April 1st)
Meshuggah announced their highly anticipated new album Immutable right in time to make this list… though it was strongly implied that a 2022 release was incoming. It’s set to be the year of Meshuggah, with the new record coinciding with previously announced US tour dates. The prog metallers are as precise with their output as they are with their hyper-technical compositions. There’s little reason to expect a letdown with Immutable. — Jon Hadusek
Catch Meshuggah on tour; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
May:
Coheed & Cambria, Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind (May 27th)
The album cover for Coheed and Cambria’s 2022 album Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind looks like the poster for a sci-fi film. The effect is intended, as the prog act continue to dole out cinematic rock operas — Vaxis II being the sequel to 2018’s Vaxis: Act I. Coheed have amassed a hugely dedicated fanbase through their brushes with mainstream success over the years. They aren’t making any concessions this far into their career. Expect lyrically dense and complex alternative prog as only C&C can do it. — Jon Hadusek
Catch Coheed and Cambria on tour; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
June:
GWAR, The New Dark Ages (June 3rd)
It’s like GWAR were reading our Bohab minds. In the final stages of publishing this list, the interplanetary metallers announced their new concept album The New Dark Age. The record will tie into a companion graphic novel that’s also out on June 3rd, so fire up some Bud of Gods CBD and get ready to immerse yourself in the GWAR-verse. The band is offering some jam-packed bundles so you can get the full comic/thrash metal experience. — Jon Hadusek
To Be Announced:
Anthrax, TBA (TBD)
Anthrax took a hard stand when lockdowns hit, vowing not to release an album until it was safe to properly tour. That said, the thrash pioneers indulged fans with plenty of online content — particularly from drummer Charlie Benante. He became a frequent collaborator for virtual “jams,” and a vocal presence in the online metal community during an uncertain time. It was Benante himself who revealed that Anthrax could release a new album in 2022, following the band’s illustrious 40th anniversary celebration last summer. — Jon Hadusek
Avenged Sevenfold, TBA (TBD)
One of the biggest modern metal bands on the planet has been fairly dormant for the last few years. Avenged Sevenfold never fully had the change to support their 2016 album, The Stage, after singer M. Shadows’ vocal issues derailed the band’s headlining 2018 tour just prior to kickoff. It appears that A7X are waiting until they can properly tour before putting out a new album, as Shadows declared in 2020: “[The fans] are not going to give a shit about a record that came out a year prior when it’s time to tour.” — Spencer Kaufman
Behemoth, TBA (TBD)
Polish black metal luminaries Behemoth teased a new album way back in February 2021 along with a fresh record deal with Nuclear Blast. Apparently the pandemic delayed plans, however, with Nergal later revealing that a 2022 release window was more realistic. Now that Behemoth and Arch Enemy have announced a co-headlining North American tour for this spring, we can assume the release cycle for the former’s new LP is finally in motion. — Jon Hadusek
Catch Behemoth on tour; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
Clutch, TBA (TBD)
Clutch hit the road again this past fall, and they have more shows on the horizon. For a band with such a determined work ethic, it’s reasonable to expect a new album from the stoner-rock heroes in 2022 (unless they’re too busy touring). Clutch were one of the MVPs during the lockdown, putting together a number of memorable streaming performances to maintain their strong relationship with their devoted fans until they were able to hit the live stage again. — Jon Hadusek
Catch Clutch on tour; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
Crosses, TBA (TBD)
Back in December, ††† (Crosses), the high-profile collaboration between Deftones’ Chino Moreno and producer Shaun Lopez, announced that they’d inked a record deal with Warner Records before dropping a cover of Q Lazzarus’ “Goodbye Horses.” In addition, they’ve teased some images from the studio. After numerous EPs released over the past few years, it looks like we’ll finally be getting a proper Crosses full-length. — Jon Hadusek
Dead Cross, TBA (TBD)
Dead Cross features Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo and Mike Patton of Faith No More/Mr. Bungle fame. Leaning toward the former’s musical style, the band harness an old-school brand of crossover thrash metal. Lombardo and company have hinted that the supergroup will be back in 2022 with a sophomore album. Considering how well the Lombardo-Patton combo worked out on Mr. Bungle’s thrashing 2020 release, we’re stoked that the two are reviving Dead Cross for a second album. — Jon Hadusek
Guns N’ Roses, TBA (TBD)
Will we finally get a new Guns N’ Roses album in 2022? With Slash and Duff McKagan having rejoined the band six years ago, GN’R finally started putting out some new-ish music in 2021. Axl Rose and company put the finishing touches on a couple of previously unreleased tracks from the Chinese Democracy recording sessions and released them as the new songs “Absurd” and “Hard Skool.” In a recent interview, Slash revealed that GN’R plan to continue to unveil individual songs until they have a whole album’s worth of material. — Spencer Kaufman
Halestorm, TBA (TBD)
Halestorm unleashed the hard-hitting album Vicious in 2018, and have seen their star continue to rise since its release. Over the past few years, the band has co-headlined tours with Alice Cooper and Evanescence, playing bigger venues than they’ve ever played before. Led by the powerhouse vocals of Lzzy Hale, Halestorm have been hard at work on a new album, with the advance single “Back from the Dead” giving us a taste of the heavy rock anthems we can expect on the upcoming LP. — Spencer Kaufman
Judas Priest, TBA (TBD)
The pandemic and a couple of major health battles have thrown a wrench into Judas Priest’s plans to properly celebrate their 50th anniversary, but the legendary metal band continues to persevere. Singer Rob Halford quietly battled prostate cancer during the pandemic, while guitarist Richie Faulkner had to undergo life-saving surgery when his aorta burst onstage at the Louder Than Life festival. Yet, the band plans to be back on the road in March for a 2022 tour and continue to work on their follow-up to 2018’s acclaimed album, Firepower. — Spencer Kaufman
Catch Judas Priest on tour; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
Kreator, TBA (TBD)
Some argue that there should be a “Big Five” of thrash, with German pioneers Kreator being the illustrious fifth. The veteran band continue to dish out high quality extreme thrash, spending a few years working on its most recent studio efforts. As we approach five years since the last Kreator album, 2017’s Gods of Violence, frontman Mille Petrozza’s promise of a summer 2022 release for the next LP is right on schedule. — Jon Hadusek
Lamb of God, TBA (TBD)
We have it on good authority that Lamb of God plan to release a new record in 2022. It would fit with their prolific work ethic, as it will be two years since their acclaimed self-titled full-length (which was named Heavy Consequence’s 2020 Album of the Year). The band has been keeping sharp on its co-headlining tour with Megadeth, which is set to continue this spring. — Jon Hadusek
Catch Lamb of God on tour; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
Loathe, TBA (TBD)
Loathe have been extremely measured about the build-up to their next album. Coming from the metalcore genre — one that encourages a lab-like scientific approach in the studio — the UK band has apparently evolved out of its former sound completely. The shoegazing, ambient direction of one-off single “Dimorphous Display” is a taste of what’s to come. The new style parallels Deftones’ melancholic shift on Saturday Night Wrist, both of which see heavy bands embracing mellower sensibilities. — Jon Hadusek
Megadeth, The Sick, The Dead and the Dying (TBD)
The lead up to Megadeth’s The Sick, The Dead and the Dying has been tumultuous to say the least. First, the album and Megadeth’s activities were put on hold as Dave Mustaine recovered from throat cancer. Then longtime bassist David Ellefson became embroiled in a highly publicized virtual sexual encounter scandal that saw his removal from the band. Mustaine went as far as to hire a new bassist to re-record the bass parts on the album, and enlist James LoMenzo for the band’s 2021 and 2022 dates. After finally hearing a snippet of audio, we’re more than ready to blast the full record. — Jon Hadusek
Catch Megadeth on tour; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
Metallica, TBA (TBD)
Anytime Metallica make it onto an “Anticipated Albums” list, it’s always wishful thinking, as the metal titans operate on their own schedule. That said, Lars Ulrich did say back in November 2020 that the band was “three, four weeks into some pretty serious writing.” That was over a year ago, so the hope is that the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have made even more progress, perhaps to the point that a new album in 2022 could very well become a reality. Then again, who are we to tell the mighty Metallica when to release a new album? — Spencer Kaufman
Nine Inch Nails, TBA (TBD)
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross continued to earn accolades for their film scoring during the pandemic, taking home an Oscar for their work on the film Soul. After winning the trophy, Reznor told the press backstage at the Academy Awards: “We are planning on working on Nine Inch Nails material as soon as, probably tomorrow.” That was in April 2021, so if Reznor and company did indeed hit the studio at that time, they should be several months into a new NIN album, marking their first full-length effort since being enshrined into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in fall 2020. — Spencer Kaufman
Rammstein, TBA (TBD)
It took roughly 10 years for Rammstein to release their latest album, 2019’s untitled effort, and the band still hasn’t had the chance to properly tour in support of the effort. A North American stadium outing has been postponed twice due to the pandemic, and is now set to kick off in August 2022, but one good thing that came out of the lockdown is that Rammstein hit the studio again in 2020, quickly recording a follow-up. Whether they release it in 2022 remains to be seen, but fans could be looking at a wealth of new material by the time the dynamic German industrial metal act returns to the road. — Spencer Kaufman
Catch Rammstein on tour; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
Slipknot, TBA (TBD)
Slipknot appear to have big plans for 2022. The band recently announced a massive Knotfest Roadshow North American tour on the heels of one-off single “The Chapeltown Rag” released back in November. Meanwhile, Corey Taylor confirmed that the band will unleash the follow-up to 2019’s We Are Not Your Kind this year. With so much happening in the Slipknot camp, we’re taking his word for it. — Jon Hadusek
Catch Slipknot on tour; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
Ozzy Osbourne, TBA (TBD)
Ozzy Osbourne never stopped working with producer Andrew Watt following their highly collaborative, guest-heavy 2020 offering Ordinary Man. While practicing COVID-safe measures in the studio, Osbourne and Watts have brought in some iconic guitarists for the next album — Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Tony Iommi, and Zakk Wylde — which is expected to drop sometime this year. — Jon Hadusek
YOB, TBA (TBD)
YOB’s 2018 album Our Raw Heart was doom metal at its most emotional and intimate. Emerging from a near-death health scare, singer/guitarist Mike Scheidt — a spiritual and impassioned artist — channeled his experience into colossal epics such as the 16-minute “Beauty in Falling Leaves” and the 14-minute title track. A lot has happened since YOB released that album four years ago, but with US and European tour dates lined up for 2022, there’s good reason to expect the follow-up in the coming months. — Jon Hadusek
Catch YOB on tour; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
35 Most Anticipated Metal + Hard Rock Albums of 2022
Jon Hadusek and Spencer Kaufman
Popular Posts
