The calendar has now flipped to 2023. With the new year, heavy metal fans eagerly await the release of new music. Music fans anticipate forthcoming new repertoire from their favorite bands in any calendar year, no matter the genre. But metalheads are fiercely loyal, so they wait with bated breaths for new releases. They look forward to the promise of new albums from warhorses Judas Priest, Baroness, Avenged Sevenfold, and countless more.
Fortunately, their favorite bands won’t disappoint their loyal following. Some album launches are already set in stone, like Metallica’s 72 Seasons this April. This is a highly awaited album since their last one was launched in 2016, so fans are eager to hear their latest killer tunes. And when it comes to this genre, Metallica is the icon.
Meanwhile, other bands will likely announce their new music in the coming weeks or months. But since the year’s first month is already done, famous veterans Obituary, Beyond The Black, and Katatonia have already debuted their latest beats. It’s a strong start and a big bang for this new year. Check out the top picks for 2023’s most highly anticipated heavy metal albums that have fans spinning in a tizzy.
- Obituary
- New Release: The Dying of Everything
- Date of Launch: January 13
- Last Album: Obituary in 2017
Gurgled and growly vocals, gut-wrenching howls, down-tuned head-slamming riffage, and an obsession with gore! Obituary stayed true to its aesthetic roots when it debuted in the death metal scene in the early 1990s. This band has been crushing it for over 30 years, and they will do so again with the Dying of Everything.
High school students who can’t concentrate because of Obituary’s catchy first single, “The Wrong Time,” ought to consider college admission essay writing service to ace their papers. Once that’s done, they can listen without worries and bang their heads to this warhorse’s latest release.
- Godsmack
New Release: Lighting Up the Sky
Date of Launch: February 24
Last Album: When Legends Rise in 2018
Heavy rockers make a fierce comeback with Lighting Up the Sky. Many speculate that this could be their last work together. After all, the band’s frontman, Sully Erna, shared in an interview that this 8th album may be their final full-length work. In this case, fans, especially students, should consider asking for help and pay someone to do my economics homework. This will help them concentrate on this forthcoming album because it’s the band’s way of going out with a loud bang.
The powerful singles “You and I” and “Surrender” are something to look forward to. Although this could be the last album of this Massachusetts-based rocker, fans shouldn’t worry about the band leaving them in a lurch. The group still plans to tour and perform for several years. Check out their page for touring acts.
- Katatonia
- New Release: Sky Void of Stars
- Date of Launch: January 20
- Last Album: City Burials in 2020
Katatonia’s new album has a romantic flair, and romantic is not an adjective typically used for this music genre. But even the name, Sky Void of Stars, has a poetic ring. Most songs are borderline alternative rock with their melancholic mood and casual mid-tempo pace. The melodic vocals of lead singer Jonas Renkse lend a poignant vibe to the whole series.
Although Katonia tries something new, they incorporate extreme metal sounds of their past with a charming subtlety. This blends well with the current sound vibes and doesn’t overpower it. All of these combined give a touch of sensuality to the album.
- BIG|BRAVE
- New Release: Nature Morte
- Date of Launch: February 24
- Last Album: Leaving None But Small Birds in 2021
Heavy Canadian noise-rock power trio from Montreal, BIG|BRAVE, is on a roll with another new album this year. Nature Morte, the album’s title, is a french phrase for still life paintings with a literal translation called dead nature. The title alone is enough to give fans a glimpse of the band’s oeuvre, which is certainly something to look forward to.
They’ve already shared the lead single “Carvers, Farriers, and Knaves,” which is one of the most bracing pieces. Expect pounding beats and surging guitar feedback that grates on the senses. And, of course, Robin Wattie’s freeform vocals are slated to be delivered with the usual cathartic honesty and emotion.
- Baby Metal
- New Release: The Other One
- Date of Launch: March 24
- Last Album: 10 Babymetal Budokan (live album) in 2021
True to their tradition, the latest Babymetal album is making waves with an air of mystery and excitement. Headbangers and punk rockers are looking forward to the newest release of their fav Japanese pop-metal act, The Other One, with ten new songs.
According to their group, these songs are based on a quirky theme of the so-called ten parallel worlds they discovered in a virtual world they dubbed Metalverse. The snippets of the first three singles, “Metal Kingdom,” “Monochrome,” and “Divine Attack-Shingeki,” are already making waves. This newest album will deliver something highly infectious, making the fans go stark, raving, and mad with excitement.
- Metallica
- New Release: 72 Seasons
- Date of Launch: April 14
- Last Album: Hardwired to Self-Destruct in 2016
True metal fans dub Metallica their religion; that’s why they’ve eagerly anticipated 72 Seasons. This arrives seven years after their last successful LP, so metalheads have long been squirming in their seats, waiting for new ditties from the most popular metal band in the land.
Two songs have already been shared, “Lux Æterna” and “Screaming Suicide,” and it’s pretty clear that the legendary band is going back to their trash roots. Furthermore, the group is tackling serious advocacies, with “Screaming Suicide” addressing one of the glaring problems in this modern world. Although suicide is still stigmatized and considered taboo, the group intends to communicate the darkness everyone feels inside.
Final Thoughts
These six titles are just a few heavy metal examples that are set to make metalhead speakers come alive. There are many more waiting to be explored and enjoyed in this upcoming year – as well as classic metal pieces that shaped the music history.
