Brett CallwoodChristmas might be over, but that doesn’t mean the gift-giving and -receiving have to be finished. All year, fantastic new albums will be released, including many by L.A.-area artists. Here are 10 that will be well worth looking out for.
Credit: Entertainment One
Black Label Society — Grimmest Hits
Due: Jan. 19
Zakk Wylde was busy for much of 2017 on Sabbath-related duty, with his Zakk Sabbath tribute band and also slinging ax for Ozzy Osbourne. But somewhere in between all that, he found time to record the 10th Black Label Society studio album, which isn’t, in fact, a greatest-hits collection at all. We’ve been offered a preview in the form of the video for the “Room of Nightmares” track, and it would appear that there’s a lot to look forward to.
Ty Segall; Credit: Levan TK
Ty Segall — Freedom’s Goblin
Due: Jan. 26
Laguna Beach psychedelic lo-fi rocker Segall puts out his 10th studio album this year, and it continues his impressively prolific run of putting out an album every year with the rare exception of 2015. 2017’s effort was self-titled, as he began working with the group of musicians he now calls The Freedom Band. With that working relationship firmly in place, it’ll be interesting to hear what comes next.
Credit: Red Bull Records
Awolnation — Here Come the Runts
Due: Feb. 2
2018 will see the ninth anniversary of the formation of indie/electropop project Awolnation, and a third studio record seems due. For 2015’s Run, frontman Aaron Bruno did the majority of the work, and it will be interesting to see if he takes that approach again.
Suicidal Tendencies; Credit: Pep Williams
Suicidal Tendencies — Get Your Fight On!
Due: March 9
Venice hardcore-thrash crossover band Suicidal Tendencies and mainman Mike Muir must be in a rich vein of creativity right now: 2016 saw the release of the excellent World Gone Mad, and just a year and a half later, Get Your Fight On! will come out. Which is unusual, because Muir usually likes at least three years between albums. But that’s good for us. An ST album is an event around these parts.
Lita Ford; Credit: Vittek PR
Lita Ford — TBA
Due: TBA
Following her triumphant return to music, the release of her book Living Like a Runaway: The Memoir, and 2016’s Time Capsule, Lita Ford is expected to return in 2018 with another studio album. She recently told Blabbermouth that she’s once again been working with Gary Hoey, and that the songs are sounding “pretty badass.”
Megadeth; Credit: Chapman Baehler
Megadeth — TBA
Due: TBA
Megadeth reportedly went into the studio at the end of 2017 to start work on the follow-up to 2016’s Dystopia, and Dave Mustaine says that it’s going to kick ass. Of course, Mustaine isn’t short on confidence so he always says that about his band’s new material. This one will be the first to feature new drummer Dirk Verbeuren, and only the second with guitarist Kiko Loueiro (formerly of Angra), so there’s that.
A Perfect Circle — TBA
Due: TBA
It’s been 14 years since the last A Perfect Circle album, eMOTIVe, which is almost a Guns N‘ Roses level of waiting time. Based on “The Doomed,” the first new track from the band in that time, Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan, plus Billy Howerdel and ex–Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, have used at least some of that time wisely.
Maynard James Keenan with Tool; Credit: Levan TK
Tool – TBA
Due: TBA
Maynard James Keenan must be busy, because Tool drummer Danny Carey has said that there will be a new Tool album in 2018 too, the follow-up to 2006’s 10,000 Days. It appears that Maynard albums are like buses: You wait around forever for one, then two show up at once.
Kanye West; Credit: Lina Lecaro
Kanye West — Turbo Grafx 16
Due: TBA
The wait for Kanye’s follow-up to the much-loved The Life of Pablo goes on, but rumors suggest that we’ll finally get it in 2018. One would hope so — he has another 12 months to get his act together, although nothing is certain with the enigmatic rapper. We’ve heard those two leaked tracks in the summer, “Euro (Switch Hands)” and “Hold Tight,” and the signs are good that this will be another polarizing, fascinating piece of work.
Credit: Courtesy the artist
Tinashe — Joyride
Due: TBA
Kinda like Kanye, R&B/hip-hop star Tinashe kept fans waiting all year for her third album, Joyride, and it never surfaced. Plenty of tracks leaked, and there were recently reports that the title track has been passed on to Rihanna. Those setbacks might account for the delays but, as the year comes to a close, she posted an Instagram message that read, “Almost time.” It’s like another Christmas, ain’t it?
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