2024 Albums

[Zzzptm]

Just got an email about Sky Valley Mistress having a new album underway.  Expecting it in early 2024. 

[Charger]

Yup! Got an email from them as well! Looking forward to it! Should be a good one!

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

At the moment the only album I'm aware of coming out next year is

New Model Army - Unbroken

[Zzzptm]

And as we typed those things, Rosetta Stone just dropped 3 albums on digital in 2023 and vinyl/CD release in early 2024. If you like goth-punk a la The Sisters of Mercy, this band is very much in that vein.

EDIT: Thought it was strange to not have liner notes on new releases and for all the tracks to be up... and that's because 2 of the 3 are already available digitally on their anthology. These are back-catalog vinyl releases, as the anthology ain't on vinyl. The third disk is their covers of other tracks. Disappointment that they're not 2023 new, but OK with them being new to me. I'll save a few bucks, though, and pick up the anthology.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

It appears that Bruce Dickinson has a new solo album coming out in March next year, it's called The Mandrake Project.

The first song released is Afterglow of Ragnarok...

[Charger]

It's a pretty good song I'd say. Nothing that blows my mind or anything but it's a good tune.

[Charger]

Talking about upcoming albums

Death Angel (have said they've been working on a new album for a 2024 release)
Judas Priest - Invincible Shield
Savatage (they've been writing but Jon recently had a nasty fall and broke one of his vertebra and it's a long recovery so it's uncertain but possible)
Anthrax (Joey is recording his vocals so this album is on it's way for sure)
Zakk Sabbath - Forever Doom Doomed Forever
Alice Cooper (He has said that the follow up to Road is already recorded and finished so that should come out next year)
Blaze Bayley (he was working on a new album already before his heart attack and since he has very succesfully returned back on stage he will be determined to get an album out next year for sure)
Exodus (Gary and Zetro both have said they've got ideas and have been working on songs but next year of 25 is a still a question mark)
Solitude Aeturnus (has been teasing for something big for next year, they already have a reunion show planned so an album might also be in the works which would be rather epic!)
Tim "Ripper" Owens solo album (Tim has told me that he's been working on material but depending how busy the year will be with KK it's hard to know if he'll have enough time to put it together)

Those came on top of my head...

[Ted Sallis]

Alice Cooper (He has said that the follow up to Road is already recorded and finished so that should come out next year)
Exodus (Gary and Zetro both have said they've got ideas and have been working on songs but next year of 25 is a still a question mark)

I'm expecting Alice Cooper will release their already recorded studio album in 2024; hopefully Exodus can get their next studio album released next year as well.

Ted

[Zzzptm]

Black Sky Giant dropped a surprise on New Year's Day, 2024:

https://blackskygiant.bandcamp.com/album/the-red-chariot



I let it play as I did other stuff. It's definitely a more ambient album than their other releases. Missing, though, were gut-crunching rockers that make me go  and  and  . It's name your own price, so I might do that, but it's a disappointment to not have some strong, heavy rock in a Black Sky Giant release.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

This guys lists a few albums (possibly) coming out this year:

[Zzzptm]

Saxon back to their old tricks, singing about early-high medieval conflicts. 

Other two tracks I've heard sound strong so far, I'll give the others a spin before committing, but this one looks like it deserves at least a moderate buy signal.

[Zzzptm]

5/5 so far on that Saxon album. And with titles like "Kubla Khan And The Merchant Of Venice", you'd think this was some kinda Iron Maiden album. It certainly hearkens back to that NWOBHM spirit of the early-mid 80s, and the song lengths are tight on this release. Longest track is 5:33. It's 10 tracks, total, 42 mins running length, and that includes a 1:24 intro, so more like 9 actual tracks hitting just over 40 minutes running time. But I do not find myself checking my watch during the tunes to see how much more they have before I can move on.

Just finished listening to "Kubla Khan And The Merchant Of Venice" as a matter of fact, and it was a great tune. It had the right balance between history lesson and galloping chorus for a great history-rock track.

On "Madame Guillotine" right now and it's a bit slow for my liking, but has a nice lyric in there about "please don't lose your head!"

"Fire and Steel", however is as fast as I like it and YEAH! DUDE!

All the issues Biff Byford was having on the previous album of covers are GONE here on this album. He sounds great in these tracks, and I'm glad for that. The band as a whole is running well, it's 6/7 so far with Madame Guillotine being the only one that I wasn't stoked about. It's still OK, just not stoking things. On to the next track...

"Supercharger"... GREAT start to it...      makes for a noice road trip tune.

Playing "Pirates of the Airwaves" as my last track from my play-before-I-pay exercise, as I thought it would be the final track for the album. Supercharger is actually the last one, but, well, if there's no playlist on YT, I play 'em as I take 'em. As it is, this is a fun song about pirate radio stations and has a good midtempo feel to it. It belongs in the middle of an album, and it's an alright tune.

8/9 were toe-tappin' hits for me and the 9th will be fine with the others playing around it. I'm putting out a strong buy signal for Saxon's Hell, Fire and Damnation for some good times heavy metal done right.

[Zzzptm]

The intro track is spoken-word by Brian Blessed. Buy signal upgraded to OH HELL YES!!! THAT is the way to start a metal album! Oooooh yeaaaaaaaaaaaah! and then the title track kicks off and it's all hell for leather!

[Zzzptm]

Blue Oyster Cult will have an AI-remixed album of older material coming out. Just heard the pre-release track and it's a snoozer. Shame.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

BCC V is due for release June 14th

(Psst, Don't tell Charger!)