18 rock albums to get excited about in 2018

Kerrang! Radio presents a look ahead to some of the hottest rock, metal, punk and pop-punk albums that are heading our way in 2018! It’s going to be another great year for music!

Myles Kennedy ‘Year of the Tiger’

Released 9th March 2018

Having previously scrapped an album’s worth of material that he’d started recording with Slash in 2009, the Alter Bridge singer went back to the drawing board and he’s now ready to release his intensely personal solo record. A concept album, ‘Year of the Tiger’ follows a chronological narrative and is inspired by the loss of Myles’ father when he was a young child. Alongside the heart-rending subject matter, the record sees Myles delve into new musical realms, embracing blues, Americana, country and acoustic sounds.

Judas Priest ‘Firepower’

Released March 2018

Snubbed by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame despite winning the fan vote, the mighty Judas Priest will brush this aside in the spring and prove why they’re one of the greatest heavy metal bands ever with their new studio album ‘Firepower’. So far we’ve only heard a tantalising 15-second snippet of music via a teaser trailer but it already sounds like Judas Priest at their fearsome best! Rob Halford himself has described the album as among some of Judas Priest’s “best work” adding that making new music and touring “is what Priest lives for.”

Of Mice & Men ‘Defy’

Released 19th January 2018

The Orange County metalcore merchants will unleash their first full album since bassist Aaron Pauley stepped up to replace Austin Carlile at the start of 2018. Judging by the previously premiered songs ‘Unbreakable’, ‘Back To Me’, ‘Warzone’ and the album title track, ‘Defy’ is set to be yet another tour-de-force from the band. True, Of Mice & Men are a very different beast without Austin - but an equally ferocious and uncompromising one!

Black Veil Brides ‘Vale’

Released 12th January 2018

Over three years on from their last studio record – 2014’s self-titled ‘Black Veil Brides’ – the Hollywood quintet are ready to kick off 2018 in style with their fifth long-player ‘Vale’. Singer Andy Biersack promises massive things for the record calling it “kick-ass” and “the most complete and exciting album we have done to date." He adds: "The Latin translation of Vale is 'be well, be strong' and is central to the message of this record. We hope to continue to inspire our fans and friends to embrace their own individuality and inner strength.

Fall Out Boy ‘M A N I A’

Released 19th January 2018

Originally set for release in September 2017, the consummate perfectionists that they are, Fall Out Boy pushed the album four months to ensure it was the best album they could possibly make. Having released four epic songs from the album so far – ‘Young and Menace’, ‘Champion’, ‘Hold Me Tight Or Don't’ and Kerrang! Radio favourite ‘The Last Of The Real Ones’ – the omens are already looking good for another classic from Patrick, Joe, Pete and Andy.

Machine Head ‘Catharsis’

Released 26th January 2018

The groove metallers never disappoint with their studio output and the eagerly-awaited ‘Catharsis’ will be no exception to the rule. Described as a ‘full-throtle rollercoaster through every facet of Machine Head’s increasingly diverse sound’, the 15-track album deals with hard-hitting subject matter to complement their deliciously brutal sounds. Singer Rob Flynn enthuses: “There are a lot of special songs on this record. I’ve never really felt like, ‘Wow, we’ve got something really special here!’ before, but this time I can feel it. I know it. I know some people aren’t gonna dig it and that’s always the case, so who cares? I dig it."

Manic Street Preachers ‘Resistance Is Futile’

Released 6th April 2018

Abandoning the acoustic sounds of 2013’s ‘Rewind The Film’ and the electronica of 2014’s ‘Futurology’, the Welsh trio’s thirteenth studio album will see them return to the classic sounds that defined their earlier records. “The main themes of ‘Resistance is Futile’ are memory and loss; forgotten history; confused reality and art as a hiding place and inspiration,” the band said. “It’s obsessively melodic - in many ways referencing both the naive energy of ‘Generation Terrorists’ and the orchestral sweep of ‘Everything Must Go’. After delay and difficulties getting started, the record has come together really quickly over the last few months through a surge of creativity and some old school hard work.”

Black Label Society ‘Grimmest Hits’

Released 19th January 2018

With its macabre name and artwork adorned by the Grim Reaper himself, it’s fair to say that ‘Grimmest Hits’ will be another dark release from Zakk Wylde and his Black Label Society cohorts. Crunching, driving and infectious anthem ‘Room of Nightmares’ (that came with a hilarious video of the band performing at a kids’ birthday party) has been a mainstay on our airwaves for several months now and it whet the appetite nicely ahead of their 10th studio effort. Expect epic riffs aplenty!

The Prodigy Title TBA

The genre-straddling rave rockers penned a new record deal with BMG Rights Management in September who said they were releasing a new album in early 2018. Sadly, no further details have been unveiled since, however at their December 2017 tour dates The Prodigy performed two blistering new tracks - ‘Resonate’ and ‘Need Some 1’ - that hinted at great things to come from the Braintree collective.

A Perfect Circle Title TBA

The rock supergroup surprise released their atmospheric and towering new song ‘The Doomed’ in October and are aiming to release their first studio album in 14 long years in the second quarter of 2018. Updating fans on its progress while on tour in November, Billy Howerdel told Billboard: "We're well over the midway point and still working. I've got a studio on the road, and Maynard James Keenan's still working and he's still writing. It's tough on the road; I knew it was gonna be hard, but it's been tougher than I thought it would be to bet in a groove and keep going. But we're about to have a stretch here in about a week when I think it's going to be time to get a lot done." Two further new songs – ‘Feathers’ and ‘Hourglass’ – have debuted on tour.

Guns N’ Roses Title TBA

Admittedly this is a highly tenuous one as the hard rock icons are yet to officially confirm any new album news, however, speaking to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in July, guitarist Richard Fortus admitted the band are “excited” about recording a new album. In a separate interview with the StageLeft podcast, Fortus said: “We haven’t started recording anything, when I say that, as far as in the studio doing an album. We’ve been recording a lot of stuff, just ideas, assembling ideas, but not going into a studio and actually tracking a new record.” Asked if he thinks the album will come into fruition, Fortus responded: “Yeah, I do. It’s sort of too good not to happen at this point, that’s how I feel about it. This band is really a force right now, and I definitely hope that we do, and I think we’re all sort of counting on it, and we’re also planning on it.” If a record does see the light of day it will be the first to feature Slash and Duff McKagan in 25 years.

Stone Temple Pilots Title TBA

When news emerged that Stone Temple Pilots were drafting in X Factor USA runner-up Jeff Gutt as their new singer there were a fair number of naysayers. The cynics’ fears were obliterated, however, when STP premiered their ew song ‘Meadow’ – a summery, feel-good stomper that sounded like classic Stone Temple Pilots and perfectly showcased Gutt’s impressive pipes. The band have been hard at work on their new studio album for over a year now and if ‘Meadow’ is anything to go by, expect great things!

Rammstein Title TBA

Another tenuous one we’re including for the sole reason that we hope it kicks the German industrial metallers into gear! Come 2018 it will be nine years since Rammstein’s last studio effort ‘Liebe ist für alle da’ and six years since their last full UK tour and, mercifully, in an interview with Resurrection Fest TV, guitarist Richard Kruspe confirmed they’re hoping to reconvene in the studio imminently. “A band wants to always do the best album it can do at the moment,” Kruspe said. “This time, what we're really gonna do is we'll try changing the producer team. We've worked with our producer for the last six records, and this time we felt like we need a chance, so at the moment we're meeting new producers and finding what is the best for the team.” The bad news, however, is Kruspe added: "I just feel like, for some reason, that it's gonna be the last record we do.” Nein! Nein! Nein!

Tool Title TBA

Having not released an album with Tool for 12 years and A Perfect Circle for 14 years, somewhat incredibly, Maynard James Keenan could be releasing two albums in 2018 with his two respective bands. Tool played a series of acclaimed North American shows this summer and, according to drummer Danny Carey, a new album will “definitely” be released in 2018. “We’ll probably have it done in the first half of the year if things go as planned,” Carey said. “There’s setup times and manufacturing - I can never predict all that, it seems like it’s constantly evolving. What time of year it will be out? I can’t tell you.”

Megadeth Title TBA

The heavy metallers have been working on ideas for the follow-up to 2016’s ‘Dystopia’ since the start of this year. Lynchpin Dave Mustaine said in February: “Kiko (Loureiro) and I have actually been talking a lot about it the last couple weeks, sending files back and forth and so on and so forth, which is exciting for me because that’s what makes me tick is writing music.” Although the record is still in its embryonic stages, Dave believes it will be “kick-ass” thanks to Megadeth’s current line-up. “I think that getting into the studio with the four of is now is going to be super-exciting,” Dave said in November. “We're all so familiar with each other right now, I think it's going to be a kick-ass record, and I look forward to it."

The Offspring Title TBA

The six-year wait for a new long-player from The Offspring could come to an end in 2018. Speaking at Rock in Rio in October, singer Dexter Holland and guitarist Noodles said work was well underway on the album and it would be released in 2018 “for sure”. Dexter added: "We have been (working on the album), yeah, for a while. We've got a few songs already done. We want to do a couple more and we definitely wanna get something out soon. Our fans have waited long enough, I think, so we want to get something in their hands that they can listen to and hold and put in their ears."

Andrew W.K. ‘You're Not Alone’

Released 2nd March 2018

The rocker has finally taken time out of his hectic partying schedule to lay down his first studio album in nine years. No stranger to hyping up his own material, Andrew said: “I’m going for the sound of pure, unadulterated power; every emotion, every thought, every experience, every sensation, every fear, every joy, every clarity, every confusion, every up, every down... all extruded and concentrated into one thick syrup of super life-force feeling, and then psychically amplified by the celebratory spirit of glorious partying.”

Marmozets ‘Knowing What You Know Now’

Released 26th January 2018

Phenomenal lead single ‘Habits’ has been a mainstay on Kerrang! Radio’s airwaves since October and now the band are primed to release the follow-up to ‘The Weird And Wonderful Mamorzets’. Recorded with esteemed producer Gil Norton (Foo Fighters, Pixies), guitarist Sam MacIntyre boldly proclaims: “We created the album for ourselves. It’s not that we don’t care about our fans – we absolutely love them – but the reason they like what we do is because of the way we are.” We truly can’t wait to hear the fruits of their labours!

Now read 69 rock stars who changed their names:

• Fall Out Boy
• The Offspring
• Rammstein
• Guns N' Roses
• Megadeth
• Tool