Usually, this is the time of year when the reflections on the twelve months that were are complete and this place becomes a ghost town for at least a couple weeks because there's nothing interesting being released until April. In fact, if you noticed during my chronologically ordered nominees rollout, you'll find that only 7/50 came out in the first quarter of the year (with five of those being in March, and none in January).
Maybe the labels are panicking to get their properties out there before no one cares about albums anymore, maybe my music addiction's spiraled too far out of control. Whatever the case, the first three months of 2013 are logjammed with potentially and guaranteed awesome albums alike.
So, we took a look back, and will remember 2012 fondly; now let's dive into 2013 and start devouring more tasty riffs! After the jump are my 15 most anticipated releases coming in the early part of 2013:
DROPKICK MURPHYS
Rose Tattoo
From: Signed And Sealed In Blood
Releasing: January 8
2013 wastes no time making with the rock; the first Tuesday of the year that record stores are open has the world's premier Celtic punk band following up the best album of their career. If lead single Rose Tattoo is an indication of what to expect, we're looking at a finely tuned songwriting machine that's even less afraid to mix in some maturity with their playful mischief.
BAD RELIGION
True North
From: True North
Releasing: January 22
Okay, let's be real; if you don't know what you're getting into when Bad Religion releases a new album, it's far too late to help you. True North is the longstanding punkers' sixteenth album, and has all the hallmarks that have made them a hard rock institution: two-minute songs played at blistering speed, and sprinkled with heaps of harmony. Bad Religion give the people what the people want; they're the punk rock McDonald's.
FIDLAR
Cheap Beer
From: FIDLAR
Releasing: January 22
Having cut their teeth with a trio of 7" singles, FIDLAR (or, FUCK IT DOG LIFE'S A RISK) is gearing up to take the big next step, with their full-length debut on the horizon. One look at the tracklist (containing such gems as Stoked & Broke, Wake Bake Skate and Black Out Stout) tells you there's an Andrew W.K. sized party happening here. And one listen to the defiant, beer hipster-baiting Cheap Beer tells you they have the chops to pull it off in delightful slacker style.
THE JOY FORMIDABLE
This Ladder Is Ours
From: Wolf's Law
Releasing: January 22
The Joy Formidable's debut The Big Roar was well received in their native UK, and they saw a moderate amount of success in North America with singles Whirring and A Heavy Abacus. Now, they're set to really break through with Wolf's Law, an album that looks to expand on their raucous, stadium-ready sound in every way.
BIFFY CLYRO
Black Chandelier
From: Opposites
Releasing: January 28 (UK), March 12 (NA)
Speaking of Euro bands poised to breakout this side of the pond, Scotland's Biffy Clyro have been flirting with a breakthrough for the past five years in North America while becoming a massive success on their home continent. Their sixth album, the double disc Opposites, will hopefully give them some long overdue love in our neck of the woods.
TOMAHAWK
Stone Letter
From: Oddfellows
Releasing: January 29
It's been relatively quiet in the Mike Patton camp in recent years; sure, the highly attended Faith No More reunion shows kept the man busy, but his recorded output hasn't matched previous levels of diversity and regularity. Tomahawk's fourth album (and first rock-oriented one since 2003's Mit Gas) appears to be Patton's first "conventional" album since 2006's Peeping Tom project (in parentheses since Patton's conventional is most artists' most twisted). It's been a long time coming.
THE BRONX
Ribcage
From: The Bronx IV
Releasing: February 5
Nearly four years removed from their woefully underrated third album, The Bronx's fourth album is their first effort since finding a surprising level of success with their two mariachi albums (as Mariachi El Bronx). Thankfully, it seems they haven't forgotten their knack for righteous noise and furious melody.
COHEED & CAMBRIA
The Hard Sell
From: The Afterman - Decension
Releasing: February 5
The first half of Coheed's double album was passable, and even gave longtime fans a glimpse of the fearless and ambitious band they'd fallen in love with back in the day. Come February, we'll find it if the first half was setting us up for an epic conclusion or an epic disappointment. First taste The Hard Sell has me leaning ever so slightly toward the former.
EELS
Peach Blossom
From: Wonderful, Glorious
Releasing: February 5
If you're not onboard with Mark Oliver Everett by now, chances are you'll never be. Those who have followed his career over the last fifteen-plus years know he's endured more than his share of hardships. Now, on his tenth album (and first since a sprawling trilogy released in 2009 and 2010), he's combining his relatively new positive attitude (which featured prominently on 2010's Tomorrow Morning) with the hard rocking chops anyone who's appreciated Eels knows he's got the knack for.
PURE LOVE
Bury My Bones
From: Anthems
Releasing: February 4 (UK)
When Frank Carter left Gallows, one of the UK's most destructive and incendiary bands, not many could have predicted his next band would be so accessible. Anthems, Pure Love's full-length debut, was produced by Gil Norton and has already seen four singles released in the UK ahead of its impending release. From what I've heard thus far, there's a strong Manic Street Preachers influence, particularly on Handsome Devils Club and Bury My Bones. Get ready; this one could be massive.
NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
We No Who U R
From: Push The Sky Away
Releasing: February 19
The clubhouse for guys over the age of 50 who continue to stay relevant and make exciting music is not very crowded. Tom Waits runs the place, but Nick Cave likely watches over day-to-day operations when Tom's not around. Push The Sky Away will be Cave's first album with the Bad Seeds in five years.
ATOMS FOR PEACE
Default
From: AMOK
Releasing: February 26
My level of excitement for the debut of the group featuring Radiohead's Thom Yorke and RHCP's Flea was tempered somewhat by lead single Default, as you don't really get to hear much of Flea; it simply sounds like a follow-up to Thom Yorke's last solo album, 2006's The Eraser. However, the track is still better than anything on Radiohead's last album, so count me in.
PAUL McCARTNEY, DAVE GROHL, KRIST NOVOSELIC & PAT SMEAR
Cut Me Some Slack
From: Sound City (OST)
Releasing: March 12
The media circus that turned this innocent jam session into a "Nirvana reunion" blew the whole thing out of proportion. Stop comparing apples to assholes, and take this tune for what it is; a raging good time. Taking a look at the Sound City soundtrack's guestlist (which includes Corey Taylor, Josh Homme, Trent Reznor and a metric shit tonne more) has me excited for a soundtrack for the first time since I can't even remember.
CLUTCH
Earth Rocker
From: Earth Rocker
Releasing: March TBA
Four years is way too long to wait for a Clutch album. That being said, Earth Rocker may be worth its wait; it sees the band reunited with producer Machine (who helmed their undisputed masterwork Blast Tyrant), and has been promised as Clutch's fastest and heaviest album yet. The title track brings the thunder, and is just enough to tide me over until March... and to name Earth Rocker my Most Anticipated Album of 2013.
ALICE IN CHAINS
Hollow
From: TBA
Releasing: Spring TBA
Okay, so technically this album may not come out by the end of March. However, spring does start in March, and they've already given us a juicy single, so it's on the list. Hollow has everything you've come to expect from an Alice In Chains song that's not Layne Staley's voice. And seriously, if you still can't get past that, get help.
Maybe the labels are panicking to get their properties out there before no one cares about albums anymore, maybe my music addiction's spiraled too far out of control. Whatever the case, the first three months of 2013 are logjammed with potentially and guaranteed awesome albums alike.
So, we took a look back, and will remember 2012 fondly; now let's dive into 2013 and start devouring more tasty riffs! After the jump are my 15 most anticipated releases coming in the early part of 2013:
Rose Tattoo
From: Signed And Sealed In Blood
Releasing: January 8
2013 wastes no time making with the rock; the first Tuesday of the year that record stores are open has the world's premier Celtic punk band following up the best album of their career. If lead single Rose Tattoo is an indication of what to expect, we're looking at a finely tuned songwriting machine that's even less afraid to mix in some maturity with their playful mischief.
True North
From: True North
Releasing: January 22
Okay, let's be real; if you don't know what you're getting into when Bad Religion releases a new album, it's far too late to help you. True North is the longstanding punkers' sixteenth album, and has all the hallmarks that have made them a hard rock institution: two-minute songs played at blistering speed, and sprinkled with heaps of harmony. Bad Religion give the people what the people want; they're the punk rock McDonald's.
Cheap Beer
From: FIDLAR
Releasing: January 22
Having cut their teeth with a trio of 7" singles, FIDLAR (or, FUCK IT DOG LIFE'S A RISK) is gearing up to take the big next step, with their full-length debut on the horizon. One look at the tracklist (containing such gems as Stoked & Broke, Wake Bake Skate and Black Out Stout) tells you there's an Andrew W.K. sized party happening here. And one listen to the defiant, beer hipster-baiting Cheap Beer tells you they have the chops to pull it off in delightful slacker style.
This Ladder Is Ours
From: Wolf's Law
Releasing: January 22
The Joy Formidable's debut The Big Roar was well received in their native UK, and they saw a moderate amount of success in North America with singles Whirring and A Heavy Abacus. Now, they're set to really break through with Wolf's Law, an album that looks to expand on their raucous, stadium-ready sound in every way.
Black Chandelier
From: Opposites
Releasing: January 28 (UK), March 12 (NA)
Speaking of Euro bands poised to breakout this side of the pond, Scotland's Biffy Clyro have been flirting with a breakthrough for the past five years in North America while becoming a massive success on their home continent. Their sixth album, the double disc Opposites, will hopefully give them some long overdue love in our neck of the woods.
Stone Letter
From: Oddfellows
Releasing: January 29
It's been relatively quiet in the Mike Patton camp in recent years; sure, the highly attended Faith No More reunion shows kept the man busy, but his recorded output hasn't matched previous levels of diversity and regularity. Tomahawk's fourth album (and first rock-oriented one since 2003's Mit Gas) appears to be Patton's first "conventional" album since 2006's Peeping Tom project (in parentheses since Patton's conventional is most artists' most twisted). It's been a long time coming.
Ribcage
From: The Bronx IV
Releasing: February 5
Nearly four years removed from their woefully underrated third album, The Bronx's fourth album is their first effort since finding a surprising level of success with their two mariachi albums (as Mariachi El Bronx). Thankfully, it seems they haven't forgotten their knack for righteous noise and furious melody.
The Hard Sell
From: The Afterman - Decension
Releasing: February 5
The first half of Coheed's double album was passable, and even gave longtime fans a glimpse of the fearless and ambitious band they'd fallen in love with back in the day. Come February, we'll find it if the first half was setting us up for an epic conclusion or an epic disappointment. First taste The Hard Sell has me leaning ever so slightly toward the former.
Peach Blossom
From: Wonderful, Glorious
Releasing: February 5
If you're not onboard with Mark Oliver Everett by now, chances are you'll never be. Those who have followed his career over the last fifteen-plus years know he's endured more than his share of hardships. Now, on his tenth album (and first since a sprawling trilogy released in 2009 and 2010), he's combining his relatively new positive attitude (which featured prominently on 2010's Tomorrow Morning) with the hard rocking chops anyone who's appreciated Eels knows he's got the knack for.
PURE LOVE
Bury My Bones
From: Anthems
Releasing: February 4 (UK)
When Frank Carter left Gallows, one of the UK's most destructive and incendiary bands, not many could have predicted his next band would be so accessible. Anthems, Pure Love's full-length debut, was produced by Gil Norton and has already seen four singles released in the UK ahead of its impending release. From what I've heard thus far, there's a strong Manic Street Preachers influence, particularly on Handsome Devils Club and Bury My Bones. Get ready; this one could be massive.
We No Who U R
From: Push The Sky Away
Releasing: February 19
The clubhouse for guys over the age of 50 who continue to stay relevant and make exciting music is not very crowded. Tom Waits runs the place, but Nick Cave likely watches over day-to-day operations when Tom's not around. Push The Sky Away will be Cave's first album with the Bad Seeds in five years.
Default
From: AMOK
Releasing: February 26
My level of excitement for the debut of the group featuring Radiohead's Thom Yorke and RHCP's Flea was tempered somewhat by lead single Default, as you don't really get to hear much of Flea; it simply sounds like a follow-up to Thom Yorke's last solo album, 2006's The Eraser. However, the track is still better than anything on Radiohead's last album, so count me in.
Cut Me Some Slack
From: Sound City (OST)
Releasing: March 12
The media circus that turned this innocent jam session into a "Nirvana reunion" blew the whole thing out of proportion. Stop comparing apples to assholes, and take this tune for what it is; a raging good time. Taking a look at the Sound City soundtrack's guestlist (which includes Corey Taylor, Josh Homme, Trent Reznor and a metric shit tonne more) has me excited for a soundtrack for the first time since I can't even remember.
Earth Rocker
From: Earth Rocker
Releasing: March TBA
Four years is way too long to wait for a Clutch album. That being said, Earth Rocker may be worth its wait; it sees the band reunited with producer Machine (who helmed their undisputed masterwork Blast Tyrant), and has been promised as Clutch's fastest and heaviest album yet. The title track brings the thunder, and is just enough to tide me over until March... and to name Earth Rocker my Most Anticipated Album of 2013.
Hollow
From: TBA
Releasing: Spring TBA
Okay, so technically this album may not come out by the end of March. However, spring does start in March, and they've already given us a juicy single, so it's on the list. Hollow has everything you've come to expect from an Alice In Chains song that's not Layne Staley's voice. And seriously, if you still can't get past that, get help.
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