Hear Me Out: The Hype Machine (2019 Edition)
As we near the completion of another year, it's only natural to look ahead to what's to come; alongside resolutions and reflections, we find reasons to be excited for the future as the calendar changes and time begins anew.
What this means for me, of course, is that it's time to get hyped for all of the new music we could be getting. Whereas in years previous, I would mark the start of a new year with my "What Are the Chances?" posts, and attach arbitrary percentages to what I felt was possible, this year I've decided to ditch the format and just talk about my personal hype levels concerning certain bands getting new material in our ear holes in 2019.
So, I divided this article into four levels of hype: mild, moderate, high and extreme. I think that's pretty self explanatory, so let's just go ahead and get hyped!
MILDLY HYPED:
ANTHRAX
Whether or not it comes out in 2019 is anyone's guess, but Anthrax is due to begin work on the follow-up to For All Kings in January. As the last of the Big Four metal bands to commit themselves to quality, a lot of headbangers are excited for what they'll do next.
BAD RELIGION
Their last album was six years ago (do not try to convince me their Christmas album counts), and there have already been three songs released over the past several months, so it's about time that Bad Religion finally got a full-length out. That said, I'm not expecting a late-career masterpiece, just more of the same dependable punk. Sometimes, that's enough.
THE STROKES
Why I'd be hyped at all for a new Strokes album in 2019 is kind of beyond me; I haven't been into their last few albums that much. Still, their Past Present Future EP had promise, and if the grand comeback rumour mill is true, we might be getting something substantial from the band in the next twelve months.
THE TEA PARTY
Their comeback has been well received, and Black River (assumed lead single to their ninth album) points to a muscular rock direction that's counter to all things popular in rock music of late. So as to say, thank you so much for fighting the good fight.
MODERATELY HYPED:
FOALS
It's been over three years since UK group Foals released What Went Down, an album that saw them achieve a modicum of recognition in the ever-coveted US market. Whether or not they'll look to build on success or continue to develop as a band remains to be seen, but we may not have long to wait; director Albert Moya just put a shot on Instagram of reels of film purportedly for a new Foals video called Good Kids.
FIDLAR
We know FIDLAR's third album is being released at the end of the month, but what we don't know is what it will really sound like. Three singles were released over the course of 2018: the boozy and thrashy Alochol, the political rager Too Real and the easy-going funky Can't You See. It appears as though these upstarts are still more than willing to expand their horizons, and that's potentially very good news.
SLIPKNOT
It's not uncommon for a band such as Slipknot to promise great things from an impending album. It's also not uncommon for fans to feel a little let down by the end result. The thing is, All Out Life really fucking rips, and if the rest of their sixth album delivers on the promise of that, we could have a third decade triumph from the Iowan metal icons.
TORCHE
Four years after their Relapse debut Restarter (and more than ten since first catching our attention with the magnificent Meanderthal), Torche is reportedly readying a new album for release this year. That's exciting because Torche is one of the most interesting groove/stoner/pop metal bands we've ever known, and I'm eager to see what tricks they have up their sleeve for album number five.
HIGHLY HYPED:
BIFFY CLYRO
As much trepidation as I want to approach each Biffy Clyro record with as of late, I am sure of three things: they will deliver something I've never heard them do before, there will be at last three certified smash hits in waiting, and they will not disappoint me no matter how scared of exactly that I may be. They operate in threes, and album eight is assumed to be the second in their pop-leaning trilogy, although they are also working on music for an upcoming film, so who really knows?
MASTODON
They may not have the undying respect and anticipation of metalheads around the globe like they did a decade ago, but Mastodon has been quite possibly metal's most reliable force over the past fifteen years. Even though they scaled back some of their more proggy tendencies earlier this decade, they proved with 2017's Emperor of Sand that they can still provide a very solid metal record. They've also proven quite prolific, never making fans wait more than three years for a new album. Signs point toward that trend continuing, probably resulting in Mastodon's eighth album by year's end.
VAMPIRE WEEKEND
As one of the last decade's most lauded and successful indie rock bands, Vampire Weekend come into 2019 with a lot of pressure; they're down a founding member, tasked with following up their most successful album after six years. Oh, and it's their first for a major label, so there's that. While many cynics will be quick to tear VW's fourth album apart before it's even released, I'm approaching with optimism; indie rock needs a win, especially considering how badly the last highly touted indie rock band went major label. Who's clamoring for a new Arcade Fire record right now?
WINTERSLEEP
Thus far, the career of Maritime darlings Wintersleep has been one of minor breakthroughs; Orca and Weighty Ghost gained them some recognition, but Amerika and the album it's from (2016's The Great Detachment) are as close as they've gotten to truly breaking out. Their seventh album, coming in March, seems like it's going to be a diverse and interesting record and, while that may not scream "breakthrough", it does sound better than mining for gold.
EXTREMELY HYPED:
BARONESS
Look, I'm willing to overlook the misstep in sound quality that was Purple. Whatever Baroness have in store for their fifth (and probably orange) record, I'm sure the music will be top notch. Plus, I'm really intrigued to hear what the new members (particularly guitarist Gina Gleason) bring to the table. Just please, pretty please, keep Dave Fridmann as far away from this thing as you possibly can.
DEFTONES
Across eight albums and nearly a quarter century, Deftones have curated a discography as dependable and as consistent as just about anyone. If/when their ninth album drops later this year, it's being promised as "considerably heavier" than the Chino-dominated Gore. This is good news for people like me who like their Deftones heavy, and very bad news for our eardrums.
PEARL JAM
I'm coming to a point in my life when I may have to make a startling confession: my favourite band of all time might not be all that good anymore. Don't get me wrong, on any stage anywhere I will put them up against any band; on record, though, Pearl Jam's trajectory has been trending noticeably toward longer gaps between records and noticeably lesser quality records overall. Once the initial euphoria of having new Pearl Jam in my life dissipates, there really isn't much to bring me back to much of anything off their last few records. Couple this with the fact that the once prolific icons released their first six records during their first decade of existence but have only managed four records in the 19 years since (including an ongoing wait of nearly six years, the longest yet), and it seems like the drive to create great music just isn't there anymore. When they came back with new single Can't Deny Me last year, what would have been a major event in 1998 was instead a major dud.
Look, Pearl Jam doesn't owe us anything. They're deservedly in the Hall of Fame, have sold millions and millions of records, and have created a body of work that stands in my mind among those of the all time greats. That said, if there's a new record coming in 2019, it's got its work cut out for it. It's never too late to sully a legacy and, if their next record is as underwhelming as Can't Deny Me was, my favourite band of all time is in jeopardy of losing that status.
TOOL
Since I started looking ahead to the year to come, there have been two constants: I put Tool on the list each and every year, and I was right each and every year. By which I mean, I've been telling you for six years running that this thing isn't coming out; the highest chance I ever gave it was 44% way back in 2014 (ah, a much simpler time). So, I'm going to say this, and I have no proof or inside knowledge to back it up, but you're just going to have to hear me say it and know it in your heart of hearts to be true. Okay? Okay.
Tool is releasing a new record in 2019.
What this means for me, of course, is that it's time to get hyped for all of the new music we could be getting. Whereas in years previous, I would mark the start of a new year with my "What Are the Chances?" posts, and attach arbitrary percentages to what I felt was possible, this year I've decided to ditch the format and just talk about my personal hype levels concerning certain bands getting new material in our ear holes in 2019.
So, I divided this article into four levels of hype: mild, moderate, high and extreme. I think that's pretty self explanatory, so let's just go ahead and get hyped!
MILDLY HYPED:
ANTHRAX
Whether or not it comes out in 2019 is anyone's guess, but Anthrax is due to begin work on the follow-up to For All Kings in January. As the last of the Big Four metal bands to commit themselves to quality, a lot of headbangers are excited for what they'll do next.
BAD RELIGION
Their last album was six years ago (do not try to convince me their Christmas album counts), and there have already been three songs released over the past several months, so it's about time that Bad Religion finally got a full-length out. That said, I'm not expecting a late-career masterpiece, just more of the same dependable punk. Sometimes, that's enough.
THE STROKES
Why I'd be hyped at all for a new Strokes album in 2019 is kind of beyond me; I haven't been into their last few albums that much. Still, their Past Present Future EP had promise, and if the grand comeback rumour mill is true, we might be getting something substantial from the band in the next twelve months.
THE TEA PARTY
Their comeback has been well received, and Black River (assumed lead single to their ninth album) points to a muscular rock direction that's counter to all things popular in rock music of late. So as to say, thank you so much for fighting the good fight.
MODERATELY HYPED:
FOALS
It's been over three years since UK group Foals released What Went Down, an album that saw them achieve a modicum of recognition in the ever-coveted US market. Whether or not they'll look to build on success or continue to develop as a band remains to be seen, but we may not have long to wait; director Albert Moya just put a shot on Instagram of reels of film purportedly for a new Foals video called Good Kids.
FIDLAR
We know FIDLAR's third album is being released at the end of the month, but what we don't know is what it will really sound like. Three singles were released over the course of 2018: the boozy and thrashy Alochol, the political rager Too Real and the easy-going funky Can't You See. It appears as though these upstarts are still more than willing to expand their horizons, and that's potentially very good news.
SLIPKNOT
It's not uncommon for a band such as Slipknot to promise great things from an impending album. It's also not uncommon for fans to feel a little let down by the end result. The thing is, All Out Life really fucking rips, and if the rest of their sixth album delivers on the promise of that, we could have a third decade triumph from the Iowan metal icons.
TORCHE
Four years after their Relapse debut Restarter (and more than ten since first catching our attention with the magnificent Meanderthal), Torche is reportedly readying a new album for release this year. That's exciting because Torche is one of the most interesting groove/stoner/pop metal bands we've ever known, and I'm eager to see what tricks they have up their sleeve for album number five.
HIGHLY HYPED:
BIFFY CLYRO
As much trepidation as I want to approach each Biffy Clyro record with as of late, I am sure of three things: they will deliver something I've never heard them do before, there will be at last three certified smash hits in waiting, and they will not disappoint me no matter how scared of exactly that I may be. They operate in threes, and album eight is assumed to be the second in their pop-leaning trilogy, although they are also working on music for an upcoming film, so who really knows?
MASTODON
They may not have the undying respect and anticipation of metalheads around the globe like they did a decade ago, but Mastodon has been quite possibly metal's most reliable force over the past fifteen years. Even though they scaled back some of their more proggy tendencies earlier this decade, they proved with 2017's Emperor of Sand that they can still provide a very solid metal record. They've also proven quite prolific, never making fans wait more than three years for a new album. Signs point toward that trend continuing, probably resulting in Mastodon's eighth album by year's end.
VAMPIRE WEEKEND
As one of the last decade's most lauded and successful indie rock bands, Vampire Weekend come into 2019 with a lot of pressure; they're down a founding member, tasked with following up their most successful album after six years. Oh, and it's their first for a major label, so there's that. While many cynics will be quick to tear VW's fourth album apart before it's even released, I'm approaching with optimism; indie rock needs a win, especially considering how badly the last highly touted indie rock band went major label. Who's clamoring for a new Arcade Fire record right now?
WINTERSLEEP
Thus far, the career of Maritime darlings Wintersleep has been one of minor breakthroughs; Orca and Weighty Ghost gained them some recognition, but Amerika and the album it's from (2016's The Great Detachment) are as close as they've gotten to truly breaking out. Their seventh album, coming in March, seems like it's going to be a diverse and interesting record and, while that may not scream "breakthrough", it does sound better than mining for gold.
EXTREMELY HYPED:
BARONESS
Look, I'm willing to overlook the misstep in sound quality that was Purple. Whatever Baroness have in store for their fifth (and probably orange) record, I'm sure the music will be top notch. Plus, I'm really intrigued to hear what the new members (particularly guitarist Gina Gleason) bring to the table. Just please, pretty please, keep Dave Fridmann as far away from this thing as you possibly can.
DEFTONES
Across eight albums and nearly a quarter century, Deftones have curated a discography as dependable and as consistent as just about anyone. If/when their ninth album drops later this year, it's being promised as "considerably heavier" than the Chino-dominated Gore. This is good news for people like me who like their Deftones heavy, and very bad news for our eardrums.
PEARL JAM
I'm coming to a point in my life when I may have to make a startling confession: my favourite band of all time might not be all that good anymore. Don't get me wrong, on any stage anywhere I will put them up against any band; on record, though, Pearl Jam's trajectory has been trending noticeably toward longer gaps between records and noticeably lesser quality records overall. Once the initial euphoria of having new Pearl Jam in my life dissipates, there really isn't much to bring me back to much of anything off their last few records. Couple this with the fact that the once prolific icons released their first six records during their first decade of existence but have only managed four records in the 19 years since (including an ongoing wait of nearly six years, the longest yet), and it seems like the drive to create great music just isn't there anymore. When they came back with new single Can't Deny Me last year, what would have been a major event in 1998 was instead a major dud.
Look, Pearl Jam doesn't owe us anything. They're deservedly in the Hall of Fame, have sold millions and millions of records, and have created a body of work that stands in my mind among those of the all time greats. That said, if there's a new record coming in 2019, it's got its work cut out for it. It's never too late to sully a legacy and, if their next record is as underwhelming as Can't Deny Me was, my favourite band of all time is in jeopardy of losing that status.
TOOL
Since I started looking ahead to the year to come, there have been two constants: I put Tool on the list each and every year, and I was right each and every year. By which I mean, I've been telling you for six years running that this thing isn't coming out; the highest chance I ever gave it was 44% way back in 2014 (ah, a much simpler time). So, I'm going to say this, and I have no proof or inside knowledge to back it up, but you're just going to have to hear me say it and know it in your heart of hearts to be true. Okay? Okay.
Tool is releasing a new record in 2019.
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