Now that Chinese Democracy - otherwise known as the most highly anticipated (or at least most hyped) album of the past few decades - has finally hit the shelves, a flurry of other bands can now be fully given the spotlight. These hard-working musicians might not have dedicated roughly 2 decades to their newest works of genius, but most have proven in the past that they only need a year or two to deliver a solid follow-up. So mark your calendars accordingly, as we’ve compiled a list of the albums you can expect to hit record stores in 2009. We apologize for those wishy-washy bands that provide the generic “summer of '09” or “late 2009/early 2010” dates, but on the other hand it certainly does keep us reading their blogs for the latest news. Clever, indeed.
While January is not a weak month by any means, things will start to get very interesting come February.
Lamb of God and
U2, bands at the opposite ends of the musical spectrum, will deliver two of the most highly anticipated albums of 2009. Early Spring brings the release of
Mastodon’s concept album Crack the Skye, with themes involving Tsarist Russia, Rasputin, and Stephen Hawking - a guaranteed conversation piece.
Killswitch Engage and
Megadeth are also set for early 2009 releases, while the winter months promise the return of Iron Maiden, KoRn, and possibly Deep Purple (sadly, without Ritchie Blackmore).
Many of the artists listed have already planned tentative tours to support their new albums in 2009, so expect next year to be jam-packed with killer concerts. Dream Theater, KISS, and U2 are just a few that are already gearing up for the album/tour combo, and don’t be surprised if most of the bands mentioned below make it to your town in the upcoming months as well.
January
1/6
Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing (Live in Germany)
Woe of Tyrants - Kingdom of Might
Desolation House - Self-Titled
1/13
Crooked X - Self-Titled
(hed) PE - Ordo Ab Chao
Kreator - Hordes Of Chaos
Saxon - Into The Labyrinth
Royal Bliss - Life In-Between
Too Pure To Die - Confess
Metallica - Collectors Box Set
1/20
John Frusciante - The Empyrean
Reel Big Fish - Fame, Fortune and Fornication
Rumpelstiltskin Grinder - Living For Death
The Kinks - Beat, Beat, Beat DVD
Various Artists - Jimi Hendrix Tribute: Third Stone From the Sun
1/27
Rush - Retrospective 3 CD/DVD
Sepultura - A-LEX
Despised Icon - Montreal Assault Live DVD
Bruce Springsteen - Working on a Dream
Hoobastank - For(n)ever
Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
Grave Digger - Ballads of a Hangman
Other Tentative January Releases
Grave Digger - Ballads of a Hangman
Combichrist - Today We Are All Demons
February
2/3
Cannibal Corpse - Evisceration Plague
The Fray - Self-Titled
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Lonely Road
Chris Cornell - Scream
2/10
Luna Mortis - The Absence
Iron Butterfly - Concert and Documentary DVD
2/24
Lamb of God - Wrath
God Forbid - Earthsblood
Hatebreed - For the Lions
Other Tentative February Releases
U2 - No Line on the Horizon
Third Eye Blind - Ursa Major
Dark Moor - Autumnal
March
3/10
New Found Glory - Without A Fight
Testament - Live at Eindhoven
3/24
The Decemberists - Hazards of Love
3/31
Silverstein - Currently Untitled
Other Tentative March Releases
Madina Lake - Attics To Eden
April
4/14
Dave Matthews Band - Currently Untitled
4/21
Chimaira - Currently Untitled
Early 2009
Anthrax - Worship Music
Poison The Well - Currently Untitled
Mastodon - Crack the Skye
Killswitch Engage - Currently Untitled
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Currently Untitled
Our Lady Peace - Escape Artist
Megadeth - Currently Untitled
Queensryche - American Soldier
Deftones - Eros
Hurt - Goodbye To The Machine
Lacuna Coil - Shallow Life
Candlemass - Currently Untitled
Dream Theater - Currently Untitled
Rx Bandits - Currently Untitled
Blessthefall - Currently Untitled
Duff McKagan’s Loaded - Sick
Late 2009
Slash - Currently Untitled
Good Charlotte - Cardiology
Portugal. The Man - Currently Untitled
KoRn - Currently Untitled
Alice In Chains - Currently Untitled
Rammstein - Currently Untitled
Angels and Airwaves - Currently Untitled
Alexisonfire - Currently Untitled
Jimmy Eat World - Currently Untitled
KISS - Currently Untitled
Coldplay - Currently Untitled
Down - Down IV
Flaming Lips - Currently Untitled
Iron Maiden - Currently Untitled
Deep Purple - Currently Untitled
No Doubt - Currently Untitled
By Amy Kelly
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