Phantasy Star: Fringes of Algo

Figured I'd start a thread like this now, because yesterday, it popped up my Facebook feed that Sabaton has confirmed they're releasing an album in May of this year. WOO-HOO!! I found their last release, Carolus Rex, a little bit weak after how great The Art of War and Coat of Arms were, so I'm hoping this one will be better.

Others this year that I know are releasing albums are Finnish melodeath band Insomium. In September they put out an EP Ephemeral which I found to be sublime. However, no release date has been announced yet nor an album name that I know of, but I do know the band is in the recording studio.

Sonata Arctica has also announced a new release, Pariah's Child in March of this year. After making a drastic style switch at the release of Unia and continuing it with The Days of Grays, a switch I felt wasn't the best as I consider those two albums their weakest, their last release Stones Grow Her Name seemed like it was finding a better balance between the old and the new. So we'll see how this next one sounds, but I'm looking forward to that as well.

And then, of course, there is the possibility of a new Gojira album this year! They are at least in the writing stage, so there's a chance they could give us a new one by the end of the year. Granted, I don't know how they can top L'enfant sauvage.

I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting right now and you never know what may be announced during the year. Anyway, anyone else have album releases you're excited for?

Dope is releasing a new album in the first quarter of 2014 called Blood Money. I have liked most of their stuff in the past, so I'm looking forward to it.

I'm not proud of this but I haven't even heard a single piece of Sabaton's Carolus Rex ! Shame on me ... But I'll try to do and try to follow their next album to come
In May ? Thanks for the news !

I must've missed it, but I just learned the release dates for Insomnium's upcoming album. It's called Shadows of the Dying Sun, and is due out in Europe on April 28th and North America on the 29th. Oh yeah…there goes another $10 at the end of the month.

They're not all that well known, but I figure I might as well mention them. They're unsigned, but still make pretty quality music and have 2 albums + one EP which they self-released. They're pretty unique for a metal band. They have obvious black metal + trad metal influences, but aren't afraid to play around with different types of music. Of course, that means their sound is less focused, but I think that adds to the charm of their music.

Cormorant's Earth Diver releases tomorrow!

http://cormorant.bandcamp.com/music

Can't wait! I hope it's as good as Metazoa and Dwellings were!

Now we're almost halfway through 2014. And so far, Insomnium's Shadows of the Dying Sun totally owns my new music release list for this year. The song 'Ephemeral' in particular…I just cannot get enough of it, or the album as a whole.



The latest release I cared about was Sabaton's Heroes, which is a vast improvement over their last release, which I found rather weak. I can say the same for Sonata Arctica's Pariah's Child release back in March. We're planning to see them again in September, and they're being supported by Xandria and Delain.

Next one is a new Mastodon due out on the 24th, which after seeing them live, I will definitely be getting. Anathema and Katatonia are both due to be releasing new albums this year, and there is still a chance (if slim) of a new Gojira, which would be amazing…though I have no idea how they will top L'enfant sauvage.

Update, because I feel like it.

This has been a great year for new music. I'm willing to admit that Insomnium's Shadows of the Dying Sun is still the new album of the year for me, so far. Now that we actually have tickets for Sonata Arctica, I'm listening to Pariah's Child some more, and it's growing on me with every listen. I feel like they are back in form. It might be #2 for this year, so far. The other contender for #2 is Anathema's Distant Satellites. 2012's Weather Systems was great, but DS takes that similar style and goes a step further. Fantastic. #3 is a tie between Sabaton's Heroes and Mastodon's Once More 'Round the Sun. The newest is Opeth's Pale Communion, released in the states yesterday. I don't mind Opeth's change to progressive rock from progressive death metal, and I'm glad that PC is better than their 2012 release Heritage.

I also finally got some earlier releases from this year that I missed back when they came out. I got Arch Enemy's War Eternal and Behemoth's The Satanist. I need to listen to each more, but on the first listen…well, bad idea to listen at work and trying to control the head banging urge, lol.

Next album release I can think of is North Atlantic Oscillation releasing their third album The Third Day in October. My brother pre-ordered it, so I'll get that from him.

I picked up Rise Against's new CD The Black Market and I absolutely love it. It's a good listen. It has been a great year for music and I know next year it will be pretty good too, considering various bands I've liked are getting back together.

The prediction is for Gojira to release a new album next year. That alone will make 2015 a great year for music for me.

I enjoy this thread, so I'm updating it!

I picked up a few more releases from this year. I got North Atlantic Oscillation's The Third Day from my brother. Believe it or not, they're not a metal band, and this album is rating pretty high for me. Right now, I'd put it at my #4 slot for this year, I think. I also got Scar Symmetry's first in a series of concept albums: The Singularity (Phase 1 - Neohumanity). I've only listened to it once, though, so I'm not sure where it quite falls in my list for this year. The only other album that I know is out this year that I want is Sonata Arctica remastering their first album Ecliptica for their 15th anniversary.

Shadows of the Dying Sun is still my 2014 favorite, though, and unless there's a surprise in the last 2 1/2 months of this year, it's going to stay that way.