2021 is upon us and it is always fun anticipating what new albums are and will come out in the year. There are quite a few we already know about, but some haven’t been officially announced or even a date set yet.  

Last year, there were a few artist I was hoping would release an album that might have or might not have released one.  It is always fun to hope for new music from these bands, but were disappointments.  Here is who I was hoping for new albums from last year and what actually happened…

• Def Leppard – We did get the Def Leppard Box Set for The Early Years and the Live Box Set London to Vegas, BUT NOPE!! STILL NOTHING NEW!!
• Kiss – NOTHING!!
• Van Halen – NO! Sadly, this won’t happen with Eddie’s passing. I am now hoping for archive music.
• The Winery Dogs – NOTHING!! Still keeping my hopes up
• Guns ‘N Roses – NOTHING!!! Rumors, Rumors, Rumors!!
• Talisman – after getting a song to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the death of Marcel Jacob in 2019… NO ALBUM, we did get more Jeff Scott Soto music though.
• AC/DC – YES!! We got POWER UP and it is awesome!!
• Motley Crue – I thought with a Big Tour in 2020 with Def Leppard & Poison…is a new album far behind??? NOPE – No Music, No Tour thanks to Covid!!
• Poison – Same as Motley statement above!!! No Music, No Tour thanks to Covid!!
• Aldo Nova – He kept talking about a 2CD set, but he never got around to releasing it?? NOPE..still talking. He has released some songs, but still no album!!
• Matt Nathanson – No New Music but we got a Live album and a Christmas album
• Needtobreathe – YES!!! We got the incredible OUT OF BODY and it was one of their best!!

Okay, are there albums I want to see this year from some of my favorite bands that haven’t been announced or in some cases even rumored?  Of course there are.  These are the bands I want new albums from this year…but it might not happen.

• Def Leppard – I don’t care if I get new music, but give me The Collection Volume 3 at least!!!
• Kiss – I will keep this on the list until I die!!
• The Winery Dogs – Still keeping my hopes up
• Guns ‘N Roses – Rumors, Rumors, Rumors!!
• Aldo Nova – He keeps talking about a 2CD set, but will he get around to releasing it??
• Matt Nathanson – Loved what we got last year, but time for new music!!! I believe he finished recording it, but haven’t heard anything for a long while.

From what I have gathered around the internet, here are the bands that should have new albums out in 2021, but no dates announced yet. The ones I would give a try (and my kids) will be highlighted in Blue.  The ones with Dates Announced are at the bottom of this post.  The list is building up nicely!!

• Adele
• Adrian Smith & Richie Kotzen
• Anthrax
• Bebe Rexha
• Belphegor
• Benjamin Ingrosso
• Black Swan
• Bleachers
• Blind Guardian
• Boo Seeka
• Buckcherry
• Cardi B
• Cheap Trick
• Chris Young
• Damon Johnson
• Dan + Shay
• Daughtry – Nothing Last Forever
• Dirty Honey
• Doro
• Drake
• Dream Theatre
• Eclipse
• Eric Church
• Evanescence – The Bitter Truth
• Exodus
• Extreme
• Flotsam and Jetsam
• Garbage
• Ghost
• Giant
• Helloween
• Honeymoon Suite
• Iced Earth
• Insania
• Iron Maiden
• Jane’s Addiction
• Jason Aldean
• Jetset Junkies (A Paul Laine Project)
• Joe Bonamassa
• Jon Foreman
• Journey
• Kaleo
• Kanye West
• Kelly Clarkson
• Kendrick Lamar
• Kid Cudi
• KK’s Priest (KK Downing’s new band)
• Lana Del Rey
• Liz Phair
• Lorde
• Mammoth WVH
• Marillion
• Megadeth
• Metallica
• Metal Church
• Michael Sweet – Reborn (remake)
• Myles Kennedy
• Natalie Imbruglia
• Night Ranger
• One Republic – Human
• Overkill
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Radiohead?
• Rammstein
• Ratt (or a Stephen Pearcy Solo Album???)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Rhianna
• Richie Sambora
• Royal Blood
• Scorpions
• Skid Row – United World Rebellion: Chapter Three
• Slash Feat. Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators
• Slipknot
• Soul Station (Paul Stanley Side Project)
• Spoon
• Stone Broken – Revalation
• SunBomb (Michael Sweet / Tracii Guns project)
• Thomas Rhett
• Tracis Scott
• Uriah Heep
• Vio-lence
• Wayward Sons
• Weyes Blood
• Whitesnake – The Blues Album
• Winger
• Zara Larsson
• Zayn Malik

And that is not all…

Now if you didn’t see a band mentioned above it might be because the release date has already been set.  Here are the albums we already know about. I will highlight my most anticipated in Blue as well.  I will be honest, the year isn’t shaping up to be stellar for me, so I hope there are more to come that I can get excited about.  Happy New Year!!!

JANUARY

• January 8th
  •   Sammy Hagar & the Circle – Lockdown 2020 – (Mailboat Records)
  •   Passenger – Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted – (Nettwerk Music Group)
  •   Magnum – Dance of the Black Tattoo – (Steamhammer)
  •   Blue Oyster Cult – Live ’83 – (Real Gone Music)
  •   Alta Reign – Mother’s Day – (Rat Pak Records)
  •   Gone is Gone – If Everything Happens for a Reason…Then Nothing Really Matters at All – (Clouds Hill)
  •   Morgan Wallen – Dangerous: The Double Album – (Big Loud Records / Republic)
  •   Aaron Watson – American Soul – (Big Label Records)
  •   Barry Gibbs – Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1 – (Capitol Records)

• January 15th
  •   Matthew Sweet – Catspaw – (Matthew Sweet / Omnivore)
  •   Kurt Vile – Speed, Sound, Lonely KV E.P. – (Matador Records)
  •   Accept – Too Mean To Die – (Nuclear Blast)
  •   Crack the Sky – Tribes – (Carry On Music)
  •   Voodoo Circle – Locked & Loaded – (AFM Records)
  •   Bloody Hammers – Songs of Unspeakable Terror – (Napalm Records)
  •   Sleaford Mods – Spare Ribs – (Rough Trade Records)
  •   John Diva & the Rockets of Love – American Amadeus – (Steamhammer)
  •   Angie Rose – Unstoppable – (Capitol CMG Label)
  •   Why Don’t We – The Good Times and the Bad Ones – (Signature Entertainment / Atlantic)

• January 22nd
  •   W.E.T. – Retransmission – (Frontiers Records)
  •   The Dead Daisies – Holy Ground – (Universal)
  •   Wig Wam – Never Say Die – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Creye – II – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Jason Bieler and the Baron Von Bielski Orchestra – Songs for the Apocalypse – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Labyrinth – Welcome to the Absurd Circus – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Phantom Elite – Titanium – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Wardruna – Kvitravn – (Norse Music)
  •   Paradise  Lost – Draconian Times (25th Anniversary) – (SIN / MFN)
  •   Asphyx – Necroceros – (Century Media)
  •   Therion – Leviathan – (Therion)
  •   Moon Taxi – Silver Dream – (12th South Records / BMG)
  •   Maggie Lindemann – Paranoia – (Swixxzaudio)
  •   Brian Eno – Film Music 1976-2020 – (Astralwerks)
  •   Steve Hackett – Under a Mediterranean Sky – (InsideOut Music)
  •   Rhye – Home – (Loma Vista Recordings / Concord)
  •   Jeremiah Fraites – Piano Piano – (Dualtone Music Group)

• January 29th
  •   The Michael Schenker Group – Immortal – (Nuclear Blast)
  •   Steven Wilson – The Future Bites – (Arts & Crafts Productions)
  •   Lucero – When You Found Me – (Liberty & Lament / Thirty Tigers)
  •   Soen – Imperial – (Silver Lining)
  •   Tribulation – Where the Gloom Becomes Sound – (Metal Blade Records)
  •   The Dead South – Served Live – (Six Shooter Records)
  •   Black Pistol Fire – Look Alive – (Round Hill Music)
  •   Langhorne Slim – Strawberry Mansion – (Dualtone Music)
  •   Annisokay – Aurora – (Arising Empire)
  •   Ani DiFranco – Revolutionary Love – (Righteous Babe Records)
  •   Martin Gore – The Third Chimpanzee E.P. – (Grabbing Hands Music)
  •   Lincoln Brewster – Perfect Love – (Integrity Music)
  •   Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio – I Told You So – (Colemine Records)

FEBRUARY

• February 5th
  •   Foo Fighters – Medicine at Midnight – (Roswell Records / RCA)
  •   Todd La Torre – Rejoice in the Suffering – (Rat Pak Records)
  •    Fleet Foxes – Shore – (Anti)
  •   Stave – Good Woman – (Atlantic Records / Warner)
  •   John Carpenter – Lost Themes III: Alive After Death – (Sacred Bones)
  •   Transatlantic – The Absolute Universe: Forevermore – (Inside Out Music)
  •   Dusty Springfield – The Complete Atlantic Singles: 1968-1971 – (Real Gone Music)

• February 12th
  •   Rob Zombie – The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy – (Nuclear Blast)
  •   The Pretty Reckless – Death by Rock And Roll – (Fearless Records)
  •   Durbin – The Beast Awakens – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Joel Hoekstra’s 13 – Running Games – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Black Sabbath – Vol. 4 (2021 Remaster Set) – (Warner Records)
  •   Dio – Holy Diver Live – (Niji Entertainment / BMG Rights)
  •   Dio – Evil or Divine: Live in New York City – (Niji Entertainment / BMG Rights)
  •   Tommy Bolin – Shake the Devil: The Lost Sessions – (Cleopatra)
  •   Inglorious – We Will Ride – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Kreek – Kreek – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Arc of Life – Arc of Life – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Sirenia – Riddles, Ruins & Revelations – (Napalm Records)
  •   Pale Waves – Who Am I? – (Dirty Hit)
  •   Florida Georgia Line – Life Rolls On – (BMLG Records)
  •    Pentatonix – The Luck Ones – (RCA / Sony)
  •   Sia – Music: Songs from and inspired by the Motion Picture – (Atlantic / WEA)
  •   Love and Death – Perfectly Preserved – (Blind Tiger Entertainment)

• February 19th
  •   Ricky Warwick – When Life was Hard & Fast – (Nuclear Blast)
  •   Escape the Fate – Chemical Warfare – (Better Noise Music)
  •   Icon for Hire – Amorphous – (Icon for Hire)
  •   Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – Hunter and the Dog Star – (Shuffle Records / Thirty Tigers)
  •   The Hold Steady – Open Door Policy – (Positive James Marketed / Thirty Tigers)
  •   Austin Meade – Black Sheep – (Snakefarm Records / Universal)
  •   Mogwai – As the Love Continues – (Temporary Residence LTD)
  •   Amigo the Devil – Born Against – (Liars Club)

• February 26th
  •   Alice Cooper – Detroit Stories – (Edel Germany / Earmusic)
  •   Steve Lukather – I Found the Sun Again – (The Players Club)
  •   Joseph Williams – Denizen Tenant – (The Players Club)
  •   Melvins – Working with God – (IPECAC Records)
  •   Willie Nelson – That’s Life – (Sony Music)
  •   Epica – Omega – (Nuclear Blast)
  •   Korpse – Insufferable Violence – (Unique Leader)
  •   Moonspell – Hermitage – (Napalm Records)
  •   Kreator – Under the Guillotine – (Noise Records)
  •   Bonnie Tyler – The Best is Yet to Come – (Earmusic)
  •   Julien Baker – Little Oblivions – (Matador)
  •   Architects – For Those That Wish To Exist – (Epitath)

MARCH

• March 5th
  •   A Day To Remember – You’re Welcome – (Fueled By Ramen / WEA)
  •   Teenage Fanclub – Endless Arcade – (Merge Records)
  •   Mason Hill – Against the Wall – (7hz Productions)
  •   Brand of Sacrifice – Lifeblood – (Blood Blast Distribution)
  •   Ken Hensley – My Book of Answers – (Hne)

• March 12th
  •   Thunder – All The Right Noises – (BMG Rights Mgt)
  •   Saga – Symmetry – (Earmusic)
  •   Sunstorm – Afterlife – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Ronnie Atkins – One Shot – (Frontiers Records)
  •   ISSA – Queen of Broken Hearts – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Chez Kane – Chez Kane – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Gary Hughes – Decades – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Gary Hughes – Waterside – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Heart Healer – The Metal Opera by Magnus Karlsson – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Secret Sphere – Lifeblood – (Frontiers Records)
  •   Turbulence – Frontal – (Frontiers Records)
  •   The Rumjacks – Hestia – (Australian Broadcasting Corp)
  •   The Paper Kites – Roses – (Nettwerk Music Group)
  •   Blackmore’s Night – Nature’s Light – (Minstrel Hall Music / Edel)

• March 19th
  •   Papa Roach – Greatest Hits Vol. 2: The Better Noise Years – (Better Noise Music)
  •   Saxon – Inspirations – (Milita Guard Music)
  •   Sting – Duets – (A&M)
  •   Ringo Starr – Zoom In E.P. – (Universal Music)
  •   Ryan Adams – Wednesdays – (Pax American Records)

APRIL

• April 2nd
  •   The Best of Bond…James Bond – Various Artists – (Capitol Records)
  •   Helloween – Skyfall – (Nuclear Blast)

• April 9th
  •   The Fratellis – Half Drunk Under a Full Moon – (Cooking Vinyl Ltd)
  •   Primal Fear – I Will Be Gone E.P. – (Nuclear Blast)

• April 16th
  •   Greta Van Fleet – The Battle of Garden’s Gate – (Republic Records)

• April 23rd
  •   Kaleo – Surface Sounds – (Elektra Records)

• April 30th
  • Del Amitri – Fatal Mistakes – (Cooking Vinyl)
  •   Amy Sharks – Cry Forever – (Wonderlick Recording / Sony)

MAY

• May 7th
  •   Weezer – Van Weezer – (Crush/Atlantic)