Listmania: Metal Noise Top #5 Most Anticipated Releases of 2026!

A Gingerbread man sits inside a Gingerbread house. Is the house made of flesh? Or is he made of house? He screams for he does not know! That’s right folks its time for our five most anticipated releases of 2026 because our attention span is shorter than the fuse on a stick of dynamite in Sergio Leone’s Fistful of Dollars. It goes without saying that this list is based upon prior convictions and advanced listens so where should we start?

16/01/2026 – My Ruin – “Declaration Of Resistance”

Most prison sentences are shorter than the twelve long years My Ruin have made us wait between albums but after the pleasure that was “The Sacred Mood” the husband and wife partnership that is Tairrie B. and Mick Murphy have something for us. The announcement came at the end of November with the fierce single “The Audacity” and needless to say as long time fans of the band who have had the pleasure of witnessing them live back in the day as well, they have our undivided attention.

30/01/2026 – Shields – “Death And Connection”

Our second choice probably as obvious as the first because Shields have always been a much loved band in these parts. For those not in the know, back in 2018 following a run of shows with Oceans Ate Alaska in support of their album “Life In Exile” they called it a night, feeling unable to continue after the tragic passing of guitarist George Christie. Since then a couple of singles have surfaced but after seven years the eagerly awaited follow up “Death & Connection“ which features guest appearances from Harvey Freeman of Graphic Nature and Taylor Barber of Left To Suffer awaits at the end of January.

13/02/2026 – No Worth Of Man – “The Killing Streets”

After their 2016 inception for a long time No Worth Of Man were a criminally underrated three piece didn’t get the recognition they deserved for their Extreme Metal sounds. However all of that changed after 2024’s EP “What’s Your Damage?” which saw them break new ground and a year later they’ve signed to US label Brutal Records, played their first European headline dates and appeared at the Reykjavik Deathfest. Mixed and mastered by the legendary Fredrick Nordstrom (Arch Enemy, Dark Tranquillity, In Flames), their debut album is high on our agenda.

20/02/2026 – Necronomicon Ex Mortis – “Zombie Blood Nightmare” EP

What can we say about Chicago natives Necronomicon Ex Mortis that we haven’t already?! The ever prolific horror movie obsessed fiends love nothing more than combining 80’s shred with 90’s riffs and have another EP on the way. One of the advanced listens “Chopped Up and Burned” not only channels the chaos and gore of Sam Raimi’s cult classic “The Evil Dead“ but also features two blistering guest solos from Matthew Mills and former Megadeth riff slinger Jeff Young. It’s safe to say we’re expecting a Death Thrash masterclass of relentless speed, technical insanity and unapologetic brutality.

06/03/2026 – Desert Storm –  “Buried Under The Weight Of Reason”

Last but by no means least, tracked by Steve Geezer Watkins and Stuart Jones at Woodworm Studios before being mixed and mastered by Joe Clayton (Trudger, Pupil Slicer, Conjurer) at Nø Studio, the new album by Progressive Sludge Doom Metal act Desert Storm has to be on the list. It’s just a given. They played the main stage of Bloodstock Open Air Festival as openers in 2024 off the back of their impressive sixth album “Death Rattle” and we’re very much looking forward to what the Oxford natives do next.

It wouldn’t be fair to leave this piece without a few honourable mentions for records that were painstakingly close to making this list so in no particular order…

“Endless” by Ov Sulfur
“Anti Life” by Against I
“The New Flesh” by Sylosis
“The Weight of Sound” by Crystal Lake
“Born To Burn” by Veil Of The Serpent