GUEST POST: The Biggest Rock Releases Left In 2019
While we’re well into 2019 at this point, a lot of the most anticipated rock album releases of the year have yet to come out. As of now we can’t say with absolute certainty if all of them will still go public in 2019. Assuming they do though, here’s a look at some of the biggest albums, what we expect from them, and which ones could be in line for awards or acclaim.
Unknown Title – GOJIRA
We haven’t learned too much this year about GOJIRA’s forthcoming album, but let’s just say that the group formerly known as GODZILLA has something monstrous in the works. Last fall, frontman Joe Duplantier revealed that the group was writing 100 songs for an “awesome” new album. That’s not to say the finished product will have that many on it, but rather that the creative process is starting off bigger than it ever has for the French metal group. With that much material being whittled down to album size, it’s hard to know what to expect, but in vague terms it should be one of the best metal releases of the year.
Notes On A Conditional Form – THE 1975
Hard rock fans may not really consider THE 1975 to be a rock group in the strictest sense, but with the genre constantly shifting, it feels only right to include one of the more exciting pop-rock groups of the day. THE 1975 put out a studio album just last year (A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships), to mostly positive reviews. But a follow-up is already expected sometime later this year, under the name Notes On A Conditional Form. It’s a bit abrupt, but it also sounds exciting. Lead singer Matt Healy has at different times described the album as an emo record and as one inspired by the hip-hop group THE STREETS; he’s also said it has some of the best lyrics he’s yet written. If it all comes together, THE 1975 might just be in a sweet spot in which this album could elevate them to new heights and they could get some recognition for some of the best work of the year.
We Are Not Your Kind – SLIPKNOT
The site covered SLIPKNOT’s newly announced album just recently, so we’ll keep it brief here. But needless to say it’s always a thrill when an iconic group like this puts out something new. It’s always hard to say, but SLIPKNOT is a big enough name that if the album gains much traction the group could be in the running for an award like Best Metal Performance at the Grammys.
Unknown Title – COLDPLAY
This could be the big one. The rock group may be somewhat polarising, but it’s also one of the few bands in existence today that’s virtually guaranteed a hit single or two with each album release. Thus, while we know very little about this album (save for the fact that it comes following rumours that the band was through with new music), we can guess fairly that it will probably put COLDPLAY in the running for major acclaim and awards. There’s no use making a specific prediction on that front before the as-yet-untitled album is even out, but we’re still betting COLDPLAY will have good odds for some big awards. Some of the newer online betting sites these days, mostly out of Britain, carry odds for things like this in addition to sports contests, so we’ll actually be able to see just how much of a favourite COLDPLAY becomes in major categories once the record’s out.
Unknown Title – KORN
This is another album we know very little about, but whatever happens with it, it will be fun to see KORN back on the scene. Fans will recall that it hasn’t actually been that long since the last release (2016’s The Serenity of Suffering), but when a group has been past its heyday for a while, each new album can feel like a treat to the fan base. The Serenity of Suffering was actually a blast too, so here’s hoping there’ll be more of the same when the new record hits shelves (or streaming services, really) in late 2019.
Help Us Stranger – THE RACONTEURS
Just back in April, THE RACONTEURS – best known to some as another Jack White side project – announced their first album in 11 years. Dubbed Help Us Stranger, the album will have White’s fingerprints all over it, judging by early singles Sunday Driver and Now That You’re Gone. There’s a bit more of a laid-back tone to the latter, but White’s ultra-hip, sneakily pop-infused brand of rock appears to be the predominant sound even after all these years. It’s hard to make any more specific predictions than that given how long it’s been since THE RACONTEURS put out a fresh record, but let’s just say critics and fans alike tend to adore White. It’s a wild guess, but we could well see this one on some “best of” 2019 lists, if not in some awards conversations.
