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DER BRAUCH by THE HIRSCH EFFEKT
Progressive metal, mathcore, avant‑garde post‑hardcore from Germany.
Released on January 30–31, 2026 via Long Branch Records.
Key tracks: “Der Brauch”, “Der Faden”, “Der Doppelgänger”, and “Das Nachsehen”.
Recommended if you like: The Dillinger Escape Plan, Between the Buried and Me, Rolo Tomassi, The Ocean. -
DREAMCRUSH by MØL
Blackgaze, post‑metal, shoegaze, alt‑metalfrom Denmark
Released on January 30, 2026 via Nuclear Blast
Key singles: “Young”, “Garland”, “Crush”, and “Hud”.
Recommended if you like: Deafheaven, Alcest, Oathbreaker, Holy Fawn
2. GENOTYPE by TEXTURES
Progressive metal, groove metal, djent from the Netherlands
Released on January 23, 2026 via Kscope
Key tracks: “At The Edge Of Winter”, “Closer to the Unknown”, “Nautical Dusk”, and “Walls of the Soul”.
Recommended if you like: TesseracT, Karnivool, VOLA, Leprous.
3. ZERFALL by ELLENDE
Atmospheric black metal, post‑black metal, melodic black metal, blackgaze from Austria.
Released on January 2, 2026 via AOP Records.
Key tracks: “Zerfall”, “Übertritt”, “Ode ans Licht”, and “Reise”.
Recommended if you like: Drudkh, Alcest, Harakiri for the Sky, Woods of Desolation.
4. SEALED INTO NONE by EXXUL
Epic doom metal, power metal, traditional heavy metal from Canada.
Released on January 15, 2026 via Productions TSO (The Stygian Oath).
Key tracks: “Blighted Deity”, “Walls of Endless Darkness”, “Labyrinthine Fate”, and “The Screaming Tower”.
Recommended if you like: Solitude Aeturnus, Veni Domine, Memento Mori, Memory Garden.
5. THE RUINS OF BEVERAST by TEMPELSCHLAF
Black metal, doom metal, atmospheric/psychedelic blackened doom from Germany.
Released on January 9, 2026 via Van Records (vinyl and wider CD editions following January 30, 2026).
Key tracks: “Tempelschlaf”, “Day of the Poacher”, “Alpha Fluids”, and “The Carrion Cacoon”.
Recommended if you like: Dark Fortress, Bethlehem, Urfaust, Blut Aus Nord.
6. THE BEREAVED by MARIANAS REST
Melodic doom/death metal, atmospheric doom, gothic‑tinged death metal from Finland.
Released on January 16, 2026 via Noble Demon.
Key tracks: “The Colour of You”, “Diamonds in the Rough”, “Thank You for the Dance”, and “Pity the Living”.
Recommended if you like: Swallow the Sun, Insomnium, Draconian, October Tide.
7. ALTER BRIDGE by ALTER BRIDGE
Hard rock, alternative metal, melodic heavy rock from the USA.
Released on January 9, 2026 via Napalm Records.
Key tracks: “Scales Are Falling”, “Playing Aces”, “Silent Divide”, and “What Lies Within”.
Recommended if you like: Tremonti, Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, Shinedown, Black Stone Cherry.
8. BREAK THE SILENCE by BEYOND THE BLACK
Symphonic metal, melodic metal, gothic‑tinged power metal from Germany.
Released on January 9, 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records.
Key tracks: “Rising High”, “Break the Silence”, “The Art of Being Alone”, and “Can You Hear Me”.
Recommended if you like: Within Temptation, Delain, Epica, Lovebites.
9. THE WEIGHT OS SOUND by CRYSTAL LAKE
Metalcore, progressive metalcore, modern heavy metal from Japan.
Released on January 23, 2026 via Century Media Records.
Key tracks: “Everblack”, “BlüdGod”, “The Undertow”, and “The Weight of Sound”.
Recommended if you like: Alpha Wolf, Northlane, Brand of Sacrifice, Currents.
10. HUMAN HERDS by UUHAI
Folk metal, pagan/folk rock, hard rock with Mongolian throat‑singing from Mongolia.
Released on January 9, 2026 via Napalm Records.
Key tracks: “Human Herds”, “Uuhai”, “Uvdis”, and “Secret History of the Mongols”.
Recommended if you like: The Hu, Tengger Cavalry, Nine Treasures, Eluveitie.
11. RELIANCE by SOEN
Progressive metal, melodic heavy rock, atmospheric prog from Sweden.
Released on January 16, 2026 via Silver Lining Music.
Key tracks: “Primal”, “Discordia”, “Indifferent”, and “Axis”.
Recommended if you like: Opeth (modern era), Katatonia, Leprous, Riverside.
12. EMPTY HANDS by POPPY
Industrial pop, avant‑pop, alt‑metal from the USA.
Released on January 23, 2026 via Sumerian Records.
Key tracks: “Bruised Sky”, “Unravel”, “Guardian”, and “Empty Hands”.
Recommended if you like: Spiritbox, Evanescence, Nova Twins, Bring Me The Horizon.
13. SETTING FIRE TO THE SKY by URNE
Progressive sludge metal, groove/thrash‑tinged modern metal, atmospheric heavy metal from the UK.
Released on January 30, 2026 via Spinefarm Records.
Key tracks: “Be Not Dismayed”, “Setting Fire to the Sky”, “Towards the Harmony Hall”, and “Harken the Waves (feat. Troy Sanders)”.
Recommended if you like: Gojira, Mastodon, Metallica (late ’80s era), Sylosis.
14. ELEVATION by ENSHINE
Melodic death/doom metal, atmospheric doom, gothic‑tinged melodeath from Sweden/France.
Released on January 3, 2026 as an independent/self‑released album.
Key tracks: “Heartbliss”, “Where the Sunrise Is Felt”, “Distant Glow”, and “Reignite”.
Recommended if you like: Insomnium, Saturnus, Draconian, Novembers Doom
15. PANORAMA by HALLAS
Adventure rock, progressive ’70s‑style hard rock, psychedelic heavy rock from Sweden.
Released on January 30, 2026 via Äventyr Records / High Roller Records.
Key tracks: “Above the Continuum”, “Face of an Angel”, “The Emissary”, and “At the Summit”.
Recommended if you like: Blue Öyster Cult, Wishbone Ash, Witchcraft, Kadavar.