UK musician Steven Wilson (of Porcupine Tree) released his sixth studio The Future Bites in 29 January 2021. It was originally scheduled for June 2020, but the Coronavirus pandemic prevented Wilson from carrying the albums full high concept premise, which included an extensive and intricate live performance.[5]
Foo Fighters released their tenth studio album, Medicine at Midnight, on February 5, 2021.[7] Frontman Dave Grohl has worked on demos throughout 2019, with his only description of the material being that it is musically "weird".[8][9] The album was completed in March 2020, but the band delayed its release due to the Coronavirus pandemic.[10]
Notable future releases
Serj Tankian, frontman of System of a Down, announced he plans on releasing an EP of material that he originally wrote for System of a Down. With the band unable to agree how to proceed with recording new material, he instead decided to release it as solo material. The EP is title Elasticity, an allusion to the band's album Toxicity.[11] Tankian had alluded to a late 2020 release date,[12] but it was delayed to March 19, 2021.[13]
A Day to Remember is scheduled to release their seventh studio album You're Welcome. The album was given the title after frontman Jeremy McKinnon noticed that a fan predicted the name for the album after seeing him in a photo online with the words on a shirt he was wearing. At the time of the picture being taken, it was not the album title, and the prediction had not been correct.[14] Originally scheduled for a 2020 release, it was delayed to March 5, 2021.[15]
Evanescence is aiming to release their fourth studio album, their first since 2011. Plans for a new album were announced in 2018 towards the end of their Synthesis era touring, which consisted of orchestral reworking of their past material.[16] Frontwoman Amy Lee conversely describes the new album as "heavy and dark" and similar to the sound of their second album, The Open Door.[17] It is scheduled for release in March 2021.[18]
Greta Van Fleet is scheduled to release their second full-length album, The Battle at Garden's Gate. Lead singer Josh Kiszka describes it as "the next step...in the evolution in the sound of the band", an allusion to the fact that the band's sounds is often considered extremely similar to Led Zeppelin.[19] It is scheduled for release in April 2021.[20]
Weezer is scheduled to release their fourteenth studio album, Van Weezer. Band frontmanRivers Cuomo stated that, after releasing a relatively guitar-light album in 2019 - Weezer (Black Album), that the band would return to a guitar-heavy album in 2020, with heavy emphasis on guitar riffs and guitar solos. The album was inspired by enthusiastic fans response to these aspects of their live shows in recent years. The first single, "The End of the Game", contains over 100 guitar overdubs.[21] With a big emphasis of the album being basd around live performances and touring of the material, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the band to delay the album to May 2021.[22]
In 2019, Swedish band Ghost announced their intention to release their fifth studio album in early 2021. Unlike many bands who announced plans this early, this was not a delay due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but rather due to frontman Papa Emeritus's desire to not complete with people's attention against the 2020 US Presidential Election season.[23]
The Offspring is scheduled to release their tenth studio album, their first since 2012. Guitarist "Noodles" that the process had been slow due to trying to change their sound, only to return to their normal punk rock sound.[24] The album was "basically complete" by June 2020, but its release was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.[25][26] It was delayed into 2021.[27]
Fozzy was originally scheduled to release their fourth studio album in 2020, before the Coronavirus pandemic delayed plans into 2021. The delay also required the band to rename the album, as it has been scheduled to be titled 2020, which frontman Chris Jericho felt no longer made sense with the new release year.[28]
The Pretty Reckless are scheduled to release their fourth studio album, Death by Rock and Roll in 2021. The album is complete, but frontwoman Taylor Momsen wished to delay the album until they could tour in support of the album and perform the new material live.[29]
Slipknot members plan on releasing the experimental and oft-discussed Look Outside Your Window album in 2021. The album, recorded as a side-effort during the 2008 All Hope is Gone album sessions, is described as far more melodic and rock-oriented than usual Slipknot material, and more artistic in the vein of Radiohead's sound. The band aims to release it during the We Are Not Your Kind touring cycle, which was delayed into 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[30][31][32]
Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails announced his intentions to record and release collaborative new music in 2020.[35] However, the Coronavirus pandemic complicated those plans, causing Reznor to instead release two more iterations of his instrumental Ghost releases, Ghosts V: Together and Ghosts VI: Locusts, cancel a major tour in 2020, and alter plans for new music and touring for 2021.[36]
UK musician Steven Wilson (of Porcupine Tree) is scheduled to release his sixth studio The Future Bites in 2021. It was originally scheduled for June 2020, but the Coronavirus pandemic prevented Wilson from carrying the albums full high concept premise, which included an extensive and intricate live performance.[38]
The Killers plan on releasing their seventh album in mid-2021, despite releasing their prior album, Imploding the Mirage as recently as August 2020.[39]
Papa Roach is scheduled to release their eleventh studio album. The album was written during and inspired by the Coronavirus pandemic and was described by frontman Jacoby Shaddix as being themed around heavy guitars and experimentation.[40]
Chevelle is scheduled to release their ninth studio album. Frontman Pete Loeffler describes the album as more melodic than past few albums.[41]
Godsmack was initially preparing two separate music releases for 2021; an acoustic EP and a full-length rock record.[42] The band later revised their plans, pushing the new album off to 2022.[43]
Garbage is scheduled to release their seventh studio album in 2021. The album was not delayed by Coronavirus, but rather, it is recording was used as therapy for front woman Shirley Manson, who was suffering from depression due to the Coronavirus shutdowns.[44]
Mastadon is scheduled to release their eighth studio album in 2021.[45]
Daughtry is scheduled to release their sixth studio album, Nothing Lasts Forever, in 2021. After moving in more country and pop music directions in recent years, frontman Chris Daughtry states that the album will move back into the bands rock roots.[46][47]
Blink-182 is scheduled to release an EP of new music. Originally intending to release a deluxe edition of their 2019 album Nine with bonus tracks, frontman Mark Hoppus decided to release the material as a stand-alone EP instead, stating that the new material didn't sound or feel related enough to their Nine album.[51]
Bad Wolves is scheduled to release their third studio album in 2021. It will be the first without lead singer Tommy Vext, who left in January of the same year. Vext insists he was forced out of the band by his label and band mates over his controversial political and social views.[52]
Aerosmith reschedules their 50th anniversary tour for September 2021.[57]
Disturbed and Staind’s joint tour (featuring Bad Wolves) is delayed into mid-2021. Disturbed focus is a celebration of the twentieth anniversary of their first album, The Sickness, while Staind's focus was on their recent reunion in late 2019, after being mostly inactive since 2012 since frontman Aaron Lewis's foray into a solo country music career.[58]
