Albums to look forward to in 2016

Phil Collins - January 12, 2016

We have spent the first part of this month looking back at the music of 2015. We named Leftöver Crack's Constructs of the State our favorite album of the year after it won our end of the year bracket. We had guest year end lists from Jason Jerde; Sean Rafferty, Henry Brawlins and Jake Joyce; and Plus Sign and Danny Brawlins. Now let's take a look at what's ahead in 2016. Here are some albums known to be in the works that I am excited about. Most of these don't have an official release date yet, so whether they come out in 2016 remains to be seen.

Savages

Adore Life

I'll start with one that does have a definite 2016 release date. Savages will put out their sophomore album, Adore Life, out on January 22. Their first album, Silence Yourself, was among my favorite albums of 2013. It did not make it out of the first round in our bracket that year, but that will not stop me from nominating them again if I like this album as much as I liked that one.

Their energy is often left simmering in post-punk bassland until it erupts on tracks like "Husbands". Savages released a video for the first single off the new album recently and you can watch that below. The song, "Adore", carries a restrained, subterranean vibe. The video features a lot of close-ups of the band looking directly into the camera without blinking. I guess they are looking life in the face.

PEARS

The smart money is on PEARS' second album to run the table in our 2016 bracket. The New Orleans hardcore outfit's debut album, Go To Prison, finished second to Against Me!'s Transgender Dysphoria Blues in our 2014 bracket. Since then, Go To Prison has been re-released on Fat Wreck Chords, the band put out a 7-inch featuring two new songs on Fat Wreck and continued a relentless tour schedule. A new PEARS album is planned for 2016 but does not appear to have a release date yet. For now, stream "Anhedonia" off the Letters To Memaw 7-inch below.

Days N' Daze

Days N' Daze at Reggies

Days N' Daze at Reggies Rock Club in October

Days N' Daze had a pretty great 2015. They put out an excellent split with Night Gaunts. They toured the country with Leftöver Crack. They recorded on Leftöver Crack's new album. Days N' Daze announced via their Facebook page that a new full-length album is on the way in 2016. All we know so far is that the title will be Crustfall. After Rogue Taxidermy in 2013, I am very excited to hear where this band goes next.

Hellmouth

Hellmouth is the metal/hardcore project of Jay Navarro, lead singer of The Suicide Machines. The band has put out two full-length albums so far - Destroy Everything, Worship Nothing in 2009 and Gravestone Skylines the next year. Now it looks like we will get a third full-length in 2016. The band announced there would be a new record in 2016 on their Facebook page. There are not many more details at this point. Whet your appetite with "The Greatest Lie Ever Sold". This was an unused cut from 2010 that the band released last year. Stream it below.

Super Unison

This hardcore group from Oakland is fronted by Meghan, who formerly did vocals for the hardcore band Punch. Super Unison's debut EP came out last year and was among my favorites of 2015. The band said via their Facebook page that they are hitting the studio in February to record their first full-length album. Super Unison dropped the new track "Photorealism" in December. Stream it below.