So what albums is everyone looking forward to this year?

New Cannibal Corpse one looks promising, Napalm Death, hopefully the Morbid Angel one will be good and then there is the rumor of a new Carcass offering

Emperor live album and Immortal for black metal

Thrash wise i'm not really sure whats supposed to be coming out, the new Kreator one i suppose

Dream Theater.

Saxon! WAHAGAHGAHGAHGAHGHGH!!!@!@!@! Into The Labyrinth is out this month or next month I think, I can't bloody wait, it'll be amazing.

Also, a new Kamelot album probably, that'll be lovely for my musical ears. Who else... I don't know. Oh yeah, the new Heaven and Hell album, that should be quite good hopefully. Although with song titles like "Double Pain" and "Atom + Evil", I'm not so sure...

Obviously the Napalm Death album, but I've already naughtily downloaded it. But it is amazing, it's makes me go GAAAAAAAAGGGH!!!111 like an angry man.

Porcupine Tree have a new album out this year too I think, that could be good, but possibly boring.

Lovely.

Oh yeah and maybe a new Orange Goblin album and a new Down album, yes please.

The new Kasabian album. Other than that, nothing. Unless Dr. Dre releases another album.

New Cannibal Corpse and Cannabis Corpse. Carcass maybe. Napalm Death. Id like more Bolt Thrower.

And one that we will all probably love, HOD!

I forgot the Mutant EP!!!

The Mutant EP for fucking sure.

No idea what's coming out. I'll download the re-issue of Ten when it comes out but that's all I can think of at the moment.

I'm immensely excited about the Mutant EP!

In non-metal terms, apparently 2009 could see some more genuine, 80s-inspired pop making a comeback, which could be interesting. I'm only basing this on this report though: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7787555.stm

Empire of the Sun sound quite intruiging too: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7766425.stm

Just in terms of pop with quite cool melodies and an ambient edge. But then again if it was constantly overplayed I would probably hate it within a few weeks like everything else.

I never really get round to checking out many new metal releases each year, because there is so much from the past still to hear.

I feel quite chuffed with 08's stuff, if nowt comes out I'm not that arsed for a while. Plus I'm still happy with this grim reaper discog I've been bumming lately (doctor death, check your mail!) and will be doing for a long time to come.

Would love to hear some stuff from Evile, Mutant and Heretic though to keep the thrash semen flowing and not crust up. Make it happen you jizzypants.

Kreator, Napalm Death and Saxon's new albums are all due out soon.
Luckily, I've heard them all already and they're all great.

Slayer have a new one out in the summer too.
Lovely.

Oh, and Voivod are nearly done with Piggy's final riffs so their new album will be out sometime this year aswell. Apparently, they want to play some european festivals this year too. Bloodstock please.

In no order: Evile, Mutant, My Dying Bride, Cannibal Corpse, Savage Messiah?, Megadeth (for old times sake), Saxon (for even older times sake), Inner Rage?, Morbid Angel

Yeah, Dave Mustaine's been bigging up the new Megadeth stuff recently in many forum posts, saying stuff like it sounds like Rust In Peace, but it's not Rust In Peace 2, and that he's not going to care about writing songs for radio anymore (especially when the radio doesn't want to play Megadeth anway), etc... So basically it'll hopefully be faster and a bit more exciting than the terribly bland and rubbish last album. Which could be nice.

Yeah, but don't you find every metal band says that about every new album they're writing when actually it just turns out to be gant?