The Top 10 Upcoming Metal, Metalcore, Deathcore & Hardcore Albums of 2026

Let’s be honest — 2026 is already looking like one of those years. The kind where release calendars get circled in Sharpie, group chats blow up at midnight drops, and everyone suddenly remembers why heavy music still matters when the world feels sideways. Thrash legends are closing chapters, modern metal giants are doubling down, and the next wave of core bands are stepping up with something to prove. This isn’t hype for hype’s sake. These are records that will actually move the needle.

Here’s Metal Mantra’s locked-in list of the Top 10 confirmed metal, metalcore, deathcore, and hardcore albums coming in 2026 — the ones worth your time, your money, and your neck pain.

1. Megadeth — Megadeth

This is it. The final chapter. Dave Mustaine has made it clear this self-titled album is Megadeth’s last full-length, and everything we’ve heard so far sounds like a band determined to go out swinging. No nostalgia tour cash-in. No soft landing. Just sharp riffs, venom in the vocals, and a very intentional middle finger to time itself. If this really is the end, Megadeth chose violence — and that’s exactly how it should be. Jan. 23

Pre-order Megadeth on vinyl | Spotify | Metal Mantra archive

2. Anthrax — TBA

Ten years is a long damn time between albums — and Anthrax know it. Everything surrounding this release screams pent-up energy. They’ve taken their time, tuned out the noise, and supposedly delivered something that justifies the wait. Expect classic New York thrash with modern bite, zero trend-chasing, and that unmistakable Anthrax bounce that still wrecks pits decades later. If you forgot how fun thrash can be, this record is here to remind you.

3. Kreator — Krushers of the World

Kreator don’t miss anymore. Period. Krushers of the World continues their late-career hot streak — massive hooks, militant aggression, and Mille Petrozza sounding like he’s permanently wired into a global unrest frequency. This isn’t retro thrash cosplay. This is a band aging like warheads, not wine. Jan. 16

Order on vinyl | Nuclear Blast

4. Exodus — TBA

Rob Dukes is back. That alone tells you everything you need to know. Exodus aren’t chasing relevance — they’re reclaiming brutality. Early word points to an album stacked with anthems, pit fuel, and riffs that sound like they were written to break concrete floors. If you miss ugly, violent thrash that smells like beer and bad decisions, this one’s for you. March 20

5. Converge — Love Is Not Enough

Converge don’t release albums — they release emotional blunt-force trauma. Love Is Not Enough reportedly escalates from start to finish, and knowing this band, that means no relief, no clean exits, and no apologies. Hardcore kids will cry. Metalcore kids will pretend they don’t. Everyone loses their voice anyway. Feb. 13

6. Gojira — TBA

After dominating arenas and award stages, Gojira are reportedly steering back toward heavier waters. Fewer pleasantries. Bigger riffs. More pressure. If this really leans closer to their earlier, more punishing sound, expect a record that shuts up anyone who accused them of going soft. Gojira don’t retreat — they recalibrate.

7. Motionless In White — TBA

Twenty years deep and somehow still growing. This album is being framed as a full-circle moment — old influences, modern polish, and zero interest in shrinking themselves. Motionless In White know exactly who they are, and that confidence bleeds through every breakdown and hook. Expect big choruses, darker edges, and a band fully comfortable being one of modern metal’s standard-bearers.

8. Ice Nine Kills — TBA

If this is truly the final chapter of The Silver Scream era, Ice Nine Kills are going to make it count. Bigger production. Sharper writing. Still absurdly theatrical. Love them or hate them, nobody in metalcore understands branding, momentum, and spectacle better right now. Expect another album that dominates playlists and festival stages whether purists like it or not.

9. Slipknot — Look Outside Your Window

This one’s weird — and that’s the point. Recorded years ago, finally seeing daylight, and intentionally not a traditional Slipknot album, Look Outside Your Window is all atmosphere, mood, and experimental tension. No masks required. No expectations met. If you want chaos without blast beats, this might be the most interesting Slipknot-related release in years.

10. Ov Sulfur — Endless

Deathcore isn’t dead — it’s just getting smarter. Ov Sulfur’s Endless blends suffocating heaviness with unsettling melody, and it doesn’t feel forced. It feels intentional. This is the sound of a band refusing to stay boxed in while still hitting like a wrecking ball. Pay attention now, or pretend you liked them later. Jan 16

Rumored & Anticipated (Keep These on Your Radar)

Hatebreed are sitting on something nasty and fast, and if it drops in late 2026, expect zero evolution and zero mercy — just pure hardcore violence.

Trivium are quietly circling their next move. If album #11 lands, it’ll likely continue their recent streak of balancing old-school riff worship with modern precision.

Bullet For My Valentine are reportedly leaning heavier again. Whether that means The Poison-era callbacks or something sharper remains to be seen — but the intent is there.

2026 isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about bands with something left to say — or something left to burn down. Either way, clear space on your shelf and brace your neck. This year is going to hurt.