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2026 Hard Rock + Metal Album Release Calendar

2026 Hard Rock + Metal Album Release Calendar

Keeping track of the relentless pace of new music in the hard rock and metal scenes can be a daunting task. With a constant stream of EPs, full-length albums, and anniversary re-releases hitting the market every week, it is easy to miss out on your favorite artists’ latest offerings. To ensure you never miss a beat, we have compiled this comprehensive 2026 album release calendar, which we will update throughout the year.

Bookmark this page and check back every Friday to see what is hitting shelves and streaming services. Whether you are looking for the latest from established legends or digging into new EPs from rising stars, this is your go-to resource for all things heavy music in 2026.

READ MORE: The 51 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2025

Scroll down to explore the release schedule for the coming weeks and months.

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Select releases listed below are available now for purchase and/or pre-order through our vinyl shop!

May 2026 Releases

May 15, 2026
Artillery – Made In Hell EP (Mighty)
Borknagar – True North Re-Release (Season Of Mist)
Confess – Metalmorphosis (Frontiers)
Crematory – Greatest Hits (ROAR)
Crown Lands – Apocalypse (InsideOut)
Frontline – Rebirth (Frontiers)
The Ghoulstars – The Dark Overlords Of The Universe (Season Of Mist)
Gozu – Gozu VI (Blacklight)
Held – Grey (MNRK Heavy)
Jungle Rot – Cruel Face Of War (Unique Leader)
New Idea Society – Fire On The Hill (Relapse)
Periphery – A Pale White Dot (3DOT)
Peter Frampton – Carry The Light (UMe)
Port Noir – The Dark We Keep (InsideOut)
Pro-Pain – Stone Cold Anger (Napalm)
Robin Beck – Living Proof (Frontiers)
Self Deception – One Of Us (Napalm)
Slayer – Hell Awaits 40th Anniversary Edition (Metal Blade)
A Static Lullaby – …And Don’t Forget To Breathe (Smartpunk)
Von Groove – Born To Rock (Frontiers)

May 22, 2026
Amyl And The Sniffers – Giddy Up/Big Attraction Re-Release (Virgin)
Armored Saint – Emotion Factory Reset (Metal Blade)
At The Gates – The Red In The Sky Is Ours Re-Release (Peaceville)
At The Gates – Terminal Spirit Disease Re-Release (Peaceville)
At The Gates – With Fear I Kiss The Burning Darkness Re-Release (Peaceville)
Blindead 23 – Deuterium (Peaceville)
Boys From Heaven – The Wanderer (Frontiers)
Dimmu Borgir – Grand Serpent Rising (Nuclear Blast)
Elder – Through Zero (Blues Funeral)
Fireball Ministry – The Second Great Awakening Re-Release (Ripple)
Gorerotted – Mutilated In Minutes Re-Release (Hammerheart)
Impure Wilhelmina – Le Sanglot (Season Of Mist)
Marmozets – CO.WAR.DICE (Nettwerk)
Moonlight Haze – Interstellar Madness EP (Scarlet)
Tommy Lee – Tommyland Rides Again (BMG)
Varg – Live At Wolfszeit Festival 2024 (Napalm)
Various Artists – XXX Anniversary Compilation (Frontiers)
Western Addiction – Psychedelic Munitions (Fat Wreck Chords)

May 29, 2026
All Them Witches – House Of Mirrors (BMG)
Cavity – Human Abjection Re-Release (Reptilian)
Dark Millennium – Come (Massacre)
Devin Townsend – The Moth (InsideOut)
Dogstar – All In Now (Dillon Street)
Erdve – Epigrama (Season Of Mist)
Eternal Evil – Forever Feared (Listenable)
Godthrymm – Projections (Profound Lore)
Jayler – Voices Unheard (Silver Lining)
Oathbreaker – Rheia (Redux) (Deathwish)
Saint Agnes – Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin (Spinefarm)
Serpent Lord – The Once Forgotten Ways Of Old (Eisenwald)
Shinedown – Ei8ht (Atlantic)
Sparta – Cut A Silhouette (Equal Vision)
Trelldom – …by the word… (Prophecy)
Violet Grohl – Be Sweet To Me (Aurora/Republic)
The Who – Live At Eden Project (earMusic)