New & Noteworthy is Metal Insider’s weekly column highlighting some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. This week counts new music from the likes of Alter Bridge, The Protomen, Zu Beyond The Black and Bullet amongst the many outstanding works hitting shelves. Don’t forget to check out our weekly playlist below. Enjoy!
January 09, 2026 Release Highlights:
Alter Bridge, Alter Bridge (Napalm):
According to frontman Myles Kennedy, the rockers’ eighth studio effort is a reflection of where the band is now, saying “This is kind of what we’ve been known for. So here we are, here’s an assortment of tracks really kind of defining that at this stage, on album number eight.”
The Protomen, Act III: This City Made Us (Independent):
The third installment of the band’s Mega Man rock opera comes 17 years after the last.
Zu, Ferrum Sidereum (House Of Mythology):
The Italian avantgarde metal band’s new double album “combines the complexity of progressive rock, the grit of industrial, the precision of metal, the energy of punk, and the intelligence of jazz.”
Beyond The Black, Break The Silence (Nuclear Blast):
The symphonic metal band’s sixth studio effort is described as an “album rooted in melodic metal with ethno influences,” which “explores themes of communication, inner strength, resilience and the urgent need to reconnect in a divided world.”
Bullet, Kickstarter (Steamhammer):
The Swedish metal band releases its seventh studio album, their first in seven years.
Puscifer officially launched their first-ever comic series, Tales From the Pusciverse. The debut issue centers on the character Bellendia Black. The group recently shared more visual details on the comic series during the visualizer for their latest single,...
German rock/metal trio The Hirsch Effekt have never been especially interested in blunt-force emotionalism. Their music has always behaved more like a conversation you replay later, wondering why it felt heavier after the fact. Their new single, “Die Brücke,” leans...
Swedish heavy metal outfit Bullet have teamed up with Metal Insider to share a track-by-track guide on their new album, Kickstarter, available now. Formed in 2001 with a mission to carry the torch of late '70s and early '80s heavy metal, the group has spent nearly 25...
New & Noteworthy is Metal Insider’s weekly column highlighting some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. Kicking off 2026, this week’s new music includes albums from the likes of Excavated Graves, Fuath, Wildhunt and Dawnbreaker amongst the...
New & Noteworthy is Metal Insider’s weekly column highlighting some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. This week sees new muisc from the likes of Peter Criss, Dead Sun and Lychgate amongst the many outstanding works hitting shelves. Don’t...
New & Noteworthy is Metal Insider’s weekly column highlighting some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. This New Music Friday sees new releases from the likes of Volumes, Lord Of The Lost and Windswept, as well as the debut full-length...
