KYS's Most Anticipated Releases Of 2018

28 November 2017 | 1:44 pm | Alex Sievers
Originally Appeared In

Featuring upcoming 2018 releases from Endless Heights, Brian Fallon, Portal, Don Broco, Holding Absence, Pale Waves, The Midnight & more!

2017 has had plenty of awful and average releases released within its scheduled programming: Ocean Sleeper, In Hearts Wake, Copia, Arch Enemy, Suicide Silence, Jayden Smith, etc. However, this year also saw some utterly amazing records come out as well: Converge, Lodz, Julien Baker, The Midnight, The Maine, sleepmakeswaves, Cursed Earth, among others. And it's the potentially killer upcoming records of 2018 that we'll be looking at here for our most anticipated releases of 2018. So forget the ARIA awards tonight, have a read and get excited about what music next year will bring!



Endless Heights - 'Vicious Pleasure'

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter

The last full-length that Sydney's Endless Heights released was the timeless 'New Bloom' LP back in 2013, which gifted us with bangers like 'Honest Life', 'Matador', and 'Mosaic'. With that record well and truly behind this ever-evolving alternative/melodic hardcore group - they removed all 'New Bloom' material from their setlists following their October/November headline run - these much-loved Aussies now move onwards. Titled 'Vicious Pleasure', their upcoming record follows the same potent musical vein as the 'Teach You How To Leave' EP and 2016 singles, 'Pray I Fade' and 'Drain'. And with already released songs from the album like 'You Coward' and newest tune 'Come A Little Closer', that seems to be no bad thing.

'Vicious Pleasure' comes out February 16th via Cooking Vinyl. Colour us very keen for this one!

Don Broco - 'Technology' 

On the back of some utterly rippin' singles and some equally great music videos (namely 'Pretty' and 'Everybody'), Don Broco's third album was fully revealed a couple of months back: 'Technology'. The English hard rockers new follow-up to the slick, poppy and funky stylings of 'Automatic' (2015) is their massive 16-track release that'll land on February 2nd via SharpTone Records. And while I am a little nervous that the overly long track listing may potentially result in more filler than killer, hearing fresher tracks like the bouncy 'Stay Ignorant' (which you can stream below) and 'T-Shirt Song' do give me a further hope for this new record.

Check out all the deets for Don Broco's inaugural Australian tour here

PORTAL - 'ION' 

Local death metal extremists, PORTAL are an enigma, and that mysterious enigma will only grow further and wider with their fifth LP, 'ION'. Fresh off the ranks first song is 'Phreqs', which is this dark, riff-heavy and dissonant slab of punishing death metal - something that PORTAl have really excelled at delivering over the years. And 'ION' is set to be no different! The new record will be unshackled by EVP Recordings come January 26th, 2018.

The Midnight - TBA

Yes, I know that it was only back in October that The Midnight dropped their amazing 'Nocturnal' EP (read my review of it here) but this U.S. duo have already stated there'll be a new release in 2018, with Tim McEwan telling Vehlinggo in an interview that “I like to think about it as what the kids from Stranger Things are listening to when they’re not chasing monsters". Fuck yeah!

Considering that this American pair doesn't tour, are perfectionists, are continually writing and recording and only play the occasional live show, their spare time for releasing new material is nearly always freed up. And I'm sure as shit not complaining about that! With their solid 2016 LP 'Endless Summer' being a bright, summer-baked, sax-laden retro gem and with 'Nocturnal' channelling a far darker, neon-noir mood for its delicious synthwave soundscapes, wherever The Midnight goes next is bound to be just as good. If not better.

Holding Absence - TBA

SharpTone Records have some really hit and miss bands on their lineup - Imminence, We Came As RomansCurrents, Alazka, Attila, and the absolute worst of the lot, Across The Atlantic. However, with every downside to their roster, there is always a silver lining. These comes with the label featuring groups like EmmureMiss May I, While She Sleeps (excusing their latest album), our very own Polaris (who are signed with Resist Records out here in Oz), the previously mentioned lads in Don Broco as well as U.K. newcomers, Holding Absence.

Creating an incredibly emotive and cinematic post-hardcore sound on all-star cuts 'Permanent', 'Dream Of Me', and the new(ish), Architects-sounding 'Heaven Knows' (think 'The Here And Now' era), this Cardiff outfit is definitely going places with their massive sound. However, it was with 'Penance' that caught most people's attention - mine included - and after being told by the label that a full-length record is coming in 2018, I'm now counting down the days until that release is announced and it lands in my email inbox.

Brian Fallon - 'Sleepwalkers'

As The Gaslight Anthem fans the world over - yours truly listed among those eager masses - hope and pray that the band will properly reunite to celebrate 2008's 'The '59 Sound' turning the big 1-0 next year, frontman Brian Fallon is also moving on with his solo career. After 2015's well-received 'Painkillers' LP, the open-heart singer has recently announced a new album full of bluesy rock and passionate lyrics - 'Sleepwalkers'. All of which is embodied in his latest tune, 'Forget Me Not', continuing his much-appreciated trend of just writing Gaslight Anthem songs under a different moniker.

Fallon will spill his guts out for us all when 'Sleepwalkers' drops on February 9th.

Pianos Become The Teeth - 'Wait For Love'

2011's 'The Lack Long After' was a very special record for the alternative/melodic hardcore/post-hardcore scenes; a musically intense and incredibly emotionally harrowing album, to say the very least. Which is perhaps why Pianos Become The Teeth dared not rehash or repeat such a sound when it came time for a new record to be created, which would eventually become 2014's "controversial" and widely different yet still solid 'Keep You'. More recently, and in sticking with their lighter, lusher, overly melodic and less-heavy sound of that 2014 LP, Pianos Become The Teeth announced to the world that a new record was on its way with the release of their terrific, heart-warming new single, 'Charisma'.

Titled 'Wait For Love', Pianos 4th LP will be available February 16th, 2018 via Epitaph Records and now, the long and eager wait begins.

Press Club - TBA

Okay, so we're not entirely sure what's coming next from Melbourne's Press Club - whether its more singles, an EP, an album or a split - but whatever it is, we just want more of it! There are very few other Aussie rock acts that I'm as personally keen on in 2018 as I am for Press Club, and that's just off the back of this year's energetic 'Headwreck' single (found below) and the honest recent release, 'My Body's Changing'. I implore you all to watch this band very closely as Press Club will more than likely be your new favourite band in no time flat!

Pale Waves - TBA

Yet another release that is yet to be fully announced but is one that we all know is coming next year is Pale Waves' debut release. Storming right out of the poppy, 80's post-punk gates in 2017, the up and coming U.K. group have received some very close comparisons to The 1975 (whose frontman, Matt Healy, has taken this band under his wing more or less) due to their arrangements, song structures, guitar tones, choruses and melodies. Which can all be seen in the band's three 2017 singles; their debut song 'There's A Honey', newer cut 'New Year's Eve' and the best track of the lot so far, the endearing, cynical and excellent 'Television Romance'. Whether or not this trio are simply stand-alone tracks or are apart of a wider EP or a full-length album isn't clear yet, either way, I'd love to have a proper Pale Waves release in my hands before next year ends!



Of course, whether or not these records actually deliver the goods remains to be seen, we will be eagerly awaiting them all come 2018! Also, that brand new Tiny Moving Parts track is wicked. Add whatever release those guys will drop next year, as well as new Ill Natured and Pagan, to your lists as well: