Time to start ranking the best albums of 2026, not only metal but also non-metal releases. Have you heard all of these? Am I missing any interesting ones? Hit me up on Instagram.
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- Stefan Nordström
- Musician, songwriter, content creator, digital freelancer
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Bands: Desolator, Soliloquium, Ending Quest, Ashes of Life, Trees of Daymare, The Ashen Tree
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Best albums of 2026 countdown
So, here’s my best albums of 2026. I’ll keep adding albums throughout the year and rearranging the list.
30. Silaera – An Aberration of the Void
A pretty abrasive, riff-driven black metal album that turns more somber and pretty in the end. Silaera is solid good when aggressive, but the two final track are where the album really gets me. Some really escapism-heavy melodicism going on there that I can’t help feeling touched by.
Listen: “From Entropic Dust”
29. Crippled Black Phoenix – Sceaduhelm
This band keeps genre bending somewhere between prog rock, rock n roll and gothic. As always, it’s good stuff with plenty of emotion and standout moments. The mish mash of vocalists and moods doesn’t quite come together for me across the whole album, but it’s still a nice listen.
Listen: “Ravenettes”
28. Karnivool – In Verses
I don’t worship this band quite as much as many progheads, but it’s a solid offering. I like that the band is going more for a dredg emotional hook type direction than putting in 800 time signatures. Will spin it more and see if it grows.
Listen: “Animation”
27. Fossilization – Advent of Wounds
Fossilization’s second album is deservingly getting a lot of praise in the metal community. Super-murky death metal with a suffocating atmosphere and enough left turns to keep it interesting. Smart decision to keep the playing time short and sweet too!
Listen: “Servo”
26. Cold Communion – Monuments to Ruin
Still missing Daylight Dies? Well, here’s a chance to here something from one member of the band, plus Tim Rowland from Woccon/Silent Vigil. This is a bit more uptempo and melodeath than expected, think modern October Tide, but also with flashes of the good old DD melancholy. I quite like it.
Listen: “Pyrocene”
25. Worm – Necropalace
Heavily hyped album online, and I can see why. A really interesting mish-mash of styles landing somewhere around a shreddy Dimmu Borgir with doom tendencies. There’s some seriously good guitar work on this one – it’s largely just a big barrel of metal fun that fits fans of all extreme styles.
Listen: “Necropalace”
24. Unverkalt – Héréditaire
Do you want another abrasive journey into the lands around Julie Christmas, Bianca and Frayle? Then this is just perfect. It definitely hits the right visceral nerve for me, even though I need repeated listens to see if the songwriting holds up as well.
Listen: “Penumbrian Lament”
23. Khemmis – Khemmis
This band has always been on my radar as profoundly talented, and this self-titled album certainly doesn’t change it. It’s one of Khemmis’s best ones so far, if not their best, featuring huge epic walls of doomy guitars, memorable vocal lines and just pure, simple, chugging heaviness.
Listen: “Invocation of the Dreamer”
22. Monstrosity – Screams from Beneath the Surface
“Spiritual Apocalypse” is one of my fav death metal albums ever and it’s hard to compete with. Monstrosity keep trying though, and this is yet another quality disc. If you’ve heard the band before you know what to expect. Old school technical death metal with solid riffs and big hooks.
Listen: “The Colossal Rage”
21. Exploring Birdsong – Every House We Built
This band is pretty hard to pin down, ranging from modern prog/djent to retro pop and retro prog. The wild genre mixing does work though, and many of the tunes have huge hooks and solid emotion. Especially great vocal performance that carries the songs forward and expresses the often confessional lyrics perfectly.
Listen: “Spy in the House of Love”
20. Atlas – Sunder
I loved 2021’s “Ukko” so I was excited for the new release from this Finnish djent/thall/prog whatever band. The band has continued down the same path, blending chunky chugs with affecting emotional and atmospheric parts in a solid mix. I dig it! 28 mins is a bit light for an album, but then again it’s better than an hour, especially for this kind of intense music.
Listen: “Sunder”
19. IATT – Etheric Realms of the Night
The abundance of good post/atmoblack continues. IATT is not afraid to stretch the limits, going all the way from Cynic/Death to serene pastoral piano sections and chunky chugs. I quite like what the band achieved here; an entertaining and varying ride without losing focus.
Listen: “Drift Away”
18. A.A. Williams – Solstice
I’ve always liked, but not loved, A.A.’s music. It’s kind of weird, because it’s just my mood and just my genres, with a great voice on top. Well, this one is no different. I dig it! Solid darkness, some really great one liners that bring Antimatter to mind, and songwriting that’s both meticilous and hook-driven.
Listen: “Hold it Together”
17. Void of Light – Asymmetries
Neurosis stole the post metal crown early this year, but why not some more? I saw some nice reviews for this album, and they certainly ring true. Some very good genre-bending atmospheric metal with solid songwriting and a nice mix of aggression and atmosphere.
Listen: “Mirrorings”
16. Miserere Luminis – Sidera
Miserere has been on my radar for a few releases, offering a nice mix of atmospheric and avant garde black metal stylings. Definitely digging what the band is doing on “Sidera” too; I hear everything from Gaerea to Deathspell Omega, and the piano additions are haunting.
Listen: “De Cris & de Cendres”
15. Loneshore – Nothing Left to Deconstruct
Loneshore’s debut album was an underrated mega album, and the band has constructed a really solid follow-up here. The style isn’t all too different, channeling Daylight Dies, Katatonia, Opeth and other bands in the progressive/doomy sphere of extreme metal, but the songwriting and emotion is firing on all cylinders. If you like that kind of music, give Loneshore a shot.
Listen: “Parhelion”
14. Sleeping Pulse – Dreams & Limitations
My love for everything Mick Moss is well-documented. Even if Sleeping Pulse never quite hit me as hard as his main project Antimatter, this is pure quality. Well-written emotional progressive rock with what we’ve come to expect.
Listen: “Rise”
13. Noah Gundersen – Rites of Spring
Noah’s music has been with me for 15 years or so now. It’s usually cheesy and on the nose, but I keep digging it. This album feels like a more pop-leaning version of his old EP’s, and I firmly dig it. Some really solid takes on the 2026 bullshit I so despise. Low hanging but tasty fruit.
Listen: “Die Young”
12. Draconian – In Somnolent Ruin
Draconian is obviously a quality guarantee band. But how would it sound with original vocalist Lisa back behind the mic? Well, kind of like the Heike albums but with Lisa instead. Weird, huh? My stupidity aside, this is right on par with the last two albums, meaning great! Huge guitar tone and a strong interplay between Anders and Lisa. Lots of great oneliner doom hooks that are more than enough to send me into an existential spiral.
Listen: “Cold Heavens”
11. Ponte del Diavolo – De venom natura
Italy’s favorite weirdos are back with another album and I dig it nearly as much as the debut. The band branches out enough to keep it interesting. Lots of cool ideas and even more oomph to the double bass player setup.
Listen: “Spirit, Blood, Poison, Ferment!”
10. Enshine – Elevation
After many years, Jari Lindholm’s Enshine is back. Luckily, the album was definitely worth waiting for. An exercise in superb atmospheric metal through and through. It feels a bit more loose and jammy than the previous Enshine albums which is a welcome evolution.
Listen: “Shimmering”
9. Hanging Garden – Isle of Bliss
This band is always quality, and in 2026 the sound had a pretty major change. More epicness, darkness and atmospherics on top of the usual gothic Nordic goodness. I love it. Vocally, it might be their strongest yet, as both Toni and Riikka excel with great variation.
Listen: “To Outlive the Nine Ravens”
8. Wolverine – Anomalies
It’s not secret that I consider Wolverine one of the most underrated bands out there. I’m not entirely sure where this album winds up in the band’s discography yet, but the amazing vocals are present as always.
Listen: “This World and All Its Dazzling Lights”
7. Shagohod – A Curse That Hides the Door
I like it weird. This album is weird and more, but very cool. Imagine mixing prog rock/metal elements with alt rock, punk, and even emo tendencies? It sure needs good execution to not become a trainwreck. Shagohod mostly succeeds. Very entertaining album, and the lyric themes go hand in hand with my 2026 attitude too.
Listen: “Swashbuckle Up”
6. Neurosis – An Undying Love for a Burning World
Well, where the fuck did this come from? No warning, just a brand-new Neurosis with ISIS’s Aaron Turner replacing Scott Kelly. Didn’t expect this one, especially with the perfect replacement. And it’s good.. very good in fact. Just the ode to a near-hopeless world we all need.
Listen: “Mirror Deep”
5. Møl – Dreamcrush
Danish blackgazers Møl expand on their sound on album 3. Lots of tasty melodic leads all over the place, and I totally welcome the band diving further into shoegaze, new wave and other interesting influences. Just as good as their previous two releases and different enough to warrant repeated spins.
Listen: “Garland”
4. Marianas Rest – The Bereaved
This band has killed it from day one, and album four is no exception. All their usual tools like melancholic melodies and huge dynamics are there, but now the band also added clean vocals in its arsenal. It works out great and just adds another gorgeous element to an already accomplished sound.
Listen: “The Colour of You”
3. Immolation – Descent
My lessening interest in death metal is no secret, so I’m always happy when something really hits me. That’s an understatement from hell when it comes to “Descent”. It’s right up there with the last two releases, which means top tier amazing. I have no idea how a band can sound this fresh and passionate after almost 40 years. I love it.
Listen: “Adversary”
2. Klimt 1918 – Amor
Klimt 1918 is virtually my favorite band at this point, so “Amor” winding up anywhere but very high on this list would be a huge surprise. It’s almost as stubbornly hookless and atmosphere-driven as its predecessor “Sentimentale Jugend”, and it takes its time to get there, but goddamn it’s a good album. The emotion and dynamics are intact and as potent as ever. Such a special band.
Listen: “Dream Core”
1. Junius – Sotera
Junius coming out of the woodwork with a near-perfect album was the biggest gift of 2026 so far. I mean, this one just sounds huge, drawing from their previous music and inserting more than enough new influences to make it stick. The signature mega hooks are there, but it also has so much atmosphere, not to mention heaviness. It draws from so many of my favorite bands, like Deftones, The Cure, Neurosis, Katatonia, etc. As I said, near-perfect album.
Listen: “Initiatrix”
2026 EP’s
- The Eternal – Celestial
Support me and my content
I hope my best albums of 2026 countdown will help you to find some cool new music to spin. If you want to support what I do, check out my band Soliloquium and buy digital music on Bandcamp. And share my stuff, of course! Cheers.
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