Upcoming albums for 2012.

2012 looks to be an exciting year for music once again, with some familiar faces returning. 2011 was a wonderful year for music, with strong releases from Peter Murphy, Duran Duran, The Cars, and Florence and the Machine. Here are some albums I am looking forward to this year.

1. Magnetic Fields - Love at the Bottom of the Sea
Release date: March 5, 2012

Stephin Merritt returns with another new album. After releasing 3 albums with no synthesizers, (i, Distortion, and Realism), the synths come back for this new release. This also marks the bands first release on Merge Records since 1999's epic 3cd set, 69 Love Songs.

 2. Garbage - Not Your Kind of People
Release date: May 14, 2012

(no album art currently)


After a 6 year hiatus, Garbage returns with a new set on the bands new record label, STUNVOLUME. Garbage recorded this album right here in Los Angeles at various studios in Atwater Village, Glendale and Silverlake. Garbage was one of the first bands I have seen live and this will be one to look for.

3. Ministry - Relapse
 Release date: March 30, 2012

Ministry "broke up" in 2008, after lead singer Al Jourgensen kept his time busy with Revolting Cocks and other bands. They reunited for the Open Wacken Open Air festival and decided to record a new album. You can see the energy still flowing with the new single 99%.

4. Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania
Release date: sometime in 2012

(no album art currently)

Last we heard from Smashing Pumpkins, all the original members besides Billy Corgan left the band. He now has a revolving door of various band members, but the spirit of the band is still there. I am still enjoying the deluxe reissues of Gish and Siamese Dream that were released in 2011, and I cannot wait for this album and the upcoming reissues of Pisces Iscariot and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Here's hoping to a great album.

5. Assemblage 23 - (unknown title)

Reading Tom Shear's updates, it seems as if Assemblage 23 will have a new album ready this year. Every new album blows me away and I expect no less from this new one.

6. Dead Can Dance - (unknown title)

 (no album art available)

2012 will be a huge year for Dead Can Dance. After 2005's reunion, Lisa Gerrard, Brendan Perry and company have decided to tour once again and release a new album. This will be their first studio album since 1996's Spiritchaser. European tour dates have already been announced and during the next few weeks the US tour dates will. There is no other band like Dead Can Dance and there never will be. Ian McFarlane described them as such: having an ambient style of world music that "constructed soundscapes of mesmerising grandeur and solemn beauty...with African polyrhythms, Gaelic folk, Gregorian chants, Middle Eastern mantras, and art-rock." Here's to the new year!

Other bands hopefully recording new albums are Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, the Mark Lanegan band and Blakq Audio. Cheers to the new year!