2026 is off and running. Here are our picks for January 2026’s best heavy metal albums.
1. Urne – Setting Fire To The Sky (Spinefarm)
Setting Fire To The Sky, Urne’s third studio album, is the clearest indicator that the UK group are on the precipice of breaking through to a wider audience. Their sludge/groove/thrash metal defies being pigeonholed, as shown by the pairing of the nine-minute behemoth “Harken The Waves” and tender ballad “Breathe.”
They both also feature guest musicians, the former with Mastodon’s Troy Sanders on vocals and the latter featuring cellist Jo Quail. Vocalist/bassist Joe Nally holds his own with Sanders as a formidable vocal duo, and Quail offers Nally the chance to put on a heartbreaking performance. It’s about time Urne gets that big break that’s been building for them for years, and Setting Fire To The Sky could help them do it. It’s our selection for January 2026’s best album.
2. Textures – Genotype (Kscope)
Since Dutch crew Textures disbanded several years ago, prog metal devotees hoped dearly that the band would return one day. Well, the diehards got their wish, and new record Genotype serves as the conceptual counterpart to 2016’s Phenotype. The group essentially picks up where they left off, with a sound bridging metalcore, extreme metal and djent. The results don’t really redefine their sound, but hone and sharpen it.
These songs contain an appealing balance between metallic riffage and progressive complexity, melodic finesse and tasty atmospherics. And the execution is tighter than a duck’s arse. “At The Edge Of Winter,” featuring ex-Delain singer Charlotte Wessels makes a statement, distilling many of the band’s strengths within less than seven minutes of polyrhythmic grooves and incisive synths. Other standouts include “Measuring The Heavens,” which neatly builds to a crushing crescendo, and “Closer to the Unknown,” a potent mix of aggressive and accessible moments. Genotype doesn’t re-write the playbook, but serves as a welcome return for an outfit who appear reenergized after a break.
3. Sky Valley Mistress – Luna Mausoleum (New Heavy Sounds)
Luna Mausoleum is the second full-length from the UK duo Sky Valley Mistress. When they play live, Kayley “Hell Kitten” Davies plays half the drum kit while Max “Leather Messiah” Newsome plays guitar and the kick drum. They are a long way from the U.S. southwest, but the band’s name makes it clear that Kyuss is an influence, but in addition to desert rock, Sky Valley Mistress incorporate everything from punk to ’70s hard to rock to doom and even a little gospel.
Davies is a potent vocalist, singing with a lot of dynamics, shifting from sultry to soulful to belting it out. Sky Valley Mistress are equally adept at focused tracks like “Too Many Ghosts” and lengthier numbers such as “House Of The Moon” and the impressive 9-minute closer “Blue Desert II” that twists and turns through different styles. Luna Mausoleum is engaging from start to finish, with interesting songs, good musicianship and Davies’ aforementioned vocal performance.
4. Stabbing – Eon Of Obscenity (Century Media)
Stabbing’s sophomore release Eon Of Obscenity wastes zero time getting heavy as vocalist Bridget Lynch stakes her claim to being one of the most extreme new voices in death metal in quite some time on opener “Rotting Eternal.” The guitars swirl and groove on “Inhuman Torture Chamber” as the vocal violence continues to be relentless, the drums explode especially the toms just like when Sanguisugabogg used to be fun.
The overall crunchiness of the music adds a layer of aggression and weight that sends this album into seismic territory. You even get Ricky Myers of Suffocation lending his vocals to “Nauseating Composition,” creating a full circle moment for Stabbing as Suffocation are one of their main influences. Stabbing do a lot to endear themselves to extreme metal and in particular brutal death metal with righteous riffs, crushing drums and Lynch’s aural assault. The band becomes a potent force for pummeling. If you are down for a fun and short album that leaves you bloodied and wanting more, look no further than Eon Of Obscenity.
5. Temptress – Hear (Blues Funeral)
Who are Temptress exactly? A mournful doom metal act? A grungy throwback? A bruising hardcore unit? On Hear, their second album, the answer to these questions is all of the above. The trio has found a pile of hooks to fashion these songs around. “These Walls” and “Now Or Never” are hard-charging powerhouses that have “hit single” potential.
Every member of Temptress shares vocal duties, much like their See record, though the quicker paces put some napalm on that dynamic. They dial up the heaviness quota on “Downfall” and “Be Still.” The excruciating slowdown during the last few minutes of the former will be hard to top for the rest of 2026.
6. Eximperitus – Meritoriousness Of Equanimity (Willowtip)
The esoteric technical death metal of Eximperitus gets a melodic makeover on Meritoriousness Of Equanimity. It’s more of a touch-up than a full-blown redesign, as the group cuts down on the daunting song lengths of their previous record, Šahrartu, and tries out new musical approaches. This includes actual singing on “Finding Consistency In The Fourth Quadrant Of Eternity” and atmospheric keyboards sprinkled throughout.
Eximperitus doesn’t skimp on their ruthless side though, evident immediately in opener “One Step Long Infinity.” The guitar solos keep the band away from devolving into noise, with a few great ones on “The Untimely Fruit Of The Unsaid” justifying the song getting close to six minutes. At only 33 minutes, Meritoriousness Of Equanimity is a tightly packed album that adds compelling dynamics to Eximperitus’ complex music.
