Green Day appear on the cover of the Winter 2023 Issue — head to the AP Shop to grab a copy.
A new year means a whole new slate of music to look forward to. From veterans to rising acts, 2024 already feels rife with possibilities, fresh avenues, and wishful thinking. Bring Me the Horizon are readying a set of pop-metal songs that will shore up their legacy, whereas Mannequin Pussy, iDKHOW, and Laura Jane Grace have already delivered earworms that make us excited to delve into their forthcoming albums. Plus, there’s much more yet to be announced, and surprise releases are inevitable.
Read more: 50 best albums of 2023
Naturally, we asked our readers to vote on their most anticipated albums of 2024, and their answers didn’t disappoint. Find the top fan picks ranked below.
5. Alkaline Trio – Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs
It’s been a long six years since Alkaline Trio unleashed their last record, Is This Thing Cursed? Between stints in blink-182, touring, and forming a new supergroup, Matt Skiba has remained busy, but he always returns to the band that launched his career to great heights. Their new album, Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs, is named after “exceptionally busy nights” in hospitals, produced by Cameron Webb, and made at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606. It’s bound to be a bloody good time.
4. Sum 41 – Heaven :x: Hell
Ever since Sum 41 announced their split and final album, the mood has felt more reflective. Last month, the pop-punk crew officially revealed its title, Heaven :x: Hell, which is a double album that vocalist Deryck Whibley describes as “early Sum 41 pop punk” on Heaven and “newer, heavier Sum 41” on Hell. We’ve already heard the sugary “Landmines” and the riffier “Rise Up,” and based on those two releases alone, it seems like a fitting spectrum for one last emotional ride.
3. Bring Me the Horizon – POST HUMAN: NeX GEn
Bring Me the Horizon’s new record, POST HUMAN: NeX GEn, has been on the way for a while. It was pushed back from its initial September release, and after announcing the departure of longtime member Jordan Fish in December, the band likely have some details to sort out ahead of their U.K. tour with Bad Omens. Nonetheless, the follow-up to 2020’s POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR is sure to stun with a balance of poppy hooks and riffy carnage, as heard on singles like “DArkSide,” “AmEN!,” and “LosT.”
2. MCR5
When My Chemical Romance surprise-released “The Foundations of Decay,” their first proper single in eight years, the community began speculating that there’s more to come. Much has been mythologized about MCR5 — fan theories about its existence could keep you up for days. But after wrapping a massive tour where the band served viral looks nightly by Emmy-winning designer Marina Toybina, it feels like MCR are already in the midst of a whole new era, whether or not that includes studio music.
1. Green Day – Saviors
With their When We Were Young performance behind them and a global tour ahead, Saviors nabbing the top spot is no surprise. Out Jan. 19, the record is hotly anticipated, and Green Day have been teasing its release with the singles “The American Dream Is Killing Me,” “Dilemma,” and “Look M, No Brains!” Marking their first record with producer Rob Cavallo in over 10 years, Saviors is designed to honor their decades-long career. “This is still our escape, after all these years,” Mike Dirnt told us during their cover story interview last year. “It’s an escape for the good and the bad. Sometimes it’s the greatest thing to be in the room.”
