The Five Best New Metal Albums of January 2026!
In episode 256 of Heavy Metal Philosophy, Jon Barbas is breaking down the best new metal albums that released in January 2026! From Black Metal, Progressive Death Metal, Post Metal, Metalcore, Technical Death Metal, and everything in between! If you want some new metal to listen to, check out this month’s lineup!
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Bands;
The Ruins of Beverast – https://theruinsofbeverast.bandcamp.com/album/tempelschlaf
Denominate – https://dusktone.bandcamp.com/album/restoration
Møl – https://moeldk.bandcamp.com/album/dreamcrush
Urne – https://music.apple.com/us/album/setting-fire-to-the-sky/1836416932
Eximperitus – https://eximperitus.bandcamp.com/album/meritoriousness-of-equanimity
Eximperitus AKA – Eximperituserqethhzebibšiptugakkathšulweliarzaxułum
Hér – https://hersom.bandcamp.com/album/monochrome
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#metal #newmetal
@kinethical
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Hope your doing great! And thanks big time for Eximperituserqethhzebibšiptugakkathšulweliarzaxułum🤘 It's definitely more than meets the eye. Powerful as fuck and with a deep atmosphere to be set aside other acts🖖
@Alphaken_1
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
I got that new URNE album coming in the mail. Eximpiritus, ruins and mol are next. I didn't know about most of these bands so I appreciate the video man.
@briankessler3501
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Denominate reminds you of Haath sold me already on looking into these guys further. Haath is badass, imo.
Thanks for all, Jon.
Edit #1: no album artwork of the month? lol.
Do think Mol art is cool looking in understated way or maybe I'm just a freak. 😂
@dtm2078
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Happy to see 2026 is off to a good start with some decent metal as usual😌
@scottsmith6235
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Urne clubhouse leader
@primordial4288
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
All that was promissed is my most spun album since the day of release,
so Denominate is on now. thanks!
my january picks goes to Greece
Phasma – Purgatory (underground blackened death) (wait, not released yet, i think)
ECTOVOID In Unreality's Coffin'
and Eximperitus as honorable mention
@hallowedground7773
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Thanks for your dealer's choice – one that flew under my radar that is definitely in my wheelhouse
@DonavonCunningham-c2k
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Do we know who did the album art for Denominate and Urne? Both of their covers look suspiciously AI generated.
@MarkTerlep
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Great episode
@crazzyross
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Jon, I am wondering if you are available to fly to Phoenix for Rivers and Katatonia on 01 March. I have resources to assist with your flight ✈️ I'm serious, Brother. Much Love 🙏
@CareBear666
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
This list screams to include Marianas Rest: The Bereaved! 💙
@Snarfari
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
I think surprisingly that Lionheart – Valley of Death II is my top pick of January, those riffs just can stay on repeat through the day. Didn't catch URNE, adding them to my list. Thanks.
@pauljudd7349
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Denominate would be awsome if it wasn't scattered with cleans. Their awfull. So much of this in metal now. Done well its ok but if you cant sing dont fukin sing. Its really bad.
@TheGodzillaTalker
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
my favorite was exuuul
@alexperry4691
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
The NEW URNE album is fantastic. Their previous release A Feast On Sorrow was a year ender for me in 2023 and I think this one will likely end up the same for 2026. Also another one I really dug was Exxul – Sealed Into None! Superb Power Doom with one of the best Vocal performances I've heard in quite some time! 🤘
@brucegryllisgaming7732
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Poland is a Slavic nation dude, they have their own folk traditions.
@rahulmenon4357
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Check out Vadra – Eufonías infernales. Formatted for your copy paste convenience
@Sir-EISENBLUT
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Damn Haath is so underrated
@s01id74
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Thank you Jon. I have missed this segment through December and January. Since I am a pretty “new” viewer I didn’t know this. I am looking forward to the coming episodes and great to have some new bands to listen to.
@CarlosSilva-qn5ge
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Welcome back Jon great review, i liked almost every album exept ruins of Bevarest , thecnichaly they are good but not my kind of stuff 👍
@Virdi_Cadiz
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Ellende and Enshine newies has been two awesome albums this month as well. If the rest of the year keep this level, I am all in.
@stefan86wtf
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Killer month, yeah. Enshine and Marianas Rest along with the Mol for me 🙂
@kaneroenor3101
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
RUINS OF BEVVY WRATH!
@C._good_music
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Good list John and I agree on #1. What a killer album ❤️🔥
@vadimvega4937
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Exxul is the best from january. The next cool release is Worm – Necropalace 13.02. It has much in common with Exxul.
@taomahNEGEV
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Elevation by Enshine is the top for me in January. Thanks for Denominate: Restoration. Ready to check it out.
@jameslebron2403
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
I really enjoyed Urne's album but they reminded me a bit more of Gojira or Mastodon than the bands you mentioned imo. If I had a tiny bit of feedback for them, I'd ask them to cut back on straight up uncontrolled screaming and concentrate more on controlled growls. I think it suits their music more but that's just me
@SuperHDJ_
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
alright you sold me on Mol
@michaelbraden8279
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
The Denominate album is gorgeous, good detox from an all slam diet as of late
@kinethical
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
I got both Møl & Ruins Of Beverast* 🤘 In my top 5!
Followed by Soen, Kreator & Uuhai.
*You should check this out a little deeper… You may change your mind about your statments…
@thomaszhang3473
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
January has been absolutely stacked, I'm already at a loss of words:
7. Fortress – Death Is you Master (Heavy Metal)
6. TarLung – Axis Mundi (Sludge Doom Metal)
5. Ellende – Zerfall (Post-black)
4. Eximperitus – Meritoriousness of Equanimity (Death Metal)
3. The Ruins of Beverast – Tempelschlaf (Black Metal, Doom Metal)
2. Skulld – Abyss Calls to Abyss (Death metal, Hardcore Punk)
1. Exxul – Sealed into None (Progressive heavy metal)
@dmaul500
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
So glad this is back, ready for 2026 metal
@Tarkanaf_Rey
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
My man! I just bought myself a nice pair of wired headphones and I was so excited to listen to MØL – Dreamcrush again. why an experience. Glad to hear the 365th of January is finally past. Great start to the year so far. Fuath had a great release this month also. 🤘
@C4backjump
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Thank you Keanu Reeves
@JustinK417
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Awesome pics, Thanks for the heads up on URNE my wife is a huge Trivium fan so we will be picking up that release for sure. 🤘
@brendanhoffmann8402
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
lol, speaking of summoning demons. I'm still hooked on Akercocke's live album they released a few years ago, 'decades of devil worship' I'm hoping they release more new music, they had a long hiatus between 2007 and 2017.
@doubleXnickel
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
I am apparently the whole person who didn't like urne. Oh well. My fav album of Jan was the Hirsch Effekt
@kingdiamondscream
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
no more cover art broooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo????
@GregsWhiskyGuide
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Coming back, strong, Jon ! 🤘
@TheCuttingBureau
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
"…it interrupts the dream like a dagger through the veil." – nice simile there!
@gavintshepho9606
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Mol great pick ,I promised the world droped one of the best classic metalcore Album of 2026 check it out.
@dovesofwar1777
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Alexander von meilandwald supreme creative master of metal. Not one bad Ruins album… love to see him get this recognition with the new album.
@Seacow69
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
Urne are criminally underrated 🤘
@oleksandrbyelyenko435
February 10, 2026 at 8:53 pm
This month I mostly listened to industrial and noise 😅
Fake fan 😂😂
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