5 Bands Who Are Long Overdue For A New Album (Guest Post)

By Jessica Kane

There are some bands that take a very long time to write and record new material. This leads to long gaps between albums. This often occurs after a band has become established and made a significant amount of money. There is no longer the pressure to release new material as a means of financially supporting themselves. This is why it is common for the output of legendary bands to become very sporadic as the years go by. There are currently some very famous and successful bands who have been dormant for quite some time in terms of releasing new studio material. However, many of these bands still tour regularly. Let’s take a look at five noteworthy bands who haven’t put out a new album in a very long time.

1. The Rolling Stones

Considering their advanced age, it is easy to understand why these rock and roll legends have not been in the studio a lot recently. However, it has been more than a decade since fans of the Stones have been treated to any new music. ‘A Bigger Bang’ was their last studio album. It was released in 2005. This is by far the longest gap between albums in their legendary career. No new album is on the horizon. This has caused fans to speculate that the Stones are finished with releasing new material. Fortunately, the Stones are still touring. They recently played to a massive crowd for their first ever show in Cuba.

2. Metallica

The masters of metal have certainly grown complacent as they have grown older. The enormous success of ‘The Black Album’ marked the beginning of a series of very large gaps between albums. From 1983 to 1991, Metallica released five albums and two EPs. Since then, they have had gaps of five and six years between albums. However, their 2008 album ‘Death Magnetic’ was the last time we have heard from these rockers from San Francisco. This is their largest gap between albums.

3. Guns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses burst onto the music scene by releasing their game-changing and groundbreaking ‘Appetite for Destruction’ in 1987. It eventually became the largest selling debut album in history. What has happened to this band since then has been the subject of countless articles and even a few books. Singer Axl Rose was eventually the last original member of the band. He hired an eclectic assortment of musicians to form a new version of GNR. They finally released ‘Chinese Democracy’ in 2008 after seemingly spending an eternity in the studio. The band has generated a great deal of publicity in 2016 with a reunion tour that has reunited Axl Rose and Slash for the first time since 1993. However, no talk of a new album has occurred as of yet.

4. Tool

Tool has put together a string of platinum and multi-platinum albums thanks to their complex songwriting, innovative videos and dynamic live performances. Unfortunately for fans of the band, Tool have a leisurely attitude towards recording new material. ‘10,000 Days’ was the band’s last new offering in May of 2006. The ensuing decade has seen Tool continue to tour around the world. Lead singer Maynard James Keenan has also kept busy by touring with a second group called A Perfect Circle. Tool founder and lead guitarist Adam Jones has used social media to give occasional updates on the songwriting and recording progress of the band. He has confirmed that several tracks have been completed. However, there is no release date for a new album at this time.

5. Limp Bizkit

In 1999, Limp Bizkit’s second album ‘Significant Other’ turned the rap/metal band fronted by Fred Durst into superstars. It sold over seven million copies in the United States. The follow-up album ‘Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water’ sold six million copies and cemented their status as one of the most popular bands in the world. The last time that fans have heard fresh tunes from Durst & company was the album ‘Gold Cobra’ released in the summer of 2011. Rumors have been swirling recently that a new Limp Bizkit album is forthcoming. However, Durst has been hesitant to announce an official release date.

Jessica Kane is a music connoisseur and an avid record collector. She currently writes for SoundStage Direct, her go-to place for all turntables and vinyl equipment, including VPI Classic.