It’s been another exciting year where we were treated to unexpected hits, great debut albums from up-and-coming artists and new music from some old favorites. Who will be the hit makers of 2012? Maybe some of the following, who all have new music scheduled to drop early in the year.

JANUARY 10
Haemoth – In Nomine Odium (Debemur Morti): The first release in six years for these French aural terrorists.
Vise Massacre – Expendable Humans (Gorilla the Horse): Hardcore noise metal from Brooklyn.

JANUARY 17
Expensive Looks – Dark Matters (Group Tightener): Dance music debut from Alec Feld, aka Expensive Looks.
Guided By Voices – Let’s Go Eat the Factory (Guided By Voices, Inc.): The classic line-up returns after a 15-year hiatus.
Loincloth – Iron Balls of Steel (Southern Lord): Riff-mangling instrumental prog rock.
Rising – To Solemn Ash (Exile on Mainstream): Organic sludge metal from Denmark.
Seeker Lover Keeper (Spunk): Self-titled effort from three of Australia’s best singer-songwriters.
Sep7ember – Strange Ways of Going Home (SPV): Hardpop from the Frankfurt underground.
Touchstone – The City Sleeps (Steamhammer): Upcoming British prog rockers.

JANUARY 24
Beyond the Bridge – The Old Man and the Spirit (Frontiers): A concept album from German prog rockers.
Celtic Woman – Believe (Manhattan): All-female singing sensations perform classic Irish songs.
Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International (Fontana): Four discs/75 songs performed by everyone from Adele to Ziggy Marley.
Dead Icons – Condemned (Bullet Tooth): Hardcore from Lexington, Ky.
Foxy Shazam – The Church of Rock and Roll (IRS/EMI): Eleven new songs inspired by Evel Knievel, Van Morrison and Iggy Pop.
Graffiti6 – Colours (Capitol): They’re already getting rave reviews in their native England.
Lamb of God – Resolution (Epic): Pure American metal.
Porcelain Raft – Strange Weekend (Secretly Canadian): Dream pop crafted in a Brooklyn basement.
Neal Morgan – In the Yard (Self-released): Second offering from Joanna Newsom’s drummer.
John K. Sampson – Provincial (Epitaph): First solo from the Weakerthans’ frontman.
The Doors – L.A. Woman: 40th Anniversary Edition (Rhino): Includes seven previously unreleased alternate takes.
Evan Voytas – Feel Me (Dovecote): Synth-popper debuts with a five song sampler.
You Me at Six – Sinners Never Sleep (Virgin): Catch these British chart toppers at the Troubadour on Valentine’s Day.

JANUARY 31
Brazilian Beat (Putumayo): Musicians from around the world playing bossa nova, samba and Brazilian popular music.
Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas (Columbia): Cohen’s instantly recognizable baritone is balanced with guest appearances from Jennifer Warnes, Dana Glove and the Webb Sisters.
Errors – Have Some Faith in Music (Rock Action): Scottish band heads in a new direction by incorporating vocals.
Hospitality (Merge): Self-titled debut includes currently available first single “Betty Wang.”
I-Octane – Crying to the Nation (VP): Reggae and dancehall from upcoming Jamaican singer/toaster.
Imperial Teen – Feel the Sound (Merge): Still making sharp, youthful sounding pop 16 years into their career.
King Giant – Dismal Hollow (Graveyard Hill): Taking the dark tales of their Appalachian folk forefathers into contemporary southern doom territory.
One Model Nation – Total Werks Vol. 1 1969-1977 (The End): Not really vintage material, this is a new project from Courtney Taylor-Taylor of the Dandy Warhols.
Kami Thompson – Love Lies (Warner Music/Naxos): This young singer-songwriter is the daughter of revered British performer Richard Thompson.

FEBRUARY 7
Air – Le Voyage Dans La Lune (Astralwerks): Au Revoir Simone and Victoria Legrand of Beach House guest.
Blondes – Blondes + remix disc (RVNG): This two-CD set contains the debut LP plus a set of remixes by Optimo, Laurel Halo and Teengirl Fantasy.
Goldfrapp – The Singles (Astralwerks): Two new songs and cuts from their five previous albums.
Francis Harris – Leland (Scissors & Thread): Harris composed this album as a requiem for his father.
Silverstein – Short Songs (Hopeless): Eleven originals and 11 covers, all under 90 seconds long.
Wire – The Black Session-Paris 10 May 2011 (Pink Flag): A live set recorded before an invited audience for French radio.

FEBRUARY 14
Busdriver – Beaus$Eros (Fake Four): The rapper forgoes his usual lightening-speed rhyming in favor of off-kilter pop and post hip-hop.
Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II (Southern Lord): The second installation of the Seattle drone band’s dark masterpiece.
Francois & the Atlas Mountains – E Volo Love (Domino): Pensive indie pop with a North African feel.
Amos Lee – As the Crow Flies (Blue Note): Six previously unreleased songs with Lee backed by members of Calexico.
Sugar & the Hi Lows (Ready Set): A self-titled debut from Nashville singer-songwriters Trent Dabbs and Amy Stroup.

FEBRUARY 21
Lambchop – Mr. M (Merge): A collection of meditations on love and loss dedicated to the late Vic Chesnutt.

FEBRUARY 28
Asphyx – Deathhammer (Century Media): Eighth studio album from the Dutch doom metal heroes.
Chiddy Bang – Breakfast (Virgin): Full-length debut from the electro-inspired, hip-hop duo.