Man, September's turning into one of those months where the release calendar is genuinely overwhelming instead of the usual late-summer dead zone. Figured I'd make a proper thread instead of scattering my thoughts across three different single-release threads that'll die in a day.
Biggest one on my radar is Anthrax dropping Cursum Perficio on the 18th. Been a weird few years for thrash veterans putting out genuinely vital new material versus just touring on nostalgia, and from the early singles I've heard this doesn't sound like a band coasting. Scott Ian's riff work still has that unmistakable snap to it, and Belladonna's voice has aged into this rougher, more lived-in tone that actually suits the darker subject matter they're leaning into this time around. Not gonna pretend I've got the full album yet since it's not out as I'm typing this, but if the singles are representative, this might be their strongest full-length since Worship Music. Curious if anyone's caught early advance streams and can weigh in before the rest of us get it properly.
Same day, Sept 18th, Luke Bryan's dropping Signs, his ninth studio album, which is a genuinely different lane than the Anthrax record obviously but I know we've got a few country fans lurking in these threads who don't always get represented in the metal/rock heavy discourse that dominates this section. Been a minute since a Luke Bryan album felt like an actual event instead of just contractual output, curious if the "Country and She Knows It" single is indicative of the record leaning back into the more stripped-down, actually-country sound instead of the pop-leaning stuff he's dabbled with over the years.
For the deep cuts crowd, there's a genuinely wild amount of reissue and archival stuff dropping this month too, which honestly might be the more interesting story of September if you're the kind of person who cares about that side of things. King Crimson's Islands is getting the expanded 1CD/Blu-ray treatment with a 2026 Steven Wilson Atmos and 5.1 remix, and if you've heard any of Wilson's previous prog remix work you know this isn't a lazy cash-grab remaster, the guy actually treats these old recordings with the kind of care that makes you hear songs you've known for decades in a completely new way. Islands specifically is such a divisive record in the Crimson catalog too, curious if a proper Atmos mix changes anyone's mind on it, I know plenty of people who consider it the weak link between Lizard and Larks' Tongues and I'm curious if better spatial mixing reveals stuff that got lost in the original mix.
Also can't not mention the absolutely massive Joy Division live box, Eternal, 14 discs of live performances. That's an insane amount of material for a band with such a criminally short discography due to Curtis's death, and I'm genuinely curious how consistent the quality is across that many recordings versus it being a "for completionists only" kind of release. Anyone here actually planning to sit through all 14 discs or is this more of a "own it, dip in occasionally" kind of purchase? Feels like the kind of box set you buy more out of respect for the band's legacy than any real expectation you'll listen front to back more than once.
On the heavier underground side, worth flagging that Green Lung's Necropolitan and Anthrax dropping the same week as a genuinely packed metal release slate, feels like label scheduling just decided to cram half the year's metal calendar into a three week window this month. Also seeing Emma Ruth Rundle has something dropping mid-month too, "These Killing Times," and if you're not familiar with her stuff and you're into that doom-adjacent, emotionally devastating singer-songwriter thing, she's consistently one of the more interesting voices working in that space right now, worth checking out even if metal's not usually your thing.
What I keep coming back to though is just how weirdly bifurcated this month's release slate feels, you've got legacy artists putting out genuinely new, vital material (Anthrax specifically feels like they've still got something to prove which is wild for a band this many decades in), sitting right alongside this wave of archival/reissue material that's clearly targeting the "give the die-hards a reason to double dip" crowd. Not a complaint exactly, more just an observation about where the industry's at right now, new album cycles and legacy catalog mining happening simultaneously in a way that feels more pronounced this month than usual.
Also just have to say, purely as a longtime physical media collector, the vinyl reissue game has gotten genuinely excessive at this point. Hole's Live Through This getting a limited all-analog 180g vinyl reissue is great and all, but between that, the T. Rex box, the Todd Rundgren live release, and everything else dropping this specific month, my wallet is not built for a September this stacked with "must own on vinyl" reissues on top of actual new music I want to support too.
Anyway, curious what everyone else in here is actually picking up this month versus just adding to a mental "maybe eventually" list. Feel like this thread could turn into a good running discussion as reviews start trickling in for the Anthrax record specifically once people who preordered actually get their hands on it properly. What's everyone's most anticipated drop of the month, and is anyone actually tackling that Joy Division box start to finish or are we all being realistic about our listening habits here?
Fast like a Ferrari 😎