New & Upcoming Canadian Albums: Grammy-nominated Metal Band Spiritbox and Jann Arden Announce Release Dates

The lead-up to Christmas traditionally leads to a slowdown in new albums (save a blockbuster surprise release or two), but there are a few notable Canadian releases this week. Acclaimed Toronto/Hamilton duo MOONRIIVR put out Tascam Series EPs, featuring reimagined takes of songs from their much-heralded 2023 debut album, Vol 1.

Also releasing new music this week are Chris Houston (of Forgotten Rebels infamy), adventurous chamber music collective Unsettled Scores (co-founded by Spy Dénommé-Welch) and B.C.-based two-spirit artist Liv Wade.

There have been some significant recent announcements of upcoming new releases, however. That includes one from fast-rising metal combo Spiritbox, who were nominated last week for a 2025 Grammy Award in the Best Metal Performance category for "Cellar Door," a Grammy nod for the second straight year. The band deliver a new full-length, Tsunami Sea, on March 7, and they continue to make inroads internationally. Stadium shows with Bring Me The Horizon are set for Brazil (Nov. 30) and Mexico City (Dec. 14), prior to a European headline tour in Feb. 2025. Spiritbox have also been announced as support for Linkin Park's world tour, joining them for performances in Italy, Netherlands, and the UK.

Spiritbox broke through in 2021 with their Juno-nominated debut studio album Eternal Blue, which hit #1 on the Billboard Canadian rock and hard rock charts and debuted at #13 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S.. Led by the powerful vocals of Courtney LaPlante, the band's sound is both eclectic and accessible. The fact that they collaborated with Megan Thee Stallion shows their disregard for genre barriers. Check out a brand new cut here.

Also revealing details of an upcoming album recently was Jann Arden. The much-beloved pop singer-songwriter, actor and author will release MIXTAPEon Jan. 31, and it shows Arden digging through her vintage cassette collection to unearth some '90s classics she has chosen to cover. Artists covered include Sia, Seal, Joan Osborne, Don Henley and Des’ree, whose "You Gotta Be" is now out as the first single from this, Arden's 16th studio album. Stream that track here.

Hard-working Toronto roots music troubadour Julian Taylor is known as a compelling performer, and that will be showcased on the just-announced upcoming live album by the Julian Taylor Band, Live at TD Music Hall, out December 6. Recorded in the Massey Hall complex at a sold-out show a year ago, the album features all tracks mastered in Dolby Atmos. The material spans the now long career of the 4x Juno nominated Taylor, and the album’s focus track is a spirited rendition of “The Ridge,” the Americana title track from Taylor’s breakout 2020 record. Here is a recent example of Taylor's work.

Here is the full calendar of new and upcoming Canadian albums.

November

14: King Cruff, WHAT HAVE I ‘DON (Tuff Gong Collective/Universal Music Canada)

15: Alvvays, S/T -10th anniversary vinyl only reissue

15: Nickelback, Live From Nashville (BMG)

15: Peggy Lee & Cole Schmidt, Forever Stories Of: Moving Parties (Earshift Music)

15: Shawn Mendes, Shawn

15: Sunnsetter - Heaven Hang Over Me (Paper Bag Records)

15: Tim Baker, Full Rainbow of Light

19: Liv Wade, Radios And Buffalos (Merilainen Music)

20 : MOONRIIVR, Tascam Series EPs (Victory Pool Records)

21: Chris Houston, Paranoid Bubble

22: Unsettled Scores , Transpositions

25: Jesse Mac Cormack, GRIP (Secret City Records)

28: Alex Bird & The Jazz Mavericks, Another Christmas Day

29: Ruby Singh, Vox. Infold 11

December

1: GTA Rhythm Section, The Orange Sessions (Wolfe Island Records)

5: Carmen Braden, A Hard Light

6: Lubalin, haha, no worries (Cult Nation)

6: Cory Marks, Sorry For Nothing (Better Noise Music)

6: Alexandre David, photogrammes (DAME)

6: Martin Tetreault , Vraiement Plus de Snipettes!! (DAME)

6: Julian Taylor Band, Live at TD Music Hall

13: Menno Versteeg, Why We Run ( Royal Mountain Records)

13: Reg Schwager, Poinsettia (Bandcamp)

13: Movieland, Then & Now (604 Records)

January

17: Marlaena Moore, Because You Love Everything (Session/Bonsound)

17: The Weather Station, Humanhood ( Next Door Records)

17: Jonas & the Jaguar Moon, S/T

17: Drop It First, Fundamentals

17: Ken Presse, Someday

24: Motherhood, Thunder Perfect Mind (Forward Music)

24: Sarah Page & Patrick Graham, Littoral States

31: Christian Sean, Hallelujah Showers (Bonsound)

31: Charlie Houston, After I Die (Arts & Crafts)

31: Gus Engelhorn, The Hornbook (Secret City)

31: N NAO, Nouveau Langage ( Mothland)

31: Featurette, Panic Pills (via Division11)

31: Jann Arden, MIXTAPE

February

3: Nia Nadurata, Still Living With My Parents (Arts & Crafts)

7: Gino Vannelli, THE LIFE I GOT (TO MY MOST BELOVED)(COA Productions)

7: Naya Ali, We Did The Damn Thing (Bonsound)

14: Peter Dreams and MOONRIIVR, S/T (Six Shooter)

14: Art d’Ecco, Serena Demon (Paper Bag Records)

14: Raj Ramayya, Love Thy Brown Brother

14: Alessia Cara, Love & Hyperbole

21: Basia Bulat , Basia’s Palace (Secret City Records)

21: Tate McRae, So Close To What (RCA Records)

21: Silverstein, Antibloom (UNFD)

21: Laurie Torres, Après coup (Tonal Union)

27: JJ Miller, Hometown Believer

28: CJ Wiley, So Brand New (Tiny Kingdom)

28: Filmmaker – An Invitation to an Accident(Record Record Label)

28: The Hylozoists – La Fin Du Monde (Record Record Label)

28: hHead – Jerk/Fireman (Record Record Label)

March

7: No Frills, Sad Clown(We Are Busy Bodies)

7: Spiritbox, Tsunami Sea, (Pale Chord /Rise Records)

28: Salin, Rammana

May

9: Hanorah, Closer Than Hell (Ensoul Records)