10 Rock + Metal Reasons to Look Forward to 2014

How do you follow up as big of an album as 'Wasting Light'? The Foo Fighters seem to have their ducks in a row as the band took a year off, let the creative juices regenerate and then Dave Grohl announced that they were recording their album in a manner that had never been done before. That's a bold, attention-grabbing statement showing that the Foo Fighters are still trying to raise the bar.

Talk about your winter thaw! Falling in Reverse frontman Ronnie Radke has mended fences with the members of his former band Escape the Fate and the two acts will share stages in early 2014 as part of the 'Bury the Hatchet' tour. For fans of early ETF and Ronnie's new act, this is a tour that must not be missed. For dates where you can get your "kumbaya" on, check here.

Get ready to see a lot of Nikki Sixx in 2014. The bassist just revealed that Sixx: A.M. are putting the finishing touches on their next album, which is expected next year. And fans might also get some more Motley Crue music in 2014 after their 2012 single release 'Sex.' Plus, Nikki Sixx is preparing to tie the knot with his fiancé Courtney Bingham. It's a good year to be Nikki Sixx.

Winter blues got you down? Hopefully you made reservations to hit the high seas with some of rock's biggest names. The annual ShipRocked cruise sets sail Jan. 26 from the Port of Miami to the Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas with a host of acts. Five Finger Death Punch are headlining and Papa Roach, Three Days Grace, Sevendust, Candlebox, In This Moment, Nonpoint, Love and Death, Young Guns, Butcher Babies, Living Colour and more will play during the voyage.

The death of Jeff Hanneman and the absence of drummer Dave Lombardo shook things up for Slayer in 2013. As Kerry King and Tom Araya work toward a new album, they're also getting used to studio time with new guitarist Gary Holt and returning drummer Paul Bostaph. There's no doubt Slayer will have one of the year's most anticipated new albums.

There's a whole new group of acts just waiting for their big breakout. There's the supergroup Killer Be Killed featuring members of Soulfly, Mastodon and Dillinger Escape Plan. Red Fang's 'Whales and Leeches' album has plenty of material that could prime the band for a breakout. Dead Letter Circus, The Letter Black and Starset started making their case for breakout success in late 2013. On the punk side, Tenement are worth checking out and the U.K. brings us such harder acts as Royal Blood and Baby Godzilla.

Touring and other projects have been at the forefront since Paul Gray's death, but Slipknot have set aside 2014 to focus on their first record without their bassist and inspirational leader. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that the band just parted ways with longtime drummer Joey Jordison, one of the most vocal members of the group. What will Slipknot sound like minus two of their crew? It's one of the biggest questions heading into 2014.

On top of the revival of Nine Inch Nails and the development of How to Destroy Angels, Trent Reznor kept himself busy in 2013 with the development of a new music service called Beats Music. The service, expected to launch in January, will feature curated playlists. Reznor stated, "[It's like] having your own guy when you go into the record store, who knows what you like but can also point you down some paths you wouldn't necessarily have encountered." We're definitely intrigued.

Will 2014 be the year that Tool returns? As usual, it's a bit of a mystery. The band spent much of 2013 working on new music, but Maynard James Keenan recently stated that the recording for the band is often "a long process," and he added that he was waiting for his bandmates to provide him with music. When pressed for a response on a timeline, he stated, "I couldn't tell you." Still, Tool are planning some shows for 2014, which is a good sign.

Start making your travel plans. The "World's Loudest Month" is set. It all begins in Florida at the Welcome to Rockville bash April 26 and 27. Also on April 26, the Fort Rock Festival is slated for Fort Myers, Fla. Carolina Rebellion is scheduled for May 3-4 in Charlotte, N.C.; Rock on the Range takes place May 16-18 in Columbus, Ohio and Rocklahoma is penciled in for May 23-25 in Pryor, Okla. The musical road trip concludes at RockFest in Kansas City, Mo. on May 31.