Some years go heavier than others. Per last.fm, I listened to more music in 2025 than any prior year of my adult life, but much of that is due to my inevitable spring vgm binge extending well into the fall. In terms of new releases, I don’t think I kept up less than usual, but I maybe never keep up quite as much as I let on and just landed on fewer gold mines than usual throughout the process? Then about a month ago some friends took me to task to listen to their collective ~40 favorite new releases, none of which were metal besides that uh new Deafheaven album that left a lot to be desired for me personally. So I ended up with a list that’s a fair bit less metal-heavy than usual. That’s fine and the trend might continue because a lot of the things they led me to are fantastic. Unique 2025 full album play through count was 125 releases and I probably sampled 100 other things that didn’t interest me enough to pick up.

Honorable Mention! Sleep Paralysis – Sleep Paralysis

avantgarde black metal for spiders

Sample track: Stress

I did a lot of write-ups for albums I ended up cutting and I’m going to say I cut this one too because 25 is a nice number, but I enjoyed its unique weirdness enough that I didn’t want to actually remove it. Piano and chiptune and some guy whispering about his nightmares trim a black metal package with dissonant passages you probably won’t expect but shouldn’t struggle to associate with the theme.

25. Ancient Mastery – Chapter Three: The Forgotten Realm of Xul’Gothar

black metal

Sample track: The Dread of Xul’Gothar

If Chapter Two hadn’t missed my radar until January it would have had a strong case for my 2022 AOTY, and Erech Leleth’s other project Narzissus did claim the title last year. Suffice to say I greatly enjoy what this guy does… ok his excessively 80s heavy metal project leaves a lot to be desired, but Ancient Mastery is great and this album is pretty decent. As an entry in a high fantasy world concept, it presents a darker, less earthy vision than Chapter Two. It’s a fair bit less original for that, but the songs are catchy and tickle a bit of my love for later era Falkenbach. Not my favorite Erech release but I have consistently enjoyed revisiting it throughout the year. I’d say it’s… really quite basic if I think about it? Not in a negative way, but I could see myself blowing it off if it was my first encounter with him. It definitely helps that I’m already a bit invested in his project as a whole, but whatever the case it’s here because I enjoyed it more than most.

24. Arkhaaik – Uihtis

massive viking doom

Sample track: Geutores Suhnos

I cannot listen to this album at work because it overwhelms my cell’s cheap headphone jack and I just get a downtuned dial-up connection. Arkhaaik have shipped one of the biggest sounds I have ever heard. Sick viking metal anthems and grinding grooves keep the novelty from wearing out on me, but this production is so higher level that I recommend checking it out a bit to test the quality of your speakers even if the style isn’t really your thing. It’s a good idea trust

23. Vörnir – Av Hädanfärd Krönt

dissonant black metal

Sample track: II

Frequently throughout the year I will scan through lists of other people’s favorite metal and new releases on bandcamp and sample dozens of things and throw the five or six that strike me the most in the cart. More often than not, these don’t disappoint but don’t leave a lasting impression either. This was one of those pick-ups, and it stuck around as the rest of its class drifted away. Dissonant experimental atmospheric black metal that reminds me a bit of Veilburner’s sound before they were trending, when I still really liked their music lol. A bit more walled off than that. The experimentation is less in my face more draped in black metal noise, but it might be better off that way. The encompassing harshness makes it more accessible for me? Instead of getting pummeled into irritation by overmixed drums and guitar crunches it just all kinda melds together and I can enjoy their eclectic intensity from my comfy spot.

22. Night Vigil – Night Vigil

atmospheric black metal, ambient

Sample track: Into the Absurd

I am a long established sucker for everything Ayloss does. This album was an instantly satisfying background piece for me that I kept putting on over and over again while telling myself I should check out something new instead, and it amassed 10 plays through as of writing this despite it only dropping in mid-November. In the grand scheme of his music I don’t think it’s his most innovative or melodically compelling work, but that did not prevent me from enjoying it more than most. It still has that ancient feeling core to his sound–that sense of listening from the threshold of a vast stone temple of a bygone age. It’s aesthetically sublime, as always.

21. Synaptic – Enter the Void

prog tech death

Sample track: The Lost Continent

Very fun and seemingly underappreciated debut album from a band that claims they formed in 2004 ???. Tech death metal with hints of a mellowed out Archspire and classic melodeath more focused on playful prog than grinding my ears into the pavement? I have no idea what that means but yeah. Whenever I’ve put this on it’s been kind of a hype me up experience with no thinking involved, but reflecting on it now I feel like the prog influence is maybe even on equal footing with the death metal, not really in what they’re doing but in the attitude they’re doing it with. There’s something clean to it, not in a bad way, just puts on all the focus on the rhythmic and melodic silliness. And that’s fine because they’re pretty good at it.

20. Grima – Nightside

melodic folk black metal

Sample track: Skull Gatherers

Grima continuing to write incredibly satisfying black metal that trades off the genre’s raw origins for a clean, refined sound. Unmistakably wintry vibes paint an idealized landscape I fell in love with on Frostbitten and feel even more viscerally here. Love the accordion in place of traditional synth to really bring the scenes to life.

19. Phrenelith – Ashen Womb

death metal

Sample track: A Husk Wrung Dry

Probably my favorite no frills straight forward death metal album since Immolation’s Acts of God in 2022. I spun the hell out of it all year and am still not remotely tired. It just does everything right–memorable tracks that crunch between my eardrums with such a satisfying tone. Everything blends nicely to let me enjoy it, nothing overbearing, no single element overreaching the others.

18. Earthencloak – The Glistening Mist Betwixt

comfy synth

Sample track: Honeypot Daydreams & Sugarplum Lullabies / How Puckish, These Puddle Pixies

Seriously well conceived comfy synth album that ditches the genre’s inclinations to pick an aesthetic vibe and roll, instead crafting a variety of distinct scenes and settings to bring the gnomeverse to life through creative song-writing. Best experienced as a complete album, if you have any love for classic 90s RPG music or diy D&D campaign compositions, this is a playful reminder that the scene is still alive and well.

17. Deftones – private music

alt metal

Sample track: Milk of the Madonna

Nu metal was not a mistake because it gave us Deftones. I adore the encompassing aura of this album. It wraps me up and lifts me into its moody heavens, bleak perhaps but never lonely. The guitar tones are so lush and satisfying. When “Milk of the Madonna” gets rolling the energy is so gripping I’m approaching classic Billy Corgan tier fulfillment. Ohms completely slipped off my radar, so this is my first run in with Deftones since Gore nearly a decade ago. Nothing went stale with age, that’s for sure. They’ve continued to perfect their sound, and this has been a joy to listen to every time.

16. Trollslottet – Kryptan

dungeon synth

Sample track: Maskträdet

While it is rare for a single dungeon synth album to rise through the ranks of my absolute favorites, I listen to a hell of a lot of dungeon synth. It’s just a thing to be enjoyed in bulk, all queued together without rhyme or reason, a little bit of hobbitcore here, a little bit of mermaid synth there. This is, however, extraordinarily and exceptionally good in my opinion, and I know it must be true because it has the most boring album cover in the entire record label. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys music in the 10-15 bpm range.

15. Vauruvã – Mar da Deriva

folk post-black metal

Sample track: Legado

It’s post-black with an often Krallician infinite tremolo inclination except there’s a bunch of Brazilian folk music in the mix too. If that is not sufficient to intrigue you I dunno get good.

14. Gingerbee – Apiary

Of Montreal for edgy nerds instead of art majors

Sample track: Petal Dance

I don’t know wtf this is.

13. Rebecca Roger Cruz – Río Abajo

stuff gringos call world music

Sample track: Alcaraván

This was a late discovery for my primary music recommendations hub and unfortunately appears to be our best kept secret because no one else is listening to it. Beautiful, moody, delicate, subtle, really brilliant hybrid of classical arrangements and Latin American folk that kinda knocked me off my feet on first encounter and might be riding a liiiiiiittle bit of recency bias but I think probably isn’t because these aren’t sounds I traditionally gravitate towards. Maybe it’s just that good.

12. Byonoisegenerator – Subnormal Dives

jazz bdm

Sample track: 5mgInspiredVibes

A bunch of ridiculous nonsense. 🎷 \m/

11. Kexelür – Epigrama de un pasado perdido

experimental atmospheric black metal

Sample track: Ningún resplandor evitará el final

Start with a satisfying holistic sound that makes me want to keep listening for the black metal mood, but actually write songs that convey a progression of emotional experiences with memorable melodies and unexpected but fluid transitions. This is such a well-conceived album. Their commitment to an overarching atmospheric bm sound unlocks a world of potential to inject creative passages without sounding disjointed or overproduced, or particularly chaotic either despite a demonstrable capacity for the eclectic. I find so much experimental black metal to take a blunt approach that demands I focus on what it’s doing. This, on the other hand, I can enjoy without effort. All of the interesting things they’re doing come as a bonus to be discovered after I’m already content with my experience.

10. Willi Carlisle – Winged Victory

old-time bluegrass and folk country

Sample tracks: Winged Victory / Big Butt Billy

It’s not often a country album pulls off this level of consistency. Winged Victory holds together from its most serious to its most whimsical moments without a downer to speak of. Even my least favorite track has sufficiently strong vocals to carry, and every song offers a distinct experience. Willi’s voice is outstandingly refined. His lyrics are competent at their weakest and often brilliant. His arrangements span the full country spectrum from traditional oldtime to just shy of contemporary, but they never collapse over into the pit of modern mediocrity. Winged Victory isn’t my first encounter with Willi Carlisle. I missed out on his 2024 album but had pretty high regards for Peculiar, Missouri, and I feel I can confidently say Winged Victory surpasses it.

9. Blut Aus Nord – Ethereal Horizons

atmospheric black metal

Sample track: Shadows Breathe First

I haven’t gushed over every album Blut Aus Nord has ever released, but it happens a lot more often than not. These guys have been killing it since the mid-90s and are continuing to ramp up what could be considered their third great era. This is their third album in four years, and each one has been better than the last if you ask me. This is just sublime from start to finish, and if I’ve been saying that for a couple of releases now, I mean it more each time. Undreamable Abysses was a wonderful experience but the tracks didn’t forge their way into my memory uniquely. On Nahab they started to grow, but two years removed I can’t honestly say I remember them. Whether I’ll be saying the same about Ethereal Horizons eventually, they’re really resonating and stick around in my head right now. Never mind that with Blut Aus Nord that’s really just a bonus, because it’s the encompassing feeling of their songs that always captivates me. It’s been out less than a month, but I’ve been spinning it regularly since the day it dropped and it’s sometimes hard to even want to listen to anything else.

8. Mechina – Bellum Interruptum

symphonic djent

Sample track: On the Wings of Vecterra

I first encountered Mechina through Empyrean in 2013, and they’ve released nine albums since. Outside of two specific songs, I don’t remember any of them, but that was never an issue. They scratched my scifi itch with a high fantasy worldcrafting that both guaranteed continuity and generated an immersiveness beyond the scope of the sound. How much I got into any given album–and it has varied a lot–was never a concrete definable thing. It was a matter of whether the music sucked me in and took me to the world they’ve developed or just left me superficially going “yeah cool glad they’re still doing their thing”. I have never tried or focused. I let it do what it wants to me. And from that perspective, Bellum Interruptum is easily their best release since Siege and maybe their best to date. I’ve been absolutely hooked on this one.

7. Besna – Krásno

post-black metal

Sample track: Hranice

While everyone else was jumping on the new Harakiri For The Sky album early in the year this became my personal go to for highly melodic and emotionally-driven plodding black metal. It’s big and beautiful and instrumentally keen and the vocal style fits tightly. Just all around really well written and executed post-black metal album that hasn’t been getting half the love it deserves. I dunno like, this style has grown stale on me over the years but Besna are taking me back hard to when it was my favorite sound on earth.

6. Scimitar – Scimitarium I

black ‘n roll

Sample tracks: click play from track 1 for the sick intro and let it roll into Aconitum

Imagine peak Peste Noire album intro and hold that thought for about four minutes, then replace Famine’s sardonic French croaking for slightly seductive slightly sinister clean female vocals that keep it tastefully non-theatrical without holding back a shred of intensity. Now maintain that raw power for forty minutes with no deviation from a full heavy metal trajectory and if you are satisfied with the outcome you might be a metalhead at heart. It doesn’t pursue a subgenre or try to do anything but write kick ass songs end to end and succeeds phenomenally.

5. Lorien Testard, Alice Duport-Percier – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

folk, ambient, electronic

Sample tracks:
Lumière – The Departure
Ancient Sanctuary – Bonzaie Clairing

Despite being the thing I actually listen to the most, game soundtracks rarely make my year-end list. I suspect it’s in large part because I don’t really play games much. I tend to encounter new soundtracks after they’ve made waves, not when they first drop. Expedition 33 happened to come early in the year with enough instant renown that I did not miss out. And in a year where I spent more time listening to game soundtracks than ever before and had to really struggle to make myself want to hear other things, this cemented an obvious spot the moment I scanned my folders and realized it was a valid option. It’s an 8 hour collection of music, so if you want to dive in for the full journey be prepared to set aside a full work shift for it.

4. Hesse Kassel – La Brea

Isaac Wood learns Spanish and forms a bcnr splinter cell but this one kid likes post-hardcore and eventually everybody fucking dies

Sample tracks: Anova / Yo La Tengo

It’s a full Vegas buffet.

3. Shearling – Motherfucker, I Am Both: “Amen” and “Hallelujah”

dissonant noise rock, man screams about horses

Sample track: it’s just one song

This is a labrador song, spinning around the orbit of my mind. Max and Ruby; one yellow, one black. If either one barks, the whole world is blown off its axis and several thousand centuries pass by in seconds. And that is all you need to know.

2. Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer

electronic

Sample track: All I Am

I do not have a well informed perspective on electronic music. See: tagging this electronic music instead of some microgenre with three adjectives. Pretty confident I don’t need one to recognize how great this is. Easily the most fun album I encountered this year, I can bop it all night every night and not get bored.

1. Ciśnienie – [angry noises]

in my head these are zeuhl doom bands but it’s probably just tagged post-rock

Sample track: My childhood was a period of waiting for the moment when I could send everyone and everything connected with it to hell

The new Neptunian Maximalism album this year didn’t leave much of an impression on me, so these lads stepped up to fill all of my live instrumental zeuhl-adjacent Efrim-reverent droning avantgarde doom jazz needs for the season. I like that the cover looks the same with and without my glasses. I was asked to not listen to it so someone can win my next music discovery game. I respect that. Now that I’m over 40 I can’t remember anything anyway though so why not both.