It should go without saying that 2025 was a hell of a year for metal… I shouldn’t have to tell you about everything else. As it often seems to go, my AOTY list unfolded pretty naturally; a mix of my most-listened albums and a handful of clear entries for the coveted top spots on my list. More so than in years past I had a hard time trimming down my possible contenders to just nine, a testament to how good this year was. Two-thirds of the artists on this list were completely new to me, and two out my top three are debut albums. Despite how it feels in the metal tabloids and elsewhere, the genre is alive and seemingly ever-growing as long as you look in the right places… it sure feels great to be able to experience and document the many current gems of metal in real time.
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9. Hexecutor – …Where Spirit Withers in Its Flesh Constraint
I had never even heard of Hexecutor until my girlfriend caught them at a small fest while traveling in Berlin; she was absolutely stunned by their set. French black/thrash/speed metal didn’t really seem like my cup of tea yet I too was blown away by their musicianship, penchant for melody in both riffs and solos, and daringness to write multifaceted, extended songs in a genre known for shorter face-melters. …Where Spirit Withers in Its Flesh Constraint is as fun as it is dark and evil-sounding, a great reminder that some of the base aspects of heavy metal are worth revisiting when crafted by the right hands. I don’t know when I might get the chance to see them live for myself, but until then I’ll be banging my head and air guitar shredding to this album like a teenager discovering Painkiller or Rust in Peace for the very first time. Also, major props for one of the coolest and most fitting band logos I’ve ever seen.
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8. Arkhaaik – Uihtis
Following Ungfell’s incredible De Ghörnt late last year and my subsequent discovery of Ophanim’s transcendent Tampelskang soon after, I made a serious mental note to stay on top of all new material from the Swiss collective Jünger Tumilon (formerly Helvetic Underground Committee). The term “caveman riffs” is used a lot nowadays, but Arkhaaik put that term in its rightful place on Uihtis with a concept exploring Bronze Age (yes I know, not Paleolithic, but you get the idea) hunting rituals with fitting atmosphere and ambience. Crushing, heavy, dumb guy riffs backing a serious theme, the band even went as far as having their lyrics translated by an expert on Indo-European languages to give the sound an even more authentic flair. This is blackened death doom at some of its finest and most unique, and definitely one of my favorite albums to come from this group of musicians.
Check out my review here.
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7. Morke – To Carry On
Morke’s first full-length in the highly melodic style of crenellated metal championed by Obsequiae is a true musical and personal triumph. Shedding most of the melancholy and long compositions that characterized the band’s earlier atmospheric black material, To Carry On transports the listener to a hazy, ethereal realm with transcendent melodicism and tight songwriting. The multilayered, harmonized leads that comprise the riffs here are truly special, and exactly the kind of direction I want to see more melodic black metal acts going in. This album is but the first big step into a larger world for Morke mastermind Eric Wing, and I’m eagerly anticipating everything that is yet to come. Without spoiling anything, I can confidently say big things are indeed coming! Love and gentle hails to Eric for taking part in my “castle metal” roundtable discussion.
Check out my review here and our Audio Thing episode featuring Morke here.
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6. Species – Changelings
“IT’S ALIVE!” Not just the army of Frankenstein monsters described in “Born of Stitch and Flesh”, but apparently thrash metal itself. While the unstoppable forces that are Coroner and Testament may have stolen the genre’s spotlight this year (for good reason), my attention was keenly focused on the aforementioned Hexecutor and Poland’s Species. Changelings had me itching to hear in full right from the short first tease that was “The Essence”, and the complete product did not disappoint in the slightest. Technical and progressive without being off-puttingly wanky or smug, profound melodies, wild solos, and sick riffs galore — topped off with a production job that is neither lo-fi nor robotically perfect — this album is a fun, energetic ride that is hard to not keep on a loop. Just like the epic closing track, Changelings is a true “Biological Masterpiece”.
Check out my review here.
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5. Havukruunu – Tavastland
Havukruunu have always been an incredibly consistent band, so a new album is not a question of if it’ll be good, but rather how good it will be. After their longest period between full-lengths yet, they returned in glorious fashion with Tavastland. Channeling the grandiosity of viking-era Bathory, this is Havukruunu at their most epic; they slow the average tempo down and extend the runtime just a bit, while losing none of their intensity and penchant for incredible riffs and flashy solos. Few bands can evoke such an archaic, pagan atmosphere with naught but traditional metal instrumentation, and Havukruunu are one of the best to ever do it. As if they needed to further prove themselves after three incredible full-lengths and a hell of a lot of EPs and standalone singles, Tavastland should rightfully place them at the top of the folk black metal world.
Check out my Second Circle featuring the album here.
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4. Deafheaven – Lonely People with Power
My interpretation of Lonely People with Power is a personal, emotional one; I was 19 when Sunbather came out, and now I’m 31. That album will forever feel like the perfect snapshot of how that moment in time felt, and this album feels similarly perfect for the current moment. Deafheaven have matured as musicians and songwriters just as I’ve become a fully-fledged adult, and in the process created their most “metal” album — and perhaps their best song with the revelation that is “Winona” — in a sharp turn from Infinite Granite. The false promises of nostalgia and “returning to the good ol’ days” lead their adherents to dark, cruel places as the federal government and their cultists demonstrate every day, yet LPWP undeniably oozes California… a California that may have never quite existed, but is nonetheless worth saving in spite of the antisocial hypercapitalism that tries to creep into every aspect of existence here. Despite its problems (and there are many) I truly feel lucky to be able to live here and experience the positives of its natural and cultural beauty, and for me LPWP encapsulates all those feelings.
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3. Zeicrydeus – La grande hérésie
I’ve yet to fully click with the classic works of Hellenic acts such as Rotting Christ, Varathron, and Necromantia, but man have I fallen in love with more recent albums that use them as a big source of inspiration. Phil Tougas helming a lead bass project fusing Greek black/heavy metal with frenetic thrash and power metal characteristics was one of the most pleasant surprises this year, and I’ve listened to La grande hérésie once a week at bare minimum since its sudden unveiling back in April. Songs that weave through a vast sea of great riffs and sword & sorcery atmosphere with ease, Tougas helms almost all the instrumentation with the confidence befitting one of the best metal musicians alive today. In trve Hellenic fashion the drums are programmed, but sampled from Charlie Koryn’s drum kit (with only the fills actually recorded). Like the best musicians playing explicit throwbacks to certain styles Tougas knows his influences and does an incredible job of paying homage to them, while simultaneously making music that sounds fresh in 2025. I can’t wait for any new material from this new titan of heavy metal.
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2. Weft – The Splintered Oar
As far as debut albums go (and especially a musician’s first solo outing) The Splintered Oar is one of the best I’ve heard in a long time. Charlie Anderson and his supporting crew of dear friends who are also incredible musicians have put together a modern masterpiece of extreme progressive metal with this album, one that feels authentically American like few other metal artists are capable of pulling off. Being part of the lucky first wave of people whose ears were graced with this beauty of an album was a true honor, and I’m eternally grateful to Charlie for taking the time to speak with me about the album and his own musical background. It may have arrived too late in the year to start hitting the top album lists that start appearing way too early (akin to Christmas in retail), but you are absolutely doing your ears and soul a disservice by skipping over The Splintered Oar. Another artist debut that surely has a bright and beautiful future ahead.
Check out my review here and our Audio Thing interview here.
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1. Felgrave – Otherlike Darknesses
Otherlike Darknesses is exactly what I needed out of progressive metal in 2025. Not djent-y syncopation, post-metal buildups, or pseudo-prog “tech death then clean section and back”-style songwriting. But long-form, linear songs that take the listener on an epic journey through darkness, chaos, and brief rays of light in between the gloom and murk. Mastermind M.L. Jupe may cite common influences such as The Ruins of Beverast, Disembowelment, and Gorguts, but Otherlike Darknesses is anything but conventional. A three-part symphony of progressive black/death/doom that doesn’t quite sound like anything else I’ve ever heard; music that transcends genre tags while still remaining grounded enough to not lose my attention. This album has been locked in as my top pick for most of the year now, and the layers upon layers that reveal and build upon each other have made each and every listen a newly rewarding experience. Once again my album of the year has challenged my own ears and any sort of status quo I might feel within metal at large. I have little doubts about Otherlike Darknesses being a major landmark in my own journey as a listener of metal music, and will hopefully serve the same role for others as well.
Looking back at my 2024 outro I mentioned AI being shoved down our throats, and it’s existentially depressing how much worse it’s gotten in the year since. Coming back to the “real world” after attending Fire in the Mountains this year I had the realization that I hadn’t consumed any content or even thought about AI for the entirety of those few days. Such a welcome mental health cleanse! I’m not sure it’s accurate to call this conspiratorial at this point, but I feel like the entire impetus for consumer-level AI slop is to make everyone stupider and unable to trust their own eyes anymore (I wonder who gets to benefit from that!). At least we’re still at the point where the videos and many photos look like fake garbage. Yet apparently not, because of how much seems to get taken at face value… we’ll see how that side of things has changed by next year.
I hope you’ve recently bought a new phone or upgraded your PC, as the realistic affordability of those things has been discarded in favor of Ring camera video of cats playing musical instruments at 3am or other slop meant to put hate rays directly into the brains of your parents/grandparents by confirming every single one of their biases against [insert minority group here]. Old man yelling at cloud rant aside, it could very well just be my own Algorithm Curated™ social media bubble but the pervasive anti-AI attitude I see (with regards to art especially) is very refreshing. Support real art and real artists, don’t let the techno-fascists and their army of clankers win!
Looking towards brighter things, 2026 is shaping up to be another incredible year for heavy music. Panopticon’s Det hjemsøkte hjertet will be coming sometime in the spring — and everything I’ve heard about it from those in the know is pointing towards yet another masterpiece — and new Enslaved is a very real possibility along with YOB and Gorguts. I’m not holding my breath for either of those, they can take as long as they want (but hurry up please). Since the future is uncertain I’m also going out on a limb and traveling to not just Fire in the Mountains, but two other metal fests here in the US at the time of writing. If you see a dude wearing a vest with a Far Away from the Sun backpatch alongside a lot of Enslaved, Panopticon, and Obsequiae, feel free to say hello! Keep yourself and your loved ones safe, and keep the fire burning.
Don’t be afraid to bleed, don’t be afraid to dream.
— Colin
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