I have sat down to write this multiple times and struggle to find the right path to take. I am haunted. I am haunted by what an insane year 2025 has been on both a global scale and personally. For me, 2025 began with a seizure, losing consciousness, and a week-long stay in the hospital. Three more ER visits, one more hospital stay, one surgery, pneumonia, COVID, and a plethora of pills, MRIs, scans, and doctors appointments made up the majority of my year. Thankfully, things turned around in the fall when I was able to enjoy some special celebrations, and November brought the most perfect day when I married my best friend. I still struggle with the anxiety and weight of everything I have gone through in such a short amount of time, but I am so grateful to have had my amazing husband by my side through it all. It was truly magical to profess our love privately in the woods with a vow exchange and then among our loved ones by a warm hearth on a rainy day with a handfasting ceremony. I treasure these memories and let the light of them guide me back to myself and keep me grounded on difficult days.
Music has been a big part of what kept me afloat this past year. Not only listening to some incredible albums, but taking viola lessons and playing music myself. I have missed writing and talking about music and I finally feel ready to fully dive back into writing alongside my wonderful friends here at Nine Circles.
Sticking with tradition, here are two stacks of nine albums each that resonated with me and I enjoyed the most in 2025. As always, ranking them was a struggle so the order tends to shift and change but these are the albums I returned to and offered me joy and catharses.
The Honorable Mentions
Frayle – Heretics & Lullabies
Gwyn Strang’s dreamy vocals against dark and gritty instrumentals is spellbinding. This album combines heavier songs with lighter “lullabies” highlighting what makes the band unique. They drew inspiration from some of my favorite artists including Emma Ruth Rundle, Windhand, Darkher, and Chelsea Wolfe. Frayle’s cover of Lana Del Ray’s “Summertime Sadness” received a lot of attention at its release and rightfully so. It is a perfect spooky cover and adds to the softer side of the album.
Blackbraid – Blackbraid III
Black metal is not always for me as a mainly Doom girlie, but throw in some ambiance and unique instrumentals and I am sold. This album is well-balanced, raw and powerful, emotive, and chilling. There are acoustic passages sprinkled throughout along with sounds of nature which enhance the album and make Blackbraid who they are. I am always blown away by this solo project and the talent of Jon Krieger.
Ghost Bath – Rose Thorn Necklace
I miss when Ghost Bath’s vocals were not lyrics but incomprehensible wailing. In this album they combine the two and this feels more like a Ghost Bath album than their last release in 2021. I do hope they move back to their roots in future releases but I enjoyed this and their exploration of new and old. This album is dark and depressive, and includes some quieter, lamenting instrumental moments.
Author & Punisher – Nocturnal Birding
First of all, the album title and song titles are fantastic. I love a good theme. Three collaborative songs are featured with artists from across the globe, including Megan Osztrosits of Couch Slut. Taking inspiration from and including by transposing into melodies and guitar rhythms are birdsongs. This may be the band’s best album yet and is one that gets better and better with each listen as more details are noticed.
Pupil Slicer – Fleshwork
This album is complex, heavy, well-produced, and so technically impressive. Pupil Slicer have always been experts in technical flow and beauty but Fleshwork really struck me and the band seems to be in full bloom here. “White Noise” may be one of my favorite tracks of 2025 – I love the videogame-esque tones at the intro and the smattering of clean vocals. The energy of this album is infectious and it is not to be missed.
Tribunal – In Penitence and Ruin
An impressive follow-up to their 2023 debut, In Penitence and Ruin is dark and gothic and has a unique elegance to it. Now established as a five-piece orchestral doom band, their music is chilling and somber. Soren Mourne contributes vocals, cello, bass and is one of the band’s founders along with Etienne Flinn (guitar, vocals). Mourne also painted the album art which is the perfect visualization of the music, and created the lettering. I love the passion behind this band and how invested they are into each aspect of making their music come alive.
Check out our profile on Tribunal here.
Conjurer – Unself
Conjurer knows how to toe the line between light and heavy, incorporating both into one emotive package. Unself is no exception, expertly flowing between the two, telling a story and unraveling before you. Their combination of black metal, hardcore, post-metal, sludge, and doom are unmatched—each aspect well represented and seamlessly intertwined. This album just missed my main list, due to the overwhelming amount of stellar albums this year. I love it more and more with each listen.
Wardruna – Birna
While working on physically healing, I have taken a lot of meditational walks and enjoyed many mornings with yoga and slow movements during which I mainly listened to Wardruna and other northern spirits bands. Having been a part of the soundtrack to my year, this album is one of my most listened to for 2025. Dedicated to the she-bear, it explores themes of nature, hibernation, and grief. With their ever strong combination of Nordic instruments, spoken word and a poetic array of vocalization, and dark ambience, Birna is another wonderful addition to Wardruna’s discography. It is haunting, beautiful, and moving.
Check out Colin’s review here.
Mizmor, Hell – Alluvion
A collaboration I did not know I needed, Alluvion is slow, crushing, and foreboding. Pensive, quiet movements mixed in with anguished blackened doom and deep growls make up the nooks and crannies of this cathartic album. Exploring the complex terrains of the human psyche, it is raw and powerful. I appreciate everything about this album down to the artwork. This is one to listen to while staring into the void.
Check out Chris’s review here.
The Best
9. Ragana, Drowse – Ash Souvenir
A heavy yet lovely release, Ash Souvenir tells the story of the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980 and the ash and destruction that touched the Pacific Northwest. Originally commissioned for a performance at Roadburn Festival in 2024, the shared experience of grief and the collective memory of the event inspired Kyle Bates of Drowse and Maria and Noel of Ragana to record and create this album. It is drenched in anguish and feelings of loss with screamed vocals and fast downpours of beats amidst quieter moments of reflection with clean vocals, ambience, and echoing melodies—all captured in four long-form tracks. The trio’s ability to tell a story and paint a vivid picture through sound and poetic lyrics makes this album a work of art. The ebb and flow of the album creates a feeling of uncertainty, not knowing what may follow and what awaits in the next movement, hauntingly echoing the power and aftermath of the event. The combination of these artists is magnificent. Ragana’s heavy blackened doom sound with Drowse’s soft, layered, reverberating sounds come together perfectly to create these flowering pieces, unfurling and transforming.
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8. Crippling Alcoholism – Camgirl
I came for the album art and stayed for the goth rock. Camgirl is a uniquely fascinating album full of atmosphere, heavy themes, and the feeling of slowly going insane. Synth pop, darkwave, and noise rock are all heard here. There is a variety of voices heard as well as vocal styles performed giving the feel of the aggregation of inner dialog/demons fighting to be heard. The album gives a constant push and pull, slowly tearing you apart. It tells a story and dives into the dark side of being an online presence, beaten down by fans and haters alike. With relatable lyrics that I want to scream along with into the abyss, Camgirl is a powerful album. It feels unhinged in the best possible way, fully unleashing the creativity of the band—it is free. The songwriting is amazing and the flow of the album is perfectly curated. I am here for every turn, every emotion, and every weird and unsettling feeling the tracks present.
Check out Ian’s review here.
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7. Weft – The Splintered Oar
The last concert I saw in 2024 was Panopticon. It was such a special experience to see them live and witness the incredible Charlie Anderson absolutely slay on the violin. Since the announcement of Weft, I have eagerly awaited this release and have been excited to see Anderson’s vision come to life. Needless to say, the album does not disappoint and is beyond what I could have imagined. Combining black, prog, and death metal along with folk, country, and other influences with quieter instrumentals make up this debut release. It expands multiple genres and is not easily definable. The Splintered Oar is truly unique. Anderson welcomes multiple guest musicians including Austin Lunn, Andrea Morgan, and Jordan Day. Exulansis opened for Panopticon and I was fortunate enough to see Morgan perform with Anderson. The two are an incredible pair and a huge part of the reason why I was drawn back to the viola. Everything about these musicians is captivating and inspiring and hearing them play together on this album is powerful. A masterpiece from beginning to end, The Splintered Oar is not to be missed and must be experienced.
Check out Colin’s review here and his interview with Charlie Anderson here.
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6. Messa – The Spin
Messa combines black metal, prog, punk, jazz, blues, and dark ambient all into their predominantly doom sound creating what they call “Scarlet Doom.” An appropriate name, their sound is velvety rich, dark, and enticing. It is beautifully captured in The Spin. A shift from the Middle Eastern/Mediterranean vibe crafted in their 2022 release Close, it feels like a return to their core, polishing their signature sound and letting it shine. Sara Bianchin’s enchanting vocals ring throughout the seven resonating tracks, offering a clear path through the album. The tracks vary in tone but still have a cohesiveness and the album flows gently. “The Dress” showcases the jazzier side of the band while “Immolation” mostly contains Bianchin’s vocals and piano, “Reveal” offers a twangy guitar intro while “Thicker Blood” gives some sonic synths. The variety here is incredible and the songwriting equally so, tying everything together. Messa does not miss and The Spin is another fabulous addition to their delightfully growing discography.
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5. Faetooth – Labyrinthine
The fairy doom trio’s debut album was in my 2022 list and I am so happy to include them once again. Combining doom metal, shoegaze, grunge, and sludge, Faetooth has a sound that calls to me from bewitching melodies, to guttural shrieks, to heavy riffs. What they create is colossal, looming, and hypnotic. Labyrinthine is a perfect sophomore release, refining and further developing the band’s music. Thematically the album explores grief, memory, and uncertainty, holding space for tenderness and intensity, restraint and release. Harmonizing clean vocals, clean vocals against growls, breathing steady beats, and sludgy riffs create a rainy haze to wash over listeners. It is meditative and at times light and poetic, at other times it is ferocious. The album has a gloomy feel (at times downright emo) and offered me a lot of catharsis this year. I love being transported into a fae trap by this trio and look forward to my next journey into their realm.
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4. Agriculture – The Spiritual Sound
Agriculture describes their sound as “ecstatic black metal” and it is felt in all of their music. Ever twisting and turning and firing off into different directions, The Spiritual Sound is lively, energetic, and creatively written. It combines the chaos of noise rock and black metal, with quieter moments of reflection, and clean singing, passionately screamed vocals, and chilling spoken word. The album is a result of the combination of visions from the band’s two main songwriters, Leah Levinson and Dan Meyer. Each is distinct but come together strongly and brightly in this collection of ten tracks. Inspired by queer history, Levinson’s writing mainly surrounds honoring the queer community, current struggles, and how to stay present and honest. Inspired by the divine, Meyer’s writing mainly channels Zen Buddhism (with track “Bodhidharma” honoring the founder of Chinese Zen), historical collapse, and ecstatic grief. Both come together expressing inner laws and spiritual grammar. The Spiritual Sound is present and calls for attention and is cathartic in every listening experience.
Check out Ian’s review here.
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3. Deftones – private music
Deftones is a band that I can put on whenever I do not know what to listen to and will feel instantly happy and comforted. The nostalgic embrace of their sound is always there for me. This release is so wonderfully Deftones. It feels like a return to form, combining crunchy riffs and soaring melodies wrapped up neatly into 11 tracks. This is my most listened to album this year. I never tire of it and every song just hits, making it impossible to choose a favorite. Chino Moreno’s vocals are strong and the production is crisp, ensuring each component is heard and appreciated. The choruses are catchy in the best way, making each piece memorable. As private music unfolds, I find myself uplifted and just so happy to see such a beloved band release a fabulous album at this point in their career. Keep doing you and keep giving me all the feels.
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2. Shedfromthebody – Whisper and Wane and Everything Out There Has Teeth
Shedfromthebody is a one-woman project by Finnish artist and producer Suvi Savikko. She released two amazing albums this year and I could not decide between the two or pin them against each other so I am ranking them together. I debated doing so since both albums stand strongly on their own and deserve to be recognized as two pieces, but both contain everything that defines Shedfromthebody’s sound and are equally captivating. Constantly enamored with and awed by her talent, I was so excited to see two releases this year. From the songwriting, to the production and everything in between, both are masterfully created. Shedfromthebody combines doom metal, doom folk, doomgaze, post-metal, and haunting atmospheres. She effortlessly switches from ethereal vocals turned grim and demonic, dreamlike to dark, so smoothly that I have had to rewind tracks to remember how we got to where we are. Her music wraps you in layers of sound and textures, and puts you in a trance. True to the album titles, Whisper and Wane leans more to her light and airy side while still Everything Out There Has Teeth has more heavy and dark moments. Both releases are beautiful and flow seamlessly, deepening my love for this genre that I like to call spooky sad girl music.
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1. Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power
Deafheaven holds a special place in my heart. They are one of the first bands my husband and I ever saw live together. Their music makes me nostalgic for the early days of our relationship when most of what we talked about was music (not much has changed). I love everything Deafheaven has created. From their shoegaze heavy releases, to metal, to indie, to whatever else calls to them, the band always creates something honest and alluring. Lonely People With Power feels like the ultimate combination of all of Deafheaven’s forms. It is unapologetically them, feeling as though they have harnessed their creativity and essence and poured it directly into one package—perhaps their most mature and comprehensive album to date. There is a balance and the tracks flow effortlessly—a testament to how great the songwriting is. Since it does not remain in one place for long, each passage leaves its mark and each song is memorable while still working together as a whole. Nothing feels out of place. George Clarke’s vocals are inspired, from more gruff growls, to higher pitched wails, to clean singing, the passion behind each lyric is clear. Every contribution to Lonely People With Power is beyond what I had hoped and I am reminded once again of how much I adore Deafheaven and yearn to see them live again.
The Softer Jams
In no particular order, this is a list of my favorite Rainbows in the Dark/softer jams from 2025.
- Florence + The Machine – Everybody Scream
- Lucy Dacus – Forever Is A Feeling and Forever Is A Feeling: The Archives
- Slow Crush – Thirst
- Ethel Cain – Perverts andWilloughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You
- Kathryn Mohr – Waiting Room (Check out Vincent’s review here.)
- Jonathan Hultén – Eyes Of The Living Night
- Japanese Breakfast – For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)
- Osi And The Jupiter – Larvatus (Check out Ian’s review here.)
- Sowulo – NIHT (Check out Ian’s review here.)
- Stay Inside – Lunger
- Small Fools – Voices in the Atmosphere
- Wisp – If Not Winter
- Great Grandpa – Patience, Moonbeam
For me, 2026 will bring more music and writing (even a new column that I am excited to start), continuing to improve my skills as a violist, spending more time laughing with those that recharge and energize me, getting back into an art studio and working with clay, reading more books, and traveling. I invite you all to join me in making time for things that make you who you are and bring you to your core self. I am eager to move forward and I hope 2026 brings some incredible things for us all.
Thank you, as always, to my wonderfully supportive 9C family and our dear readers who encourage our diverse tastes in metal and various forms of reviews throughout the year. We appreciate you all.
Cheers and blessed be,
—Angela