Well…this one took a long time.  It was never my intention to have this come out so late: these are all albums I’ve been excited to share with people.  But life has a funny way of catching up to you, and if that wasn’t the motto of 2025, I don’t know what was.  In one 365 calendar day year, I managed to see both the worst and best days of my life, thankfully in that order.  Perhaps the hits will never truly stop coming, but I have something I can hold on to now; I have my wife, who is my best friend and truly someone without whom I would be lost, and I have my family here at Nine Circles, whose patience and grace with me I truly never take for granted.  And there’s always music, sweet music, and that’s not nothing either.  Without further ado, here are the albums that kept me as even-keeled as I could possibly be this past year.

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Saor – Amidst the Ruins

“Mesmerizing” is a word I would use to describe Saor, and their entire discography has captivated me since I first stumbled upon it, not least of which was Origins, which saw a marked departure from the atmospheric black metal Saor is known for.  Seeing, then, that Amidst the Ruins was a return to form for Andy Marshall, I was a little taken aback, but Amidst the Ruins did a lot to assuage my fears.  It keeps the momentum started with Origins, as well as some of the more romantic and evocative songwriting twists (THE KEY CHANGE IS BACK), but it manages to blend it back to the long-form, more atmospheric and transcendental compositions that marked the earlier parts of the band’s history.  The end result is an album that manages to pull me out of myself exactly in the way I needed to be.

Not only did I get to write a review of this album, I also got to send some of my burning questions to Mr. Andy Marshall, and he got back to me!

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Changeling – s/t

Why more people aren’t singing the praises of Tom “Fountainhead” Geldschläger is a mystery to me.  Obviously, people know about him, but the fact that he’s not a household name and slapped as a guest feature on every album ever is a crime against humanity.  The man is a technical wizard, and Changeling is the perfect feature for his unique and virtuosic talents on the guitar, as well as a bunch of other instruments.  As long as I’ve been interested in metal, I’ve always been attracted to the kind of over-the-top wankery that is fully on display on Changeling, and this album delivers in every way that excites me.  Fretless guitar is no easy thing to master, but the way that Geldschläger makes it look effortless is why this album has stuck with me ever since it dropped.

You know I had to do it to ‘em.  Read it here.

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Tómarúm – Beyond Obsidian Euphoria

The anticipation I felt for Beyond Obsidian Euphoria was, well, beyond normal, but that’s because I have the utmost faith in Tómarúm and their ability to blend black metal, folk and progressive leanings in a way that is both memorable and groundbreaking.  Beyond Obsidian Euphoria sees the band expand into a quintet, and the way they utilize all the strengths of the members makes this album a delight to listen to and something that requires multiple listens to fully digest.  But I’m fine with that, because every time I listen to this album, I want to dive deeper and find more to appreciate.  The combination of clever songwriting and instrumental prowess is intoxicating, and it’s no wonder why this album ended up so high on so many people’s lists.  

Want more of my thoughts on this album?  Get them while they’re hot, even though they’re definitely pretty tepid at this point.

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Agriculture – The Spiritual Sound

I love the spiritual sound of ecstatic black metal by the band Agriculture, and so should you.

If you want to know why I do and why you should as well, you can read the full review right here and now.

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Imperial Triumphant – Goldstar

How do you top the heights you have reached when you are the most goddamn wild and creative band going?  You do a little addition by subtraction.  Goldstar is the most succinct and downright straightforward Imperial Triumphant album ever.  Not only does this show that the trio don’t have to create long, drawn out compositions to get their point across, it shows that they are always willing to experiment, even when that experiment is with *less* experimentation.  The absolute virtuosity of the musicians is still as on display as ever, just channeled and honed into something that is easily digestible without sacrificing any of what makes Imperial Triumphant so special.  There really is nothing that they cannot accomplish, and Goldstar shows them continuing to be at the top of their game.

I’m running out of clever ways to say I also wrote the review for this album, so just check it out here or whatever, I’m not your dad.

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Weft – The Splintered Oar

Wefties unite!  The long-awaited debut from one Mr. Charlie Anderson is finally here, and it is far and away beyond what even my highest hopes for it could have been.  Anderson’s multi-instrumental prowess is certainly on display, and the requisite fiddle work is sublime on its own, but backed effortlessly by his guitar and bass work, drums from who else but Austin Lunn, vocals and more violin from Andrea Morgan.  These songs are the best example of an album that tells a story that I have found this year, and the progressive leanings to Anderson’s songwriting are welcome additions that make The Splintered Oar stand out from the pack in the best way possible.  The Splintered Oar better be just the beginning of Weft, because I already find myself needing more, and ASAP.

And who else but Colin to review this masterpiece?  Check out the full thoughts right here.

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Blackbraid – Blackbraid III

All I ever wanted from Blackbraid is more Blackbraid, and in that regard, Blackbraid III is just what the doctor ordered.  On the other hand, Blackbraid III sharpens the edges of Sgah’gahsowáh’s signature black metal.  The production quality is taken up a notch, which lets the razor sharp riffs show their teeth a lot more, and boy do these tracks rip.  Of course, there are the requisite instrumental and acoustic interludes, but even those are taken up a notch with an all out force that is palpable.  This is perhaps the most urgent and in-your-face Blackbraid album yet, and that truly is saying something if you’ve been following this man’s meteoric trajectory.  Blackbraid III firmly positions the group at the forefront of what modern black metal can do, and the fact that I got to see them live this past fall definitely helped solidify how special this album is to me.

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Asunojokei – Think of You

Do you like J-Rock in your black metal?  Well, you do now.  When I closed my eyes and prayed for a follow-up to Island, this was EXACTLY the album I saw so clearly in my mind’s eye.  Everything that made Island such a charming and evocative musical experience is dialed up to the nth degree on Think of You.  The hooks are barbs that dig deep into your heart, led by the incredibly lyrical lead guitar work that blankets the entire album, start to finish.  I cannot recall an album that I had more straight up fun with this year, the kind of windows down, volume up, unbridled joy that Asunojokei have always flirted with, now fully realized and effectively utilized.  The album art might be an, um, choice and a half, but do not judge this book by its cover.  This is a goddamn delight, start to finish.

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Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power

What more is there to say about Deafheaven and Lonely People With Power that hasn’t already been said?  Ever the masters of the “zag on ‘em” mentality, this is the follow up to Infinite Granite that I think no one saw coming, and yet is exactly what we all needed.  It is baffling how every Deafheaven record feels more fully fleshed out and realized, considering I think of Sunbather as the pinnacle of what black metal can be, but somehow Lonely People With Power feels like both a perfect amalgamation of everything Deafheaven succeeds at and also its own unique identity in their discography.  The fact that this album ended up so high on so many people’s lists is no accident; Deafheaven truly never misses, but somehow this exceeded any expectations I had for it and is an album that held an incredibly special place in my listening this year.

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Amenra – De Toorn/With Fang and Claw

Is it cheating to throw two EPs at the end of this list?  Maybe.  Do I care?  Not really, when De Toorn and With Fang and Claw are this good.  Why choose?  Amenra are one of those bands whose new releases automatically make me drop everything, and two new releases, even if they are short releases, simply do not disappoint.  Even beyond that, they are different enough from each other that it becomes almost impossible to try to compare apples to apples in an attempt to pick just one.  But what they both share, and what makes them both so endearing, is the classic meditative style of crawling, lumbering post-metal that Amenra does like no one else does.  There is something about these EPs that allowed me to drop out when I needed to, more than any other release, and they deserve a place on this list as much as anything else.

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You can chalk the fact that a lot of the albums you’ll find on this list are ones that I reviewed to two primary reasons: one, I didn’t have the time or energy to do much seeking out music on my own, or rather, getting to review albums for this site is what kept me sane and actually listening to anything at all in the worst parts of this year; but secondly, it is a rare privilege that I get to write reviews of albums I already know are going to be awesome, all thanks to Nine Circles, 501(c)(3).  As always, I am eternally grateful that I get to be a part of something like this, however small it may be.  Here’s to all that is to come, and thanks to you for giving this a read.

— Ian