Best Albums of 2025
I feel like critics of this album fell into one of two camps; either you loved it or you hated it. I can understand why some folks would find this to be an underwhelming pop record, but for me, I feel like there's a time and a place for a more subtle and understated approach. What it might lack in kinetic energy, it more than makes up for in wondrous textures and majestic melodies. I've listened to so much music over the last little while that demands your attention purely by virtue of being loud, aggressively bold, or relentlessly pounding. Oklou's choke enough offers something different; a delicate dance on the senses that is just as engaging as a PC Music release. It was a breath of fresh air in this hyper-accelerated, reactionary world we currently find ourselves in.
Full of Hell is a machine that cannot be stopped right now. They are easily the most prolific extreme metal band around consistently releasing projects every year; sometimes more than one. You'd think that with the amount of output the band provides, the problem of quantity over quality would arise. But that hasn't been the case at all. This is now the third year in a row Full of Hell has made it onto my favourite albums of the year list. What I've found to be so appealing about the band as of late is their ability to cover such a wide array of styles, which have kept their projects interesting from start to finish. Whether it's death metal, grindcore, powerviolence, or doom, they can pull it all off without revealing a weak spot. The guitar riffs are sharp, the infusions of noisy power electronics are always tasteful, and they just so happen to have one of the best singers and drummers in the game. Dylan Walker (vocals) and David Bland (drums) may serve two completely different functions, but they both attack it with a feral ferocity that is largely responsible for Full of Hell's overwhelming intensity. Like the two albums that made it on to this list in years prior, Broken Sword, Rotting Shield is just another document of everything that is working for them.
When I think of the most popular hardcore bands today, I think of Turnstile and Knocked Loose; two vastly different bands. The former has been spearheading a dreamier hardcore crossover sound while the latter has established themselves as one of the heaviest and most violent metalcore acts currently on the scene. These two acts I believe are reflective of the forked state of hardcore today. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that's inherently a bad thing. I welcome innovation and pushing the envelope. However, when a band comes along, like Destiny Bond, who deliver a more throwback sound that takes more cues from classic rock 'n' roll, I can't help but gravitate to that. Especially when they can still play fast, with aggression, and deliver songs that preach love, acceptance, and mutual understanding as it pertains to the LGBTQ+ community. I was really impressed with their 2023 debut, but I thought this year's The Love was a slight improvement. Taylor Young's production, for one, was a little more direct and punchy, and two, Cloe Madonna's vocals are far more fiery. On the last album, she always sounded like she was on the last song of the set, but here, every line is projected with a healthy burning distortion that sounds perfect. If the band can continue to refine their take on a more traditional hardcore sound, I can see them reaching even higher on a future list.
All I needed to hear was virtuosic piano compositions set against skittering electronic beats and I was intrigued. Before even getting into the music, Djrum's resume was already impressive: he's received formal piano training in the jazz discipline (a skill that is leveraged a great deal on this record), and he's also a world class DJ who operates a unique three-turntable configuration with vinyl being the preferred medium. I had high expectations going into Under Tangled Silence, and I was hoping that Djrum would meet them. Judging by the placement on this list, it's clear he did. The instrumental improvisations that serve as the foundation for these compositions are spellbinding. All you would need to do is listen to the cascading pianos on Galaxy In Silence or the playful mbira on Three Foxes Chasing Each Other to instantly get what I mean. If there's anyone that still believes that electronic music producers are not talented musicians, I believe listening to this would certainly change their mind. He rounds out the tracks with intricately programmed percussion, and curious electronic textures; used to varying degrees to craft a record with a diverse set of moods. Some tracks bring a gentle elegance to the record, while other cuts have more hyperactive kinetic energy for example. The way the moods shift throughout the tracklist create a really satisfying ebb and flow. Supposedly, Djrum worked on this record over the course of eight years, and this included a hardware mishap that resulted in the loss of session files. If that's the case, I'm happy that Djrum persevered and saw this project to the end, because Under Tangled Silence is easily one of the best electronic records of the year.
After the disappointing Infinite Granite, I was worried that it was an indication that Deafheaven was no longer interested in making cinematic black metal. Thankfully, George Clarke would later explain in an interview that the stylistic direction of that record was a byproduct of being stuck inside during the pandemic, as opposed to feeding off of the intense energy they feel while performing on stage. Coming out of the pandemic, Deafheaven definitely sounds revitalized as Lonely People With Power sees the band returning to the blast beats, the tremolo picked guitar chords, and of course the wretched vocals. In fact, with cuts like Magnolia and Revelator, the band delivers the most conventionally black metal material they've ever released. While it feels like the band is going back to basics, calling this album a return to form would be insulting. It's evident there was a lot of learning that occurred during Infinite Granite which has led to leaner, more immediate songwriting that still packs an emotional punch, as well as more captivating integration of the shoegaze, post-punk influences. This is a triumphant return for Deafheaven; easily their best record since Sunbather.
The recipients of my album of the year for 2021 came back with an equally solid showing this year. I found this collection to be a little campier with the 80s hair metal aesthetics, cheerleader pop cadences, and twee synth melodies. At first, it was almost too much. I wasn't sure I liked it as much as their previous work. But then it suddenly clicked as I remembered this is kind of Sleigh Bells' whole schtick; contrasting these hyperpop aesthetics with the machismo of distorted power chords and double bass drums. The combination makes for a wild party that should translate in a number of contexts. It may require some to let down their guard in order to fully appreciate it. But once you do, I can promise the experience is a tremendous amount of fun. Bunky Becky Birthday Boy is one undeniable bop after the next, and really doesn't deserve to go overlooked.
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#4
THE FUTURE IS HERE AND EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED
The Armed
After completing a trilogy of records that saw the hardcore punk and noise rock collective gradually ease up on their volatile tendencies, I certainly did not expect The Armed to put out their nosiest, most nihilistic, and frankly pissed album yet. The harsh vocals are back with a vengeance as Tony Wolski and former PUNCH vocalist, Meghan O'Neil form a ferocious team. Then for good measure, their screams are often saturated in distortion. The sense of chaos also returns with blistering and speedy screamo passages, but what's perhaps more unique, are the blaring free jazz freakouts (often performed on the saxophone by Patrick Shiroishi) that occasionally pop up. It reads like some John Zorn worship. While the record is punishingly abrasive, the odd thing is that THE FUTURE is their most consistently catchy. So many choruses pop with sunburnt lead melodies and impassioned yell/sung performances. The tracklist also has a fantastic sequence, beginning with some of the record's most fiery tracks, and then interspersing some relatively headache alleviating cuts in the back half. Across the board, I think The Armed killed it with this record. I knew the potential was there, and they finally put out a record that hits from start to finish.
Gut served as my introduction to Baths and the attraction was nearly instantaneous. I was impressed by the range of sounds that were represented on this album; sensual, glitchy beat music, organic indie pop, warped art pop, and introspective singer/songwriter just to rattle off a few. No matter the genre or sound palette Will Wiesenfeld is working with, the results were always stunning. It's clear that he is an incredibly competent musician and producer. He also showcases quite a bit of range vocally as well, employing an animated, nasally inflection on some of the more energetic cuts, intimate whispers during the quieter parts, and what was most unexpected, some tension releasing screams that are more adeptly performed than some hardcore/metal acts. While the music is eclectic, everything is tied together by a central lyrical theme. Wiesenfeld tackles the quirky aspects of gay courtship and relationships; the blissful, inconvenient, and heartbreaking bits are all explored as he changes his focus from track to track. Some of these angles just so happened to hit incredibly close to home for me. Gut brought me solace realizing that what I thought were my unique experiences, weren't so novel after all.
It wasn't a sound I was consciously chasing, but upon hearing Cardiacs' LSD, it filled a void I didn't realize was vacant. It has this familiar blend of progressive rock and punk styles whose main melodic characteristic is a certain modal ambiguity. The sound is mysteriously alluring, yet also familiar; drawing many parallels to the work of one of my idols, Nick Reinhart (Tera Melos). The experience was so similar, that I wondered whether he would've sighted Cardiacs as an influence. After recognizing that I was perfectly primed to receive this record, I endeavored to learn more about it. I came to find out that LSD was an album twenty-six years in the making, and the road getting here was a painful one. Cardiacs' main brain Tim Smith, who sadly passed away in 2020, couldn't live to see the completion of his project. However, with his specific instructions, the community that surrounded him rallied together to bring his vision to light. LSD is not only an awe-inspiring musical masterpiece, but it also serves as a touching tribute to their visionary bandleader.
Honningbarna was the greatest enigma of 2025. I was introduced to the Norwegian post-hardcore band this year, but they're not new to the scene by any means. Their activity dates all the way back to 2010 and Soft Spot is their seventh full-length album. How did this sick band fly under the radar for so long? Well aside from the music, I've come to learn there's very little that chronicles the band's exploits. The interviews I've stumbled upon are frustratingly shallow. Their Wikipedia is barren and under-cited; I'm shocked they even have an entry to begin with. Their official music videos, as of late, are akin to indie short films that seemingly have nothing to do with the subject matter of the song, nor have any involvement with the band's members. Then there's the fact that they sing in a local Norwegian dialect, making it more of a challenge to accurately translate. I don't think Honningbarna have even toured outside of Scandinavia. The access to information (or lack there of) surrounding the band, especially in the Internet Age, has created this mystique that has all but consumed me this year.
Obviously, that's not the only reason why I've felt so drawn to them; Soft Spot also happens to kick ass. It is easily the most intense and fiery post hardcore record I've heard in a long time. It honestly bests the extremity of most metal albums. Honningbarna accomplished this via some unsettling tactics. The production style is industrially-tinged and cavernous. If it were to be represented visually, it would be presented in a dark, gritty, low-contrast, black and white film with shadows that obscure the characters and their faces. Then there's the songwriting which shares Refused's prog sensibilities. Angular riffs and polyrhythmic passages keep you on high alert. Then there's Edvard Valberg's harsh vocals, where the only word that comes to mind to accurately describe them would be violent. They are so distorted, so unhinged; they sound amazing but I fear for the health of his voice. You would expect dark subject matter to coincide with the sound of this album, but from what I've been able to gather about the lyrics (and this is still a work in progress), Soft Spot's themes deal in striving for better horizons, never falling into complacency, and mainly just living a self-determined life. With that in mind, this album no longer feels like something to be scared of, but rather a revolution that you need to be a part of. This multi-layered album is nothing short of spectacular, and I'm hoping that with this album, the band finally gets the international recognition they clearly deserve.
