(September 2025 is in the books, and so Gonzo is back with us to share his recommendations of five albums released in that month.)
It’s probably a pretty clear indicator of the world we’re living in when not one, not two, but three albums released in the same month are some of the most intense emotional experiences I’ve had all year. And friends, let me tell you—it’s been a year.
It’s with albums like the newest from Sundrowned and Heretoir that provide comfort in the darkest of times. Whether or not these are a direct result or response to world events is anyone’s guess, but music in 2025 has hit decisively differently than years previous.
All this being said, if you’re looking for coping mechanisms, emotional catharsis, or just a goddamn wild-ass ride you won’t forget, I can’t recommend my picks for September highly enough.
SUNDROWNED, HIGANBANA
Today in “questions nobody ever asked but I’ll answer anyway:” What if Alcest was a post-metal band?
Well, Norway’s Sundrowned have the answer. Their ethereal melodies interwoven with harsh, yet subdued vocals is a formula that drew me in from the instant I heard it. Higanbana doesn’t sound like anything else I’ve heard this year, and for someone who basically inhales heavy music on a daily basis, this is quite the observation.
From the understated moodiness of opener “Barren” through the swelling crescendo of “The Seed,” this album practically radiates with the kind of shining brilliance that sticks with you for a long time. “Primrose” and “Wisteria” stretch the band’s sound into something more aggressive; there’s a more distinct flavor of Deafheaven in the latter. The title track is simply gorgeous, and is ideal listening for when you’re tripping your ass off.
At first, I was surprised by the unusually gentle approach this band takes, but heaviness takes many forms. Sticking with Higanbana through all of its stunning layers is a rewarding experience.
https://sundrownedband.bandcamp.com/album/higanbana
https://www.facebook.com/SundrownedBand
LIJKSCHOUWER, ALL WHAT DID THE BLADE REVEAL
If heavy music takes many forms, the Netherlands’ Lijkschouwer is the kind of band that pushes it to the extreme. And on All What Did the Blade Reveal, they’re reminding you that the world is a dark and fucked up place.
The searing tremolos, ferocious blast beats, and vocals that suck the light out of the room like a supermassive black hole all equate to one of the most intense albums of the year. The opening salvo of the title track is a fitting look at what can be found in these six tracks, spanning just over 41 minutes. “Colours of Woe” provides a whole 12 seconds of tranquility before launching into one of the most pummeling aural assaults on the record. It’s not until the brooding post-sludge menace of “Irredeemable” that the band offers anything resembling respite.
Album highlight “Carving the Augury” smolders its way from the abyss after this, showcasing Lijkschouwer’s powerful grip on truly unsettling song dynamics. Bands that can wield this much devastation into just six tracks deserve all the attention they can get, and All What Did the Blade Reveal is essential listening to prepare you for the dark months ahead.
https://lijkschouwer.bandcamp.com/album/all-what-did-the-blade-reveal
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093144604594
IGORRR, AMEN
Sonically, you can’t get much more diverse than the one-man act known as Igorrr. His ability to smash musical genres into each other like a 10-car pileup and maintain coherence—let alone intrigue—isn’t for everyone. But I had way too much fun with Amen to not mention it here.
There isn’t much in the musical spectrum that isn’t touched on throughout 12 tracks that make up Amen. Just on the first two, “Daemoni” and “Headbutt,” you’ll hear everything from monolithic heavy grooves to electronica, operatic singing, and some classical influences. “Limbo” sounds like it was lifted from a Hans Zimmer score, and then “Blastbeat Falafel”—a wild ride that’s a shared collaboration with Mr. Bungle, among others, because why wouldn’t it be—wastes no time in annihilating your senses.
In the hands of someone less skilled in the art of fusing genre fragments like some kind of demented Dr. Frankenstein, Amen would be a disheveled mess. And if there’s anything to legitimately complain about, it’s the dubstep-isms in tracks like “ADHD.” But if you’re casting a net this wide for one album, there’s bound to be bits that won’t resonate. The trick to Igorrr is to just leave your expectations at the door.
https://igorrr.bandcamp.com/album/amen
https://www.facebook.com/IgorrrBarrroque
VITTRA, INTENSE INDIFFERENCE
If you must have your death metal supercharged with a generous portion of unhinged balls-to-the-wall thrash, then may I point your attention to the latest effort from Sweden’s Vittra.
A friend recommended this album to me on the day of its release and made sure to mention how quickly it hooks you. And let me tell you, she’s right. If you don’t want to run through a fucking wall from the moment David Doragrip roars “motherfucker let’s go!” during the opening moments of “MOFO,” you might want to check your pulse. This is the kind of metal that whips up a circle pit when you even think about it. Each track on Intense Indifference is a wild ride, a self-contained party in 10 individual pieces.
“Reign Supreme” is a massive headbanger face rip that channels something between Children of Bodom and Municipal Waste. And Vittra gets a special nod for injecting their own brand of experimental craziness between that lauded pairing, especially on “Transylvanian Buffet.” I’ve never heard a bluesy piano and twangy guitar so deftly inserted into a death metal song, and it’s one moment you absolutely have to hear.
https://vittraofficial.bandcamp.com/album/intense-indifference
https://www.facebook.com/vittraofficial
HERETOIR, SOLASTALGIA
It’s hard to listen to Heretoir’s music and not be immediately pulled in. The emotional weight of their songs has few equals, and this has been a consistent theme they’ve followed over the years. Solastalgia is another heart-ripping entry in their catalog.
I had to stop myself when first listening to this record because of my unabashed love for this band’s previous effort, Nightsphere. It was damn close to being my favorite record of 2023. To me, music doesn’t get much more captivating than that. Its shimmering melodies overlapped with ferocious blast beats and post-metal savagery set the bar in 2023, and Solastalgia is a more than worthy successor to such an effort.
At 11 songs that clock in at just over an hour of total run time, this is an album I’m admittedly still unpacking since its release on Sept. 19. Despite that, I’m still being honest when I say there’s barely a moment through it all that lacks inspiration or raw beauty. People forget that metal, even in its most extreme, can be a beautiful art form. “Season of Grief” is already a top contender for one of the best moments I’ve heard throughout 2025, with its Agalloch-like acoustic passages paired with searing, white-hot blast beats. Clean vocals and blast-furnace roars are wielded deftly on this track, as well as the likes of “Dreamgatherer” and the epic title track.
Time will tell, of course, but Heretoir may have crafted one of the strongest albums of 2025 with Solastalgia.
https://heretoir.bandcamp.com/album/solastalgia
https://www.facebook.com/heretoir
Like what you’ve heard? Follow my best-of-2025 playlist for selections from everything you’ve just read, and a whole helluva lot more.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7zWqE685GVpuB5M3qRDvog?si=08d80939b43e4d89