(As our LISTMANIA orgy continues, today we have a Top 20 list from Denver-based NCS writer Gonzo.)
Well, here we are again.
An intro to things like this seems superficial at best, so I’ll keep this brief: This is my list of my favorite albums from 2025. With no clear-cut favorite taking the #1 overall spot (like last year did with Absolute Elsewhere), 2025 was not short on variety or depth. I found myself constantly (and borderline obsessively) revisiting albums that came out in the dead of winter and early spring, and I was glad I did.
With that, it feels good to have wrapped this one up. Until next year, friends—
20. SIGHT OF EMPTINESS, ABOVE THE NOISE
Costa Rica’s Sight of Emptiness have been making melodic death metal since 2005, and they would’ve continued flying under my radar had it not been for “Nausea,” the opening track on Above the Noise. From the moment I hit “play,” I was engaged—a dynamic lead surfing over a pit of staccato riffage hits your ears instantly, and it’s a theme that never stops for the ensuing nine tracks.
Vocalist Eduardo “Filthy” Chacon can roar like a jaguar (see “Soul Ascension”) and his band writes arrangements that never fail to entertain and even surprise. “Hikikomori” is one that falls into the latter category, as it’s something I can only describe as down-tuned industrial hip-hop. And strange as it may be, it doesn’t sound the slightest bit out of place here.
https://sightofemptiness.bandcamp.com/album/above-the-noise
19. FANGE, PURULENCES
It really does baffle me that a band like Godflesh can continue to be so influential on the metal scene, especially considering how Justin Broadrick himself will be the first to tell you he’s no fan of the genre.
It doesn’t matter for France’s Fange, though, as their brand of proto-sludge/industrial/post-hardcore sounds like it was forged in Birmingham circa 1991. Slow, grinding, mechanical, and absolutely foreboding, Purulences is the kind of record you play when you want to obliterate something in slow motion. The opening duo of “Cavalier Seul” and “Sans Conviction” are the soundtrack to a building demolition, while tracks like “Mortes Promesses” evoke the criminally underrated Emptiness. Few bands can pull off such an esoteric sound, and Fange do so with their finest hour yet.
https://fange.bandcamp.com/album/purulences
18. FLOATING, HESITATING LIGHTS
It was a solid year for heavy bands that dabble in pairing disparate genres, and few did it better than Floating did with Hesitating Lights. Effortlessly fusing gothic post-punk and sewer-dwelling death metal, this album was one that I found myself going back to several times since its July release date. And yes, each spin got me gradually more hooked.
With the duality of shimmering leads and guttural roars, tracks like “Cough Choir” and “Hesitating Lights/Harmless Fires” are guaranteed to stick around in your head long, long after you’ve heard them. Meanwhile, I could swear the first few bars of “Exit Bag Song” were lifted from a Smiths or The Cure record, and by the time “The Waking” closes things off on a monolithically heavy note, you’ll want to punch your ticket for another ride.
https://floating-label.bandcamp.com/album/hesitating-lights
17. JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED, STAY RELENTLESS
Hardcore had one hell of a showing in 2025, with releases from Deadguy and The Acacia Strain getting loads of attention (and rightfully so). But through the slog of breakdown-rampant albums we were graced with, none of them grabbed me quite like the third album from Sydney’s Justice for the Damned.
Between sledgehammer riffs, muscular vocals, and enough breakdowns to collapse the roof of a basement venue, Stay Relentless is the soundtrack to trench warfare. “Built to Be Broken,” “Every Lie You’ve Spoken,” and especially “The Current” hit with the requisite amount of force to show the record’s title isn’t just for show. All 12 tracks are built to destroy, never overstaying their welcome, and it’s honestly a wonder how this much fury can be contained in just 30 minutes. Stay Relentless is essential hardcore listening.
https://justiceforthedamned.bandcamp.com/album/stay-relentless
16. BLACKBRAID, III
This band just keeps getting better with each release, and it only took me one listen to III to realize band mastermind Jon Krieger is truly pushing black metal forward.
I was fortunate enough to catch the debut listening party of Blackbraid’s newest record at this year’s Fire in the Mountains festival, and listening to it while sitting in a grassy field on a perfect summer day in Montana might’ve injected a little bias into how I perceive this one. But even if that experience had never occurred, III is an objectively incredible metal album. “The Dying Breath of a Sacred Stag” is still in contention for song of the year for me, with its instantly memorable acoustic riff, and “God of Black Blood” might not be too far behind. The way Krieger crafts each song—incorporating traditional indigenous instruments with the searing ferocity of Appalachian black metal—is simply a joy to listen to.
The next wave of black metal is here, and Blackbraid has emerged as its most fearless trailblazers.
https://blackbraid.bandcamp.com/album/blackbraid-iii
15. REVOCATION, NEW GODS, NEW MASTERS
Revocation is responsible for at least one case of post-gig neck pain in my life, and I can thank New Gods, New Masters for forcing me to add more Ibuprofen to my grocery list.
David Davidson & co. have somehow upped their game on this record, which is quite a statement considering the band’s output in general seems to vary between “god damn” and “holy shit.” The key difference on Masters is the old adage of getting a little help from some old friends: Guest musicians, including Travis Ryan from Cattle Decapitation, Jonny Davy from Job for a Cowboy, and Luc Lemay from Gorguts all add a considerable amount of oomph to these songs.
Their inclusion isn’t just an afterthought, too—each guest seems uniquely tailored for the style of the song they appear on, and with a band as compositionally thorough as Revocation is, that’s not a coincidence. The band’s death/thrash aesthetic just absolutely slaps like it always does on “Sarcophagi of the Soul,” “Confines of Infinity,” and especially “Cronenberged.” I won’t even try to compare this record to anything the band’s done in the past, but I’ll say this: If you liked literally any Revocation record before this, you’ll enjoy this one even more.
https://revocationband.bandcamp.com/album/new-gods-new-masters
14. SANGUISUGABOGG, HIDEOUS AFTERMATH
If you’re surprised to see this here, well… that makes two of us.
I was fully prepared to listen to this once, smirk, and move on. I had every intention of just treating this album like a novelty amusement; sort of like how you laugh at a carnival freak show and instantly forget everything you saw.
But goddammit, Sanguisugabogg did the unthinkable: They elevated themselves beyond their meme-metal beginnings and wrote one of the best death metal records of 2025. I was intrigued when I heard the post-industrial Godflesh-isms in the debut single “Repulsive Demise,” and using that as my entry point, I moved on to “Erotic Beheading” and “Semi-Automatic Facial Reconstruction.” Like ya do.
I even tried actively disliking what I heard, but I just couldn’t. The riffs are too catchy. Devin Swank’s vocals sound like the most brutal throat noises this side of Corpsegrinder. The guests (including Todd Jones, Travis Ryan, and Defeated Sanity) all add layers to the music that transcend the depths of “knuckle-dragging dumbshit death metal,” to borrow what Swank himself told Decibel earlier this year.
If your mind is already made up about this one, that’s fine. But there aren’t many records in 2025 that I had more fun listening to, and sometimes, that’s all you need.
https://sanguisugabogg.bandcamp.com/album/hideous-aftermath-24-bit-hd-audio
13. CAPITAN, FACING CURRENTS
It’s not exactly a secret that Belgium has long since evolved into a post-metal breeding ground. With elements of Cult of Luna, Amenra, and My Diligence, this second album from Capitan is a post-metal triumph, and is by far one of the best examples of the subgenre this year.
If you like a solid helping of atmosphere with your metal, look no further than this record. Sure, there might be moments where Capitan could be accused of playing “waiting-for-something-to-happen” metal, but the slow builds always have a payoff that’s worth the patience. “Apnea” might be the most poignant of those, but the two-part opener “Immerse” is what initially drew me in. “Choke” even dabbles in a sludgy New Orleans-esque riff before settling into its shimmering final form that even evokes some Alcest.
One point of order for this one, though: Don’t just listen to one song. It’s best to consume Facing Currents as a whole to get the full effect.
https://capitanmusic.bandcamp.com/album/facing-currents
12. SUNDROWNED, HIGANBANA
Another post-metal gem from this year was the sophomore effort from Norway’s Sundrowned. Most of the time, “beautiful” isn’t what I’d use to describe a lot of the music we post about here, but there’s an exception to every rule. I’d say this band would qualify for that.
Sundrowned has one of the most unique sounds of any band I’ve heard for quite a while. Like I said in September:
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
11. IN MOURNING, THE IMMORTAL
I’ve been a fan of these Swedes since Shrouded Divine in 2008, but I don’t think I’ve ever written about them here—let alone including them in a YE list. That said, The Immortal might be their best work since that record nearly 20 years ago.
While melodeath isn’t quite as exciting as it once was, In Mourning has shaken that paradigm this year. The Immortal is loaded with top-tier songwriting and arrangements that never wear out their welcome. These songs are angular and unpredictable in the best possible way. Tobias Netzell and Bjorn Pettersson’s dueling vocals work magnificently atop a triple-guitar onslaught that never ceases to take your ears to spellbinding territory. And, oddly enough, they do all this without a bass player.
Between “Song of the Cranes,” “As Long as the Twilight Stays,” and especially “North Star,” this album moves the melodeath needle decisively (and appropriately) northward.
https://inmourning.bandcamp.com/album/the-immortal
10. GRACELESS, ICONS OF RUIN
Scandinavia isn’t the only place where melodeath is alive and well—the Netherlands’ Graceless has made sure of that.
Filled with monstrous riffs through a guitar tone that sounds like a pissed-off minotaur, Icons of Ruin is this criminally underrated band’s fourth full-length. At its core, the band is a stampeding death metal machine, but the generous leans into groove metal and the occasional nod to early ‘90s Machine Head make this record widely appealing.
The formula here is simple enough: Up-tempo Ibanez assault/half-time breakdown/sick lead, but it’s the rock-solid execution and production that makes it work so well. “Sanctified Slaughter” kicks off like a harkening to the old gods of Gothenburg but then slows down to a headbanging lurch that makes it an album highlight. I get the distinct impression that “A Thousand Lies” from Burn My Eyes inspired the intro to “Ungodliness,” and the juggernaut stomp of “Night of the Slain” is just too much fucking fun.
https://graceless-deathmetal.bandcamp.com/track/sanctified-slaughter
9. IN THE COMPANY OF SERPENTS, A CRACK IN EVERYTHING
Denver’s own dust-covered trio In the Company of Serpents have a lot of clout in the scene here, and for good reason. But with their time divided through several other projects, it’s been since 2020 that we last heard anything new from them. My burning question: Could A Crack in Everything top the near-sublime standout Lux?
Short answer: I think so.
Despite what the name implies, A Crack in Everything has close to zero faults. On it, ITCOS brilliantly fuse sludge and stoner metal into a smoldering sound that’s distinctively their own. They did it with alacrity in 2020’s epic Lux, and A Crack in Everything picks up the torch right where they left it nearly five years ago. The band have always had a strong flow of Denver sound—or as I like to call it, tumbleweed metal—in their DNA, and Crack is full of masterclass moments in that esoteric art form. “A Patchwork Art” comes to mind first, wielding its dusty-twang-turned-bile-spewing-angst throughout.
“Cinders” kicks open the saloon door with a subtle head-nodding groove that’s ripe for whiskey drinkin’, and standout track “Endless Well” bursts out with apocalyptic lyrics and supporting vocals from Goya’s Jeff Owens. From start to finish, A Crack in Everything is undoubtedly one of the crown jewels of the Denver metal scene this year.
https://inthecompanyofserpentsdoom.bandcamp.com/album/a-crack-in-everything
8. TURIAN, BLOOD QUANTUM BLUES
This band—led by charismatic vocalist Veronica Metztli—fuses indigenous roots with a patented blend of noise rock, hardcore, and groove metal to conjure a sound that has few peers. Their set at this year’s Northwest Terror Fest was easily a highlight of that weekend, and Blood Quantum Blues captures that energy perfectly.
Bursting with balls-to-the-wall energy from end to end, Blues is one of those records that takes you on a journey. There’s plenty of cathartic anti-racism and venom throughout (“Burden of the Blood” and the title track come to mind first) alongside Helmet-isms and thunderous riffs. Metztli’s vocal performance is raw and furious, and her pipes couldn’t be a better match for the grittiness of each song found here. If the closing breakdown of the title track doesn’t trigger an involuntary headbang, I can’t help you.
https://turian.bandcamp.com/album/blood-quantum-blues
7. PUTERAEON, MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS
If the descriptor of “Swedish Lovecraftian death metal” piques your interest, you’re reading the right list.
The hellions in Puteraeon have reached their finest hour with Mountains of Madness. Produced by none other than Dan Swanö, the band’s sound falls somewhere between the likes of their countrymen in Dismember and Entombed with a hint of Gatecreeper. The formula here is nothing new: HM-2 worship, blowtorch riffage, savage vocals, and a rhythm section that seeks to destroy everything it touches. But in the hands of a band like Puteraeon, that formula is the best possible version of itself. And if there’s anyone who knows how to bring out the best in bands with that kind of rap sheet, it’s Swanö.
“Horror on the Antarctic Plateau” throws its weight around like some kind of deep-sea horror, while “The Nameless City” is just as catchy as it is menacing. The album as a whole just feels relentlessly satisfying, and you’d be forgiven if you thought the cover art made it look like you’re about to open a Lord of the Rings-inspired video game.
https://puteraeon.bandcamp.com/album/mountains-of-madness
6. POTHAMUS, ABUR
In case there was any doubt that I loved what the Belgians did with post-metal this year, well… consider that last doubt squashed. And—SPOILER—this isn’t the last you’ll hear from Belgium and its favorite subgenre within this list.
Abur might be the most innovative take on post-metal I’ve heard in years. Maybe that originality stems from how Pothamus is so damn good at inserting influences rooted in eastern philosophy. “Zhikarta” and “Savartuun Avur” both sound like ritualistic demonic summoning rituals; sort of like a more industrialized Heilung. It could be accused of being almost meditative in some places, only to have any sense of calm decimated by sudden bursts of tsunami-like heaviness in others.
The vocal duality laid out by percussionist Matthias Van Hulle and guitarist Sam Coussens is nothing short of exceptional, and it’s not so much the vocals themselves that work so well—it’s how they’re used. The roars hit like rolling waves, and the cleans float in right when they should. Abur is transcendent work.
https://pothamus.bandcamp.com/album/abur
5. HERETOIR, SOLASTALGIA
Speaking of transcendent work, I knew Heretoir would be making an appearance this high up as soon as I heard Solastalgia this fall.
On this album, the German collective have crafted something incredible. With soaring leads, intricately crafted songs, and a vibe that threatens to tear your heart out of your chest at any moment, Solastalgia is 11 songs of raw power. Sonically, the band toe a line that’s somewhere between post-metal and atmospheric black, but the complexity of each song elevates this music to places that make it harder to categorize.
With alternating passages of chaotic fury and heartbreaking angst, songs like “Season of Grief,” “You Are the Night,” and “Dreamgatherer” will stick with you long after you’ve heard them. Heretoir have made a more-than-worthy successor to the brilliant Nightsphere, and if you’ve heard that album, you know what an achievement this is.
https://heretoir.bandcamp.com/album/solastalgia
4. RIVERS OF NIHIL, S/T
Not long ago, there was a time when this band’s future was in doubt. How would they sound without their founding vocalist Jake Dieffenbach? How would they handle vocal duties from there on out? And would they rebound after the somewhat disappointing The Work?
Fast forward to 2025 and none of those questions is even relevant anymore. This self-titled release from Rivers of Nihil is not only a solid return to form, but it feels like the beginning of a new chapter for a band that’s simply brimming with creative gusto.
The songs on this eponymous triumph might not be quite as technical as what we heard on Monarchy or even Where Owls Know My Name, but that side of the band has been supplanted with a knack for writing the best choruses I heard in heavy music all year. Adam Biggs, Jared Klein, and new guitarist Andy Thomas all pitch in on vocals, and who knew we’d be asking “Jake who?” at this point. “Water & Time,” “House of Light,” “The Sub-Orbital Blues,” and the absolute banger of “American Death” capture a renewed energy that I hope defines Rivers of Nihil for a long time to come.
https://riversofnihil.bandcamp.com/album/rivers-of-nihil
3. LIJKSCHOUWER, ALL WHAT DID THE BLADE REVEAL
Meanwhile, the Netherlands’ Lijkschouwer (“Coroner” in Dutch, which is ironic and relevant in a minute here) released one of the heaviest albums of the year—and in this humble scribe’s view, one of the best.
This is blackened death metal at its darkest and heaviest. There might only be six tracks on All What Did the Blade Reveal, but the band milk every ounce of blunt force trauma out of every single second of their furious creation. The blast beats on “Colours of Woe” threaten to blow even the most resilient speakers, while “Irredeemable” drops in like an armored juggernaut after a brief acoustic respite.
The frantically heavy sound of this record reminds me of Vukari at their best. “Carving the Augury” sounds like it was recorded at the bottom of the ocean and needs decompression stops to prevent it from imploding, which is a general description of what you’ll hear for all 41 minutes of this glorious beast.
https://lijkschouwer.bandcamp.com/album/all-what-did-the-blade-reveal
2. CORONER, DISSONANCE THEORY
I love a good comeback album as much as the next guy, but I didn’t expect the Swiss legends in Coroner to deliver one of the most iconic comeback records in recent memory.
For a band that’s spent more time apart than it’s been together, I simply was blown straight the fuck away by how focused each track on Dissonance Theory really is. From the melodic retro-thrash of “Consequence” to the galloping, satisfying ride of “Trinity,” this entire record is infectious. At 60 years old, bassist/vocalist Ron Royce might as well be ageless. His vocal delivery is sharper than ever, and that’s to say nothing of Tommy Baron’s ingenious riffage, driven with the tactical-nuke precision of Diego Rapacchietti’s drums.
“Trinity” might be my song of the year, if we’re being honest, but “Symmetry,” “The Law,” and “Transparent Eye” are easily up there with Coroner’s vintage material. This isn’t a comeback for the sake of comebacks by any stretch of the imagination. At long last, Coroner is back and better than ever.
https://coronerofficial.bandcamp.com/album/dissonance-theory-24-bit-hd-audio
1. PSYCHONAUT, WORLD MAKER
I can’t say enough about how much I loved Psychonaut’s latest opus, so I’ll lean on what I already said about it a few months ago:
Few bands can skate their way across the subgenre divide as skillfully as Belgium’s Psychonaut. And with World Maker, they’ve not only expertly navigated subgenre divisions, but they’ve also raised the bar for anyone who tries to follow.
Albums like World Maker, in which the incredibly talented trio out-maneuver themselves in every musical effort, just don’t come around very often. It’s a perfect nexus of doom, psych, post-metal, and prog. Tracks with monumentally complex but still catchy grooves like “Endless Currents” wouldn’t sound out of place on a Leprous album. Others like “You Are the Sky” feature the paint-peeling roar of vocalist/guitarist Stefan de Graef, also of Hippotraktor, as he expertly trades rounds with the cleans of bassist Thomas Michiels.
Each of the 10 tracks here is most certainly its own separate journey, but at no point does Psychonaut ever lose the plot. The temptation for branching off into self-indulgence might’ve been high in some moments during the writing process, namely the brilliant instrumental “Origins,” but its Floyd-isms never come across as anything but transcendent. How one band can seamlessly sound like so much without being derivative is an achievement in and of itself, and World Maker is an absolutely essential listen.