Dec 052025
 

(Andy Synn kicks off “List Week” a little early with a round-up of all the EPs he’s checked out this year)

All going to plan today is Friday 05 December, which means that tomorrow I’m heading to Switzerland for a mini-honeymoon (the proper one will be sometime next year).

Don’t fret though, as while I won’t be “physically” around the site as much I’ll still be taking over NCS entirely next week to publish my annual lists of everything I’ve listened to (enough to have formed a solid opinion, at least) this year, beginning with the “Disappointing” albums on Monday, then the “Good”, “Great”, “Critical Top Ten”, and “Personal Top Ten” (in that order).

Before then, however, I wanted to round-up all the various EPs (and related short-form releases) I managed to get in my ears this year (more than last year, I think, which is always nice), which also includes – at the end of the article – my personal favourites of the year.

As always you’ll find links to stream every single release here – which, I suppose I need to stress, is not in any way a definitive list! – so hopefully at least some of you will have the good sense to bookmark this page and spend some time over the next couple of weeks checking out some very deserving bands!

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May 082025
 

(Andy Synn highlights four recent EPs he thinks you need to hear)

Today’s collection of “short but sweet” reviews features four ripping releases from across the ‘core spectrum – from blazing Blackened Metalcore and filthy, fire-breathing Crust to monstrous, Death Metal-influenced Metallic Hardcore and visceral Post-Screamo violence – which serve to remind us all that this sort of music truly lives in the moment, delivering a short, sharp (but also sweet) shock to the system devoid of pretense or pretention, each of them possessing an immediacy and intensity, as well as a sense of individuality, which makes them impossible to ignore.

Well, that’s how I feel anyway. Let’s see if you do too.

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