16
Djevel
Natt Til Ende
Aftermath Music
It is difficult to believe that Djevel were formed in 2009. Pick any record in the Norwegian’s act discography and you would swear it was produced at the height of black metal’s creativity in the ‘90s. Still, their latest work, and the end in a trilogy, Natt Til Ende continues to be defined by the genre’s second wave. The point of reference here is Mayhem’s astounding De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, from which Djevel draw all of their blasphemous, grand demeanor. It infects Natt Til Ende, from the big orating vocal delivery to the twisted, eerie melodies. Still, that is not where Djevel stop. They instead also draw influence from the more minimal sides of the genre, be it the laconic Darkthrone essence. At the same time, the magical quality, this obsession with the lunar and nocturnal brings memories of Ulver’s earliest days. While I am aware that I am mentioning some very big names here, this is the quality of Djevel. They stand by their influences and they live up to them.
17
Spells
Past Our Prime
Big Neck Records, Keep It a Secret Records, Rad Girlfriend Records, Shield Recordings, Snappy Little Numbers
Calling your record Past Our Prime and then having a song named “Past My Prime” is messing with my head as I write this. But while there is no arguing that SPELLS are a self-aware band, that’s about as much as they’ll really mess with the listener on this record, titled (again), Past Our Prime. Musically speaking, the band play verse-chorus-verse peppy punk that’s anchored in the art of the singalong. The band frequently uses call and response, dual vocal tradeoffs and well-timed harmonies to keep the energy moving. The songs on Past Our Prime may often be about hardship, but the vibe is that we’re all on this crazy ride together so you may as well blow off some steam and have some fun while you’re at it. SPELLS is willing to let their hair down and have some fun. You should too.
– Loren
18
Chat Pile
Cool World
The Flenser
Just look at the album cover to get a feel for Chat Pile's harsh take on modern middle America. The harsh death metal font meets a dreary suburban landscape. It's blunt and cold...and a much needed commentary.
19
Mouth Wound
Tallow
Handmade Birds
Mouth Wound is the project of artist extraordinaire, Trine Paaschburg, who dives head first into the intersection between dark ambient, noise, and industrial. Paaschburg has already been making some noise (no pun intended) with a few sparse releases, including her I Don't Know How To Fit Into This World Anymore EP, and her collaborations with blackened industrial noise fiends Demonologists. Tallow strikes a fine balance between harshness and sentiment. Whether Paaschburg adheres to the balance or becomes consumed by one of the two sides is not relevant. The result in Tallow is stunning, and it is a work that exalts Mouth Wound, as Paaschburg makes her case for reaching the current extreme/experimental pantheon.
20
Vicious Dreams
Turn Off My Brain
Brassneck Records, Dirt Cult, GC Records, Swamp Cabbage Records
Poppy punk from Florida, Vicious Dreams is a dual vocal trio who recently released Turn Off My Brain. This record follows the tried and true garage to rock to punk evolution of 4/4 songs with catchy choruses. What makes the group stand out is the way the two vocalists split duties and songwriting. It’s very clear when the songwriter changes, but not so much that it’s jarring. And sometimes the two styles come together and leave you dreaming of what’s to come. This record is short, fast and fun. It’s a pick-me-up in a scene that’s often focused on the negative and while it’s not perfect, I’m really intrigued where this band is headed. There are enough diverse (yet familiar) sounds on Turn Off My Brain that show a band still formulating its sound but I really like where it’s headed.
– Loren
21
The Necks
Bleed
Northern Spy
Any record The Necks release is a pathway to a deeply meditative experience. From the vastness of Open to the cinematic introspection of Vertigo and the constant build-up of Unfold, this act rarely (if at all) disappoints. Their latest offering, Bleed, sees them return to their most delicate strand of minimalism, patiently weaving their compositions in an attempt to uncover something beautiful and profound within. With Bleed, The Necks have produced another stunning work of experimental minimalism. And yet, there is something different about Bleed than the Aussie trio's previous works. There is a sense of wonder and peace that stays with you after the record has concluded, inviting you to revisit its magical essence time and time. And that is an even bigger achievement.
22
Peter Perrett
The Cleansing
Domino
Peter Perrett – The Cleansing weaves tales of seers and prophets foreboding the imminent future while celebrating yesteryear, magically engaging while melting the hands of time. Lyrically insightful, drawing the noose of yarns, letter by letter and word by word. Peter's clever pastiche dances around your palette like Dylan or Cohen. Essential!
23
Khirki
Κυκεώνας
Venerate Industries
After some initial hesitance I decided to give this second album by Khirki a chance. Let me tell you, halfway through the first song, this album and their debut where in my basket. Khirki uses Greek folk influences and combine it with something uptempo that is somewhere between hard rock and metal. A couple of minutes in, I started to focus more on the drumming and let me tell you: if the musical description doesn’t sell this album to you, the drumming probably will! This album has had a lot of spins and I still return to it on a regular basis. A very deserved first place in my yearlist!
– Dennis
24
Blood Incantation
Absolute Elsewhere
Century Media Records
There are moments on Absolute Elsewhere that are so mindboggling that their brilliance only unfolds after several, deeper listens to what is really going on in this death metal masterpiece. Masterpiece may sound like hyperbole, and yet it also doesn't seem like enough, with Blood Incantation pushing the outer limits of the genre further than most and still keeping the core true to its inspiration. Passages of curious progressive texture play against guttural roars and soaring solos, adding to the otherworldly aura that the band create. Absolute Elsewhere is a triumph, and that's putting it lightly.
– Cheryl
25
Keygen Church
Nel Nome del Codice
Metal Blade Records
Imagine a gothic cathedral alive with the echoes of a pipe organ, a soaring choir, and chiptune metal ripping through its sacred halls—this is Nel Nome Del Codice. Keygen Church’s latest album doesn’t aim to reinvent music but rather perfects its fusion of grandiose ecclesiastical soundscapes and high-energy digital metal. Vittorio D’Amore’s bold inclusion of a monumental choir elevates tracks like “La Chiave Del Mio Amor” into breathtaking, cinematic epics. Every moment feels like a sacred ritual colliding with a digital apocalypse, balancing haunting, cathedral-like drama with electrifying intensity. The genius of the album lies in how effortlessly it blends the familiar—pipe organs, sacred choirs, and gothic aesthetics—with the unexpected edge of chiptune metal. The result is a soundscape that feels both reverent and rebellious, delivering a bold, immersive experience. It’s music with a dramatic flair that captures the imagination and demands to be heard in all its epic glory.
26
Vial
Burnout
Get Better Records
They’re calling Vial indie-punk on the press releases I’m seeing. That’s probably as fair a description as any, as the DIY punk band covers a lot of sonic ground. What’s impressive is that on burnout, their second record, that varied sound all feels unified. The 10 songs here go from indie rock to angry punk to grungy to bouncy but, however it shifts from song to song, it manages the same core aesthetic. I’d simply call it punk, with strong influence from the riot grrl movement, but just as much interest in fun, party tunes as they have in loud, angry jams. Honestly, the songs here go by so fast that this feels more like an EP than LP to me, as a couple of one-minute jams feel more like transitional half-songs (that I still dig). The band also utilizes a fair amount of spoken word that’s borderline overdone. I like it in small doses, but they go back to the technique a little more often than this ear prefers. Ultimately though, “burn out” makes me feel energized instead of sick of it all. Well done, Vial.
– Loren
27
Pearl Jam
Dark Matter
Monkey Wrench, Republic
When Pearl Jam dropped Gigaton in 2020 - a mere two weeks after the world shut down, there was a lot of fear and uncertainty about what track we were on as a society, and even as a species. We clung to whatever north star could guide us through those dark times. So it really says something that still, four long years later, the purveying theme of Pearl Jam’s latest album Dark Matter is fear. Dark Matter isn’t the return-to-form to the days of Yield like some may be hoping, but it serves as a reminder that as we continue to age, continue to lose those we love, and continue to fear, there can still be some things to look forward to and embrace.
28
No Future
Mirror
Iron Lung
No Future are unleashing their debut record, following many short-fused, chaotic EPs and demos. The hardcore punk band from down under subscribes to the genre’s noisier, most extravagant, and brutal sub-division. Mirror’s energy is outright belligerent, capable of inflicting maximum damage with its minimalistic tendencies. The electrifying effect of “Silent Morality” is explosive, with a hi-hat sound capable of literal decapitation, it shatters everything around it. The songs here offer punishing, brutal psychedelia. It is an uncanny effect, an out-of-body experience that occurs at that very moment. This touch completes the harrowing, dark hardcore of No Future, and Mirror could not be a better introduction to this world of pain.
29
KMPFSPRT
Aus Gegebenem Anlass
Rookie Records
This year' s best punk release, no doubt. Aus Gegebenem Anlass is KMPFSPRT’s sixth album, and their experience shows in their to-the-point songs with a poppy edge. They sound way more serious than the usual suspects when I think about pop-punk, but there is still a certain lightness too. I guarantee a high replay value!
– Dennis
30
Vemod
The Deepening
Prophecy Productions
Waiting twelve years for an album from any band is a torture, waiting twelve years for a Vemod album is agony. The Norwegians have been working slowly on their second album since their debut of 2012, Venter på stormene, occasionally playing shows and teasing this new album only to leave us waiting and longing for more. With The Deepening, Vemod have moulded their black metal to fit the landscape of snow and ice that they call home. With passages of instrumental tones creating grand textures and layers of guitar bringing life to the cold vast space of the mountains. While black metal is the foundation of their sound, certainly, Vemod are not beholden to the genre in a way that restricts them and so this new album encompasses new pathways of sonic structure, and it does so with huge confidence.
– Cheryl
