Still November, but haven't got a chance to listen to much new stuff this year so hoping to cram in some recommendations!
Allegaeon - The Ossuary Lens
Revocation - New Gods, New Masters
Coroner - Dissonance Theory
Slough Feg - Traveller Supplement
Warbringer - Wrath and Ruin
They're probably the five I've kept coming back to. Few other decent efforts from Imperial Triumphant, Rivers of Nihil, and the new Testament was surprisingly good
Been sleeping on a lot of the recent black/death stuff so need to check more of those out, the new Qrixkour sounds decent so far
In no particular order, albums/EPs I enjoyed this year:
Slomatics: Atomicult
Swans: Birthing
Nadja: Cut
Coroner: Dissonance Theory
Ruairí O'Baoighill: DVYLL
Nomadic Rituals: Fust
Unbelievable Lake: I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream
Testament: Para Bellum
Bell Witch & Aerial Ruin: Stygian Bough Volume II
Ad Hominem: Totalitarian Black Metal
Conan: Violence Dimension
Pariah: Violence Is A Curse
Old Skin: Wails Of Ten Thousand
Late entry - Blut Aus Nord: Ethereal Horizons
Weird one as I've been going back a few years as opposed to 25 stuff.
But have been going back to these a fair bit
Coroner: Dissonance Theory.
Castle Rat:The Bestiary.
Drain:Is Your Friend.
Messa:The Spin
Album of the year:
Coroner - Dissonance Theory
Notable mention:
Void - Forbidden Morals
Best of the rest:
Masters of Reality - The Archer
Gaupa - Fyr
Fallujah - Xenomorph
Dream Theater - Parasomnia
Cardiacs - LSD
Haven't listened to a huge amount of new stuff this year. These are five I keep returning to:
Thaumaturgy - Pestilential Hymns
Vile Apparition - Malignity
Diabolizer - Murderous Revelations
Castrator - Coronation of the Grotesque
Visceral - Eyes, Teeth and Bones
Revocation, Coroner, Imperial Triumphant, Voidceremony for me. Have listened to fuck all new this year to be fair.
Probably gonna go all out this year and do a Top 40 near Xmas, too much stuff I think deserves a mention.
Apologies in advance for clogging the thread up.
For sure the new Coroner is in my top ten and Qrixkuor's masterpiece, also the new BaN drops shortly so I'm holding out for that one, I'd also add the new Malthusian to my list! As mentioned so many quality albums released this year.
It's up online man if you can't wait
Tempting.
I absolutely can't be fucked making a list, it's "LSD" by Cardiacs for me by some distance. No Future would be a close second.
Fairly sure it's Umlaut up top of the list for me but I will have to look over whatever has actually come out this year again, I am behind on a few listens. I fuckin love that Umlaut album though, it was on daily there for months.
Coroner,Qrixquor and Suffering Hour the best for me.
I think Qrixquor stands head and shoulders above everything else though.
Forbidden Temple - In The Rotting Grave
Havukruunu- Tavastland
Void - Forbidden Morals
Slough Feg - Traveller Supplement
Suffering Hour EP
They're the ones jumping out at the moment. Haven't gotten around to the Qruixkuor yet.
Maybe the new Grenadier album is in with a shout too but I've only given it a listen twice so far.
I've also got the new Bergfried needing more listens before deciding if it's genius or nonsense.
Forgot about the new Suffering Hour. Top notch. As is Malthusian.
Has to be the Coroner album really I think.
The Paradise Lost album this year is far better than it has any right to be too.
Quote from: Floss on November 28, 2025, 01:04:53 PMHas to be the Coroner album really I think.
The Paradise Lost album this year is far better than it has any right to be too.
Yes it is. I am still catching up on releases from 2024, so aside from Paradise Lost,Coroner and Testament I haven't heard much else from 2025.
Teitanblood and Century were 2 great albums from this year I loved too.
Must go back to the Century album. Loved the first one but the new one didn't grab me.
Qrixkuor
Teitanblood
Pissgrave
Necromaniac
SexMag
Forbidden Temple
Gjendød
Mortual
Mephitic Corpse
Plenty I need to go back to and still loads to check out.
Still haven't listened to that Teitanblood album, forgot all about it. Same with the Suffering Hour EP.
I'll give them a spin tomorrow.
I listened to a bit of the new Omegavortex today.
I think I might have found a band that my ears are too delicate for.
I'll give it a few more spins anyway.
Coroner - Dissonance Theory
The new Gjendød isn't doing much for me. It's good but not a patch on their previous run of albums.
Quote from: Eoin McLove on November 29, 2025, 06:07:48 AMThe new Gjendød isn't doing much for me. It's good but not a patch on their previous run of albums.
I still haven't ordered it. Angrymetalguy reviewed it and the overall verdict was that it's good but they didn't reach their full potential.
The first and fourth are still my favourites with the fifth not far behind.
The albums I'm going back to the most from this year are
Agnostic Front - Echoes In Eternity
Biohazard - Divided We Fall
Knives - Glitter
Born From Pain - Siege Mentality
Scour - Gold
Malthusian - The Summoning Bell
The new Malefic Throne is brilliant, need to listen to it more though.
Forgot about Suffering Hour. Definitely there.
Checked out the new Malefic Throne yesterday. Too early to make a call on it but sounded good.
If you're mentioning Paradise Lost or Testament as a record of the year you need to expand your musical horizons - two albums recorded on auto pilot
Quote from: open face surgery on November 29, 2025, 11:10:14 AMForgot about Suffering Hour. Definitely there.
Checked out the new Malefic Throne yesterday. Too early to make a call on it but sounded good.
I've spun that a load of times, it's savage. Gene is in top form. There is some amazing interplay between him and Longstreth on it.
I would've preferred to hear Gene doing vocals on it, but I guess there is already enough overlap with Perdition Temple as it is.
The new Perdition Temple album is savage too, by the way.
Ya, I have that lined up as well. First tune I heard didn't do a thing, eird production, but I'll give the full thing a go.
Yes, the production is a big departure from Sacraments of Descension, which was the best production they've had so far.
The two songs they released prior to the album are probably the weakest tracks on it, although both have their moments.
The title track (which was the second one they released) has a really cool riff at the start with the flanger going 90.
Definitely agreed on the Sexmag and Necromaniac. The Necromaniac in particular is one of the most interesting metal albums in the last few years, can't be easy to meld so many styles together and still have the album flow so well.
I think overall album of the year for me is Vultures Vengeance - Dust Age. Their earlier stuff was good but this is another level altogether. Like a mix of Cirith Ungol, Crimson Glory, Adramelch and Twisted Tower Dire. The best heavy metal album I've heard in years.
Yep the Necromaniac is well up the pecking order for me, even a tilt at No.1 is possible.
Shit, must go back to that VV, cheers
Ya, it's on the list for me as well.
Must give it a blast, passed me by.
It has been one of the better years release wise some but not all of the stuff I enjoyed below
The two best releases
Warloghe - Logos of All-That-Ends
Pissgrave - Malignant Worthlessness
Others that deserve a mention
Vadhakarmadhikarin - Tejashvi Akramakh Validaan
Kaevum - Ultra
Hexerei - Realms
Haemorrhage - Emetic Cult 3.0
End It - Wrong Side Of Heaven
Alienator - Meat Locker
I still have to get the new Clandestine Blaze.
Warloghe is great on first listen. Loved their last one and it was perfectly coupled with the Helwetti album that came out around the same time.
2 listens into the new Clandestine Blaze and it's deadly. Didn't give anytime to the last one but he's been very consistent in quality.
Forgot about Mephitic Corpse, really enjoyed that one. Teitanblood as well, surprised how much I liked it. Necromantic Worship deserves a mention too.
I really need to pick up the Voidceremony and Qrixquor after Xmas.
I only gave it one listen earlier, but the new Blut Aus Nord will have to go onto my list, it sounded great.
oh shit, I forgot ARROWS - Yearning Arrows,Cloven Suns
The new Abominator album is out I doubt it will be an AOTY contender but will definitely be one to check out for those that are into the Cemetery Urn style Oz dm bands.
Void - Forbidden Morals is the only one I can think of that I really liked this year. Haven't listened to much new stuff tbh.
Perdition Temple - Malign Apotheosis
Sijjin - Meat and Potatoes Combat
Malthusian - The Summoning Bell
Suffering Hour - Impelling Rebirth
I tried to get into the new Ulcerate, but it still hasn't clicked for me. Not as immediate as Stare into Death and Be Still.
The Malefic Throne album is really good, but Tuckers vocals let it down a bit.
Hehe ye got the Sijjin right enough, I like it alright though
1914 the current front runner
Yeah?.Didn't like all the lengthy breaks in play in that at all, they really want mad on the setting the scene stuff didn't they?
Quote from: TurnTheAirBlue on December 06, 2025, 01:33:36 AMI tried to get into the new Ulcerate, but it still hasn't clicked for me. Not as immediate as Stare into Death and Be Still.
The last Ulcerate was released during the summer of 2024. I saw them live for the first time 3 weeks ago with Spirit Possession supporting and they were great live. Probably the closest sounding band to DSO that actually play live.
Ah, thought that was this year. Don't know why, probably old age!
Not to many 2025 releases here
In no particular order my top five
Fauna Ochre & Ash
Mizmor & Hell Alluvion
Grayceon Then The Darkness
Turian Blood Quantum Blues
Sumac & Moor Mother The Film
1. Seven Sisters - Shadow of a Fallen Star PT 2.
2. The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Traveller Supplement 1: The Ephernal Glades EP
3. Litania - Litania
4. Christian Mistress - Children of the Earth
5. Messa - The Spin
6. Coroner - Dissonance Theory
7. Angel of Damnation - Ethereal Blasphemy
8. Lady Beast - Inner Alchemist
9. Wytch Hazel - V. Lamentations
10. Necromaniac - Sciomancy, Malediction & Rites Abominable
Seven Sisters and Slough Feg are the two stand outs for me. The Litania is also up there but don't know if it will have the same staying power as the other two. Four to ten could easily be the other way round.
Don't know any of those apart from the Necromaniac and Coroner, must have a nosy after I get my own list sorted.
Nothing really jumped out folr me this
year.
But! -
Mortual-Altar of Brutality,it got recommended on here and ive been listening to it most days!
Definitely up there with the best DM releases this year.
Yeah, it's class, good old fashioned, punishing DM
The new Worm album has leaked, not out officially until February so probably doesn't properly count for 2025, but it's absolutely stellar
Album of the year: Judicator - Concord
The rest of the top 10:
Amorphis - Borderland
Beholder - In the Temple of the Tyrant
Coroner - Dissonance Theory
Helloween - Giants and Monsters
Rage - A New World Rising
Sabaton - Legends
The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Traveller Supplemental
Void - Forbidden Morals
Warbringer - Wrath and Ruin
a lot of good recommendations here. I'll contribute with Osgraef - reveries of the arcane eye
https://amorfatiproductions.bandcamp.com/album/osgraef-reveries-of-the-arcane-eye
Thought I was nearly done with a list and I found another few bits at the weekend that are lethal and slipped past me. Thought I had a bad year for finding new music but it's been pretty decent looking back on it. I need another week or two lol
Top 5 most enjoyable for me would be.
Battle Beast - Steelebound.
Sabaton - Legends.
Testament - Para Bellum.
Hammer King - Make Metal Royal Again.
Primal Fear - Domination.
The best of rest from 2025...
Helloween - Giants & Monsters
Burning Witches - Inquisition
Majestica - Power Train
Volbeat - God Of Angels Trust
Ghost - Skeleta
Avantasia - Here Be Dragons
Dynazty - Game Of Faces
Wytch Hazel - V: Lamentations
Arch Enemy - Blood Dynasty
Coroner is the only album worth a mention from me this year.
Jesus, How many did you hear or get?
Quote from: Anvil on December 08, 2025, 04:26:42 PM1. Seven Sisters - Shadow of a Fallen Star PT 2.
2. The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Traveller Supplement 1: The Ephernal Glades EP
3. Litania - Litania
4. Christian Mistress - Children of the Earth
5. Messa - The Spin
6. Coroner - Dissonance Theory
7. Angel of Damnation - Ethereal Blasphemy
8. Lady Beast - Inner Alchemist
9. Wytch Hazel - V. Lamentations
10. Necromaniac - Sciomancy, Malediction & Rites Abominable
Seven Sisters and Slough Feg are the two stand outs for me. The Litania is also up there but don't know if it will have the same staying power as the other two. Four to ten could easily be the other way round.
Ive seen this band and album mentioned alot online for album of the year mentions.
What type of music do they play as Im not familiar with any of their stuff?
Which band?? I presume Seven Sisters but there's a few mentioned? I heard Seven Sisters on bandcamp radio and said I must get back to them but haven't. Really good heavy metal, which wouldn't normally be my thing at all.
From the same show I discovered Hexecutor - that's my AOTY so far. I must get around to the new Veilburner yet though... I bought the new Amorphis at release but have yet to get around to listening to it, d'oh! Roll on the fecking holidays
I must revisit Seven Sisters. I heard them years ago and found them competent, and well played and produced, but utterly devoid of character or memorability.
I really like the Seven Sisters debut, played it a lot last year. I somehow completely missed this new one. I have the second one on record somewhere but don't remember it making much of an impression, will give them both a lash later.
Quote from: Snare on December 20, 2025, 01:05:52 AMWhich band??
Messa, I believe.
Haven't heard that one, their last album was pretty good but didn't have much staying power for me.
That Messa album is brilliant. Doom, with blues and Jazz elements...but this album has a fairly heavy post punk / Cure influence. Yer one is some singer too.
Quote from: Snare on December 20, 2025, 01:05:52 AMWhich band?? I presume Seven Sisters but there's a few mentioned? I heard Seven Sisters on bandcamp radio and said I must get back to them but haven't. Really good heavy metal, which wouldn't normally be my thing at all.
Messa!
From the same show I discovered Hexecutor - that's my AOTY so far. I must get around to the new Veilburner yet though... I bought the new Amorphis at release but have yet to get around to listening to it, d'oh! Roll on the fecking holidays
Quote from: Blizzard Beast on December 20, 2025, 07:40:18 AMQuote from: Snare on December 20, 2025, 01:05:52 AMWhich band?? I presume Seven Sisters but there's a few mentioned? I heard Seven Sisters on bandcamp radio and said I must get back to them but haven't. Really good heavy metal, which wouldn't normally be my thing at all.
From the same show I discovered Hexecutor - that's my AOTY so far. I must get around to the new Veilburner yet though... I bought the new Amorphis at release but have yet to get around to listening to it, d'oh! Roll on the fecking holidays
Messa!
Quote from: Mr Barlow on December 20, 2025, 07:13:38 AMThat Messa album is brilliant. Doom, with blues and Jazz elements...but this album has a fairly heavy post punk / Cure influence. Yer one is some singer too.
Interesting,il check it out -Thanks
.
I saw Seven Sisters at KIT this year. From all I had heard about them beforehand, I was expecting much, much more. No spark, bland, by-the-numbers heavy metal which is nowhere near as good as I suspect they think it is. I really don't see the appeal at all.
Just want to say this thread has been absolutely brilliant for a 90s mwtalhead like myself who hasn't moved on much from Cannibal, Obituary, Deicide etc
I'm really bad at listening to much modern death metal, beyond Blood Incantation and a couple of others, appreciate all your lists folks, cheers!
Huge standout for me so far is the Mortual album, Holy fuck more like that please!!! Crushing stuff
Took a few listens for the Seven Sisters album to really click, but when it did I was completely hooked and still am.Think there has been a massive jump in their songwriting on this one. Ended up being my go to gardening album.
Another album that isn't on my initial list but am hooked on at the moment is One of Nine - Dawn of the Iron Shadow. Nothing new or original but I'm a sucker for anything inspired by Lord of the Rings. Probably stick this in at 3 or 4.
Impurity-The Eternal Sleep, this was another belter!
I ordered that Impurity along with the Imperishable from Hammerheart but it was out of stock and I never got back to it but I liked what I heard online.
In an attempt to test my patience for being online to the absolute limits I'm going to throw up fifty favourites from the year over the next few days, in some sort of order though you can't compare a lot of these varying styles. To preserve some sort of sanity the only way to do this, is going piece by piece...
50. Primal Fear - Domination
Mixed bag of Heavy Metal anthems but the good were very good.
49. Helm's Deep - Chasing The Dragon
The title and the album cover will tell you all you need to know .
48. Crimson Butchery - Stalker
Got my Cannibal Corpse fix from these homeboys
47.Vacuous - In His Blood
Brit Death Metallers breaking the mo(u)ld and finding their own niche on their second outing.
46. Necrokinesis - Death Is The Hammer
Homegrown power thrash that really caught me by surprise this year , catchy ,neck snapping stuff.
45. Hexecutor - Where Spirit Withers In It's Flesh Constraint
Very well executed progressive blackened thrash, French vocals alienated me a bit though.
44. Graceless - Icons Of Ruin
First pick up by this Dutch Doom Death band for me and I'll be looking to nab their previous ones.
43. Void Ceremony - Abditum
Mind bending tech death which I'm currently having a love/hate relationship with but at just under a half-hour it's a tight, succinct listen.
42. Sargeist - Savage riffing this year from one of my favourite BM bands but a monotonous vocal performance let it down.
41. Judicator - Concord
Another new band to me though this is their seventh overall, quality U.S. power Metal akin to Blind Guardian and the like.
40. Pyre - Where Obscurity Sways
Russians filled the Dismember sized hole in nicely this year.
Quote from: Beedle on December 20, 2025, 09:28:33 AMJust want to say this thread has been absolutely brilliant for a 90s mwtalhead like myself who hasn't moved on much from Cannibal, Obituary, Deicide etc
I'm really bad at listening to much modern death metal, beyond Blood Incantation and a couple of others, appreciate all your lists folks, cheers!
Huge standout for me so far is the Mortual album, Holy fuck more like that please!!! Crushing stuff
The Insineratehymn album this year was good ,punishing DM in the same vein as Mortual if ya can't get enough.
"Scimitarium I" is coming up hot on the rails.
For fans of Negative Plane, early Tribulation....
39. Testament - Para Bellum
Atrocious ballad aside this wasn't bad at all though I'm not big on them bringing in all that Dragonlord style, keep it thrash guys.
38.Helloween - Giants and Monsters
Takes a while for this to get going but from 'Tokyo' on it does the job.
37. Phrenelith - Ashen Womb
Cavernous Death Metal can get tiresome but this focussed on good song writing rather than suffocating with atmospherics.
36. Rage - A New World Rising
Uplifting Heavy Metal from Peavy and Co, a rare case of some positive vibes this year.
35.Grave Infestation - Carnage Gathers
From Canada but this is Death Metal from the bowels of hell, many spins of this in 2025.
34. Sodom - The Arsonist
Yet another Kantor artwork this year (am I the only one fed up with them?) the album itself sags in places under it's own weight but I went back for more often enough.
33.Imperishable - Swallowing The World
The first track is blatant Dismember plagiarism but over all a satisfying melodic SweDeath affair.
32.Beholder - In The Temple Of The Tyrant
Epic Trad Doom debut featuring the vocalist from Judicator, quality stuff.
31.Helstar - The Devil's Masquerade
Good to have the Texan prog-power veterans back this year with a set of tracks that would probably appeal to fans of Nevermore.
30. Ancient Death - Ego Dissolution
Not really the Obituary worship the cover would suggest, there's chuggy Death here no doubt but these boys have more strings to their bow here on their Profound Lore debut.
Quote from: Ollie on December 22, 2025, 04:58:33 PM"Scimitarium I" is coming up hot on the rails.
For fans of Negative Plane, early Tribulation....
What's this?
Didn't realise Helstar had a new release this year. Must check it out.
Yeah, definitely worth a listen, Rivera forging on strong still at 65.
May as well unload some more..
29.Dream Theater - Parasomnia
A very early highlight of the year, thought they hit a bit of form here and kept the wankery in check.
28.Benediction - Ravage Of Empires
A career best from these boys I'd say.
27. Species - Changelings
Polish tech thrash mavericks did sooo much right here..then spoofed the band photos.
26. Obscura - A Sonication
I saw a lot of complaints about the production on this but it didn't bother me, enjoyed it .
25. Grave Digger - Bone Collector
Perennial strangers to year end lists yet the Germans got in my good books with this catchy cache of bangers way back in January.
24. Paradox - Mysterium
Basically just Charly left now but I found this a good sister album to the Helstar this year.
23. Phantom - Tyrants Of Death
Serious turntable time for these young Mexican muthas this year, speed/thrash goodness, studs and leather abound.
22. Paradise Lost - Ascension
Sticking to a tried and tested formula and that's fine by me. As long as they're out there. Doing their thing. For all us sinners.
21. Pissgrave - Malignant Worthlessness
Gave myself a regular sandblasting with this thing throughout the year. Absolute animalistic catharsis.
20. Imperialist - Prime
First time I picked up something by these modern BM cosmonauts, really liking their scathing attack and earworm tracks.
Quote from: Slaughterday on November 29, 2025, 09:35:37 PMI think overall album of the year for me is Vultures Vengeance - Dust Age. Their earlier stuff was good but this is another level altogether. Like a mix of Cirith Ungol, Crimson Glory, Adramelch and Twisted Tower Dire. The best heavy metal album I've heard in years.
Listening to this here now for the first time. Seriously great gear :abbath: I'd def add Blind Guardian to your list of mix ingredients: vocalist is a dead ringer for Hansi Kürsch, with moments of yer man from RAM in there too.
Quote from: Eoin McLove on December 23, 2025, 02:57:17 AMQuote from: Ollie on December 22, 2025, 04:58:33 PM"Scimitarium I" is coming up hot on the rails.
For fans of Negative Plane, early Tribulation....
What's this?
Quote from: Eoin McLove on December 23, 2025, 02:57:17 AMQuote from: Ollie on December 22, 2025, 04:58:33 PM"Scimitarium I" is coming up hot on the rails.
For fans of Negative Plane, early Tribulation....
What's this?
Band is called Scimitar from Denmark. Female vox, mixes BM with classic metal and occult rock. I found the song writing very good
Must check that out. On "paper" it sounds like Occultation, who are class.
Xmas Eve, sure what would ye be at..
19. Hooded Menace - Lachyrmose Monuments Of Obscuration
Sounding a lot less menacing these days, in fact these Death Doom merchants are rocking out all over this thing. Is that even allowed???!
18. Burning Witches - Inquisition
Guilty of pleasuring myself to these witch's latest batch of barnstormers.
17. Hesperia - Fra Li Monti Sibillini
Italian Pagan Black Metal with myriad atmospheric interludes, at over 76 minutes long the sheer amount of work that must have went into this, for one man, is astonishing.
16. Evoken - Medacium
Another beautiful work from Evoken, though a few jarring faster parts that took you out of the melancholia ecstatica momentarily.
15.Void - Forbidden Morals
Haunted Louisiana Thrash? Who knew? Great effort.
14. Coroner - Dissonance Theory
Yup, a bit lower than most people would have it seemingly, very good of course, hmm..I dunno, too much modern sounding bombast and dynamics to smash into my top ten.
13.Innumerable Forms - Pain Effulgence
I've been drawing a direct line for months now between the new records from Paradise Lost < Hooded Menace < Innumerable Forms, it's almost like three stages of the same band, these boys being at the roots of the sound where the former once were.
12. Qrixkuor - The Womb Of The World
Not fully settled with this yet , not fully certain they haven't overdone the bells and whistles on it but certainly will be giving it plenty more listens in the coming months.
11. Blut Aus Nord - Ethereal Horizons
This is stunning, no doubt, mutifaceted, challenging as ever and totally absorbing. When push comes to shove though I prefer spiteful riffs to ethereal horizons.
And my favourite ten for the year..
10. Sanhedrin - Heat Lightning
Straight up, in your face Hard Rock/Heavy Metal with a gem of a vocalist in Erica Stoltz, I've near wore out the grooves on this thing this year.
9. Warfield - With The Old Breed
If you're gonna have a young band doing nostalgic thrash they may as well be German and these boys nailed it.
8. Malthusian - The Summoning Bell
Encapsulating all the weight of the sodden Irish soil on this desolate, devastating opus. One of two outstanding, devastating drumming performances for me this year as well.
7.Sacrifice - Volume VI
Canadian thrash overlords return with over a decade and a half of pent up aggression and lay down the law good and proper.
6. Mortual - Altar Of Brutality
Punishing OSDM from Costa Rica, this is as pure a distillation of the likes of Morbid Angel, Monstrosity and Autopsy as you're likely to hear. Killer stuff.
5.Necromaniac - Sciomancy, Malediction and Rites Abominable
London based hellhounds finally deliver on their promise with a beast of occult inspired Black/Death/ Thrash, this honestly reminded me of the first time I heard Mayhem.
4. Runemagick - Cycle Of The Dying Sun
All the work of Rudolfsson alone this time and what a work it is, lurching, mountainous Doom Death riffs engulf you from the start and even the bonus tracks on the CD don't make this overstay it's welcome. Quality from an old hand.
For the Top Three I've gone with one from my three favourite styles.
Best Thrash..
3. Deathammer - Crimson Dawn
This is an utterly savage, bloodthirsty mauling of an album from these pair of maniacs, the rawness of delivery akin to early Bathory , drop the needle on this and after a brief calm before the storm, prepare to have your throat torn out.
Best Death..
2. Teitanblood - From The Visceral Abyss
This took a while but once it clicked it was always going to top my domain of Death this year, more riffy and not as buried in the murk than before, this was a maelstrom I went back to again and again. This was the other devastating drum performance too.
Best Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal..
1. Tokyo Blade - Time Is the Fire
Fourteen tracks across an hour and fifteen minutes, I did not expect to have spun this so much this year but in truth there's not a single song amongst this classy collection that I'd leave out here such is the quality and variety on offer. If I had to pick one maybe it'd be the Lizzyesque 'Soldier On'.
A real rocker of a an album that brought me back decades. Victory for the old guard!
I've only heard 9 of your 50, Mr Thorn. Plenty of stuff I need to give a listen to, especially that Tokyo Blade.
Well you have good times ahead so! Me, I'm looking forward to listening to anything not 2025 for the next month. 8)
Quote from: Thorn on December 26, 2025, 06:29:43 PMAnd my favourite ten for the year..
10. Sanhedrin - Heat Lightning
Straight up, in your face Hard Rock/Heavy Metal with a gem of a vocalist in Erica Stoltz, I've near wore out the grooves on this thing this year.
9. Warfield - With The Old Breed
If you're gonna have a young band doing nostalgic thrash they may as well be German and these boys nailed it.
8. Malthusian - The Summoning Bell
Encapsulating all the weight of the sodden Irish soil on this desolate, devastating opus. One of two outstanding, devastating drumming performances for me this year as well.
7.Sacrifice - Volume VI
Canadian thrash overlords return with over a decade and a half of pent up aggression and lay down the law good and proper.
6. Mortual - Altar Of Brutality
Punishing OSDM from Costa Rica, this is as pure a distillation of the likes of Morbid Angel, Monstrosity and Autopsy as you're likely to hear. Killer stuff.
5.Necromaniac - Sciomancy, Malediction and Rites Abominable
London based hellhounds finally deliver on their promise with a beast of occult inspired Black/Death/ Thrash, this honestly reminded me of the first time I heard Mayhem.
4. Runemagick - Cycle Of The Dying Sun
All the work of Rudolfsson alone this time and what a work it is, lurching, mountainous Doom Death riffs engulf you from the start and even the bonus tracks on the CD don't make this overstay it's welcome. Quality from an old hand.
For the Top Three I've gone with one from my three favourite styles.
Best Thrash..
3. Deathammer - Crimson Dawn
This is an utterly savage, bloodthirsty mauling of an album from these pair of maniacs, the rawness of delivery akin to early Bathory , drop the needle on this and after a brief calm before the storm, prepare to have your throat torn out.
Best Death..
2. Teitanblood - From The Visceral Abyss
This took a while but once it clicked it was always going to top my domain of Death this year, more riffy and not as buried in the murk than before, this was a maelstrom I went back to again and again. This was the other devastating drum performance too.
Best Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal..
1. Tokyo Blade - Time Is the Fire
Fourteen tracks across an hour and fifteen minutes, I did not expect to have spun this so much this year but in truth there's not a single song amongst this classy collection that I'd leave out here such is the quality and variety on offer. If I had to pick one maybe it'd be the Lizzyesque 'Soldier On'.
A real rocker of a an album that brought me back decades. Victory for the old guard!
Nice work mr T,Mortual sounds interesting will defo check them out.
Hooded menace has its moments.Reminds me of Amorphis in parts.
Surprised no yellow eyes or Arkhaaik got a mention as they released good solid albums this year.
Had to check the Archives for both those my man, weren't even on my radar, you're deeper down in the caverns than I am!
Quote from: Thorn on December 26, 2025, 10:03:53 PMHad to check the Archives for both those my man, weren't even on my radar, you're deeper down in the caverns than I am!
I just cherry pick albums from people's lists if the same album keeps cropping up or the artwork is catching.Im sure there's some decent ones in your own lists I missed 8)
Cryptosis - Celestial Death
Liked their last few, but hadn't even realised they had a new one out this year until the missus got me a copy for Christmas. Great stuff, some more black metal style riffs, added synths, but still very much still the sci-fi thrash mould
The Rolling Stones end of year list name checks Mourning Beloveth, which I thought was pretty cool:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-metal-albums-2025-1235484417/coroner-dissonance-theory-1235484429/
Well that's going to baffle plenty but yeah I see it now
Grave Infestation - Carnage Gathers
Phantom - Wrath Of Tyrants
Teitanblood - From The Visceral Abyss
Quote from: Thorn on December 26, 2025, 06:29:43 PM8. Malthusian - The Summoning Bell
Encapsulating all the weight of the sodden Irish soil on this desolate, devastating opus. One of two outstanding, devastating drumming
Cheers man.
Literally my pleasure.
The Summoning Fap
Quote from: Thorn on December 26, 2025, 06:47:35 PMWell you have good times ahead so! Me, I'm looking forward to listening to anything not 2025 for the next month. 8)
Picked up the Tokyo Blade, really enjoying it so far. Though listening to another band sing about the Charge of the Light Brigade is a bit weird.
This thread will be a goldmine for January. Will post a few bits up tomorrow sometime that haven't been mentioned yet for anyone going back through it too.
Quote from: Anvil on December 31, 2025, 09:11:07 PMQuote from: Thorn on December 26, 2025, 06:47:35 PMWell you have good times ahead so! Me, I'm looking forward to listening to anything not 2025 for the next month. 8)
Picked up the Tokyo Blade, really enjoying it so far. Though listening to another band sing about the Charge of the Light Brigade is a bit weird.
Hehe yes that's a strange one alright, I'm in the process now of hunting down their old ones that I don't have, have to admit they always passed me by a bit before but that new one really got me.
First two albums are worth it, but didn't like anything else from their 80s output from the snippets that I have heard.