Hello fellow Sputters, we are back with another edition of our contributor’s favorite songs of the month (plus yours truly lmao). Let’s see what JoyfulPlatypus, Shamus and Futures have to say about their favorites from October!
JoyfulPlatypus’ SOTM: Artificial Angels by Grimes
“Grimes has always been a very (for lack of a better word) interesting figure in the music industry. I could write an entire essay on why that is, but we’re here to discuss her new single, not her controversial public image. Outside of Art Angels, Grimes has never been what I would describe as a “pop artist.” She has always leaned more into the atmospheric side of things, and typically forgoes the big, catchy hooks typical of pop songs in favor of layered, complex synth melodies. “Artificial Angels” takes all the best elements of Grimes’ musical prowess and throws them into a blender. The result is a near-perfect three minutes that combines Grimes’ trademarked zaniness (after all, the song is written from the perspective of a rogue A.I. who is trying to hunt humans) with a sugary sweet earworm chorus. Some may hear this track and think of it as a bit of a clusterf**k, especially with the hyper-pop-esque glitchy vocals in the verses. To me, however, it clicks in a way that only Grimes could pull off. And, thankfully, the song is a perfect length. It’s just short enough not to overstay its welcome, yet just long enough…
A candid, gritty, and sometimes shocking look at the Norwegian black metal scene in the early 90s. If you’re wanting to know more about the infamous immergence of black metal in Norway – the church burnings, the murder of Euronymous, the Count Grishnackh Kerrang! interview, and other disturbing internal conflicts – as well as its cultural impacts on music in 2008, with a decent amount of footage following Darkthrone’s Fenriz around and giving his insight into it all, this is essential viewing. Until the Light Takes Us is a very compelling and well-made documentary that, like the rest of the documentaries on this list, is surprisingly raw and unfiltered in execution.
This one was recently recommended to me by our very own insomniac15, diving into the cut-throat nature of the music industry, told from the perspectives of a freelance musician, and what an iconic artist like Billy Joel, Rob Zombie or Alice Cooper looks for in a hired musician. Two highlights in particular really knocked me back, which involves Billy Joel’s story and Filter’s Richard Patrick, but I won’t spoil the moments if you’re intending to watch this documentary, as both sections really encompass what the industry can do to people when they’ve been involved in the industry for any decent amount of time. Suffice to say, like Until the Light Takes Us, Hired Gun…
Wow, we have somehow made it to November, which is Inspirational Role Models Month (among others). Remember: no matter how good you are at something, there’s always about a million people better than you. Below is a not-thorough list of new releases for November 7th, 2025. Feel free to jam the playlist below, let us know what you’re looking forward to this week (in music or otherwise), and start hyping up your favourite albums of 2025 in the comments — the time for voting is quickly approaching!
– List of Releases: November 7th, 2025 –
Agnostic Front – Echoes in Eternity Genre: Hardcore Punk / Rap Rock Label: Reigning Phoenix
Alexisonfire – Copies of Old Masters: Volume 1 [EP] Genre: Post-Hardcore / Post-Punk Revival Label: Dine Alone
Allie X – Happiness Is Going to Get You Genre: Sophisti-Pop / Neo-Psychedelia Label: AWAL
Armand Hammer & The Alchemist – Mercy Genre: Abstract Hip-Hop / Jazz Rap Label: Backwoodz
Armor For Sleep – There Is No Memory Genre: Emo-Pop / Alternative Rock Label: Equal Vision
Happy Halloween week, where spooky, scary skeletons send shivers down your spine and shrieking servers speak with such a screech in ensuring they stay alive long enough to give you yet another supernatural Weekly Releases post, this time for October 31st, 2025. Have a ghoul-d time this week, and remember: we must move forward, not backward. Upward, not forward! And always twirling, twirling, twirling toward freedom! This is indeed a disturbing universe.
– List of Releases: October 31st, 2025 –
adults – the seeds we sow are sprouting buds nonetheless Genre: Jangle Pop / Shoegaze Label: Fika
Anna von Hausswolff – ICONOCLASTS Genre: Art Rock / Post-Rock Label: YEAR0001
Avatar – Don’t Go in the Forest Genre: Alternative Metal / Groove Metal Label: Thirty Tigers / Black Waltz
Hi, everybody! Below is an unofficial list of new releases for October 24th, 2025. Feel free to jam the playlist below, let us know what you’re looking forward to this week (in music or otherwise), and remember: if you’re not sure about something, rub it against a piece of paper. If the paper turns clear, it’s your window to weight gain. Bye bye, everybody!
– List of Releases: October 24th, 2025 –
The Acacia Strain – You Are Safe From God Here Genre: Metalcore / Deathcore Label: Rise
Below is an unofficial list of new releases for October 17th, 2025. Feel free to jam the playlist below, let us know what you’re looking forward to this week (in music or otherwise), and remember: there’s no such thing as Scotchtoberfest. Until next time!
I’ve got with us today, musical prodigy, Raphael Weinroth-Brown, here to talk about his new album, Lifeblood, which comes out on the 3rd of October. It’s been a few years since we last spoke, so give us a bit of an up-to-date on what you’ve been doing the last few years.
Sure. I guess the last time we spoke was after the release of Inheritance, Musk Ox’s last record, so that would have been 2021. I released my live album Worlds Within Live and Inheritance within a week of each other in summer 2021.
A good year.
Yeah, it was a good year for releases, for sure. In 2022, I resumed touring with Leprous and got back on the road in the US and Canada in early 2022, then immediately after that I got involved in a contemporary dance project with Ottawa Dance Directive here in my hometown of Ottawa; that was a very immersive project which involved me performing my entire Worlds Within album. Following that, I started to play live quite a lot as a solo artist throughout 2022, so I was very active as a live performer, playing both material from Worlds Within as well as a plethora of new pieces that I was composing throughout the year, some of which ended up on Lifeblood. I did a very long tour with Leprous in the fall 2022-2023 with Apocalyptica; we did a European headline tour, 40 shows in 7 weeks, it was very long, so I was on…
Hi there everyone! Some staff and contribs have decided to start a new series featuring our top songs of each month. Hope everyone enjoys!
Hawks’ SOTM: Eos by Der Weg Einer Freiheit
“The guys in Der Weg Einer Freiheit always know how to draw listeners in with their extraterrestrial riffage and soaring atmospheres. Eos starts with a two-minute post-rock(ish) buildup before unleashing a blizzard of tremolo picking, hellish blast beats and a cult-like throat-singing. This track is both an atmospheric clinic and a furious black metal banger. The back-and-forth between the “softer” and more maniacal parts makes for a beautifully monumental track altogether that takes the listener on a macabre rollercoaster ride. If you aren’t a fan of black metal, I’d say that Eos, and the whole new album in general would be a great starting point. Cleaner production in this genre can sometimes be detrimental, but here, it helps everything breathe naturally, and therefore excel in making what is possibly my SOTY.”
Calc’s SOTM: Stuck by Vower
“I had initially chosen “Marimba” by Vianova as my song of September. Its straight-forward, relentlessly energetic structure reminiscent of early Periphery and Tesseract stood out on an album of *thoroughly* modern metalcore where the production job was as much a highlight as the actual music itself. But then England’s Vower went and dropped “Stuck,” and immediately became one of my most anticipated bands of the year. Born from the graceful sunsetting of Palm Reader, Vower treads much of the same…
Welcome to 10.10, where we asked last month (on 09.09) when such splendid synergy would occur in mmdd and ddmm format for 11.11 beyond a clock in a Something Corporate song. Turns out it’ll be in the 2033. Like a cockroach, we’ll still be kicking it in our nuclear fallout era! Right?! Below is a fragmented list of new releases for October 10th. Feel free to jam the playlist, let us know what you’re looking forward to this week (in music or otherwise), and remember: sticking together is what good waffles do. Okay, bye!
– List of Releases: October 10th, 2025 –
A Sense of Purpose – The Wounds We Share [EP] Genre: Metalcore / Djent Label: Theoria
All Hell – Sunsetter Genre: Black ‘n’ Roll / Crust Punk Label: Terminus Hate City
Amber Mark – Pretty Idea Genre: Contemporary R&B / Neo-Soul Label: PMR
The Antlers – Blight Genre: Art Rock / Indie Folk Label: Transgressive
The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are the Ghost Nation Genre: Neo-Psychedelia / Art Rock Label: Full Time Hobby
BIA – Bianca Genre: Pop Rap / Trap Label: Epic
Black Eyes – Hostile Design Genre: Art Punk / Sass Label: Dischord
Ladies and gents, another month has passed and that means we have another release of the month! September’s race was close between a few albums, but Crippling Alcoholism’s ‘Camgirl’ has come out on top! Enjoy a blurb about the album from our very own Lasssie!
“Listening to Camgirl is like taking a step into a dark and foggy discotheque of self loathing and looming despair; taking us on a journey through the eyes of the titular Camgirl experiencing the exploitation of the type of entertainment she’s involved in and the kind of crowd that sort of activities attracts.
In other words this is a glimpse into the degenerate nature of the sex industry, a girl who falls victim to it and the men who circles around her like vultures.
The subject matter dealing with parts of the society or flaws with the human nature feels somehow reminiscent of records like “Gods Country” by Chat Pile
Following their impressive second album from last year “With Love From a Padded Room”, which revolves around the psyche of incarcerated criminals, Crippling Alcoholism are not stranger to dark subject matter and don’t shy away from it; in fact they seem to cling on to that darkness with both pride and curiosity. They embrace it all so unabashedly one might mistake these young guys from being old veterans in the music industry by both their lyrical maturity and the fact that the singer sounds like he has been drinking and smoking nonstop for decades.…
That’s right, despite the universe’s efforts, we have somehow made it another week! As promised, we will likely forget to wake you up when September ends, but at least October is miraculously Vegetarian Month, Seafood Month, and Chili Month, so there’s something for all palettes. Speaking of, below is a fragmentary list of new releases for October 3rd, 2025. Feel free to jam the playlist below, let us know what you’re looking forward to this week (in music or otherwise), and remember: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: democracy simply doesn’t work. Ta ta for now!
– List of Releases: October 3rd, 2025 –
AFI – Silver Bleeds the Black Sun… Genre: Gothic Rock / Post-Punk Label: Run for Cover
Agriculture – The Spiritual Sound Genre: Blackgaze / Avant-Garde Metal Label: The Fensler
aldn – Strung Out Symphony Genre: Slacker Rock / Indietronica Label: Pack
Alfa Mist – Roulette Genre: Nu Jazz / Jazz Rap Label: Sekito
Ash – Ad Astra Genre: Power Pop / Alternative Rock Label: Fierce Panda
Author & Punisher – Noctural Birding Genre: Industrial Metal / Sludge Metal Label: Relapse
Bloodred Hourglass – We Should Be Buried Like This Genre: Melodic Metalcore / Melodic Death…
Greetings, party people — our triumph of the spirit has once again prevailed and we have, somehow, made it another week around here! It is the Autumn Equinox in some parts of the world, where people of all ages, for whatever reason, yearn for pumpkin spice and don athleisure, Uggs and yoga pants, or hoodies and jeans (or shorts — at least, until the snow starts falling). We will try to wake you up when September ends, but in the meantime, here’s an incomplete list of new releases for September 26th, 2025. Feel free to jam the playlist below (just to make Mort. happy when he advises that you ‘Check Shiner’), let us know what you’re looking forward to this week, and remember: since the dawn of time, man has yearned to destroy the sun. Until next time!
– List of Releases: September 26th, 2025 –
Amanda Shires – Nobody’s Girl Genre: Alt-Country / Americana Label: ATO
Amorphis – Borderland Genre: Progressive Metal / Melodic Death Metal Label: Reigning Phoenix
Autumn Tears – Crown of the Clairvoyant Genre: Neoclassical Darkwave / Cinematic Classical Label: The Circle Music
Bright Eyes – Kids Table [EP] Genre: Indie Rock / Indie Folk Label: Dead Oceans
Cate Le Bon – Michelangelo Dying Genre: Neo-Psychedelia /…
Against unbeatable odds, we have somehow made it another week around here! Thanks very much for tagging along for the ride. Below is an underdeveloped snapshot of new releases for September 19th, 2025. Please feel free to jam the playlist below, let us know what you’re looking forward to this week (in music or otherwise), and remember: call this an unfair generalization if you must, but old people are no good at everything. That might be why these updates smell like eau de elderly. Until next time, fare thee well, you chronically-online whippersnappers, geriatric Tiger Balm connoisseurs, and everyone in-between!
– List of Releases: September 19th, 2025 –
38 Special – Milestone Genre: Southern Rock / AOR Label: 38 Special
Afternoon Bike Ride – Running with Scissors Genre: Indie Folk / Dream Pop Label: Friends of Friends
American Television – You Are Not Alone [EP] Genre: Skate Punk / Pop-Punk Label: Smartpunk
Arrows in Action – I Think I’ve Been Here Before Genre: Alternative Rock / Alt-Pop Label: Nettwerk
It may have been a few months, but we are back with another edition of Sputnikmusic’s release of the month for August 2025! This month’s winner is ‘Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You’ by Ethel Cain! One of our contributing reviewers, Matty (mkmusic1995), put together a nice blurb about the album for all of you to enjoy!
“There’s nothing like the changing of the seasons; summer to autumn introduces colder breezes, the slow decay of the vibrant greens and yellows into browns and grays and truthfully, no other modern artist soundtracks this time of the year better than Hayden Anhedonia, better known as Ethel Cain. From the gentle plucky acoustic cuts drenched in reverb and dreamy atmosphere to the more tense, visceral monolithic songs that carry the backend of the record, Hayden makes use of all her experiences, pain, grief and love to create something that is immensely gratifying to listen to while being musically and sonically impressive. Following up a beloved record is no easy task, yet Hayden Anhedonia made easy work of it enchanting her rabid fans with a second helping of southern gothic tinged americana. ‘Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You’ takes some of the most experimental ambient tones and textures from her lengthy EP ‘Perverts’ and applies it aptly to her solidified sound for a dense, nuanced and highly emotive collection of tracks with a whole new story to tell.”
Happy Turn the New DGD Album Review into an NBA 2025-2026 Discussion Thread for all those who celebrate! Somehow we’ve made it another week, and through the sheer power of will on this hamster wheel, we’ve compiled another we-never-claimed-to-be-thorough batch of new releases for September 12th, 2025. Feel free to Czech the playlist below, let us know what you’re looking forward to this week (in music or otherwise), and remember: when something’s bothering you and you’re too damn stupid to know what to do, just keep your fool mouth shut — at least that way you won’t make things worse. Happy trails to you until we meet again!
– List of Releases: September 12th, 2025 –
Acceptance – Phantoms / Twenty Genre: Alternative Rock / Emo-Pop Label: Equal Vision
Algernon Cadwallader – Trying Not to Have a Thought Genre: Midwest Emo / Math Pop Label: Saddle Creek
Ariel Pink – With You Every Night Genre: Hypnagogic Pop / Psychedelic Pop Label: LAC
Ashen – Chimera Genre: Alternative Metal / Metalcore Label: Out of Line
Barrens – Corpse Lights Genre: Post-Metal / Post-Rock Label: Pelagic
Baxter Dury – Allbarone Genre: Art Pop / New Rave Label: Heavenly
