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| MK's Top 30 Albums of 2025
Here's my list, enjoy! | | 1 |  | Messa
The Spin
1. Messa – The Spin
Release Date: 4.11.2025
Genre: Gothic Rock/Doom Metal
Scrobbles: 105
I was not familiar with Messa prior to 2025 which is a massive mistake on my part. After thoroughly loving this record, I did explore their older releases which are all excellent as well but there’s something about “The Spin” that feels classic. It blends all those doom elements with gothic rock and even some proggy bits to create something truly original sounding. The soaring guitar solos present throughout shape these tracks into true grandiose experiences plus you gotta talk about those vocals. They are absolutely stunning and viciously addictive to listen to. They pierce through the mix perfectly with a timbre and aggression that feels so organically charming and massive. Songs like “The Dress” and “Thicker Blood” are monstrous listens with weaving and diverse sections making their respective 8 minute plus runtimes epic as fuck. Then you got tracks like “At Races” and “Reveal” that are... | | 2 | | Messa
The Spin
legitimately catchy bangers with memorable guitar licks and vocal melodies that you’ll have humming in your head forever. It’s not something I envisioned enjoying this year which adds to aura of this release. It’s unlike any doom music I had previously consumed and honestly, I don’t think there’s a band doing it any better right now.
Highlights: The Dress, Immolation, Reveal | | 3 |  | Silvana Estrada
Vendrán Suaves Lluvias
2. Silvana Estrada – Vendran Suaves Lluvias
Release Date: 10.17.2025
Genre: Chamber Folk/Singer Songwriter
Scrobbles: 110
Vocal enchantress Silvana Estrada is back after her immaculate 2022 record “Marchita” with a new record that encapsulates everything that makes Silvana such a powerful force in Spanish chamber folk music. The attention to detail in the production is worth noting with more full-band instrumentals and orchestral sections than any of her previous records. While definitely not a maximalist record by any means, this does feel like a bit of a departure from the sound that made “Marchita” as special as it was but don’t let that dissuade you from the truth, “Vendran Suaves Lluvias” is on par creatively, vocally and sonically with anything she’s done previously with just a bit more experimentation. Each song feels very necessary, leaving you in awe with gorgeous arrangements, beautifully delivered vocals and a solid amount of variety. I feel that whatever Silvana lends... | | 4 | | Silvana Estrada
Vendrán Suaves Lluvias
her voice to, she will make it something worthwhile to listen to because the timbre and ability of those vocal cords is just so singular and dynamic, I can’t help but be impressed every time I spin this record.
Highlights: Good Luck Good Night, Dime, Flores | | 5 |  | Rosalia
Lux
3. Rosalia – LUX
Release Date: 11.7.2025
Genre: Art Pop/Orchestral Pop
Scrobbles: 103
Ambitious and immensely satisfying; Rosalia’s latest opus is proof of her virtuosity in creating compelling and divine pop music. Surrounded by orchestras and choirs and booming electronics, this record dispels any notion that pop music can’t be highbrow without being pretentious or overly sappy. Utilizing an arsenal of different languages and dialects to create these beautiful love songs, Rosalia shapes something that only she could pull off given the power her voice has and the attention and respect it demands. I love how every song sort of has it’s own vignette-style story lyrically and how in control of her voice Rosalia is, providing this varying array of emotions throughout. Her belts are iconic, the softer sections are tear-jerking, it’s just a perfect example of different generations or music colliding to create something wholly original in the year 2025. Another point of praise goes to... | | 6 | | Rosalia
Lux
the eclectic and bountifully excellent features throughout from Bjork to Dougie F to Estrella Morente. There’s always a new approach or a new sonic shift to impress in this rather trim 50-minute record. The praise it has earned is truly deserved as I feel this will be a record that remains in listener’s memories for a long time.
Highlights: Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti, Divinize, La Ruma Del Perdon | | 7 |  | Heartworms
Glutton for Punishment
4. Heartworms – Glutton For Punishment
Release Date: 2.7.2025
Genre: Darkwave/Gothic Rock
Scrobbles: 152
Another artist whom I was entirely unfamiliar with at the start of 2025 who I’ve decidedly begun to worship. The mixture of gothic rock and synthpop with hunts of darkwave and trip hop at times is so catchy, so enthralling and it’s expertly produced by Dan Carey. The songwriting feels very fresh and interesting without leaning too heavily into a certain direction allowing for creative space and diversity. Each track offers danceable, exciting rhythms with creative sonic palettes and memorable vocal hooks while also delivering punkish ethos that is expressive and littered with lyrical quips that you’ll be chanting in your sleep. “Extraordinary Wings” is probably by favorite track here with a slowly building rhythm that explodes into a very repetition heavy and mesmerizing finale. Songs like “Celebrate”, “Warplane” and “Just to ask a Dance” are so catchy that they should be on... | | 8 | | Heartworms
Glutton for Punishment
regular rotation on pop radio. This record sort of presented itself to me out of nowhere and I’m extremely grateful that it did.
Highlights: Extraordinary Wings, Jacked, Warplane | | 9 |  | Quadeca
Vanisher, Horizon Scraper
5. Quadeca – Vanisher, Horizon Scraper
Release Date: 7.25.2025
Genre: Art Pop/Folktronica
Scrobbles: 94
Self-made Youtube sensation turned internet rapper turned artsy music maker Quadeca has aged gracefully reaching a creative peak now with “Vanisher, Horizon Scraper.” Following an excellent release of a mish mash of ideas and sonic experiences with last year’s “SCRAPYARD,” Quadeca has fed his fans something that is truly mesmerizing and grandiose in scale. Mostly abandoning hip hop overall in favor of folktronica, neo-psych and art pop, Vanisher explores themes of freedom and cosmic understanding through the metaphor of a man on a boat sailing through various scenarios in a wide-open sea. The production of this record is so epic and massive feeling while also having moments of true intimacy with just a voice and lightly plucked guitar strings. I truly think the final 5 songs on this record make for one of the greatest stretches of music in my time of listening critically to... | | 10 | | Quadeca
Vanisher, Horizon Scraper
albums. It’s very ethereal, very lush sonically, lots of fantastic moments that build and fascinate. Easily one of the best records of the year, Quadeca should be very proud of the art that he has created here.
Highlights: Forgone, Casper, Thundrrr | | 11 |  | Crippling Alcoholism
Camgirl
6. Crippling Alcoholism – Camgirl
Release Date: 9.12.2025
Genre: Gothic Rock/Noise Rock
Scrobbles: 194
Crippling Alcoholism are one of the most exciting and entertaining bands out there right now and you need to start telling your friends about them so that they can tour arenas like they deserve to do. Seriously, these guys create some of the most haunting and disturbing music while sonically capturing the essence of bands and artists like The Cure and David Bowie mixed with the ferocity and torture of something like Pig Destroyer. It’s truly a mesmerizing listen with danceable and quotable choice cuts like “bedrot” and “I Have a Key To Your House” as well as lengthier, meatier and more emotionally insane songs like “Camgirl” and “despair.” One thing I love about this particular release is the inclusion of outside vocals from bands like Luxury Skin, Ameokama and Latter which adds just a bit of depth and menace to already fantastic songs. | | 12 | | Crippling Alcoholism
Camgirl
The harmonies just feel so complimentary and necessary to these songs, I feel like they should make the vocalist of Luxury Skin a permanent member. This band has been pretty relentless in releasing stuff over the last couple years, but the quality continues to be impressive. What can I say? I just love this band.
Highlights: Saran Wrapped Cash, bedrot, I Have the Keys to Your House | | 13 |  | FKA Twigs
Eusexua
7. FKA Twigs – EUSEXUA
Release Date: 1.24.2025
Genre: EDM/Art Pop
Scrobbles: 113
Having released way back in January, I did have to sit with this for a bit recently after having only heard a smattering of songs from this album from time to time on some of my playlists and wow, I had forgotten just how impressive of a record this is. This is one of the most prolific and well produced pop records of this past decade, bar none. Sonically, this record exudes sensuality and electricity with these bumping, raving beats and glitchy stuff, it’s so invigorating of a listen without being so over the top that you forget that you can dance to this. Songs like the title track, “Drums of Death” and “Childlike Things” are so infectious, so massive in their productions, yet Twigs can also bang out tunes like “Sticky” and “Striptrease” that are pulled back, a bit more low-key that feel so emotionally devastating while still exploring those massive electronic/glitchy breaks. | | 14 | | FKA Twigs
Eusexua
It’s such a cool record and I’ve found it to be her best collection of songs to date.
Highlights: Sticky, Striptease, Eusexua | | 15 |  | Racing Mount Pleasant
Racing Mount Pleasant
8. Racing Mount Pleasant – Racing Mount Pleasant
Release Date: 8.15.2025
Genre: Art Rock/Chamber Pop
Scrobbles: 98
While maybe not a “windmill scene” band in terms of location, there’s an energy and presence that speakers directly to that style of artsy rock and chamber music. The grandiosity of the compositions coupled with great vocals and highly emotive lyricism make for something that transcends rock music in general and paves its own lane. It’s lush yet rather melancholic with a sort of “winter season” type appeal with just how barren and hopeless it feels at times. I hate to continue comparing this to windmill scene bands, but there’s something just so earnest and aching about this record that I feel most of those other bands just haven’t been able to crack with their music to date, yet Racing Mount Pleasant has explored it and refined it into a record that is absolutely worth the hour runtime. | | 16 | | Racing Mount Pleasant
Racing Mount Pleasant
Where most albums experience a dip in quality around the middle of the tracklist, I’ve found most of the best songs sit right in that sweet spot like “Racing Mount Pleasant,” “Call it Easy” and “You Pts 1 and 2.” If you haven’t heard this band before and enjoy stuff from Maruja and earlier Black Country, New Road, this will be right up your alley.
Highlights: Call It Easy, Emily, Seminary | | 17 |  | CMAT
Euro-Country
9. CMAT – Euro-Country
Release Date: 8.29.2025
Genre: Country Pop/Pop Rock
Scrobbles: 108
Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson is a musician that you should have on your radar. Her approach to easily enjoyable country-pop is both misdirection and immensely satisfying. These songs are so easily memorable and quotable yet there’s so much depth and energy put into the production and instrumentation of these tracks. And then there’s the lyricism, which is coy, quirky and totally awesome speaking on topics like womanhood, fame and feeling comfortable in your own skin. There’s love and romance yet there’s also heartbreak and anxiety captured with her words. A record like this feels rare because it’s inevitably mainstream and marketable in many ways, yet it comes off as niche and unlike anybody else doing this style of music right now. Thompson has carved a lane that is not easily mimicable given her readily available Irish charm and her honest, completely vulnerable lyrics. | | 18 | | CMAT
Euro-Country
This is another record that really does not slow down as the tracklist proceeds as many of the middle tracks and deeper cuts offer the best highlights. Give it a shot if you’re willing to be surprised!
Highlights: Euro-Country, Ready, When a Good Man Cries | | 19 |  | Ethel Cain
Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You
10. Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You
Release Date: 8.8.2025
Genre: Slowcore/Singer Songwriter
Scrobbles: 76
After releasing a jarring and harrowing EP earlier in the year with “Perverts,” Ethel Cain decided to utilize some of the drone and ambient elements from that release and combine it with the more slowcore/americana stylings of her debut “Preacher’s Daughter” to create this massive, winding, explorative journey in “Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You.” With ten songs and clocking in at almost an hour and fifteen minutes, this thing is dense and a challenging listen which is why it blows my mind at how many pop girlies love this artist and this album. The storytelling is beautiful, pen work is stunning as to be expected with Hayden’s work and I think at points, this record outdoes some of the highest highs in her discography. I mean, Nettles, which is almost ten minutes long is one of the most gorgeous songs of the year without needing... | | 20 | | Ethel Cain
Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You
a massive hooky chorus and yet it always demands your attention because the details and performances are so compelling. I love the lengthy instrumental interludes as it makes this record feel almost cinematic and also, these sections are just so beautifully produced and create such a vibe that really connects you with the overarching story. Ethel Cain has evaded the sophomore slump and instead has triumphed making something about just as good as her debut.
Highlights: Nettles, Fuck Me Eyes, Tempest | | 21 |  | Natalia Lafourcade
Cancionera
11. Natalia Lafourcade – Cancionera
Release Date: 4.24.2025
Genre: Chamber Jazz/Traditional Folk Music
Scrobbles: 74
If you’ve been following Natalia’s music for a while, you kind of know her schtick. She has a gorgeous voice and makes some of the most inspired Spanish chamber folk you’ll ever lend your ears to. With Cancionera, Lafourcade pulls out all the stops with these songs with delicately plucked acoustics, soft orchestral elements and a wonderous mix to tie everything together in a lovely red bow. I can totally hear these songs soundtracking a folksy Spanish or Italian film with such distinct melodies and motifs that elicit powerful, sorrowful imagery. There’s also just a simplicity at times that is so refreshing between these more eclectic and divine sections. Consistency is also a key to Natalia’s success, always delivering a quality song after quality song without needing to change the formula too much. | | 22 | | Natalia Lafourcade
Cancionera
She knows what her listeners want from her and she just delivers constantly. Having only heard a couple other projects from her in the past, I can firmly say that this is the best crop of songs she’s executed at least in my experience. She is a one of kind artist and this is a one of kind record.
Highlights: Cancionera, Amor Clandestino, Carnito de Acalpuco | | 23 |  | Annie and the Caldwells
Can't Lose My (Soul)
12. Annie & The Caldwells – Can’t Lose My (Soul)
Release Date: 3.21.2025
Genre: Progressive Soul/Funk
Scrobbles: 41
The family affair that is Annie and The Caldwells have released one of the most compelling soul records of the year weaving in elements of funk, jazz, gospel and blues. Led by the incomparable Annie Caldwell whose vocals are so electric, so dynamic, so soulful that had this come out in the 60’s or 70’s, we’d be talking about her with the passion and respect that we discuss Aretha Franklin and other names synonymous with that era of soul music. Backed by her daughters Deborah and Anjessica as well as her goddaughter Toni on vocals, allows for all sorts of dramatic gospel choir moments that could convert even the most staunchly anti-religious person such as myself. Annie’s husband of fifty plus years, Joe, provides the guitar licks present all over this record creating a nice rhythmic backbone to these powerhouse tunes. | | 24 | | Annie and the Caldwells
Can't Lose My (Soul)
Annie and Joe’s eldest son Willie slaps the bass with funky ferocity and their youngest song Abel keeps the beats with his steady drum performances. The barrier to entry is whether or not you want to bob your head to these undeniable grooves. Look no further than the opener “Wrong” for a tightly knit composition featuring those punchy bass tones and massive vocal flairs. “Don’t You Hear Me Calling” is a rhythmic masterclass featuring an explosive, exhilarating guitar solo towards the end. And you certainly can’t deny the passionate ballad that is “I’m Going to Rise” which explores the human experience of persevering. Give it a listen if you’re in the mood for some powerful Mississippi Soul.
Highlights: Don't You Hear Me Calling, Wrong, I Made It | | 25 |  | The Last Dinner Party
From The Pyre
13. The Last Dinner Party – From The Pyre
Release Date: 10.17.2025
Genre: Glam Rock/Indie Rock
Scrobbles: 68
After enjoying their debut album a fair bit, I’ve fallen completely in love with this group with the release of this newest project. The songwriting is more interesting and refined, the performances are more memorable and enchanting, each song is so wonderfully crafted and fun that I can’t help feeling like a witch dancing around a cauldron to these tunes. The occasional guitar solos add so much personality to these songs, the vocals feel so much more mature with lots of sing-along moments but also sections that defy and divert expectations for where a song would naturally go. I love songs like Rifle and Count the Ways which do this quite often, abandoning traditional song structures in favor of buildups, tempo changes and motifs. I also feel that this project is much more consistent in quality than the debut featuring more experimentation... | | 26 | | The Last Dinner Party
From The Pyre
and yet more confidence in their usual musical pocket as well. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did and yet here I am, trying to write a little blurb about how awesome it is. Despite this bands reputation of being an industry plant, the fact that they are capable of writing such great music dispels any reservations I might have about that label.
Highlights: The Scythe, Rifle, Count the Ways | | 27 |  | Street Sex
Full Color Eclipse
14. Street Sex – FULL COLOR ECLIPSE
Release Date: 8.15.2025
Genre: EBM/Synthpop
Scrobbles: 116
The new project from veteran harsh industrial outfit Street Sects quickly caught be attention for mixing some of those industrial aesthetics with punchy, danceable rhythms. Truthfully, while I did love the newest Street Sects album, this is more up my alley in terms of style and accessibility. I love all the bright, blasting synths stuffed between erratic and intense drum patterns with some pretty awesome vocal melodies to complement it all. I feel like there’s really no weak points in the tracklist with each song a different color in the spectrum of sound that Street Sex effortlessly indulge in. The closing track “The Big Heat” is probably my favorite tune here and will make an appearance on my favorite songs of 2025 list but everything up until that closing track had me bouncing and nodding my head to excessive and maximalist production of this record. | | 28 | | Street Sex
Full Color Eclipse
It is endlessly fun; it’s conveniently brief in runtime while offering a healthy slathering of the goods without sounding too boring or derivative of itself. If you enjoy Street Sects, I’m honestly not sure if this will end up being a vibe for you as well but it hit in the right spot for me.
Highlights: The Big Heat, Going Up, New Braunfels | | 29 |  | Model/Actriz
Pirouette
15. Model/Actriz – Pirouette
Release Date: 5.2.2025
Genre: Dance-Punk/Industrial Rock
Scrobbles: 93
A record that is best described as “cvnty af.” The attitude, the horniness, the intensity, it’s all such an interesting combination of sounds and stylings brought together with Cole Haden’s sensual, subversive delivery and lyricism. Songs like Cinderella and Diva are what I assume is being played at hedonistic parties full of orgies and homoeroticism. I love the industrial vibes and sensibilities that drenches these songs; it’s very dark, it’s extremely unsettling at times yet there’s an overt catchiness at a constant rate which makes these songs memorable, danceable and quotable. Despite their debut record being excellent, I feel this collection of songs is so much more refined and interesting at every turn with many of these songs vying for spots in my top songs of the year. | | 30 | | Model/Actriz
Pirouette
When the album does slow down a bit, it’s very dense, lots of wonderful production to accentuate all the vibes they were going for and lyrically, some of this stuff is very personal, very grim, but it’s all “edge-of-your-seat” content in a way. Definitely worth a spin if you liked any of their previous stuff.
Highlights: Diva, Cinderella, Vespers | | 31 |  | Whitechapel
Hymns in Dissonance
16. Whitechapel – Hymns in Dissonance
Release Date: 3.7.2025
Genre: Deathcore/Death Metal
Scrobbles: 105
Whitechapel’s venture into a more melodic space with their previous two records felt like a very natural progression and honestly, has become my favorite era of music for the band. Phil’s ability to balance his tremendous, powerful screams with his Maynard-esque singing vocals proved to be a winning formula for me. However, the band decided that it was time to return to pure, unadulterated heaviness and that is exactly what “Hymns in Dissonance” offers. The lyricism of this record is profusely more violent and excessive similar to their earlier work while still anchored by a story related to a cultist rather than focusing on personal turmoil and familial struggles which defined the approach of their last two records. While I don’t think this quite reaches the highs of “The Valley” and “Kin”, I feel like this is easily the best crazy heavy album of their career. | | 32 | | Whitechapel
Hymns in Dissonance
It’s much more mature than “This is Exile” but it still gives you those same frills and stank-face moments. With groove being much more present than those early records, I feel like I can use the term “bangers” to refer to a handful of these songs as they will certainly be live staples that get the crowd moving. Naturally, I feel the need to compare this record with their most recent work because it’s so different and jarring given that this band literally wrote ‘Kin’ which is an acoustic rock ballad. As I get older, I feel like the sentiment and sonic appeal of those two last records will have a longer lasting impact on me, but I know that if I’m in the mood for chaos and anarchy, this record will serve me well.
Highlights: Nothing Is Coming For Any of Us, Mammoth God, Prisoner 666 | | 33 |  | Joshua Burnside
Teeth Of Time
17. Joshua Burnside – Teeth of Time
Release Date: 2.28.2025
Genre: Chamber Folk/Singer Songwriter
Scrobbles: 52
Irish folk singer sneakily released an album in February of this year which I only heard beginning in November so the time I’ve spent with this music is far less than it should be. In all honesty, with more time and attention, this record could definitely move up some spots on this list. I love when a vocalists’ accent bleeds into their singing, it’s so natural, it’s such a charming little thing that I love inherently. Speaking to the songs and compositions, this thing is beautifully thought up and executed with each song carrying a strong, memorable melody as well as lyrics and quips that I think very fondly of. Marching Round the Ladies is such a laid back, traditional tune in a sense with repetition that harkens back to folk tunes that parents sung to their children. | | 34 | | Joshua Burnside
Teeth Of Time
Then there’s the closer that is just immaculate; a beautifully composed piece of folk that is both heart-wrenching and warming. I think this record is truly a gift and I hope others flock to this release, and this becomes some sort of cult-classic because it just is that good and deserves the attention.
Highlights: Nothing Completed, Teeth of Time/Mountain, Up and Down | | 35 |  | Maruja
Pain to Power
18. Maruja – Pain to Power
Release Date: 9.12.2025
Genre: Post-Rock/Jazz Rock
Scrobbles: 43
Maruja have been on my radar for a couple years having released several excellent E.P.’s all of which are filled to the brim with noisy, brash post-rock. Having finally received their debut album, I can say that I’m very much not disappointed with the results. It’s political, it’s angry, it’s got all the guts of an immensely powerful protest record shrouded in various horns, guitars and jazzy breaks. There’s also the added bonus of hip hop playing a vital role in the vocal delivery of these charged and boisterous lyrics. Look no further than the brief and spirited opening track Bloodsport to give you an overview of what to expect for the next 50 minutes. Longer cuts like Look Down on Us and Born to Die explore their sound so deeply and spiritually with lyrical ruminations, dense, winding instrumentals and so much energy that it feels like a live concert in my headphones. | | 36 | | Maruja
Pain to Power
This is an impressive band and an impressive debut, and I’m beyond stoked to hear more from this band in the future.
Highlights: Look Down at Us, Born to Die, Reconcile | | 37 |  | Bambara
Birthmarks
19. Bambara – Birthmarks
Release Date: 3.14.2025
Genre: Post-Punk/Gothic Rock
Scrobbles: 70
There’s a sense of nostalgia to this release that harkens back to post-punk and goth music of the 80’s that’s wrapped up in modern production aesthetics. It’s brooding, it’s grim, it’s sinister at times, yet it also has a soft center with lovely, beautifully vibrant synths cutting across the darkness at the best of times. I feel like you get so much out of just 36 minutes with these songs often highly emotive and vibey with the occasional trip hop beat sneaking into the mix. The vocals sort of remind me of Nick Cave at times with a sort of anger and nuance that compares to his Murder Ballads era. This just feels like the perfect combination of old and new and I feel very in love with these songs at times. There’s also this undeniable catchiness in tracks like Letters From Sing Sing and Because You Asked that have me humming along, dancing in my room, all the good shit. | | 38 | | Bambara
Birthmarks
If you haven’t checked this out, I sincerely think you’ll have a good time with it if you like The Cure, Bauhaus or any of this pinnacle 80’s goth acts.
Highlights: Letters to Sing Sing, Because You Asked, Loretta | | 39 |  | Art d'Ecco
Serene Demon
20. Art d’Ecco – Serene Demon
Release Date: 2.14.2025
Genre: Glam Rock/Indie Rock
Scrobbles: 95
Art d’Ecco is a name a was entirely unfamiliar with merely a week ago but I had thrown their newest record “Serene Demon” into my playlist because I really loved the album cover photo and the font of the text used in the corner; it carried a very mysterious neo-noir vibe that I was intrigued by. From the initial drum beat on the opener ‘True Believer,’ I was genuinely hooked. I adored the timbre of those drums, I loved the rhythmic upbeat piano and those vocal harmonies that build into a jazzy, glammy pop tune that almost reminds me of an extremely good version of ‘Good Day’ by Twenty-One Pilots. It was an audio onslaught of ideas and styles within just the first minute of the track but then it just continues to impress with a brief psych-sounding melody that caps off what I assume to be the chorus. | | 40 | | Art d'Ecco
Serene Demon
There’re all ranges of horns, vocal effects, brief guitar leads; I was actually blown away by all the various sounds that punched the mix at an overwhelming rate all while flowing very smoothly and not sacrificing a great song. It’s easy to get carried away throwing little nuggets of other genres but I found this to be sincerely impressive. The catch is this isn’t even my favorite track on the record by a longshot; it only gets better. If you have 38 minutes to spare, it’s well worth it.
Highlights: Serene Demon, Survival of the Fittest, Tree of Life | | 41 |  | McKinley Dixon
Magic, Alive!
21. McKinley Dixon – Magic, Alive!
Release Date: 6.6.2025
Genre: Jazz Rap/Conscious Hip Hop
Scrobbles: 80
We saw a glimpse of the talent and virtuosity of McKinley Dixon with his last project, but that lyrical finesse coupled with killer jazz-rap instrumentals has come full circle with Magic, Alive!. The lyrical focus about bringing back someone from the dead is both comically grime and devastating but Dixon walks that fine line beautifully delivering heartfelt, wrenching sections coupled with laugh-out-loud moments to break the tension in timely moments. Jazz-rap has always been my preferred style of hip hop because I’ve always been more focused on music than lyrics so the beats and rhythms that are conjured on records like this one can be entertaining and tight without necessarily leaning too heavily on a verbose story. However, Dixon has the best of the both worlds delivering hard hitting bars as well as rapping over fantastically produced beats that are dynamic... | | 42 | | McKinley Dixon
Magic, Alive!
, varied and crisp as hell. “Run, Run, Run Pt. II” is probably the most mainstream track available on this release with a synth-lead that almost reminds me of The Price is Right background music and some of the best quick delivery bars on the record. There’s also “All the Loved Ones” which is much more chill but extremely candid and dense. If you haven’t checked out McKinley Dixon and enjoy hip hop, you’ve gotta make sure this is at the top of your list to check out.
Highlights: All the Loved Ones, Sugar Water, Run Run Run Pt. II | | 43 |  | The Callous Daoboys
I Don't Want to See You in Heaven
22. The Callous Daoboys – I Don’t Want to See You In Heaven
Release Date: 5.16.2025
Genre: Mathcore/Alternative Metal
Scrobbles: 63
The Callous Daoboys are one of the most acclaimed and exciting modern metal acts out there right now and for very good reason. Their consistent output, which has challenged the norms of metalcore and mathcore, offers listeners heavy, chunky riffs and pure, unadulterated chaos in similar vein to the highest points of The Dillinger Escape Plan’s discography. While this record does run a tad long at almost an hour, it does kind of get a bit exhausting and points but there is quite a bit of diversity in the songwriting which offers relief quite frequently. Part of their appeal is simply how insanely chaotic their tunes can get while also grasping onto immensely satisfying and earworm inducing melodies like with “Two-Headed Trout”, “The Demon of Unreality Limping Like a Dog” and “Schizophrenia Legacy.” | | 44 | | The Callous Daoboys
I Don't Want to See You in Heaven
I feel like your expectations can never be matched when you enter a new Callous Daoboys record because they are constantly reinventing themselves and improving on a non-formula by always inviting the unexpected into the songs. It’s weird, it’s high energy, it’s exciting, give it a listen if you haven’t already.
Highlights: Two Headed Trout, The Demon of Unreality, Tears on Lambo Leather | | 45 |  | Pile
Sunshine and Balance Beams
23. Pile – Sunshine and Balance Beams
Release Date: 8.15.2025
Genre: Post-Hardcore/Indie Rock
Scrobbles: 61
Pile have been delivering great rock music for a couple decades now and the fact that after all this time, they are still creating arguably their best stuff to date is so cool. There’s still that signature aggression, almost leaning into some post-hardcore elements with certain songs and yet there’s enough performative intelligence to pull back at times and strip things down to really lean into the pathos of the words being sung and shouted. I think the songwriting and songs in general are some of the most fascinating they’ve written with instrumental passages that feel very unique to their brand and sound. I love how consistently good these tracks are without needing to delve into frills and various other genres to get their point across. Songs like Born at Night and Deep Clay are exciting, energetic and breaths of fresh air in their catalogue. | | 46 | | Pile
Sunshine and Balance Beams
I feel like there’s not much to say other than that this is a fantastic rock record with great songs, it’s as simple as that.
Highlights: Bouncing in Blue, Born at Night, Deep Clay | | 47 |  | Westerman
A Jackal’s Wedding
24. Westerman – A Jackal’s Wedding
Release Date: 11.7.2025
Genre: Art Pop/Chamber Pop
Scrobbles: 48
I had never heard of this artist prior to listening to this album and the thing that drew me in was in the bandcamp description it mentioned this record was recorded in a 17th century mansion. Upon listening, the natural echoes found all over this project truly feel old-worldly and there’s this certain artsy, not necessarily pompous attitude to these tracks, but definitely something a bit more bougie than your average art pop record. I love the synths present, the timbres chosen truly complement the songs themselves and I’m also totally in love with the vocalists delivery style and his general approach to creating melody. Having been surprised by this release so late in the year, I feel like I’ve been binging it a lot and in that process, I feel like I have a deep desire now to seek out these odd little art pop... | | 48 | | Westerman
A Jackal’s Wedding
projects recorded under interesting circumstances or just out of the public eye enough that I feel like I’ve found this little world just for me, and now I want to share that with anyone who reads this.
Highlights: Adriatic, PSFN, Weak Hands | | 49 |  | PSYCHO-FRAME
Salvation Laughs in the Face of a Grieving Mother
25. PSYCHO-FRAME – SALVATION LAUGHS IN THE FACE OF A GRIEVING MOTHER
Release Date: 7.25.2025
Genre: Deathcore/Brutal Death Metal
Scrobbles: 61
Devastatingly heavy, gruesome and chaotic; Psycho-Frame are in the top of echelon of modern deathcore when it comes to furious riffs, massive breakdowns and animal noises. In a year where I felt heavy music kind of took a backseat in my regular listening habits, albums like this would just pull me back in with their absolutely insane bass drops and brutally crazy riffs. There is an animal instinct in me that will always love a good breakdown, and this band excels at delivering original sounding build ups and payoffs that shake the foundations of the earth. This will be probably my shortest blurb because all I can think about are riffs and breakdowns and well-done riffs and breakdowns, it’s as simple as that really. If you like to be rocked to your core, this one is absolutely for you. | | 50 | | PSYCHO-FRAME
Salvation Laughs in the Face of a Grieving Mother | | 51 |  | Anna von Hausswolff
Iconoclasts
26. Anna Von Hausswolff – ICONOCLASTS
Release Date: 10.31.2025
Genre: Art Rock/Neoclassical Darkwave
Scrobbles: 57
This is a mighty project to take on. It’s grand in scale and in execution with lengthy runtimes, various instrumental and sonic palettes to explore along with a slew of amazing features to accentuate and improve upon an already fantastic product. This is actually my first experience with Ann Von Hausswolff’s music and certainly won’t be my last as I already have some of her older records in my queue. The variety present here is just overwhelming; I mean you have drone elements, art pop, darkwave, jazz inspired sections, straightforward rock stuff, it’s just an eclectic, odd array of stuff. It all comes together amazingly well given how much there is to dissect and experience. I feel the backend is a tad less interesting than the frontend but that’s not greatly important because all these songs have a special place in the tracklist. | | 52 | | Anna von Hausswolff
Iconoclasts
I wasn’t immediately in love with Anna’s vocals, but they have certainly grown on me and I find her delivery rather angelic now. Also, what a flex to have Iggy Pop featured on a song and him deliver something really cool and out there for this project. Definitely worth a gander if you haven’t yet. | | 53 |  | Swans
Birthing
27. Swans – Birthing
Release Date: 5.30.2025
Genre: Post-Rock/Experimental Rock
Scrobbles: 26
If you’ve listened to Swans, you kind of know what you’re getting yourself into. There’s always scrutiny towards this band for being pretentious and in many ways unlistenable due to the length of their projects, the complete lack of ease of listening meaning it’s rather a demanding, time-consuming experience. I can understand why this band isn’t for anyone but as someone who enjoys a good challenge, this is right up my alley. Sonically, it’s dense, it’s bitter, there’s an immense amount of focus on atmosphere and Gira’s melancholic delivery still brings chills down my spine with this crop of tunes. You really have to be in the mood for something like this and because of that, this is probably my least listened to album on this list because just sitting through a two-hour experimental rock opus isn’t what I always feel like doing. | | 54 | | Swans
Birthing
When I’m in the mood though, this thing stirs about deep emotions and a massive amount of catharsis. If you know you know and if you don’t like it, that’s cool too. | | 55 |  | Billy Woods
Golliwog
28. Billy woods – GOLLIWOG
Release Date: 5.9.2025
Genre: Abstract Hip Hop/Experimental Hip Hop
Scrobbles: 88
Billy Woods is one of the most underappreciated hip hop artists of this generation having made killer record after killer record for almost two decades now. With GOLLIWOG, Woods has dipped his toes into some of the darkest and most horrific lyricism of his career bordering on horrorcore type stuff. At just over 50 minutes of runtime, Woods delivers 18 stone cold awesome tracks with memorable beats, awesome features and a very in-your-face, demanding plot filled with political horrors, deep emotional traumas all soundtracked and complimented by straight-up-scary production. It’s abrasive, it’s confrontational, it’s totally unhinged at times but through all the ugliness, we get something that you’ll want to listen to over and over again. Woods continues to be one of the best creatives in hip hop without any of the accolades or recognition... | | 56 | | Billy Woods
Golliwog
...that he so sorely deserves but his real fans and all the real ones out there know that he’s the goat. | | 57 |  | Backxwash
Only Dust Remains
29. Backxwash – Only Dust Remains
Release Date: 3.28.2025
Genre: Experimental Hip Hop/Hardcore Hip Hop
Scrobbles: 45
I was completely unfamiliar with this artist and their work and that was my first mistake because this lady can fucking rap her ass off. This is some impassioned, dark, introspective hip hop with a powerful voice at the helm delivering some of the filthiest, most memorable bars of the year. While being very dense and at it’s core, angry, there’s a serenity and beauty with these songs because of the endearing production and a willingness to build upon sounds to create some very massive sounding stuff. It really does a wonderful job of exploring it’s various topics in a very poignant and harrowing way, but I just am blown away constantly at how insanely well mixed everything is. On some of the more melodic tracks like Dissociation, it legitimate feels like floating on a cloud while being educated on some real shit. | | 58 | | Backxwash
Only Dust Remains
I will be going back and listening to some of her other works very soon, but this one has demanded so much of my attention and deservedly so. | | 59 |  | Cradle of Filth
The Screaming of the Valkyries
30. Cradle of Filth – The Screaming of the Valkyries
Release Date: 3.21.2025
Genre: Gothic Metal/Symphonic Black Metal
Scrobbles: 50
After a recent resurgence in quality dating back to their Hammer of the Witches release, Cradle of Filth have stayed very consistent with more focus on melody than ever before. This record has it’s heavy, brutal moments but the sections that really standout for me feature beautifully composed solos and higher melodic sensibilities. The bridge section of Demagoguery is one of my favorite things they’ve written in their entire discography, it is just brilliant. That isn’t to say that the heaviness has no impact because it certainly does. White Hellebore is just a brutal, classic Cradle of Filth track and To Live Deliciously threads the needle of just enough heavy and just enough melody. The riffs are epic, they are strategically interesting without needing to be too technical but also... | | 60 | | Cradle of Filth
The Screaming of the Valkyries
...there’s a ton of soul which is ultimately what Marek Smerda brought with his tenure. Now that he has left, I love they are able to continue with the quality music. I’ve listened to this band for well over a decade now and I feel like they are just straight cooking right now, everything is just coming together very naturally, and the songs reflect this.
Highlights: Demagoguery, To Live Deliciously, Malignant Perfection | |
Hawks
12.17.25 | Mammoth list. Great work brother and nice to see Cradle sneak on here!! | arthropod
12.17.25 | Messa is definitely a strong position. My favourite cuts are Fire On the Roof and Thicker Blood. | mkmusic1995
12.17.25 | Thanks fellas! In a normal year Cradle would be much higher but I found so much awesome stuff this year. Definitely love those cuts as well, Art! The energy at the end of Thicker Blood is just insane and we get some demon screams, hopefully more of those on the next record! | bighubbabuddha
12.17.25 | Cool varied list here | mkmusic1995
12.17.25 | Thanks man! |
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