My Top 20 Albums 2025 (Revised Edition)
Followers/Honorable Mentions are Squid, An Abstract Illusion, Qrixkuor, Evoken, Aesop Rock, Thanatorean, Kali Uchis, Rosalia, Blindfolded and Led to the Woods and Teitanblood. |
| 1 |  | Deafheaven
Lonely People With Power
Authentic way back to their earlier years and their top-tier game. This is so good that it should become a future classic. Exciting songwriting. |
| 2 |  | Clipse
Let God Sort Em Out
This year was the year of hip hop for me personally (although you cannot see this so much in this list) and i was lucky that this album was released this year. Future classic and a pretty much perfect album from start to finish. |
| 3 |  | Habak
Mil Orquideas En Medio Del Desierto
With this album Habak reached the circle of my absolute favorite top10 bands (alive). This band is so lovely and their new record is a perfect and flawless mix of d-beat/crust, screamo with dreamy parts. Aside from this great genre mixing the specialty of this band and album is that there lies a magical calmness among all the rage in every of their songs. |
| 4 |  | Blut Aus Nord
Ethereal Horizons
Most of time this is not exactly black metal like most of the other Blut Aus Nord albums but it is a success in ambition and in creating soundscapes and inspiration. After a few spins the melodies on this are pure joy. |
| 5 |  | JID
God Does Like Ugly
This was in high rotation this year. Such a varied and great allrounder-hiphop-album. |
| 6 |  | Yellow Eyes
Confusion Gate
If you like your black metal experimental, atmospheric and emotional, this album is your best choice in 2025. |
| 7 |  | La Dispute
No One Was Driving the Car
Absolutely suprised by this one because i was not a fan of the last two La Dispute albums although i am a big fan of this band. On this record they changed and did all the right things that you should call this album an artistic masterpiece. |
| 8 |  | McKinley Dixon
Magic, Alive!
Perfect jazzy hip hop album. All songs are hits and super-well done. |
| 9 |  | Tomarum
Beyond Obsidian Euphoria
Listening to this album is like going out for an adventure (also the cover art shows this). I also love that this is a prog metal album which is pretty hard and heavy rockin'. |
| 10 |  | Cenotaphe
Chimères
This ist the ultimate perfect un-perfect (underground) black metal record. |
| 11 |  | Martrod
Draumsýnir Eldsins
Late release in 2025 and i was in love right at the first listen. This record was the one that i had missed this year: an outstanding dissonant black metal release (besides the much more experimental Veilburner album). |
| 12 |  | Paradise Lost
Ascension
Totally suprised that i have to put a Paradise Lost album in my top20. It is well deserved. I think this is flawless with great songwriting. |
| 13 |  | Billy Woods
Golliwog
What an atmosphere! Long, dark and a lot of soundscapes and this album overall feels more like a spoken word record besides the rap. |
| 14 |  | Boneflower
Reveries
One of the best screamo records of the last years which is digging deep into emotional post-hardcore, too. |
| 15 |  | Defacement
Doomed
This album shows how an album can be or is very much a piece of art: i could look at this cover art forever, the production is eerie dry and cold and the drone and ambient interludes sound kind of artsy. Overall visionary and after a few spins this is not brutal music. Instead you will find a magical flow of beautiness. It is weird! |
| 16 |  | The Great Old Ones
Kadath
Fun and twisted black post metal. |
| 17 |  | Deftones
private music
Incredible return to their absolut best form. |
| 18 |  | Veilburner
Longing for Triumph, Reeking of Tragedy
Insane and unpredictable mix of black and death metal. |
| 19 |  | Catharsis (USA-NC)
Hope against Hope
The World is f****d up and we need the legendary Catharsis in our lives right now. And here they are as good (and important) as in the old days! Dark and crusty metallic hardcore which stays interesting after 1000 listens...timeless and relevant. |
| 20 |  | The Ominous Circle
Cloven Tongues of Fire
Sludgy, doomy blackened death metal. Maybe the heaviest record of the year...at least the heaviest drums of the year. |
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