![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Creepy-Clowns-350x276.jpg\")
Listurnalia is now upon us once again! If you are not ready to be assailed by non-stop lists and bad opinions for the next week and change, I suggest you get fooking ready! Listurnalia cannot be stopped, nor contained. It can only be tolerated and endured!<\/p>\n
More than any year in recent history, 2025 saw more seasoned staffers step away from writing duties due to time constraints and life changes. To compensate for the loss of these slackwagoning quitters and shirkers, we added a gaggle of fresh new voices. This made for a bittersweet time around these parts as long-time friends departed and a bunch of untested, unknowns rose through the brutal n00b gauntlet to seize the means of promo production. These greenhorn neophytes have created great havoc at AMG HQ with their terrible taste, inability to follow directions, and steadfast refusal to ignore deathcore.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve been here before, though, and we always straighten out the newbie upstarts. The daily beatings, deprivations, and absence of positive reinforcement will wear them down, and if not, we have plenty of space in the rotpit out back. This is, and will ever be, the AMG modality.<\/p>\n
2026 will be an interesting year as the new crew members are shepherded by the olde while everyone is crushed beneath the iron heel of AMG management. Who will make it to 2027? Who will be sold off to Metal Wani for a box of bananas and Gorilla Glue? Place your bets in the official AMG Survival Pool!<\/p>\n
As you read the Top Ten(ish) lists below, remember, reading our content is free, but you get what you pay for.<\/p>\n
Grymm<\/p>\n
#10. Venomous Echoes \/\/ Dysmor<\/a> Personal Highlight o\u2019 the Year: Seeing Acid Bath live. I may or may not have cried during \u201cVenus Blue,\u201d and no, I don\u2019t fucking care. 19-Year-Old me was pleased as punch that 48-Year-Old me got to see a legendary band (and one of his personal favorites) come back from tragedy to pay tribute to their fallen bassist and friend, Audie Pitre, by giving it another long-awaited go.<\/p>\n Disappointment(s) o\u2019 the Year:<\/p>\n Losing so many influential heroes (RIP Ozzy Osbourne, Ace Frehley, and Tomas Lindberg, among too many others) Song o\u2019 the Year:<\/p>\n Paradise Lost \/\/ \u201cSalvation\u201d<\/p>\n El Cuervo<\/p>\n #ish. Astronoid \/\/ Stargod<\/a> Honorable Mentions:<\/p>\n Song o\u2019 the Year:<\/p>\n Ambush \u2013 \u201cMaskirovka\u201d<\/p>\n \ufeff<\/p>\n GardensTale<\/p>\n #ish. Structure \/\/ Heritage<\/a> Honorable Mentions:<\/p>\n Song o\u2019 the Year:<\/p>\n Moron Police \u2013 \u201cGiving up the Ghost\u201d<\/p>\n \ufeff<\/p>\n Non-metal Albums of the Year:<\/p>\n Lorde \/\/ Virgin Mark Z.<\/p>\n #ish. Malefic Throne \/\/ The Conquering Darkness Honorable Mention: <\/p>\n Blasphamagoatachrist \/\/ Bestial Abominator<\/p>\n Song (Title) o\u2019 the Year: <\/p>\n Song o\u2019 the Year:<\/p>\n Fugitive \u2013 \u201cSpheres of Virulence\u201d<\/p>\n \ufeff<\/p>\n Carcharodon<\/p>\n #ish. Dax Riggs \/\/ 7 Songs for Spiders<\/a> Honorable Mentions:<\/p>\n Songs o\u2019 the Year:<\/p>\n Messa \u2013 \u201cFire on the Roof\u201d<\/p>\n \ufeff<\/p>\n Novarupta \u2013 \u201cNow Here We Are (At the Inevitable End)\u201d<\/p>\n Mysticus Hugebeard<\/p>\n #10. Orbit Culture \/\/ Death Above Life<\/a> Honorable Mentions:<\/p>\n Songs o\u2019 the Year:<\/p>\n Disarmonia Mundi \u2013 \u201cOutcast\u201d<\/p>\n The Dormant Stranger by Disarmonia Mundi<\/a><\/p>\n Jamie Page & Marcy Nabors \u2013 \u201cDo No Harm (Ventricular Mix)\u201d<\/p>\n Do No Harm by Jamie Paige, Marcy Nabors, & Penny Parker<\/a><\/p>\n Thumos \u2013 \u201cThe Ph\u00e6do\u201d<\/p>\n The Trial of Socrates by Thumos<\/a><\/p>\n Disappointment(s) o\u2019 the year:<\/p>\n The dissolution of Ante-Inferno: After Death\u2019s Soliloquy topped my list last year, I was genuinely gutted to see Ante-Inferno\u2019s post that they were no more. Still, I shall not weep but rather smile that they happened, because Ante-Inferno was a rare breed of genuinely moving black metal. Just that one album rooted itself so deeply within me, and I will be listening for a long time. Samguineous Maximus<\/p>\n #ish. Imperial Triumphant \/\/ Goldstar<\/a> Honorable Mentions<\/p>\n Song o\u2019 the Year:<\/p>\n Crippling Alcoholism \u2013 \u201cLadies Night\u201d<\/p>\n \ufeff\ufeff<\/p>\n Spicie Forrest<\/p>\n #ish. Cryptopsy \/\/ An Insatiable Violence<\/a> Song o\u2019 the Year:<\/p>\n Yellowcard \u2013 \u201chonestly i\u201d<\/p>\n Grin Reaper<\/p>\n (ish) Sallow Moth \/\/ Mossbane Lantern <\/a> Songs o\u2019 the Year:<\/p>\n Aephanemer \u2013 \u201cLe Cimeti\u00e8re Marin\u201d<\/p>\n 1914 \u2013 \u201c1918 Pt. III: ADE (A Duty to Escape)\u201d<\/p>\n Andy-War-Hall<\/p>\n #ish: Dragon Skull \/\/ Chaos Fire Vengeance<\/a> Honorable Mentions:<\/p>\n Song o\u2019 the Year:<\/p>\n Fell Omen \u2013 \u201cThe Fire is Still Warm\u201d<\/p>\n \ufeff<\/p>\n Lavender Larcenist<\/p>\n #ish Spiritbox \/\/ Tsunami Sea<\/a> Song o\u2019 the Year:<\/p>\n Crippling Alcoholism \u2013 \u201cbedrot\u201d<\/p>\n Creeping Ivy<\/p>\n #ish. Nite \/\/ Cult of the Serpent Sun<\/a> Honorable Mentions:<\/p>\n Song o\u2019 the Year:<\/p>\n Phantom Spell \u2013 \u201cThe Autumn Citadel\u201d<\/p>\n \ufeff<\/p>\n Baguette of Bodom<\/p>\n #ish. In the Woods\u2026 \/\/ Otra<\/a> Honorable Mentions:<\/p>\n Song o\u2019 the Year:<\/p>\n Dragon Skull \u2013 \u201cBlood and Souls\u201d<\/p>\n
#9. Blut Aus Nord \/\/ Ethereal Horizons<\/a>
#8. Dormant Ordeal \/\/ Tooth and Nail<\/a>
#7. Structure \/\/ Heritage<\/a>
#6. Lorna Shore \/\/ I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me<\/a>
#5. Sigh \/\/ I Saw The World\u2019s End \u2013 Hangman\u2019s Hymn MMXXV<\/a>
#4. Imperial Triumphant \/\/ Goldstar<\/a>
#3. Am I In Trouble? \/\/ Spectrum<\/a>
#2. Dax Riggs \/\/ 7 Songs for Spiders<\/a>
#1. Paradise Lost \/\/ Ascension<\/a> \u2013 I fully expected Paradise Lost to come out with quality music, which has been mostly par for the course in their storied almost-40-year career, and no one could blame them if they decided to coast along on their legendary sound. Instead, Ascension sees them giving a masterclass in songcraft and atmosphere, showing everyone, everywhere, how it\u2019s done. With Black Sabbath now officially put to rest, Anathema long gone, and whatever the fuck is happening within My Dying Bride these days, somebody has to fly the British Doom flag high and proud, and Paradise Lost have done a bang-up job of doing so.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Paradise-Lost_Ascension-01-500x500.jpg\")
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\nMy health: I was hoping to be a lot more active this year, but early on, I needed to, in the immortal words of David Lynch, \u201cfix (my) heart or die.\u201d Thankfully, after surgery, I feel a million times better, so you should see a lot more of me in 2026. You have been warned.<\/p>\n
#10. Ollie Wride \/\/ The Pressure Point
#9. Kauan \/\/ Wayhome<\/a>
#8. Z\u00e9ro Absolu \/\/ La Saign\u00e9e<\/a>
#7. Mutagenic Host \/\/ The Diseased Machine<\/a>
#6. Asira \/\/ As Ink in Water<\/a>
#5. Bruit \/\/ The Age of Ephemerality<\/a>
#4. Saor \/\/ Amidst the Ruins<\/a>
#3. The Midnight \/\/ Syndicate
#2. Steven Wilson \/\/ The Overview
#1. Messa \/\/ The Spin<\/a> \u2013 In a year replete with comfort picks\u2014progressive rock, synthwave, and death metal abound\u2014how is that Italy\u2019s enigmatic, inscrutable Messa forged my Album o\u2019 the Year? The Spin doesn\u2019t take the trouble to make itself easily approachable. Doom, prog, and post influences circle around velvety melodies that sometimes sound like deliberate songs, and sometimes like jazz improvisation. But it\u2019s these very qualities that belie its subtle allure; only with repetition and attention does The Spin shine. Messa gradually reveals rhythmic motifs, instrumental nuances, and rich compositions that enhance my life on so many days. \u201cThe Dress,\u201d especially, is stunning. And though the record\u2019s loungey whimsy defies metal conventions, each track prizes genuine grit through its top-drawer guitar riffs. With the devotion it demands, no record from 2025 was more rewarding than The Spin.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/messathespin-500x500.jpg\")
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#10. In Mourning \/\/ The Immortal<\/a>
#9. Flummox \/\/ Southern Progress<\/a>
#8. Der Weg Einer Freiheit \/\/ Innern<\/a>
#7. Nephylim \/\/ Circuition<\/a>
#6. Besna \/\/ Kr\u00e1sno<\/a>
#5. Messa \/\/ The Spin<\/a>
#4. Labyrinthus Stellarum \/\/ Rift in Reality<\/a>
#3. Gazpacho \/\/ Magic 8 Ball<\/a>
#2. Dormant Ordeal \/\/ Tooth & Nail<\/a>
#1. Moron Police \/\/ Pachinko<\/a> \u2014 I was a little nervous when I first read about the length and ambition behind Pachinko, especially in the context of the incredible and very concise A Boat on the Sea. I\u2019ve never been this happy to be this wrong. Nothing in the last decade has overtaken my life as much as Pachinko has, and I\u2019m listening to it yet again as I write this, and will probably restart it once it finishes. Pachinko has a lot in common with Everything Everywhere All At Once, one of my all-time favorite films, as a treatise on the chaos of life and the importance of friends and family. It treats its philosophy of silliness very seriously, laughing in the face of darkness in such a beautiful and inspiring way; it brightens my life every time I hear it. And it does all that in tribute to a dear friend who was gone too soon and too suddenly, and no other eulogistic album has let me feel like its subject\u2019s soul touched mine. An astounding monument to friendship on top of an incredibly accomplished hour of music. Pachinko is a miracle.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/a2772970021_10-500x500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nJonathan Hult\u00e9n \/\/ Eyes of the Living Night
\nShayfer James \/\/ Summoning<\/p>\n
#10. Urn \/\/ Demon Steel<\/a>
#9. Teitanblood \/\/ From the Visceral Abyss<\/a>
#8. Shed the Skin \/\/ The Carnage Cast Shadows<\/a>
#7. Guts \/\/ Nightmare Fuel<\/a>
#6. Dormant Ordeal \/\/ Tooth and Nail<\/a>
#5. Perdition Temple \/\/ Malign Apotheosis<\/a>
#4. Paradise Lost \/\/ Ascension<\/a>
#3. Revocation \/\/ New Gods, New Masters<\/a>
#2. Death Yell \/\/ Demons of Lust
#1. Abominator \/\/ The Fire Brethren \u2013 It took me a few years after hearing this Australian duo\u2019s last album, 2015\u2019s Evil Proclaimed<\/a>, to realize I was wrong about them. Their raw and relentless black-death metal wasn\u2019t just good, it was fucking awesome. With their long-awaited sixth album, The Fire Brethren, Abominator has conjured flames that reach higher than ever. As always, the enraged rasps, scorching riffs, and endlessly pummeling rhythms are like plumes of hellfire shot directly into your ear canals. But amidst the bludgeoning is some genuinely great songwriting, with deep-cutting hooks (\u201cThe Templar\u2019s Curse,\u201d \u201cUnderworld Vociferations\u201d), flashes of melody (\u201cProgenitors of the Insurrection of Satan\u201d), thrashy breaks (\u201cSulphur from the Heavens\u201d), and just enough variety to keep everything hitting as hard as possible. It\u2019s not for everyone, but for those into Angelcorpse and other music of that sort, The Fire Brethren is the type of album you just can\u2019t get enough of.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Abominator-The-Fire-Brethren-01-500x500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
#10. Novarupta \/\/ Astral Sands<\/a>
#9. Atlantic \/\/ Timeworn<\/a>
#8. Structure \/\/ Heritage<\/a>
#7. Agriculture \/\/ The Spiritual Sound<\/a>
#6. Igorr \/\/ Amen<\/a>
#5. Messa \/\/ The Spin<\/a>
#4. Abigail Williams \/\/ A Void Within Existence<\/a>
#3. Cave Sermon \/\/ Fragile Wings<\/a>
#2. Dormant Ordeal \/\/ Tooth and Nail<\/a>
#1. Grima \/\/ Nightside<\/a> \u2013 In each of 2019, 2021, and 2022, Grima released an album and, in each of those years, I listed said album (#5, HM, and #10). But this year, the year in which I have listened to the least metal and, of course, written the least since I started here in 2018, is also the year that Grima got everything dialled in to just what I want from a Grima album. On Nightside, the duo struck the perfect balance between the traditional influences of 2019\u2019s Will of the Primordial and the propulsive, frozen atmosphere of Frostbitten (2022). The combination gives Nightside an almost hypnotic and weirdly tranquil flow, offset by Vilhelm\u2019s rasping vocals, which remain among the best in the BM game. Every time I come back to this record, and the title track in particular, it\u2019s even better than I remember it being, and I always end up spinning three or more times back-to-back. An album that can keep playing that trick deserves its #1 spot in my book.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Grima-Nightside-01-500x500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
#9. An Abstract Illusion \/\/ The Sleeping City<\/a>
#8. Qrixkuor \/\/ The Womb of the World<\/a>
#7. Dormant Ordeal \/\/ Tooth and Nail<\/a>
#6. Panopticon \/\/ Laurentian Blue<\/a>
#5. Blackbraid \/\/ Blackbraid III<\/a>
#4. Arkhaaik \/\/ Uihtis<\/a>
#3. Kauan \/\/ Wayhome
#2. Wardruna \/\/ Birna<\/a>
#1. Thumos \/\/ The Trial of Socrates<\/a> \u2013 I recall groggily stumbling upon Thumos\u2019 The Trial of Socrates at work one early morning, and I\u2019m not sure if I\u2019ve grown attached to it or it\u2019s grown attached to me. It looms in my periphery, routinely interrupting my listening schedule for just one more spin. This gargantuan dive into ancient Greek philosophy and justice is melodically rich, laden with atmosphere, and fiercely intelligent. I love how this album stimulates my curiosity. I pore over The Trial of Socrates like a madman, piecing the puzzle together with feverish glee but never quite feeling finished, because every re-listen yields new shapes, new colors, new ideas. It eggs me on to research various topics on ancient Greek history or philosophy, and even made for an unlikely study partner during my long preparations for the German A1 exam. I always feel smarter by the end of it\u2014hubris, I\u2019m sure, but The Trial of Socrates genuinely sparks my imagination in ways few albums do. Time to go listen to \u201cThe Ph\u00e6do\u201d for the zillionth time.![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Thumos-The-Trial-of-Socrates-01-500x500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nArno Menses leaving Subsignal: Man, fuck. Fuck. Remember my nuclear-grade glaze<\/a> of Subsignal, where I might as well have said Menses\u2019 voice single-handedly justified the entire existence of music? How could I not break down in heaving sobs in the middle of this Denny\u2019s when I heard that Menses and Subsignal have parted ways? It sucks, I tell ya. I will still listen to what Subsignal puts out in the future, because Markus Steffen is a talented musician, but it\u2019s going to be a huge adjustment since Menses is nigh irreplaceable.<\/p>\n
#10. Primitive Man \/\/ Observance<\/a>
#9. Motherless \/\/ Do You Feel Safe?<\/a>
#8. Deafheaven \/\/ Lonely People with Power<\/a>
#7. Weeping Sores \/\/ The Convalescence Agonies<\/a>
#6. Between the Buried and Me \/\/ The Blue Nowhere<\/a>
#5. Calva Louise \/\/ Edge of the Abyss<\/a>
#4. 1914 \/\/ Viribus Unitis<\/a>
#3. Crippling Alcoholism \/\/ Camgirl<\/a>
#2. The Austerity Program \/\/ Bible Songs II
#1. Yellow Eyes \/\/ Confusion Gate<\/a> \u2013 Yellow Eyes are one of the best black metal bands in the game, and Confusion Gate is their most impressive work to date. It sees the band return to a more traditional atmospheric sound, but with the lessons learned from their explorations of dissonance and ambience. The result is a kaleidoscopic blend of gorgeous melodies, haunting riffs, and a pervasive sense of pathos that only the best art can achieve. Confusion Gate feels like communing with nature from the top of a wintry peak, embodying both impossible grandeur and awesome terror. This is a record that bypasses the analytical reviewer\u2019s brain and just hits me right in the feeling. It offers a unique catharsis in a year where I truly needed it.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Yellow-Eyes-500x500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
#10. Crimson Shadows \/\/ Whispers of War<\/a>
#9. Oromet \/\/ The Sinking Isle<\/a>
#8. -ii- \/\/ Apostles of the Flesh<\/a>
#7. Suncraft \/\/ Welcome to the Coven<\/a>
#6. Ritual Ascension \/\/ Profanation of the Adamic Covenant<\/a>
#5. Chestcrush \/\/ \u03a8\u03a5\u03a7\u039f\u0392\u0393\u0391\u039b\u03a4\u0397\u03a3<\/a>
#4. Dormant Ordeal \/\/ Tooth and Nail<\/a>
#3. Qrixkuor \/\/ The Womb of the World<\/a>
#2. Primitive Man \/\/ Observance<\/a>
#1. Wytch Hazel \/\/ V: Lamentations<\/a> \u2013 I know, I\u2019m surprised too. But the bottom line is that I\u2019ve been listening to V: Lamentations front to back at least once a week since it released on the most American of holidays, July 4th. For Steel, Wytch Hazel\u2019s latest didn\u2019t have the same staying power as previous efforts, but Lamentations is the first to truly resonate with me. Though musically consistent with their Wishbone Ash-meets-Eagles style, vocalist Colin Hendra brings a new sense of passion to the record, and the interplay between instruments, vocals, and lyrics hits me like a lightning bolt. Very possibly inspired by the core Christian tenet laid out in Romans 6:23-24, Lamentations is a masterful portrayal of what it means to perpetually fail, to know you\u2019ll never be good enough, and in the face of a salvation that renders all efforts, deeds, and accomplishments worthless, to keep striving toward the impossible anyway. Even for godless sinners like me, Lamentations is a beautiful reminder that purpose is found in hardship, that the journey is the goal, and that falling down is merely an opportunity to stand up again.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Wytch-Hazel_V-Lamentations-01-500x500.jpg\")
Honorable Mentions:<\/p>\n
#10. Turian \/\/ Blood Quantum Blues
#9. Calva Louise \/\/ Edge of the Abyss<\/a>
#8. Lychgate \/\/ Precipice<\/a>
#7. An Abstract Illusion \/\/ The Sleeping City<\/a>
#6. Thron \/\/ Vurias<\/a>
#5. Structure \/\/ Heritage<\/a>
#4. Species \/\/ Changelings<\/a>
#3. Havukruunu \/\/ Tavastland<\/a>
#2. Aephanemer \/\/ Utopie<\/a>
#1. 1914 \/\/ Viribus Unitis<\/a> \u2013 I didn\u2019t know Viribus Unitis would be my top album of the year the first time I listened to it, but I knew it would list. 1914\u2019s naked emotion and rousing story of a Ukrainian soldier\u2019s survival through World War I, reconciliation with his family, and inescapable return to war remains as gripping and bittersweet now as it did the first time I heard it. Across adrenaline-fueled riffing, oppressive marches, and somber dirges, 1914 never relents on musical or lyrical weight. Though Viribus Unitis was released late in the year, it quickly became the standard I used to appraise albums while going through listing season. 1914 paints war-torn life with savage grace, supplying devastating melody and grueling crawls that elevate the album to such heights that I\u2019m genuinely moved each time I get to the end. Viribus Unitis is bleak, raw, and human, but for all that, I\u2019m never deterred from listening. Ultimately, 1914 clutches the threads of hope and weaves an aural tapestry that brings tragedy and triumph to life, cementing Viribus Unitis as my undisputed top album of 2025.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1914-Viribus-Unitis-01-500x500.jpg\")
Honorable Mentions:<\/p>\n
#10: Changeling \/\/ Changeling<\/a>
#9: Steel Arctus \/\/ Dreamruler<\/a>
#8: Abigail Williams \/\/A Void Within Existence<\/a>
#7: Petrified Giant \/\/ Endless Ark <\/a>
#6: Imperial Triumphant \/\/ Goldstar<\/a>
#5: Structure \/\/ Heritage<\/a>
#4: Lipoma \/\/ No Cure for the Sick<\/a>
#3: Crippling Alcoholism \/\/ Camgirl<\/a>
#2: Hexrot \/\/ Formless Ruin of Oblivion<\/a>
#1: 1914 \/\/ Viribus Unitis<\/a> \u2013 Immersion defines great music and art for me. It is almost unfortunate how good 1914 are in this facet of their music. Their ability to transport the listener to the battlefield in all its violence, both carnal and psychological, is stupefying. The utter dehumanizing hatred with \u201c1914 (The Siege of Przemy\u015bl),\u201d the ravenous bloodlust of \u201c1917 (The Isonzo Front),\u201d the hellish wails haunting \u201c1918 Pt. 1 (WIA \u2013 Wounded in Action):\u201d all portrayed vividly through 1914\u2019s brilliantly caustic and composed musicianship and deeply personal lyricism. When Dmytro Ternushchak bellows \u201cFor three days \/ The Russians attacked \/ And accomplished nothing but \/ 40,000 dead pigs\u201d [\u201c1914 (The Siege of Przemy\u015bl)\u201d], it\u2019s all you need to get into his character\u2019s violent headspace. When 1914 mournfully sing in Ukrainian \u201c\u0426\u0435 \u043c\u043e\u044f \u0437\u0435\u043c\u043b\u044f\u201d [1915 (Easter Battle for the Zwinin Ridge)], you grasp how someone could put their life on the line for kin and country. When our soldier sings \u201cMy little girl reached out to me \/ But duty calls\u201d [1919 (The Home Where I Died)]\u2026 well, shit, your heart just has to break, right? 1914 don\u2019t play \u201chistory metal.\u201d Viribus Unitis is as present and relevant as you can get.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
#10. Sold Soul \/\/ Just Like That, I Disappear Entirely <\/a>
#9. Calva Louise \/\/ Edge of the Abyss<\/a>
#8. Dying Wish \/\/ Flesh Stays Together <\/a>
#7. Grima \/\/ Nightside<\/a>
#6. Aversed \/\/ Erasure of Color<\/a>
#5. Deafheaven \/\/ Lonely People With Power<\/a>
#4. Ghost Bath \/\/ Rose Thorn Necklace<\/a>
#3. Changeling \/\/ Changeling<\/a>
#2. Dormant Ordeal \/\/ Tooth and Nail<\/a>
#1. Crippling Alcoholism \/\/ Camgirl<\/a> \u2013 Sometimes you listen to music, and you feel like it gets you. Camgirl was exactly that type of album, and it probably doesn\u2019t say anything good about me. Ever since Crippling Alcoholism\u2019s latest graced my ears and I shared it with my partner, we have been singing \u201cI fucking hate the way I look, yeah I look like a fat fucking scumbag\u201d way too often and mumbling \u201cMr. Ran away, ran away from family\u201d every chance we get. The album is dripping with the atmosphere of neon-lit back rooms, seedy interactions, and terrible decision-making. It feels like a lens into the lives of those society has left behind, and I can\u2019t help but feel a connection. The self-destructive nihilism, drugged-out sex, and abrupt violence that is all too common in those on the margins of life is something I think more and more we can all relate to, and Camgirl is the art that mirrors society back to us. As a result, it is an album that is just as ugly as it is terrifying and beautiful.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Crippling-Alcoholism-Camgirl-Cover-Art-500x500.jpg\")
Honorable Mentions:<\/p>\n
#10. Blackbraid \/\/ Blackbraid III<\/a>
#9. Flummox \/\/ Southern Progress<\/a>
#8. 1914 \/\/ Viribus Unitis<\/a>
#7. Cave Sermon \/\/ Fragile Wings<\/a>
#6. Saor \/\/ Amidst the Ruins<\/a>
#5. Imperial Triumphant \/\/ Goldstar<\/a>
#4. Phantom Spell \/\/ Heather & Hearth<\/a>
#3. Coroner \/\/ Dissonance Theory<\/a>
#2. Messa \/\/ The Spin<\/a>
#1. Havukruunu \/\/ Tavastland<\/a> \u2013 On their Bandcamp page, Havukruunu explain the concept of their fourth LP: \u2018Tavastland tells how in 1237 the Tavastians rose in rebellion against the church of Christ and drove the popes naked into the frost to die.\u2019 Sounds like the metal album of 2025 to me! But I didn\u2019t crown Tavastland for its lyrics that I can\u2019t understand. As Dr. A.N. Grier has been exhorting for a decade, Havukruunu stands as a model of Viking black metal consistency, having dropped only very good-to-great albums since 2015. Tavastland isn\u2019t a radical improvement over 2020\u2019s Uinuous sy\u00f6mein sota<\/a>, but it\u2019s an (arguably excellent) improvement nonetheless, making it Havukruunu\u2019s finest work yet. Yes, these fiery Finns forge sounds reminiscent of Bathory and Immortal, but Tavastland seized my attention for its adventurous prog sensibilities. Some of this can be attributed to the return of H\u00fcmo, whose bass rattles like the four strings of Geddy Lee. But the prog is deep in the album craft, from the overture-style modulations of opener \u201cKuolematon laulunhenki\u201d to the extended guitar wankery of closer \u201cDe miseriis fennorum.\u201d Now if only I can learn Finnish, I\u2019ll be able to appreciate the killer anti-popery narrative while headbanging to my Record o\u2019 2025.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/885500-500x500.jpg\")
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#10. Species \/\/ Changelings<\/a>
#9. Dragon Skull \/\/ Chaos Fire Vengeance<\/a>
#8. A-Z \/\/ A2Z\u00b2<\/a>
#7. Apocalypse Orchestra \/\/ A Plague upon Thee<\/a>
#6. Amorphis \/\/ Borderland<\/a>
#5. Dolmen Gate \/\/ Echoes of Ancient Tales<\/a>
#4. Dormant Ordeal \/\/ Tooth and Nail<\/a>
#3. Amalekim \/\/ Shir Hashirim<\/a>
#2. Suotana \/\/ Ounas II<\/a>
#1. Buried Realm \/\/ The Dormant Darkness<\/a> \u2013 Melodic tech death? Symphonic power metal? Who knows! Much like my 2025 in general, The Dormant Darkness has a bit of everything in one gigantic clusterfuck. The great news is, neither I nor the album crumbled under all that weight. In a year full of odd twists and turns, my list became more varied and unusual than ever. Buried Realm took this variety and gave me everything I like about metal in one dense package: blazing speeds, soaring guitars, majestic vocals, and relentless fury. It\u2019s also inexplicably well-produced for how many layers there are to deal with. While 2025 was not a particularly star-studded release year\u2014especially compared to most of the 2020s so far\u2014it threw plenty of fun curveballs at me, and The Dormant Darkness exemplifies this with its Xothian fusion of metal subgenres in one big Ophidian I blender ov shred. I would also like to request several Christian \u00c4lvestam features on every album, please.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Buried-Realm-The-Dormant-Darkness-01-500x500.jpg\")
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