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My favourite music albums of 2025

My Musical Journey in 2025

2025 has been a fascinating year in music for me. It started with a wave of nostalgia, as I revisited albums by bands I loved growing up but had stopped following closely, like Meshuggah and Nevermore. Early summer, my dad gifted me a huge collection of CDs, packed with legendary albums from the ’60s and ’70s by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac and more. While I was familiar with these bands, I’d never explored their work album by album. This led to a summer filled with rediscovering classic music.

During my trip to Japan in August, I visited numerous record stores and picked up some fantastic local CDs, which is still the most popular format there. Since returning, I’ve been listening to a lot of King Gizzard & The Wizard Lizard, while also trying to keep up with the flood of new releases dropping every week. The sheer volume can feel overwhelming, but I’ve managed to dive into a lot of it. Below, I’ve shared my favorite new albums of 2025. I hope you find something new to enjoy!

My Top 10 Albums of 2025

  1. Eefje de Visser - Vlijmscherp

    Eefje de Visser surprised us with a new studio album so soon after last year’s Heimwee, and it’s a welcome addition. While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of Bitterzoet, it maintains the high quality of her previous release, offering more of her signature sounds

  2. Hexvessel - Nocturne

    Hexvessel continues their bold evolution into black metal, and I’m fully on board. Nocturne features recordings of the compositions Mat McNerney wrote for their excellent Roadburn performance in 2024. The album captures the intensity and atmosphere of that live experience.

  3. Hedonist - Scapulimancy

    Hedonist delivers an excellent modern take on death metal, channeling the spirit of Bolt Thrower while adding some classic old-school death metal flourishes. It’s a powerful, well-executed homage that stands strong on its own.

  4. Der Weg Einer Freiheit - Innern

    Our talented German friends in Der Weg Einer Freiheit have refined their signature blend of black metal and post-metal to near-perfection. While there’s less experimentation this time around, every element feels sharper and more polished than before. It’s a triumphant return.

  5. Bell Witch & Aerial Ruin - Stygian Bough: Volume II

    This collaboration reaches new heights with Stygian Bough: Volume II, their strongest release yet. Sonically, it feels like the perfect successor to one of my all-time favorite doom-metal albums: My Dying Bride’s The Angel and the Dark River. The fusion of their talents creates something truly special.

  6. Yellow Eyes - Confusion Gate

    Yellow Eyes released Confusion Gate just as the cold weather settled into my country, and it couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. The album’s dizzying, angular black metal is raw, hypnotic, and right up my alley. Every track invites deep exploration, with guitar lines that pull you in and refuse to let go. It’s a masterclass in atmosphere and intensity.

  7. Lorien Testard - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Original Soundtrack)

    It’s hard to believe that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 marks Lorien Testard’s first published work as a composer. The eight-hour soundtrack he crafted for the game has been one of the year’s standout musical experiences for me. Not only does it enhance gameplay perfectly, but it also shines as a standalone listen. The score spans a breathtaking range, from emotional classical pieces to modern dance, metal, and jazz. If this is just the beginning of his career, I can’t wait to hear what he creates next.

  8. Deafheaven - Lonely People With Power

    I’ve never been a die-hard Deafheaven fan, but this album changed everything for me. Lonely People With Power features some of the band’s strongest work yet, seamlessly blending the polished sound of their previous album with the blackgaze intensity of Sunbather. It brings back the dynamics and aggression that were missing before. The songwriting is sharp and compelling. This is an album you don’t want to miss.

  9. Moron Police - Pachinko

    I stumbled upon this band just weeks before Pachinko dropped, and their unusual name didn’t prepare me for what was in store. The album is packed with catchy songs, a wild concept, raw emotion, and melancholy. It’s a lot to take in, but from the very first listen, I knew this was something special.

  10. Messa - The Spin

    The Spin took a little more time to grow on me, but it was worth the wait. While I loved Messa’s previous two albums, this one marks a bold departure from their earlier sound. The band has embraced a more straightforward approach in songwriting and production, making the album concise and accessible. Despite its shorter length, every track shines, with The Dress standing out as the crown jewel of it all.

Runners up

Black-metal

Blackgaze

Death-metal

Experimental Death/Black-metal

Groove/Thrash-metal

Prog-metal

Pop / Rock

Electronic

Doom-metal

Alt-Metal

Soundtracks

Shoegaze

Post-rock/metal

Traditional Metal

Rap / Hip-hop

EP’s