TOP ALBUMS OV 2025 W/ FALXIFER & RELIQUARY TOWER!
shining sucks. heqq that shid. ABBA, Boyz II Men, etc. is where its at – real metal with balls! also all the old hordes of course, but you guys are just like metal sucks, trying to make an apolitical, partly spiritual, LISTMANIA 2K25 DAY 4 into some past-time for TovH-nerds, and the worst part is Falxifer and Reliquary Tower succeeded!
Falxifer
10. Altar de Fey – Under a Waxing Moon
Transylvanian Recordings / Bat Cave Productions
An intoxicating and masterful display of deathrock with all the classic signifiers while also being remarkably fresh and timeless. Altar de Fey was a happenstance discovery for me, a random recommended artist during the COVID lockdown and I’ve been a fan since. This record is one that I’ve been playing nonstop since it dropped, and if might’ve listed higher if it hadn’t released at the turn of fall.
9. Hateful Abandon – Threat
Sentient Ruin Laboratories
This album was a decade in the making, and one that was surprised dropped and I couldn’t be happier it did. Hateful Abandon have basically perfected their unique blend of black metal, industrial and post-punk to a punishing and hypnotic onslaught of pure bleakness. This record is by far one of the darkest and most relentless I’ve heard but it’s also weirdly addicting. It kept me coming back to its desolate soundscapes which is an achievement by itself—making darkness compelling.
8. Havukruunu – Tavastland
Svart Records | Review
Whenever I read the phrase “Finnish black metal” I immediately get a sense of dread and groan because you really never know if you’re gonna get sketchy at best weirdos. Finding that rare band that’s not overly sus is a massive victory, and Havukruunu somehow manage to continue making some of the best pagan black metal around, combining grit and majesty in equal measure. This record frankly floored me in how the band managed to get more and more epic and triumphant while retaining a certain grimness that keeps this record within black metal, and always leaves me wanting more.
7. Ghost – Skeletá
Loma Vista Recordings
Habemus Papa! I think it’s so weird and funny that in the same year Ghost released a new record and with the newly minted Papa V Perpetua, we saw the death of pope Francis I and ascension of pope Leo XIV. Barring potential fateful and cosmic convergences, I can say that being into Ghost continues to be a treat, and Skeletá is the most fun I’ve had with Ghost since their 2015 breakthrough masterwork, Impera. Tobias Forge managed to find a sweet spot between ’80s inspired cheese, classic arena rock and his underground metal bonafides while still indulging in pompous theatrics.
6. Higher Power – There’s Love in This World if You Want It
Nuclear Blast Records
There was a time I used to think alternative metal and hardcore punk don’t or shouldn’t mix, and then I discovered Higher Power through their 2020 sophomore 27 Miles Underwater, and kept hoping they’d follow that up; when they finally did, it made me feel like something got unlocked in me. There’s Love in This World if You Want It is a fierce record but it’s also one that’s bursting with positivity. I can safely say it kept me sane and offered me comfort at a moment when I needed it, and suffice to say, I keep coming back to it.
5. Impure – The Devil Sees My Dreams
Independent
One of my current favorite labels is Stygian Black Hand from New York, and that label’s owner Salpsan aka Horned Father of Desecreation has both showcased and taken part in great modern extreme metal bands. Impure, where he’s joined by Satyrannical Lord of Assault, is one of them, and their long overdue sophomore record The Devil Sees My Dreams is a punishing slab of classic USBM that’s equal parts grim and brutal, feeling like the lost child of Incantation and Profanatica. Despite the long gap between the previous record and this one, it was well worth the wait.
4. Wode – Uncrossing the Keys
20 Buck Spin
It’s rare for bands to consistently evolve their sound, especially after a decade, but Wode’s 4th LP Uncrossing the Keys entered my top 5 by virtue of that. This black metal band from Manchester has managed to surprise me 4 times in a row with their records, and this new record where the band incorporated post-punk and gothic rock with their blend of blackened heavy metal is such an infectious concoction that I seriously can’t get enough. I can’t recommend this highly enough to any fan of metal or goth music.
3. Lathe of Heaven – Aurora
Sacred Bones Records
Not including this record would be a disservice to this band and their art, and while post-punk is a style of music I’ve become very passionate about, be they new or old bands, Lathe of Heaven is the band that has completely ensnared me. Aurora is the definition of perfection for me: catchy, dreamy, impactful and confident, this record ticks all the boxes of great post-punk and then some. You can mosh, dance and lay down to it and it will move you, because it certainly moved me.
2. Catharsis – Hope Against Hope
CrimethInc. / No Gods No Masters / Refuse Records
While there are days when I wish I had taken part in the heyday of the underground metal and punk scenes, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t appreciate the ease of access the internet has given music for better or worse. I got into Catharsis this very year, via a shoutout from Myke C. Town, and fate would have it that this band would reunite and release a long overdue new record. Hardcore, crust and extreme metal in equal measure, this record is a distillation of everything I love about punk and metal while also pushing both styles into bleak atmospheres that make a perfect soundtrack for the hellish dystopia we currently live in.
1. Martröð – Draumsýnir eldsins
Debemur Morti Productions | Review
This was a record I knew would be among my favorites the moment it dropped and while it wasn’t what I originally expected, it still floored me. I got into Martröð around the same time I discovered the Icelandic black metal scene and considering when they released their first EP they had an impressive lineup, I kept waiting with bated breath for the record to come out. When it finally did, I was just awestruck by what H.V. Lyngdal and Alex Poole accomplished here: absolutely nightmarish and majestic, and unlike anything else that came out this year, which is why it’s my top album of the year.
Reliquary Tower
What a year, huh? Somehow it feels like it just started and yet, somehow, took forever. There were a lot of good releases this year, so this list was a tough one to narrow down. Hopefully in six months I’ll still agree with myself, but honestly, we’ll just have to wait and see!
Honorable Mentions
Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea
Pale Chord/Rise
I’ve never been a huge metalcore fan, but Spiritbox has always been the exception. 2021’s Eternal Blue was one of my favorite releases of that year, and to this day there’s seldom an occasion that I’m not in the mood for it. Tsunami Sea is a worthy follow-up that strikes an amazing balance between beautiful, watery-feeling (does that make sense? I hope it does) atmospheric tracks and good ol’ drop-F face-pummelers. Ultimately though, it sort of blends together for me and while I love the album as a whole, there are only a few individual tracks that keep me coming back. It’s an excellent release, but these others have stayed with me a little bit more.
Takuya Kuroda – EVERYDAY
PPK Records
Takuya Kuroda is a name that I’ve been saying more people should know for at least the past 5 years now. Kuroda changed my opinion on trumpet-centered jazz back in 2020 when I first heard his album Zigzagger, and I’ve followed his work closely ever since. If you’re into jazz fusion, particularly with hip-hop elements, EVERYDAY is definitely worth a spin.
Paul Riedl – «Demystification» // «Forestscapes»
Independent
Holy buzzer beater, this album is good. Paul Riedl’s no stranger to ambient/atmospheric synth music. Between Blood Incantation, Hoverkraft, and his eponymous solo material, he’s put out plenty of it. With this release, Riedl alternates between floaty electronic textures and more down-to-earth acoustic guitar passages. This is one of those ambient albums that you could just as easily put on for active listening as you could passive. Ultimately though, as an ambient album, it just won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, and without having had a whole lot of time to spend with this one, I’ll keep it as an honorable mention.
Top 10
10. Fictionist – Repeater
Independent
When you think of good places for indie/punk rock, Provo, Utah probably isn’t on your radar. Fictionist have been around for almost 20 years now, and are a band I’d love to see gain more traction. This year’s album sees the band putting out their heaviest material yet while still feeling like they always have. Odds are you haven’t heard of these guys before, so do yourself a favor and check this one out. You’ll thank me later.
9. Algernon Cadwallader – Trying Not to Have a Thought
Saddle Creek
In the 14 years since their last release, it’s fun to see what’s changed and what hasn’t for Algernon Cadwallader. While the band’s lyrics have always been socially conscious, Trying Not to Have a Thought has plenty of tracks that are openly political and tackle themes of homelessness, corporate greed, and the 1985 MOVE Bombing. The sound itself, however, feels just as good as ever, with a plethora of math-y, emotive riffs that I simply do not get tired of hearing. It took them a while, but I’m so glad these boys are back!
8. Swans – Birthing
Young God Records
Swans are one of my all-time favorite bands, so it’s probably not a surprise that I really dig this record. If you’ve been a fan of this era of the band’s sound, you’re sure to dig Birthing, but if you’ve never really been a fan, there’s not much on this record that’ll change your mind. With this release being the last in their “big sound” era, I’m curious to see what Swans will have to offer in the future as they strip things down.
7. Agriculture – The Spiritual Sound
The Flenser
It feels criminal to only have this at number 7, but the competition was fierce this year! There’s a lot on display with this record: beautiful, unconventional song structures, gnarly guitar and bass tones, really fun drums, insanely good vocals, killer guitar solos, and riffs. The back half of The Spiritual Sound especially just blows me away every time I hear it. I also had the pleasure of seeing Agriculture live last month and not only are they just as good (if not better) live, they’re super nice folks too.
6. Asunojokei – Think of You
Independent | Review
I’ll admit, this one left my rotation for a while after my review. Not because I got sick of it or anything, I just wanted to wait until it was colder to throw it on again. It feels like such a wintery album to me, thanks in no small part, I’m sure, to that gorgeous cover art. Asunojokei’s emo-y take on post-black metal (this time mixed with a little city pop!) really tends to resonate with me, so much so that I paid big time for a signed CD from Japan (even though I was told that China would be paying the tariffs). Totally worth it though!
5. Motion City Soundtrack – The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World
Epitaph Records
Comeback albums always scare me. I listened to so much Motion City Soundtrack back in high school and have such fond memories of doing so (I still throw on “Together We’ll Ring in the New Year” at midnight every New Year’s Eve). What if this comeback record sucks and ruins those memories for me? Well, that’s exactly what didn’t happen with The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World. True to its name, it really feels like the band never left—it’s more of the same beautiful, catchy, energetic, angsty pop-punk, and I truly couldn’t be happier.
4. Chat Pile/Hayden Pedigo – In the Earth Again
The Flenser | Review
I was taken pretty off guard by this album’s announcement, partially because Hayden Pedigo’s music is so different from Chat Pile’s, but mostly because Cool World just came out, like, an hour ago, right? But if there’s one thing that In the Earth Again doesn’t feel, it’s rushed. It’s so obviously a labor of love, and it’s clear that they had fun making it. This release strikes me as perhaps their most emotional release to date. It shows off a softer side of the band that I would love to see more of, especially with the track “A Tear for Lucas.” I don’t know if there’s anything I could say about it that would do it justice. Of course their noisy side is plenty present as well, and, just as with every other Chat Pile release, you will feel like you’ve been beaten with a 2×4 by the end of it. This is a record that I’ll be coming back to very frequently.
3. Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer
NLV Records
If I haven’t recommended this album to you, it’s because I thought I had already. I Love My Computer was my first exposure to Ninajirachi, and what a treat it was. This is one of the best EDM records I’ve heard in my life, easily. It makes me feel like I’m 12 years old again, sitting at the family computer chatting about Doctor Who with strangers on a Minecraft forum after school. No other album has reminded me so much of that time in my life as this one. If you’re at all interested in electronic music, you’ve GOT to give this a spin. It’s upbeat, it’s beautiful, and it’s horribly addictive. I just wish I had known she was touring the states before tickets sold out!
2. Viagra Boys – viagr aboys
Shrimptech Enterprises
Whenever I’m in my car and don’t know what to put on, it ends up being this album. Every song on this record is so catchy, so well-produced, and so fun to sing along to. Sebastian’s voice is crazy versatile and seems like it can suit just about any mood these chubbed-up chaps want to conjure. The electronic components of the album have a sort of dancy feel to them that I don’t think will ever get old. “Man Made of Meat” alone could probably score viagr aboys a spot on this list, and as much as I love the song I’ve got for #1, Viagra Boys are taking home my award for song of the year.
1. Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power
Roadrunner Records | Review
Shocker, I know. Falxifer and I reviewed this album back in April, and I haven’t cooled off on it in the slightest. There is not a second of this record that goes to waste (don’t even THINK about skipping those interlude tracks), and not a moment feels misplaced. Lonely People With Power is Deafheaven’s most streamlined record to date, and now that the fat is trimmed, we’re left with nothing but meat. There are so, so many great moments on this album, but there’s something about the harsh vocals kicking in during “Heathen” that just keeps me coming back. Every track is a masterpiece and with the announcement of new music coming next year, I think it’s fair to say that the band is firing on all cylinders. I couldn’t be more excited to see what else is in the tank.
Make sure to check out LISTMANIA 2K25 Days I | II | III as well!
