2025’s been a weird year for metal in the best possible way, with surprise comebacks, overachieving EPs, and bands either reinventing themselves or finally getting their shit together. What follows isn’t ranked, balanced, or remotely objective. It’s just a bunch of music nerds screaming each other in the face about what’s had staying power this year.
It’s been a rollercoaster of late for Ginger and the Wildhearts, and one could have assumed that Satanic Rites would be a car crash. I’m here to tell you it’s not perfect, but it’s genuinely not a car crash, and it’s the second-best Wildhearts album released since their reformation in 2019. ‘Troubadour Moon’ is a stone-cold classic, ‘Maintain Radio Silence’ is lyrically very powerful, and ‘Scared of Glass’ has a huge earworm of a riff. Elsewhere, Ginger does kill the mood a bit with the lyrically overwrought ‘Hurt People, Hurt People,’ but I genuinely think he is on top form here and still one of the finest songwriters this country has produced. Satanic Rites is currently an EOTY list top spot contender for me. – Chris Coleman-Peers
Most intro tracks go in one ear and out the skip button, but ‘Initiation’ earns its place, building tension without overstaying its welcome. And then ‘Burial Pact’ hits, delivering the most compelling black metal track I’ve heard all year. It’s got momentum, restraint, drama, and teeth, striking a rare balance between intensity and progression. Think Enslaved at their most focused, with a touch of Satyricon’s swagger. This was my first time hearing the band, and it sent me straight to last year’s Conveyance in Death, which is also fantastic. I’m all in on whatever comes next. - Eric Gmutza
I’ve loved Turnstile from the first time I heard them 10 years ago. Their last release, the incredible Glow On, was released four years ago. To see them go from a straight-up beatdown hardcore band to what they have become now has been a beautiful thing to hear. They’ve managed to stay true to the raw energy of hardcore while fearlessly embracing melody, groove, and atmosphere in ways that feel natural, not forced. It’s rare for a band to push boundaries without alienating their core audience, but Turnstile walks that tightrope effortlessly. - David Loyd
Eric has been shouting me in the face about Harem Scarem for years, so imagine my surprise to find that I’m a bigger fan of this record than he! Chasing Euphoria delivers the same 80’s-influenced rock that is the band’s part and parcel, and it is solid from start to finish. Everyone else at the Ometer are big fans of this record, so don’t listen to the local curmudgeon: if you’re a fan of the heyday of 80’s rock and metal, don’t miss this one .- Brian Gmutza
Full disclosure: I’m friends and neighbors with Kiritsis’ bassist, Bill Scott. I don’t think that’s influencing my opinion all that much. Honestly, if this album sucked, I’d have just pretended I hadn’t heard it. Fortunately, it rips. Dark, heavy, and menacing with a real sense of purpose, Kiritsis draws on the unsettling true story of Indianapolis antihero Tony Kiritsis, weaving local lore into well-crafted, dynamic metal songs that flow like a slow, suffocating descent into madness. Fans of Eyehategod or Thou will eat this up, but even if this isn’t your favorite subgenre (it’s not mine), this is still worth your time. - Eric Gmutza
Jinjer has been steadily rising over the past decade, and it’s no surprise why. With Tatiana Shmayluk’s jaw-dropping vocal range—angelic cleans one moment, demonic growls the next—they easily could have leaned into a more polished, radio-friendly direction. Instead, they’ve doubled down on their roots and delivered their heaviest record yet. It’s brutal, unrelenting, and unapologetically raw—not a hint of pop in sight. - David Loyd
These Norwegians blew me away with their 2023 debut The Approbation, so I eagerly awaited their follow-up. I’m glad to say that Waving at the Sky largely delivers. It still mines territory that Steven Wilson popularized with Porcupine Tree, but think more Lightbulb Sun-era than Deadwing. These guys have been getting a lot of well-deserved press lately, so if you’re a fan of Progressive Rock with a harder edge, you would do well to seek this out. - Brian Gmutza
I really missed Superheaven when they went on hiatus, so it was a surprise to see ‘Youngest Daughter’ go stratospheric in 2023 (ten years after it was released) thanks to TikTok. To be honest, they haven’t skipped a beat. This new self-titled record picks up where Ours Is Chrome left off. ‘Cruel Times’ is a raucous emotional banger, ‘Hothead’ showcases their ability to rock hard, ‘Stare at the Void’ is a beautiful ballad, and the rest of the record is classic Superheaven—which is always a good thing. – Chris Coleman-Peers
2025 has been a real EP year for me, and I’m not mad about it. I’ll take high and tight over padded full-lengths any day, and Black Rite delivers exactly that. Outside of a quick intro, it’s all killer, no filler—a sharp, snarling reminder of how effective well-executed thrash can be. Maltuka keeps it raw without sounding like it was recorded in a submarine, dodging the murky production trend that’s plagued the genre since Power Trip made it cool. Easily the best thrash I’ve heard this year. - Eric Gmutza
This one caught me off guard. I’m usually bored stiff by trad metal, and I tend to think anything that isn’t black or death metal should have clean vocals. Tribulation, for instance, lost me completely when they drifted away from death metal into moody, gothic hard rock. But against all odds, Nite struck a chord. I recently saw them live at Black Circle in Indianapolis and was surprised at how fun they were. The music leans on classic heavy metal elements like twin leads and galloping riffs, but filters them through a black metal lens with rasped vocals and a gritty edge. You might expect corpse paint and hooded robes, but instead you get a band that shows up ready to rip and leaves you humming the riffs. - Eric Gmutza
I think I was the only person who loved 2021’s Infinite Granite so I wasn’t one of the masses clamoring for a return to form. Nevertheless, Lonely People with Power is exactly that: the Black Metal is back, the shrieks are back, and the Shoegaze has returned to its proper restraint. The result is an excellent work from start to finish, and one that will certainly compete for a spot in my top 5 at year-end. - Brian Gmutza
Why does no one know about this band? It’s criminal. The Slow Death has been creating raucous, southern-influenced heavy rock since 2013. No Light to See is probably the best distillation of their sound to date. Sounding at times like a cross between Drive Like Jehu and The Black Crowes, and with a tongue-in-cheek attitude to their lyrics, The Slow Death have made a statement for the best rock album of 2025 with No Light to See. – Chris Coleman-Peers
I’ve had my eye on Gruesome for a while now. The whole concept—crafting unofficial sister albums to each Death release—is ambitious, and a little risky. Any death metal band worth their salt can tackle Scream Bloody Gore or Leprosy, but Human? Symbolic? That’s where the real test of mettle begins. Silent Echoes marks Gruesome’s entry into Death’s most adventurous era, and it works. On first listen, I just wanted to go back and listen to Human again. But after a few spins, I started to appreciate just how well they’ve captured not just the sound, but the spirit of that album. It genuinely feels like the lost sequel to Human, complete with lyrics that echo Chuck Schuldiner’s style and cadence. “A window shows you nothing if you refuse to look outside” might be the most Chuck Schuldiner lyric that Chuck never wrote. – Eric Gmutza
A Day to Remember make a mostly triumphant return to their classic sound with Big Ole Album. After a few releases that leaned more radio-friendly and pulled back on the metal edge, this new record comes out swinging. It's packed with huge, gang-yelled choruses and that heavy-yet-melodic, breakdown-filled easycore energy that old-school fans—myself included—first fell in love with. Welcome back, guys. You were missed. - David Loyd
I was a big fan of Timaeus, so I went into Ananke expecting another round of space-carnival chaos. What I got instead was a more grounded, traditional black metal album. It's still progressive, still textured, just less Arcturus and more straight-ahead darkness. It took me a few listens to stop wishing it was weirder, but once I met the album on its own terms, it really clicked. The songwriting is tight, the mood is consistent, and there is still enough off-kilter flair to keep things interesting. A slower burn than its predecessor, but well worth the time. – Eric Gmutza
If you’re thinking by the title that Bedowyn are going to be another fae prog band, you are sadly mistaken. These lads from Raleigh, NC, specialize in straight up heavy metal with some flourishes of Black and Doom Metal added in for good measure. Though this is their second album, Secret Storm, Secret Garden was 10 years in the making. I’m here to tell you that it was definitely worth the wait! - Brian Gmutza
Things I thought I’d never hear again. Hey, remember that hardcore band Deadguy? They just released a new record... Deadguy is a band I loved back in the day. They released one incredible record in 1995 and just seemingly disappeared. This comeback shattered all expectations. Their signature brand of chaotic metalcore/mathcore sounds as intense and fresh as it did 30 years ago and doesn’t miss a beat. - David Loyd
Mantar has never really been my thing. The vocals were always a bit too shrieky for my taste. But on Post Apocalyptic Depression, it all comes together. The raspy black-and-roll delivery, paired with just the right amount of distortion, gives the whole thing a grimy attitude that really works. Genre-wise, they’re hard to categorize. There’s punk energy, black metal bleakness, and a heavy dose of rock, but it doesn’t sit neatly in any one box. In that regard, they remind me a bit of a band like Kvelertak, even if the sound is completely their own. This one’s definitely landing on my year-end list. - Eric Gmutza
What would any list of mine be without at least one pop punk release? Winona Fighter's debut, My Apologies to the Chef, is easily one of the catchiest debuts I’ve heard in a long time. Comparisons to early Stand Atlantic—the Australian punk powerhouse—are definitely fair. The first time I heard them, I had the same reaction: “This sounds like Stand Atlantic... but with something rawer, and uniquely theirs.” Crunchy, hook-laden riffs, irresistibly catchy choruses, and emotionally charged lyrics delivered with gruff sincerity by lead singer Coco Kinnon make this band one to watch closely. There’s an edge to their sound that feels both familiar and refreshing—Winona Fighter is carving out their own lane in the genre, and they’re doing it loud and proud. - David Loyd
Scalpture brings the brutality, no question. But what sets Landkrieg apart is the band's ability to mix in just enough groove and hooky riffage to keep things listenable. It’s like a slightly more punishing Bolt Thrower, with the same tank-crushing weight and a few more bodies in the treads. ‘Til Jeret Undergang’ is the standout for me, balancing relentless aggression with a killer sense of rhythm that makes it one of the best death metal tracks I’ve heard this year. – Eric Gmutza
