One thing the year end proves is that I'm most definitely the least brutal dude on the Ometer as far as listening preferences go. I still love being part of this group and am thankful Eric puts up with my pop punk and possibly pedestrian (in his eyes) love of music, rarely burning my heart on a stick. Thanks dud, I appreciate it. This list is in no particular order except that (SPOILER ALERT) Turnstile’s Never Enough is my favorite record of the year.
I don’t know what it is about the city of Baltimore that produces some of the finest hardcore around, but after being on the scene for over eight years, three EPs, and countless live shows, End It finally released a full-length this year with Wrong Side of Heaven. This record is everything you want from a great hardcore album: biting, beatdown, and thrashy. Don’t miss these guys live if they come through. Pure fun and madness.
Mark Tremonti has to be one of the hardest-working musicians today. Between his four musical projects, he consistently produces solid music that actually sounds different across each band. Tremonti is by far the most metal of his projects, and my personal favorite. On The End Will Show Us How, some of the straight-up pummeling metal we’ve come to expect is dialed back a bit, but it still kicks your door in and takes your lunch money, just with a little more nuance.
I’ve been a fan of Testament longer than I’d like to admit. Yes, I’m the oldest of the Firesideometer crew. When The New Order dropped in 1988, my 15-year-old self ran to the mall after school so I could throw that cassette in my player and headbang until my neck gave out. Testament hasn’t put out a bad record, though some are stronger than others. Happy to report Para Bellum is one of the stronger ones. After 40 years, Alex Skolnick can still shred circles around most younger guitarists, and Chuck Billy still sounds razor sharp.
One of the early pop-punk greats, the violin-fused Yellowcard, return with their first full-length in nearly a decade. Better Days, produced by Travis Barker, finds the band coming back with emo-pop-punk vengeance. From the opening notes, you’re transported straight back to the early 2000s, cruising on a warm summer day with the windows down and not a care in the world. Yellowcard brings the nostalgia without sounding dated, and I couldn’t be happier. Welcome back, boys. I hope you’re here for a long time.
It seems my Firesideometer buddy from across the pond and I landed on a pretty similar list this year. I probably should’ve just asked Eric to add my name to his year-end list. Red Sky Mourning is the follow-up to their excellent debut Feel It All Around. This one is heavier, more crushing, and brings those Alice in Chains vibes firmly to the forefront.
Wolf Van Halen drops his third record under the Mammoth name, this time without the WVH initials, and delivers another extremely solid slice of hard rock mastery. Musically, it continues the trajectory of his previous releases: honest, fist-in-the-air, shout-along rock meant to help you forget about life for a few hours. Considering his lineage, Wolf continues to blaze his own trail, and I love getting to watch it happen.
Spiritbox exploded onto the scene in 2021 with the crushingly beautiful Eternal Blue. A couple of EPs followed, building massive anticipation for their next full-length. When Tsunami Sea finally dropped this year, it did not disappoint. Their blend of metalcore, ambient dreamscapes, and Courtney LaPlante’s angelic, ethereal cleans paired with ferocious guttural screams delivers exactly the contrast my ears crave.
Drain is simply amazing. That crossover hardcore/punk/thrash sound I love so much is exactly what they deliver. They’re one of the most energetic bands I’ve ever seen, somehow capturing the same chaos on record as they do live. Is Your Friend pushes their hardcore energy even further than their last release, which I didn’t think was possible. Are Drain the future of hardcore? They already are.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Astronoid dropped their fourth record, Stargod, this past November and it instantly blew me away. Their trademark dream-thrash sound is still intact, but this time with slicker production, more pop influence, and a healthy dose of ’80s synthwave. The kind you’d hear in a B-grade action flick on a VHS rented from the local video store. I mean that in the best way possible. If you like crunchy chords, technical and proggy rock, and the occasional blast beat, give this a spin.
Part of me really didn’t want to like the tenth studio album from these reluctant OGs of ’90s nu-metal, despite them being one of my all-time favorite bands since 1995. A lot of that came from how they handled Sergio Vega’s departure after twelve years. But damn it, Private Music is just that good. Their signature blend of brutality and dreamlike atmosphere is still intact. Thirty years in, they somehow continue to reach new heights effortlessly. Deftones are having a moment right now, and it’s fully deserved. I just wish Sergio were still part of it.
The mathcore mess that made my mid-year list earns its place here too. It’s gloriously chaotic. If The Dillinger Escape Plan and Every Time I Die had a child, this would be the unhinged result. I don’t know how The Callous Daoboys pull this off with such authenticity and power, but I’m very glad they do.
Deadguy was a band I loved back in the day. After releasing an incredible record in 1995, they seemingly vanished. This comeback shattered all expectations. Their signature chaotic metalcore and mathcore sound feels just as intense and fresh as it did decades ago, without missing a beat.
After a few releases that didn’t quite land for me, A Day to Remember make a mostly triumphant return with Big Ole Album Vol. 1. It leans back into the classic ADTR sound that made so many fans fall in love with them in the first place. If you’ve never liked the band, this probably won’t change your mind. But if you were once a fan and drifted away like I did, it might be time to hop back on the party bus.
My thoughts haven’t changed since my mid-year review of Duel. If anything, they’ve only grown stronger. Tatiana remains the undisputed metal queen, with unmatched range between stunning cleans and utterly demonic growls. The rest of the band is just as sharp, and I always look forward to whatever they do next.
I included Turnstile in my mid-year list, but truth be told, this was my favorite release of 2025 at the time and remains my favorite of the year, period. Turnstile continue to evolve in exactly the right way. They are still, without question, a hardcore band, but the added sheen and pop sensibility on Never Enough have helped push the genre beyond a single definition. My 14-year-old daughter summed it up perfectly when she said, “Oh, that’s some good dreamcore.” I couldn’t describe it better myself.
