MUSIC 2025 : TOP 7 live albums

Once again there were many releases to choose from, so there are definitely more artists like for example Mono, Causa Sui, Ghostmass, Ad Nauseam or Wormrot who would have deserved a spotlight on this list. But there are lots of different kinds of live albums, which are hard to weigh against each other, from free improvisations to elaborate pieces of concept art, from vivid snapshots of a band at a seminal point in time to basically best of compilations with an audience - or the primarily pandemic era trend of streamed performances without a live audience.

I'm happy that my TOP 7, as incomplete as it feels, at least represents a good part of this diverseness.
   

TOP 7 LIVE ALBUMS 2025:

1. LAIBACH - Alamut
   
   
   
   Even though the visual side - which adds a lot to the total experience of this monumental Slovenian-Iranian collaboration of Laibach with composers, Avant-Garde vocal and accordeon groups and of course a whole symphonic orchestra from both countries - is missing, "Alamut" still stands out as a deeply moving creative beacon between Modern Classical Music, Experimental Folk and Harsh Industrial. For obvious reasons not performed in Tehran (yet), but recorded in Ljubljana in 2022, this show easily joins the ranks of Laibach's most exceptional musical achievements during their over four decades long career. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. CHAT PILE - Live At Roadburn 2023
   
   
   
   Who are Chat Pile? This recording from their biggest show up to that point during their first visit to Europe is the perfect answer. It sums up the quality and brutal intensity of their sludgy Post Hardcore / Noise Rock as well as their humour. To quote from my review: This live record will become a cult classic. Period. It certainly is special even among the huge catalogue of fantastic "Live at Roadburn" albums. If you've somehow missed the hype and only just heard about Chat Pile - just start here! - I second myself. This is a motherfucker!
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. YODOK III - Nidarosdomen
   
   
   
   On August 1st 2023 Yodok III played inside the Nidarosdomen cathedral in Trondheim, Norway. The premise was to improvise one uninterrupted almost hour-long piece of music on guitar, drums, tuba and flugabone - and of course the church's pipe organ. If there's a better way to fulfil this premise than this masterclass of Ambient Drone Post Free Jazz by Dirk Serries, Tomas Järmyr, Kristoffer Lo and guest Petra Bjørkhaug - I cannot for the life of me imagine how that could even be possible. Magical!
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. NEPTUNIAN MAXIMALISM - Le Sacre Du Soleil Invaincu
   
   
   
   With three LPs and more than one and a half hours playing time Neptunian Maximalism's latest album once again leaves no doubt about the accuracy of the Belgian band's name. Based on concepts of Indian Classical music with appearances of according traditional instruments "The Rite Of The Unconquered Sun" is a larger than life meditation, voyage and earthquake of Drone, Doom, Ambient and Black Metal in three colossal Ragas.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. DOPE PURPLE - Children In The Darkness
   
   
   
   In March 2023 Taiwanese Heavy Psychedelic Rockers Dope Purple teamed up with two guest musicians on saxophone and percussions for an intimate live recording session in front of a selected audience of friends. Their performance on these three jams however feels as if they had been energized by a stadium full of fans hungry for noisy cosmic ecstasy. All tracks are brilliant, but the yearning title track is hands down one of my favorite tunes of the year. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. KOENJI HYAKKEI - Live at Club Goodman
   
   
   
   Good that these Japanese ladies and gentlemen can access a superhuman joy of playing, so you would never guess that this covid times recording misses the energy of a live audience. In fourteen absolutely mental tracks of incredible Zeuhl madness between Prog, Punk, Jazz Fusion, Opera, circus and Classical Music Koenji Hyakkei's masterful Magma worship fucks with your mind like nothing else. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. CIRITH UNGOL - Live at the Roxy
   
   
   
   There's no calibrated measurement system for cult. And if there was, Doom-ish Heavy Metal veterans Cirith Ungol, whose original run lasted from 1971 to 1991, would probably blow it up anyway. They didn't even ruin their reputation with their reunion, which was done for the right reasons and perfectly executed, resulting in lauded live activities and even great new studio albums. "Live at the Roxy" was recorded 2023 during the release show for "Dark Parade", features the whole album plus tons and tons of classics. No, this leaves nothing to be desired. Join the Legion!