You know the annual sermon: What an impossible task! So hard to decide, so many other albums would have deserved to be featured here, this is only a snapshot and could look very different a couple of weeks from now, blabla...
And I'm already making these AOTY lists easier by only ranking the first three albums on a podium. Last time I sorted the rest by genres, but this year my process just naturally went into an already more stylistically balanced direction without me having to overthink it. So here you just have places twenty-five to four, no matter what style of music, just on alphabetical order, before we get to the three at the very top.
As always my criteria for consideration are that it must be a full (so no EP), new (not reissued) studio (not live, which can sometimes be debatable) album, it must have been released in 2025 and I must own a physical copy of it! I know, the last point isn't fair and rules out quite a bunch of great digital releases, but hey, how am I supposed to put those on a photo like above?
But enough with the introduction, no honourable mentions (because selecting those would be the next impossible task), so here we go!
And I'm already making these AOTY lists easier by only ranking the first three albums on a podium. Last time I sorted the rest by genres, but this year my process just naturally went into an already more stylistically balanced direction without me having to overthink it. So here you just have places twenty-five to four, no matter what style of music, just on alphabetical order, before we get to the three at the very top.
As always my criteria for consideration are that it must be a full (so no EP), new (not reissued) studio (not live, which can sometimes be debatable) album, it must have been released in 2025 and I must own a physical copy of it! I know, the last point isn't fair and rules out quite a bunch of great digital releases, but hey, how am I supposed to put those on a photo like above?
But enough with the introduction, no honourable mentions (because selecting those would be the next impossible task), so here we go!
TOP 25 ALBUMS OF 2025#25 - #4 (in alphabetical order):
- Cue to: When did Post Black Metal get woke??!! Seriously though: Agriculture's beautifully wild, harsh and fragile, rebellious and grand mix of Black Metal, Punk and Shoegaze is surely one of those experiences which can instantly rekindle your passion if you feel like Metal in general is starting to bore you a little. Such an addictive energy!
- ÅRABROT - Rite of DionysusOn the sister album and continuation of "And Darkness and Light" (2023) Kjetil Nernes' and Karin Park's Norwegian Gothic Church of Årabrot leads us from solemnly droning organ threnody over grand ballads, Noise Rock and Post Punk'n'Roll bangers all the way to a climax of irresistable four-to-the-floor danceability.
- BONG-RA - Black Noise / To Mega Panopticon"Black Noise" is composed of Godflesh and Ministry style Industrial Metal infused with Jason Köhnen's brand of Doom and gloom and stirred up by the Breakbeat inferno of earlier Bong-Ra releases. The complementary remix and cover songs album "To Mega Panopticon" completes the apocalyptic fallout party.
- Scattered, fragmented, a chaotic clash of dystopia and hope, of technology and spirit. Through ambitous concepts - combining decades of recording techniques and centuries of music history - French instrumental Post Rockers Bruit ≤ create a cosmic snapshot of humanity, a perfect summary of our time - and an urgent plea looking forward.
- Experimental Hip Hop trio Clipping. from LA has moved from horror stories to hustling, hacking and fighting the system in the neon light alleys of a cyberpunk mega city, painted in rich sonic and lyrical detail on "Dead Channel Sky". also available as the digital director's cut "Dead Channel Sky Plus".
- CORONER - Dissonance Theory
"Default: Groundbreaking"Thirteen years after their live reunion and thirty-two years after the masterpiece "Grin" Coroner are finally back. And the Swiss Progressive Thrash Metal legends didn't take their fans' patience for granted, but carefully crafted a banger that doesn't need to hide from anything in their discography. - DALILA KAYROS - KthonieDalila Kayros was one of the strongest competitors only missing the winners' podium of this list by a hair. On "Kthonie" the Italian singer presents nine nonconformist yet accessible, outrageously great Avantgarde Electronic Music tracks with absolutely fierce and fearless vocal performances.
- DATADYR - This We KnowWatching the empire's downfall from afar Norwegian trio Datadyr explores the gap between romanticisation and bleak reality of the American Dream. Their mix of instrumental Weather Report Jazz Fusion with multiple variants of Americana from Blues, Country and Folk to Bluegrass is a touching, blue yet exciting requiem for the West that never really was.
- DÉLIRANT - ThoughteaterThe Spaniards Délirant take us on a spiraling journey to hell through a merciless maelstrom of seven surreal, nightmarish movements of existentially horrifying, atmospherically thick Dissonant Black Metal. Only at the end of this rite of psychotic torment "Thougheater" allows us to dream of a distant ray of light.
- FLORENCE + THE MACHINE - Everybody ScreamThree years after "Dance Fever" Florence + The Machine return with increased introspective depth and darkness in their mixture of Chamber and hymnic Pop with Alternative Rock, Folk and acoustic, orchestral or electronic textures. Be as sceptical as you will about artists with mainstream appeal - Florence Welch is the real deal.
- IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT - GoldstarNew York Avantgarde Death Metal masquerade ball dials down the artistic bulkiness of previous albums with a shorter format and easier digestable songwriting, yet without losing any of its sick integrity or quality.
Also check out Steve Blanco's Jazz piano solo interpretation of Imperial Triumphant songs on "Imprints of Man"! - MESSA - The SpinDoom, Hardrock, Folk, Post Punk, Extreme Metal, piano ballads, Smooth Jazz... Messa somehow are allowed to do whatever they please without it ever feeling gimmicky. "The Spin" widens the Italians' boundaries again, while great instincts, formidable songwriting and of course the captivating charisma of singer Sara's angelic voice hold everything together.
- NICK HUDSON - On The Eve Of HopeNick Hudson, English interdisciplinary artist living in Georgia, presents eighteen new songs about life, love, love to love itself, politics and nature. Most of them are based on piano, harpsichord, organ or synths. All of them once again prove him as amazingly inspired singer/songwriter and poet.
- PHARAOH OVERLORD - LoihuOn this coloss of slowly stomping, hypnotic Heavy Psych the Finns Pharaoh Overlord renew their sound with repetitive guitar riffs, a permanent Drone of hurdy gurdy and nyckelharpa, combined with noisy Metal chords and atmospheric layers of both subtle and shiny synths. On top of that roars the inhumanly hoarse voice of Sumac's Aaron Turner. Uuuaaarrrghh!
- ROJI - Tsunami DeluxeThanks to Jörg Schneider's output alone I can't complain about a shortage of new improvisational insanity. The drummer's unhinged Jazzcore double album with João Almeida (trumpet) and Gonçalo Almeida (bass) however stands out as a beast that would make Peter "Machine Gun" Brötzmann proud. Roji rules!
- SOPHIA DJEBEL ROSE - SécheresseNorthern African melodies sliding into French chansons over droning guitar and meandering textures of modular synths and harmonium. An ominous musical mist from which singer / songwriter Sophia Djebel Rose's beautifully raw and captivating voice emerges as a mesmerizing messenger of longing, sorrow and menacing feral rage.
- SUMAC & MOOR MOTHER - The FilmMoor Mother, eloquent voice of the African diaspora, blurring lines between Hip Hop and agitation art with expressive political-personal poetry. Sumac, masters of Sludge Metal, experimental riff minimalism and Free Jazz in the language of maximum Noise Rock heaviness. This collaboration is a perfect match!
- SUM OF R - SpectralThe Swiss-Finnish trio Sum Of R is determined to both hypnotize and traumatize you. The unsettling mix of Krautrock, Doom, Drone, Black Metal and Experimental Whatthefuck with often altered or almost ridiculously extreme vocals on "Spectral" tramples your chest like a sleep paralysis demon bored by his regular job and looking for new challenges.
- TARUN BALANI - ڪڏهن ملنداسين Kadahin MilandaasinIndian drummer and composer Tarun Balani's quartet with the other members on piano, guitar and trumpet tells the migration story of the bandleader's grandfather with an adventurous and achingly beautifully mix of Jazz Fusion, Sindhi Folk, Arabisms and Classical influences. Stunning, touching Subcontinental magic!
- TAVARE - Too Small To Be So HighAidan Baker on guitar, Tristen Bakker on bass, Angela Muñoz (Hypnodrone Ensemble) on drums and the whole trio singing, quietly snuck up upon me on soft soles of minimalist semi-acoustic Slowcore. Now their stripped and slowed down, natural Alternative / Post Rock has established itself as one of m favorite soundtracks for winding down.
- TEMPLE FANG - Lifted From The WindThey finally did it! After several fantastic live releases since 2020 Dutch Psychedelic Rock masters Temple Fang finally released their first full studio longplayer. Amazingly epic as ever, but now with even more refined songwriting, arrangements and vocal harmonies. According to this double album 2025 must be the Golden Age of Rock!
- WREKMEISTER HARMONIES - Flowers In The SpringWith the self-imposed restriction of only recording on four channels, "Flowers In The Spring" is an impressive exercise in minimalism with maximalist effect. Hypnotically meandering soundscapes with not even proper beginnings and ends - yet Wrekmeister Harmonies turned this meditation into my favorite instrumental Drone / Ambient album of the year.
And now... *drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrumrrrrrrrrrrrrroll*...
My TOP 3 ALBUMS OF 2025:
Their sensational last live album may have foreshadowed this, but with at least a handful of deserving candidates the hardest decision while putting this list together still was which artist to put on this first of the medal positions. There are certainly albums which might be more innovative than the (now seriously?) final loud Swans studio release of their whole larger than life post reunion run.
However while most of the almost two hours of "Birthing" is clearly built on the band's evolution of the previous fifteen years, it never feels like a rehash, yet like a perfect culmination. Mammoth form and monolithic sound meet with great songwriting (or intentional abondment of that) and great sequencing choices. I think there has hardly been a Swans album that has been dramatically structured as well as this over such a total length.
And then there are also some surprising flavours like the grand optimism of the title track, the Bowie tribute in "I Am The Tower" or the extra (Experi)mental collage "The Merge", which stand out as defining moments on a work that ultimately stands on par with discographic highlights like "To Be Kind".- SILVER (2nd place):
YAZZ AHMED - A Paradise In The Hold
Once again Yazz Ahmed proves why she's one of my favorite musical storytellers. On "A Paradise In The Hold" the British-Bahraini composer, trumpeter and horn player assembles an array of exceptional musical partners - including sadly departed drummer extraordinaire and secret MVP of the album Martin France - to beautifully retell myths, legends and folklore from the Persian Gulf from a female perspective.
Musically the double album consists of seventy minutes of rhythmically and melodically complex blends of breathtaking Jazz Fusion with stronger Arabic influences than ever, with the sounds of bass clarinet, vibraphone, Rhodes piano and Ahmed's own performances in key roles, yet also not shying away from fearlessly integrated Electronic effects and programming.
All is completed by the overflowing emotion and devotion of multiple stellar lead vocalists, who completely pull you into the world created here.
And if you still long for more after the end of this epos Yazz Ahmed has you covered with a digital EP that includes the album versions plus exciting remixes of "Waiting For The Dawn", "A Paradise In The Hold" and "Mermaid's Tears". 
If this comes to you as a surprise you haven't been paying attention. Which is ok, because admittedly this little blog of mine isn't the hub of the universe - and also Veil of Sound, for which I enthusiastically reviewed this masterpiece isn't exactly a household name yet. You can change that in the future for your personal household at least, so please follow both sites!
But enough of the plug, back to overwhelming wonder that is Anna von Hausswolff!
Five years after "All Thoughts Fly" the pipe organs keep droning, but now they are aided by occasional strings and a full band setup again, in which the newly introduced saxophone / clarinet plays a key role. And of course above all - she sings again. And she sings a lot! Thoughtful and furious, caring and threatening, fairy and banshee, queen and punk, but always with an abundance of commitment, reaching beyond the notes for the biggest, most heart-wrenching expression.
But what other choice does her voice even have than to reach for the stars, with such a gargantuan backdrop of epic jaw-dropping arrangements in Ambient, Drone, Gothic, Modern Classical Music, Chamber Pop, Jazz and Prog Rock behind her?
"Iconoclasts" is a prime example of sonic and emotional maximalism. Seven years after "Dead Magic" Anna von Hausswolff's magic is more alive than ever!
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