MUSIC 2025 : TOP 4 reissues

I didn't get too many releases falling into this category this year, so four already feels like a lot. Of course that doesn't change the objective truth of this little list. This is the one and only truth. Don't take it personal, but whatever you think is the best reissue of the year - you're wrong.

TOP 4 reissues 2025:

1. LAIBACH - Laibach40
   
   
   
   Ok, seriously now. I was a little bit divided about putting this new Laibach box on top, because their debut album has already been released in several forms, including the "Laibach Revisited" box set. Two of the three accompanying live albums in the box are already known too, while just one recent "We Forge The Future" performance and a DVD documentary are actually new entries into the collection. If this is all new to you however, this CD box (or its vinyl equivalent) is undoubtly a great document of the Slovene legends' early Industrial days forty years ago.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. SENYAWA - Membaladakan Keselamatan (Ballads for the Survivors)
   
   
   
   Four years after the digital release WV Sorcerer Productions finally gave us a physical release of Senyawa's unplugged album, which proves that even on an acoustic guitar instead of self-built electronic devices the Javanese Experimental Folk/Drone duo is just as comepelling as in its regular form. The vinyl release ist beautiful and not only includes lyrics, but also four previously unreleased bonus tracks. Magical.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. PINK FLOYD - Live at Pompeii MCMLXXII
   
   
   
   Yes, in case you wondered, why this didn't show up in my TOP 7 of live albums - it's of course a reissue. And even though the two CD version probably is one of the least spectacular formats in which this Steven Wilson remix of this essential Pink Floyd recording (and the film which it scores) has come out, there's no doubt about the importance and continuing influence of this band in their maybe most creatively and temperamentally balanced era.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. WYATT E. - Mount Sinai / Aswan
   WYATT E. - Exile To Beyn Neharot
   
   
   

   Ok, I'm cheating. These are two albums. But not only because of the similar, just mirrored cover artwork the 2015 and 2017 works of this mystical Doom trio feel like connected twin releases. The atmospheric longtracks of slow Experimental Metal drowned in Near Eastern and Dead Can Dance influences are already almost as compelling as later albums - and Heavy Psych Sounds just does beautiful colour vinyl variants, so the only hard decision of this reissue really was, which exact version to choose. Musically Wyatt E. are beyond any doubt a worthwhile addition to any collection anyway.
   
   

   

   

favorite MUSIC 2025 - all my lists:

TOP 25 albums   |   TOP 7 live albums   |   TOP 4 reissues

TOP 4 non-album releases   |   TOP 25 live shows

WV Sorcery with DOPE PURPLE, KAWAGUCHI MASAMI / MIKE VEST / DAVE SNEDDON and SENYAWA

Is it time to praise one of my favorite underground labels (and one of only two with their own section in my record collection) again?

Duh, It's always time for that!

SENYAWA - Membaladakan Keselamatan (Ballads for the Survivors) (Rainforest Ether vinyl LP) (2021/2025)

2021, the same year in which the Javanese Experimental Folk/Drone duo released their masterpiece "Alkisah" (still one of my very favorite albums of that year), also saw a seemingly smaller work from Senyawa. Only released digitally "Membaladakan Keselamatan (Ballads for the Survivors)" featured unplugged live session versions, showcasing that even performed on acoustic guitar instead of Wukir Suryadi's usual self-built electric noise devices their songs are just incredibly strong.
In this context Rully Shabara probably only shines even more as one of the most unique, versatile, expressing, just outstanding vocalists imaginable.

Now WV Sorcerer Productions has finally not only made this gem available in a physical format, but also added four previously unreleased tracks. So now we get a total of sixteen amazing tracks presented with all the love you'd expect from the label with great atmospheric photographs, OBI strip, a lyrics sheet and - if you're lucky enough to get one - in a beautiful blue-greenish vinyl colour.

No, this work really doesn't miss anything. Perfectly wholesome magic from another world.
    

KAWAGUCHI MASAMI / MIKE VEST / DAVE SNEDDON - To Be True, Then The Loop Will Run Forever (Phantom Flame vinyl LP) (2025)

But now let's turn on the amps - for some loud crunchy Noise Rock!

Beyond that there's not really much to say about "To Be True, Then The Loop Will Run Forever", which features three figures from the British and Japanese underground scene just spontanously rocking it out - dirty, distorted, trippy and ecstatic.

The name which pulled me in was Doom/Drone/Heavy Psych master Mike Vest, who plays a lively pumping and always very song-serving bass here.
Drummer Dave Sneddon has cooperated with him on multiple occasions before, so even though they are improvising the rhythm section is sticking together very safely.
Judging from the long and winding album title one could expect Keiji Haino to be a part of this trio, but front and center of the group Kawaguchi Masami has at least worked with the Experimental Noise legend in the past - and it shows that there are some similarities.

So there you have it: Raw Psychedelic Garage Rock with Japanese (I guess) vocals that not only pushes forward, but at times also shows some remarkable depth. Yeah, this half of an hour passes very quickly.

The LP is a joint release by WV Sorcerer and Echodelick Records.

DOPE PURPLE - Children In The Darkness (Purple Galaxy vinyl LP) (2025)

Last but not least, presented by WV Sorcerer and Riot Season Records, we have a new album by the Taiwanese band that's so much better than their cheekily derivated name might suggest. Recorded during a midnight live session the five Psych freaks of Dope Purple, including Mong Tong member Hung Jiun Chi teamed up with two guest musicians (Darren Moore on percussions and voice, Yong Yandsen on tenor sax) to create three splendid epic, loud and trippy Psych excesses.

"New Psyche & Beyond The Body" really milks its steadily growing crescendo, building a wall of crunching bass, noisy shredding and screeching saxophone on a repetitive guitar idea that gets wilder and wilder, always adding yet another level of escalation every time you think they've reached the maximum of batshit crazy. Beware: These guys want to burst your speakers!

The B side of this purple-coloured record begins comparatively laid back with "Night Flying 夜間飛行". Clean guitar and cosmic synths set the mood before the saxophone passionately screams into the relaxed mood, signaling that once again Dope Purple will masterfully build this up to a delicious full Acid Mothers Temple Kraut inferno.

The album ends with the title track. "Children in the Darkness 被遺忘的孩子" is hands down one of my favorite tunes of the year so far - and the main reason I featured this record among my Midyear TOP 15. That beautifully yearning guitar chord progression just goes to all the right heartfelt places, while the other sounds swirl around it so gently like magical winds and butterflies.

Of course Dope Purple cannot help themselves and ultimately shovel a good amount of noisy guitar over this dream. However its aching beauty persists until the end.

And just to end this review by throwing in the odd unexpected reference, the vibe actually reminds me of both "Pleasuredome" and "Sunday Mood" from Austrian Death Metal innovators Disharmonic Orchestra. Yeah seriously, look those up, if you doubt me!

digital delights with COLLIGNON, SENYAWA, SUBSCUM and THE LORD

Yeah, this combination of artworks looks weird. And no, I'm not exactly looking for coherence when I'm putting together quadruple reviews like this. These are just four of the most recent digital additions to my collection.

SENYAWA - Samudera (2025)

The Indonesian Experimental duo has started a series of releases containing previously unreased tracks, And that's really all the information we get about this EP. No backround about when and where "Samudera 01" to "Samudera 04" were recorded, just the pure music.

And that music is a bit atypical, since the insane vocal shenanigans of Rully Shabara are absent for half of the tracks, where instead we get a chaotic backdrop of Ambient sounds and samples, above which the Industrial or soft acoustic instrumentation of Wukir Suryadi.
The third track however is a slow Drone which heavily relies on multiple layer of vocals, before we go back to a rhythmic sound collage closer to the beginning again.

Even for Senyawa's standards this EP feels very unconventional, more like a collection of aural sketches than actual songs, and at times surely closer to Suryadi's solo stuff than what we're used to from the band. This material frankly isn't as strong as their albums, but it certainly is interesting and expands the context of their creative work.

THE LORD - (like) Christ Naked Ice (2025)

Inspired by French composer Olivier Maessiaen comes a new eleven-minute track by Sunn O)))) member Greg Anderson aka The Lord.

The rich Drone Metal tone of his crawling guitar is paired with a clerical atmosphere and... not really a really big melody, but a very pronounced sense of it. There is a curve, a build-up, as if the song was reaching for a mountain ridge it never quite reaches. A suspenseful piece of Drone goodness from one of the prime masters.

COLLIGNON - Bicicleta (2025)

Ok, I hear you! Let's get some happier, easier digestable stuff! Collignon from Portugal are a musically colourful, Progressive but very danceable Instrumental World Psych trio. Incorporating influences from all over the globe (Latin, Afro-Beat, Asian Disco) into their very percussive upbeat Rock they sound somehow like a halfway stop between Yīn Yīn and Mohama Saz with a strong focus on a wide array of keyboard sounds.

Written on tour "Bicicleta" exudes a lot of positive travelling vibes, making this a perfect summer party album. So maybe the release in February is a little early? Nah, I guess people have to be made addicted to this before the outdoor chillaxation season begins. This is just fun - and prove that party music definitely doesn't have to be stupid.

So far "Bicicleta" is the only release of this bunch, which is not exclusively digital, but also available on vinyl.

SUBSCUM - Massgrave Summit (2025)

The name of the band in connection with the cover artwork strongly suggests an inspiration by Napalm Death's classic "Scum" and that this is not for the (always right-wing) Keep-poltics-out-of-music! crowd.

And how could a Grindcore / Extreme Punk quartet from Kiew of all places possible not be political and vocal against the authoritarian powers which now seemingly want to divide Ukraine among themselves?

The language of Subscum's outcry is a pure heavily grooving and explosively blasting brutal Grind attack of five tracks in ten minutes with titles loke "Genosiege", "Radical Infantilism" or "Cognitive Massacre". So don't expect any reiventions of the wheel here; you'll get exactly what the cover promises, which is absolutely fine.

And since all proceeds are forwarded to victims of Putin's war, you're also supporting a good cause.

music 2024 : TOP 24 albums

Oh dear, this was hard! Even without live albums and reissues and only counting what I own as a physical copy there were something over eighty albums to chose my favorites from. At least seventy of those I would respect in any AOTY list. And in my personal TOP 24? I guess I must have considered more than twice than that as worthy of ending up here at some point.

The end of the story is that I just can't do it. I won't compile a full ranking of two dozen albums. That would immediately after publishing it feel incorrect and incomplete.

Instead I'm only giving you the podium of my TOP 3 albums of the year - and leading up to those twenty-one other favorites, chopped into three questionably categorized, each alphabetically ordered selections. Sounds too complicated? Just read on and it will explain itself!

But before we start let me honourably mention just a few of the many artists who undeservedly didn't make it onto this list! Especially the first and largest category still misses many great names like Aluk Todolo, Chat Pile, Julie Christmas, Knoll, Lucifer, Mono, Monovoth, Schneider Thisquietarmy, Syk or - to my own biggest surprise - even Blood Incantation, which was a very close call, where I basically decided on the base that the album already gets enough love everywhere. And I just didn't know what to drop off the list in its favour.

Papangu and Agusa would grace the Jazz / Fusion / Psych / Prog selection as well as Causa Sui, Cazayoux, Dope Purple & Berserk, Goat, Human Teorema, Kanaan & Ævestaden , PainKiller or Work Money Death. And even after that are still Midwife, Lethe, The Necks, Yīn Yīn and of course bazillions of fantastic albums I just don't own or I am not even aware of... So as always: Please don't start with "But THAT ONE is missing!" and just take this as the selection of warmest recommendations it ultimately is!

9 x METAL & OTHER NOISES highlights 2024:

• INSECT ARK - Raw Blood Singing
  
  
  
  Godflesh slowed down to the pace of Earth, sprinkled with lap steel guitar, synths and piano. On top Dana Schechter now sings, putting what could already be felt on previous albums into words. This adds a new strong dimension to the bleak beauty of Insect Ark's signature kind of hopeless Doom.
  
  
  
  
  
• MITOCHONDRION - Vitriseptome
  
  
  
  Over eighty mind-melting minutes of virtuous apocalyptic dissonance and hyper-brutality brought the Canadians' comeback "Vitriseptime" very close to my personal top three. Without a doubt however this incomprehensible hellscape is my favorite Death Metal album of the year.
  
  
  
  
  
• ORANSSI PAZUZU - Muuntautuja
  
  
  
  It's hard to fathom what musical psychosis has led to the existence of Oranssi Pazuzu's unsettling blend of Black Metal aggression and Psychedelic atmosphere, as the Finns now add more Electronic glitches, cold Industrial and sheer Noise to the spiraling angularity of their misanthropic madness.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• OTTONE PESANTE - Scrolls of War
  
  
  
  Blackened Death / Doom / Post Metal, but with trombone and trumpet instead of bass and guitars, that's the shtick. Its execution by Ottone Pesante however has always been so much more than you would expect. And the Italians' new concept album elevates it to new heights. A Metal must-buy of 2024.
  
  
  
  
  
• P/O MASSACRE - Sonic Oblivion
  
  
  
  Two hours of destruction against war - with four more harrowing, but satisfying Noise attacks from the exile Russians Anton Ponomarev (sax, pocket trumpet, electronics) and Anton Obrazeena (guitar, effects, samples, synths) - each with a scope and story worth its own EP or even full album.
  
  
  
  
  
• SENYAWA - Vajranala
  
  
  
  The Experimental duo of Wukir Suryadi and Rully Shabara strikes again with a heavy and transcendent masterpiece of unique Southeast Asian Folkloristic Drone on self-made instruments. Narrated by a vocal performance not from this world we're taken on a cosmic spiritual trip through Javanese mythology.
  
  
  
  
  
• SINISTRO - Vértice
  
  
  
  Who would have expected such a strong comeback? Portugal's finest finally returned, introducing their new singer Priscilla Da Costa (from Judasz & Nahimana) and bringing us an irresistable collection of beautifully crushing, mightily melancholic hymns of Doom and Post Metal with that special Mediterranean touch.  
  
  
  
  
  
• SLIFT - Ilion
  
  
  
  Yes, I also could have filed this under Psychedelic Rock further below, but then the French trio's double album is so huge and heavy that it dwarfs our little planet and all that lives on it. Slift's "Ilion" is Kraut on steroids, a titanic cosmic steamroller grinding us to a tiny pebble lost in the void of space.
  
  
  
  
  
• SUMAC - The Healer
  
  
  
  For an album called "The Healer" this unpredictably twisted sludgy mammoth chunk from Aaron Turner, Brian Cook and Nick Yacyshyn is made of some remarkably sick shit. Sumac pummel us with a creative hammer that is both a radically abstract deconstruction and a flooring hyperbole of the whole idea of Metal.
  
  

6 x JAZZ / FUSION / PSYCH / PROG highlights 2024:

• CARPET - Collision
  
  
  
  Complex, colourful and catchy. Knowing their genre's past, but not shying away from incorporating modern influences. The Southern Germans Carpet are doing it all with seemingly effortless natural ease on this wonderfully light-filled Psychedelic Prog Rock kaleidoscope.
  
  
  
  
  
• IVAN THE TOLERABLE TRIO - Infinite Peace
  
  
  
  Multi-instrumentalist Oli Heffernan aka Ivan The Tolerable has been almost intolerably prolific this year. Even worse his twelve releases are all worthwhile stuff between Ambient, experimental Krautrock and Jazz. However this dreamy double album, which mostly displays his Spiritual Jazz side is my undisputed personal favorite.
  
  
  
  
  
• JAUBI - A Sound Heart
  
  
  
  Speaking of Spiritual Jazz: Building bridges between Pakistan and London Jaubi unite this Jazz tradition with both Middle Eastern Classical and Folk influences as well as funky Fusion. While instruments like sarangi, flutes and tablas stand out immediately, every single performance of this whole ensemble is nothing but spectacular.
  
  
  
  
  
• MOHAMA SAZ - Máquina De Guerra
  
  
  
  Mohama Saz are collectors of worldwide Folk influences, yet the three Spaniards, who utilize a  bağlama (traditional long-necked lute) instead of a guitar, mostly enhance their vivid Psychedelic Rock with ideas and sounds from their  home country, Turkey and Northern Africa.
  
  
  
  
  
• SEAN ONO LENNON - Asterisms
  
  
  
  An earwormy instrumental mixture of his proggiest Space Rock tendencies and all kinds of smooth Zorn and electric Miles worship. "Asterisms" certainly is a surprising release from the son of John and Yoko. This marvellous album almost made it onto my podium.
  
  
  
  
  
• THE VERGE - The Verge
  
  
  
  At times similar to Lennon's work, yet mostly coming from the wilder and heavier side of Jazz Fusion with the special trademark of Ingvald Vassbø's (Kanaan) drum madness the energetic self-titled debut of The Verge from Norway is another banger constantly living rent-free in my head.
  
  
  
  

6 x GOTHELECTROSINGERSONGWRITER* highlights 2024:

* You could also say everything which didn't  fit into the other two categories - and this just happened to be the direction of this selection.

• CHELSEA WOLFE - She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She
  
  
  

  At this point I feel like I should begin to tire from praising Contemporary Gothic Queen Chelsea Wolfe, who also impressed live and with two great EPs this year. On the other hand despite being released back in February, her latest album, which draws from all her past albums' sounds, still keeps growing on me.
  
  
  
  
  
• EYE - Dark Light
  
  
  
  Self-described as Electro-Gothic-Doom this new trio with Jessica Ball (MWWB) on ethereal vocals and guitar could theoretically sound just like Chelsea. Eye's blend of Shoegaze, Dream Pop and Post Rock however is its very own angelic beast - but just as utterly mesmerizing and compelling. Wonderful!
  
  
  
  
  
• LOUSIE LEMÓN - Lifetime Of Tears
  
  
  
  With an enchanting, sultry and soulful performance Swedish singer Louise Lémon brought us ten new hymns of love, hurt, heartbreak and healing. The concept remains simple, the musical realization couldn't be more addictive. Certainly one of my most played albums of the year. 
  
  
  
  
  
• NICK HUDSON - Kanda Teenage Honey
  
  
  
  In over seventy excellent minutes the Englishman residing in Georgia, armed with a sharp poetic quill and matching skills as singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, masterfully delivered a multi-faceted spectrum of sixteen songs from Chamber Pop ballads to most unpredictable Post Punk Avantgarde.
  
  
  
  
  
• OTAY:ONII - True Faith Ain't Blind
  
  
  
  On her latest album, which combines new songs with alternative versions of older material, Chinese-American Avantgarde artist Lane Shi Otay:onii limits her tools of expression to piano and voice. The result couldn't be more impressive and certainly is among the most breathtaking and profoundly touching music released this year.
  
  
  
  
  
• TUSKS - Gold
  
  
  
  London singer / Electronic artist Emily Underhill aka Tusks has released a versatile album between dreamy synths and strings Art Pop and Post Rock grandeur, with majestic hits, which sound as if they could have come from artists as different as A.A. Williams, Angel Olsen, Björk or Janelle Monáe. Earworm gold!
  
  
  
  
  

And now finally some fodder for you hungry ranking maniacs out there! Here are *drrrrrrumroll*...

My TOP 3 ALBUMS of 2024:

• BRONZE (3rd place):
  
  DOOL - The Shape Of Fluidity
  
  
  

  
  It didn't even click with me immediately, but boy, I cannot tell you how often I must have listened to Dool's new mighty Goth Rock masterpiece since then! More personal and emotional than ever, the Dutch group led by the charismatic presence of Raven van Dorst moves from strength to strength on "The Shape Of Fluidity", delivering yet another highly addictive selection of mighty, sweaty and catchy hymns. The phenomenal live band stays true to its established sound, while resisting the reasonable temptation to just rehash the greatest hits from previous releases. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• SILVER (2nd place):
  
  KAMASI WASHINGTON - Fearless Movement
  
  

  

  
  Californian Spiritual Jazz maximalist Kamasi Washington and his band scaled down from the ridiculously large format of his previous albums and released "only" an almost ninety minutes long double record. He also forgoes the familiar overflow of choirs and strings, but compensates that with effective guest appearances and action-packed arrangements including sounds from Funk, Afro-Beat, Hip Hop, but also Tango and Ambient (of course with André 3000 on flute). Washington's own emotional, rattling and roaring saxophone solos are highlights, yet also only a small fragment of what makes this very varied, splendidly produced "Fearless Movement" as awesome as it is. The Jazz Fusion competition of 2024 was strong, yet Kamasi stands out.
  
  

  
  
  
  
• GOLD (Album of the Year 2024):
  
  FULL EARTH - Cloud Sculptors
  
  
  
  
  "This album is a giant, who stomps his foot on the ground right in front of you, while butterflies are fluttering around his light-flooded hair. The kinetic power of his movements crashes the king tide into the fjord, breaks the cliff off the coast and blows every ballast which is not Rock’n’Roll bliss out of your head."
  
  Full Earth, who also played my favorite festival show of the year, are a Norwegian quintet featuring all three members of Kanaan. On "Cloud Sculptors" they perform monumental compositions by drummer Ingvald (therefore the only musician appearing in this TOP 24 twice), combining heaviest Stoner, Psychedelic and Progressive Rock with Modern Classical inspirations. In a very powerful, warm and natural production enormous riffs clash with hypnotically swirling and pulsating organs, mellotron and synth.
  
  From the first time I heard them I knew that these eighty-five minutes of elemental monumentalism were very likely to become my favorite Album of the Year 2024. And that impression never wavered. Congratulations on this deeply satisfying masterwork!
  
  
  
  

favorite MUSIC 2024 - all my lists:

TOP 24 albums   |   TOP 7 live albums   |   TOP 5 reissues

TOP 4 non-album releases   |   TOP 24 live shows

Veil of Stuff feat. BLOOD INCANTATION, OTTONE PESANTE, SENYAWA and THE VERGE

Here we go! For the final time this year let me round up the last four albums which I reviewed over on VeilofSound.com!

BLOOD INCANTATION - Absolute Elsewhere (3CD + Blu Ray artbook) (2024)

[MY REVIEW ON VEIL OF SOUND.COM ]

Ok, I've not only written a Veil of Sound review about this, but also covered the four discs artbook edition, which adds surround mixes, a documentary, the Ambient soundtrack to it plus Blood Incantation's last EP to the actual album, here on my site.

Meanwhile "Absolute Elsewhere" has already climbed to the top of many album of the year rankings, not only in exclusively Metal-specific publications. And I still have my own end of the year list to write, which won't happen before January, because there are still so many releases to consider. Anyway, there's not much too add to the conversation at this point from me I guess. If you haven't given this a listen yet... What are you waiting for?

OTTONE PESANTE - Scrolls Of War (Gold & Silver vinyl LP) (2024)

[MY REVIEW ON VEIL OF SOUND.COM ]

The last band I saw live this year is not only a unique experience on stage, but also delivered one of the best and most original Metal albums of 2024. If you ever had the idea that trading heavy guitars and bass for trumpet and trombone would be a childish idea; well, Ottone Pesante's Brass Metal certainly has grown up. "Scrolls Of War" is the first concept album (of three) dedicated to the relationship of brass instruments and war in human history, a big idea which requires a great sound.

And this masterpiece delivers just that with a stunning mixture of Black, Death and Doom Metal with Neoclassical influences, Jazzcore and Post Rock. The vocal guest appearance of Lili Refrain for sure doesn't hurt either. I can't wait to hear how the trio will continue this trilogy!

SENYAWA - Vajranala (2LP / etching on side D) (2024)
[MY REVIEW ON VEIL OF SOUND.COM ]

Even though I know that everything Senyawa does can expected to be great, it took me a respectable while to finally order the Indonesian duo's new album. It's just a fucking expensive import. But while I still would have prefered a cheaper source to get "Vajranala" I must admit that it at least comes in a quite beautiful package, including a great etching on the last side and a booklet giving us English translations of the lyrics and documenting the background of this amazing Experimental Spritual Drone album, which also works as the soundtrack to the building of a Buddhist artifact in central Java.

Musically Wukir Suryadi and Rully Shabara keep perfectiong their completely stand-alone sound of self-made instruments and a versatile vocal delivery not from this Earth, and with "Vajranala" they brought us yet another masterpiece from another plain of existence.

THE VERGE - The Verge (LP) (2024)
[MY REVIEW ON VEIL OF SOUND.COM ]

Last but not least (and actually the first of these VoS reviews) Is It Jazz? Records brought us this amazing, very Norwegian Jazz Fusion album. Between smooth spiritial saxophone tones over wild Mahavishnu Orchestra rhythms and various forms of mental bad-assery and gripping atmosphere to Causa Sui style Psychedelic Rock with brass licks, The Verge leave no stone unturned, yet still pull off a very natural and coherent debut. Fantastic stuff!