2025...what a great year this was for metal! With so many amazing releases this year, I had a list of at least thirty new records from this past year and had to cut it down to my top ten.
- Whitechapel with their ninth studio Album Hymns in Dissonance released March 7th on Metal Blade Records. They are an American deathcore band out of Knoxville, Tennessee. Stand out songs for me was "Hate Cult Ritual" and "Hymns In Dissonance." I got to see them live in March at the Danforth Music Hall. They are great live. Get out and see them if you can.
Hymns in Dissonance, by Whitechapel
10 track album
David Hutchison
- Omnium Gatherum with their tenth studio album May the Bridges We Burn Light The Way released November 7th on Century Media Records. They are a Finnish melodic death metal band. A song to check out is "My Pain." They are just finishing up a North American tour this month.
Merch from Omnium Gatherum
Merch from Omnium Gatherum
- Ihlo with their second album Legacy released August 29th through K-scope Music. They are a UK progressive metal band. Songs to check out are "Replica" and "Empire." I'm hoping that they will get to come over and tour North America. This is a band on the rise. Make sure you check them out.
Ihlo
Blending progressive metal, electronic and pop influences; Ihlo’s music is a journey of heavy, melodic and emotional passages.
- Dawn of Ouroboros with their third album Bioluminescence released March 7th through Prosthetic Records. They are a progressive death metal band out of Oakland California. Check out "Slipping Burgundy." They are doing a West Coast tour in the new year. If you're out that way, make sure you check them out.
Bioluminescence, by Dawn of Ouroboros
8 track album
Ja_son__
- Kaunis Kuolematon with their fifth album Kun Valo Minussa Kuoli released November 28th through Noble Demon. They are a melodic death metal band out of Hamina, Finland. Songs to check out are "Metra" and "Rauniot." I would have them higher on my list if their album came out earlier in the year. I would love to see them live one day if they make it to North America.
Kaunis Kuolematon
KAUNIS KUOLEMATON is well known for their unique and recognizable sound, expanding Doom Metal’s stereotypes. Not afraid to cross musical borders, KAUNIS KUOLEMATON’s diversity can go from beautiful melancholic soundscapes and soft vocals into extreme driven metal and energetic screams. A broad range of sounds appealing to a large audience from many metal subgenres.
- Allegaeon with their seventh studio album The Ossuary Lens, released April 4th on Metal Blade Records. It's the band's first release with original vocalist Ezra Haynes back where he belongs. Great songs to check out are "Driftwood" and "Wake Circling Above." I was lucky enough to see them in a great venue in Toronto called The Garrison back in March. The band will be doing an Australian run in the new year. If you can check them out, they are great live.
The Ossuary Lens, by Allegaeon
10 track album
lotsofchops
- Fallujah with their sixth studio album Xenotaph released June 13th via Nuclear Blast Records. They are a progressive technical death metal band from San Francisco. They released so really cool videos for this album with tracks "Labyrinth of Stone" and the Meshuggah style video for "The Obsidian Architect." Check out the videos below. They just finished up a North American tour with Entheos.
Xenotaph, by Fallujah
8 track album
lotsofchops
- Orbit Culture with their fifth studio album Death Above Life on October 3rd through Century Media Records. They are a melodic death metal band from Eksjo, Sweden. Tracks to check out are "Death Above Life" and the very cool ballad (I know, a ballad from a death metal band) "The Path I Walk." They just finished up a UK tour with Gaerea and will come to North America in late February. Make sure you check these guys out. They will be playing bigger venues in the future. I can't wait to see them in Toronto on March 3rd.
- Rivers of Nihil with their fifth studio album, the self titled Rivers of Nihil released May 30th via Metal Blade Records. They are a progressive technical death metal band from Reading, Pennsylvania. This is their first album with bassist Adam Biggs on lead vocals. This album is awesome. Please check it out. Check out songs "Water & Time" and "House of Light." They just finished up a North American tour with them playing the album start to finish. I was lucky enough to see them live in Toronto in November. They put on amazing show. In the new year they are touring Latin America, if you can see them live I highly recommend it.
Merch from Rivers of Nihil
Merch from Rivers of Nihil
- An Abstract Illusion with their third studio album The Sleeping City released October 17th through Willowtip. They are a Swedish progressive death metal band. Their previous Album Woe was my favorite of 2022. Check out "No Dreams Beyond Empty Horizons" and "Emmett." It looks like they will be coming to North America in the late summer of 2026. All that is announced so far is they are playing Progstorm 2026 in Montreal. If they do not have a Toronto date then I will be going to Montreal to see them. This is a band that all metal fans should check out.
The Sleeping City, by An Abstract Illusion
7 track album
An Abstract Illusion
Honorable mentions to: Igorrr with Amen, Testament with Para Bellum, Baest with Colossal and The Acacia Strain with You Are Safe from God Here. I also did not include EP's so shout out to Gore. with If You Do Not Fear Me...
That is my top 10 for 2025. What did you think? Who did I miss?
What are you looking forward to in 2026?
I am excited for the new Gaerea and the new Megadeth. What is everyone looking forward to in 2026?
Listen to new metal music - metal music is so good right now. Buy the bands' merchandise and get out and see live music!