All in all, I thought 2025 was a pretty good year for music! There were a few bands I’d hoped to hear some new material from and didn’t. There were a few I didnt expect to hear from whatsoever…but we did! Then, there were even a few new bands and artists I’d never heard of before who popped up on the radar and made some really great music! As we move into 2026, I most certainly have some big expectations for the new year, as I have for years and years prior, but will they be met? Time will tell. But for now, here is my personal list for the top 25 albums of ’25.
1. Deftones – Private Music
Every time this band releases a new album it feels like Christmas. It’s probably a combination of the length of time between releases and the fact that their sound is unique and hypnotic. “Private Music” by Deftones is the band’s first release in 5 years and was the easiest choice for my #1 spot this year. Probably the easiest choice in for the #1 spot in all the years I’ve been making these lists. There isn’t a single track on this album that gets a skip. As a fan of the band since seeing them in small clubs in ’96 (yes, I’m old), it is crazy to see them still at it 30 years later, as popular as they’ve ever been, headlining arenas. To date, “Around the Fur” is my favorite album of theirs and one of my favorite albums of all time, all in all. If you had told me that the band would release an album that would even come close to that one would be very hard to believe. But here we are. “Private Music” hasn’t taken the top spot away from “Around the Fur”, but is a pretty close 2nd. On this release, I can easily find elements from songs across the band’s already impressive library. For those who are already fans of the band, this release was a real treat as there is something for fans of any era of Deftones. For newer fans, the reception has also been very positive. I’ve often stood by the idea that even at their worst, Deftones far outdistances just about any other band out there at their best.
2. Unbroken Reign – “THRONES”
Unbroken Reign is a metalcore band from North Texas that formed in late 2023, with their first music releasing in April of 2024. While the songs that dropped at that point were great in their own right, the band has shown immense growth and leapt forward with the release of their debut full length, “THRONES” in May of this year. On “THRONES” you can hear a number of influences that are quite obvious, however, these influences are merely seasoning and by no means sacrifice a sound that’s all their own. With music that sounds this good, combined with Christ-centered, faith-infused lyrics, this release doesn’t miss. I found myself listening to this album on repeat, constantly finding new things to appreciate on each lap. If youve yet to check these guys out and are a fan of heavier music, don’t wait. And if this album is any indicator of the band’s potential, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for these guys.
3. Turnstile – Never Enough
Melodic hardcore band Turnstile has turned many heads in recent years. Garnering 3 Grammy noms on their previous release “Glow On” and 5 noms for the upcoming awards, people have really taken notice. I grew up fairly close to NYC and was constantly at NYHC shows, so while I occasionally hear some who would say “Turnstile’s not hardcore”…incorrect. It may be a bit of an evolution of the hardcore sound, but it’s still hardcore. For example, check out Youth of Today, Shelter, H2O, CIV, etc… While they may not sound exactly like these bands, it’s in the same vein, or subgenre, if you will. In any event, it’s nice to feel as though there wasn’t a crazy amount of change between “Glow On” and “Never Enough”. It feels like a continuation, with few exceptions. Great punk riffs mixed with synthstrumentals to give you some ups and downs throughout and vocals that can range from and aggressive yell to a smoother melodic sound. This album sits where it does in my list because of how diverse of a listen it is and how well done the variety of sounds/songs is. It may have been a long wait to finally get something new from these guys, but the wait was well worth it.
4. Demon Hunter – There Was A Light Here
“There Was A Light Here” is Demon Hunter’s 13th album if we’re including “Songs of Death and Resurrection”. To my ears, the band really hasn’t changed a whole lot over the years with the exception of some mellower tunes here and there and a bit of refinement. This, however, is something that really works in their favor. It’s nice to be able to get a copy of a new release and feel confident that because the band is who they are, youre going to love what you hear. And this is definitely the case on “There Was A Light Here”. The album pulls from the band’s many strengths, whether it be crushing guitar riffs, thunderous drums, scorching solos, or the wide array of vocal styles from frontman, Ryan Clark. One moment you might have the most guttural, ear-splitting screams and the next some of the smoothest, most beautiful sounding melodies. “There Was A Light Here” is a guaranteed hit with fans of the band and is also sure to garner them more yet. A very easy choice for my list this year.
5. Thrice – Horizons/West
Thrice is a band with such a wide array of sounds that it can be really difficult to know what to expect from one album to the next. Some I’ve loved at first listen, while others took a little while to grow on me. I feel like this particular release kind of touches on all of it. If there’s anything you’ve liked on any other Thrice release, you’re guaranteed to like something here. I especially appreciated the heavier stuff that appeared on this one, first because I love heavier music, but also because it was an unexpected surprise. In the end, if I were to be asked to sum up Thrice from one album of theirs, this would be it. Beautifully put together.
6. Wolves At The Gate – Wasteland
Last Summer I got to see Wolves At The Gate and during their set, they performed the song “Parasite” which would appear on their new album, “Wasteland”. When “Wasteland” finally released back in May of this year, it fully met my expectations. I always expect great releases from Wolves At The Gate and am happy to say this is certainly that, but at the same time, it’s not my favorite. “Wasteland” is a concept album that follows a man named Jess who is desperately searching for someone in a wasteland. Throughout the journey, you get the Wolves At The Gate sound you’ve come to know and love, but there are also 5 of the 13 tracks that are there solely for the furthering of the story or are simply filler, which was mildly disappointing, but I suppose they’re necessary for a concept album. It’ll be interesting to see what comes next, as I don’t think this story is finished just yet.
7. Jinjer – Duel
The metal band Jinjer went viral a few years back for Tati’s scream. The song was “Pisces” and starts out very mellow and laid back, with almost a jazz-like feel to it. Then, right as you’re lulled into a false sense of security, you’re hit with heavy riffs coupled with piercing screams eminating from the unassuming, petit frontwoman that drop your jaw. Go on YouTube, search “Pisces Reaction” and get ready…it’s quite the rabbit hole. There are literally thousands of reactions to this and they’re all amazing. And this was my introduction to the band. Jinjer really has it all and I even question not having this release further up on my list this year. The musicianship of everyone in the band is top notch and you can easily discern that each of them are exceptionally well-trained in various styles of music. And they just keep getting better. And while Tati’s scream is second to none, her “clean” vocals are exceptional. Soulful, with an impressive range, she can flow between ear-splitting screams and beautiful “cleans”, making it sound completely effortless. “Duel”, which was heavily inspired by the band’s homeland of Ukraine and the current issues in their part of the world. Musically, it’s not much new if you’re already familiar with the band, but it carries on strongly in the vein of the intricate, hard-hitting, mesmerizing sound fans of the band have come to know and love, perhaps with a little more singing and a bit more melodic. Jinjer is always a win.
8. Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea
2017 saw the debut of Spiritbox, a couple of years following Courtney Laplante and Mike Stringer’s departure from iwrestledabearonce. Since then, Spiritbox have just gotten bigger and bigger and if this release is any indication, they’re not slowing down any time soon. Tsunami Sea shows you the Spiritbox you know, but adds some new elements that really work in it’s favor. My favorite example of this is “Black Rainbow”. It’s just an addictive track with a kind of futuristic kind of feel to it, but still goes hard. Between the immense sounding guitars and vocals that are second to none (guys…Courtney LaPlante…come on now!), “Tsunami Sea” was an absolutely immense release this year.
9. Kutless – Seventh Seal
Kutless…where to begin. When Kutless was just starting out, I caught them on tour with The O.C. Supertones, PAX 217, and Slick Shoes. I remember them handing out eps that featured songs that would later appear on their debut self-titled release on BEC Records in 2002, which was a killer hard rock album. The next few releases were heavy and aggressive as well, but some mellower stuff began to make it’s way in until the band went in a completely different direction, releasing much mellower albums that were predominantly worship. The last of these to drop was “Alpha/Omega” in 2017. In the 8 years to follow, the band would release a 3 song EP called “Twenty” which featured re-recordings of 3 songs that appeared 20 years prior on their self-titled release. Now, here we are in 2025 and we have a new EP titled, “Seventh Seal”. A good while prior to this June release, there were snippets released that didn’t give the full picture, but were enough to tell you, it was very likely they were returning to their heavier roots. And did they ever! This album is easily their heaviest. The release features appearances from Kevin Young of Disciple and Dawn Michele of Fireflight. With beastly riffs, thunderous drums, and singer Jon Micah Sumrall sounding as good as ever, this is one release you don’t want to miss out on. Kutless is back and I’m really hoping there’s much more to come!
10. Confessions Of A Traitor – This Pain Will Serve You
“This Pain Will Serve You” is the followup release to 2022’s “Punishing Myself Before God Does”, and if you are at all familiar with that album it’s very likely you were eagerly anticipating this one and had high expectations for it. I felt like this one was a really nice progression. I found it to be much more melodic than “Punishing Myself Before God Does” and it contains a bit more singing, but the vocals really sound great and it’s a beautiful fit. I’m not going to try to mention all the guests on this album, because there are quite a few and they are all pretty notable. I have to recommend this album because it flows so nicely. I never felt like the “heavy” outweighed the “less-heavy” for too long, but thought the mix of the two was very well done and kept a nice variation from start to finish. Great album and I’ll be very interested to see the direction they take going forward.
11. Chevelle – Bright As Blasphemy
Chevelle have been around since the mid-90’s. At this point, they’re a hard rock staple for many. I’ve never been able to put my finger on it, but there’s always just been something distinctive about their music. From their debut release, “Point #1” to present day, there hasn’t been all that much change in their sound, however I felt like I noticed a bit more screaming on this one. The heavy riffs coupled with the vocal melodies that fit so well that made many of us fans of their music in the first place is still going strong and I think fans of the band will be pretty happy with this release.
12. Impending Doom – Towards The Light
Metal band, Impending Doom, released a 5 song ep titled “Towards the Light” back in February of this year. The songs featured on this release reveal a band as brutal, aggressive, and high-energy as they’ve ever been, just in slightly smaller doses as the longest track here falls just shy of 3 minutes, with the full ep barely clearing 11. The ferocity of “Towards the Light”, however, makes that pretty sensible and makes you want to listen to it on repeat. This one’s a must for fans of metal, death core, and of course…Impending Doom.
13. Meet Your Maker – Hallowed
UK-based metalcore band Meet Your Maker released their debut full length this year and it did NOT disappoint! In addition to the incredible sound the band has cultivated are lyrics that are unashamedly Christ-centered. The album features a guest spot from Holyname, a band that is quite similar in sound and heart. In a music scene where bands of this caliber have been in short supply in more recent years, its nice to see them seemingly hit a bit of a resurgence. Check out this release if you haven’t yet ad you’ll see what I mean.
14. Twenty One Pilots – Breach
The odd one of the bunch this year comes from Twenty One Pilots. The duo’s catchy brand of music continues to just imbed itself in your brain as quickly as you hear it. This time around, in addition to their trademark sound, they added a few rock songs in for good measure and they sound great. The pair continue to impress on “Breach” with their unique style and the release is sure to be on many “Best Of” lists for 2025.
15. Yellowcard – Better Days
“Better Days” is the first full-length release from pop-punk powerhouse, Yellowcard since their self-titled album back in 2016. A lot can happen in 10 years, but that Yellowcard sound is as good as ever! Produced by Travis Barker and featuring appearances by Matt Skiba and Avril Lavigne, “Better Days” hits all the right notes, reminding everyone why they fell in love with the band in the first place.
16. Silverstein – Antibloom/Pink Moon
“Antibloom/Pink Moon” is a double album released by Silverstein to celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary. The first half, “Antibloom” dropped back in February with “Pink Moon” following suit in September. The thing I absolutely love about Silverstein is that in the years since their first release, they’ve never let up. They still bring it on every release and this most recent one is no exception. I’d even stack this one up next to their earlier material, though this double release covers a fairly wide range of sounds the band has covered over their 25 year existence and I think that was the point here. Silverstein has yet to disappoint, no small feat after 25 years.
17. Nate Parrish – Make Me A Mountain
Nate Parrish is back with album number three, dropping “Make Me A Mountain” this past October. A pretty versatile musician, Nate has a penchant for pop-punk and does it quite well! This new release is his best yet and is full of songs that are extremely catchy. You won’t want to skip on this one if you’ve yet to hear it, and if you’ve already heard it…you already know this.
18. Nesdam – Find the Truth
I feel like I may be doing this one a bit of a disservice as I think it should probably be a good bit higher up on my list. Patrick Madsen is known for his time as a drummer with Random Hero, but has been the frontman for his new project Nesdam for around the last 4 or 5 years now. His debut release, “Find the Truth” on Brian “Head” Welch’s XOVR Records really shows Patrick’s flexibility and ability as a musician and I hope this is just the start. When I listen to an album and I keep thinking to myself, “Ooh, I really like this one!” track after track, I know I’ve hit on something special. Riffs for days, excellent vocals…this hard rock release brings it.
19. Plead the Widow’s Cause – Silver Glass Stare
Plead the Widow’s Cause are easily one of the very best independent bands in the game. Their previous EP “Pain Split” introduced the band in 2022 and was very well received, giving way to the high level of anticipation for the follow up, and now…we have it. “Silver Glass Stare” was received in much the same way “Pain Split” was and it’s a truly great release. The post-hardcore band from New Jersey has developed an continually growing fanbase for very good reason. One listen-through is all it will take for you to discover this. With the hardcore riffs and the versatile vocals that always seem to fit just right, Plead the Widow’s Cause have crafted a sound that, while unique to them, also has some callbacks to bands such as earlier Underoath, Burden Of A Day, and the like. This is one great album and I cant wait to see where these guys go in the future.
20. Fit For A King – Lonely God
For me, Fit For A King never fails. Some give them heat for adding more and more singing over the years, but I honestly expect it and don’t mind it. I tend to get more turned off by overuse of electronic elements, and I felt like there was a bit of that happening here. And while there was more singing to be expected, there was maybe a little more than expected as well. But there’s remains an awful lot of what I’ve come to love Fit For A King for. Scorching screams, killer riffs, breakdowns, thunderous drums…everything that you hope to hear from them is certainly not absent. So yeah, expect some differences from prior releases, but remember all bands undergo some changes as time goes on. But also expect some full on, amazing Fit For A King that you’ve come to know and love coming at ya.
21. Of Mice & Men – Another Miracle
“Another Miracle” definitely went much harder than I expected. I know by now to expect great things from Of Mice & Men and this release is definitely that. On this, their ninth release, the band still manages to find ways to take what they’ve already accomplished and expand on it, pushing, and even breaking, the boundaries of what they’ve done previously. They seem to have found a means of walking that difficult balance of staying true to themselves, maintaining the sound fans have come to love them for, and showing everyone they’re not afraid to branch out and try new things (thankfully this is kept to just the perfect ratio…not too much, but not absent either). Of Mice & Men just keep churning out the hits.
22. Magdalene Rose – The Heart That Bloomed After Death
You may be familiar with Magdalene Rose from her time in Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh, but in the time since the Beautycore trio disbanded in 2022, Maggie has kept busy! She’s signed to Rockfest Records, releasing “The Prelude” EP in November of 2023 and followed it up with this release, “The Heart That Bloomed After Death” this past August. Maggie seems to have continued in the direction GFM was going, though a bit more polished and nuanced. Whether you consider this release hard rock, nu metal, or somewhere in between, “The Heart That Bloomed After Death” does an excellent job of bringing the heavy with Maggie seamlessly flowing between beautiful, melodic vocal lines and crushing, brutal screams and growls that are perfectly placed. Add to this some heavy guitars, thunderous sounding drums from one Blaise Rojas (Seventh Day Slumber), and a guest spot from Spencer Chamberlain and all of this makes for one especially solid release.
23. Seth Davey – Words in the Wounds
“Words In The Wounds” by Seth Davey (ex-Attalus) released at the end of November. The followup to 2024’s “Kingdom Rising”, “Words In The Wounds” brings a fuller, more dynamic sound. 10 tracks of catchy melodies, full of faith infused lyrics continues Seth’s already solid library and has found a positive reception amongst fans of his work and deservedly so. Adding more instrumentation and sounds has paid off on this album and I’d love to see him to continue this progression on future releases. Looking forward to whatever comes next!
24. Sonny Sandoval – Sonny Dread
It’s been a long time coming, but P.O.D.’s Sonny Sandoval’s first solo release has finally dropped! “Sonny Dread” is a reggae album that truly checks all the boxes you’d want in a reggae album. Throughout, I found myself occasionally reminded of Sublime’s reggae/ska side and found it to be a great listen from front to back. Sonny’s vocal delivery throughout is as good as ever and with the backdrop of reggae rhythms, its truly a winning combination, sure to be a hit with fans of Sandoval’s previous work while appealing to new audiences at the same time.
25. Caleb Hyles – The Darkness Before The Dawn
Caleb Hyles’ “The Darkness Before The Dawn” is one interesting release. It is an absolute mutt of an album (not in a negative way!), yet maintains a pretty consistent sound and does it exceptionally well. The album is, by definition, a hard rock release and in addition to the album’s namesake, there are appearances by Adelita’s Way, Judge &Jury (Three Days Grace Drummer and Producer Howard Benson), Lacey Sturm, Ashes Remain, Trevor McNevan (Thousand Foot Krutch), Manafest, and Jonathan Young. The album is a great listen and one I’ve been turning back to fairly often. While this release is especially good, I wish Caleb had a bit more of a focused niche as an artist or in a band, as his offerings are pretty diverse, although I understand that may be difficult for someone in his shoes. That said, I have to highly recommend this particular album for all who are fans of hard rock. It hits how you’d like instrumentally, the guests are exceptional, and Caleb’s vocals sound great. I hope for more like this from him in the future.
Very honorable mentions:
Sam Hague – Exit 9B
Diamonds To Dust – Echoes of Grace and Strife
andidreamtofyou – Demo
Peyton Parrish – Evangelcore1
Divided Me – Tarnished
Change the World – Ephemera and Eternity
Change the World – Sacred Exhaustion
Wounds That Speak – Buried to Breathing ep
Amen – The Last Supper ep
Amen – This Day ep
With Blood Comes Cleansing – S/T
Advent – God Is The End
Intercessor – Giovanni’s Scorn
Tremonti – The End Will Show Us How
Falling Through Faith – Echoes of the Past
Anberlin – Nevertake
Memphis May Fire – Shapeshifter
Intercessor – Asymmetrically
Silence the Echo – Burn Deep Within
Paul Wright – God Songs
Barriers – Decay
