Top 25 Albums Of 2025
As I look back at 2025, I can confidently say that this year contained some of the best records in recent memory. Two of my favorite bands of all time, AFI and Thrice, released some of their most compelling and comprehensive material of their entire careers this year. I don’t know what it was, but it felt like everyone was at the top of their game in ’25. There was this consistent feeling of immediacy that served as connecting tissue that tied everything together, even if the albums, bands, and genres couldn’t be further apart. Honestly, it was the first time I ever truly had an extremely difficult time narrowing it down to just 25 cuts. And on that note, before we get started, I have to discuss a couple caveats. First, I decided to intentionally omit all EPs from this list, which is something I haven’t previously done. So that’s why you won’t see Haywire’s SHIRTS VS SKINS or Speed’s ALL MY ANGELS listed here, even though they’re both the best and most exciting hardcore bands going right now, and each EP is fantastic. I also, for the first time ever, consciously removed all hip hop and rap from eligibility, as I realize we’re primarily a “rock” brand. So sorry, Mac Miller (RIP) – but I still loved Balloonerism even if it’s absent here. I simply haven’t spent enough time with Drain’s …Is Your Friend yet, which is why I’ve left one of my favorite (new) hardcore bands out completely. Same goes for Lorna Shore’s I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me, which I look forward to consuming more intently soon. For some reason, Killswitch Engage’s this Consequence, Propaghandi’s At Peace, and Paleface Swiss’ CURSED (which are all amazing) all felt like 2024 releases to me due to their earlier release dates, which explains their individual absences here. I guess it’s been a year! But I implore you to check out Canadian political powerhouse Propagandhi’s first new release in eight years if you get the chance, as their transition from Less ̶T̶a̶l̶k̶ Punk to More Rock is glorious. And mark my words: Paleface Swiss is going to be huge. If you like early KoRn and Slipknot, get on this beatdown nu metal band’s train from Switzerland now before they completely blow up. Just thought I should mention these individual cases of omission before we begin. And finally, to address the elephants in the room: yes, I could have easily included Taylor Swift’s The Life Of A Showgirl and the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack, but I didn’t. You’re welcome. So, without further ado, here are my Top 25 Albums Of 2025:
25. Ghost – Skeletá (Loma Vista Recordings)
From the moment a church choir opens Ghost’s latest offering, Skeletá, the anticipation builds as you’re waiting for the next “Rats” or “Square Hammer” to kick in. But then you slowly realize that new album opener “Peacefield” is in fact a true ballad in every sense of the word, and what follows is ballad after ballad after ballad. And would you believe that Skeleta goes out in the same fashion it begins in, with a ballad? Ah, rats. And look, don’t get me wrong: I love a good Ghost ballad. “He Is” IS epic. I also loved 2022’s Impera immensely, including its over-the-top love letters to Def Leppard and Journey permeating virtually every facet of its mammoth in both size and detail Aleister Crowley statue that adorned the album cover. And although Skeletá’s cover art is just as impressive as Impera’s, thanks to the impeccable Polish architect and artist Zbigniew M. Bielak, Skeletá feels like the skeletal remains of Impera’s Papa Emeritus IV. To put it another way, if Impera is the “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake ballad, then Skeletá is an REO Speedwagon ballad. No, really —“Guiding Lights” might as well be REO Speedwagon’s “Can’t Fight This Feeling.” All criticism and humor aside though, this is still Ghost, and it still made the cut and found itself amongst my favorite albums of 2025—albeit barely. Although there are certainly standout moments that resonated with me, like the overall glitzy appeal of “Cenotaph,” or the catchy, up-tempo cuts “Lachryma,” “Satanized,” and “De Profundis Borealis,” the biggest problem that persists throughout Skeletá is that it just never really picks up. Even the cowbell heavy “Umbra” has a fucking cowbell, so how “heavy” can it really be? It might be glam rock, but like the innerworkings of a skeleton, it’s not very glamorous. In fact, Skeletá is a fitting name, as the whole affair feels more than a bit “bare”. But like all good skeletons in the closet, there’s definitely some juicy bits of Swedish tea to wet your whistle made from bones. Mainly, Papa V Perpetua’s lyrics. While Impera was a concept album that told the tale of the eventual rise and inevitable fall of an empire, Skeletá is a much more personal affair—focusing on looking inward and fighting your emotional demons—the skeletons in your closet, if you will. And just like KISS eventually put the makeup back on, so too will Ghost come back to haunt us with more of their classic sound in due time. After all, as Papa V states on “Peacefield,” “we all need something to believe in until it’s over, but it’s not over yet.” And so we shall lie in wait. But until then? Hail Ghost and Hail Satan. Because if he’s anything like‘Skeletá, he’s definitely got a soft and loving side.
24. Hot Mulligan – The Sound A Body Makes When It’s Still (Wax Bodega)
Back in my day, our emo song titles were pretty clever, if I do say so myself. Like “Cute Without The ‘E’ (Cut From The Team)” by Taking Back Sunday, or "Good to Know That If I Ever Need Attention All I Have To Do Is Die" from Brand New. Now as an elder emo statesman, a part of me can look to the past with a raised, side eye, with the hindsight that maybe we all put a little too much emphasis on Taking Back Sunday’s infamous lyric “The truth is, you could slit my throat. And with my one last gasping breath, I’d apologize for bleeding on your shirt.” But the other half of me is happy that the youth has clearly listened to their elders and didn’t learn from our embarrassing AIM away message mistakes, as emo revival band Hot Mulligan proves on The Sound A Body Makes When It’s Still, with titles like “Moving To Bed Bug Island,” “It Smells Like Fudge Axe In Here,” “My Dad Told Me To Write A Nice One For Nana So This Is It,” and my personal favorite, “Monica Lewinskibidi.” It’s 2003 all over again thanks to Hot Mulligan, and although I wish I could say it sounds bigger and better than ever in 2025, it mostly sounds the same. And unlike My Chemical Romance, I AM Okay with it. I’m sure your eldest emo Nana is proud of this one for you, guys.
23. Bleeding Through – NINE (SHARPTONE)
What year is it? Orange County, California’s OG blackened metalcore band Bleeding Through may have titled their ninth album simply NINE in order to put a black checkmark next to this career milestone, but it very well could represent 2009 as well, because BT’s latest and greatest also serves as a time machine. Throw in some guest appearances by God Forbid and Shadows Fall, and this thing may as well have come pre-loaded on a T-Mobile Sidekick or a Microsoft Zune. And you know what? I’m fucking here for it. In a classic Bleeding Through move, the album begins with a movie clip. This is the band that truly made The Boondock Saints synonymous with their 2001 breakout This Is Love, This Is Murderous after all. And keeping with the early 2000’s theme, this time it’s a soundbite from The Lord Of The Rings that sets the tone of NINE. Musically speaking, that tone is Dimmu Borgir riffing, symphonic black metal keyboards in the vein of Cradle Of Filth, and bone crushing hardcore breakdowns. Lyrically and vocally speaking, it’s the same, pissed off frontman Brandan Schieppati, whose aggressive singalong choruses steal the spotlight as usual (like the cheesy “fuck with us and find out” from “Our Brand Is Chaos”). Contrasting with Brandan’s aggression is keyboardist Marta Demmel’s clean, operatic-like singing voice sprinkled throughout like black pepper, adding many atmospheric touches to Bleeding Through’s blackened landscape, and she sounds fucking killer here. If you’ve loved Bleeding Through throughout the years, you already know you’ll get a piano interlude (“Last Breath”) and plenty of heavy two-stepping parts thanks to their undying love of At The Gates. And if their unnuanced new album title and pummeling double bass drumming doesn’t feel like you’ve been hit on the head with a blunt object, the song titles will. Such as the obvious, “Dead But So Alive,” which is perhaps a headbanging nod to the fact that the band has lied dormant during many sporadic periods since their gothic inception in 1999? Who the fuck knows, but it’s probably not that deep. Either way, grab the eyeliner, boys. It’s time to party like it’s 1999.
22. Whitechapel – hymns in Dissonance (Metal Blade Records)
Finally: Knoxville, Tennessee, deathcore pioneers Whitechapel ditched the moody butt rock. And look, although Whitechapel’s back-to-back concept albums The Valley (2019) and Kin most certainly told a fascinating, insanely personal tale lyrically and had their moments musically, I think we’d all be lying if we said we didn’t miss the good ol’ Whitechapel that gave us “The Saw Is The Law.” So when album opener “Prisoner 666” immediately hooked me with its unrelenting, rusty meat hook at the 1:18 mark, I knew I was gonna be in for a bloody good time. What follows is a dark, dense, and tense meaty main course, revolving around a story-driven narrative of a demonic cult descending into debauchery and madness. This concept is brought to life masterfully throughout, thanks to the tribal chanting in its title track, frontman Phil Bozeman’s brutal pig squeals in “Bedlam,” and the theatrical interlude “Ex Infernis.” The disgustingly heavy blast-beat galore of “Hate Cult Ritual,” which kicks off with a “we hunt, we kill, we feast, we conquer” chant, and the ignorant “fuck them all, let them all die” chorus in “Diabolic Slumber” push the intensity even further. Not to mention the dark yet gorgeous album art by our longtime artist friend and collaborator Rob Borbas (aka Grindesign). All this combines to create one tightly focused demonic package that will make you forget their borderline grungy, “heritage rock,” dark (not the good kind) period. And after all the beatings, terrorizing, and tenderizing, the epic closing dessert of “Nothing Is Coming For Any Of Us” ends with the band’s longest guitar solo outro you’ve ever heard, and thanks to its melodic nature, you’ll feel like you’ve just escaped the onslaught and have finally emerged for a moment of peace in the southern sun. That is until hymns in Dissonance: The ̶T̶e̶x̶a̶s̶ Tennessee Chainsaw Massacre Part 2? 🤞
21. Stick To Your Guns – keep planting flowers. (SHARPTONE)
Orange County, California melodic hardcore band Stick To Your Guns couldn’t have picked a worse release day to unleash their eighth album ‘Keep Planting Flowers’: January 10, 2025—the day of the Palisades fire. So, while everyone in southern California was forced to mask again thanks to another terrifying new threat, there was STYG’s new album, its cover adorned with a little girl in a gas mask against a stark red backdrop. Bad timing and irony aside, ‘keep planting flowers.’ is another beast of a record from Stick To Your Guns, filled with more blistering metallic hxc bangers in its laughably short 25-minute runtime. “Spineless” features a powerful siren-blaring intro that will surely get you pumped up, while the title track is its most emotive song, switching back and forth between acoustic verses and full band hardcore choruses with frontman Jesse Barnett’s explosive delivery. Aside from a guest appearance by screamo band SeeYouSpaceCowboy (RIP), things generally remain classic, paint-by-numbers Stick To Your Guns, which is more than okay. Melodic hardcore like this is somewhat hard to come by these days, and mainstays like Shai Hulud, Misery Signals, and It Prevails have always been underrated and underserved in my opinion. So, I’ll never complain about receiving more of the same emotionally charged hardcore that Stick To Your Guns have been serving up for 22 years now. And, of course, there’s Jesse’s lyrics, which remain as political and personal as ever. Dealing with the human condition and what it feels like to simply exist, this band has always exceled in acknowledging just how fucked up the world really is, while still offering hope when it comes to simplistic yet challenging ideas like building a community. This is the same band that released an album entitled The Hope Division after all. Come to think of it, maybe Stick To Your Guns actually put out their newest album on the most perfect release day? No matter how bad things get, Keep.Planting.Flowers.
20. Coheed And Cambria – The Father Of Make Believe (Virgin Music Group)
I’ll never forget the first time I heard Coheed’s debut album the second stage turbine blade all the way back in 2002. I had bought it without ever actually hearing the band since this was obviously during the pre-streaming olden days. Because it was on Equal Vision Records, which was home to some of my favorite emo/melodic punk bands like Fairweather and Saves The Day (and of course the greatest metalcore album ever: the iconic Jane Doe by Converge in 2001), I had to hear who EVR had just signed. And when I popped that Coheed CD into my car and heard Claudio Sanchez sing on “Time Consumer” for the first time (after two minutes of straight instrumentals), I had never heard anyone like him or them. He sounded like Michael Jackson fronting an emo jazz band, and I was immediately hooked. Fast-forward to Coheed taking over the world shortly thereafter, and the rest is history. Although I’ve always had a deep appreciation and soft spot for them thanks to that first encounter that’s still engraved in my brain, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t fall off several times in the last 20 plus years. You see, keeping up with the lore of Coheed is as hard as keeping up with Marvel these days. Sure, you’ll go see the latest blockbuster, but to be expected to watch every subpar spinoff TV show just causes fatigue and stasis, which is why I’ve all but fallen off Marvel lately (but side note: the Fantastic Four First Steps ruled). Every Coheed record is a concept album connected to a bigger universe, filled with a staggering number of graphic novels to dive even deeper into the world they’ve built from the ground up. And after a while, it just became too much for me. Comic book nerdery aside (but the analogy more than works in this case), thanks to the rambunctious first single “Blinde Side Sonny” which sounds like a modern-day MC5 belting out a “we want blood!” chorus and a metal-y “your ass is no longer welcome here” hardcore line, they thankfully brought my ass back in. And during their latest emphatic and melancholic theatrical rollercoaster of a concept album, they’ll take you through chapters of classic rock and prog rock (yes, they still sound like Rush) but with snippets of soulful jams and even a full on, neon soaked cyberpunk jammer called “Play The Poet.” There’s the 80’s inspired, feel-good anthem “Someone Who Can” and the Avenged Sevenfold-esque “The Continuum I: Welcome To Forever, Mr. Nobody.” Not that there was any doubt, but Claudio and co. prove without question that they can tackle anything in any musical genre or time signature. And Claudio can clearly hit every high note handed to him. As the credits start to roll during the Beatles-inspired final chapter “The Continuum IV: So It Goes,” a sci-fi outro stinger hits post credits, and we’re left waiting for the next installment just like a Marvel movie. So, although I’m not sure if I’ll make it through all volumes of the Coheed comic book and start cosplaying on their annual Coheed cruise, just like Marvel’s latest, it’s plain fun and refreshing entertainment. Plus, have you seen Sonny? Dude looks like a total badass.
19. Scowl – Are We All Angels (Dead Oceans)
Santa Cruz punk band Scowl have seemingly been on everyone’s radar since—checks notes—2019? Where does the time go?! Aside from the fantastic EP, Psychic Dance Routine, in 2023, the band has finally returned with their sophomore full-length album and follow-up to their 2021 debut How Flowers Grow. In the last six years, Scowl has done everything from tour with Limp Bizkit, play Coachella, and even star in Taco Bell ads. Which is odd because up until now, the band’s earlier material has been a bit hard to digest for the mainstream. That all goes out the window on Are We All Angels, which is easily the band’s most tightly-focused and digestible work to date, complete with crisp, damn near perfect production to boot (thanks to producer Will Yip). Trading most of the hardcore yells and screams for clean singing does the band wonders here, as frontwoman Kat Moss’s voice is simply wonderful. But don’t worry, there are touches of the band’s aggressive weirdness found throughout, like in “Fleshed Out,” for example. But for the most part, this is a whole new Scowl. Bouncy, catchy, dreamy, infectious, melodic as hell yet punky at heart, and with the risk of coming off corny, angelic. No scowling here, this is the real deal.
18. Militarie Gun – God Save The Gun (Loma Vista Recordings)
Los Angeles alternative post punk rock powerhouse Militarie Gun exploded onto the hardcore scene in 2023 with Life Under The Gun, and it packed a hell of a punch. It was fast, catchy power pop punk, played with a sense of immediate urgency, like this generation’s version of the seminal Saves The Day album Through Being Cool. It landed them tons of viral moments, like partying with Post Malone and playing Coachella – not bad for a few hardcore kids that only started the band just five short years ago. Wasting no time is the name of the game when it comes to Militarie Gun. After all, this is the band that broke with a song called “Do It Faster.. Thus, now they’re back already with their follow-up, God Save The Gun, and while it may sound more “mature” than its predecessor, frontman Ian Shelton’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics are as funny as they are clever, with song titles like the keyboard heavy “God Owes Me Money,” the anthemic “Fill Me With Paint,” and “Maybe I’ll Burn My Life Down.” And of course, how could I forget “Kick,” the apology letter to a fan for Ian accidentally kicking them in the face during a stagedive (“if I kicked you in the face I’m sorry but I’d do it again”). The slow burning “Daydream” and “I Won’t Murder Your Friend” are dreamy shoegazers that sound like something Mazzy Star would have written in the 90’s. These slower parts of the record are what really differentiate it from the band’s breakthrough album, with the previous hardcore urgency replaced by the likes of super catchy summer singles you would have heard on terrestrial radio’s top 20 countdowns (e.g., “Throw Me Away”). But even with a little less core and a bit more bore, at least Ian still managed to sneak in a few of his signature “ooo ooo” hardcore barks, which remain sprinkled throughout its’ 40-ish minute runtime. But perhaps the most prevalent issue with God Save The Gun is the same one that I had with Life Under The Gun, and that’s the opening tracks. The previous one, “Do It Faster” was just SO good, that the rest of the album paled in comparison to those 1:47 energetic minutes. And on God Save The Gun, Militarie Gun kicks things off right away with “B A D I D E A,” a huge garage punk singalong in the vein of Ramones, that also dissipates after just 1:49. It’s still a fantastic album that I’ve found myself revisiting again and again, but nothing beats the immediacy of Militarie Gun’s album intros. No “bad idea” to be had here, although it wouldn’t hurt the band to play everything just a bit faster next time.
17. Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea (PALE CHORD/Rise Records)
It’s hard to believe that frontwoman Courtney LaPlante’s previous band was the joke-filled avant-garde math-y deathcore band Iwrestledabearonce. To go from writing songs like “Carnage Asada” and “I’d Buy That For A Dollar” to delivering the captivating, emotional depth found within the waves of Tsunami Sea is truly astounding. So, how’s the water? Oh, it’s nice alright…real nice. Come on in! There’s no dipping your toes into the water here, as Spiritbox wastes no time getting things started in the heavy intro “Fata Morgana.” “Black Rainbow” is an electronics-infused industrialized metalcore banger, while the other electronica heavy “Keep Sweet” comes across like a Sneaker Pimps song during its verses but unleashes metalcore fury in its choruses. There’s the cut and dry heavy diss track “Soft Spine” (we all know who it’s about) contrasting with the catchy, all clean vocals single “Perfect Soul” and the album’s beautifully melodic title track. “Deep End” serves pure catharsis as the perfect album closer to this 43-minute voyage in its digital landscape, and the water is anything but choppy. Courtney’s voice soars and dominates throughout—a true powerhouse that demonstrates why Spiritbox is one of the highest rising stars in heavy metal. So go on, “Ride The Wave.”
16. Stray From The Path – Clockworked (SHARPTONE)
The Long Island, New York, hardcore punk meets rap rock outfit Stray From The Path surprise released their latest album, Clockworked, while simultaneously announcing their breakup after almost 25 years as a band. Although it came as a sudden shock with no warning whatsoever, their ambiguous ending now mimics the simplistic yet profound cliffhanger album cover of their now final body of work. But I’m happy to report that at least musically and lyrically speaking, there’s absolutely nothing shocking here (aside from a song simply titled “Shocker,” oddly enough). Eleven albums in, SFTP aren’t rewriting any of their own rules or treading any new ground. Instead, they’ve upped the ante in every possible way. ‘Clockworked’ is their angriest, most political offering yet, with frontman Drew Dijorio spitting “I won’t hesitate to burn a hole through your fucking brain” in “Shot Caller.” Tom Williams’ guitar parts and Craig Reynolds’ (aka “Reynlord”) drumming are both crazier than ever, and some of the breakdowns are, for lack of a better phrase: batshit insane. The only moment of respite comes from an unlikely source—metalcore pioneers Poison The Well, who guest on the album’s only “slow” burn “Bodies In The Dark.” Stray From The Path’s book closes shut after the aptly titled, “A Life In Four Chapters,” bringing an end to both their final album as well as their illustrious career. And although it’s certainly been longer than four chapters, it also went by fast— too fast, and honestly, 25 years for a band of this magnitude is just too short. It’s a shame that Stray From The Path never carried the torch after Rage Against The Machine, because let’s face it: these guys should have been the next big “nu-metal” band. But just like history itself, it’s messy and ugly at times, and it certainly is rarely fair either. Then again, I’m a firm believer that the good guys always win in the end. And ‘Clockworked’ is certainly a “win” in every regard, full stop. Where some bands don’t know when to quit, becoming shells of their former selves and losing their convictions and ideologies along the way, Stray From The Path chose to go out on their own terms: at the top of the game and more pissed off than ever. The last lyrics we’ll hear are “give peace a chance? It never stood a chance. Spit in the face of this world. Peace.” Amen. Up the punx, punk motherfuckers.
15. Blackbraid – Blackbraid III
On Blackbraid III, Native American solo artist Sgah’gahsowáh continues to refine everything that made both Blackbraid I and Blackbraid II so successful, which means keeping the raw production intact that gives this pagan black metal project a lot of its appeal in the first place. It’s honestly just so refreshing to hear a real, “under produced” modern metal album that doesn’t rely on ridiculous programmed drums in order to prove its heaviness. And although there’s no technical wizardry here to impress you, literally everything else will. Descending from the snowy Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, Blackbraid haunts you, and pummels you, with 10 songs of powerful indigenous music, conjuring images of the cold and vast wilderness it emerges from. From the winter forest wildlife sounds during the acoustic interlude “The Earth Is Weeping” straight into the guttural acapella intro of “God Of Black Blood,” which features both a Native American Flute solo followed by an otherworldly guitar solo, Blackbird III invokes spiritual dark magic, crafting powerful spells whilst dragging you through these mysterious dense woods. It honestly reminds me of the first time I heard my now favorite black metal album of all time, Emperor’s In The Nightside Eclipse, which transported me to the mountainous Minas Morgul filled with an omnipresent ominous threat in its oppressive nature. Simply put, Blackbraid III, and Blackbraid in general, is a primitive force of nature to be reckoned with. Now let’s have Blackbraid IV.
14. SpiritWorld – Helldorado (Century Media)
Helldorado is a hell of a good time. With all the emphasis death metal and its respective genres usually put on the brutality and/or technicality of it all, sometimes it’s okay to just have “fun” with the genre, which is where SpiritWorld from Las Vegas draws you in and sinks its cursed, demonic horse’s teeth in you. Album starter “Abilene Grime” gallops between their self-coined “death-western” to chanting hardcore sing-alongs and ends with a melodic, metallic breakdown of sorts. “No Vacancy in Heaven” reminds me of Integrity riffage with Twitching Tongues style choruses mixed with Slayer stylings. Song titles like “Western Stars & The Apocalypse” and “Waiting on the Reaper” are thrash metal ragers, albeit taking place in a saloon and not the moshpit. Where things really get interesting, though, are songs “Bird Song of Death,” a ridiculously over-the-top country pop meets arena rock hit complete with a punk rock “1,2,3,4!” and “whoa, oh-oh’s”, and the western acoustic-y ballad “Prayer Lips,” which acts like a desert campfire singalong with a saxophone, albeit where all the attendees are dead. As we near its painfully short 29-minute runtime, “Stigmata Scars’” death metal riffing spirals into another country ballad, but this time mixed with a—Rancid style chorus? — on “ANNIHILISM”. And frankly in my book, it doesn’t get any fucking cooler than that. Hell yeah.
13. Rise Against – Ricochet (Loma Vista Recordings)
Rise Against’ s 10th album, Ricochet, wastes no time getting started. Things kick off straight away with lead single “Nod,” a typical infectiously catchy Rise Against song that sets the tone of Ricochet immediately. And it ends in the same fashion on album closer “Prizefighter,” the second single and probably my favorite song on the whole album. Sandwiched in between are some interesting and unique moments for the usually straightforward band, such as the very Nirvana-esque (both musically and vocally) “I Want It All,” the title track which showcases Tim sounding more like Ian Curtis of Joy Division amidst a haunting post punk backdrop, the distorted and fuzzy garage rock verses in “Black Crown” (which also features guest vocals by Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull), and “Soldier” – the most anthemic song here, which starts like The Cranberries’ “Zombie” before transitioning to melodic punk and finally delving into the only hardcore yells on the whole record. Otherwise, it’s pretty standard Rise Against, such as the emotional alternative rock cut “Us Against The World” and the acoustic-lite “Gold Long Gone” (think “Swing Life Away” but with a little less talk, a little more rock). Aside from a few new elements and the fact that the production was handled by the fantastic Catherine Marks (an unlikely candidate given her resume is filled with mostly indie bands like Boygenius and The Wombats), who adds a lot to the overall feel of Ricochet, it’s another Rise Against record. But with a band as heartfelt, meaningful and thought-provoking as Rise Against, why fix what isn’t broken?
12. Architects - The Sky, The Earth & All Between (Epitaph Records)
Led by drummer and primary songwriter & lyricist Dan Searle and vocalist Sam Carter, few bands possess the technical prowess that British progressive metalcore/rock act Architects effortlessly deploy with such airtight precision and technicality, time and time again. But with all their talent, Architects should be leading the charge, not following it, which is my one and only complaint regarding anything post-For Those That Wish To Exist (my #2 album in 2021) Architects. And although The Sky, The Earth & All Between is substantially better than 2022’s the classic symptoms of a broken spirit, its overall ranking could and should be higher, if only they weren’t wearing their influences so noticeably on their sleeves. “Whiplash” (a fitting title considering the band’s recent stint touring with Metallica), is just a bit too reminiscent of Bring Me The Horizon. For example, its’ tongue-in-cheek AI-voiced sample “everything is going to be fine” after frontman Sam Carter asks “is the world done fucking around?” sounds eerily similar to BMTH’s “E.V.E.” character, before it descends into a VERY BMTH style breakdown. Both points hit a little too close to home for comfort, considering ex-BMTH member Jordan Fish produced the album. Then you have “Evil Eyes,” which is so similar to Deftones that it’s honestly uncomfortable. However, things shine on “Curse,” which hits like old school, All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us-era Architects, and tracks like “Blackhole” and “Landmines,” showcase the band at their heaviest yet catchiest. Frontman Sam Carter has an insane capability of switching between his unmistakable yelling growl to his emotionally charged clean singing. But the album’s standout track has to be “Brain Dead,” which features House Of Protection (ex-Fever 333), giving Architects new territory to explore with hardcore punk (complete with d-beat drumming and blasting), blistering at breakneck speed in a tightly contained short burst of undeniable energy. Finally, there’s another guest appearance on “Judgement Day,” the shining star Amira Elfeky. Things come to an epic conclusion with the ballad “Chandelier” – an Architects staple at this point. I’ve said it since I first heard their song “Gravedigger” back in 2014: Architects are the best. I just wish they realized it too, because we don’t need another Bring Me The Horizon or Deftones, but we do want more original Sam Carter and Dan Searle led architecture.
11. La Dispute – NO ONE WAS DRIVING THE CAR (Epitaph Records)
La Dispute are masters of storytelling. Frontman Jordan Dreyer’s vocals come off more as performative, spoken word pieces, while his lyrics read more like poetry. It’s been six long years since their last record, Panorama, seeped into our consciousnesses, and now they’re back with an unnerving and unsettling “page-turner” in the form of a 14-songs-in-one-hour-concept-album that never flinches, even when things get truly uncomfortable. Just like their 2011 masterpiece Wildlife, the collection of songs here maybe raises more questions than they give answers for, but if you’re in need of context, a good place to start is the album title itself. Inspired by an actual quote from a police officer regarding a fatal Tesla FSD (Full Self-Driving) car accident that killed an entire family, NO ONE WAS DRIVING THE CAR explores the idea of personal responsibility when it comes to technology, and it’s a theme that gets dark rather quickly. Album starter “I Shaved My Head” starts with a pounding, driving rhythm that follows Jordan’s vocals, and now serves as one of their most memorable songs ever. But in typical La Dispute fashion, it’s simply not enough to have one theme running throughout an entire album. The second concept that comes into play here is surprisingly based off a movie—the A24 psychological thriller First Reformed. I hadn’t heard of the film before this album, but I was enticed to check it out to get a deeper understanding of where Jordan’s head was when composing these lyrics. The film’s synopsis reads, “The pastor of a small church in upstate New York lives a quiet life, which spirals out of control after a soul-shaking encounter with an unstable environmental activist and his pregnant wife.” These two running themes may sound separate, but the common thread weaves the two together beautifully: how do you navigate life in the shadow of a looming apocalypse brought on by both the advancement in tech and decline in our environment? It’s a fascinating question it asks the listener, filled with complexities and nuances galore. But perhaps more importantly, it’s just fascinating music. “Man with Hands and Ankles Bound” and “Environmental Catastrophe Film” are both methodical experiments in precision calculated chaos. “Self-Portrait Backwards” delivers haunting, lo-fi acoustics. The song “Steve” contains an ebb and flow, push and pull of drums and bass that plays like a musical game of tug-of-war. By the time “End Times Sermon” wraps things up, it’s hardly in the form of a neat little package. The whole thing is noisy, off-putting post punk emo hardcore, and it just so happens to be their second-best album only to ‘Wildlife’. Any piece of music that makes you check out a film and question the meaning of your very own life is undoubtedly an important experiment in art, which deserves praise unto itself. Clearly someone was driving the car here, and unlike that Tesla, we thankfully arrived at our destination.
10. Cradle Of Filth – The Screaming Of The Valkyries (Napalm Records)
If there was any doubt, Cradle Of Filth mastermind Dani Filth is most certainly a real-life vampire. It’s clear as ̶d̶a̶y̶ night now, as evidenced on album #14 from his Victorian-era cosplay extreme metal band. Dani’s voice continues to age like fine ̶w̶i̶n̶e̶ blood, his screeches and howls sounding more defined and stronger than ever with each new album that comes our way. Which is no small feat for a 52-year-old man whose band started in 1991. Must be something in the blood. “To Live Deliviously” is a bombastic 80’s thrash metal opener with a huge chanting chorus. “Deagoguery” is a keys-heavy gothic masterpiece, “The Trinity Of Shadows” features super melodic vocal melodies, albeit brought to life with horror, monster-style vocals. “Non Omnis Moriar” stuns with its The Phantom Of The Opera vibes, as does the lightning-fast speed metal intro of “White Hellebore.” The love song “You Are My Nautilus” (aww) features maniacal female laughter and an epic hair metal solo, and “Ex Sanguine Draculae” is a VERY Dusk …. And Her Embrace (my favorite CoF album) era tune, emerging from its almost 30-year slumber without missing a (blast) beat. The follow-up to 2021’s fantastical Existence is Futile proves that Cradle Of Filth not only isn’t slowing down, but they’re proving to be even more of a timeless act than one could imagine. The Screaming Of The Valkyries is a tightly focused, straightforward blackened metal album, cloaked in spectacle and dripping in atmosphere. And ironically enough, it’s the perfect companion piece to the also-released-in-2025 film Frankenstein by Guillermo del Toro, as its invoking imagery of gothic architecture set pieces and body horror are both grotesque but also beautiful. “Malignant Perfection” indeed.
9. Good Charlotte – Motel Du Cap (Atlantic Records)
Blink-182 and Good Charlotte have always been “my” pop punk bands. And while we’ve officially arrived in the nostalgic era of this early 2000s genre, we’ve also thankfully arrived in its renaissance period as well. The scene is thriving once again, mostly thanks to the output being better than it ever was before. For proof, look no further than to blink-182’s glorious return on 2023’s ONE MORE TIME…, which is arguably their best album to date. So with blink being back in full force, I’ve been impatiently waiting for the return of GC. After seven long years since the release of Generation Rx—the band’s darkest album and my previous personal favorite—I’m happy to report that Good Charlotte have triumphantly returned with their most cohesive and best body of work yet. We are so back. An oddly satisfying commercial-style intro “Check in at Motel Du Cap” welcomes you in, then escorts you to check out the amenities in “Rejects” and “Stepper,” which are both extremely well put-together and insanely catchy instant pop punk classics. Yet they remain far from formulaic when coupled with twin Madden brothers’ lyricism expressing their oftentimes irreverent worldview: “When I was little playing in the dirt, got no one with me, there were no words that hurt…Life is bigger, now the words can hurt, I’m talking to myself wishing I was in the dirt” (from “Rejects”). Just go back and read the lyrics to “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” from 2002, and you’ll soon realize that Benji and Joel were almost 25 years early to the current "eat the rich" sentiment that reached its fever pitch in 2025. But as always, they just have this knack for marrying their tales of self-deprecation with the self-awareness that they've also built a pretty good life for themselves too, despite the odds. For a perfect example of this nuance, see the feel-good anthem of the year “Life is Great” featuring Wiz Khalifa. A song that would have easily been #1 on MTV’s TRL—a TV show they frequently co-hosted in the early 2000’s. Good Charlotte’s mantra has always revolved around this feeling that things maybe aren’t okay right now, but you’ll get through it. Broken but not broken down, wounded but healing, overcoming the obstacles and persisting through the struggle—these are the life ̶s̶t̶y̶l̶e̶s̶ lessons from these now Rich and Famous pop punks. Aside from the lyrics, Motel Du Cap isn’t simply a musical throwback record either. There are plenty of new and refreshing ideas permeating throughout Du Cap’s hotel walls, especially when it comes to the frequent collabs with new rising artists like Zeph (on “Pink Guitar”) and Petti Hendrix (“Vertigo”). And as the checkout date at Motel Du Cap nears, the band slows things down significantly on three emotive, coming of middle-age ballads as their departing gift: “The Dress Rehearsal,” “Castle in the Sand,” and “GC FOREVER.” A move that would most certainly kill the momentum of their contemporaries’ upbeat pop punk records, but it makes me appreciate even more that Good Charlotte has always been this extremely honest and vulnerable band who wears their hearts proudly on their sleeves. Always the underdogs amongst their peers, yet miles ahead in their lyrics and wise beyond their years, this was the album that Good Charlotte was always destined to make if you’ve been following along. “Welcome in to Motel Du Cap, ya’ll,” as the album’s intro states. We hope you enjoyed your stay? I sure did, and can’t wait to come back. GC FOREVER.
8. Geese – Getting Killed (Partisan Records)
One commonality within this list is that, for the most part, all the bands listed here are seasoned veterans who are at the top of the game in 2025. Then there is Geese. The incredibly young (all members are in their early 20’s) 4-piece from Brooklyn that seemingly exploded overnight. And that’s because after releasing three albums (their first was released when they were still in high school), they absolutely kill it on LP #4: Getting Killed. To describe the band is difficult, but if I had to sum it up in one comparison, it’d be Grateful Dead meets Ween. Some songs are incredibly chaotic with virtually no structure at all, like the unhinged opener “Trinidad,” which finds frontman Cameron Winter repeatedly screaming “THERE’S A BOMB IN MY CAR!” Will it be grating to some? Absolutely. But if you’re a Ween aficionado like me (hey mang), then you’ll feel right at home when the jarring opening track leads into the album’s catchiest ditty, the poppy “Cobra” that hooks you immediately with a melody that sounds like something The Rolling Stones may have written for a Coke (the drink, not the drug) commercial in the 60’s. And speaking of coke (the drug, not the drink), “Au Pays du Cocaine” plays like a 70’s piano slow cooker, a tune you would never guess came from Gen Z. The extremely hyper “Bow Down” drives with sporadic drums, while “Long Island City Here I Come” bounces with a Beastie Boys-style bass groove. All 45 minutes of Getting Killed are jam-packed with hodge-podge jams combining funk, gospel, jazz, punk, rock, and soul, and the whole thing is quirky beyond comprehension. Then there are the witty, wise beyond their years lyrics, like on “Taxes”: “if you want me to pay my taxes, you’d better come over with a crucifix. You’re gonna have to nail me down.” Amen, kid, I like the way you think. The kids are alright indeed.
7. Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH (Roadrunner Records)
Dubbed “Turnstile Summer” by Charli XCX at Coachella, the mainstream spotlight was shining so bright on Baltimore hardcore punk infused alterna rock band Turnstile that even I was getting nervous for them. In many ways, NEVER ENOUGH is their sophomore album, despite the band grinding since 2010 with three LPs and a slew of EPs under their belt. But 2021’s wildly successful GLOW ON was SUCH a turning point for the group, ushering them into a new moment in their career and transforming them from great to greatness, that in many ways GLOW ON was their genre-defying breakthrough debut. So NEVER ENOUGH was more than just a follow-up̶—it was a pivotal moment, a make-or-break decision that could be decided in a second. Given that founding guitarist and songwriter Bradley Ebert departed after GLOW ON but before writing for NEVER ENOUGH began, the stakes couldn’t have been higher. And although it never quite soars to GLOW ON’s greatness, it aims high in its quest to shoot for the stars – almost reaching them in the process. The album’s standout song is its intro title track, in its dreamy state alternating between mellow verses and Turnstile’s signature call and response style choruses. “SOLE” and “DULL” are the only “heavy” hardcore songs on the entire album, which is a real departure from the punchy aggressiveness that was still glowing in the clouds throughout GLOW ON. “SUNSHOWER” and “BIRDS” offer fast, melodic punk served up in short bursts, while “DREAMING” introduces Latin-flavored horns – a first in Turnstile’s 15-year history. Between these flashes of Turnstile’s past, their unique blend of “if Sade fronted a New York Hardcore Band” leans heavily on their 90’s, alternative pop influences (“I CARE,” “LIGHT DESIGN”), while giving us a glimpse into what they have in store for the future: electronics. My biggest gripe with NEVER ENOUGH is the inclusion of too many interludes, too much open space, and the overuse of all these electronics, as heard in the long outro of the otherwise cathartic “LOOK OUT FOR ME.” Another head-scratching choice is the slow, anti-climactic album closer “MAGIC MAN,” which even if most of NEVER ENOUGH IS a chill and soothing experience, the ending track just sort of kills all momentum and grinds things to a screeching halt. But it was in this moment that I realized even though NEVER ENOUGH does pale in comparison to GLOW ON, Turnstile isn’t really about the “album” per se anyway. It’s the live show, which is filled with stage dives from quite literally all ages and walks of life, a rare feat in a world that’s more divided than ever before. It’s a once-in-a-generation band that will stand the test of time as a true moment that swept the festival circuit and concert goer by storm, turning hardcore kids into indie rock snobs and recruiting the latter into the pit. A true, rare, and beautiful moment in time that’s happening right now as the band continues to draw bigger and bigger crowds throughout the world. And as Turnstile’s penultimate track boldly states: “TIME IS HAPPENING.” Sophomore Slump? NEVER.
6. Sleep Token - Even In Arcadia (RCA Records)
It’s impossible to articulate just how big the rise of Sleep Token really was in 2025. Their first arena tour in the US that completely sold-out in minutes, the Grammy nominations, the insane popularity of the merchandise (shameless plug), and of course—the immediate high scores and utmost praise that came rolling in when their follow-up to 2023’s Take Me Back To Eden was finally unleashed unto the world. With the entire music community suddenly transfixed on the mysterious, masked British progressive alt-metal/prog rock band, to say the stakes were high for Sleep Token to not fuck this up would be severely downplaying this moment in time. So, did they meet the moment? Enter Even In Arcadia: a MORE than worthy successor to Sleep Token’s breakout hit, and one that surpasses it in nearly every aspect. From the opening, ambient and airy intro of “Look To Windward,” which eventually crescendos into one of Sleep Token’s signature djent-tinged breakdowns, but not before Vessel’s rapping and a big, sweeping piano part sprinkle in the rest of the song. This genre-swapping at the drop of their magical bag of tricks is what Sleep Token does best, and it’s put into overdrive throughout the entirety of Even In Arcadia. From the 80’s style synth peppering in “Emergence” segueing into a saxophone solo, to the electro pop meets hip hop and R&B stylings of “Past Self” – and quite literally everything in between. Power ballads? There are many. Emo guitar riffs layered on top of jazzy, odd time signatures? There’s “Gethsemane” for that. A sleepy, nursery rhyme style intro morphing into a lo-fi, Reggaeton beat that serves as the backbone to “Caramel”, only to transcend into the album’s harshest moment, complete with phenomenal blasting from drummer “II”? The mad lads pulled it off. The landscape of Arcadia is filled with soaring melodies, shimmering with brilliance to dazzling and dizzying effects. As we reach the finale, “Infinite Baths,” we realize that our time in Arcadia is, unfortunately, finite. But before we depart the locale, we’re treated to the band’s biggest, heaviest, and longest breakdown to date. The only criticism I have here in Arcadia is that perhaps it does feel a bit more diluted when compared to the monstrous, sleeper hit that was Take Me Back To Eden. But that’s because the veil HAS been lifted. The mask can only stay on, both figuratively and literally, for so long, and what was once a relatively underground “metal” band cloaked in mystery, became one of the biggest bands in the world. Every Sleep Token member, lyric, and piece of artwork has been dissected and scrutinized under the most pessimistic microscope, thanks to a toxic fandom that can’t bear the illusion anymore. But luckily there’s still a sense of humor as well as a strong sense of self-awareness behind all that armor and makeup, as Vessel rhymes “This stage is a prison. I thought I got better, but maybe I didn’t” in “Caramel,” and “Well I know I should be touring, I know these chords are boring, But I can't always be killing the game” in “Democles.” Yet despite this self-criticism, Vessel is betting that “It seems that even in Arcadia, you walk beside me still,” in the triumphant title track. And he’s right—I’ll walk alright. Take Me Back To Arcadia.
5. Bon Iver - SABLE, fABLE (Jagjaguwar)
The lyric “I could leave behind the snow for a land of palm and gold, but there are miles and miles to go” in SABLE, fABLE’’s penultimate track, “There’s A Rhythm,” perfectly encapsulates the double entendre that embodies Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver) both personally and musically. On one hand, you have the guy that’s collaborated with the music industry’s biggest stars in the world: from Taylor Swift to Charli XCX to Kanye West. On the other hand, you have the midwestern hermit that lives and records music from his home of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where only music this cold, isolationist, and dare I say, depressing, can emerge from. Because COULD Justin, someone who Taylor personally thanked during a Grammy acceptance speech, and the person who Kanye once described as his “favorite living artist” move to Hollywood and become one of pop music’s biggest stars? With a voice like his, there’s not a doubt in my mind. But my bet on it happening anytime soon, if ever, is slim to none. For now, I think hermitting it up in the cold, barren woods and crafting deep, experimental folk/indie/pop/rock music, is suiting Justin just fine for now, as evidenced on his fifth album, SABLE, fABLE. This juxtaposition between Justin Vernon and his alter ego Bon Iver runs deep throughout the album’s 41 minutes. Whether it’s the dark, emotional crashing waves in “Short Story” or the 80’s yacht rock but with gospel backing vocals in “From,” SABLE fABLE’s constant tug of war between happy and sad is Bon Iver’s biggest strength. SABLE fABLE is second only to the 2011 masterpiece Bon Iver, Bon Iver. “Everything Is Peaceful Love,” is the real standout track here—it’s also perhaps Bon Iver’s most straightforward song ever written (and my personal favorite song and video of the year). Filled with pop sensibilities but armed with both emotional weight and wit, it’s the shining example of just how monumental an artist Justin really is. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime talent that proves you can’t judge a book by its cover, or a person by where they come from. We may never see Bon Iver pack his bags and move to LA to become the biggest pop band in the world, as he explicitly states, “I am afraid of changing” in “THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS.” But who knows, as this is the same guy who asks “why do things gotta change?” in “AWARDS SEASON” just two songs later. So maybe he’s thinking about it? Either way, to use the title of one of the album’s standout tracks to explain how I would feel if Bon Iver became a huge commercial star vs. remaining a true independent artist off the beaten path: “I’ll Be There.”
4. Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power (Roadrunner Records)
San Francisco’s Deafheaven completely changed the game in 2013 with their monumental album Sunbather. Sure, they were already starting to get some buzz from their debut, 2011’s Roads To Judah, but it was Sunbather that forever altered the face and future of heavy metal. The faces behind the record were clean cut, youthful, and “normal.” The album cover was pink and orange, featuring only the album title in the most basic font. Yet the music was absolutely unrelenting. The fastest, most atmospheric black metal imaginable, with its only respite being the unlikely inclusion of shoegaze. It was a formula that made no sense on paper, but sonically, it was a marriage made in heaven, and one that has stood the test of time and spawned countless copycats. And although the subsequential follow-up albums are all amazing in their own right (New Bermuda, Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, and Infinite Granite), there’s no denying that the band strayed from their Sunbather era on those albums, incorporating alternative and indie rock moments throughout. But the ferocious intensity is back with a vengeance on Lonely People With Power, and boy does it bite. A creepy prelude intro, “Incidental I,” transitions into the aptly titled “Doberman,” because that song, and the whole album is as vicious as a Doberman. The only time it lets you breathe from the onslaught of drummer Daniel Tracy’s signature, fast and loose blackgaze blasting and vocalist George Clarke’s howling screeches, is when it breaks momentarily for an already iconic guitar riff and then heads straight into shoegaze territory. This is right from the Sunbather playbook, opting to dispose of some of the more alternative and indie rock sections that have crept into Deafheaven’s last three albums, and instead staying laser focused on the intense, nasty nature of what first put them on the map. And this pared back approach does wonders. If you love black metal, you will love “Magnolia.” If you love shoegaze, you will love “Heathen” and the first half of “Amethyst.” If you love melodic, emotional weight in your metal, you will love “Winona” and “The Marvelous Orange Tree.” And if you love all these things, you will love this album. Like Sunbather, it’s an oddly beautiful yet downright ugly record, right down to the album title itself. And speaking of the album title, personal sidenote: shoutout to my cousin, the unmistakable Jenna Haze, for being the cover model and face of the best metal album of the year.
3. deftones – private music (Reprise Records)
Thanks to the new and unprecedented rise in Deftones’ popularity, due to Gen Z and TikTok of course, the Sacramento staple is enjoying their newfound success back in the limelight. But now they’re bigger than ever before, seemingly doubling their audience and venue capacity overnight. While us old school fans have always viewed them as the giants of the alternative metal and nu metal scenes, it’s funny that not only have people just recently discovered this monumental band, but that their interest was piqued by the most unlikely source – mainly “Cherry Waves” from the often overlooked, shoegaze heavy album Saturday Night Wrist from 2006. After all, this is the band that gave us arguably the most groundbreaking “nu metal” album of all time, White Pony, so a B-side released nearly 20 years ago catapulting the band to new heights is unheard of. So, what have Deftones done with their sudden surge of stardom? They went and released one of the heaviest albums of their almost 40-year career— heaviness not heard from them since 1995’s adrenaline and ’97’s around the fur. There are certainly a few crooning and swooning Chino Moreno style “sex metal” ballad-y moments a la “Cherry Waves” on private music (mainly the slow showstopper “i think about you all the time”). But it’s mostly raw, unbridled classic Deftones music – and it’s my favorite thing they’ve done possibly ever. Things kick off with “my mind is a mountain,” immediately proving that Deftones are at the top of their game—at the top of the mountain. The groovy, chunky “ecdysis,” the breakdown that ends “infinite source,” the fast-paced “cXz,” the sheer catchiness meets heaviness of “milk of the madonna”, the over-the-top nu-metal nature of “cut hands” and haunting album closer “departing the body” are all standout moments for me. But it’s just the overall concept of ‘private music’ that I love most. No longer a best kept secret with younger generations, an underdog mainstay in the grand scheme of rock and metal, this is peak music in general. If this is deftones operating as a private company, who knows what heights they could reach if they went public.
2. Thrice – Horizons/West (Epitaph Records)
As someone who is profoundly in love with every single record in Thrice’s dense, impressively vast 11 album discography, I already knew I would be infatuated with their twelfth, 2025’s Horizons/West. But even for the band that’s truly never had a misstep, I wasn’t prepared for just how attached I would become to their “sequel” to 2021’s Horizons/East. For starters, it’s simply everything I cherish about this now 27-year-old band, all wrapped into one, seamless collection of incredible songs. That means you’ll get Thrice at their absolute heaviest on “Gnash,” making the band’s previously heavier songs (e.g., 2002’s “To Awake And Avenge The Dead,” 2003’s “Paper Tigers,” 2005’s “The Earth Will Shake,” and 2007’s “Firebreather”) pale in comparison, and there’s absolutely nothing better than when Thrice gets heavy. You’ll get a slab of their big, anthemic arena rock sensibilities on “Albatross” and “Crooked Shadows,” harkening back to their 2016 singles “Hurricane” and “Black Honey,” as well as the electronic-laden “Undertow” and “The Dark Glow,” something that I adored on the intro to 2018’s Palms (album opener “Only Us”). You’ll even get glimmers of their not quite pop punk yet not exactly skate punk either sound (that can ONLY come from Orange County). This sound meets melodic hardcore and emo on what is quite possibly my new favorite Thrice song, “Holding On” – a sound we haven’t heard from the band since 2000’s Identity Crisis and 2002’s the illusion of safety. And of course, all the garage indie rock mixed with raucous post punk that has been a constant connecting tissue throughout the band’s post-“screamo” start, but most prevalent on the outstanding, back-to-back sleeper hits Beggars (2009) and Major/Minor (2011). But more importantly, and what I truly love about Thrice most of all, is what you’ll receive in heart and emotion. Frontman Dustin Kensrue’s lyrics are deep, emotional, and incredibly meaningful here, and although the musicianship between guitarist Teppei Teranishi and brothers Ed Breckenridge (bass) and Riley Breckenridge (drums) remains as impressive and talented as ever on Horizons/West, it’s tightly contained to focus on what truly matters most: the songwriting. Always the underdog and a constant shining star in a cruel, dark world, Thrice is the hero we don’t deserve but thankfully receive time and time again. They’re like a classic book or film that continues to age gracefully and remain timeless, mixed with a good friend you can always depend on. Something tells me they still have plenty left to say and do, and I for one can’t wait to hear what comes next.
- AFI – Silver Bleeds The Black Sun… (Run For Cover Records)
A new AFI record being crowned my favorite album of the year certainly wasn’t on my 2025 bingo card. But considering they’re arguably THE band that’s responsible for my ideologies (straight edge, vegetarianism, etc.), fashion sense (been rocking a lip ring since 2000, embarrassingly enough), and my gateway into hardcore music as a whole, it should also come as no surprise that “East Bay Hardcore” band AFI has finally returned to revolutionize the scene they created in the first place – even if it took a staggering 16 years to reclaim their rightful throne.
And sure, it’s not like AFI ever disappeared during that grueling timeframe, but to put it bluntly, they may as well have. Because although there are certainly some gems contained within their 2009-2021 discography (“I Hope You Suffer” from 2013’s Burials is one of their best songs ever, for example), the sheer mediocrity and “safe” space they for some reason contained themselves within on those 4 albums was shocking. How did the band who turned the entire genre upside down become so uninspired and un-revolutionary during that time? Whatever the reasons were, solace has finally been found now that the goth quadruplet has returned with their best album and piece of work since 2006’s Decemberunderground.
Silver Bleeds The Black Sun… is a true return to form. Maybe not musically, mind you, but in the very thing that always made AFI who they were in the first place – evolutionary. And I know I speak for thousands of AFI’s fans when I say: it’s about time.
AFI’s art of mysteriousness and mystique is back and on full display throughout Silver Bleeds The Black Sun…’s shockingly short 34-minute runtime. And speaking of shocking, frontman Davey Havok returns armed with a completely new look, which has always been synonymous with classic AFI albums. And it’s one that surprised everyone—best described as a “1960’s desert sex cult leader” (credit goes to Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell for that description). Completely mystifying at first, this new image is already a classic Davey Havok persona, along with the band’s new colorway of bright pink, which paints the entire new album front to back (I guess Pink Is The New Black?). But whatever cultish behavior Davey may have been up to since we last saw him, it’s clearly been doing wonders for the 50-year-old frontman, as his voice has never sounded this confident – transforming his high yells into deep, muscular masculinity – commanding and demanding even more presence than ever before (which is no small feat, as Davey has always been one of, if not THE best showmen in the entire scene). Behind every darkened corner of this monumental 12th album, AFI do what they always did best: they surprise you.
In addition to the new look, also in typical AFI fashion, the intro (“The Bird Of Prey”) sets the stage by instilling the overall vibe they’re about to bleed into you during their latest album. And this time, it’s heavy on the David Bowie influence, both sonically and vocally, and backed by Adam Carson’s thunderous drums and layered masterfully by guitarist Jade Puget & bassist Hunter Burgan. From there, Silver Bleeds The Black Sun… invites you on a strange, albeit beautiful journey. First by commandeering catchy, new wave post-punk anthems a la Joy Division and Sisters Of Mercy on “Behind The Clock” and “Holy Visions” (the album’s darkened crowned jewel), before spearheading straight into epic weirdness on “Blasphemy & Excess” and “Spear Of Truth”, which both spotlight bizarre western swagger, like David Lynch films that take place in the desert. “Ash Speck In A Green Eye,” “Voidward, I Bend Back,” “Marguerite,” and “A World Unmade” are all poppy deathrock standouts, leaning on theatrical yet tongue-in-cheek lyrical themes centered around living life in a dystopian hellscape, and oozing sheer somber catchiness.
And just as their metaphorically heavy, gothic opus is about to draw the curtain on an otherwise cohesive set of blackened diamonds in the rough (aka AFI’s last 16 years), it pulls a complete 180 on album closer “Nooneunderground” – which is an even weirder, 80s dance punk ditty, like if The Cramps were to perform The Munsters Theme Song against a backdrop of retro artwork by artist Shag. And yet somehow, this hard pivot makes perfect sense and reminds you how and why you fell in love with AFI in the first place, all those years ago.
For the band that shaped my entire adolescence, who inspired me and guided me in more ways than any other band ever could (or probably should), Silver Bleeds The Black Sun…serves as a friendly, playful reminder that maybe it’s time to swap out some Misfits albums for a few Bowie tunes, and embrace being full on Dad (Goth) Rock moving forward. If it’s working so well for AFI, clearly it can work for me too. But as much as I adore Davey, I don’t see the “60’s desert sex cult leader” look working out for myself, so the lip ring could realistically stay for another 25 years – as long as AFI keeps putting out music like this. Through Our Bleeding, We Are One.