Notable metal albums from 2025 that are required listening
I love seeing end of year lists and am always fascinated to see how different they are from person to person, molded by what they gravitate to and what resonates. I have definitely broadened the genres and bands I listen to, but I still bias toward power, prog, symphonic, and melodeath, so it shouldn’t be surprising when those genres are well represented in my choices. However, I bet mine will look very different from most and will have a ton of variety.
In this post, I will highlight the following for 2025:
Top 25 Metal Albums of 2025:
These are the 25 metal albums that most resonated with me in 2025, with some additional weight given to a handful of stellar indie albums. My top 9 are very confident, my next 12 or so could be a bit more dynamic in ranking, and the last few were very difficult decisions amongst many deserving albums. It was both fun and challenging finalizing my list this year, but I hope you enjoy it and find some new things to listen to.
This Italian progressive / power metal band gave me an obsession early this year, and vocalist Roberto Tiranti is utterly incredible! Now I just need to see them live somehow!
This US-based power / doom metal album caught me completely off guard and really scratched the itch left untamed by the unfortunate demise of Iced Earth. Bonus having Judicator’s John Yelland on vocals, and as much as I enjoyed Judicator’s release earlier this year, I liked John’s work better here.
Another surprise new band for me in 2025, this is a unique blend of progressive metal and melodic death metal with a dystopian theme. Killer stuff!
One of the most unique albums I heard this year, this Mexican band blends Aztec folk, complete with a ton of pre-Hispanic instruments, with brutal progressive death metal.
I refer to this as “chill death metal,” but this is fabulous atmospheric melodic death metal, with an emphasis on killer melodies! “The Darkest City” is easily my favorite song from the album and one of my favorite songs this year period!
After a 6 year wait, these Germans released a new album, re-embracing their extreme folk metal from their earlier era and melding it with their more recent industrial-tinged modern metal approach. The result is a unique metal album that is energetic, melodic, aggressive and folksy, and it was amazing to experience live! “Bloodwood” is a perfect example of this melding and one of my favorites from the album.
Next is the latest album from Australian folk / melodic death metal band Valhalore. This album came out early in the year, but I infamously put it off until late in the year, and I have regretted taking so long to listen to it! This is fabulous melodeath with deeply rooted folk elements, at times reminding of Eluveitie, just without all the extra instruments (but there is full time flute and it is amazing!). Seeing them live in London in December was a highlight!
Doomy progressive thrash/death is a mouthful, but it gives some idea of the complexity and creativity present on this fabulous US-based metal release. Former Sacrament members join forces with Derek Corzine taking on vocal duties for the band’s third album, and it is literally a match made in heaven.
#16: Ihlo / Legacy
Next is the latest full length from UK prog metallers Ihlo. This album is simply fantastic, wooing you with its pulchritude and punching you with its aggression, taking its time to craft its progressive landscape.
Bay Area, California, based progressive metal band Lunar’s latest is another extremely unique release, blending lots of things together that on the surface might not seem to work, and yet it does so well. You have great melodies, jazzy funk sections, speedy brutality, and tons of technicality. I found this is one that earns appreciation with continued listening, and I regularly revisit it! I got to see their first live show ever at Hyperspace in April 2025, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store next!
#14: Eluveitie / Ànv
Swiss folk melodic death metal masters Eluveitie’s first album in 6 years hits hard, with massive arrangements, myriad instruments, deep emotional folk textures, gorgeous melodies, and plenty of brutality. This is an album to get lost in, and live they are practically a religious experience.
Swedish extreme progressive metal band An Abstract Illusion was another new discovery for me this year, and to say I was blown away would be an understatement. Ethereal atmosphere meets intense brutality, held together by technical progressive stitching. This is a stunning album, and I am stoked to see them in August at ProgStorm!
I admittedly don’t consume a ton of doom, though every once and awhile an album will hit extra hard. The latest from this Vancouver, Canada, quintet absolutely did, with its killer dichotomy of growls and cleans, crushing guitars, massive atmosphere, and full time use of a cello, providing an epic orchestral feel. Every instrument is incredible, but the drumming in particular is not to be missed. Seeing Tribunal live is an experience you must have!
I refer to this Bay Area band’s latest as “beautiful brutality,” with its blend of silky smooth melodies, raging black metal aggression, and progressive leanings. They are progressive blackgaze at their core but weave in a variety of other influences, including jazz (“Slipping Burgundy” is just a WOW). Chelsea Murphy is an absolutely divine vocalist, and live she is a wonder to behold.
This is Dutch symphonic gothic metal that makes me easily get lost in the gothic yarns it weaves, and Zora’s voice is haunting and soothing, immersing you in its siren quality. I had the privilege of seeing them when they toured North America in 2024, and I hope to see them again soon. I was saddened to hear the news of Siebe leaving, but I am excited to see what is next for the band. I like so many songs on this album, but the timing of the release coincided closely with my Mom’s passing. “I Buried Us,” was an inspiration for part of my Mom’s eulogy that I gave (something very few people know), so this song in particular is special to me.
US progressive death metal band Rivers of Nihil admittedly wasn’t a band I listened to a bunch previously, but I was nudged quite a bit to check out this new album. This album plus 2 live shows this year turned me into a believer, and this album is one I play all the time. Super heavy and technical, Rivers of Nihil will blast your skull while making you think, and then suck you in with tremendous melodies and atmosphere. Oh, and did I mention saxophone? It is an integral component and works so well! I literally haven’t been able to get enough of this album this year!
Swedish symphonic power metal band Majestica released, in my opinion, easily the best power metal album to come out in 2025, even more impressive considering it was released so early in the year! The songs are incredible with catchy melodies, big choruses, and killer instruments. Tommy is an elite vocalist, and he is in top form here! One of my highlights in 2025 was seeing Majestica’s first ever North American show at ProgPower.
I accidentally discovered this Finnish progressive metal band right after their album was released, and then I became completely obsessed with it just a couple songs in. Technical progressive metal with 90’s rock sensibility, a strange description to read perhaps, but wow does it work! What will really throw you off is thinking you are listening to Björk front a metal band! Such a different vibe, but this is an album that played nonstop for a week upon initial discovery!
#6: Epica / Aspiral
This was Dutch symphonic metal band Epica’s follow-up to 2021’s “Omega,” and it is stunning bombastic symphonic metal, with tinges of death, prog, power, and an overarching cinematic feel. This is everything you could want from a symphonic metal album and clearly showcases why Epica is on the Mount Rushmore of Symphonic Metal. I even flew to NYC earlier this year to see their first show supporting this release.
I have been following US-based metal band Demon Hunter since the beginning, and I have always loved their genre bending approach. They are never easy to classify, and they are experts at interweaving melody and heaviness with heartfelt lyrics and a poignant attack. My favorite has always been their 3rd album, “The Triptych,” and I believe this is their best release since that and may slightly exceed it. The lyrics are extra personal as they chronicle Ryan’s journey post his mom passing, and it became personal to me given my mom’s passing right after its release. This album is powerful in so many ways, at times crushingly heavy, and others heart wrenchingly emotional.
This album is a stunning accomplishment, a conceptual cinematic progressive extreme metal masterpiece that dares you to enter in and experience all it has to offer. The rich textures of prog, death, black, and post rock build strong atmosphere and brutal fury, myriad layers just waiting to be discovered, and each song flows seamlessly to the next, painting a massive soundscape that is totally immersive and takes you on a journey that will challenge and mesmerize you. I saw them live earlier this year, and they played the first 6 songs from this album nonstop, spanning more than 40 minutes, and it just flew by. I would love the opportunity for a full album playthrough sometime! Every song is incredible, but “Shed This Erroneous Skin” is my favorite. I even bought the t-shirt corresponding to this song!
#3: Scardust / Souls
I have literally been obsessed with this progressive symphonic metal opus from Israel from the moment I started listening to it. It is super cinematic and theatrical like you would expect from symphonic metal, but it adds insane complexity and technical prowess like you would expect from progressive metal. Add the unearthly talents of vocalist Noa Gruman, who is one of the most versatile vocalists I have ever heard, and absolutely killer song writing, and you have a recipe for a whale of an album. I got a brief taste of Noa’s talent as part of Sabaton’s Legendary Tour when I was in London recently, but I am very impatiently waiting to experience Scardust live for the first time at ProgPower in September!
My #2 metal album of 2025 was “Utopie” by French symphonic death metal band Aephanemer. This one was close, and you could almost call this 1.5. This album is brilliant. It explores classical music depth in ways that don’t feel out of place or odd, seamlessly integrated into the grander death metal soundscape. There is a lot of technical complexity and rich composition structure, navigating changes in dynamics, tempo, and aggression effortlessly. One minute they are ripping your head off, another they are luring you in with their somber melodies, and always are they impressing. I had the opportunity to see them live in December in London to support this album, and their performance was epic in every way. “Contrepoint” is my favorite song, though you can’t go wrong with any of them!
My album of the year is “Whispers of War” by Canadian power death band Crimson Shadows. This was the band’s first full length in 11 years, and that album, “Kings Among Men,” was amazing and set a high bar. This one maintained that high bar, delivering Dragonforce-esque speedy power metal colliding with brutal death metal with epic extended guitar solos, insane drumming, and ferocious growls and shrieks juxtaposed against soaring cleans and infectious melodies. This is battle metal that embraces the theme fully and delivers time after time. I got to see their epic performance at Hyperspace in 2025 where they also debuted my favorite song from the album, the title track (which on the album features guest vocals from Matt of Cryptopsy). I find myself constantly revisiting this album, and when I want some killer molten metal to listen to, this has been on of my most consistent choices. Let’s just hope Crimson Shadows doesn’t wait another 11 years!
Top 2 Metal EPs of 2025:
I listened to a lot of EPs though didn’t review all that many. Here are my 2 favorite from 2025.
Fabulous HEAVY symphonic metal from Hungary that incorporates goth and melodeath with some progressive leanings.
16 more albums you should check out
I listened to tons of albums in 2025. Here are an additional 16 I think you should definitely listen to!
