2025 a year in music

Thenop · December 17, 2025, 07:25:29 AM

**warning - far too long of a post**

So...2025. A terrible year for me personally. Nothing that I wanted to do I managed to accomplish. And health wise, well let's not go there.

Musically though, I have listened to so much. Maybe even more than previous years. This resulted in a huge list of albums I wanted to shine a light on. I had to even trim this down, I had about 20 more. Anyway, here we go.

ROCK

My no. 1 Rock album of 2025:
Motorpsycho - S/T
They have done it again...I think it therefore it is true. Motorpsycho has an attraction on me that is hard to explain. Fanboi is such an ugly word and I do not believe in it anyway, but it does describe why I keep gravitating toward their entire discography. Whether it is the long form opener Lucifer, Bringer of Light, the rejuvenation of Neotzar (in the aptly titled Neotzar (the Second Coming), the Led Zeppelin-esque III Laird of Heimly, the let's go out on the town Stanley, the gorgeous Kip Satie, highlight and centrepiece Balthazaar or any of the other tracks that make up the 91 minutes and 26 seconds, it is all good.
And the beauty is: there's at least one album a year.
Listen to:
Balthazaar

Honourable mentions:

The Marcus King Band - Darling Blue
After a couple of 'solo' efforts King resurrected the band principle for this new one. Great album that sounds like a ode to the 70s blues and soul, lots of acoustic material and his guitar playing and voice are as always pristine. This one also has my song of the year:
Carolina Honey

DeWolff - Fuego
A collection of songs the boys are inspired by. Old stuff, mainly. They did not go for the obvious ones, although Fire & Water has been done before. Well worth a listen.
Listen to:
The Fan ft. Joe Bonamassa

Temple Fang - Lifted from the Wind
Long Form Rock it's what they call it themselves. These are 5 experiments in weaving in and out of a musical consciousness that requires some listening. The slow built up, the space the music gets to develop and the room to breath. Nearly 75 minutes of it, and it remains consistently good.
Listen to:
Once

Mark Morton - Without the Pain
Morton is the guitarist of Lamb of God, a modern day metal outfit deeply rooted in thrash and groove metal. Sort of a post 2000 USA metal band. He has also another side to him, and it shows on this album. It's roots, country like rock. Not metal, but it has the metal drive to it, and maybe a little heavy guitar in Without the Pain and Nocturnal Sun.. The immediacy with which this hits me was almost off putting - will it last? Well, yes it does I can now say at years' end. With the help of musical friends he has crafted a great album.
What he aspired to shows in the cover of The Needle and the Spoon (Lynyrd Skynyrd).
Listen to:
Brother ft. Cody Jinks

Gin Lady - Before the Dawn of Time
Yeah man, chill out. What's with all the shouting? Why can't we just all get along?
Gin Lady is really that kind of vibe.
Listen to:
Tingens Sanna Natur (don't worry, only the title is in Norwegian)

Godzillionaire - Diminishing Returns
It's 70s, but also spacey at times. Desert-y, with soaring vocals and rock and boogie thrills. It just does what it says on the tin: it's rock and roll. The longer Astrogarden is perhaps the most accomplished track but it's the opener that lures you in.
Listen to:
Drowning All Night

Spidergawd - From Eight to Infinity
What is a Spidergawd? Well, watch the video from 2023's Sands of Time and you'll find you answer. By the end of the clip you will have seen anything from Dire Straits to Slayer, in one big pile of records (and yes Rush is there as well).
The new on is no exception, it really is a lovely and accessible album (a nice change form the others on my list I hear you sigh).
Listen to:
Nevermind, just put it on and go about your day. It's all good. There is something for everyone here.
Entire Album

Messa - the Spin
Doom, but not your uncle's Black Sabbath LP I think I called it before. The band has certainly expanded, bringing the 70s influences into the 80s and they've grown because of this. It is still a vehicle for Sara Bianchin's voice, but it is so much more. Gone are the ancient instruments they used before that gave it a mystical occult-y feel, in favour of 80s organs. It is nothing of the labels they are given (Doom, Occult, Jazz, Blues, Prog, Black Metal, Darkwave) yet they are all of it together. If that doesn't make any sense, just listen to the album.
Listen to:
The Dress

The Black Keys - No Rain, No Flowers
The most retro of them all. Also the most song oriented they have ever sounded. Really strong songwriting here, all radio friendly around 3 minute songs here. Hard not to like. Just start at the beginning and listen to the album in full.
Listen to:
No Rain, No Flowers

METAL

My no. 1 Metal album of 2025:

Yellow Eyes - Confusion gate
Between dissonance and decay there is beauty. It is hard work, but it is there and if you look close enough you see it. It might be distant in the beginning, but look harder, further. That little dot will become clearer. The paint dries, and the abstraction fades. Suddenly you hear familiar patterns, you can discern figurines, some distorted and twisted, others soft like newborns.
All of this drenched in the fabric spiders weave their webs from.
Ah, just the musings of an aging metalhead that can still discover he has some life in him left yet. Black metal is lovely and horrific at the same time, but never dull.
Listen to:
Brush the Frozen Horse

Honourable mentions:

Blut Aus Nord
French Black Metal strikes again. It's less nightmarish and more alternative (!) with occasional vocals that sound like Robert Smith has guested.
Listen to:
Shadows Breathe First

1914 - Viribus Unitis
War Metal, Ukrainian Death Metallers 1914 are masters in the genre. It is loud, it is rough and it is very intense. But if you get past the initial eardrum assault it is very enjoyable. But Loud. Very sound. All stories told are actual war stories.
Listen to:
1915 (the Battle for Zwinin Bridge)

Psychonaut - World Maker
Post metal, I know such a tangent of a term. But it applies to Belgiums Psychonaut. This goes deep and really is one of those 'you have to really sit down and listen to it' albums. But if you do, it is a rewarding sit down. I don't think there is a more compelling album in this list.
Listen to:
Endless Currents

Deafheaven - Lonely People with Power
Ok, so this band has alway been a bit controversial.
Is it black metal? Yes, of course. Just listen to it.
But No! Look at them! Them is Hipsters trying to steal our Music! All Hail they must be annihilated!
What do they sound like then, well:
Listen to:
Doberman

Stonebirds - Perpetual Wasteland
39 and a half minutes of Stonebirds is just the right amount to wave goodbye. It is their last album and it's a fantastic goodbye.
Listen to:
Circles

Coroner - Dissonance Theory
Oldtimers back at at. Hear where Gojira learned the trade. Fantastic comeback album after nearly 30 years absence.
Listen to
Symmetry

Mawiza - Ül
Ah yes, the Roots album of the year. I described it earlier as Gojira meets Sepultura. Still think that's accurate.
Listen to:
Wingkawnoam

And then a 3- for-1, long term metalbands weaving the metal tapestry.

Amorphis - Borderland
It's Amorphis, what's not to like?
Paradise Lost - Ascension
See Amorphis
Katatonia - Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State
See Paradise Lost and Amorphis

JAZZ

My no. 1 Jazz album of 2025:

Yazz Ahmed - A Paradise in the Hold
Absolutely not everyone's cup of tea with all the Arab (Bahreini) influences but the self proclaimed High Priestess of Arabic Jazz does what she does best. I find this breathtaking and am already sorry I gave the show earlier this year a miss.
Listen to:
She Stands on the Shore

Honourable mentions:

Kamasi Washington - Lazarus
I don't know why this is not my no.1 jazz album of the year. Perhaps because I cannot keep giving camas that credit, and I really like Yazz. But this is a cinematic as anything he has done, which makes sense considering it is a soundtrack. If you want your horns to cast a wide net, and feel immersed in that sound, this is for you.
Listen to:
Vortex

Out Of/Into - Motion II
Blue Note's supergroup. Sounds like Motion I, and that's a good thing.
Listen to:
Finding Ways

Makaya Mccraven - Off the Record
4 EPs into a 2LP set, culled from many hours of improv. Makaya Mccraven remains a renewer, a drummer extra ordinaire and a new jazz icon.
Listen to:
Battleships

Tom Skinner - Kaleidoscopic Visions
Drummer of the Sons of Kemet and the Smile. Heralded and respected by both the new jazz scene and the alt pop scene, Tom Skinner is a force in his own right. And he has his solo work as well. Sometimes, just when you wonder whether this will evolve into a song with a structure and all, it does. Or it doesn't and that doesn't matter either. It is abstract, and it is not. It really is a kaleidoscope, and it takes on chameleon trades.
I am just in awe of these young(er) musicians that seems to care less about or or any respect for tradition and just do it.
Listen to:
Auster

Theon Cross - Affirmations (Live at Blue Note New York)
Jazz has many forms, like rock. But with rock, the main instrument is suavely guitar. For jazz that differs a bit. Sometimes it is a piano led trio, or a saxophone driven quartet, a trumpet led sextet, or we have a drummer as band leader. But this is a bit different. Theon Cross plays the Tuba. Ye that's right, try walking around with a thing that big. The funny thing is though, is that he treated it like a trumpet. Melody lines, quick accents, his near virtuoso skills really shine on this live album. It's 83 minutes of great musicianship in the the best of jazz tradition. Improvising and renewing go hand in hand. Forget traditional jazz, this is beyond that. But whatever it is, it is a great listen.
Listen to:
Affirmations

Archival release of the year
for me is Art Pepper - An Afternoon in Kongsberg. Great recording of Art and his band playing Europe, I love how he plays with the audience. It's a 1980 recording so not that old if compared 'from the archives recordings for jazz artists.
Listen to it
Art Pepper An Afternoon in Kongsberg

Non Rock, Metal or Jazz release of the year:

AVTT/PTTN
The Avett Brothers with the inimitable Mike Patton. An album I did not think was for me turned out to be, well for me. Country Mike Patton style, I like it.
Listen to (the atypical)
Heaven's Breath
And album opener:
Dark Night of My Soul

Honourable mention:
Queens of the Stone Age - Alive in the Catacombs
Great interpretations of 5/6 QOTSA songs in the Paris' catacombs.

And of course there is still one album I am waiting for: the new Ulver - Neverland. And it'll probably end up on this list because, well, it's Ulver.