Top Ten Of 2025: Mark Hunt-Bryden
2025… Well, that came and went in a blur. Personally, this year was filled with many moments of joy and emotional turmoil, and in times of stress, I tend to throw myself into writing for this site; it’s cheaper than therapy… Still, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the snoozing wiseman himself for the opportunity to return to Desertfest London where I got to meet Alfredo Hernandez. I’m also grateful for the chance to continue contributing to the musical community that I’ve loved for pretty much my whole life.
Of course, we lost Ozzy this year.
One of the founding fathers of Heavy Metal, and all that follows after, shuffled off the mortal stage this year after protracted illness, leaving a legacy the likes of which the industry, nay the world, will never see again. And would you credit it, the man, in his own inimitable style, essentially played his own wake at home in Aston at the incredible Back To The Beginning concert. Onion’s man.
The positive note of this year coming thick and fast is the sheer amount of incredible music that has been released. The end-of-year challenge to collect my thoughts on what I felt were my favourite releases of all that I have reviewed this year was a tough one. Some artists very dear to me were unfortunately edged into the honourable mentions, but stick around to the death to see who would have been included if there was another few more slots available.
10. Author & Punisher ‘Nocturnal Birding’
Tristan Shone, along with now full-fledged member and Ecstatic Vision man, Doug Sabolick scaled back the grandiose themes of previous album Kruller to create a lean and savage tour de force on Author & Punisher’s eighth album. Based on bird calls from his excursions along migrant routes, and featuring a cast of eclectic contributions from Kuntari, Fange, and Couch Slut, Nocturnal Birding hits like a wrecking ball, delivering some of their heaviest material to date, whilst adding a distinctly human edge.
Label: Relapse Records
9. The Devil’s Trade ‘Nincs Szennyezetlen Szép’
What Dávid Makó has lacked in conventionally heavy instruments in the past has been offset by his all-consuming emotional vulnerability. With the latest album from his doom/folk outfit The Devil’s Trade, the former Stereochrist man has returned to elements of monolithic doom that are capable of sonically crushing the listener under a cathartic weight of despair. Incredibly powerful, anguished and vulnerable, yet somehow beautiful and captivating, the man further proves why he is one of my favourite artists of recent years.
Label: Pelagic Records
8. Woodhawk ‘Love Finds A Way’
I have a great deal of affection for Canadian trio Woodhawk. Unassumingly over the last decade, they have released four albums of groove-heavy, classic rock-influenced, hard-hitting anthems that manage to tug at the heartstrings and provide lung-bursting sing-along moments. Love Finds A Way is their strongest and most self-assured release that balances righteous melodies with a tip of the cap to their doomy forebears.
Label: Grand Hand Records
7. TORSO ‘Annihilation Day’
In what is destined to be the final full-length, Graham Bywater’s horror-infused, sleazy splatter punk/grind project went all concept album on us. Painting the story of a terrorised high school, TORSO brought the full weight of their B-movie slasher homage to bear in their most consistent release. Catchier than the WuHan flu, grimier than the trap at the back of an oven and more fun than the subject matter has any right to be, Annihilation Day is gloriously fatal.
Label: APF Records
6. Lorquin’s Admiral ‘Lorquin’s Admiral’
To borrow a line by Joey in that sitcom, if you asked me whether I would prefer the desert rock vibes of Hermano or the spacey jams of Kent’s Sons of Alpha Centauri, I can now simply say‘put your hands together my friend’. Having been tipped off that this special project was afoot, I didn’t imagine Lorquin’s Admiral, featuring Dandy Brown and wife Dawn on vocals with the duo of Nick Hannon and Marlon King alongside assorted members of the stoner supergroup, would be as rich and layered and delicate as it is. Burn And Heal still remains atop my favourite tunes for the year, and the excitement of seeing them live at Desertfest next year is a salivating prospect.
Label: Argonauta Records
5. SoftSun ‘Eternal Sunrise’
Following up their stunning debut, Daylight In The Dark, one year later might have concerned lesser artists as to whether they could keep the momentum, but not for SoftSun. Eternal Sunrise is full of that hazy, shimmering, otherworldly, ethereal atmosphere that seeped through the first record, which made it such a magical proposition. The unique sounds of Yawning Man guitar wizard Gary Arce glance off the doom heavy bass of Pia Isaksen, while her voice soars angelic and sensuous as they consolidate their identity with the dreamy, yet powerful compositions.
Label: Heavy Psych Sounds
4. Kal-El ‘Astral Voyager Vol 1’
The sixth album from Norwegian quintet Kal-El looked to trim the fat from their previous epic-length dalliances and grab the listeners’ attention from start to finish. Astra Voyager Vol 1 features a bevvy of tunes that showcase Kal-El at their finest. Boisterous, celebratory riffs crush and grind, the bass grooves, the drums detonate in a raucous rock ‘n’ roll fashion and The Captain sounds positively (and deservedly) triumphant all the way through. Sprinkling their heavy tendencies with trademark sci-fi prog moments of trippy vibes, Astra Voyager Vol 1 is this year’s best party in space.
Label: Majestic Mountain Records | Blues Funeral Recordings
3. The Hyena Kill ‘Collapse’
I was palpably excited by the last album, A Disconnect, from Manchester’s dynamic four-piece The Hyena Kill. I wasn’t prepared, however, for the sheer scale of emotional and musical depth that would follow with this year’s Collapse. Still armed to the teeth with that blend of Deftones-meets-Helmet style ability to rip your face off with an angular riff, then surgically dissect your emotions with a scalpel, the band delivered a career high tour de force. Rooted in turmoil and completed only through stubborn willpower, their latest album is a bruising, heavyweight emotional journey from start to finish.
Label: APF Records
2. Maha Sohona ‘A Dark Place’
Having been impressed by Swedish trio Maha Sohona at Desertfest earlier this year, their set did little to prepare me for how much I would love their new album. A Dark Place balances scuzzy, heavy slabs of grunge and desert rock-influenced riffing with the progressive exploration of more spacey, hypnotic compositions. A rich and soulful journey that encompasses beautiful melancholia, the band carve out a story that stirs the emotions through top-notch musicianship, classy songwriting and lashings of ambition. Aiming for something between the swagger of prime era Kyuss and the intricacy of Tool, they claim the mantle of writing one of the best songs I have heard this year in Visions.
Label: Bonebag Records
1. Howling Giant ‘Crucible & Ruin’
Nashville’s Howling Giant added a second guitar and dialled their vision up to 11 for their third full-length album. Seemingly having threatened greatness from their very first EP, the band managed to top 2023’s Glass Future album and deliver simply the finest example of why they are one of the best bands in the progressive/desert/psych rock genre right now. Laser focused, heavy, mellow and packed with tunes that transport you to another plane, I have returned to Crucible & Ruin again and again to savour the delicious tone, the complex songwriting and the ability to dazzle with skills that can rival anyone.
Label: Magnetic Eye Records
Honourable Mentions
I always wish that at the end of the year I could highlight more great music, but that would be kind of defeating the point. This year, I have tried to keep the honourable mentions short, partly because these are three records it was painful to leave outside my top ten.
The first mention has to go to Steve Von Till’s Alone In A World Of Wounds. A deep and stirring landscape that combines neo-folk and ambient expressionism, that seeks to reconnect with the spiritual aspects we have let fall by the wayside.
Next up is the incredible Spider Kitten. The Newport massive unleashed their latest instalment of grunge/Americana-influenced doom rock. Tackling mental health and wilfully disregarding convention, The Truth Is Too Caustic To Love manages to be quirky, even by their standards, but still a phenomenal listen.
And lastly Yawning Man’s Pavement Ends. Mario Lalli returned to the fold for the band to deliver one of their darker, more rocking albums, that in no way should be overlooked for just missing out on the top of the list.
And that’s it for the year. I don’t know how I feel about the whole thing personally, but it has had a great soundtrack. Til next time, thanks to all who read my witterings, thanks to anyone who read and supported the site, all of us at The Shaman family appreciate the time you spend with us and look forward to doing it all again next year. Peace.
Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden
