Top Ten Of 2025: Martin Williams
As I predicted at the beginning of the year, 2025 turned out to be an insane, psychotic shit show, especially here in the U.S. of A. The year began with the horrible fires in Los Angeles. At the same time, we witnessed our national nightmare return, as the orange man slithered back into power to begin his revenge tour.
Like a child throwing a tantrum, he managed to wreck as much as he possibly could, as quickly as he possibly could, both here at home and around the world. When he is in office, time seems to move at lightning speed and at a crawling lurch all at once. The result is a perpetual state of dazed anger. However, I’m certain that’s all part of his comic-book-villain master plan.
This year also brought a lot of sadness to the rock and metal world, as we collectively said goodbye to many iconic musicians. For me, the losses of Ozzy Osbourne and Ace Frehley hit especially hard, even if they weren’t totally surprising. Ozzy had been struggling with health issues for years. Ace, in his mid-seventies, falling wouldn’t have been shocking – if it hadn’t resulted in a skull fracture and brain bleed that sent the Spaceman off this plane and into the cosmos.
These two musicians shaped my musical tastes going back over four decades. KISS was my gateway to rock and roll in the early ’70s, with Ozzy and Black Sabbath following a few years later. Together, as much as any other bands, they’ve provided the soundtrack to my life for the past forty-three years.
Additionally, the deaths of several other musical icons hit me hard, as I’ve been a big fan of all three men since the late ’90s. We lost Mastodon’s fleet-fingered, maniacal, well of creativity, co-founder, guitarist, and vocalist Brent Hinds. We also lost At The Gates/Disfear vocalist, and Swedish death metal icon, Tomas ‘Tompa’ Lindberg. And we said goodbye to Monster Magnet co-founder, drummer, vocalist, and ‘Atomic Propagandist’ Tim Cronin, who also served as vocalist for long-running New Jersey garage rockers The Ribeye Brothers. It’s been a weird year with weird energy throughout – at least that’s how I experienced it.
However, as always, I have plenty to be grateful for: my family, my business, and my craft. The trials and tribulations of the last few years have given me an opportunity to evolve as a person, with music as the constant through it all. Because as much as this timeline can really suck, at least we have music. It has never once failed to give me the emotional boost or the wicked kick in the ass that I need at any given moment. With that, here are my favorite records that hit my ear holes in 2025.
10. Budos Band ‘VII’
Budos Band (having dropped ‘the’ from their moniker) remains one of my favorite bands of the last twenty years. The NYC instrumental, nine-musician collective offers an addictive, otherworldly sound that’s equal parts ‘70s funk, cinematic afrobeat, and psychedelia, all shrouded in a Sabbath-esque haze of doom that hints at occult activity. VII showcases the myriad of aural qualities that make them so revered while also constantly evolving. From the hypnotic fuzzy-funk of Overlander to the ‘watching-the-sun-come-up’ psych of Sharky’s Delight, the entire album is a clinic in mood, delivery, and execution. Behind The Black Curtain stands as a prime example of their evolution. I listened to VIImore than almost any other record in 2025; leaving it off this list would have been an audio crime.
Label: Diamond West Records
9. Negative Blast ‘Destroy Myself For Fun’
San Diego’s punk rock and roll ragers Negative Blast completely blew my face off in 2023 with their debut, Echo Planet, an uncompromising, seething blast of hardcore and punk. Frontman Rainier Pesebre’s secret sauce is his ability to deliver feral hardcore vocals that are also impossibly catchy, while the band presents a furious sound boasting plenty of rock and roll swagger. Two years of honing their craft is instantly evident on Destroy Myself For Fun, starting with the pummeling opener Fireplay. Flamethrowers are everywhere on this album, but other favorites include the hardcore beatdown of Missinglink, the angry, fuzzy wallop of Nuwage, and the urgent, anxious weirdness of closer Denial. Negative Blast proves that the promise shown on Echo Planet was no fluke. Had this dropped earlier in the year, allowing me more time with it, it certainly would have ranked higher.
Label: Three One G
8. This Summit Fever ‘This Summit Fever’
Have you ever wondered what Bleach-era Nirvana mixed with UK psych vibes and a generous helping of Fu Manchu-level fuzz sounds like? If so, look no further than the self-titled debut from Midlands duo This Summit Fever. I was instantly a fan, a feeling solidified by the fact they are a two-piece. When opener Breathe You In hits, it’s readily apparent this isn’t your run-of-the-mill stoner rock album. Currents is a long-form, heavy psych crusher oozing with wicked riffs, guitar histrionics, and understated-yet-pummeling drumming. Meanwhile, Partly To Blame exemplifies that Nirvana-meets-Fu Manchu collision with heaps of fuzz and trippy loud/quiet dynamics. The closer, It Haunts Us, is an utterly amazing psychedelic journey with emotional heft for days. It is certainly one of my favorite songs of the year, off undoubtedly my favorite debut of 2025. I’m patiently waiting to hear where This Summit Fever take their sound next.
Label: Majestic Mountain Records
7. Nuclear Dudes ‘Skeletal Blasphemy’
Like Negative Blast, this late-year release roared up my list. Nuclear Dudes is the electro-violence/grind brainchild of Jon Weisnewski (Akimbo, Sandrider), born out of pandemic isolation. On Skeletal Blasphemy, he is joined by Coady Willis (High On Fire, Melvins, Big Business, Murder City Devils), one of the planet’s most prolific drummers. The prospect of these Seattle scene veterans collaborating had me brimming with excitement, and I wasn’t disappointed. Weisnewski’s riffs and Willis’ multi-limbed, ferocious drumming prove the perfect fit. The title track is an instant electro-grind face-ripper, while Antisax is a charging, distorted monster. Meanwhile, the awesomely named Victory Pants was easily one of the most crushing songs I experienced all year. Simply put, Skeletal Blasphemy is one of the most pummeling, creative, weird, heavy and best records I heard this year. Pure fire.
Label: The Ghost Is Clear Records
6. Wino ‘Create Or Die’
At the start of the year, the idea of genre-defining, longtime doom legend Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich showing up on my year-end list would have seemed a long shot, and that’s not because I’m not a fan. While his work with The Obsessed, Saint Vitus, Spirit Caravan, and The Hidden Hand, along with his acoustic output, is iconic, his sheer ubiquity has softened his impact on me. Create Or Die changed that, as it collects the diverse sounds of his career into one fluid experience. Opener Anhedonia is a killer, riffy affair, while heavy tracks like Carolina Fox and the charging, fuck-the-man ripper, Hopeful Defiance sit perfectly alongside the acoustic moments where Wino truly shines. The Americana-meets-Irish folk of New Terms and the lazy southern swing of Bury Me In Texas highlight his evolution as he slides into the role of the wise American raconteur. Create Or Die succeeds in spades, as it deftly showcases the many aspects of the man’s revered career.
Label: Ripple Music
5. HÖG ‘BLACKHOLE’
Portland’s stoner punk power trio HÖG weren’t initially on my radar, but their debut BLACKHOLE, released through the always-on-point RidingEasy Records, is an explosive, ferocious platter of proto-metal. From crazed opener Don’t Need You, the album bristles with urgent, charging riffs, off-the-rails drumming, and no-bullshit vocals with swagger to spare. Life Too Late offers the kind of fuzzy riffs and rhythmic pummeling – think Bill Ward meets Joey Castillo – that even the most jaded stoner rocker could want. BLACKHOLE is expertly sequenced, providing balance with the mildly-less-frantic title track and the fuzzy, psych riff-nod of Bring You Down. Every song crushes, as the balls-out riffage and spaced-out ‘70s sonics of Shallow Earth vividly display. HÖG demands attention with a feral blend of Stooges-esque proto-punk and raucous Motörhead energy, providing just enough shred before the rock and roll beatings continue. I’ll be following these guys very closely.
Label: RidingEasy Records
4. Testament ‘Para Bellum’
Bay Area thrash legends Testament returned in 2025 with their thirteenth album, Para Bellum. It’s the first to feature new drummer Chris Dovas, who, in keeping with tradition, absolutely slays. I’ve made no secret of my admiration for Testament; they are one of the greatest metal bands of all time, boasting a flawless discography spanning thirty-eight years. The one-two punch of opener For The Love Of Pain – showcasing Eric Peterson’s black metal influences – and the insane battering of Infanticide A.I. lay waste to contemporary bands. Para Bellum highlights every aspect of their sound, from the chugging Shadow People and emotional ballad Meant To Be, to the NWOBHM-meets-thrash of Nature Of The Beast. The epic title track is a clinic in thrash dynamics featuring Alex Skolnick’s dizzying shred. Chuck Billy, who is well into his sixties, sounds better than ever. Of all the genre’s original greats, Testament are the only ones truly continuing to evolve.
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
3. Zig Zags ‘Deadbeat At Dawn’
I’ve made no secret of my love for LA trio Zig Zags. No other band melds early ‘80s thrash and hardcore punk with ‘90s garage rock into such a devastating, addictive sonic concoction. They returned with Deadbeat At Dawn, their second for RidingEasy Records, and it completely rips from start to finish. Opener Not Of This World is a menacing, chugging rager. Altered States was one of the most off-the-rails thrash songs of 2025, matching the insane downstroke mania of the title track. There isn’t a single dud, but the epic, crushing march of Take Me To Your Leader stands out alongside the earworm garage thrash of Rats In Love, one of my most-played songs of 2025. The pissed-off, spiteful closer Say It To My Face is my new theme song. Zig Zags excel at what they do as the three musicians are some of the best in the underground; now I just need to finally catch them live.
Label: RidingEasy Records
2. Year Of The Cobra ‘Year Of The Cobra’
Seattle’s much-revered power duo Year Of The Cobra returned in 2025 with their self-titled album. Produced by legendary Seattle knob-twister Matt Bayles (Botch, Isis), the pair – Amy Tung Barrysmith and Johannes Barrysmith – have taken their sound to a new level. The dichotomy between their mountain-moving rumble and Amy’s ethereal vocals separates them from the hordes of stoner rock Sabbath and Sleep clones. The duo proffers an amazing sonic balance, exemplified by crushing doom march opener Full Sails and the Herculean, punk-ish rumble of War Drop. However, Daemonium and If Alone truly showcase the band’s evolution. The former is impossibly catchy, while the latter is epic and soaring; had If Alone dropped in the mid ‘90s, they’d be mega-stars. The album is a massive, cathartic experience, with closer Prayer serving as the exclamation point. Bayles really dialed in the duo’s sound, making Year Of The Cobra an instant classic.
Label: Prophecy Productions
1. Dax Riggs ‘7 Songs For Spiders’
If I’m being honest, I had a feeling Dax Riggs’ long-awaited 7 Songs For Spiders would top my list. Riggs, the reality-warping otherworldly vocalist of legendary Acid Bath, is one of rock’s most revered underground singers. After dropping off the map following 2010’s Say Goodnight To The World, the news that he would finally release a new solo album – and reunite with Acid Bath after three decades – caused the heavy music underground to lose its collective shit. 7 Songs For Spiders was well worth the fifteen-year wait. Riggs’ voice sounds as amazing as ever. He leans into a distorted, psychedelic, almost Floydian sound, but heavier – like it was shot through a portal then dragged through the Louisiana swamps. Favorites include the spaced-out opener Deceiver, the dreamy swamp-psych of Sunshine Felt The Darkness Smile, the trippy slow-burn of Ain’t That Darkness, and the shadowy swamp blues of Pagan Moon. Riggs really is one of the unsung crown jewels of the American underground.
Label: Fat Possum Records
Honourable Mentions:
As always, I struggled to whittle down my year end list and was anxious about all the albums I felt I was “missing out” on. Alas, with time being something I do not have in abundance, here are five records I loved this year but had to leave on the cutting room floor.
Borracho ‘Ouroboros’
I had a difficult time leaving Borracho off my top ten list as these DC fuzz overlords deliver tons of killer riffage, rhythmic low-end groove, and thoughtful lyrics on Ouroboros. They prove once again they are true pillars of the East Coast stoner rock scene.
Margarita Witch Cult ‘Strung Out In Hell’
Hailing from the birthplace of heavy metal, Birmingham, UK, the power trio Margarita Witch Cult returns with a punked-up, raucous take on Uncle Acid that is simply grimier and dirtier. Strung Out In Hell features fuzzy riffage for days and an awesome, filthy cover of Billy Idol’s White Wedding that simply rules.
Electric Jaguar Baby ‘Clair-Obscur’
Parisian garage stoner duo Electric Jaguar Baby’s all-analog second album, Clair-Obscur, balances heavy, distorted fuzz with catchy, Queens Of The Stone Age-esque energy. It is insanely enjoyable, with Bring Me Down easily ranking as one of my favorite songs of the year.
TORSO ‘Annihilation Day‘
I was immediately blown away by Graham Bywater’s insane, industrial-tinged garage thrash on Annihilation Day. A gore-drenched concept album, this vicious, menacing ripper boasts excellent tone and attitude to spare – holy shit, what a monster.
Håndgemeng ‘Satanic Panic Attack’
Boasting the best album cover and title of the year, Norway’s rowdy troublemakers Håndgemeng return with a blast of stoner punk colliding with psychedelia and NWOBHM wizardry. Presented with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, this release is not only one of the best albums of the year, but also one of the most unique and fun.
A special thanks goes out to The Sleeping Shaman for continuing to give me a chance and a space to write about music. As well, I wouldn’t be doing any of what I do whether it’s writing about music or creating art and tattoos for a living, without the support of my family, and I’m eternally grateful for them all. My fingers are crossed for a less chaotic and crazy 2026, but in this timeline, I’m also braced for the worst. In these troubled times, music will always get us through, so, with that, let’s remember Ozzy’s iconic track from Diary Of A Madman which stated ‘You can’t kill rock and roll, it’s here to stay’.
Scribed by: Martin Williams
