Top Ten Of 2025: Matt Alexander
Bienvenido compadre’s! It’s that time again… the frost has crept in, leaves scatter the paths, and the British begin the apocalyptic panic that a millimetre of snow will bring the entire island to a shuddering halt and force the middle class to eat their elderly relatives…
It’s also, can you believe it, time for our end-of-year lists to be published and a chance for us to tell you all what we Shaman scribes have been digging in 2025.
Although it’s my favourite post of the year, it takes hours of pawing through the records I’ve listened too and for me to come to a final decision on who/what makes it into my ten favourite records of 2025. The deliberation will seep into my dreams, turning them sour for many months past the close of the year.
Having a year that’s felt like being kicked in the proverbial with a steel‑toed boot, worn by the angriest rugby union fly‑half this side of the equator, has set me back a little with my usual output of music‑related musings on this here online publication. For which I hope and pray to Jeebus that next year is more positive, and that I can return to informing you lovely people about the delectable little slabs of filth you should be pricking your ears for!
As always, I’d like to thank The Shaman for his countless hours of time and effort put into publishing this material and for giving us an eclectic bunch of scribes a platform to worble on about the music and music related things that well all hold so dear.
So, take a seat, grab a brew and enjoy, from ten to one, my favourite records of 2025.
10. Innumerable Forms ‘Pain Effulgence’
Pain Effulgence is the third full-length from Boston, MA death-doom horde Innumerable Forms. Although their previous efforts were good, this is just a level above. It is thirty-five minutes of pure sternum-crushing excellence. Also, you’ll come to see a fair few releases on here from Profound Lore Records so hat-tip to them for an incredible year!
Label: Profound Lore Records
9. Species ‘Changelings’
Warsaw, Poland’s Species return with their sophomore record Changelings and I just absolutely loved this weird, techy sci-fi laden thrash metal journey from the incredibly talented three-piece. Killer instrumentation, off-kilter writing, and it’s channelling the likes of Voivod, Coroner and Dark Angel… what’s not to like?
Label: 20 Buck Spin
8. Violator ‘Unholy Retribution’
2025 has been a KILLER year for thrash, with great releases from Species, Dead Heat, Electrocutioner, Chemicide, Warfield, Vindicator and Sarcator to name a few. However, top of the pile for me is this absolute barn burner from Brazilian thrash metal heroes Violator… spikes, leather and beers are definitely mandatory for this one!
Label: Kill Again Records
7. Defacement ‘Doomed’
Another year passes, and yet another record drops from one of extreme metal’s most underrated and exciting acts, it’s Doomed from international death metal crew Defacement. The record is a whirlwind of rich textures and pitch-black dissonance that envelops the listener and draws them into the misery unfolding. Being just a year after the excellent Duality, it was always going to be difficult to produce something of equal quality within such a short period of time. No concerns were required though as Doomed is Defacement’s most complete and best record yet.
Label: Avantgarde Music
6. Obsidian Tongue ‘Eclipsing Worlds Of Scorn’
We travel to Portland, Maine, for this one and allow ourselves to fall headfirst into Obsidian Tongue’s fourth full-length Eclipsing Worlds Of Scorn; a deep tapestry of icy and anguish-laden atmospherics interwoven with strange and serpentine black metal which I’ve really struggled to take out of my rotation.
Label: Profound Lore Records
5. Jade ‘Mysteries Of A Flowery Dream’
Three years have passed since Jade’s debut full-length, The Pacification Of Death, which I made no secret of saying how good I thought it was, so I think I, and quite a few other folks, had been eagerly awaiting the return of these Catalonia based death metal wizards to see what they did next. Boy, was it worth the wait! Mysteries Of A Flowery Dream takes those well-woven atmospherics conjured on the previous record and takes them further. Chock full of great riffs and unique vocals that have you drawing up images of Saruman bellowing to his hordes. This is just excellent, and one of 2025’s must hear for me!
Label: Pulverised Records
4. Ancient Death ‘Ego Dissolution’
This slab of dimension slicing progressive death metal is the debut record from otherworldly death metal horde Ancient Death. Not only is it technically lustrous, brilliantly written and wonderfully produced, but it also has one of my favourite artworks of the year… just look at it! For a debut record, this is seriously impressive and one that I think will be spoken about for quite some time.
Label: Profound Lore Records
3. Hooded Menace ‘Lachrymose Monuments Of Obscuration’
Finland’s Hooded Menace are one of metal’s most consistent bands, and the addition of Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration is no exception. Continuing the intertwining of traditional heavy metal elements with the group’s signature crushing death-doom, this record really comes together to create a wonderfully infectious listen. Shout out to the guitar work from the guys, it’s full of fun riffs and memorable moments, and the guitars really sing loud… also the cover of Duran Duran’s Save A Prayer rules.
Label: Season Of Mist
2. Suffering Hour ‘Impelling Rebirth’
This was undoubtedly my most anticipated release of the year. It’s Impelling Rebirth from Suffering Hour. After 2021’s incredible full-length The Cyclic Reckoning and 2022’s split with Malthusian, Time’s Withering Shadow, Suffering Hour were, and still are in my eyes, one of the most unique and exciting acts in extreme music. Sadly, after the 2022 split, founding member and drummer Jason Oberuc was diagnosed with cancer, and things understandably went quiet.
Three years have passed, and I’m delighted to say that Jason is now cancer free and absolutely killing it on this new release Impelling Rebirth, which showcases the group’s signature jagged and dissonant death metal melodies, but this time way more aggressive and chaotic. There’s something special about this journey from Suffering Hour, like they are building to a wonderful crescendo, and I’m absolutely here for it.
Label: Profound Lore Records
1. Floating ‘Hesitating Lights’
Of all the records that I consume over the years, sometimes the ones that stick out the most are the ones that are the most surprising, which is absolutely the case here with Hesitating Lights from Sweden’s Floating. I’m always up for a weird record that changes up the formula for what we usually listen to. The mix on this record of post-punk, goth pop and death metal just shouldn’t work, but god damn is it good. It’s like if The Cure or Sisters Of Mercy collaborated with Morbid Angel to create a slab of bleak, jagged and atmospheric death metal that serves only to seep its misery intravenously into your veins.
The songwriting and tone really shine, and I found it utterly impossible to put this record down since its release back in July. If you only listen to one of the records on this list, then make sure it’s this one… actually you must listen to the Suffering Hour one too… actually, just listen to them all, it’ll be worth it trust me!
Label: Transcending Obscurity
Honorable Mentions
These guys didn’t quite make the cut but are all equally ace and deserving of your time.
Ritual Mass ‘Cascading Misery’
Kontusion ‘Insatiable Lust For Death’
Mutagenic Host ‘The Diseased Machine’
Inhuman Nature ‘Greater Than Death’
Morbific ‘Bloom Of The Abnormal Flesh’
Once again, thank you for reading my drawn-out ravings around music. I hope you have a lovely holiday period and a great 2026.
Scribed by: Matt Alexander
