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Alright, so we are about halfway through 2025 here and I wanted to talk about my 10 favorite rock and metal releases of 2025 so far. But I do want to set two ground rules for this video before we get into it.

The first is that I’m going to be talking about all these albums in alphabetical order. I thought it was kind of silly to rank them now because there’s so much more music coming out in the second half of this year, and it just feels like a waste of time to rank these when I know in my heart that these rankings are absolutely going to change.

The other rule is that I’m not gonna talk about any records that are not currently out. I have promos of stuff that are coming up in July and August – and there’s a lot of stuff that I really like that’s coming up in July and August — but you can’t hear them. And I feel like it’s kind of silly for me to sit here and talk about stuff that you can’t go from this video to immediately listen to.

So all that being said, let’s get into my 10 favorite rock and metal releases of 2025 so far.

Ego Dissolution by Ancient Death

Ancient Death wasted no time in putting out a killer death metal debut. Ego Dissolution follows a pretty solid run from a very young band. Ancient Death started off in 2022 with their debut EP Sacred Vessel, a split with Putridarium in 2023, and a demo in 2024. And now, with their first full-length Ego Dissolution, they’re clearly hitting their stride.

It’s easy to draw comparisons to Blood Incantation because that riffing style is definitely there, but Ancient Death branches out a lot on this record. There are prog touches that bring to mind Horrendous or Tomb Mold, plus these atmospheric, effects-heavy passages that remind me a bit of old Nocturnus. Add in some clean vocals from bassist Jasmine Alexander and you’ve got something pretty unique and very cool right out of the gate.

What makes Ego Dissolution even more interesting is how patient it is with the listener. It’s not rushing to crush you. Tracks like “Breathe Transcend” and “Journey to the Inner Soul” stretch out with these slower, psychedelic tempos and long instrumental breaks that really let the atmosphere build.

To me, Ego Dissolution feels like the record right before a modern classic — if that makes any sense. Like, if Ancient Death levels up on their next release, people are gonna look back and say, “Oh, well. I mean, did you hear their debut album? They were already onto something big.” So yeah, Ancient Death is definitely a band to watch.

Changeling by Changeling

Former Obscura guitarist Tom “Fountainhead” Geldschläger is back with a new project called Changeling, and it answers the question: What if Obscura kept evolving after their 2016 record Akróasis? Because this debut record might as well be the textbook for how to write immersive progressive technical death metal in 2025.

Fountainhead, who is himself a former Obscura member and played on Akróasis, didn’t go it alone either. He assembled a monster lineup including Mike Heller (formerly of Fear Factory) on drums, Arran McSporran of Virvum on bass, Morean of Alkaloid on vocals, plus guest spots from guys in I Am Morbid, former Cynic members, King Diamond, and way more.

One of the central themes here ties directly back to Obscura‘s Akróasis — specifically Fountainhead‘s epic closer “Weltseele”. But this record isn’t just repeating old ideas or reaching back into a bag that’s already been reached into. It’s definitely building on those ideas. Fountainhead takes that level of ambition and says, “I’m not done quite yet, guys. Watch what I can do now.”

Changeling‘s debut is a full-on feat of technical and progressive metal. It’s a shape-shifting, wildly dynamic record — but it’s never messy and it’s really never not interesting. The writing is sharp, the performances are next-level, and it all works really, really, really well. If you’re into dense progressive metal or technical death metal with real compositional depth, you need to hear this record.

Lonely People with Power by Deafheaven

Deafheaven‘s Lonely People with Power is a very serious contender for album of the year for me. I mean honestly, this record feels like the apex of Deafheaven‘s sound. It takes everything they’ve done up to this point — the blackgaze, the post-rock, the shoegaze, the ambient textures, even their heavier roots — and weaves it all together into one hour of absolutely flawless music.

It’s heartbreaking. It’s cinematic. It’s heavy in a windmill-until-your-neck-hurts kind of way, and it’s also deeply introspective, emotionally layered, and beautifully crafted. There’s just no fat on this album. It’s just a band that hit their creative stride and delivered something that feels timeless.

Lonely People with Power is a work of art, plain and simple. And it’s one that should absolutely, under no circumstances, be overlooked this year. If you thought people wouldn’t shut up about Sunbather, get ready for the discourse around Lonely People with Power because people are going to be talking about this one for a long time.

Tooth and Nail by Dormant Ordeal

Dormant Ordeal answers the question of what Behemoth would sound like in 2025 if they were still making music that was actually good and that I cared about. Harsh? Yeah, maybe. But Dormant Ordeal sounds like what could have happened if Behemoth kept pushing forward after The Satanist instead of totally plateauing – if not going down. It’s vicious, it’s tight, and it’s full of life.

A lot of the punch on this record comes from Chason Westmoreland on drums — you’ve heard him in Brand of Sacrifice, Burning the Masses, and about a thousand other bands. The guy is really good, and his performance here adds a ton of weight and precision to a record that is already pretty heavy-hitting with loads of great riffs, and great production, and great vocals.

But this isn’t just about speed or brutality. The riffs here are absolute spine-breakers. Just throw on the opener “Halo of Bones” and try not to grin at how hard that thing hits. It’s crushing, it’s well-crafted, and it just never lets up. Tooth and Nail is killer front to back. If you’re into a lot of what Behemoth did, or Decapitated, or Ulcerate, or Hate Eternal; this is 100% in your wheelhouse. Dormant Ordeal is the real deal. The dormant ordeal.

Skeletá by Ghost

Skeletá feels like the first Ghost album where everything they’ve done before collides into one unified sound. You’ve got the occult-heavy riffing of Opus Eponymous, the theatrical flair of Infestissumam, the arena rock stomp of Meliora, and the pop-metal fusion that defined both Prequelle and Impera. Tobias Forge clearly has a masterful command of Ghost‘s entire sonic legacy at this point, and Skeletá shows that he knows exactly how to wield it.

There’s a lot to love here, especially if you’re a longtime fan. The songwriting is strong, the humor is understated but present, the production is crystal-clear and grand, and the album is packed with the kind of hooks and moments that remind you why Ghost has become one of the biggest names in metal today.

I mean, ultimately, Ghost is making metal accessible without watering it down. Skeletá is a record that your metal friends can love, but so can your parents. It’s metal for everyone, and that’s a beautiful thing. This is a great record.

Goldstar by Imperial Triumphant

Imperial Triumphant has taken all the grime, corruption, greed, and seedy underbelly-ness of New York City and somehow distilled it into one absolutely vile, intoxicating potion. Goldstar is unsettling in all the right ways. It’s dizzying, it’s disorienting, and, yeah — it kind of makes you nauseous. But that’s the point.

I feel the same way about Goldstar as I do about Deafheaven‘s Lonely People with Power. This is the sound of a band fully arriving at the sound that they’ve been dancing around to varying degrees over the past however many albums. Imperial Triumphant has always had a unique voice, but Goldstar feels like a clear, confident statement of who they really are in 2025. It’s precise, it’s disturbing, it’s theatrical, and it’s totally theirs.

And let’s be real – your album has to be pretty damn good to pull in Dave Lombardo and Tomas Haake of Meshuggah as guest musicians. Goldstar is Imperial Triumphant at their most focused, most chaotic, and honestly, most impressive. This one’s gonna stick for sure.

The Spin by Messa

Messa has always built their sound around this gravitational center of doom-heavy riffing, and orbiting around that center is a constellation of stoner rock, and blues, and prog, and jazz; and the result has always been this dynamic and carefully written music. But ten years into their career, Messa has taken a pretty different approach. They’ve split that core right down the middle and incorporated a boatload of goth rock into their sound.

The Spin still leans into the crushing, hypnotic doom that Messa is known for, but a good chunk pulls hard from ’80s goth rock and post-punk-influenced heavy metal — and not in a surface-level, paint-it-black kinda way. This isn’t just like “we listened to Bauhaus and slapped some chorus on the guitars” kinda thing. This is deep, fully integrated influence. You could feel the love and understanding for that era running through every single moment of this album.

The writing is sharp, the solos are tastefully expressive — maybe even some of the best solos that I think I’ve heard this year – and the vocals are stunning. All that, plus the tonal choices — especially the use of vintage ’80s synthesizers and analog gear — bring a unique warmth and overall style to The Spin that sets it apart from anything else that I’ve heard so far this year, and maybe even in the past few years.

At Peace by Propagandhi

The first few times I listened to Propagandhi‘s At Peace, I was honestly pretty bummed. It wasn’t what I was expecting, and it definitely wasn’t in the same vein as anything they’d done before. But once that initial shock wore off and I gave the record some space and just kept listening to it and trying to understand it, I realized that At Peace is actually pretty genius.

At Peace balances spontaneity and attention really well. Some songs feel very stream of consciousness, loose, and exploratory in what they’re trying to do; while others are clearly composed with a lot of care. The whole thing flows off this sense of uncertainty, like it’s feeling its way forward. But at the core of every track, there’s purpose, there’s direction. They do know where it’s going. It just might not feel like it at that precise moment. You just kind of have to be patient and really listen to this whole thing unfold to get it.

At Peace is different. It’s slower, more experimental, and it largely steers away from Propagandhi‘s punk roots. In a lot of ways, it feels more like a slow thrash record — which makes sense, I guess, when you remember just how much heavier music has always informed their sound, and how much heavy music this band has talked about loving over the years. At Peace isn’t just a continuation for Propagandhi. It’s a brand new start, the start of a new chapter. And I am totally here for it.

Beyond Obsidian Euphoria by Tómarúm

At some point, I think we all need to acknowledge that Atlanta, Georgia’s Tómarúm is one of the best progressive metal bands working right now.

Tómarúm‘s second full-length album Beyond Obsidian Euphoria is a massive step forward. The record covers everything from expansive black metal to soaring progressive passages, all while pushing the envelope with creative instrumentation and thoughtful songwriting across these pretty long songs that never feel long because they’re so well written.

I saw a lot of people talking about Beyond Obsidian Euphoria over the past maybe month or two online, and I kept meaning to check it out. And then about a month ago, I said, “You know what, I’m gonna sit down. I’m really gonna take the time. I know these songs are long, I know this is gonna be kind of an investment. But I wanna check this record out.”

And after hearing it once, I think I heard it about one hundred more times after that. This record is a total triumph of progressive metal. This is some really forward-thinking stuff, and if you’re still sleeping on this band, now is the time to wake up—because this record is incredible.

The Convalescence Agonies by Weeping Sores

Every year, a few records come out of nowhere, from bands that I either wasn’t paying attention to or just had never heard of before, and completely surprise me. This year, one of those records is Weeping Sores‘ The Convalescence Agonies, which is a regal, emotionally devastating piece of death-doom that totally stands apart from the pack.

Weeping Sores is a duo featuring Doug Moore and Steven Schwegler of Pyrrhon and Seputus fame. The band put out their debut False Confession in 2019, though Moore sustained a pretty serious shoulder injury during its recording.

The next few years would see Moore going through some physical therapy, with the goal of crafting another Weeping Sores record sometime in the future. And six years later, here we are with The Convalescence Agonies, a record that ditches the usual murky production of death-doom in favor of something more clinical — almost museum-like. Every element feels carefully preserved and on display. It’s almost like an academic presentation of feeling bad.

What really sets this album apart is the instrumentation. Yeah, I mean, it’s death-doom at its core, but the addition of keyboards and cello and banjo and these tastefully atmospheric guitar layers give it a unique voice that I haven’t really heard much of in this genre before — and if I have, maybe I haven’t heard it done nearly this well.

I’m genuinely blown away by this record. It’s thoughtful, it’s heavy, it’s deeply personal. And I’m sorry Moore had to go through what he did, but out of it came something truly special. And I guess that’s sort of what counts, right?