End of the Year - 2025 Best? (and maybe the worst?)

[metalcrypt]

My retired brain just noticed that December is just a few days away. Let's try to get some action in here by mentioning some of the best and also maybe the worst albums (EPs too, I guess) you've heard this year.

[Thomas]

OK, Coroner is probably my album of the year, and the top 3 are probably set. The rest are in no particulary order and are by appearance in my 2025 master list.

1. Coroner - Dissonance Theory
2. Apocalypse Orchestra - A Plague Upon Thee
3. Havukruunu - Tavastland
4. Saor - Amidst the Ruins
5. Urn - Demon Steel
6. The Infernal Deceit - The True Harmful Black
7. Veljessurma - Haltioissaan
8. Helloween - Giants and Monsters
9. Autrest - Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves
10. Nexion - Sundrung
11. Messa - The Spin

[MetalMike]

I’ll have to go back and look at my reviews. I can’t recall anything that blew me away or was completely awful off the top of my head

[metalcrypt]

I’ll have to go back and look at my reviews. I can’t recall anything that blew me away or was completely awful off the top of my head

Yeah, same here.

[Luxi]

None of the albums released this year blew my head totally off, unfortunately...

The biggest disppointment for me was Dark Angel's comeback album, "Extinction..." this year, which sounded way too modern for my taste, containing of songs that felt like they were made in hurry!!

[Thomas]

If mindblowing is the criterion, then I guess not many. But this post made me listen to Apocalypse Orchestra again, and I really like that one.

As for awful albums, I generally don’t bother with shit I don’t like. But I did check out a couple I wanted to like. Turns out I hate the new Behemoth and the new Sabaton Swallow the Sun was fucking awful, and Gaahls Wyrd disappointed as well.

[MetalMike]

In going back through 2025's reviews, here's some albums that maybe haven't been on the tip of my tongue, but were highlights for the year

Aquilla - Sentinels of New Dawn
Mausoleum Gate - Space, Rituals and Magick
Terra Atlantica - Oceans
Wytch Hazel - V: Lamentations
Diamond Head - Live and Electric
Phantom Spell - Heather and Hearth
Black Majesty - Oceans of Black
Cirith Ungol - Live at the Roxy
Messa - The Spin
Tower - Let There Be Dark

Funny that two live albums made the list as I dislike live albums in general. I have been more selective with what I review (gone are the days when we as reviewers would fight over promos LOL!) so I don't review as many stinkers as I used to. That said, there were a few releases I recall being very disappointing but I can't think of them off the top of my head