2025 End Of Year Top Twenty
Another year of great releases! As ever it wasn’t easy getting things down to a list of just 20 (the longlist was 47!), but here are my top picks for last year. As usual, I have ranked the top 5 – which was tricky in itself – but anything after that is purely in alphabetical order.
1.BLACK ROSE – Killing Machine (Hellion Records)
A classic metal album from start to finish...
‘Killing Machine’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTYHLFIMzCc
2.WUCAN – Axioms (Long Branch Records)
A musicverse with few boundaries and even fewer rules...
‘Pipe Dreams’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF07DS1PgeM
3.PERTUBATOR – Age Of Aquarius (Nuclear Blast)
A strident and evocative soundscape...
‘Lady Moon’ (feat. Greta Link) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_OSyB3vZ5g
4.STEVEN WILSON –The Overview (Fiction Records)
It’s difficult to choose just one snippet from an album that’s really only two 20 minute tracks, but this was breath-taking live...
‘The Overview’ – Perspective’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60D9Uqq61mc&list=RD60D9Uqq61mc&start_radio=1
5.PARADISE LOST – Ascension (Nuclear Blast)
This band have been in my life for so long I don’t know what I’d do without them...
‘Salvation’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_i00pSXhp8&list=RD5_i00pSXhp8&start_radio=1
And the rest, in alphabetical order...
AMORPHIS – Borderland (Reigning Phoenix Music)
Another great release from the Finns, possibly a little more accessible than its predecessor
‘Bones’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnSjYxh5yHM
ANCIENT BARDS – Artifex (Limb Music)
A brilliantly-paced power metal romp from start to finish
‘Soulbound Symphony’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxEBuH3e3kU
ANN MY GUARD – She Of The Sea And Stars (independent)
Largely a collection of stripped down older material with some new songs on top. Divine...
‘Starseed’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfEON3hrE0E
BLACKBRIAR – A Thousand Little Deaths (Nuclear Blast)
A great album from one of the finest acts around...
‘A Last Sign Of Bliss’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJvHH4BYQyw
THE DEAD DAISES – Live At Stonedead (download)
A download? Yeah, but it’s incredibly exciting. And also worth mentioning is their ‘Lookin’ For Trouble’ blues covers album too...
‘Long Way To Go’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKeNYM8_d8A
DESOLATION ANGELS – Hounds Of Hell (independent release)
A collection of older material re-recorded, but I can’t find a clip from this here’s an older cut, from 2022’s ‘Burning Black’ album:
‘Stand Your Ground’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjrTX6xZayw
DIAMOND HEAD – Live And Electric (Silver Lining Music)
A band I’ve admired for 45 years. It’s Diamond Head. You know it’s going to be good...
‘Helpless’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVmPVuyvZr8
DREAM THEATER – Parasomnia (InsideOut Music)
A truly exciting album, which was swiftly followed by the over-arching ‘Quarantième – Live A Paris live release...
‘The Shadow Man Incident’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoPbFAFbAgA
EPICA – Aspiral (Nuclear Blast)
The band’s ninth studio album is lean, trim and exciting...
‘Fight To Survive’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hccXTr_AJSc
ARJEN ANTHONY LUCASSEN – Songs No One Will Hear (InsideOut Music)
A stunning solo album from the Dutch genius about the end of the world. What’s not to like?
‘Goddam Conspiracy’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2appym7cCE
QUARTZ – Six (independent)
An album for the here and now, but, again, as I couldn’t find a clip for this here’s some vintage Quartz from 1979:
‘Wildfire’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8O3Q54P6Po
RIOGHAN – Kept (Inverse Records)
Second album from the Finnish act described elsewhere as “a fresh breeze to the progressive metal scene.” It’s a studio album, but this striking live clip of album cut ‘Hands’ says it all:
‘Hands (Live From Alimus)’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VRvBp13jEU
ROXXCALIBUR – NWOBHM From The Vaults (Limb Music)
The loveable NWOBHM reverentialists with their take on a song originally recorded by Tredegar in 1982:
‘Wheels’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEZrniOoYl0
SMITH / KOTZEN – Black Light / White Noise (BMG)
The second album from the guitarist/vocalists has so, so much on offer...
‘Black Light’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pABdwOwpjGI
TERRY DARK’S CARAVEL (independent)
A weird and wonderful sci-fi adventure with a clutch of surreal themes brought to life in a quite unique way. It’s about as far removed from Jameson Raid as you can get...
‘Caravel’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO9T0dXvAtk