Top 10 Albums of 2025
Hello friends, happy holidays, and welcome back to my annual tradition of looking at the best albums of the year. As tends to be my refrain (read: excuse for not writing as much as I'd like to), 2025 was absolutely jam packed. Beyond being able to see more live shows in a year since COVID melted our collective brains, I was able to celebrate both my first wedding anniversary as well as 10 years together with Iryna, and we capped everything off with welcoming our first child into the world.
From the dredges of winter through to the warm summer sun to today, sitting at my desk with my daughter strapped to my chest as I write this, the albums listed below have kept me solid company. Some may not be to your taste, while others tickle a particular part of your brain you didn't know you had (or had forgotten existed). Either way, on the 10th anniversary of writing this list, here are my favourite albums of the year. And as always, I hope you find some enjoyment out of them as well.
Fake Pollocks – Livestock EP (3/28/25)
I don't know if there's been an album of EP this year that has taken up as much space in my head as Livestock has. While it's certainly mathrock at it's best - intensely technical and deeply catchy - there's also just something about it that I can't quite place or describe. Frustratingly enough, there doesn't seem to be much discussion online about this NYC-based duo either. If I had to, I think I'd best describe this EP as a sort of sonic mix between Disc 3 of The Early November's The Mother, The Mechanic, The Path and chalk talk - and I mean that in the absolute best way possible. It's odd and frantic, but so utterly charming that I can't help but come back to this time and time again. In particular, The White Eichler and Peacock's Breath are an incredible back to back listen.
FFO: Rob Ford Explorer, Meet Me in St. Louis, Colour
Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power (3/28/25)
Somehow, Deafheaven have done it again. Standing amongst an already wildly impressive discography, Lonely People With Power is the next in a long line of, "this is their best album... so far." The last time Deafheaven appeared on my list was back in 2021 as an honourable mention (as good as Infinite Granite was, it did at times feel like a cosplay of Slowdive). This time around, things are different with a triumphant return to blackgaze. Front man George Clark summed everything up as, "to reach the top, you need to be anti-community and not watch out for other people... in order to fulfill this lust for control, [you] an ironic detachment from the world around you, without generosity or humanism." For an album as thematically dense as this one, it also feels appropriately timed.
Read TheNeedleDrop review.
FFO: Converge, Rolo Tomassi, MØL
Snooze – I KNOW HOW YOU WILL DIE (4/4/25)
When I first stumbled across Snooze, I wasn't sure what to expect with a band name like that. Was it going to be lofi or smooth indie? Regardless, what I wasn't expecting was this album, but boy am I glad I found it. Snooze self-describes as "happy, heavy mathrock" and this album is definitely their most maximalist release, expanding their signature sound while adding in more textures and styles. Despite the tracklist itself being quite intense with few breaks, the album as a whole remains engaging throughout. The denseness of everything made it a prime candidate for repeat listens, and even if you're not into this sort of music, I KNOW HOW YOU WILL DIE is well worth your time.
Read the Sputnikmusic review.
FFO: State Faults, Boneflower, The Callous Daoboys
Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH (6/6/25)
Goddamn, this album rips. While you can certainly take the perspective of this being Glow On 2.0: Keep Glowing On, I think that misses the picture in that NEVER ENOUGH is by far the most expansive and experimental album the band has released. The through-line has to be drummer Daniel Fang, whose rhythms allow the band to venture into pretty adventurous territory - I mean, when was the last time you heard an ostensibly punk band incorporate horns (DREAMING) or 80s synthwave (LIGHT DESIGN) - while still maintaining their signature sound? In the case of Turnstile, that means chunky chord progressions blended with thick ambience for days. Even better is that this album is paired with a “visual experience” (or one massive 60 minute full-length music video), that can be watched in parts on YouTube. It may be tempting to make comparisons to Lemonade, but it's less a cohesive narrative and more a series of standalone tableaus that really do help illustrate the massive range of this band and how they can effortlessly transition from thrash grunge to ambient electronica over the course of a single 7 minute track. What an absolute standout album.
Read the Pitchfork review (and watch their No Barriers live show in Baltimore).
FFO: Knocked Loose, LOCKED SHUT, Thornhill
Boneflower – Reveries (7/25/25)
Over the last few years, I've found myself slowly veering away from the hyper-polished production value found in modern metal/swan(core) and increasingly leaning more towards the skramz side of the post-hardcore subgenre. I think it's the rawness of it all in contrast to everything else that captures the deepest corners of my heart. Boneflower, a trio from Spain, absolutely delivers in this regard. While their sound may not reinvent the wheel, that matters less as an album can also mean mastering it instead. They have this unique ability to fuse familiar influences and emotional depth that you walk away from this album not feeling like you've listened to the same sound just under a different band name, especially when you take the time to listen just how well they balance raw ferocity with layered atmosphere. And given that there's no new State Faults anytime soon, Boneflower deeply scratches this itch for me that only continues to grow. Interestingly enough, the first graph of this Pitchfork review for Turnstile, I think, perfectly applies to Boneflower and the ethos of skramz.
Read The Indiependent review.
FFO: Tenue, State Faults, Frail Body
Goldie Boutilier – Goldie Montana (9/5/25)
Despite Goldie Montana being a bit of a departure from my usual genre of choice, that didn't stop it from being one of my more highly anticipated albums of the year. And it did not disappoint. Goldie Montana is a great encapsulation of Boutilier as an artist, from 70s infused melodies to Fleetwood Mac inspired nostalgia all the way to a very clear influence found in Dolly Parton's storytelling ability, all tying back into glittery disco with a warm retro sound. What an absolutely spellbinding album to listen to.
Read the Atwood Magazine review.
FFO: The Beaches, Wet Leg, Blondshell
The Starting Line – Eternal Youth (9/26/25)
After 18 long years, The Starting Line are back! While they've mostly ditched Blink-82 era pop-punk influences (we started to see this shift on their last album from 2007, Direction), they've somehow managed to not only mature their sound but retain the same energy as before. Not many bands coming back after a nearly two decade hiatus can make that same claim. Frontman Kenny Vasoli is an absolute indie treasure, from TSL to his other projects Vacationer and Person L, the creativity is seemingly endless, which carries through to this album. And the end, oh boy, what an absolute bang to go out on. Now, all I need is for them to go on tour (and come to Canada) so I can sing my heart out.
Read the New Noise Magazine review.
FFO: Cartel, Taking Back Sunday, Motion City Soundtrack
Dying Wish – Flesh Stays Together (9/26/25)
To be honest, Dying Wish's 2023's Symptoms of Survival is so damn good that I genuinely have no idea how they were able to follow it up with anything that comes remotely close to those heights. Yet, here we are. What I find interesting is that they dialed down the melodeath influences from SoS, yet cranked singer/screamer Emma's clean vocals. The end result is an album that's definitely more chuggy than before, but I think it works really well. Emma's singing - at times weird and haunting - does a fantastic job at breaking up those chugs, while still helping to maintain that slightly unsettling horror movie vibe (especially with her ravenous, banshee-esque screaming).
Read the Kerrang review.
FFO: Foreign Hands, Johnny Booth, Counterparts
AFI – Silver Bleeds the Black Sun (10/3/25)
Despite seemingly having come full circle with their goth influences, AFI will never be the same band they were during 2003's Sing the Sorrow days and that's not a bad thing mostly because that's not who and what they're trying to be anymore. For the better part of the last decade-plus, frontman Davey Havok has really had to work around his own vocal limitations, straying further and further away from the punk and screamo AFI was so well known for in their early days. The booming, confident vocals are a pleasant surprise, and it really sounds like both Davey and the rest of the band have settled into a new groove after a few albums that didn't feel thematically whole or connected.
Read the Louder review (and then watch the Hardlore episode featuring Davey as he does a fantastic job at walking any fan through the history and specific moments in their long, winding career).
FFO: Alexisonfire, David Bowie, Tiger Army
twen – fate euphoric (11/4/25)
The Nashville duo have done it again, releasing what could arguably be the best indie/alt-rock album of 2025. It's accessible without sacrificing their core anti-capitalist message. As they mentioned on their Bandcamp, "10 songs spinning through the overwhelming feeling of powerlessness in this techno-cratic world. We found inspiration in a medieval symbol, the 'rota fortunae'; the wheel-of-fortune with roman-pagan origins... Though there's no comfort at the bottom, assurance lies in the inevitable and eventual spin. Impermanence is the only solace." After the politically tumultuous year we've had, this album is refreshing in how energetic it is, but also in how it can subtly redirect your attention to the very real inequalities facing us each and every day.
Read the PopMatters review.
FFO: Slow Pulp, Mannequin Pussy, Ratboys
Quick Note(s)
I'm embarrassed to admit this, but for the previous 9 years I've been writing this list, I've had zero sense of how to present the list. Some years I'd shuffle the list by alphabet, or when it was an overwhelming wall of impenetrable deathcore, shuffle the list by genre to try and break things up. Well, 10 years later I figured let's change things up intentionally so we're sorting the list by release date! What a completely fresh and unique idea no one has ever thought of before until now, I know!
Secondly, while there is certainly zero ethical consumption under capitalism, we still do have the ability to choose* and vote with our wallets*. This year, I made the choice to finally say fuck Spotify having made the move to Apple Music. While Apple Music is certainly no Qobuz (at least in terms of artist payout) and I'll definitely miss out on features like concert notifications, the move was absolutely worth it because I'm generally happier with how I listen to and take in music these days. Apple Music's layout should be familiar enough to anyone who grew up with an iPod, but if you're coming straight from the hot mess that is Spotify, expect a slight learning curve.
Finally, fuck the truly terrible acoustics The Theatre at Great Canadian Toronto.
* lol, maybe not really?
Honourable Mentions
Due to the inherent limitations of a Top 10 list, there's always so much music that I leave out and often goes unmentioned. 2025 however was such a fantastic year that my honourable mentions is actually more than twice as long as the list above! While they may not have made the cut for any number of reasons for me personally, these are all still truly fantastic albums in their own right and I'd encourage you to give them each a listen.
(1/10/25) Stick to your Guns – Keep Planting Flowers
(2/07/25) Jinjer – Duél
(2/21/25) Silverstein – Antibloom
(3/07/25) Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea
(3/14/25) Coheed & Cambria – The Father of Make Believe
(3/22/25) Ando San – OH KAY EP
(3/28/25) Underoath – The Place After This One
(4/04/25) Thornhill – BODIES
(5/02/25) Lights – A6
(5/02/25) PUP – Who Will Look After The Dogs
(5/02/25) Pet Symmetry – Big Symmetry
(5/16/25) Don Glori – Paper Can't Wrap Fire
(5/16/25) Callous Daoboys – I Don't Want To See You In Heaven
(5/16/25) Miso Extra – Earcandy
(5/16/25) Hundredth – Faded Splendor
(5/22/25) joan – this won't last forever
(8/08/25) BABYMETAL – METAL FORTH
(8/15/25) Pool Kids – Easier Said Than Done
(8/22/25) Deftones – private music
(8/29/25) The Beaches – No Hard Feelings
(9/19/25) NewDad – Altar
(9/26/25) Night Tapes – portals/polarities
(10/24/25) Rolo Tomassi – In The Echoes of All Dreams EP
(12/08/25) Blood Cultures – Skate Story: Vol. 1
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