My Top 10 Albums Of 2025

 
Metal Metal Metal. Its the hard and heavy dominating this years top five. Commentary on old habits or a lack of diversity? Probably the later but in general, It hasn't felt like that great of year in the realm of popular music. Not many big names with big or successful records, so my list easily gives way to my personal preference for niche Ambience adjacent pleasures. Big shout out to C418 for making a big return with Wanderstop. A massive soundtrack with lots his distinct magic to enjoy. Great stuff!

(10) Trevor Something "The Anima" (2025) link

Sneaking in with a late entry, I feel like Trevor managed to hit a superb vibe with these songs. Some obvious influences converging into an indulgent space. Boosted by a couple of infectious earworms, I've found myself returning to its best numbers often.


(9) Gelure "Inner Sanctum" (2025) link

Highly anticipated, this did not disappoint. One of the finer Dungeon Synth artists, this continuous expanse into Fantasy, Medieval and Atmosphere plays masterfully. A compliment to the existing catalog, whilst tip toeing into Black Metal with a grandiose conclusion to the record.

(8) Old Sorcery "The Escapist" (2025) link

A similar sentiment to our other Dungeon Synth adjacent entry above, another master of craft, Old Sorcery delivers another solid entry to a remarkable catalog of genius music. Diverse and adventurous, its runtime a transformation to another realm. Its nice to see them continue this glorious craft.


(7) Yagya "Vor" (2025) link

A banging return to form, Yagya delivers on their iconic icy Icelandic downtempo beats. Vor executes this unique approach to chilled out electronic music with a soothing calm and mystic energy to wrap one up in its melty magic. Its two halves may have some conceptuality behind them but the end result plays like one continuous spell of tranquility.

(6) Krusseldorf "Mushroom World" (2025) link

Our first new artist on the list, this chance discovery of Krusseldorf landed a fresh record in my lap. Mushroom World is as strange and bizarre as its cover suggests. Another spellbinding Downtempo adjacent exploration of curious electronics aesthetics with Jazzy melodies. An engrossing if often subdued other worldly atmosphere to immerse within.

(5) Soul Blind "Red Sky Mourning" (2025) link

The only other new discovery, a late entry that hit so hard and swiftly I'd be tempted to throw it higher up the list. Full of banging riffs, 90s Grunge and Groove, Soul Blind take nostalgic influences and express them through a voice they can call their own! On analysis, Red Sky Mourning is quite the moody affair, a balance where the effectiveness of its break out riffs masks the continual burdensome tone.


(4) Deftones "Private Music" (2025) link

Their best effort since Koi No Yokan, Deftones capitalize on a resurgence in popularity with this masterful production, a craft built of decades of experience. Armed by this stunning aesthetic, their typical set of ideas and motifs meld with brief moments of experimentation on a powerful record that has really stuck around compared to the momentary excitement of their last couple of albums.


(3) IGORRR "Amen" (2025) link

Having evolved from an eccentric musician melding an eclectic range of time spanning genres, IGORRR's evolution as a band continues to impress with another banger. Refining production and composing, its another step in the right direction yielding moments of intrigue among great songwriting and hard hitting groves of brutality.


(2) Turnstile "Never Enough" (2025) link

Never Enough's prominence in this list has been bolstered by an unforgettable show at Ally Pally. One of the best gigs I've ever been really cemented my connection to these songs. Turnstile dial up subtlety here, not hitting one over the head with its underlying power, the riffs rock steady and melodies charm. Padded out by dreamy synth interludes that offer a respite. It all clicks into place when you hear it live. That build up and suspense between songs works so well and made me appreciate this aspect of the record even more.


(1) Ghost "Skeletá" (2025) link

What can I say? This band just know how to craft songs I adore. A step off their peak, Skeletá almost feels like a greatest hits as its numbers run through many of their now classic motifs. Its all executed with a mastery a decade of song writing will offer. The touches of 80s Ballad and 70s Rock worm well into record. A familiar warmth I still can't get over. Despite being criticised by some, Ghost are yet to dull for me.

Gelure "Inner Sanctum" (2025)

 

The purist pleasures of these peaceful yet esoteric atmospheres has affirmed Gelure's elevated stature. My initial fondness for The Candlelight Tomes and Into The Chesfern Wood has matured with much exposure. Those arcane magics have delivered time and time again. Returning refined after a few years break, the character depicted pitches partly Medieval, churchly, with a dash of Tolkien Fantasy grandiosity. Cultural stringed instruments yielding folksy melodies ground its era. Saintly chorals, vibing on soft cloudy synths, bewitch one in a captivating calmness. Swaying between these masterful constructs, we venture upon scenic swells, conjuring natural beauty, fantasy landscapes and occasionally battles through the crashing of gong cymbals, deep laggard drums and triumphant horns. At its opposing end, sleepy subdued melodies, smothered in reverberations, upend darkly mystic moods, both soothing and curious.

The words Dungeon Synth barely crossed my mind before writing out these inspired thoughts. Gelure has ascended its shackles, arriving upon a grand stature, crafting beautifully mediative music adrift from a genre awash with low effort imitations. Inner Sanctum indeed evokes introspective refuge. A haven of sorts through its spellbinding ambience. Best of all, its eleven minute finale surrenders to metallic convention. Modern percussion houses its historic instruments in the rapture of blast beats and fiery groove to venture upon Atmospheric Black Metal's alter. The initial mellowed tremolo guitars hide its extremity well, masking what is to come. At the eight minute mark a truly epic power chord riff gratifies to no end. With monumental sway, its repitions toy with dazzling tunes and tempo deceleration, in a stroke of genius.

Rating: 8/10

My Top 10 Music Discoverys In 2021

 As mentioned in yesterdays Top 10 Albums Of 2021 post, I've been in a rut! There is however a rather nice list of artists here, even if the short list was just as small. Three of these are a regular features on my Twitch streams too! So on that front I'd say its a success. I have decided however to be far more fussy when it comes to listening to the same bands still pedaling out the same old music. Its time to give a little more focus on whats fresh and new! I say this often but this time I have a plan of action that starts with reduction.


(10) Secret Stairways

The exploration of Dungeon Synth continues to be an interesting one. Its roots before the online explosion of Bandcamp records a decade ago seems to have fans unearthing lost relics. These newly surfaced cassettes have us enjoying a deceased musicians work from a time before there was much of an audience to enjoy it. An interesting sentiment but the music is good too!

(9) Tetrarch

Initially I wrote this band off for its formulaic creation of era inspired Nu-Metal. A lack of originality doesn't necessarily mean bad music. It can be a tough thing to look past but with time passing from my initial assessment, I've found myself really enjoying this record and getting those nostalgic youthful chills too!

(8) Chevelle

Very much of the Tool inspired camp, the reference point has helped me find a way in! Its a new breed of metal for me and with little else of familiarity, I've really enjoyed this bands take on the Progressive and Alternative Metal sound. Originality is not a strength but the whole approach is fun and exciting for me right now.

(7) Arcanist

Another Dungeon Synth record but this one is way more inline with what I'd like to hear. A new taken on the genre that infuses "Berlin School" synth ideals and paints an exciting soundscape with its progressive songs that move together on a journey. It was a short but sweet journey and is now very much one to look out for future releases.


(6) Cocteau Twins

Not a new discovery but an intentional deep dive into an artist I knew of two records already. Sadly, the plunge into both an extensive amount of EPs and albums went a bit sideways as fatigue quickly set in. I will pick up the journey again at some point. It was however a really nice experience to get a bigger picture of a band with timely influences felt in the decades that followed them. Treasure is still an all time favorite of mine but now I got to add a few more songs to the list.


(5) Pop Will Eat Itself

As a huge fan of Metal and Hip Hop it is practically an embarrassment to have never stumbled on this British act before. There 80s crossover of the two opposed sounds is just wonderful! A true moment in time capturing the energy, spirit and culture of that era like a musical time capsule. Its dated in the very best of ways!


(4) Gelure

Having had permissions to stream this artist, my love of the music really settled in as its relaxing ambience and warmness creates a wonderful relaxed state that comes along with waffling about whatever is on your chest for hours on end. It suited the experience so well my worry now is that I might listen too it too much. A good problem to have!

(3) Jim Kirkwood

Another from the streaming list, Jim has been on a "Dungeon Synth origins" list of mine for years. Finally pulling that trigger, I have now discovered wondrous world building music that has an ancient nostalgic charm, built on those classic keyboard tones without the steering into darkness that is all to common now. The Tolkien themes and general vibes of the music is very Dungeons and Dragons and that stream of imagination is my cup of tea!

(2) Lena Raine

To extend the simply enigmatic music of C418 and his Minecraft soundtracks would of once sounded like an impossible task yet Lena has stepped into that space wonderfully well. Reflecting many of the old ideals and injecting some of her own personality, it seemed likely her genius would extend beyond contributions to the soundtrack. That has certainly turned out to be true and I am now deadly excited to check out her debut album!

(1) The Alan Parsons Project

For all the Progressive Rock I was raised with, The Alan Parsons Project was not a part of that picture. It is however a perfect fit for that era and thus I've had the odd nostalgic experience of discovering new songs that remind me so fondly of my childhood music. Its as if I knew these songs already. A novel and rare experience that I've treasured working my way through the three records considered to be his best. I think I'll has a couple more to the playlist at some point next year!

Gelure "Into The Chesfern Wood" (2020)

Originally I passed over this debut album. The Candlelight Tomes was an interesting record, one with a promise of uniqueness that found me in my hearing recovery. Reaching out for usage permission on whim, Gelure has now become a regular rotation in my streaming diet of music. Into The Chesfern Wood has perhaps become the preferred of the two, its tone and mood more consistent with its charming meld of Dungeon Synth mood and Medieval Fantasy melodies feeling more whole together.

Its pallet of luscious plucked stringss and broody atmospheric synths has quite a dexterity only explored deeper in two of its tracks. With strikes of deep drums, Entrance To The Nekkethian Dwarves musters quite a force with its powering synths pushing towards abrasion. The track then pivots to an Electronic lead one might associate with Berlin School. A slightly Psychedelic moment to see out one of its more forceful songs. The following Tower Of The Wailing Moons sets sail softly with airy keys to cool the spirits. It eventually pivots to fear and wonder with nightly astral synths hinting at a forbidden darkness lurking nearby, a tone the album doesn't revisit.

From their its consistency returns with scenic castles and flushes natural beauty all wrapped in its typically nostalgic guise. The production is interesting, although likely to be all virtual instruments, the ambiguity that blurs edges has a slight sense of wobble in the pitch that could just be my imagination. A possible production technique that really aids the low-fidelity charm, as here it doesn't feel obvious yet the mood and atmosphere of the album embellishes the spirit of memories lost to time and decay.

Rating: 6/10

Gelure "The Candlelight Tomes" (2021)

This record found me in my lowest point of recent years. Sick with double ear infections, a lot of music was discernible and difficult to digest, even if I knew it already! Just as more frequencies were slowly returning, this soft, warm and airy set of songs crossed my path at the perfect time. My initial wonderment was heightened by the days of ill health prior. Since its charm has waned but their is no doubt The Candlelight Tomes has a flavor distinct from the norms of decrepit Dungeon Synth.

Reminiscent of Lord Lovidicus's melodic evolution, Gelure moves to the light, seeking light and warmth through its perpetual haze of angelic choral chants that uplift the tone at every turn. It does so while retaining a classic sense of nostalgia and ancient mystery. Its beautiful pallet of wondrous synth instruments are mixed well with enough fogginess to disguise the mechanical performance of its likely VSTs.

Initially the aesthetic is preformed with a meandering direction. Mood setting and atmosphere the initial result. The Bygone Hall Of The Tower Of Wailing Moons introduced medieval melody akin to Fief and some bombast with deep percussive tom drums. Its a direction that doesn't yield anything special. Frostcrown Of The Ice Meadow on the other hand uses its drums to crawl at a dreary pace. Its chilling, icy synths and lonely meandering melodies remind me of Lycia's Darkwave classic Cold.

The following songs exchange between these two derivatives without a sense of something unique. The point I am trying to land, is the promise of its initial two songs. They had quite the chemistry, simple in composition with the potential to manifest into something larger, instead the following songs felt all to similar for a seasoned Dungeon Synth explorer. I love this genre but the common theme of late seems to be initial excitement that dissipates into a familiarity. Some freshness Is what I seek.

Rating: 5/10