As the Doomsday Clock races, time speeds up, as 2025 is at its midpoint. These lists serve as a decent snapshot of where the year is heading in terms of music. I have already received promos for albums dropping as far out as August in my inbox, so they will need to bring it to compete with the top five albums on this list. Rock is anything that's not metal, so both progressive and hard rock bands are included here. Yes, there might be a few screams on these albums, but when stacked against the bands on the metal list, it's clear that these bands belong here. Some I weighed against putting on the pop list, but they are more rock than not. I have included links to full reviews if you want to check these out, and with all that said, here are the top 10 rock albums of 2025 so far.
10-Blackwater Holylight- "If You Only Knew"
The Portland shoe-gazing gals take things in a more organically jammed direction. There is a brooding underbelly that finds them taking off in a more stoner rock direction.I wish this were a full-length, but if they are making you want more, then something is working
https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/blackwater-holylight-if-you-only-knew.html
-
9-Katatonia-"Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State"
Here we are, three albums in, without Anders. Jonas continues to steer the ship into darker progressive waters of melancholy. There is a formula in place, and the new guitarists navigate it well, unafraid to bust out guitar solos wherever. The songs hit really hard emotionally, just not metal.
https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/katatonia-nightmares-as-extensions-of.html
8-Bask- "The Turning"
I was a big fan of their 2019 album, and this time around it feels like a heavier sound, though sticking to the honest plea of country-inflected vocals even amid guitars crunching around them. The yee-haw moments that creep through the labyrinth of progressive rock work well within this framework.
https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/bask-turning.html
7-Scowl- "Are We All Angels"
Having grown away from being a punk or hardcore the band is now making catchy 90's alternative music for 2025. Kat Moss only uses a harsh, hard-core flavored snarl as a point of accentuation. Her main style of delivery is a slacker croon that has more in common with Veruca Salt, which works for these hooky slacker anthems.
https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/scowl-are-we-all-angels.html
6-Messa -"the Spin"
The band's fourth album finds their guitarist really shining despite the album leaning in a darker atmospheric direction that manages to lend itself to jamming. They were once thought of as a doom band, but have gotten too adventurous to be tied to that genre. The vocals are very strong and well-defined from a songwriting perspective, which is the most important element of their sound.
https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/messa-spin.html
5-Love is Noise -"To Live a Different Way"
Produced like a shoegaze album, but with Myspace emo vibes at its beating heart, as evident in the almost pop-punk vocals. A more nu-metal vocal pops up here and there to create more edge. Cameron Humpry is the creative engine of this project, and he seems to have a knack for blending all the right elements at the right time.
4-Viagra Boys - "viagr aboys"
The Swedish punk band continues to shift into a more rock n roll flavor of snarky chaos. The melodic elements touch on a similar avant-garde pop style as Xiu Xiu. Their hooky sarcasm cracks off lyrical observations in sharp humor with topics re subject to their lyrical scorn, veering from the news to health care, this album recalls some of the alt-rock classics of the '90s.
https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/viagra-boys-viagr-aboys.html
.jpg)
3-Dax Riggs- "7 Songs for Spiders"
It's been 13 years since his last release. This time around, Dax is backed by a three-piece band of grooving Cajuns; they slither with a melancholy pulse that takes things back to his darker roots. Some of his strongest solo work yet.
https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/12/dax-riggs-7-songs-for-spiders.html
2-Freeze the Fall - "The Red Garden"
I think they did a stellar job of making the album they set out to make. This album grows more endearing to me over time, thanks to the vocal hooks. If you are into female vocals layered over melodic hard-edged rock, then this is worth your time.
https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/freeze-fall-red-garden.html
.jpg)
1-Spiritbox - "Tsunami Sea"
The band's pop-leaning sound helps separate them from their peers, as Courtney is better at vocal hooks than the singers for Jinger or Infected Rain, who work in similar sonic circles. This album has more hard work invested in its writing than their previous album, making it a highly infectious album. They have found their place in the landscape of the music biz here, and we will see them get bigger than they already are.
https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/spiritbox-tsunami-sea.html
No comments:
Post a Comment