The Top 10 Worst Albums of 2025

It is that time again. Here we take a look at the worst albums of the year. They come from varied polarities of the rock spectrum, with none of the offenders coming right from the pop machine, some are trying to be goth and metal, some are jsut bad at what they do, and others are dabbling in an experiment gone wrong.  One of the things that made rap great in the 80s and '90s was rappers calling each other out for being whack. It provided a form of quality control. Now people have grown too sensitive for that kind of hard truth.

 Some would argue this is all subjective, but music is something that can be defined in technical terms, as well as artistic, and how it holds up over time. Chances are, if it is hard is get through one listen,

10-Creeper-"Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death"

The British goth wannabes Creeper have learned from many of the mistakes that plagued the previous album, though some of the anthemic glam rock feel is there.if you like H.I.M. and Meatloaf, then this is your new favorite band I only like one half of that equation, and you already know which one. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/gothtober-creeper-sanguivore-ii.html

9-Primitive Man-"Observance." 

The problem with this album is that it is focused on scathing sounds and drifting into post-rock moods with them, rather than memorable songs; some of this is due to the vocals being used as a frequency rather than more purposefully. Even at their most experimental, they are still working off a formula. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/11/november-is-doom-primitive-man.html

8-Dead and Dripping -"Nefarious Scintillations." 

Even though this is all the work of one man, Evan Daniele. Perhaps his ego should have been checked at the door as he is a better guitarist than he is a vocalist or drummer, and bringing in session guys would have benefited him. Cool ideas were killed by shitty production and forced me to struggle through the album. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/12/dead-and-dripping-nefarious.html

 7-ESCHATON- "Techtalitarian" 

 It is kind of like when the guitarist won't stop soloing at band practice, as you are trying to iron out parts. The song finds them playing even faster, and things sound thin and rushed rather than heavy, as dizzying speed alone is just fast, not heavy. You would think that people into progressive music would have learned the value of less is more from jazz, but no, here we are. They continue to fly off in the hyper-fast fret-burning direction with little regard for heaviness; it could be Dragonforce if it were not for the growling. Truth be told, when you have guys who have played in Necrophagist and Arsis, we should be expecting more, no matter how technical they are,

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/death-is-june-eschaton-techtalitarian.html

6-Revenge - "Violation.Strife.Abominate"

Things are more frantic and feral this time around, but not as heavy, thanks to the thin guitar tone that carries a reckless buzzing to the otherwise punk frenzy going down here. I don't remember the drums sounding this bad last time. The production might not grate on the nerves of their fans, who are the only ones who will appreciate this album. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/black-metal-history-month-revenge.html

5-Ethel Cain- ''Perverts." 

You can't say I play favorites, as this is the first time an artist who scored our number one album of the year is also on the worst album list. This is an ambient album she released before "Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You." This finds her at odds with the concept of sound vs song on the title track, leading you off into a wasted twelve minutes of ambient noise. It is sparse and tentative, far from her most memorable songs. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/ethel-cain-perverts.html

4-Halestorm- "Everest" 

The bulk of the album is bland jock jams, though They brought in a cog from the Nashiville Country machine in Natalie Hemby for the big ballad, which makes for a song you might expect from Miranda Lambert.  This is a well-produced album that rolled off the assembly line to cater to a very gullible demographic,  as good as a pre-fabricated rock album can get.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/halestorm-everest.html

3-Lorna Shore - "I Feel the Everblack Festering Inside Me."

 They went into the studio and made the album expected of them, dialing the symphonic elements up enough to make it feel like they are not just dialing it in. It is enough of a change to talk about in interviews, and some kids are just dumb enough to be wow'ed by the guitar solos and overproduced layers of pig squeals to not ask further questions of this band or even know what questions they should be asking.. Is this done in a professional manner that sounds polished and massive? Yes, but these guys have a ton of money invested in what they do, so of course, they are making a professional-sounding album. But it's boring,

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/lorna-shore-i-feel-everblack-festering.html

 

2-Baby Metal-"Metal Forth." 

The novelty of this album lies in the fact that the J-Pop group features a guest artist on each track. The only reason I decided to give this album a listen is because Poppy and Spiritbox are on it. Both artists flirt with the boundaries of what is metal and pop; just because an album has distorted guitars and some screaming on it does not make the album metal. Metal is an aggressive feeling of darkness that cannot be found on any track. In fact, I am embarrassed for anyone who appeared on this album. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/just-how-metal-is-babymetals-metal.html

1-Ghost - "Skeleta" 

Another album that earned a 5, they scored a 3 for the previous album, so it's an improvement.I think the fact that they make a turn further into pop with each album even has the music press, which was previously critical of the industry, not saying anything if they can't say something nice. But I will tell you how it is, at its worst some dreadful ballads make Styx sound heavy. So it's not worth owning, and was hard for me to make it through, but maginally better than their average album. The highlights are the riffs that sound like Dokken and Ratt, though those are far a few between. It ranked worse than anime schoolgirls because at least with that, you go into it knowing it will be terrible; this relies so heavily on a marketing image they have idiots invested in it, adding insult to injury when you listen to it. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/ghost-skeleta.html

pst643

Black Metal History Month- Revenge :'Violation.Strife.Abominate"

 

The bar is low for these guys. Their last album scored a 6.5. A six is the lowest score that can be considered listenable. They were really heavy, but not the best songwriters; however, if you were into grind-core sprinkled with blackened rawness, it might have been something you would give a shot. Things are more frantic and feral this time around, but not as heavy, thanks to the thin guitar tone that carries a reckless buzzing to the otherwise punk frenzy going down here. I don't remember the drums sounding this bad last time. "Flashpoint Heretic" is just chaos from the onset and sounds like they recorded themselves throwing their equipment down the stairs and overdubbed the meaningless screaming over it afterward. 

When the last album came out I was not into grindcore as much as I am now. But I really loved the last Full of Hell album, which combined black metal with grindcore in a more cohesive fashion, proving you can still be insanely heavy and write a fucking song. The drummer makes more of an attempt to do so three songs in. The vocals work to thwart his trying in this regard. To fight back he goes into a blast beat. There are some lower growls, and the way the vocals are distorted at times brings early Today is the Day to mind. I am a little concerned when I see I have to endure nine more songs of this. Despite the vocals, there seems to be more form and function to "Strife Invocation".  They throw themselves into a crude punk thrashing for "Emaciated Revelation" 

The crude patter of the drums plays against any potential "Mercy Revoked" has, at best felt like early Deicide, but without the hook to the riffing. "Piety Vaporized" falls in line with the conceptual theme. The song itself is a spastic battery of sound.  "Shockwave Iconoclast" is more of the same rapid-fire temper tantrums. "Last Resort" is sadly not a Poppa Roach cover. "Aftermath" blasts by with little attempt to catch my attention. But then, when I do pay attention to "Liars Rope" the results are not much better. The last song starts off with a more deliberate pound. I'll give this one a 6, as the production might not grate on the nerves of their fans, who are the only ones who will appreciate this album. For some reason, Season of Mist is invested in these guys.  

pst55

Revenge : "Strike. Smother. Dehumanize"

The rabid attack of this Canadian band is more grind core than it is black metal. It's more death metal than it is black metal if we are calling it like it is here. They hit you with a stunning sonic intensity and aggressive that impresses upon the first attack , then after that I find myself ready to ask what I ask all extreme metal bands

I get you are heavy, but can you write a song ?

I am not sure songs are the point of what is going on here. I think it is how memorable of a beating they can give you. The assault is more straight forward on "Reign Power" . The snarling vocals are feral layers are abrasion. They hold on real point. There key is can a riff hook you amid the blasting chaos? In speedy three minute explosions they give themselves more time than if they were an actual grind core band. Can I tell the difference between these song called songs is another test this album is put to. "Oath Violator" breaks things up with a dirty bass tone that is allowed to ring out , but find them rather monochromatic in terms of dynamic. There is a sub sonic low growl taking place that sound like a gurgling pig in hell. The drummer of Death Angel woke up from his Corona coma to say he did not think Satan was cool any more , because Satan was a woman who punished him for sloth by turning him into a Jabba the Hutt like creature who was made to violently vomit blood until he woke up. Those grunts are what I imagine that creature sounding like upon it's bloody vomit. Sure they have songs like "Salvation Smothered" but even these guys are not professing their love to She-Satan is a way that makes it known here.

Why would Satan punish someone for sloth ? After all should not sins be rewarded in hell? The Jehovah god is punishing people for sinning by sending them to hell. So what would demons get for being on God's payroll, that would make them subcontractors and not adversaries . These are the kinds of thoughts this album inspires. Death Angel's drummer did say he would not stop listening to Deicide despite not finding Satan cool anymore. He might also dig these guys. They are not death metal in the strictest sense but offer single minded sonic sadism. They jerk you around on "Human Animal" The vocals sound more animal than human at this point. There are some punches on this song that reaffirm they are doing this on purpose. Shit they almost groove going into "Excommunication" , but then go into full rabies freak out mode. "Lightning Mythos" is explosive , but doesn't add to any sounds or methods of attack , really only confirming their drummer is a mad monster of a man.

"Self Segregation" is very Napalm Death. But with more death metal to the drumming. I always though it was weird as a kid that Napalm Death was not actually death metal. "Death Hand" finds them leaning more firmly towards death metal and less grind core/. I will give this album a 6.5. It's the heaviest album you will want to listen to this year. That is not to say some band will not attempt to make a heavier album, they will. You just will not want to listen to it as this pushes the bounds between noise and heavy.  You can thank the sadists at Season of Mist