the Top 10 Mainstream Metal Albums of 2025

Mainstream Metal is defined here as the middle of the road that does not lean too far in the direction of other genres sludge or black metal, which have their own lists. This year, I gave Thrash its own list, which has thinned the pack down to the more arena-packing strains of nu-metal and metal-core.   These are not the coolest albums, but the best, fuck what other blogs say. After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of 2025.

 The very fact that these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day, what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, and you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list, and I have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway, here are the top 10 Mainstream Metal albums of 2025.

10-Slaughter to Prevail- "Grizzly."

This is the third album from the Russian band, who ironically fled to Orlando, due to the war, in which they seem to not support slaughtering to prevail. They find themselves sonically somewhere between metalcore and nu-metal with the sample-heavy production on this album. When they kick into a more nu-metal direction, they tap into a catchy Slipknot bounce

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/07/slaughter-to-prevail-grizzly.html

          

9-Dead Rabbits -"Redefined" 

This is a side project of Escape the Fate vocalist Craig Mabbitt. It leans into the twisted side of metal-core-influenced pop that bands like Pierce the Veil and Bad Omens dominate. You can throw Falling in Reverse in the pile of artists who share a similar style as the big-sounding glitch-driven pop rock, that is more aggressive in attitude than what the guitars are doing. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/dead-rabbits-redefined.html

 

8-Bleed -"s/t" 

This Texas band takes you back to the '90s in a weird, unexpected manner.  By unexpected, this does not mean I have not already seen the writing on the wall when it comes to nu-metal making a comeback. These guys just go about it differently. The flourishes of DJs spun, scratched ambiance at the edges of their throb point this band's sound in the direction of nu-metal. There is some darker tension to the grooves that the vocals coo over. The drummer is really slapping his kit as needed, and the electronic elements ebb and flow into their sound pretty seamlessly. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/bleed-st.html

7-Living Dead Girl-"Con$piracy" 

 Molly and company continue to perfect their ability to blend metalcore-edged riffs against bright pop-punk choruses to make almost every song on the album. Her screamed vocals dominate the verses as her more sugary pop voice comes to take the sting away on the chorus. Their down-tuned guitars contrast with the synth ambiance. Not one to repeat hooks, Molly creates a distinct difference in the choruses as they display more songwriting chops as a whole. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/living-dead-girl-conpiracy.html

 

6-Novelists- "CODA" 

The addition of vocalist Camille Contreras has elevated the band's profile, placing them in a higher tier of metalcore alongside artists like Spiritbox and Jinjer. Things get quirkier and help distance themselves from Spiritbox with a more frantic electronic chaos unfolding. It borders nu-metal and djent. Using the metal-core formula to build into screaming.  Predictable, but with shiny new pieces making the sounds for the puzzle. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/novelists-coda.html

 

5-ten56- "IO"

The sophomore full-length from ten56 finds them picking up where they left off.  They are still at the intersection where metal-core sprang from nu-metal in the days of Myspace. What I like about these guys is the dark undertones to their sound that hit no matter if they are bringing a more hammering stomp or going into the more Ghostemane-like rap dirges. There are interesting sounds wrapped around both modes of sonic attack. At times, sung vocals pop in, though they are bookended by experimental touches, and all of it is angry and in your face. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/07/ten56-io.html

4-Scars on Broadway- "Addicted to Violence." 

There is an almost punk feel at times, but it's punk in the same way that System of a Down was influenced by punk, which was most notably the influence of the Dead Kennedys. The grooves work well and lever lyrics that help seal the deal. It feels like he makes more social commentary than political statements like Serj. Most of these songs  would not be out of place on a System of a Down album, showing how much of the weight he was pulling when it came to songwriting in the band. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/07/daron-malakian-and-scars-on-broadway.html

3-Dying Wish- "Flesh Stays Together." 

This is the third album from Portland's metalcore mavericks, Dying Wish, is more melodic than expected. The buzz that this was a darker album caught my ear, and I like what they are doing. They are more on the hard-core side of the metal-core equation, even with the way Emma Boster employs sung vocals. It is done in a less formulaic manner than what Killswitch Engage is known for. There is also more emphasis on dishing out beatdowns during the breakdowns. It albumst made the hard-core lsit instread but the anthemic feel finds it here. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/dying-wish-flesh-stays-together.html

 

2-Soulfly-"Chama" 

There is a darker apocalyptic drive to this album, which I am also here for., along with a more industrial pound that is a mix of 'Roots' era Sepultura, though maybe less Korn in the grooves and more Code Orange. Defiant in-your-face bangers that include some melody and atmosphere that catches me by surprise, as  Gabriel Franco from Unto Others lends his voice in places, along with  Todd Jones from Nail, but at the end of the day, it is Ma who proves he was always hte most crucial songwriter in Sepultura. l

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/soulfly-chama.html

1--Spiritbox- "Tsunami Sea." 

It's the band's pop lean that helps separate them from their peers, as Courtney is better at vocal hooks than the singer for Jinger or Infected Rain, who work in similar sonic circles. She has continued to grow as a singer to further distance herself from her peers. Even with the pop hooks in play, the dynamics pack a heavy enough punch to have the metallic impact to take the top spot here. Their drummer has really stepped up on this album as he fills the spaces with interesting playing that they build off of. At the end of the day, it's the top-tier songwriting that wins out and places them at the top of not just a metal album but the overall musical landscape. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/spiritbox-tsunami-sea.html

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Soulfly : "Chama"

 

Let's see if Max can bring it again. I really liked their last album, as it had an almost Slayer feel. The first track starts off with a darker apocalyptic drive, which I am also here for. This album carries a more industrial pound that is a mix of 'Roots' era Sepultura, though maybe less Korn in the grooves and more Code Orange. The first three songs are defiant in-your-face bangers, then on "No Pain = No Power," they blend a wider range of sound and include some melody and atmosphere that catches me by surprise. Some of these are thanks to Gabriel Franco from Unto Others who sings on it in places.,  This does not mean there were not some surprises on the first three songs as Todd Jones lends his voice to the track. 

I like how the vocals on this album are produced. Max's voice sounds strong. "Ghenna" gets the point home in under two minutes, but does not rush things like grindcore bands tend to."Black Hole Scum" has some interesting guitar sound layered and works well to continue the sonic mission statement of this album. There is almost more of a Ministry feel to the attack of "Dystopia". The Slayer influence rears back up when it finds its groove.  It also has plenty of space for the song to shift between crushing grooves. This occurs in other places in the album but feels more likea hardcore breakdown here.

Things get even more brooding with the lurking stomp to "Always Was, Always Will Be". This highlights what works so well for me with this album: it is darker than the previous one. The title track closes the album in a crushing manner that not only upholds this band's legacy but also upholds the Sepultura legacy. I will give this one a 10 as it delivers everythinig I want from this band in a darker, more 2025 way. 

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Incite : "Savage New Times"

 Max Cavelera's step-son Richie grew up around this, so it makes sense his band sounds like a harder-core take on what Sepultura did. This finds them in a darker, more Sick Of It All style of the genre, which is very well written. A more Power Trip-like is thrashing to "Feel This". "Just a Rat' feels like something Pantera would do on the verses. The choruses get heavier and work for what they are doing. The more Pantera-like feeling is also present in the vocal delivery for " Chucked Off". This begins to find them leaning in the direction of not feeling as fresh in the overall originality, but it's done in a manner that still works off the sheer energy they are delivering. 

Whoever he has writing with him is a riff monster, as it's true to 90s cross-over thrash, but also is produced in a manner that makes it relevant today. "Dolores " stands out from the other songs as working with a darker, uglier, throbbing pulse. They need to move more in this direction and less of the '90s Pantera styled hardcore than colors "No Mercy No Forgiveness" because it was my least favorite side of Pantera when they did it, so I am not into bands drawing from that influence. They prove they can groove and be heavy enough with a bit of a Slipknot vibe for "Used and Abused." Lyrically, it is not the strongest song, but the overall feel works. 

The drumming feels a little more like Sepultura on " Never Die Once," which has a staccato stomp recalling bands like Machine Head. The Chant on the chorus works, it is nothing next level, but it fits the songs. The drumming going into the last song is almost "Painkiller".  But it's nothing epic, just uptempo. I will give this album a 9, and see how it grows on me, I am already into bands like Power Trip so not sure if there is enough difference between these guys and their influences to really set this apart from what I already listen to, but young thrash fans should check this one out. 

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the Top 10 Mainstream Metal albums of 2022

Time to bang your head. Mainstream metal is

A- Middle of the road in its attempt to appeal to a wider audience

B- A less extreme sub-genre like Power metal or Thrash that is easier for your average suburban metal to swallow

C- bands that are harder than hard rock, but not what we think of as death or black metal here.

This list it the best of those kind of bands, who you are more likely to see in the page of Revolver Magazine. As with years past I sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Sure, you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However, I listen to five new albums a day so yes, I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No, I do not care what you think about it. I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 Mainstream Metal albums of 2022

10- Deathwhite -Grey Everlasting" 

These guys are certainly great at their brand of dark melodic metal with melodic vocals. This time around it feels gloomier post-grunge with a European doom influence, though with more repeat listens it sounds also akin to what Staind might have done if they had been too depressed to write radio songs. The use of the occasional heavier than average riff might also put them in the same sonic zip code as Katatonia, they are also more straightforward than their Europeans counterparts.

Abysmal Hymns: Deathwhite : " Grey Everlasting"

 9-Vein Fm - " This World is Going to Ruin You" 

At times this band colors their chaotic hard-core sound with the ghosts of nu-metal past. Their abrasive nature makes them more dangerous to your ears than say Slipknot, but they are less intent to damage you than say Nails or Hexis. Even when they condense this down to a minute, I would not call this band grind core. The vocals lean toward hard-core screams, though some of the grinding math to the gears of the riffs are metal in the technical nature.

Abysmal Hymns: Vein.fm : "This World Is Going to Ruin You"

8-Kampfar - "Til Klovers Takt" 

There continues to be a lot to love about Norway's Kampfar , as their sound to gets bigger and more melodic. The band's 9th album finds them not allowing themselves to be limited into the narrow confines of being just a black metal band despite making music since the mid 90s, they are legit true Norwegian black metal as much so as bands more commonly thought of in the role like Mayhem. This finds them adding new sounds and writing great songs. 

 Abysmal Hymns: Kampfar :" Til Klovers Takt"

7-Abbath-"Dread Reaver"  

If you are hoping someone is going to carry the torch of Immortal, Abbath is proving himself the rightful bearer of that ring. His albums are huge sounding and thunderingly heavy. The songs go for the throat but are balanced out with catchy riffs that often recall more classic metal influence. 

Abysmal Hymns: Abbath : " Dread Reaver"

6-Ereb Altor-"Vargtimman" 

The pagan metal label falls into many sub genres, power metal, folk metal and black metal all being contenders, that might apply to this album. The Swedish band gallops with epic triumph into things on the first rack that owes more to power metal. It is however a little darker, so this works for me, one of the best albums of this kin I have heard in some time.

Abysmal Hymns: Ereb Altor : " Vargtimman"

5- Seventh Storm-"Maledictus" 

The drummer of Moonspell has formed a new band and justifies its pirate metal theme by saying since e he is from Portugal, he is just celebrating his cultural heritage. Funny when Viking metal bands do that, they get called racist. there is a strong current of traditional metal flowing through this album. The vocals are throaty yet sung with a grit that creates more of an Iced Earth or Symphony X feel to this take on power metal. If you are into the kind of soaring anthems power metal is most often known for then this might be the boat for you to catch

Abysmal Hymns: Seventh Storm : "Maledictus"

4-Behemoth- "Opvs Contra Natvram" 

There are a few more guitar solos than normal, but it is a more thoughtful take on the same blackened blend of melodic death metal you came here for. What sets them apart which is Nergal's purposeful vocals. He shows you do not have to have a great singing voice to create hooks, you just need to put your voice in the right places. He doesn't scream or growl but uses a commanding snarl to fill these spots in the song. The best thing they have done in some time.

Abysmal Hymns: Behemoth : "Opvs Contra Natvram"

3-Meshuggah- "Immutable" 

It's been six years since the last album which might have been the reset the band needed. At the time it came out I was a huge fan of the band's band's fourth album "Nothing:" and enjoyed "Catch Thirtythree" and "obZen" that followed. Then things begin to feel a little stale and the chugs began running together no matter how divergent they were. This time around there is more atmosphere and it ignited a fresh take on their robot grind.

Abysmal Hymns: Meshuggah: " Immutable"

2- Gwar- "the New Dark Ages"

4Gwar has been one of my favorite bands since high school, though the 1997 album Carnival of Chaos when it was released felt like a dialed in more punk effort from the band, and my interest waned. When the band came back without Oderus on their 2017 "Blood for the Gods" I became invested again as they had a great deal to prove carrying on without their late singer. It was so impressive they proved themselves to me and now I judge them as an entity unto itself. This album is a more adventurous and ambitious affair that borders on prog. Not what you expect from them. 

Abysmal Hymns: Gwar : " The New Dark Ages "

 

1-Soulfly-"Totem"

It has been a while since I have listened to Soulfly, though I am a fan of Max era Sepultura and have never been all that impressed with anything the band has done since the split. Imagine my surprise when I check back in with this band to find them kicking so much ass here. Gone are any of the nu-metal leanings that might have colored earlier releases. In fact, they are at full on thrashing speed when the album opens, but more like Slayer than even the "Arise" era of the Sepultura. Max has admitted that the "Reign in Blood" album was an influence on it. Max's song Zyon plays drums on the album. He has grown into being an impressive drummer.

Abysmal Hymns: Soulfly : "Totem"

Soulfly : "Totem"

 

It has been a while since I have listened to Soulfly, though I am a fan of Max era Sepultura and have never been all that impressed with anything the band has done since the split. Imagine my surprise when I check back in with this band to find them kicking so much ass here.   Gone are any of the nu-metal leanings that might have colored earlier releases. In fact, they are at full on thrashing speed when the album opens, but more like Slayer than even the "Arise" era of the Sepultura. Max has admitted that the "Reign in Blood" album was an influence on it. Max's song Zyon plays drums on the album. He has grown into being an impressive drummer. "Scouring the Vile" finds these guys sounding more like Sepultura then Sepultura does at present. The album is really well produced as it has a hammering intensity to it. The guitar tones is pretty biting when they thrash out on songs like "Filth Upon Filth". 

The Slayer comparison could resurface again on "Rot in Pain". Though this would be a sound more like newer punk tinged Slayer that in so aggressive it forgets the groove of cool riffs for the bulk of the song, though they still find their way in. The first really fucking awesome song in terms how it commands you to head bang is "the Damage Done". The title track is also another song driven by a heavy groove that crushes it way into your ears. Max's vocals are solid for what he does, they sound like he has not aged. Halfway in an it is safe to say this album is demolishing the last Sepultura album. "Ancestors" might not maintain the flawless momentum of the two previous songs, but it is pretty solid in its own right.  

There is an instrumental that could have just been woven into another song as an intro formulated into a song in itself as it feels more like an interlude in the present form. "Spirit Animal " closes the album and works off a powerful locomotive chug. At nine and a half minutes the song has plenty of time to simmer in the atmosphere it builds off before gaining speed. Richie from Incite lends his voice and Chris from Power Trip throws down a guitar solo on it. I will give this album a 9.5 and see how it grows on me. It is pretty impressive as it is and not what I was expecting from Max this late in his career. 

Soulfly : " Archangel"

Welcome to Max Cavalera's mid-life crisis. In trying to be relevant he has enlisted the who's who of grind-core to guest on this album. So here we go the opener "We Sold Our Souls For Metal" sounds very punk for someone who has sold their soul for metal. Not terrible songwriting, not compelling either. The title track has more of the Sepultura stomp to it. The guitar gets weird and technical over parts and it sounds a little out of place. But this is darker than the first song. There is a grim atmosphere lingering in the background that casts a nice cloud on this one. Granted I have listened to more Sepultura than I have Soulfly as their first album was the only I paid attention to. "Sodomites" seems like an odd topic for an album without Rob Halford on it. Instead they opt for Todd Jones from Nails. Its a decent song, feels a little like Godflesh until it speeds up into more punk section.

"Ishtar Rising" focuses on the groove. It's not unlike some of the songs on the Fear Factory I reviewed last week, which funny enough their bassist left to join. Is Fear Factory bigger than Soul Fly? Pretty straight forward this one almost borders on nu-metal. Matt Young  from King Parrot , who might have one of the most annoying voices in metal is on the cartoonish thrash of "Live Live Hard". The riff in the verse is not too shabby. "Shamash" starts off on a good foot and then the repetitive groove kinda loses me, its not a bad riff I just tuned it out after a while. 'Bethlehem's Blood" sound like an extension of the previous song at first. Good thing they had trumpets to clear that up. The riffs are very similar not a good move to put these two back to back. The strummed guitar is way cooler than the chug overload.

"Titans" switches it up on the chanted chorus that comes close to being sung, its also one of a few moments where I begin to wonder if Max has been listening to Behemoth. They blast off into one of the album's fastest songs "Deciever". It's pretty much what you would expect from them thrashing out. They keep thrashing on the Game of Thrones inspired song "Mother of Dragons" which has his whole clan going in provide vocals. While I like the darker direction they seem to be going in for an album that is supposed to be their shortest album at 38 minutes , but it felt long to me. Overall it works more than it doesn't , so I will give it a 6 and speculate that is would bring them a step closer to a Sepultura reunion.
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