Disclaimer! This is a list of albums that DOES NOT include “Absolute Elsewhere”! I’ve got a physical copy of the album, and I will probably enjoy the hell out of it, but there’s just too much hysteria around the release, which is my cue to find something else to listen to.
Anyways, there’s way too much music being released, a curse and a blessing. I’ve got plenty of releases that I haven’t digested fully yet, and I’m struggling to keep up with the endless stream of albums being released. So in 2025, I’m just going to let go and have a more natural approach to the whole enterprise of finding music, that way I will finally have emancipated myself from this absurd and sadistic illusion of having control over a timeline of releases, which has bothered me for far too long. Don’t worry, it’s not you, it’s me and my fierce passion for music.
VEMOD – THE DEEPENING
Twelve years in the making, “The Deepening” possesses something universal, something dark, ethereal and meditative, something intriguing and transcending. The vastness of emotions poured into these songs is awe-inspiring to say the least.
TANELI JARVA & THE DARK PLACE – POST FESTUM
Somehow it’s truly reassuring to know that Mr. Jarva is still out there doing music, the world needs his voice. The songs on this album play out like a more introverted version of Nick Cave. It’s different but the man’s gloomy baritone is heavy af.
COFFIN STORM – ARCANA RISING
The old-school metal album to beat in 2024! You can hear that this album is made by lifers, veterans, and not just some reckless gen z individual. Masterful sequencing of riffs, dynamic song structures and the always welcomed peculiarity of Fenriz!
SULPHUR AND MERCURY – ALCHEMIA PROPHETICA EP
My favorite debut of 2024! An unlikely union between Jason Netherton (MISERY INDEX) and a trio of Italian ghouls with a hefty dark, heavy music CV. The name of the game is primal heavy metal with an emphasis on the esoteric and occult, and it’s utterly brilliant!
HAMFERÐ – MEN GUÐS HOND ER STERK
Fellow countrymen. So proud of them. They always put out something special and this album is no different. I think it’s their strongest so far, and the songwriting just keeping getting more streamlined without loosing one ounce of the compact and striking epicness. Doom metal for grownups!
PALLBEARER – MIND BURNS ALIVE
This album signaled my comeback as a reviewer. It’s a divisive album, but if you’re into expansive, heavy music with a universal message, this is the album for you. It doesn’t really fit under any category and that’s the beauty of it all. A daring and cathartic sonic palette.
PORTRAIT – THE HOST
Also got a review of this one on the site. I’m pretty skeptical regarding the constant revival of archaic metal formulas. There are albums that restore positivity in the old ways of metal, this is one of them. A fantastic execution of so many forms of metal sounds! Killer concept as well!
UNTO OTHERS – NEVER, NEVERLAND
I’m always whining about who should get a pass, when it’s a band that gets you moving, even though it’s nothing out of the ordinary. It’s a paradox, but I think there’s a glorious swagger and lightheartedness about this album, and the hooks never stop coming!
CAPILLA ARDIENTE – WHERE GODS LIVE AND MEN DIE
A cool discovery not many weeks back. If I see a Chile flag associated with a metal band, I check it out! This is some top-shelf epic doom metal with perhaps a hint of nautical stride (a certain German doom band) and some of the best Messiah Marcolin type of vocals I’ve heard in a long time!
ULVER – LIMINAL ANIMALS
The wolves ascend once more to present an album that continues the beautiful juxtaposition of danceable melancholy and introspective left-field dynamics. By now, it’s not even a competition anymore, they’re the most important band on the planet!
