10. Coroner – Dissonance Theory (Century Media)
I never thought I would see Coroner release a new record, and yet here we are. Twenty-two years after the monumental Grin, the Swiss act makes its long-awaited return with Dissonance Theory. Coroner pushed thrash to new dimensions, harnessing its raw aggression through a technical lens.
However, Coroner’s vision was more ambitious. I always viewed them as a reflection of Voivod, both bands tapping into the same discordant stream. But, where the Canadians reveled in chaotic exhilaration, the Swiss worshipped an unyielding force of precision. The breakdowns of “Transparent Eye” show this rhythmic dedication, a relentless order that slowly twists the mind. That same structural rigor injects the heavy groove that has always been Coroner’s hallmark. It is hard to believe that a band founded in 1983 could unleash the industrial coating of “Sacrificial Lamb”, the tremendous momentum of “Symmetry”, or the mid-tempo application of “Trinity”.
It is a truly forward-thinking mindset, separate from any pointless progressive term. How many thrash bands can you name with atmospheric passages? The aforementioned Voivod, maybe Depressive Age, aspects of Mekong Delta, and Sabbat. It is a slim list, right? Yet, Coroner did exactly that through the discordant lead of “Paralyzed, Mesmerized” in Grin, and they still unearth this otherworldly sense in “Sacrificial Lamb” and “The Law”. Still, through all this technical aptitude, the relentless rhythm, the discordance and atmosphere, Coroner remain extremely straightforward and catchy.
The opening track, “Consequence,” and its chorus alone will have you tapping frantically on the repeat button. It makes the ride through Dissonance Theory that much more rewarding, an ambitious work that retains a direct perspective. It proves that Coroner were not just ahead of their time back in the 1980s and 1990s, they still are to this day. – Spyros Stasis
9. Alicia Cordisco – Burden of I (Fiadh)
Can an extreme metal album be considered tender? Multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and former Judicator member Alicia Cordisco’s return to recording under her own name and first venture into black metal make a strong case for it. Burden of I delivers what is simultaneously some of the year’s most ferocious yet poignant metal music.
Beneath the harsh exterior of groaning riffs, relentless blast beats, and suffering growls, we find a softer core, embroidered with dazzling harmonic progressions, melodies borrowed from folk traditions, and leads that sound like prayers sent out to the universe. The lyrics that accompany the music are similarly touching but also heartbreakingly fragile, woven around an introspective exploration of loneliness and isolation. Helped by Brett Windnagle (drum programming) and Vanessa Funke (vocals), Cordisco joins a growing list of musicians who show how black metal’s orthodoxy can be subverted into a thing of radiant beauty. – Antonio Poscic
8. Zeicrydeus – La Grande Heresie (Independent)
Rehashing a style is one thing. Comprehending it is another. Philippe Tougas (Atramentus, Chthe;ilist) and his new project, Zeicrydeus, belong to the second category. In La Grande Heresie, Tougas draws inspiration from the Hellenic black metal scene, and it is easy to see it through the dialled-in groove and piercing bends in “Ten Thousand Spears…”.
The early Rotting Christ aura is everywhere, extending the scenery with its melodic inclination and epic sense. Zeicrydeus then crosses the fiery path, the descent plunging everything into darkness as the bass becomes prominent. “Profane Spells & Naked Swords…” further delves into the lineage of Magus and Baron Blood, while Tougas makes a sardonic twist employing some sweeter notions to that recipe in “Goldstell (Blood of the Third Sun)”.
On that level alone, La Grande Heresie is excellent, but what Tougas unearths is the secret core to the Hellenic black metal sound. It is its kinship and direct connection to heavy metal tropes. While the Scandinavian scene looked to distance itself from metallic tradition, the Greeks reforged it anew. The unhinged yet purposeful start to “Ten Thousand Spears…” speaks volumes through its poignant assault.
The mid-section of “Profane Spells & Naked Swords…” revels in Running Wild’s galloping spirit, and the playful guitar work that greets “Sous L’Ombre” descends into doom depths only to triumphantly rise again. Everything is as it should be in La Grande Heresie; a case in point is the seamless transition to the “Thou Art Lord” cover (“The Era of Satan Rising”). I’m confident I found the record that completes my Onyx, Gods of War – At War infinite repeat playlist. – Spyros Stasis
7. Antiversum – De Nemesis Omnes Et Omnia (Amor Fati)
Antiversum’s sophomore LP De Nemesis Omnes Et Omnia is a masterclass in coaxing an utterly unnerving sound from standard black and death metal elements. The Swiss group’s pieces are long and intricately structured, dominated by a compositional approach reminiscent of another great band, Norway’s legendary avant-garde outfit Virus.
Yet, it’s the tracks’ textural qualities—the wailing riffs, the whip-like drum hits, the dissonant synths, the growls of an infernal Virgil—and intangible atmospheres that make them so appealing. Cosmic horrors are left to roam freely across the album’s five pieces, each with its own dark individual character contributing to a larger sense of absolute creepiness. Fittingly, the album ends with a cut named “Vuoto”. Empty. Void. – Antonio Poscic
6. Vauruvã – Mar de Deriva (Independent)
In Caio Lemos’s exponentially growing discography, Vauruvã stands as his most emotionally melodic and expressive project to date. Starting from the raw, folk-tinged improvisations of Manso Queimor Dacordado, the project embraced a wild sense of unpredictability in Por Nós da Ventania before transforming once again with Mar de Deriva. Surprisingly, the structure now prevails, steering the project away from its free-form origins and toward a more mature progressive rock sound.
“Legado”, with its meditative progression, opens a cosmic dimension. Traditional percussion and acoustic guitars combine in a spiraling vision through the Milky Way. That mystical perspective persists—serene craftsmanship carries “Os Caçadores” even after distorted guitars explode into brilliant color. The melodic quality lends the album a cinematic scope.
The sorrowful tones of “Legado” arrive in intimate fashion, but Lemos still allows a hopeful essence to pierce through. Here, the black metal is reworked to fit a progressive rock approach. It carries Krallice’s DNA, even drawing from Scarcity in how the instrument is stretched to its limits. The result is epic, with the beginning of the closer “As Selvas Vermelhas no Planeta dos Eminentes” tearing your heart out with its moving lines. Given the current black metal landscape and its dissonant tendencies, it is refreshing to see Vauruvã adopt this approach without turning it into a gimmick.
They do not stop there. Their folk inclinations remain strong, drawing on Panopticon’s fusion of Americana and black metal as a blueprint and reformulating it through the lens of Brazilian folk traditions. The additional percussion and the synthesizers come together to carve out a sense of wonder and grace from the black metal and progressive rock stones. The result is an exquisite effort, dense, detailed, and emotionally resonant. An absolute gem, both heartfelt and compositionally daring, it marks a new chapter in Vauruvã’s evolving language. – Spyros Stasis
5. Sallow Moth – Mossbane Lantern (I, Voidhanger)
You know those people who receive an email with multiple questions and respond with just one word? I suspect that Dallas, Texas-based multi-instrumentalist Garry Brents might be one of them. Sallow Moth, the latest of his numerous projects, sounds like Brents replying ‘yes’ to questions that weren’t meant to be binary.
New Age-tinged, jazzy death metal in the vein of Cynic? Yes. Keep the jazz, but add more technicality and intricate progressions, à la Atheist? Yes. Wormed’s mind-grinding brutal death metal? Yes. How about the Swedish old-school of Dismember or Entombed? Yes. Slant it melodically, like Edge of Sanity? Yes. Throw in a bit of Gorguts’ dissonance? Yes. Yes! YES!
For all the cornucopia of styles mashed together, there is nary a moment on Mossbane Lantern that feels self-indulgent or forced. Instead, the album’s flow is nothing short of spectacular, navigating between styles then superimposing them as textural layers. – Antonio Poscic
4. Teitanblood – From the Visceral Abyss (NoEvDia)
Sometimes, there is a method to the madness. Teitanblood’s black/death has always been brutal and direct, but that did not mean that it was simple. It had an intrinsic design that might not follow a comprehensible pattern, but was nevertheless a design.
This remains the case with their fourth full-length, From the Visceral Abyss, where the black/death onslaught erupts through a Celtic Frost on speed approach. The ragged riffs take form and are thrown to the meatgrinder, yet the attitude and presence survive. In many cases, this is a process of annihilation, in which they abandon the norms and descend into a brutal assault that leaves nothing standing (“And Darkness Was All”).
However, where Teitanblood excel is in being economical. Nothing here is wasted; every crazed, schizoid solo has its function and purpose, every illogical drum pattern serves a more significant role. Nothing is for show; everything is of substance. Listen to the cymbal work in the final part of “Sepulchral Carrion God”, and you will experience a level of detail that verges on the neurotic. This is a work that is built layer upon layer. As a result, it oozes with a depth that can extend to the atmospherics, something that “From The Hypogeum” extensively implements.
It is a mystical procedure through alien landscapes that are incomprehensible to our primate mind. The evocative themes of the title track evoke this concept, as does the substantial closer “Tomb Corpse Haruspex”. It constructs this obsidian monolith, an imposing and unearthly structure that fills you with dread at its mere presence. The poisonous psychedelic melodies take over, and the effects add grandeur, ending this feverish experience on a high note. Teitanblood continue to deliver their dark, damned work. And we would not have it any other way. – Spyros Stasis
3. Retromorphosis – Psalmus Mortis (Season of Mist)
The three albums released by Swedish group Spawn of Possession between 2003 and 2012 rank among the best specimens of technical death metal from that era. Featuring four of the five members from Spawn of Possession’s final lineup, Retromorphosis evolve beyond the point at which their predecessors left off, retaining their flair and zest while significantly expanding the sound.
Brutal, catchy, virtuosic, melodic, and humorously eerie—Psalmus Mortis encompasses all these qualities and more. Yet, it remains utterly technical without being overwhelming. At times, the album draws heavily on grindcore and doom, integrating their usual tropes into the complex tempo changes, rhythms, and riffs throughout the songs. At others, it reaches for synthesizers and electronic effects, introducing atmospheric elements into unexpected sections, ranging from the symphonic (“Machine”) to dungeon synth (“Obscure Exordium”), and even to experimental flourishes reminiscent of Canadian avant-metallers Unexpect (“The Tree”). – Antonio Poscic
2. Stygian Ruin – Stygia II: Ancient and Arcane (Independent)
It might be a stretch to call anything related to black metal unique in 2025, but the music of Stygian Ruin certainly comes close to qualifying. The project helmed by Norwegian musician Erlend Rønning evolved from dungeon synth into black metal that is simultaneously atmospherically expansive and rhythmically pulsating, replete with ambient-music-evoking cues and the nervous trill of guitar tremolos, fusing into a strangely oneiric vision of the genre.
A shimmer of electronic textures envelops melodic riffs and blast beats, delicately like mist descending upon a forest’s clearing. In its midst, a lyrical fantasy is delivered with a dramatic, almost Sprechgesang flair. Listening to Stygia II: Ancient and Arcane evokes bands like Virus, Agalloch, Secrets of the Moon, and even Aluk Todolo, but the black metal tropes visited at an andante pace carve out a niche of their own and form an album that is both a great entry point into Stygian Ruin’s discography and the culmination of their work so far. – Antonio Poscic
1. Yellow Eyes – Confusion Gate (Gilead Media)
Following 2023’s Master’s Murmur, a descent into industrial folk territory, it has been six years since Yellow Eyes last released a black metal record. The seasoned, New York-based act are a trusted force in the scene, boasting a substantial discography, and yet their new record, Confusion Gate, is a revelation. Not in the sense that Yellow Eyes deviate from the path, but in that they are doing everything better.
Their black metal is dense, heavily layered, resulting in a thick sonic wall. The unified front of riffs overwhelms from the outset through “Brush the Frozen Horse”, yet never at the expense of definition or melody. It is a technique inherited from a lineage of acts, such as Ash Borer and Fell Voice. Still, Yellow Eyes further unravel these abstracted forms, adding an erratic sense of unpredictability and vigor that echoes the early Krallice days.
From there, they can gaze into a darker abyss, with the textural quality of the guitar work taking inspiration from their sister band Ustalost. In moments like “I Fear the Master’s Murmur”, they explode with triumphant rage, while in “The Scent of Black Mud”, they radiate cold grimness. Yet, they can still turn this around into a deep, hallucinatory sense of unease. Their dissonant inclinations greatly help here, with the cacophonous quality of “The Thought of Death”, the mysterious sorrow of “Suspension Moon”, and the chilling effect of “A Forgotten Corridor” depicting a reality as dead as dreams.
Their overarching tendencies do not cease. On one hand, they traverse into the folkloric, more confidently in the record’s interludes, but also in their main structures. In doing so, they invoke a latent, primordial Cascadian spirit alongside an early Ulverian form. The beautiful guitar lines in the final moments of the title track fully expose this deep communion with nature.
Similarly, they channel the teachings from Master’s Murmur to further establish a deep, ambient sense, highlighted by detailed field recordings, and the impressive synthesizers and choirs tastefully placed in key moments. In a robust discography, Confusion Gate stands apart. It feels like this is the record that Yellow Eyes were working towards all along. The album that required 15 years of practice and experience to reach. It is also part of the final releases from Gilead Media, and although there is still one more record to come, if this were the label’s final chapter, it would be a great way to go. – Spyros Stasis