In March’s best metal, Neurosis make their surprising return, Bekor Qilish descend to extreme avant-garde paths, and Cruel Force mature their thrash.
Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur’s memoir goes beyond clichés to offer a truly compelling perspective on the bohemian community of 1990s rock.
If Love Is Not Enough announces anything, it’s a return to the stark architecture and the blunt-force grammar Converge helped codify.
In February’s best metal, Worm go from underground to mainstream, Incandescence unleash blackened Quebecois bliss, and Gorrch offer dissonance and immediacy.
The lead singer of the New York noise institution Unsane, Chris Spencer, talks about the reissue of their classic Occupational Hazard.
In January’s best metal, Ulver return to their deep electronica, the Ruins of Beverast show off their extreme black/doom, and Zu join free-jazz madness with ambient bliss.
In December’s best metal, Martröd tap into fiery black-metal dissonance, Lychgate expand extreme-metal, and Rotten Sound show their grind quality.
This year has delivered an embarrassment of riches, from traditional masterworks to forward-thinking madness. These are the best metal albums of 2025.
GWAR have always existed on the edge of chaos, a grotesque blend of satire, violence, and spectacle, but now, it’s predictable and choreographed.
In November’s best metal, Yellow Eyes are in their finest moment, Barren Path rise from the ashes of Gridlink, and Blut Aus Nord navigate dreamscapes.
Whether intentionally or not, Babymetal’s “Elevator Girl” feels like an unspoken pop culture echo of one of the most chilling and inexplicable deaths of the digital era.
In October’s best metal, Coroner are more relevant than ever, Hooded Menace embrace heavy metal traditionalism, and Evoken gaze into the darkness.
