I Prevail – ‘Violent Nature’

It’s rare to recall an album that makes you feel goosebumps as much as it acts as a rage release and a great opportunity to scream your heart out (with meaning). ‘Violent Nature’ is a power-packed listen. The title track starts with some of the most honest and explosive lyrics we’ve come to enjoy since Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes “I Hate You”. You can each give me at least one person you’d love to project your inner Eric Vanlerberghe (vocalist / singer) towards for these choice words: ”

“Shut the fuck up // do me a favor//
Cut your heart out then swallow the razor//
I’m no saint, I’m not your savior //I’m a sick motherfucker with a violent nature”.

Not necessarily one to sing to the children, but a cathartic release anyhow. Partner this with tracks like “Into Hell” and the stunning “Annihilate Me” (one of my songs of the year), and you can see how this band can create music to move you. The latter combines the moving atmopsheric design of a season finale sync, with the dramatic grace you’re more used to hearing from a Muse or Bring Me The Horizon song.

This album shows that Eric V can handle the cleans and the screams in the most majestic and most crushing moments. It shows that this is a band that deserves it’s Grammy nominations and global legacy. It shows that in a world where there’s a lot of kitsch riffs and token breakdowns that make a ‘metal band’, I Prevail are making art with a life of it’s own and it’s truly beautiful.

(Released 19th September 2025 via Fearless Records)

Words by Elise Cobain

Malevolence – ‘Where Only Truth Is Spoken’

The past few years has seen Malevolence go from strength to strength and along with it gracing some huge stages with iconic names in heavy music and garnering an ever growing fan base along the way. This new found popularity however often adds a new sense of pressure when it comes to releasing new music, a pressure that Malevolence have seemingly taken in their stride with their most accomplished body of work to date.

“Blood From The Leech” is a perfect opener and has everything we love from the Malev boys. Thunderous riffs, head-banging grooves and pit crushing breakdowns lead by Alex Taylor’s visceral screams that sets the tone for the record with a no-prisoners approach straight out of the gate. The lead single “Trenches” still hits hard with the call out “MLVLTD We’re still fucking enemies” that will reverberate around sweaty packed out rooms for years to come.

While much of the album thrives on big riffs and ‘no fucks given’ energy, Malevolence also show an evolved sense of melody and arrangement that sets them apart from the pack. Songs like “If It’s All The Same To You” are a blend of nostalgia and modernity, where Konan Hall’s soaring vocals and Alex Taylor’s venomous growls intertwine perfectly.

Where Only The Truth Is Spoken isn’t just another great album from Malevolence. It’s a defining milestone from a band whose grind, growth, and grit have brought them to the frontlines of modern metal. There are no missteps here. No filler. Just fire.

(Released 20th June 2025 via MLVLTD  / Nuclear Blast Records)

Words by Ollie Route

 

Sleep Token – ‘Even In Arcadia’

With the eyes and ears of the world eagerly anticipating the release of Sleep Token’s fourth studio album “Even In Arcadia”, it was clear the band weren’t just basking in their newfound dominance, they’re using it as a launchpad for something even bolder. Whether you consider them “true metal” or not feels almost irrelevant in the face of their streaming stats, sold-out arenas, and cross-genre ubiquity. Their appeal has always been atypical, a seamless blend of progressive metal, R&B-inflected melodies, and cinematic pop flourishes, but Even In Arcadia represents their most focused and mainstream-conscious effort yet.

What’s fascinating is how that mainstream polish doesn’t come at the expense of their wild unpredictability. If anything, the album continues their tradition of defying genre expectations, just now with even more confidence and precision. From the towering opener “Look To Windward” to the jaw-dropping closer “Infinite Baths,” Even In Arcadia is a record that sprawls, contracts, and explodes, often within the same track.

But if Even In Arcadia is a more controlled beast than its predecessors, it’s because Sleep Token are now operating on a different playing field entirely. This isn’t the hungry young band dabbling in anonymity anymore, this is a global force, and this record is a bold statement of intent. Sleep Token aren’t just genre-defiers anymore; they’re genre-redefiners, and Even In Arcadia proves they know exactly how to use that power.

(Released 9th May 2025 via RCA)

Words by Ollie Route

 

Spiritbox – ‘Tsunami Sea’

Furious and vibrant are what bolsters the second album by Spiritbox into 2025’s top albums. The elegance this band bring to metal is unrivalled within the scene. If you need ballads then “Keep Sweet” and “Deep End” have huge anthemic choruses, there’s some cool experimentation with the synth and dance world within “Crystal Roses” and a brooding cinematic song in “Ride The Wave”. This is, of course, alongside the riff and breakdown face melters that are “Black Rainbow” and single “Soft Spine”.

There’s theme of isolation and depression in this body of work (in part sponsored by the Vancouver Island lives of key songwriters Courtney LaPlante and guitarist Mike Stringer), but also of the lingering feeling of disaster hanging on that horizon…somewhere. However you personally hear the album, what we can say is that you will hear this as a fresh, standout piece in a world saturated where metalcore mediocre is widespread and drumming was made by a computer and never to be expertly played by a human: although Spiritbox drummer Zev Rose is something of a machine himself.

(Released March 7th 2025 via Pale Chord/Rise Records)

Words by Elise Cobain

 

Twenty One Pilots – ‘Breach’

After a decade of building a story and sound that defined a generation, Twenty One Pilots have brought the Blurryface chapter to a close with their latest album, Breach.

Breach feels like a journey back in time, recalling both the angst and introspection of Blurryface while nodding to 2013’s Vessel. The opening track, “City Walls,” echoes the energy of “Migraine,” and Tyler’s “imitate my faith” lyrics will instantly remind longtime listeners of “Holding Onto You.” Meanwhile, closing track “Intention” mirrors Vessel’s “Truce,” offering a gentle, reassuring farewell for fans.

Musically, the duo have matured alongside their sound. Tyler and Josh display an impressive confidence throughout the album. The instrumentation across is diverse and seamless. The album shifts from major to minor tones, up-tempo jams to subdued melodies, without ever feeling disjointed.

Breach may be a celebration and a farewell, but it doesn’t alienate newcomers. Even without full knowledge of Clancy and the Torchbearer, the album offers enough theatricality, emotional resonance, and showstopping moments to appeal to any listener.

As Tyler Joseph once reflected on the band’s early approach, “You should be thinking of people that you’ve met when you create. You should be seeing faces that you’ve seen before when you’re writing a song or making an album or coming up with a show.” With Breach, Twenty One Pilots have not only honoured the fans who’ve grown with them but also left the door wide open for the next thrilling chapter.

(Released 12th September 2025 via Fuelled By Ramen / Atlantic Records)

Words by Ollie Route

 

vianova may just be one of the most exciting artists around right now, their impressive arsenal of genre shifting music paired with their eccentric and humour laced social media presence have gained the attention of fans worldwide and this year they unleashed their debut album HIT IT! out into the world.

Vocalist Alex Kerski shared: “It’s only once in a lifetime you get to drop your debut album and we couldn’t be more excited about releasing HIT IT!, our loveletter to the past, the present and the future of music”

vianova’s debut takes their boundary-pushing approach to new levels – splicing nu-metal bounce, snarling metalcore aggression, jazzy shifts, funk breaks, and even 80s synths into one chaotic, addictive ride. It’s as absurd and confrontational as their visuals, but also packed with razor-sharp riffs and unexpected hooks that make it impossible to ignore.

With songs like “Más Rápido,” “Melanchronic,” “Whatever, Alright,” and “Uh, Yaya” already going viral, vianova have rapidly cemented themselves as one of the most exciting new names in heavy music.

(Released 5th September 2025 via Arising Empire)

Words by Ollie Route

 

VUKOVI – ‘MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN’

The opening track “THIS IS MY LIFE AND MY TRAUMA” sets the scene. This is the most powerful, raw, emotional work that frontwoman Janine Shilstone and guitarist Hamish Reilly have created together since VUKOVI came to be in 2010. For a band who were initially a slow burner, they are now 4 albums deep, with their creativity and self-belief supercharging within this last cycle.

Singer Janine has never been afraid to use lyrics to exorcise her demons and with the lryics throughout MGHGAG, you have some wild and acute imagery betwixt honest commentary on her experience of this life. Even as someone who tunes into melodies and rhythms as a natural first, I swiftly found myself brought into this albums world and vision. And lets not forget the mega talent of Hamish (guitars) here who has brought his most expressive and at times, face-melting musician to the table. If you tune into his streams, you’ll know he’s a willing slave to practice and thoroughly enjoying playing for the fun of it. If you have ever caught this band live (or plan to), there’s a certain level of enjoyment and confidence the pair now enjoy in their live show that eminates out to the crowd, particularly with MGHGAG songs.

Aside from the singles and post-release favourite (“BLADED”) I strongly recommend “FUK IT UP”; not least because it contains a favourite everyday word from this Scottish band but the whole ensemble – from minor-note lead melodies and dark trimmings to the themes of anxiety, internal conflict and even a resentment towards false optimusm – this is a hidden gem for any listener.

(Released January 24th 2025 via SharpTone Records)

Words by Elise Cobain

 

Honourable Mentions

All Time Low – ‘Everybody’s Talking’

The happiest pop-punk / rock band return to keep our lives in technicolour. Since the start this band have sought to bring joy and positivity into a world that kinda sucks…a lot. FULL of anthems and a wild collaboration with JoJo (that hits the spot), this album is a sub-45 minute burst of seratonin that reminds us how important this band is in the modern world of guitar music.

 

 

 

 

Bloodywood – ‘Nu Delhi’

This band are committed to bringing the traditional sounds and styles of their New Dehli, India to the world via metal music. Their take on metalcore (with hints of folk and rap metal), is the unsuspecting perfect partner to the dhol and the sitar. They’ve even collaborated with Japanese band BABYMETAL for “Bekhauf” for some instant earworms.

 

 

 

Deftones – ‘private music’

Titled from the working folder on their computer, this already lures you into a world where maybe you should be…but you definitely don’t want to stop once you’ve pressed play. This album (quote the band) prioritised sound textures and atmosphere over the songwriting and that’s clear to hear throughout as they revisit their signature sonics with a modern days ear. It sets this already legendary band up for a whole new era of dominence in a genre space they created themselves.

 

The Dirty Nil – ‘The Lash’

The Canadian band who bring that glorious blend of rock, punk and garage vibes consistenly, with one of rocks most underrated vocalist (Luke Bentham). If the opener track “Gallop Of The Hounds” with its extravagant classic leaning riff isn’t enough to convince you of the quality of this record, maybe the more instant “I Was A Henchman” might pull you in.

 

 

 

Scowl – ‘We Are All Angels’

For those expecting the hardcore growl of singer Kat Moss you might be a little thrown by their broadened palate on their second full-length release, but it’s by no means a ‘lesser’ album. This is the sound of a band who have spent their time absorbing the world around them and creating a mix of metal, hardcore and rockier anthems that are equally as punchy.

 

 

 

 

EP’s Of The Year

And it’s not just the long form releases that have soundtracked our year; here’s a nod to the exceptional EP’s that have been shared with us across 2025.

Alchemize – Cold Fire

Cody Frost  – MECHAEVAL 

Harpy – VII

PRESIDENT – King Of Terrors

South Arcade – PLAY!