Top Five Albums of 2025 to Immerse Yourself in Winter Darkness

As winter darkness looms longer and coldness creeps into the valley air, the month of December forges a type of frosted fury into every metalhead, creating an insatiable palette for more music. More chaos. More fire. In this roundup, we are flipping through the top five metal album picks of the year, giving soul-selling gratitude to the artists who devoted their time to crafting such benevolent tracks. From unyielding ferocity in their riffs to cathartic, soul-haunting melodies, listening to these albums is the perfect way to wrap up your 2025.

Deftones
private music
Reprise Records
Street: 08.22.2025
Deftones = Team Sleep + Crosses

Deftones’ 10th studio album, private music, is an invigorating blend of tranquility, etherealness and atmosphere. Guitarist Stephen Carpenter has given his all, from heavy reverb and fuzzy dynamics to mastering the art of creating a shoegaze effect. Chino Moreno’s dream-like vocals help amplify this effect, creating a cascade of imagery and tone, setting in stone that Deftones is clearly not scared of breaking barriers by staying out of the confines of a specific genre. “i think about you all the time” exemplifies this shoegaze-like aura, while “my mind is a mountain” reflects on just how heavy and brutal they pull through with their relentless tone. “milk of the madonna” is one of the thunderous, electrifying songs that make you just feel alive. This feeling wouldn’t be possible without Abe Cunningham going on overdrive in his powerful drumming. Deftones has yet to let me down, always coming through with more goodies throughout the years. With every release, I feel like a kid getting ready to open a Christmas present. 

Fallujah
Xenotaph
Nuclear Blast
Street: 06.13.2025
Fallujah = Rivers of Nihil + Imperial Triumphant 

Prog-death metal band Fallujah released their sixth studio album Xenotaph this year. “Xeno” means alien or foreign, and “Taph” means some sort of tomb in Greek. This album is interstellar and covers themes of space and time with notes of atmospheric melodies and speedy breakdowns. Fallujah is more than just a death metal band. The San Francisco natives are ferocious and technical in their sound. “Kaleidoscopic Waves” shows just how versatile they can be with spacey effects, guttural vocals and polyrhythmic drumming. Listening to this album has invoked a sort of cosmic death in me; there is so much intensity and brutal death riffs, it’s hard to tell how I want to feel. This album is exceptionally creative and absolutely mythical. I would recommend giving “The Crystalline Veil” a listen; it is full of harmonic solos, and their use of blast beats just adds to the heaviness of their dissonant guitars.

Lorna Shore
I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me
Century Media Records
Street: 09.12.2025
Lorna Shore = Carnifex + Shadow of Intent 

Lorna Shore is back and with a more powerful punch after the success of their 2022 album, Pain Remains. Dissecting the title itself, one would assume it would be about inner torment and some imminent release of destruction from within. Lorna Shore is merciless in their progressive deathcore-like style. This album is the personification of what they stand for: heavy, relentless and downright deadly. Vocalist Will Ramos’ range of dynamics make this band one of a kind in its genre. Ramos’ ability to shift his vocal range from deep growls to high screams is quite impressive. “In Darkness” conveys what it’s like to be on the sidelines and different from the rest; it depicts what it’s like to be in the darkness, then become it. The New Jersey band has great storytelling, and with their orchestral elements fused with intense breakdowns, Lorna Shore stands out from other deathcore and black metal bands. This album is more complex than it’s made out to be, with deeper meanings and intricate musical structures. Lorna Shore owns their style. 

Warbringer
Wrath And Ruin
Napalm Records
Street: 03.14.2025
Warbringer = Municipal Waste + Iron Reagan 

Warbringer is a pure representation of modern thrash metal and has summoned the thrash gods to cast wickedness, rage and fury with their latest album, Wrath And Ruin. The album kicks off with “The Sword And The Cross,” introducing insane chugging styles and a speedy tempo, foreshadowing the intensity and rawness of their sound. Warbringer elicits the feeling of what it’s like for an old lady to clutch her pearls as they absolutely deliver punchy riffs and rapid-fire drumming. “Neuromancer” reverberates in one’s cranium with lyrics such as “Consensual hallucination / I induce domination / Copy the deceased / Manipulate your dreams.” Wrath And Ruin is unworldly as it unleashes many themes of violence, chaos and destruction. Full of high energy and short guitar structures, the solos reflect how easy it can be to get lost in the feeling of intense rage. Overall, Wrath And Ruin is forceful and brutal. I would recommend this album to those who thrive off an incendiary force.

Wicked Temple
AMERICAN HORROR
Self-Released
Street: 10.24.2025
Wicked Temple = Venom + Slayer

Local hardcore-metal-thrash band Wicked Temple has done it again, releasing a unique EP  titled AMERICAN HORROR. Not only is this EP unique in sound but also in concept, as the brutal band explores themes of American horror and its influences, with songs such as “CANDYMAN,” which is based on the 1992 film of the same name, and “BRIGHTBURN,” based on the 2019 film. Vocalist CK Arthur creates a perfect narrative for their listeners as lead guitarist Brandon Arthur’s rage-defying riffs send sonic shockwaves, hounded by rhythmic bassist Brad Schatz. Wicked Temple is not only fueled by madness; Jackson Barlows’ primal drumming amplifies their raw aggression and power. Wicked Temple’s distinctive sound creates an insatiable palette for more headbanging music. Good thing they are up to no good and brewing up some more brutal tunes for the upcoming year — be on the lookout for more!

Read more Year-End Top 5’s from 2025:
Top Five Noisy Albums of 2025 To Burn a Hole Into Your Brain
Top Five Indie-ish Albums of 2025 for the Saddest Clown at the Political Protest