Best New Music 2025 Edition

MY FAVOURITE MARCH ALBUMS:

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  • DYNAZTY - Game of Faces
  • YAZZ AHMED - Paradise in the Hold (Jazz)
  • Dirkschnneider - Balls to the Wall Reloaded
  • JETHRO TULL - Curious Ruminant
  • APOCALYPSE ORCHESTRA - A Plague for Thee
  • W.A.S.P. - Bonus Tracks and B Sides
  • RAVEN - Can't Take Away the Fire EP
  • Robin McAuley - Souldbound
  • Ricky Warwick - Blood Ties
  • Marko Hietala - Roses from the Deep
  • Rush - Rush 50
  • Djabe & Steve Hackett - Freya Arctic Jam
 
For all Slayer fans, I'm recommending this one: Spiritworld "Helldorado"

https://spiritworldprophet.bandcamp.com/album/helldorado-24-bit-hd-audio

A lot of late 80s/early 90s Slayer riffs, late 2000s Tom Araya vocals, occasional growl and a bit of Americana. 10 songs, 28 minutes - listen now, thank me later.
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MY FAVOURITE APRIL ALBUMS:

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  • THE LEWIS EXPRESS - Doo-Ha! (Jazz)
  • SMITH / KOTZEN - Black Light / White Noise
  • ENVY OF NONE - Stygian Wave
  • DREAM THEATER - Parasomnia
  • IQ - Dominion
 
Halestorm's new album came out recently - big fan of this one. It feels like it has a lot more going on than usual, and they've decided to actually put the guitar solos into the album here instead of only playing them live!
 
DJMayes said:
Halestorm's new album came out recently - big fan of this one. It feels like it has a lot more going on than usual, and they've decided to actually put the guitar solos into the album here instead of only playing them live!
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"Darkness Always Wins" is awesome. It recalls some old pop song so it feels like I've heard it before, but it is a great song. I sort of expected this to become their "Hail to the King", but it doesn't seem to happen?

Lots of good music this year, but only two great albums so far - The Darkness with Dreams on Toast leading the charge (4 goddamn excellent bonus track on the Member's Edition, don't miss those). The other one I consider great is Crazy Lixx with Thrill of the Bite - going to see them a second time this year because of that.
 
DJMayes said:
Halestorm's new album came out recently - big fan of this one. It feels like it has a lot more going on than usual, and they've decided to actually put the guitar solos into the album here instead of only playing them live!
Click to expand...
Will have to give it a few listens. It was a ballsy move to play as many as five songs from it when they supported Maiden, but the songs got better each show.
 

Midnight Danger just released the single "Nocturnal Immortal". One of the most exciting new artists for me - his synthwave style fuses exciting heavy metal guitar riffs & solos and retro horror movie soundtracks into something very cool, with an impeccable visual presentation.
 
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Maturin said:

Midnight Danger just released the single "Nocturnal Immortal". One of the most exciting new artists for me - his synthwave style fuses exciting heavy metal guitar riffs & solos and retro horror movie soundtracks into something very cool, with an impeccable visual presentation.
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Ooooh, nice, thank you
 
The new Battle Beast album, Steelbound, is out.

There's plenty to like here (Here We Are being my personal highlight) but I feel (and seem to be the only one, judging by reviews) that this represents a bit of a low point for the band. Their older albums had a lot of variation, which I was a big fan of. Circus of Doom did away with this in favour of a much more cohesive tone and sound throughout the album - which it succeeded at, because the songs themselves were very good. The songs on Steelbound aren't as exciting, so the lack of variation becomes a bit of a drag as the album goes on. The one place where the album really feels like it's threatening to do something new - Twilight Cabaret - ends up being a retread of King For A Day, and I wasn't the biggest fan of that song either!

Feels a strange review to stick in a "Best New Music" thread but it's a popular new release and has some genuinely good stuff in it. I'd recommend it on the strength of Here We Are alone, just curious if anyone else has similar misgivings about the album as a whole.
 
Battle Beast's new album, Steelbound, continues the quality line from the previous one. Similar albums. IMO - only 1 filler from 9 songs (one song is just a 2-minute intro)! Every song is memorable/has a memorable part, which is not that easy, despite their style. Noora's voice makes everything better, what a voice. Quite enjoyable and catchy ''metal'' for the soul, it deserves to be mentioned.

Best songs: ''The Burning Within'' (fitting opener), ''Here We Are'', ''Last Goodbye'', ''Blood Of Heroes'', ''Angel Of Midnight'', ''Watch The Sky Fall''. Next up is ''Riders Of The Storm''. Good choice of singles.

Do they need more variety, some more metal stuff? I guess so, but what I expect and want from them is this.

A few words:
The Burning Within - pure Nightwish start, a needed faster and heavier intro. Great verses and a very memorable chorus. Instant hit. Cool shredding solo.

Blood Of Heroes - Sabaton vibes, not just the melodies, but the verses too. The chorus deliver. The instrumental break is Celtic and it adds a lot, something different. Melodic solo.

Riders Of The Storm - ''Pirate Metal'', a lot of fun. The melody is Nightwish again. The pop verses work really cool, another catchy chorus. Some piano stuff too.

Watch The Sky Fall - a heavier riff for the closer, cool guitar licks. The verses are calm Nightwish, the chorus is nostalgic. Best solos.

And ofc the other 2 not mentioned songs have nice choruses (80s-esque), the title track and the slightly different Twilight Cabaret.
 
Kalata said:
Do they need more variety, some more metal stuff? I guess so, but what I expect and want from them is this.
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You've mischaracterised my point completely here - I don't want "more metal stuff", I'd actually prefer less. This album feels like it has abandoned all of the experiments in favour of 8-9 by-the-books power metal songs, and I think it suffers for it. Circus Of Doom did this as well, but I felt the songs on that album were stronger on average than this one.
 
Wings Of Steel - Winds Of Time


Second album from them, solid classic metal (8 songs!). Good production, vocalist and playing. A must for old school metal fans. I like how there are songs with lengths: 10, two 6, 8, two 5 minutes.

Best songs: the title track, ''We Rise'', ''Burning Sands'', ''Saints And Sinners''... no weak songs!
The first 2 singles, the long title track and ''We Rise'' - are still big highlights. Both are classic stuff with each part.

''Saints And Sinners'' - cool fast short rocker. Effective chorus, high vocals, noticeable riff, great solo shredding- lots on the album.

''Crying'' - typical nice metal ballad, great melody and fine verses/chorus.

''Burning Sands'' - great heavy riff, fitting verses, the slow chorus was probably needed. Still very nice. The highlight is the ancient sounding (and longer) instrumental section and the solos! Classic stuff.

''To Die In Holy War'' - power metal-esque song. Interesting intro, effective driving rhythm and chorus. The riff under the solo is cool, while the solo is textbook power metal.

''Lights Go Out'' - mid-tempo heavy banger, the riff (it could be Black Sabbath) and verses reminds me of early Stratovarius. The melancholic chorus works. Longer solo. The marching rhythm is everything for the vibe.

''Flight Of The Eagle'' - the long closer starts with a fitting calm (and longer) intro. It's a slow song, the verses and chorus deliver what they are trying to achieve. Quite good slow solo. I like how almost all solos are longer. Kudos. There is another whispering part, and then at the end - a fast part of this big ballad-y song. Pure metal riff and great melodies (one of the highlights of the whole album).
 
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