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MY TOP 10 METAL ALBUMS OF 2025

The Heavy Metal Journal | September 14, 2026



#albumoftheyear #metal #heavymetal #blackmetal #deathmetal

And we’re finally here! My Top 10 Metal Albums of 2025.

As I said in the video, I’ve created two new Spotify Playlists which are linked below!

Let me know what you think of my Top 10 and share yours too!

You can support my work and help me to improve the channel here by Buying Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theheavymetaljournal

Spotify Playlists:

Top 40 Albums: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7nuvvPZehDLoev49f33JJQ?si=52b3fa7c9003436c

Top 40 Tracks: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/65Ywi5AxCHtPVTvIo6MAoB?si=cee4dab340924507

Band Details:

10. Hooded Menace – Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration https://hoodedmenace.bandcamp.com/album/lachrymose-monuments-of-obscuration

9. …And Oceans – The Regeneration Itinerary https://andoceans.bandcamp.com/album/the-regeneration-itinerary

8. 1914 – Viribus Unitis https://x1914x.bandcamp.com/album/viribus-unitis

7. Autrest – Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves https://autrest.bandcamp.com/album/burning-embers-forgotten-wolves

6. Labyrinthus Stellerum – Rift In Reality https://labyrinthusstellarum.bandcamp.com/album/rift-in-reality

5. Orbit Culture – Death Above Life https://orbitculture.bandcamp.com/album/death-above-life-24-bit-hd-audio

4. One of Nine – Dawn of the Iron Shadow https://oneofnine.bandcamp.com/album/dawn-of-the-iron-shadow

3. Blackbraid – Blackbraid III https://blackbraid.bandcamp.com/album/blackbraid-iii

2. Bloody Valkyria – In Our Home, Across The Fog https://bloodyvalkyria.bandcamp.com/album/in-our-home-across-the-fog

1. Paradise Lost – Ascension https://paradiselostofficial.bandcamp.com/album/ascension

Contact Details

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Written by The Heavy Metal Journal

Comments

This post currently has 49 comments.

  1. @stardst3080

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    Where do you find all the shitty records? Haven’t you heard of Scars on Broadway ghost sleep token arch enemy silly goose all of this bands you can listen to them all day long who wants to hear stupid death and black metal going to work or coming home from work or in the car or in the shower nobody

  4. @muzz798

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    Hi Lindsay here’s my ranked list for 2025:
    1. Ereb Altor – Hälsingemörker (epic Viking metal)
    2. An Abstract Illusion – The Sleeping City (progressive melodeath)
    3. Godark – Omniscience (melodeath)
    4. Saor – Amidst the Ruins (atmospheric/folk black metal)
    5. In Mourning – The Immortal (progressive melodeath)
    6. Sonus Mortis – Synapse the Hivemind (symphonic/progressive death metal)
    7. Lord Of The Lost – Opvs Noir Vol. 1 (gothic metal)
    8. Arch Enemy – Blood Dynasty (melodeath)
    9. Cradle of Filth – The Screaming of the Valkries (gothic metal)
    10. Testament – Para Bellum (blackened groove metal)
    11. Lacuna Coil – Sleepless Empire Italy (gothic metal)
    12. Evoking Winds – Echoes (epic/folk black metal)
    13. Fog Warning – Perils Below (post black metal)
    14. In The Woods – Otra (gothic progressive metal)
    15. Green Carnation – A Dark Poem Pt 1.: The Shores of Melancholia (gothic progressive metal)
    16. Machine Head – Unatoned USA (groove metal)
    17. Rivers of Nihil – Rivers of Nihil (progressive death metal)
    18. Balance Breach – Save our Souls (melodic metalcore)
    19. Amorphis – Borderland (progressive/folk melodeath)
    20. Before The Dawn – Cold Flare Eternal (melodeath)
    21. Crematory – Destination (gothic metal)
    22. Equilibrium – Equinox (progressive/folk melodeath)
    23. The Five Hundred – Ghostwriter (melodic metalcore)
    24. Bleeding Through – Nine (atmospheric metalcore)
    25. Bloody Valkyria – In Our Home, Across The Fog (symphonic/melodic black metal)
    26. Ludus Umbrarum – Reveria Umbrarum in Tenebris (symphonic/melodic black metal)
    27. Sakis Tolis – Everything Comes To An End (Hellenic black/heavy metal)
    28. The Halo Effect – March of the Unheard (melodeath)
    29. Soulfly – Chama (blackened groove metal)
    30. Omnium Gatherum – May The Bridges We Burn Light The Way (melodeath)

  5. @cilafr

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    Hi Lindsay and Happy new year 2026. Thank you so much for having curated all these amazing 2025 albums. It s real gold for ears ! As a lot of people in France I use Deezer to stream music instead of Spotify because it's the local provider and also because soundwise it's high quality 🙂 So I already created the 'best metal 2025' Deezer playlist following your recommendations… yeah I 100% trust you in your choices 🙂

  6. @imfireproof

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    Fantastic list! BlackBraid 3 is an ESSENTIAL member of the lineup here! That album is a MASTERPIECE! I also LOVE your inclusion of 1914 and One Of Nine! 🔥🔥🔥🔥

    I’m also checking out the other bands and albums you mentioned one by one. Great list!

  8. @WhiteThugNo3

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    Intercourse – How I fell in love with the void
    Chat Pile + Hayden Pedigo – In the earth again
    Blackbraid -Blackbraid III
    King Yousef – Spire of Fear

    I also bonded with Nerver, Cash Bribe, Unhinge. Couch Slut, and Hísemtuks Hími•n

  10. @stevenscharmer1765

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    Thanks for your list, and your helpful thoughts. Here are mine:
    1. Morbikon – Lost Within The Astral Crypts
    2. One Of Nine – Dawn Of The Iron Shadow
    3. Aversed – Erasure of Color
    4. Blackbraid – III
    5. Vermilia – Karsikko
    6. GraveRipper – From Welkin To Tundra
    7. …And Oceans – The Regeneration Itinerary
    8. Eluveitie – Anv
    9. Lamp Of Murmuur – The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy
    10. Castle Rat – The Bestiary
    Plus an Ep: Obscure Sphinx – Emovere

    Honorable mentions: Zmarlym, LIK, Sheev, Agriculture, Sakna, Sleep Paralysis, Paula Teles.

  11. @daimonsage_1o818

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    I've heard most of what's on your EOTY list, but most of 1914 or Paradise Lost isn't to my taste. Too polished for me. I'm not sure if that Stellarum is better than their other output.

    I much prefer the rawer stuff. For fans of atmospheric synth-laden black metal with a hint of weird:

    Collier d'Ombre
    Muvitium
    Stangarigel
    Mournful Moon
    Trha
    Triumphal Vengeance
    Vesperal
    Kveldstimer
    Gates of Dawn
    Blutschwur
    Greve
    Mesfetor
    The Blood Mountain Black Metal Choir
    Harlot's Nest

  12. @jones7661

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    Thank you thats an awesome Top 10 List 😊. And as always there are some new finds to explore. My Number 1 is Paradise Lost as well. They are such a good Band after they rediscovered their growling again. 😅

    The other 9 Albums are in no special order but some of my most listened.

    Paradise Lost: Ascension
    Grima: Nightside
    Wythersake: At war with their Divinity
    Fluoryne: Transneptunian
    Wrath of Logarius: Crown of Mortis
    Bloody Valkyria: In our home, across the fog
    Lamp of Murmur: The dreaming prince in ecstasy
    Aeon Winds: An oder to the Mountains
    Labyrinthus Stellarum: Vortex of the worlds
    Autrest: Burning embers, forgotten Wolves

  13. @paradoxicalbum4489

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    Glad to see Bloody Valkyria get some love. I discovered them from your end of year list last year so was shocked to see another album so soon and it is easily the album I've listened to the most throughout the year. It sad I'm just not seeing this album get the recognition it deserves across the metal fandom.

  14. @thomasmcnamara5929

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    I think I’ll listen to some of these, especially in the bottom of the 10 list.

    In the meantime, I wonder if I’m the only straight guy here. Lindsay looks drop dead gorgeous, stunning, captivating, and sexy. The Scottish accent is very lovely and charming as well. 😍🥰

  15. @SonAsus1

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    New band i found out about today! Black metal from UK, new album released in November 2025 and this is their new singel out today!
    Astarothica- Frozen Forest

    Seems to be a really interesting band! Just hope it`s not AI…

  17. @zolikiss2854

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    I like your taste in metal, even if only 2 of your picks are in my top 10 picks this year, number 1 and 10. Blackbraid is good but honestly II and III are just a re-hash of their debut. Novembers Doom was the revelation of 25 after a few weaker albums.

  19. @richardmosesson5191

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    My Top 10 AOTY List
    1. This Gift Is a Curse – Heir
    2. Smohalla – Ruina Draconis
    3. Imperial Triumphant – Goldstar
    4. Jade – Mysteries of a Flowery Dream
    5. Floating – Hesitating Lights
    6. Witherer – Shadow Without a Horizon
    7. Fear Gorta – Ash in Winter….
    8. Patristic – Cathecesis
    9. Gaahls WYRD – Braiding the Stories
    10. Blindfolded And Led to the Woods – The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me

  22. @fata255

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    Very stacked year for metal this year, it was hard for me to narrow it down to just 10.

    10.Between The Buried And Me – The Blue Nowhere

    09. Heaven Shall Burn – Heimat

    08. The Haunted – Songs Of Last Resort

    07. Deftones – Private Music

    06. Testament – Para Bellum

    05. Amorphis – Borderland

    04. Omnium Gatherum – May The Bridges We Burn Light The Way

    03. Whitechapel – Hymns In Dissonance

    02. The Halo Effect – March Of The Unheard

    01. Paradise Lost – Ascension

    Extras could have made my top 10/ honorable mentions.

    Mors Principium Est – Darkness Invisible

    Allegaeon – The Ossuary Lens

    Orbit Culture – Death Above Life

    Caliban – Back From Hell

    Malevolence – Where Only The Truth Is Spoken

    Ghost – Skeleta

  23. @StuartTester

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    Amazing top 10 picks.
    💯 agree with Paradise Lost @ No.1, just awesome from start to finish
    I’d have Orbit Culture at 2, Bloody Valkyrie at 3, Hooded Menace at 4 & 1914 at 5 but that’s just today.
    Thank you for some great reviews and intros to loads of new bands, if 2026 is as good as 2025 then it’ll be a blast 🤘

  28. @llongone2

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    I love this time of year. I watch a lot of these YT Top 10/20/50/100 metal albums of the year. I discover so many great bands and albums this way.

    EDIT: I also really like the Orbit Culture and Paradise Lost albums!

  30. @muzz798

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    Finally someone else appreciating Bloody Valkyria. Reminded me of last years Dwarrowdelf. Did you hear the Evoking Winds final album Echoes and their brilliant Your Rivers from last year

  43. @kevinoneill6462

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    Thanks for all the vids and hard work that goes into them. Such a great source to find new music. My top 5:
    5. Gruesome – Silent Echoes
    4. Falling Leaves – The Silence That Binds Us
    3. Autrest – Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves
    2. November's Doom – Major Arcana
    1. Paradise Lost – Ascension
    The PL album is just amazing, can't believe they can still produce such a stunning album!!

  46. @ControllerOfMinds

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    Overall a good list! Seems we agree on quite a bit =)
    My personal top 10:
    In Mourning – The Immortal
    Havukruunu – Tavastland
    Warbringer – Wrath And Ruin
    Hypermass – Apparition Day
    The Haunted – Songs of Last Resort
    Cryptosis – Celestial Death
    Eluveitie – Ànv
    Lord of The Lost – Opvs Noir Vol. 1
    Omnium Gatherum – May The Bridges We Burn Light The Way
    Amorphis – Borderland

  48. @josephconstantine1799

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    Great list! I was surprised Ancient Death didn't make your top 40. It was one of my personal favorite albums of 2025, which I discovered thanks to your weekly videos. I remember you being ALL about that album, but it must not have made the final cut. Have a great holiday!

  49. @NahkaparturiX

    September 14, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    I have never seen your videos before but I guess the algorithm new something. Interesting picks that all sounded good to me. And as a Finn I'm obviously happy about how many of ours ended up on your list. And as to the 1st pick .. Gothic is the best metal album ever released and I will probably never change my opinion on that. I still remember the day I bought it, what kind of weather it was and how this album completely blew me away, so yeah, can't complain about Paradise Lost being on the top spot.

Comments are closed.

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