Chime Oblivion – Chime Oblivion (Death God)
Timeless postpunk jams from a timeless cast of characters with histories in groups that run the full gamut of the punk spectrum from the early new wave of Adam & The Ants and Bow Wow Wow to punk no-wave jazz of The Flying Luttenbachers to the whatever era of The Osees you like, all coming together across a generational divide to create this timeless music as Chime Oblivion. Replete with skronking sax, head-bobber beats, punchy garage kicks, dubby bass lines, and the unbeatable voice of H.L. Nelly from underrated Castle Face band Naked Lights, this gift from the underground gods is a righteous 30-minute blast that we need to gather the tribes and defeat the fascist regime. An instant classic and timeless.
HHY & The Kampala Unit – Turbo Meltdown (Nyege Nyege Tapes)
A menacing percussive collab last seen in 2020 with the Lithium Blast release, Portugal’s HHY (aka Jonathan Uliel Saldanha) once again teams up with Ugandan vocalist and horn player Florence Nandawula and a cast of others for 30 minutes of hard-hitting ethno-industrial instrumental music. Like Lithium Blast, Turbo Meltdown keeps the sound tapestry interesting by creating an imposing atmosphere with reverb and nicely balanced bombast that hits the higher ranges with trumpet, synth and raw musique concrète samples, while the lower frequencies offer abusive subwoofer punches and bouncing bass ferocity. Song titles like “Apex Predator”, “Neon Veil Collapse”, and “Vicious Bliss”, also help paint a picture of where this music is coming from. Another solid LP from the always reliable Nyege Nyege Tape label.
Lamp of Murmuur – The Dreaming Prince in Ecstacy (Wolves of Hades)
Following up 2023’s Saturnian Bloodstorm, the secret is clearly out about this mysterious black metal solo act, as Lamp of Murmuur live actions have become more common and this record was recognized as one of Decibel magazine’s top 40 albums of 2025. As established with earlier releases, Lamp of Murmuur’s epic black metal should please fans of Emperor or symphonic black metal groups where the keyboards do more than add atmosphere. Thoughtful compositional choices and lush instrumentation keep things interesting. Two of the tracks push past the 9-minute mark, including the expansive “Forest of Hallucinations” and the third part of the title track, which expands the full movement to just past 22 minutes. Album closer “A Brute Angel’s Sorrow” also reminds listeners that M has a penchant for gothy death rock as well, with its ringing acoustic guitar and bell choruses that would not feel out of place on a Fields of Nephilim album. All around a majestic and moving work of dark art.
Psico Galera – Memorie di Occhi Grigi (Sorry State)
Four years after their stunning Le Stanze Della Mente debut LP, Venice, Italy’s Psico Galera are back with another ripping slab of weirdo hardcore. Their original take on the genre can primarily be heard with Marco Simonella’s warbling bee-buzzing guitar tone and unhinged leads, which shape the quintet’s peculiarly pleasing punk palette. Allegedly inspired by RKL’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare album, it’s clear that Psico Galera are looking to push hardcore punk into more complex and musically sophisticated zones, as evidenced by the bass-driven intro to “Imperfetto, sil Imperfetto”, the dropping guitar bends that destabilize the riff in “Le Cattive Maniere” or the unexpected sound effects like the dropping lurch in “Lacrime & Pioggia” that totally pulls the rug from beneath your feet. One of the things I’ve harped on for years now here is the misnomer that hardcore punk is a limited by the nature of the art form. Here’s one of the best examples form 2025 of why that’s simply not true.
Puppet Wipes – Live Inside (Siltbreeze)
Live Inside offers an unraveling outsider punk that’s wildly unpredictable and appealing in a habit-forming way. You know you’re in for a fun ride with an intro and outro that evokes the plunking Casio classic “Da Da Da” by the ’80s German band Trio as this record applies a wildly dadaist approach to punk. While totally their own animal, Calgary’s Puppet Wipes have traces of early UK DIY brilliance in the form of The Fall’s fractured off-key hooks and Swell Maps scrappy inventiveness, but they’ve mutated them beyond recognition and added elements of Kleenex/Liliput brilliance and the shambolic weirdness of bands like Bunny Brains or Caroliner, where you never quite know what’s coming next. Lyrically they’re a blast too, as song titles like “The Unabomber Used To Come And Dance At Events” and “Do Ya Wanna Touch My Safety Pin?” made Live Inside one of the funnest listens in 2025. Lose your mind with the jamboree!
Scorpion Milk – Slime of the Times (Peaceville)
With the unfortunate passing of Killing Joke guitarist Geordie Walker in late 2023 I’ve allowed myself some leeway for bands who heavily lift from Master Walker’s swirling, minor chord churn playbook. The Killing Joke influence isn’t subtle on this record and I’ve also gotten past the band’s cheesy moniker, partly as it’s a semi-reboot of the early 2010s Helsinki outfit Beastmilk, whom I still hold a major soft spot for. The Slime of the Times album title is good, and most of all, numerous spins of this record have scratched the Killing Joke itch in a major way, making it safe to say that you’ll appreciate this if you’re a KJ fan or Beastmilk fan. It’s full of gloomy post-industrial goth sheen and takes a few death rock sideroads and pummeling Godflesh heaviness along the way. And while its influences clearly harken back to the darker roads of the ’80s and ’90s underground, Slime of the Times feels current and a perfectly fitting soundtrack to 2025.
Self Improvement – Syndrome (Feel It)
Delivering the goods after a solid demo and debut album, Long Beach postpunk leaders Self Improvement’s sophomore album was easy to recognize as one of the best releases in 2025, a fact clearly apparent at first listen and throughout the year. Their icy cool postpunk operates at a level of sophistication that few are able to accomplish with a wide open sound that uses empty spaces between the notes to color the few notes that are there. Take for example the chilling song “Scam” that echoes an emptiness with Jett Witchalls’ doubled up vocals and convulsions over a spare rhythm section and tense angular guitar, evoking so much feeling with such simple sonic ingredients. Even when Self Improvement kick up the pace, like on the song “Crashing”, there’s a detached coolness that gets delivered at full force. Though Syndrome is catchy and hummable, it’s not so much a record you hum along to, but one you’ll be haunted by.
Snõõper – Worldwide (Third Man)
These Nashville champs ran a few victory laps after 2023’s Super Snooper LP with constant tours and a sprinkling of singles, so to say this album was highly anticipated would be an understatement. Thankfully, Worldwide delivers as the band hasn’t lost their hyperkinetic creative genius nor their unmatched energy. For example, just bear witness to the snap and building tension on the lead track “Opt Out”, the infective new wavy catchiness of the title track, their choppy cover of the Beatles “Come Together” or the ripping fast “Blockhead” that all prove this quintet is far from slowing down creatively. Looking forward to seeing where they go from here.
Spam Caller – Bad Connection (Phage Tapes)
If there were an award for best-designed hardcore punk record of 2025, this would hands-down get my vote. Constructed by Youth Attack label honcho Mark McCoy, it perfectly captures the insanity of our time and the utter social havoc the internet and social media has wrought and putting it into stark black-and-white visuals that shine a harsh light the ominous techno machinations at work. And while my admiration for the cover art may be coloring my opinion of the sounds contained therein, Spam Caller definitely back up their strong visual identity with some ripping hardcore punk that paints liberally with elements of grindcore, power violence, D-beat, breakdowns, gang vocals, those echoey HC vocals that are all the rage these days and more. Patrick Baxter’s raw vocals and guitar are locked in with Jesse Pinske’s propulsive drumming and Dirte’s buzzsaw bass foundation, forming a tight trio that fully connects on Bad Connection.
Stereolab – Instant Holograms on Instant Film (Warp)
2025 saw the triumphant and much-needed return of these 1990s greats sounding as fresh as ever. Thanks in part to a masterful mix by Cooper Crain (CAVE, Bitchin Bajas, etc), beautifully captured retro sounds abound across all four sides of this essential new era of the Stereolab catalog, but this isn’t a simple indie novelty for the shelf, as the lyrical content on Instant Holograms is sharply pointed at the world of 2025. Even the instrumental tracks like “Electrified Teenybop!” feel contemporary and on point, allowing you to savor the authentically warm vintage vibes while being in the here and now. This release was essential in the year 2025.
Also noteworthy:
Bootcamp – Time’s Up (Convulse)
Decrepicy – Deific Mourning (Carbonized)
Des Demonas – Apocalyptic Boom! Boom! (In The Red)
Knowso – Hypnotic Smack (Sorry State)
Maraudeur – Flaschenträger (Feel It)
Osees – Abomination Revealed at Last (Death God)
S.C.I.M.N. – Monarch Joy (Swimming Faith)
Surgeon – Shell-Wave (Tresor)
Sympathy Flowers – Dreams of Lurking Fear (Cellofame)
Terror Corpse – Systems of Apocaplypse (Dark Descent)