Claire’s Top 10 Albums of 2025!
I’ll be the first to say it: I’ve been Subwaypilled. Becoming part of The Progressive Subway team this year has been an absolutely delightful experience, albeit a somewhat all-consuming one. Music has always been a foundational, fundamentally important aspect of my life—whether discovering new bands, swapping recommendations with friends, or attending live shows—and this year I’ve been fortunate to do all of those things alongside my colleagues at the Subway. Their musical knowledge, wit, and skill as writers have continually impressed me, and they’ve led me to countless new discoveries.
2025 took me to places I didn’t expect (I mean that mostly in the figurative sense, although I did also spend a few days in New Jersey). Along the way, I found albums that challenged, thrilled, and moved me. I’m very excited about all the selections in my top ten, and have thoroughly enjoyed assembling this list, which comprises some of my long-time favourite bands as well as many newly discovered gems.
I figured it would be best to get all that sentimental stuff out of the way before I get fired for picking mostly overground bands in my year-end roundup for an ostensibly underground-focused music blog. It was fun while it lasted, folks!1
Top Live Sets of the Year: As a little warmup to my top ten countdown, here’s a bonus category. There’s truly no place I would rather be than the front row of a metal show, being buffeted by sweaty strangers as they’re jettisoned out of orbit from the mosh pit. I saw 72 live sets performed by 69 different artists this year. These were my favourites:
- Green Carnation (Progpower USA, 3 September 2025). The best word I can think of to describe Green Carnation’s live performances is “entrancing”. Though technical issues caused a lengthy delay before the start of this set, all the tension simply melted away when the band took the stage to perform their new album, The Shores of Melancholia, in full.
- Alaclair Ensemble (Salle de l’église du village de Mont-Tremblant, 8 November 2025). Ok, so I’m aware that there may not be a tremendous overlap between fans of underground prog metal and fans of québécois rap groups, but Alaclair Ensemble is always a good time. Seeing them perform in a renovated church on my birthday with a group of friends made for a memorable way to kick off the latest chapter of my life.
- Rivers of Nihil (Progpower USA, 5 September 2025). I was lucky enough to catch RoN twice this year, and they were firing on all cylinders at ProgPower USA. With a terrifically balanced setlist, blast beats that vibrated through my entire body, and the charmingly eclectic stage presence of saxophonist Patrick Corona, this set stuck with me long after the lights came up.
- Alcest (Theatre Beanfield, 22 March 2025). Come for the home decor ideas, stay for Neige and his band. Everything about this show was lovely, from the aesthetics of the stage decorations to the setlist to the crowd. A mesmerizing performance from start to finish.
- Thank You Scientist (Amityville Music Hall, 25 May 2025). I’ve seen TYS live more than any other band, and I was excited to catch them with their new singer, Daimon Alexandrius. He fit in like a puzzle piece sliding effortlessly into place, the rest of the band was on fire (guitarist Tom Monda shredded so hard he broke not one but TWO guitar strings during the set), and I danced through the entire show with a smile on my face.
10. Wardruna – Birna
Style: Neo-pagan folk, dark folk, neofolk (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Sowulo, Heilung, Forndom, Nytt Land
You may not like it, but this is what the peak Christmas album looks like (to me). Birna arrives tinged with wintry woodsmoke and timeless ritual, as Wardruna continue to explore Norse folk and neo-pagan soundscapes with a blend of traditional instruments, choral chant, and hypnotic rhythms that evoke deep forests and long winters. If you’re attuned to atmospheric and meditative music, Birna rewards patience and curiosity, as its tracks unfurl with pensive, unhurried grace. Subtle layers of pulsing percussion, harps and flutes, and vocals that range from dreamlike to commandingly primal slowly immerse the listener in a world rooted in nature and myth. Tracks like “Hertan” and “Himinndotter” swell with growing rhythmic fervour, while pieces such as “Dvaledraumar” and “Jord til Ljos” stretch into evocative explorations of hibernation and rebirth. Wardruna’s vocal performances and organic textures make Birna feel like an ancient ceremony recast for the modern listener. Birna earns its place in my top ten not with bold, high-octane maneuvering (we’ll get to that later), but as a contemplative and richly immersive experience.
Recommended tracks: Ljos til Jord, Jord til Ljos, Hertan, Himinndotter
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
9. BRUIT ≤ – The Age of Ephemerality
Style: Post-rock, modern classical, electronica (instrumental)
Recommended for fans of: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Explosions in the Sky, Caspian, We Lost the Sea
The Age of Ephemerality had a couple things working against it when it came to securing a spot in my top ten. There’s the album’s lack of availability on Spotify, the slightly eyeroll-inducing manifesto from the band explaining why their music isn’t available on Spotify, and perhaps most damning of all, the fact that my colleague Andy won’t shut up about how much he likes it2. That The Age of Ephemerality ultimately won me over anyway is a testament to just how breathtaking it is. Bruit ≤ construct their compositions patiently, allowing tracks to unfurl in slow, expansive waves that gather emotional and sonic weight as they roll on. The contrasting sounds of electronic breakbeats and blooming classical orchestrations are never at odds; instead, these seemingly disparate elements speak fluently to each other, converging toward climaxes so dense and overwhelming they feel almost physical, pressing down on your chest. Most tracks begin in a hush, like “Progress / Regress”, whose delicate introductory guitar and cello are gradually enveloped by a soundscape that curls outwards and swells into something immense. Elsewhere, the men’s choir closing “Technoslavery / Vandalism” gives me chills as its solemn unison fractures into reverent harmony. The Age of Ephemerality is gripping, moving, and rawly emotional.
Recommended tracks: Progress / Regress, Technoslavery / Vandalism, The Intoxication of Power
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
8. Green Carnation – A Dark Poem Part I: The Shores of Melancholia
Style: Progressive metal, gothic metal (mixed vocals, mostly clean)
Recommended for fans of: Katatonia, Pain of Salvation, Anathema, Opeth, Paradise Lost, In the Woods…
Ah, Green Carnation. I’ve had plenty of chances to sing their praises on The Progressive Subway already, but I can happily go on. The Shores of Melancholia is rich with the tremendous depth of feeling that Green Carnation have always excelled at, but the melancholy is channeled into momentum that sees tracks surge, crest, and push forward with assurance. While the album is thematically steeped in sorrow and reflection, its execution is anything but subdued, with clever modulations, tempo shifts, and performances that impress without showboating. Moments of heightened energy, like the guest vocal appearance from Enslaved’s Grutle Kjellson, inject jolts of intensity that complement the surrounding emotional scope without overwhelming it. What makes The Shores of Melancholia so compelling is this balance between introspection and drive. Green Carnation sound invigorated here, not content to simply revisit familiar territory, but actively reanimating it with renewed purpose.
Recommended tracks: As Silence Took You, The Slave That You Are
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
7. Cardiacs – LSD
Style: Progressive punk, experimental rock, psychedelic rock, art rock (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Captain Beefheart, black midi, Frank Zappa, Oingo Boingo, Ad Nauseam
Getting addicted to LSD wasn’t on my 2025 bingo card. Though I had heard of Cardiacs here and there over my years in the prog space, I’d never actually listened to them before this year. While initially intimidated by my colleague Ishmael’s James Joyce-ian review (I gave up several sentences into Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man when I tried to read it in high school), I was quickly hooked when I gave LSD a try. Cardiacs’ cheekily subversive song structures (or lack thereof), oblique lyrics, and constantly shifting modulations scratch an itch in my brain that few other bands can. Released after the passing of Cardiacs frontman Tim Smith, LSD blends punk energy, progressive complexity, psychedelia, and art‑rock eccentricity into songs that dart suddenly, swing unexpectedly, and zig when you expect them to zag. It’s a kaleidoscopic collage of ideas, from the peremptory yet lurching horns of opener “Men In Bed” to the demented circus music of “By Numbers”. While LSD surely rewards repeated listens, it’s an album that doesn’t ask to be understood so much as taken on its own delirious terms.
Recommended tracks: Downup, Lovely Eyes, Men In Bed, Skating
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
6. Fallujah – Xenotaph
Style: Progressive death metal, technical death metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Rivers of Nihil, Kardashev, The Zenith Passage, Allegaeon, Vale of Pnath
Xenotaph is a tightly coiled supernova of sound, bursting with explosive galactic energy. Fallujah don’t waste time window-dressing; they deliver their ideas with precision and urgency. Centering around the gravity-defying guitar acrobatics from Scott Carstairs and Sam Mooradian, tracks like “Step Through the Portal and Breathe” or “The Obsidian Architect” show Fallujah sprinting ahead at full tilt before pulling up at the foot of hefty walls of sound. The roiling interplay of Kyle Schaefer’s harsh and clean vocals (with the latter being slightly more prominent than on past albums) heightens the album’s push-and-pull, and ballistic drumming drives Xenotaph forward. Layered synths and textured atmospheric interludes further expand the album’s sense of scale, giving these technically ferocious tracks room to breathe. Every moment feels purposeful, guiding the listener through surges of intensity, flashes of melodic clarity, and cavernous breakdowns. Technical, tactical, and tenaciously executed, Xenotaph is a confident addition to the discography of one of my favourite tech-death bands.
Recommended tracks: Step Through the Portal and Breathe, The Obsidian Architect, Xenotaph
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
5. Rivers of Nihil – Rivers of Nihil
Style: Progressive death metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Fit For an Autopsy, Black Crown Initiate, Fallujah, Gojira
Let’s not mince words: I’m a basic bitch. While some longtime fans greeted Rivers of Nihil’s self-titled album as a kind of smoothing-over, with simpler structures, more prominent clean vocals, and fewer overt curveballs, I was immediately on board. Rivers of Nihil is a confident, imposing album whose sheer physical impact demands to be felt. Album opener “The Sub-Orbital Blues” was one of my top tracks of the year, but the whole album is replete with bangers. Blast beats, thick guitar, and Adam Biggs’ crushing harsh vocals surge with relentless, visceral force, while Andy Thomas’ clean vocals and Patrick Corona’s undulating saxophone serve not as concessions but as contrast, sharpening the impact. At the same time, the band doesn’t shy away from surprisingly catchy choruses and memorable hooks, proving that heaviness and accessibility can coexist. When the riffs of “Water & Time” or “House of Light” burst out like an unstoppable force, I don’t analyze them—I simply brace and let the weight crash over me.
Recommended tracks: The Sub-Orbital Blues, Water & Time, House of Light
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
4. Yellow Eyes – Confusion Gate
Style: Progressive black metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Blut Aus Nord, Urfaust, Advent Sorrow
Do you see that dark figure looming at the crest of the hill? He wants to take you through the Confusion Gate, where you’ll find me nursing a burgeoning Yellow Eyes obsession, spurred on by colleagues Andy and Justin. This otherworldly black metal band’s seventh album, Confusion Gate, is a discordant, mesmerizing treasure—perhaps the most beautiful album on my countdown, despite being the only one with fully harsh vocals. At the heart of Yellow Eyes’ sound is the tremendous dual guitar work from brothers Will and Sam Skarstad, whose lines coil, clash, and converge, propelling the music forward like trudging uphill through deep snow. The delicate, pretty configurations tucked inside the prevailing gnarl of dissonance allow moments of uneasy calm to surface. The effect is unsettling but inviting, and cleverly reshaped motifs and melodies from previous album Master’s Murmur float in the liminal space of a half-remembered dream. Once you’ve passed through the gate, it’s difficult to find your way back.
Recommended tracks: Brush the Frozen Horse, The Thought of Death, I Fear the Master’s Murmur
Related links: Bandcamp | Instagram | original review
3. Crippling Alcoholism – Camgirl
Style: Gothic rock, noise rock (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Swans, Chat Pile, The Cure, New Order
Great music doesn’t always make you feel good. Sometimes it might make you uncomfortable; slightly nauseous; disturbed but unable to turn away. You need look no further than Crippling Alcoholism’s Camgirl to understand how. Dark, grimy, and impeccably executed, this synth-soaked gothic rock opus sucked me into its seamy universe full of drugs and shame and e-girls the moment that I picked it up for review, and it hasn’t let go since. Glossy, nocturnal synth lines predominate the insidiously catchy Camgirl, shimmering above an insistent rhythmic pulse and vocals that ride a wave from rage to ecstasy to collapse. It’s a voyeuristic, lurid spectacle, steeped in intimacy and emotional degradation. Camgirl handily secures its place on my list by committing fully to its aesthetic, as Crippling Alcoholism show us how revulsion and compulsion are sometimes two sides of the same hook.
Recommended tracks: bedrot, CAMGIRL, Pretty in Pink
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
2. Moron Police – Pachinko
Style: Progressive rock (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Haken, Thank You Scientist, Closure in Moscow, The Dear Hunter, Bear Ghost
There is little to say about Pachinko that my colleague Ian didn’t already articulate in his terrific review, but I’ll say a little more anyway. Moron Police have long been one of my favourite bands. 2019’s A Boat on the Sea buoyed me through some challenging times; EP The Stranger and the Hightide’s country-infused sidebar was a delight if far too brief; and Pachinko feels like slipping on a familiar sweater, cozy and soft in all the right ways. The reprises from the last album are clever without being self-indulgent. Having tempered their early-career wackiness into gentle whimsy, the Morons prove themselves capable of wielding lyrical themes such as disillusionment, longing, and nihilism with a tender touch. Vocalist Sondre Skollevoll delivers his finest performance to date, effortlessly gliding between silky-smooth lows and a clear, expressive upper register that never strains for drama. Not to be outdone, the formidably proggy instrumentations, including trumpet, cello, saxophone and more, are integrated so naturally that even the more adventurous flourishes land lightly on the bouncy, feel-good foundation. Pachinko refines everything that Moron Police already did well, and delights at every turn.
Recommended tracks: King Among Kittens, Okinawa Sky, Pachinko, Pt. I
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
1. Dissona – Receptor
Style: Progressive metal, symphonic metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Devin Townsend, Celldweller, Sybreed, Leprous (Bilateral)
Dense, decadent, and exhilaratingly maximalist, Receptor is an album that reminds me why I fell in love with metal. It could very easily be too much, but Dissona thread the needle brilliantly, offering up a cinematic, richly composed hour of baroque-influenced, cyber-tinged progressive metal. Vocalist David Dubenic sings of a power that “makes one crawl as well as tower tall”, and his commanding performance compels you to feel both alongside him, as he lurches manically from magisterial heights to frightened, feeble uncertainty. Featured vocal contributions from Fabienne Enri (Eluveitie, Illumishade) are the icing on the cake. Though Receptor comes packaged up with an intricate concept, Dissona favour showing over telling, as the terrific vocals are complemented by careening guitars, space-age synths, and a razor-sharp sense of pacing that sees the band pull back in all the right places. Even after listening dozens of times, the electrified harpsichord that opens “Incisor” still gets me unreasonably hyped. It’s worth noting that as my most revisited album of the year, Receptor comes from the band with the smallest audience. Perhaps it takes an underdog these days to make an album that executes true grandeur without disappearing up its own ass. Whatever the reason, when I listen to Receptor, I feel like I’m brushing up against a past version of myself, one who’s discovering bands like Kamelot and Nightwish for the first time and wondering at their bombastic power. On the other side of fifteen years, it’s exhilarating and moving to know that there’s still new music coming out capable of inspiring that same awe and sending the same shivers down my spine. I can’t wait to see what Dissona do next.
Recommended tracks: Receptor, Incisor, Red Mist
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
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