Chris’ Top 10 Albums of 2025!
Call it an inauspicious way to open my top ten, but 2025 was an abysmal year for new releases. A weak release slate, a spate of disappointments, and few bold new projects to fill in the gaps made 2025 the worst year for new music for me in well over a decade. So while this top ten is a little weaker than those I’ve put together in the past, it nevertheless collects the year’s handful of true gems. Anyway, if there weren’t as many albums I loved as there usually are, I at least got to spend 2025 with a bunch of cool, passionate people during the site’s best ever year. With a crop of new writers in tow (who are already better at writing than me, more interesting than me, and already have more friends among the staff than I do), it’s been a true pleasure to be editor-in-chief during this pivotal period, and I’m proud of how far The Progressive Subway has come in 2025. Rest assured, the best is yet to come! That’s enough waffling, let’s get into the music…
Non-prog picks:
- Thrice – Horizons/West: The most consistent group to emerge out of the noughties post-hardcore scene, Thrice just can’t stop making bangers. I’m going to see them live this year, and I wouldn’t be mad if they played a bunch of tracks off this album (but we obviously need some Vheissu in the setlist).
- Hayley Williams – Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party: If you’re a millennial having a crisis (i.e. all of us) then the Paramore frontwoman has you covered. Across the eighteen tracks there’s something for everyone as she sprawls across sonic territory you didn’t even know she could dominate.
Songs of the Year:
- Moron Police – Pachinko, Pt. 1
- Nina Nesbitt – Crooked Teeth
- Changeling – Anathema
- Dissona – Incisor
- Phantom Spell – The Autumn Citadel
10. Ulver – Neverland
Style: Electronica, synthwave, ambient (instrumental)
Recommended for fans of: Aphex Twin, Massive Attack, Oneohtrix Point Never
A December 31st release barely counts as 2025 (especially when the physical release is in 2026), but we got the promo a month earlier and Neverland just spoke to me. Marking the first change from their adopted synth-pop in nearly a decade, the chameleonic Norwegians return to the experimental electronica sound from Perdition City. Notably, departed Tore Ylwizaker, who passed away last year, first joined them when they embarked on their nascent forays into electronica back in 1998. Opening with a recitation of part one of T.S. Eliot’s The Wasteland, I. The Burial of the Dead, it’s hard not to conclude that this is their tribute to Tore: a return to the place where they joined him but without him. Instrumental other than the recitation, it’s a work that straddles ambient and electronica, conjuring haunting soundscapes evoking liminal worlds with spine-tingling intrigue and a tangible sense of grief. Buckle up, we’re off to Never Neverland.
Recommended tracks: Fear in a Handful of Dust, Hark Hark the Dogs Bark, Fire in the End
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
9. Our Oceans – Right Here, Right Now
Style: Progressive rock (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Radiohead, Exivious, Oceansize
Being a reviewer sometimes means sometimes you stumble over the old idiomatic obstacle: comparison, that nefarious little thief of joy. And I did a lot of comparing to While Time Disappears in my review of Right Here, Right Now, the third album from Dutch group Our Oceans. Returning with a bit of distance from my reviewing mindset, it was much easier to sink into the soft embrace of the catchy yet intricately crafted collection of songs from the masters of softened technicality. Tymon Kruidenier’s warm, reedy vocal tone continues to make him a captivating frontman, the frisson-inducing slides of Robin Zielhorst’s bass work tickle the eardrums, and Yuma van Eekelen’s drum mastery manages to walk the fine line between gentle nuance and kit-smashing rhythmic melee. And, of course, Kruidenier’s whipping out the natural harmonics wherever he can. Sentimental, meticulous and infinitely pretty, Right Here, Right Now asks little but gives a lot.
Recommended tracks: Golden Rain, Untamed, Abloom
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
8. Dissona – Receptor
Style: Progressive metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Devin Townsend, Between the Buried and Me, Kalisia
We had to wait nine years for this one, but with a band as unique as Dissona, you just accept that. A theatrical techno-gothic work of persistent density, Receptor is hard to compare to anyone else; imagine early Devin Townsend fronting Between the Buried and Me writing the soundtrack to a dystopian sci-fi flick and you’re in the right ballpark. At the moment-by-moment level, there’s so much going on that it’s overwhelming, but somehow that chaos is disciplined by the band into a compelling and consistent tapestry. The skull-thudding rave beat that pulsates out of “Incisor” is Receptor’s standout and further proof, alongside Lucid Planet’s “Organic Hard Drive”, that what I still really need in my life is a prog metal rave fusion album. But there’s much to enjoy across the album, with epic orchestral swells, plaintive vocals, moments of raw aggression and much more. What impresses most is how alien Dissona manage to sound, genuine innovators pursuing a sound that’s as radical as it is challenging; and rewarding for those very reasons.
Recommended tracks: Incisor, Receptor, Weaponized
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
7. Phantom Spell – Heather & Hearth
Style: Progressive rock, hard rock (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Kansas, Camel, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Rush
It’s 1972 and things are looking great for Richard Nixon who’s been reelected comfortably; upstart MP Margaret Thatcher makes a name for herself by snatching away free milk from schools; and the FBI are searching for a man going by the pseudonym D.B. Cooper. At your local record store, you sift through big releases like Machine Head, Thick as a Brick, and Close to the Edge when you come across the striking indigo-washed cover of Heather & Hearth. If you took a chance on it, it wouldn’t seem out of keeping with the scene or the era at all. Which isn’t to diminish Heather & Hearth by any means. Phantom Spell’s unabashed love of 70s rock in all its forms—so often a stumbling block for other bands—is absolutely an asset in the hands of Kyle McNeill, and you can fully believe it would’ve sat snugly in the record stores of the 70s. Everything is lovingly retro: the squiggly synths, picaresque organ grooves, noodling guitar solos, galloping riffs, all held together by McNeill’s classic tenor. The only thing that might seem radical back in 1972 is the deft fusion of hard rock influences like Kansas and Deep Purple with the synth prog sensibility of bands like Camel and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Whatever the case then, Phantom Spell are proof positive that the classic rock sound can still be just as fresh and exciting fifty years after its heyday.
Recommended tracks: The Autumn Citadel, A Distant Shore, Heather & Hearth
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
6. Kalandra – Mørketid
Style: Nordic folk, art rock (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Myrkur, Heilung, Eivør
It may only be a four track EP, but Kalandra’s latest release feels no less complete for its brevity. On Mørketid (“polar night”), the band manage to mold a brief but beautiful record that embodies murky evenings, fog-shrouded fields, and the welcoming hearth that keeps the Arctic chill at bay. “Till the End” glimmers like the aurora in the night, while “Ghosts” fills the soul like a warm mug of mulled wine with friends. The pair of reimagined versions of traditional Scandinavian yuletide songs, meanwhile, allow Kalandra to flex their compositional muscles with “Hymna Til Blåfjell” drawing on Wardruna-esque ritualism, and “Mitt Hjerte Alltid Vanker” utilising the choral techniques associated with the Scandinavian hymn’s origins. Mørketid manages to embody all the appurtenances of winter, from the roaring fire to the harsh cold, the social closeness to the gentle whimsy of the first snowfall. On dark days, it’s a valuable companion.
Recommended tracks: you can take twenty minutes to listen to the full EP.
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
5. Psychonaut – World Maker
Style: Progressive metal, post-metal, psychedelic rock (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: The Ocean, Tool, Mastodon, Intronaut
Violate Consensus Reality was easily one of my favourite albums of 2022, so the expectations for the third album from Psychonaut was high. And, at first, I wasn’t all that impressed. It took time for me to really vibe with World Maker, for it to reveal itself layer by layer. Here, the Belgian trio amp up the psychedelia, the sentiment, and the staccato riffage. Channelling a vision of a newborn as a world maker, a bubbling ball of potential, the lyricism is more uplifting and determined, building on the sense of “Hope” and titular ethos of their previous album. Which doesn’t mean that toothsome grooves like those in “You Are The Sky…” or psychedelic shred as in “Origins” don’t still regularly rear up to bite through the more mature and contemplative sensibility. World Maker resonates on a very particular frequency, but once I keyed into the groove, it became clear that Psychonaut are destined to remain one of the most exciting bands to emerge in their niche.
Recommended tracks: You Are The Sky…, Stargazer, Origins
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
4. Changeling – Changeling
Style: Technical death metal, progressive metal, symphonic metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Obscura, Alkaloid, Devin Townsend, Wilderun
You can usually bet the house on me having a load of progressive death metal in my top ten, but if 2025 failed to deliver on that front for the most part, Tom Geldschläger single-handedly made up for it with the debut from Changeling. Composed of tech-death royalty—notably Morean from Alkaloid on vocals—and with an accompanying orchestra and choir, as well as a wealth of guests, Changeling is as ambitious as it is epic. The group pummel and pick their way through blistering tech death as well as more melodic moments. Despite the freneticism, Changeling is never wanky and the composition is extraordinarily well-considered, even understated. The real jewels are the proggier sojourns in the album’s latter half, culminating in the record’s gargantuan closer. “Anathema” is a clear contender for song of the year, a sprawling sixteen-minute work that opens with a quote from a Hegelian philosopher and closes with some utterly insane soloing and a crescendo that sounds like a void rending spacetime itself. The sheer cinema and scope, the unexpected catchiness of ostensibly complex metal, and the scale of talent on offer all make Changeling by far the most impressive prog death album and debut release of the year.
Recommended tracks: Anathema, World? What World?, Abyss, Abdication
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
3. Raphael Weinroth-Browne – Lifeblood
Style: Modern classical, post-rock (instrumental)
Recommended for fans of: Apocalyptica, Max Richter, Hania Rani
I grew up listening to, among other things, the minimalist piano work of Ludovico Einaudi, and while Raphael Weinroth-Browne isn’t a) a pianist, b) a minimalist, or c) an Italian, Lifeblood nevertheless scratches a similar itch. With a cello, pedals, a dream, and no shirt, Weinroth-Browne embarks upon a medley of bow-based shenanigans: djent-like riffing, cello shred, and more traditional, mellow modern classical define Lifeblood. Lyrics are often the lifeblood of music; describing how an instrumental release communes with your soul is a challenge. Suffice to say, Raph plucks at your heartstrings, or, more often, slide n’ scrape them with a bow. “Labyrinthine” is the soundtrack for a dark night of the soul, “Pyre” keeps the gelid air at bay, “Winterlight” feels like ice crystals beading in your beard, and “The Glimmering” is the closest thing I’ve ever known to taking flight, low across the sea and into the infinite. To capture beauty in an hour is a near impossibility, but here’s something close to it, waiting patiently to flood your heart.
Recommended tracks: Lifeblood, Ophidian, The Glimmering
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
2. Steven Wilson – The Overview
Style: Progressive rock (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Pink Floyd, Rush, Yes, Porcupine Tree, Tangerine Dream
Wilson inclines himself to space on his eighth album, a return to form that centres a classic prog rock style. The Overview, named for the psychological effect seeing the Earth from space has upon astronauts, is an existential ballet in two vast suites. Boasting typically exquisite production, “Objects Outlive Us” and “The Overview” are typically Wilsonian homages to a spate of influences, running from galloping Rush riffs to Tangerine Dream ambiences to Floydian soloing. The chorus of layered voices on the opener evokes humanity at large as a litany of existential threats is recited, we veer through scenes of domesticity juxtaposed against the vast indifference of the cosmos, and instrumental sections frequently feel like they’re propelling us through wormholes or gravity braking around supernovas. Recurring and evolving motifs hold the ship together, piano and bass are the hyperdrive, and synth interspersions cavort and caper around the margins, like fleetingly glimpsed celestial phenomena. Capturing the vast expanse of the cosmos is no easy feat, but Wilson manages to stare into the heavens and imbue them with something beautifully human.
Recommended tracks: there’s only two of ‘em
Related links: Apple Music | Facebook | Instagram | original review
1. Moron Police – Pachinko
Style: Progressive rock, pop rock (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Thank You Scientist, Closure in Moscow, Bear Ghost, Frost*, The Dear Hunter
If any album left me singing catches, whistling melodies, and generally ended up burrowing into my brain like the worm that turned RFK Jr into a man who sexts like this, it was Pachinko. That’s right, major key, upbeat, and relentlessly happy, there’s nothing quite like Moron Police to cheer you up. I’d be sitting in the car singing to myself, ‘I cannot wait for the ocean to swallow us all inside a watery grave!’ or washing up while crooning, ‘the gates of Hell have opened wide and God has left us all to die!’ at the top of my lungs with a big smile on my face and—wait a minute… Suffice to say, the carefree exterior belies the depth of grief that pervades Pachinko. No strangers to existential heaviness (after all, the zany bops that adorned A Boat on the Sea were about the horrors of the military-industrial complex), Pachinko is Moron Police’s tribute to their departed brother and drummer Thore Omland Pettersen. And for each of those melancholic lines, there’s a dozen far more thoughtful and optimistic ones, a grieving process laid out across a unique, postmodern prog rock experience.
Of course, Pachinko is more than just a farewell to a friend. The central image of a man reincarnated as a sentient pachinko machine speaks to an absurdist sense that we’re all just balls pinging around inside the world, no rhyme or reason until we bottom out. Against this cynical view, Pachinko tells the tale of a man who ultimately finds meaning in a meaningless world, best demonstrated by the reprise of the melody from “Pachinko, Pt.1” ‘the devil turned me into a penny dispenser in Tokyo’ transformed in the finale, “Giving Up the Ghost”, to ‘I never knew life could be such an adventure but you made it so.’ If that message isn’t enough of a legacy to connect with your departed friend, the album ends with a drum solo recorded by Thore, forever tying him to the work made in his memory. That’s the beauty of Pachinko, the kind that leaves you staring up into the sky, tears brimming your eyelids, just thankful to be alive. Isn’t it easy? No, it’s fucking hard, but maybe that’s what makes it worthwhile.
Recommended tracks: Nothing Breaks (A Port of Call), Alfredo and the Afterlife, Cormorant, Pachinko Pt.1, Giving up the Ghost
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | original review
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