And so the cycle begins a new! Another year opened by Editors' Picks, a swallow that foretells the Spring and lots more great content to come. We're still here, still kicking, still gritting our teeth and ignoring The Collapse by listening to some excellent music. As always, we have collected here for you what we consider to be the best entries from the kinda weird, almost-sort of already the new year, February. Soon, the Spring months come and, with them, the true deluge of releases. For now, make sure not to sleep on the second month's excellent crop of releases.
Begin 2025!
-Eden Kupermintz
Naxatras – V (prog/psych rock)
There’s nothing quite like kicking off the new year in music with an album you simply cannot put down and that is the case with Naxatras’ V and myself. I’ve already told you this several times but I’ll say it again - if it’s from Greece and in the doom, stoner, or psychedelic rock spaces, listen to it immediately. V is the perfect example; I had heard of the band before and even remember listening to a few tracks, but nothing really caught my attention. So I went into V solely based on location and was not disappointed as an epic, rich, and intensely captivating album unfurled before me.
V does what a lot of albums in this space do, especially in Europe, by blending science fiction and “desert” vibes to create an enchanting soundscape. From the cover art, through the track names, and all the way to its rich, undulating psychedelic rock, V oozes esoteric science fiction. The latter is important, as the theme moves from “just” the surrounding aesthetic layers and right into the music. Listen to my favorite track, “Numenia”, to hear how this works; be captivated by the sonorous bass, ushered into the depths of the lyrics and the otherworldly imagery they weave or focus on the excellent guitars and the storytelling riches they hint at.
Or, you know, just be a normal person about it (unlike me) and check out V for its great grooves, ambitious song structures, and excellent command of all instruments involved. It really is a psychedelic rock album through and through, inviting you for a journey into its sonic core. But should you, like me, wish to take in the work of art in its entirety, then consider the excellent storycrafting and theming work that Naxatras has done here. However you choose to consume it, V is an album for the ages and one which kicks off the “proper” part of 2025 in music on a great note.
-EK
Unreqvited - A Pathway to the Moon (post-black)
There are few bands that have as intense an emotional grip on yours truly as Unreqvited. Since I first heard Disquiet while shoveling snow off my driveway back in 2016, there hasn’t been a release from this project that I haven’t loved to varying degrees. Something about Ghost’s wordless howls into the void, along with some beautifully ambient post-black songwriting, just does it for me. His 7th full-length release, A Pathway to the Moon, presents a marked departure from previous releases, and in total may be the project’s most magisterial and effective record since Disquiet.
The most notable difference contained in A Pathway to the Moon is the inclusion of distinct vocals. Opener “Overture: I Disintegrate” is an absolutely gorgeous composition, featuring Ghost’s vocal work front and center. It makes me a bit sad that we haven’t heard more of his genuinely beautiful cleans up until now, but hey. Better late than never. The rest of the more traditional elements of Unreqvited’s sound are here in spades, and perhaps more epic than ever. “The Starforger” and “Antimatter” are among the best songs Ghost has yet written, showcasing his growth as a songwriter and musician. There’s a level of newfound comfort in A Pathway to the Moon’s presentation, and it’s thrilling to witness.
While I’m an unabashed fanboy of this project, it’s obvious that the level of care and talent on display here contains universal appeal for old heads and newcomers alike. A Pathway to the Moon may be the project’s most ambitious and complete release to date, and will be a regular listening companion for years to come.
-Jonathan Adams
Pale - Our Hearts In Your Heaven (blackgaze)
While the upcoming Deafheaven album will occupy much of the discussion around blackgaze this year, a little Japanese band named Pale have already unveiled a worthy challenger with their debut full-length Our Hearts in Your Heaven. Seven years since their eye-catching debut EP, the wait has brought us an evolved but just as strong sound. This album is heavy, dynamic and emotional, drawing from post-metal and screamo, but the biggest shift with this release compared to their previous efforts is a blend of atmospheric power electronics. This element isn’t excessively prominent, being totally absent from some songs, but the abrasive noisiness of some of the electronic beep boops and atmospheric tones seems to be polarizing.
Another way of looking at this album however, is these songs are a good entry point into power electronics itself. They work to be more accessible, layered with the post-rock and blackgaze style song-writing and melodies or like an added coating to the walls of atmosphere that build and consume across the 45-minute run-time. Enhancing all this are a range of shifting vocals from despairing visceral screams, to an old-school sinister black metal snarl, and even these lower heavy post-metal wails. Things even take a surprise turn in the uplifting first half of “Almost Transparent Blue” with some… interesting upbeat clean singing.
One shortcoming of this style of black metal is that it can get predictable, but the eclecticism here overcomes that. Take the standout “Coral”, one of the best Agalloch-styled tracks in years. With blends of aggressive post-black metal, downtempo depressive guitar, shifting distorted and clean tones, extended melancholic guitar solos and that half-whispered blackened orc-ish growl. It captures much of their cross of wistful, nostalgic yearning, and this mossy mystical warmth. Pale aren’t afraid to get cinematic and dramatic, evoking the violent catharsis of newer screamo force Frail Body, and that terrifying and tense scene from 28 Weeks Later sampling Godspeed You! Black Emperor. All of this comes together for an album that wears its influences on its sleeves, but incorporates them into one of the most compelling and peculiar releases this subgenre has seen in years.
-TB
Further Listening
Acid Magus – Scatterling Empire (alt sludge/doom)
Doom, stoner, and psychedelic rock have been having an amazing start to the year and a big part of is Acid Magus’ Scatterling Empire. Moving away from their previously heavier sound, Acid Magus have added a ton of grunge and alt rock to their sound, to great success. Scatterling Empire is a bit lighter as a result but not less interesting, richly layered and sonorously melancholy.
-EK
Sleep Paralysis - Sleep Paralysis (weirdo prog black)
Huh? What? Piano? Progressive black? Is this even black metal? I don’t know but it fucking rules. Just...just check this one out for me.
-EK
Phrenelith - Ashen Womb (death metal)
Third time’s the charm, I guess. While I’ve enjoyed each of Danish death dealers’ releases, there’s always felt like there was something just ever so slightly missing. I’ve never really been able to put my finger on it, but whatever it is got eliminated in Ashen Womb. Their best album, and filled with enough riffs to almost be laughable. Excellent stuff.
-JA
Belted Sweater - Belted Sweater (synthpop, screamo)
Want to hear something you’ve probably never heard before? American solo-project Belted Sweater takes the instrumentation of vintage, sensual dark synthpop like Depeche Mode and decides to exclusively desperately scream over it. It’s fun, weird, a little bit gay, and cool as hell.
-TB
Decline of the I - Wilhelm (post-black metal, dissodeath)
Another great French black metal project, Decline of the I’s fifth and strongest release to date nails this blend of oppressive dissonance and brooding post-metal unfortunately often associated with a few bands I won’t name. It’s like a grinding war machine, gradually churning and crushing with small bouts of pensive reprieve.
-TB
Further listening
Benthic – Sanguine (sludgey post-hardcore)
Cloakroom – Last Leg Of The Human Table (alt rock, indie-gaze)
Light Dweller – The Subjugate (progressive/brutal death metal)
Owlbear – Feather & Claw (power metal)
Bong-Ra – Black Noise (blackened industrial)
Matalobos – Phantasmagoria: Hexed Lands (progressive melodeath)
Maud The Moth – The Distaff (operatic doom)
Räum – Emperor of the Sun (doomy black metal)
Wren – Black Rain Falls (sludgy post-metal)
Savage Lands – Army Of Trees (blackened prog-death)
Mantar – Post Apocalyptic Depression (blackened sludge)
Novarupta – Astral Sands (progressive post rock/metal)
Pothamus – Abur (blackened post metal)
Warlung – The Human Touch (doom metal)
We Are Impala – Les Efímeres (psychedelic post/prog-rock)
Dream Theater – Parasomnia (progressive metal)
Jinjer – Duel (nuish groove/tech-metal)