Hello! It's that time again - the time where flowers grow, the time where the critters return, and the time where music journalists are bombarded with a deluge of amazing music. You know the drill - we take that deluge and make it into something palatable for you to comb through! And so, without further ado, here is yet another boat load (why boat? who knows!) of amazing music.
See, I can write short when I want to. All you have to do is send me twenty amazing albums every week, forever.
-Eden Kupermintz
Snooze - I Know How You Will Die
This is not exactly me complaining, but this is another classic case of “I’ve written about this album extensively before but there’s no other pick for me this month”. I Know How You Will Die is, hands down, one of my favorite albums from 2025 and is sure to become an all time favorite release. It simply has everything I have always loved about Snooze, amplified to the maximum extent possible and polished to a tee. In my review, I already run down the formula of how this works, Snooze’s ever-present penchant for flowery, intricate math-rock mitigated by a heavier edge and heft. The result is an album that hits harder than ever before, thriving on that contrast. That is all well and good but I’ve already said this, so what’s next? What’s next is that I draw your attention towards one of the tried and true signs that I’ll be spending a lot of time with an album, even beyond the year in which it releases, and that is the fact that I can point out specific tracks which are entire universes.
“On a Superposition”, the sixth track from I Know How You Will Die, is the track I’ll choose here. It opens with the swinging, swagger-filled groove of the previous, “A Mysterious Voice”, adding more thrum and chug to its main riff creating the Most Danceable Riff of 2025. This line stays with us as the vocals are re-introduced; make sure to listen to the backing vocals here which, in true Snooze fashion, create a chromatic feeling that’s hard to describe. As these vocals soar higher and higher, the guitars just explode into amazing guitar lines that continue the track’s opening vibe, hefty and groovy, but which scintillate with a dozen tiny and joy-filled moments. I’m reminded of Satyr’s light-filled writing and composition. Here, it is offset against the darker, more somber vibes of the lyrics and the quieter instrumentation, which leads to that brilliant, unique balance that lies at the heart of Snooze.
There is so much more to call it: the flickering, scaling runs that the backing vocals do here and there, the heart-achingly beautiful and sweeping outro riffs, the chaos that fuels that riff, the way the track builds into the next one, and so much more. The point of this exercise, however, is not to describe every second of a track - that would be tedious. Instead, it is meant to show how a track can be a microcosm of the album and what it feels like to really dig into one. This is the true hallmark of albums that will stand the test of time in my rotation list - how deep I feel I can go into their moment by moment experience while still enjoying the overall listening experience, even when I take a step back and put them on in the background. I Know How You Will Die is very much that, an album that can be experienced purely for its rush and aesthetics, but also as an intricate and challenging piece of art.
-EK
BRUIT≤ - The Age of Ephemerality (post-rock)
We’ve been a little quiet over at the Post Rock Post so far this year, but the genre delivered one of the standouts of April with the much anticipated second album from French group BRUIT≤. It’s also just great to see a post-rock album being near-universally praised that isn’t pseudo-art/folk rock, Slint-worship, or by Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Rather, this is a relatively new band reinvigorating modern post-rock with a blend of distorted heaviness, haunting synths, orchestral strings, and politically-charged audio samples.
While Godspeed is still an apt point of comparison, they merge their apocalyptic melancholy with the pulsating synth chords of 65daysofstatic. Through this balance of chamber music and dark ambience and reverberating guitars, they craft heart-stirring build-ups and moments of pensive reflection. These are further given a purposeful focus through a series of spoken word samples which develop a commentary on our strained relationship with capitalism. Audio samples have a rich history with post-rock, and as a huge fan of bands like Maybeshewill and From Monuments to Masses, their frequent and effective use here was welcome.
Song-writing wise, this album doesn’t throw too many curveballs and is similar to structure in what you might find from an Explosions in the Sky album, but elevates things through the variety of instrumental tones at play. The crescending strings of “Technoslavery / Vandalism” harmonizing over a layered retro synth melody provides a uniquely heartbreaking and blissful contrast, evoking the sense of finding some sort of light in a dystopian future. This harmony builds into the noisiest section of the album, a refreshing departure into an unusual harshness and density of sound compared to what is typically associated with “crescendocore” post-rock.
Which is something we begrudgingly can’t not really talk about when discussing this album. Whether you agree or not, the term has become increasingly used as a pejorative, as this era and style of post-rock built around well, crescendos, seems to have overstayed its welcome for some. And I get it. It is in some ways inherently predictable and repetitive, but bands like BRUIT≤ show the heights it can still reach. To build these layered riffs and melodies through repetition into something more than themselves, it takes a certain profound creativity infusing both emotion and talent. Something I believe is truly on display on The Age of Ephemerality.
-TB
Dormant Ordeal - Tooth and Nail
Dormant Ordeal are one of those bands whose lack of notoriety absolutely baffles me. Over the past decade plus these Polish dissodeath masters have churned out some of the most well-constructed, defiantly loopy, and maniacally aggressive death metal on earth. It feels like almost no one knows who they are. Which is sad. So today I hope to put another notch in The belt of recognition for these monsters, as their fourth full-length record Tooth and Nail is as punishing and interesting as anything they’ve released thus far.
After a brief intro, “Halo of Bones” presents listeners with a salvo of riffs and kit-based pyrotechnics that should satisfy established Ordeal-heads and noobs alike, but for the patient and attuned ear the opening moments of Tooth and Nail present a more refined sense of space in the band’s songwriting. Sure, once the central heaviness hits it would be easy to headbang to oblivion and forget the nuance on display, but there’s a lovely sense of spaciousness that’s hard to ignore, especially on repeat listens. Which this record absolutely deserves. While tracks like “Orphan” and “Dust Crown” feel reminiscent of the band’s most punishing early compositions, the album truly shines and separates itself from the rest of their discography in tracks like “Solvent” and “Everything That Isn’t Silence Is Trivial,” which feel like natural expansions on Dormant Ordeal’s established sound. It’s the blending of these elements that makes Tooth and Nail immediately listenable and able to withstand detailed scrutiny. In short, it rules.
If you’ve yet to give Dormant Ordeal a fair shake, I’d recommend exploring their discography from the beginning. There isn’t a dud in the bunch, but there’s a nearly cinematic thrill in listening to their sound expand and develop in such an effective manner. This is emotional, powerful, wrathful, and intricate music that tickles your brain and punches your skull. Thus I give it an earned and very high recommendation.
-Jonathan Adams
Behölder - In the Temple of the Tyrant (heavy/doom metal)
It’s impossible to not have fun while listening to Behölder. The Dungeons & Dragons-inspired band infuses heavy metal with bleak riffs for an epic adventure that captures the emotional highs and lows of a classic quest.
In the Temple of the Tyrant kicks off like every fantastic adventure: full of righteous zeal and furious intent. A sense of caution and a thirst for vengeance duel for dominance in the opening track, creating tension that drips across the track. The swagger of heavy metal becomes the adrenaline-fueled foundation for the emotional highs and lows of an epic quest.
Like any good Dungeon Master, Behölder guides the quest with thoughtful attention to detail. The stage is set with narrative lyrics, but brought to life with impressive songwriting that reveals emotional and musical nuances that rival any movie. The realization that a battle must be fought alone is emphasized by a single riff, while weary travelers are brought to life with dirge-like choruses. As our heroes approach the climax of their journey on “Into the Underdark,” bludgeoning guitars set a determined pace as fear seeps in, becoming electric with anticipation and anxiety. The tempo is resilient and resolute, neither racing towards doom or stumbling with hesitation. Doom creeps its way into heavy metal, adding heft to Behölder’s epic sound as our quest continues.
Doom influences continue their conquest as tragedy unfolds. Clean vocals mutate into harsh growls as our heroes falter in their deadly battle, battle hymns becoming funeral dirges. Delicate violins create a haunted, though brief, interlude as the damage is surveyed. “For Those Who Fell” reveals minimalist atmospheres that swell into a song of mourning. Heavy metal slows, keeping dramatic energy while shedding the confidence that fueled the journey. Behölder once again narrates the scene in painstaking detail, delivering a powerful emotional punch built on careful songwriting. Those seeking a happy ending are better off elsewhere as death and doom take hold. This quest hasn’t favored the brave or the bold, but it has been the adventure of a lifetime.
-Bridget Hughes
Further listening
Fractal Universe – The Great Filters (progressive death metal)
Some people in the blog’s circles disagree with me (boo, hiss!) but I think this is Fractal Universe’s best work yet. It’s denser and tighter, less worried about hitting progressive metal tropes and more concerned with impact and presence. It’s still a technical and progressive release but everything seems to gel better on it.
-EK
Lo-Pan – Get Well Soon (alty stoner-metal)
Lo-Pan are ol’ reliable at this point; if you’re looking to scratch that “kind of poppy, stoner metal” vibe a la Floor, they are the current act to beat. Riffs, hooks, and infectious choruses aplenty!
-EK
Cave Sermon - Fragile Wings
While nothing Cave Sermon releases may ever reach the dizzying heights of Divine Laughter, Fragile Wings doesn’t inherently try to repeat that record’s success. This is an altogether unique beast when compared to its predecessor, but is thankfully no less engaging. Uniquely dissonant melodies and unexpected sonic twists abound, making this record worthy of Cave Sermon’s lofty reputation.
-JA
Kardashev - Alunea (progressive death metal/core, post-metalgaze)
Despite perhaps their furthest departure from the “deathgaze” sound they’ve been evolving over the years, Alunea is their most cohesive and well-rounded album to date. The focused effort towards writing just great progressive death metal/core songs, leveraging the insane range of Mark’s harsh and clean vocals and their warmest production quality to date has cemented the latest offering from Kardashev as one of 2025’s bests.
-TBEYES - Spinner (metalcore, mathcore, noise rock)
Like if Every Time I Die was a bit less cowboy and more covered in grimy filth, Danish group EYES (sharing members with the likes of Telos, LLNN, Hexis) is rapidly emerging as one of the most exciting bands in modern metalcore. With a sound that should appeal to both old-school panic chord enjoyers, and the grindy metallic side of things, Spinners is relentless and efficient at capturing everything great about this sound.
-TB
Cytotoxin - Biographyte (tech death)
Dedicated to the devastation of Chernobyl, Biographyte wages maximum devastation in service of an apocalyptic warning. German giants Cytotoxin open their fifth album with a mind-warping riff and only get better from there, unleashing jagged, angular songwriting executed with merciless precision. Melodic flourishes are juxtaposed against gory death metal moments, revealing a band confidently at the top of their game.
-BH
H.E.A.T – Welcome to the Future (hair metal)
Big|Brave – Ost (ambient post/drone)
Changeling – Changeling (progressive/technical death metal)
Felgrave – Otherlike Darknesses (prog-black)
Ghost – Skeleta (heavy/occult metal)
Imminent Sonic Destruction – Floodgate (prog metal)
Sumac + Moor Mother – The Film (weird post-sludge?)
Empyrean Sanctum – Detachment from Reality (progressive metal)
Ancient Death – Ego Dissolution (prog death)
Exterminatus – Echoes from a Distant Star Part 1 (tech-death)
Benthos – From Nothing (progressive tech-metal, mathcore)
Cytotoxin – Biographyte (tech-death)
Messa – The Spin (proggy doom)
Neptunian Maximalism – Le Sacre Du Soleil Invaincu (psychedelic doom)
Allegaeon – The Ossuary Lens (progressive/technical melodeath)
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Death Hilarious (stoner-sludge, noise-rock)
Kaschalot – Anemoia (instrumental prog/math-rock)
Tómarúm – Beyond Obsidian Euphoria (proggy prog-death)