{"id":224331,"date":"2025-12-30T15:43:57","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T14:43:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/?p=224331"},"modified":"2025-12-30T16:54:05","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T15:54:05","slug":"kenstrositys-top-tenish-of-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/kenstrositys-top-tenish-of-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Kenstrosity’s Top Ten(ish) of 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"Well, here we are again! One of the longest, most eventful years in recent memory comes to a close. After all of the hardships my family, friends, and I endured at the end of last year, it was difficult to imagine what life would be like. For quite some time, it took everything in us just to continue our day-to-day existences, to reestablish or refresh our routines, and to build our lives back up. But we had tons of support, and we got through it. In fact, I’d say that we came out of everything with a better understanding of who we are, what we want out of life, and a greater drive to live more fully, more intentionally, and without regrets. Personally, I learned the value of asking more questions, making fewer assumptions, and embracing the mess of being human in today’s world. With practice in these areas, in time, I’ll grow into a better person, a better friend, and a better partner to my loved ones.<\/p>\n

Musically, I experienced a bit of a shift. I don’t know exactly when this shift happened, but I could feel my desire for unfamiliar or less-traveled territory build. I desired weird, long, or messy records that called to me on a more personal level above all else. I craved pieces that showcased artists who wrote what they wanted (or needed) to, regardless of what others might think or say. Authenticity, creativity, memorability, imperfection, and artistic integrity became my core values when approaching new music this year.<\/p>\n

Aside from all of that, the thing I want to do most is offer my deepest heartfelt thanks to everyone who’s stuck by me and been my support system this year. To Alex, a wonderful and gorgeous man who continually shows me more love, patience, and attention than I ever dared to ask for\u2014and who challenges me to grow with every passing day. To Ally, Thea, Kaja, Ashe, Sophie, Chris (both of them), Sean, Malachi, Brandon, Michelle, and Jeff for being the best meatspace friends a guy could ask for, and who also<\/em> show me more love than I ever dared to ask for. To new meatspace friends (Jhierry, Adrien, Forest, Logan, Nick, Zach, Brett, Blue, Brian, and Shawn) who further enrich my life with each interaction, I am excited to see how our relationships develop! To my therapist, Clint, who has helped pull me from the brink more times than I can count. To my family, Mom, Dad, and Kathy, I don’t know what I would do if they were not here with me. To Lise and Victoria, who have been and continue to be the best supervisors\u2014and all-around cool, brilliant, creative, and inspiring people\u2014I’ve ever known. To AMG Himself<\/strong><\/span>, Steel Druhm<\/strong><\/span>, Dr. A. N. <\/strong>Grier<\/strong><\/span>, and Sentynel<\/strong><\/span> for running the greatest blog on the planet and being an invaluable resource for my continued growth as a writer and contributor. To all of my fellow writers and editors, both active and inactive, who make this blog the wonderland it is and whose contributions and company continually uplift and motivate me. To the readers, our Discord members, and the metal community writ large, we wouldn’t be here without you!<\/p>\n

Lastly, I’d like to give a shout to all the bands who released awesome records this year that fought valiantly for a spot on my list\/HMs, in alphabetical order: 1914<\/strong>, Ancient Death<\/strong>, …and Oceans<\/strong>, Astronoid<\/strong>, Aversed<\/strong>, Blind Equation<\/strong>, Bodybox<\/strong>, Buried Realm<\/strong>, Cave Sermon<\/strong>, Changeling<\/strong>, Death Whore<\/strong>, Gloombound<\/strong>, The Halo Effect<\/strong>, Havukruunu<\/strong>, Helms Deep<\/strong>, Inoculation<\/strong>, Maud the Moth<\/strong>, Mutagenic Host<\/strong>, Nephylim<\/strong>, Pedestal for Leviathan<\/strong>, Proscription<\/strong>, Rothad\u00e1s<\/span><\/strong>, Sarastus<\/strong>, Serenity in Murder<\/strong>, Structure<\/strong>, Tower<\/strong>, Tribunal<\/strong>, Vittra<\/strong>, Yellow Eyes<\/strong>. Despite these gems losing a place on my list proper for any number of reasons, I know I’ll return to them with great relish.<\/p>\n

With all of that said, I invite all of you to bear witness to my absolutely unhinged Top Ten(ish) selections for 2025. May the rabble commence!<\/p>\n

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\"\"#ish. Epica <\/strong>\/\/ Aspiral<\/em><\/a> – Epica <\/strong>is my favorite symphonic metal band. It’s no secret. They’ve been at the grindstone churning out quality records for almost 25 years with a remarkably stable lineup, and there’s every reason to expect Angry Metal Guy<\/span><\/strong>’s Law of Diminishing Recordings\u2122 to catch up with them someday. Today is not that day. Aspiral<\/em> is easily my favorite record since The Quantum Enigma<\/em>, full of memorable songs and standout performances. It may be hookier and poppier than anything they’ve put out in the past, but accessibility looks great on Epica<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"#10. Citadel <\/strong>\/\/ Descension<\/em><\/a> – Every time I thought I knew how I felt about this record, I’d go back to it and discover more reasons to love it. Descension<\/em> follows the same school of melodic death metal with long-form constructions that bands like An Abstract Illusion<\/strong> practice, but there’s a smoky, gothic twist to it that embodies darkness and light as a merged entity. It’s a delicate balance that Citadel<\/strong> treads with grace and athleticism. That feat is what ultimately elevated Descension<\/em> to my Top 10 proper.<\/p>\n

\"\"#9. Depravity<\/strong> \/\/ Bestial Possession<\/a> <\/em> – Depravity<\/strong> really fucked around with my cutoff for list consideration, coming in clutch one week before Turkey Day. But I<\/em> am the one who found out. Riffs made to break bones and minds alike, Bestial Possession<\/em> is lean, mean, and bloodthirsty. And yet, it’s smooth, refined, and streamlined. This is the work of a band that understands exactly what they want to write, and knows how to execute that vision with devastating precision. It’s death metal as we know and love it, weaponized for mass destruction.<\/p>\n

\"\"#8. In Mourning <\/strong>\/\/ The Immortal<\/em><\/a> –The Immortal<\/em> surprised me. I fully expected it to be good. After all, In Mourning<\/strong> haven’t released a bad album to date. But against all odds, they managed to capture lightning in a bottle here, with songs that are impossible to resist and even harder to forget. It represents everything I love about the sadboi side of melodic death without skimping on hooks or on teeth. The Immortal<\/em> might just be the pinnacle of In Mourning<\/strong>’s career. Who would’ve expected that<\/em> after 25 years?<\/p>\n

\"\"#7. An Abstract Illusion <\/strong>\/\/ The Sleeping City<\/i><\/a> – In recent years, I often found myself gravitating towards concise, to-the-point records. I wanted hooks. I wanted brevity. I wanted unrelenting intensity. In 2025, that shifted. The long form became my home away from home. Epic yarns and gentle movements brought comfort and warmth to my listening schedule. With The Sleeping<\/em> City<\/em>, An Abstract Illusion<\/strong> managed to capture both the intensity I craved before and the sweeping arcs that I look for now. That it is beautiful without compromising either of those traits is nothing short of awe-inspiring. And so, here we are.<\/p>\n

\"\"#6. Igorrr<\/strong> \/\/ Amen<\/i><\/a> – When I look at my Top 10ish, I notice two things. Firstly, a fair number of these selections are, in some shape or form, weird or niche. Secondly, the gaps that separate one album from the other at this point are paper-thin, aside from my AotY. For French wild cards, Igorrr<\/strong>, accessibility ultimately put Amen<\/em> here with my faves of 2025. Whimsically weird, savagely smart, and wholly unpredictable, Igorrr<\/strong> achieved a buttery smoothness and an unflinching confidence with these 12 absolute bangers that they’ve never shown before. A high-water mark for an act with an established reputation for excellence.<\/p>\n

\"\"#5. T\u00f3mar\u00fam<\/strong> \/\/ Beyond Obsidian Euphoria<\/i><\/a> – My relationship with Beyond Obsidian Euphoria<\/em> followed much the same trajectory as my relationship with its predecessor, Ash in Realms of Stone Icons<\/em><\/a>. I felt confident in my score, then I started doubting its accuracy, then I’d revisit the record and feel vindicated in my original evaluation\u2014rinse and repeat. It’s a vicious cycle, but at the end of the day, Beyond Obsidian Euphoria<\/em> was always destined for my Top 5. Its epic, sprawling constructs demand so many of my spoons; emotionally, physically, and spiritually. But it gives just as many back, plus just enough extra to compel me to spin it again. It’s one helluva journey, but that’s what makes it excellent!<\/p>\n

\"\"#4. Qrixkuor <\/strong>\/\/ The Womb of the World<\/i><\/a> – In the world of symphonic death metal, Qrixkuor<\/strong> is singular. Nobody else sounds like them, and I’m convinced nobody else could. Dramatic, violent, and grotesque, but at the same time possessing a disturbing beauty, The Womb of the World <\/em>sets a new standard for lushly orchestrated death metal. It’s not for the faint of heart, nor for those looking for a quick fix. But once it’s infected your mind, you belong to it. An album to be feared as much as it is to be adored.<\/p>\n

\"\"#3. Cam Girl<\/strong> \/\/ Flesh & Chrome<\/em><\/a> – Deciding where to slot this was a difficult process for me. The people-pleaser that lives in my brain\u2014who is jacked, devastatingly handsome, and incredibly charismatic\u2014tried to move Cam Girl<\/strong>’s sophomore LP down a couple of notches, purely to protect me from those who would (and likely will) tell me this kind of record is undeserving of such high placement here. But the reality is I<\/em> don’t fucking want to<\/em>. Flesh & Chrome<\/em> is a staggering improvement on Cam Girl<\/strong>’s already winning formula, with an invincible selection of super-sticky and subversive tunes that haven’t left my brain since the first half of 2025. It’s among the most fun records I’ve had the pleasure of covering on this site. Above all, Flesh & Chrome<\/em> earned its rightful place in my Top 3. So it is, so it shall be.<\/p>\n

\"\"#2. ByoNoiseGenerator <\/strong>\/\/ Subnormal Dives<\/em><\/a> – This was not on my bingo card for 2025. I used to despise everything about ByoNoiseGenerator<\/strong>’s brand of brutal jazzgrind. After spinning Subnormal Dives<\/em> roughly 10^230049 times in the span of a few short months, with a mind-broken grin plastered permanently on my face, something snapped. It wasn’t a gradual affinity borne of a studious and painstaking process. It was a total, implosive disintegration of everything I held true. The result? BYONG<\/strong> is now one of my favorite bands, and I’ve come to love their previous work, too. Not many albums wield that much power. Subnormal Dives<\/em> does.<\/p>\n

#1. Flummox<\/strong> \/\/ Southern Progress<\/em><\/a> – This is easily my biggest surprise of 2025. I never heard of Flummox<\/strong> before seeing this cover art on my Bandcamp feed, and I was thoroughly bamboozled by my first spin. The mix was bizarre, the songwriting highly unorthodox compared to anything I’ve heard this side of Devin Townsend<\/strong>, and Flummox<\/strong>’s refusal to settle into any one style was confounding. Yet, I simply could not stop spinning it. All year long, Southern Progress<\/em> was my go-to, even on days when I just felt so numb that I didn’t want to listen to anything at all. With that commitment came understanding. Southern Progress<\/em> is, simply put, a fully realized and inspired work of art, complete with relevant societal commentary. Steeped in messaging that spotlights systematic and social prejudices that plague the queer, and particularly the trans\/nonbinary\/gender-fluid, community (especially in the American South)\u2014and deftly integrating branched subplots that exhibit the wide-reaching complications that neurodivergence, late-stage capitalism, and religion-based upbringings contribute to that experience\u2014Flummox<\/strong>’s fifth LP greatly affected me on a personal level. More so than any other record released this year, Southern Progress<\/em> feels important, not just to me, and not just to Flummox<\/strong>. I strongly believe everyone could learn something from this bizarre, wild, and untamable barnstormer and have a blast doing it. For these reasons, and so much more, I gratefully award Southern Progress<\/em> my 2025 Album o’ the Year. Thank you, Flummox<\/strong>, for this wonderful gift!<\/p>\n

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Honorable Mentions<\/strong><\/p>\n