You can find the collective list as well as all our Best of 2025 content including contributors’ individual lists and radio DJ shows here: CGCM’s Best of 2025 (Year in Review)
Best of 2025 – Tom Cornell (Writer) 🏴
The “As Always” Intro
As always (can you see what I did there?), picking an end-of-year list is a complete bastard. I managed eventually to get it down to about 16 albums, so at least 6 couldn’t make the list. I had 5 albums that I knew were going to be included, including my number 1, which I keep returning to time and time again.
Without doubt, it is the album I played the most. Of course, this meant a fight for the other 5 spots amongst 11 albums! Told you this was tough. Some of the albums are interchangeable; for instance, is number 8 better than 9? Possibly not, both are as good as each other, so it might be down to plays or just having a couple of songs that resonate more. My list seems to be heavier or weirder than normal (I think), but hey, you like what you like. I will say that all these albums are worth checking out if you are into the style of any particular artists here. Anyway, I will shut up and try to do my best!
The “How The Hell Didn’t They Make The 10” List?
There were albums that I fought over that could have been in my top 10 but missed out, perhaps I listened to them less or have a song or 2 a bit weaker compared to the others. These include:
Epica: Aspiral. They really are top dogs at the moment in the symphonic metal genre and this album is very impressive. Don’t understand the concept personally, but the music, the mix of styles and the vocals are top-notch.
Ancient Death: Ego Dissolution. This was so close to making it. Death metal at its finest. It is quite progressive at times and made me think of Death quite a bit. Some psychedelic moments hint at Floyd. Brilliant album.
Robert Jon & The Wreck: Heartbreaks & Last Goodbyes. 10 well-written and executed songs that incorporate Southern, country, and bluesy vibes throughout. The title track is one of my songs of the year! Yes, it is that good.
Lunar: Tempora Mutantur. Another excellent album from this progressive rock band, a little heavier than the last one, but it all hangs very well. I described as “thoughtful, intelligent, progressive music with words to match“, and I hold to that description.
Others that I loved included Star Circus, Shape Of Water (actually a very interesting album that really takes chances when it comes to style and genre, if adventurous, check it out), Dream Theater, Kardashev and Helloween. I do want to mention one other album called Nagelfar by Par Lindh Project (or PLP) which is basically a tribute to Emerson Lake And Palmer. Anyone who loves the 70s era output of them should get a copy pronto. It really captures the essence of what made ELP great.
Onto The Top 10:
#10 
AVKRVST – Waving At The Sky
This Norwegian band released their second album this year. I admit I didn’t catch the first one so this has been my entry point into the band. It is prog rock mixed with prog metal, in that there are plenty of mellow moments with clean vocals and some heavier parts with growls. The album is a concept piece and is based on horrific true events that happened in their own country years ago involving 2 families and their abuse of their children.
There are spoken word sections that are quotes from the trial documents. It isn’t easy listening despite some beautiful melodic moments. It is an album where the songs flow into each other, there are moments of musical precision with time changes, interesting riffs and passages of reflection. The playing is superb (obviously) and in places you can hear hints of Porcupine Tree, Haken (well their singer does feature on this as well) and Opeth amongst others.
The band comprise of Simon Bergseth (guitars, bass & vocals), Martin Utby (drummer and synths), Øystein Aadland (bass/keys), Edvard Seim (guitar) and Auver Gaaren (keys). Both Simon and Martin are behind the storyline, concept and main arrangements and they have done a wonderful job on this. If you loved “Hand. Cannot. Erase.” by Steven Wilson and “Still Life” by Opeth then you will definitely love this.
#09 
RWAKE – The Return Of Magik
This was a new band for me. They hadn’t released anything for 14 years so that might explain the lack of knowledge. Their description online is “sludge metal” and they might well have been but on this they have branched out. There are still some sludgy vibes, some dirty guitar sounds etc, but it is measured sounding, heading into doom metal in parts, a little folky at times and even branching into prog rock.
Hailing from Arkansas, they have even managed to get Big Jim Dandy from the band Black Oak Arkansas to do a voice-over on one song. It sounds like a mad religious person sounding a warning and fits in with the piece. The moments of calm are spot on, in fact, the track “You Swore We’d Always Be Together” at one point reminded me of Trespass era Genesis. This is an acoustic, almost pastoral piece, before a slow, heavy, doomy and somewhat disturbing-sounding riff comes in.
They do win song title of the year for the track (are you ready folks?) “Distant Constellations And The Psychedelic Incarceration“. The good news is that it is really good, atmospheric, disturbing and managing to merge hippy era flower power with black doomy metal which gets more extreme as it heads towards its end with vocals screamed at you. There are 6 songs but 3 are over 10 minutes so it lasts over 50 minutes. This is about build and tension. Fantastic listen, especially with headphones.
#08 🇲🇫
IGORRR – Amen
This was an album a mate put me onto. I had it in my inbox but hadn’t got around to checking it out (my bad). I knew the band were a bit mad musically, but to be honest, I didn’t expect how bizarre, bonkers and wild the album would be. Take as many influences as you fancy, throw them into a melting pot, stir for a bit, record and then release onto an unsuspecting public. Whether it be extreme metal, opera, trip hop or pianos played by (and destroyed by) mechanical diggers this is absolutely mad as fuck.
The band name is the alter-ego of a French musician called Gautier Serre however, there is a band as well, which seems to have had a few members through the years. For instance, there is a track called “ADHD” which musically doesn’t stand still for any time at all, always on the move, full of weird sounds and beats. It is the disorder put to music. Not an easy listen but quite hypnotic as it challenges the listener.
“Blastbeat Falafel” has links to Mr Bungle and Faith No More with Trey Spruance playing on it (another track has Scott Ian from Anthrax on it too). As the title suggests, it has moments of incredible drumming mixed with Arabian musical sounds and jumps from screams to choirs then gentle piano refrains and a moment of cowbell! It is an amazing listen and what I will say is that despite how mad it all seems it actually is an excellent listen. It shouldn’t work but it does. They say madness and genius are next to each other, Igorrr helps confuse the boundaries. Mad as a box of frogs and utter genius!
#07 
Jonas Lindberg & The Other Side – Time Frames
Another artist who I hadn’t heard of before 2025. The main man plays loads of instruments here including bass, keyboards, guitars, mandolin, ukulele, along with doing both lead and backing vocals on various tracks. The 2 main lead vocalists Jonas Sundqvist and Jenny Storm are excellent, with the latter having a delightful folky feel to her vocals. The band and album are prog rock but with lots of harmonies and a sort of 60s sensibilities. Think Beatles for the harmonies and some of the playful or jaunty parts.
If you like Spock’s Beard then this is the album for you. Plenty of strong melodies running throughout and much of it sounds uplifting. There is a little quirkiness to what they do (I thought of 70s 10cc at one point) which adds to the vibe. 2 of the songs are 12 and 17 minutes long but they never drag, there is always little twists and turns with some elegant keys and guitar work going on. “Someone Like Me” is a glorious upbeat pop song that starts around an acoustic guitar and builds. The chorus is so darned catchy and easy to join in with despite the high pitch.
“Galactic Velvet” reminded me a touch at one point of a ballad from one of Fish‘s solo albums. The song is smooth as velvet, so it is well named. “Running Out Of Time” is a more simple-sounding track with a pleasant refrain, almost a breather before the major epic which is outstanding. Lovers of prog rock I highly recommend this beauty!
#06 
CORONER – Dissonance Theory
This came as a surprise. I saw Coroner away back in 2011 and there was talk of a new album, a follow-up to 1993’s Grin. There were further talks saying stuff was written, but nothing came out. Suddenly in 2025 they actually released an album. Now I admit I was nervous.
What if after all this wait, it was a bit shit? Thankfully that was not the case, as you can tell by my having it as my 6th favourite album of the year. The album has 10 tracks albeit the first one is just a short intro into the whole thing so I would say it is really 9 actual tracks. They were called “the Rush of thrash metal” and you can see why in places. Technical thrash metal, yes it is fast at times, frantic, but this 3 piece can play with times sigs like the best of prog artists.
I particularly love the guitar work on this, Tommy T. Baron plays a good variety of solos, some fast, others melodic and at times actually very much blues in sound and style. All 9 actual songs are great, no duffer here believe me. “Sacrificial Lamb” has my favourite riff, slower and doomier sounding mean and magnificent. As for “The Law” try not to sing/growl along to the chorus. I dare you. I imagine live that should be a right good community singathon. The last track “Prolonging” is the most surprising. I didn’t expect a Hammond organ solo ala Jon Lord or Ken Hensley. It is glorious. Well worth the wait. Easily best thrash album this year (despite great efforts from Testament and Sodom).
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#05 /🇮🇸
MAGIC PIE – Maestro
This is an album I really liked but didn’t connect fully with me until late on in the year. I think that I have such high regard for their catalogue that this didn’t seem as strong despite being very good. Then I put it on a while ago and suddenly I was utterly hooked. Realised it was actually brilliant. The band who are mainly Norwegian with a wonderful singer from Iceland are a prog rock band who on this veer a little more towards the “rock” part whilst not losing the prog elements that make the band so good.
I would honestly say that anyone who enjoys artists like Purple or Heep and loves 70s sounding rock with a modern touch should adore this album (actually think those folks would enjoy most of their albums). There are some symphonic touches on this too as well as some bluesy hard rock. The album is almost conceptual (there are definite themes going on) about a musician who wants to finish by writing his finest piece but finds it is lacking one small element, one chord to make it stand out from everything else.
Flow
The opening track is truly a pièce de résistance as it hunts that missing chord. As one would expect, it goes through different styles, moods, shades and time sigs but flows beautifully throughout. This band are masters of their craft when it comes to creating story arcs both in word and music. There are lyrical themes about getting older, dealing with day jobs whilst trying to focus on your love or art as well as the problems of social media on artists and in general. Fabulous album by a fabulous band who know melody and conversely know how to rock hard. A grower that when it hits stays the course. So glad I dug it out again!
#04 🇵🇱
PATRIARKH – Prophet Ilja
Patriarkh are a black metal band from Poland but this album is as I said in my review of it is much MORE than that. This concept piece is pure theatre, although it is based on a real person and a cult that existed near where the band lived and the music definitely has that cinematic scope. It sounds like the soundtrack of the best horror movie of the year (that doesn’t exist). There are brutal sections with howled screamed vocals, but there are lots of haunting choral sections throughout.
The band have also included some weird and wonderful local instruments to the mix adding to the drama, the tension and the beauty. The religious (or anti-religious) vibe comes through, with spoken words taken from I believe some of the “prophet’s” own sermons. I don’t know what they said as I don’t understand the language but it sounds scary as shit. Which of course is a good thing.
I did say that this was part metal, part rock opera and part religious ceremony and again I stand by that. They have made videos for half of the tracks (4 out of 8 songs I think have videos made) so if you want to hear parts of it with visuals do check out their You Tube page. If you want a bigger explanation of why this is such a brilliant album (indeed piece of art) check out my review from near the start of the year. Every word I still can stand by, it is good today as it was back then.
Check out my full CGCM review here
#03
SAMANTHA FISH – Paper Doll
Paper Doll is Samantha‘s eighth solo album (she also has one which she shares with other female guitarists and one with country player Jesse Dayton) and I like all of them. What I love about her is the way she is happy to take chances, branch out and express herself in different ways whilst still being a “blues” artist. As always, her playing is exquisite; she can play soft, gentle parts and shred like a beast when she wants. All her solos work for and with the songs. Then there is that wonderful sultry Southern drawl vocal wise that is so beguiling. The way she can go from rootsy, country-tinged rock to almost all-out pop (partly due to the production as well which is very modern sounding) is impressive.
Done Runnin’
This lady could be support to all manner of music artists and win their fans over (helps that she is one of the best live performers on the circuit these days). She has some right foot stompers here (especially on the choruses) like opener “I’m Done Runnin’” and the title song “Paper Doll” which has those pop sensibilities yet grooves and rocks. There are tales of broken or damaged relationships going on here yet there is a joy about much of it. She can sound angry, forlorn, sweet and slightly evil on varying vocal lines delivery wise, there is so much character to her singing.
There are a couple of sweet ballads (“Don’t Say It” and “Don’t Let It Bring You Down“) to give a balance to the rocky tracks. For me the 2 biggest highlights are “Sweet Southern Sounds” which has a blistering guitar solo on the second half of the track and “Fortune Teller” which goes through 3 styles, the first part brooding, slightly creepy and psychedelic then onto Johnny Cash style country blues where the rhythm is like a train steaming down the tracks before changing into heavy blues at the solo! Great album by one of the best and hardest working musicians around today.
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#02 
WARD XVI – Id3ntity
What can I say about this album that I didn’t say in my review 6 months ago? This the third part of the Psychoberrie trilogy, where things get heavier yet still manage to have moments of melody and beauty in amongst the almost industrial nature of some of the songs. They are one of the most interesting and fun bands on the live circuit too. They put on shows that live in the mind as they recreate onstage the story of this poor, mixed-up child who becomes a serial killer. I have played the album so many times.
I have watched the videos so many times, so much so that “Blood Is The New Black” was my top watch this year on You Tube! In any normal year this would have been number one, but hell there was one album that managed to impress me even more and that I have turned to more than this.
Fact
The fact the band have produced 3 albums on the same character and managed to make them all unique and interesting is testament to their writing skills. They put heart and soul into what they do. I said before that if the music didn’t hold up I wouldn’t keep going to see them live. I can enjoy a good show but I need songs!
They have them. From the anthemic “We Are Legion” and the aforementioned “Blood” to ballads with balls that are also creepy as fuck like “I Spit On Your Grave” and “Amoeba Of Madness” all the way to the circus stylings of craziness like “What’s In The Box” they put the listener trough all the emotions of a very ill person! As I said in the review (see HERE) “what an album, what a ride” . You can multiply this of course by 3 as they entertained us on all 3 albums. Absolutely outstanding.
#01
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME – The Blue Nowhere
This was an album where I wondered what the band would do, where they would go. As the group was going to be a 4-piece on this album with only one guitarist from the previous. How would that affect the soundscapes they create? When they released the first video for the album, “Things We Tell Ourselves In The Dark“, I was confused – happy and excited – but confused. It was so funky, so groovy. Not particularly heavy for the most part (there is one really heavy section near the end), the chorus was very catchy with clean vocals yet there were some really crazy moments especially drum wise. It grew on me.
I wondered what would happen next. Then came the second video “Absent Thereafter” and blew the doors if not the roof of my flat. Holy shit, heavy, brutal and playful! It reminded me of one of their earlier albums (“The Great Misdirect” which is a favourite of mine). I then went back to the first track and realised how bloody good it was. When the album came out I was transfixed on first listen. It took time to get all the intricacies going on. As always, there are loads of styles in the mix, yet there were lots of very accessible melodies and harmonies to make it easy on the ear at times.
20 Years
This is a band that have been together for 20 years and it shows in the musical dexterity and understanding between the 4 of them. Tommy Rogers (vox/keys), Paul Waggoner (guitars), Dan Briggs (bass/keys) and Blake Richardson (drums/percussion) really are a tight unit. Like Igorrr they love to blend styles and confuse the listener, yet it hangs together well. Brutal enough for extreme metal fans, progressive enough for prog fans and sections that ordinary rock fans can enjoy.
There are additional musicians here playing anything from trumpet, cello, bassoon and tuba adding to the fun and scope of musical variety! Anyone who already likes BTBAM will like this and anyone unafraid of some heavy shit and prog will have a ball hearing this. Seriously, this is a work of genius. Hell, managing to have an extreme metal bluegrass hoedown is worth a number 1 spot in itself! Fucking amazing.
So that is it for 2025. Thank you for supporting CGCM and I wish everyone all the best for 2026!
Check out my other reviews and articles here. Tom
