The 30 Best Metal & Hard Rock Albums of 2025

Bleed From Within billed their latest LP as a new beginning of sorts, boldly titling the album Zenith as a mark of confidence. With tracks like the vicious “In Place of Your Halo,” it’s clear to see why they’re so high on the project. This is a leaner and more to-the-point BFW, taking a cue from some of the other UK hardcore bands by adding some physicality and visceral riffage. While not quite beatdown hardcore, the Scottish band definitely ride the slam riffs and breakdowns pretty hard here — and there’s even some bagpipe flourishes to boot. — J. Hadusek

The Melvins might be the hardest-working band in rock, as it’s a constant album-tour cycle for the sludge-metal legends. Along the way, King Buzzo and company are always changing things up to keep it fresh. Their latest release, under the Melvins 1983 moniker, features an alternate lineup with Buzz Osborne alongside original Melvins drummer Mike Dillard (plus electronics by Void Manes and Ni Maîtres). With its own sense of rhythm and jamming, as well as song construction and production, this "1983" iteration is a completely different beast than the Melvins' dual-drummer touring lineup with Dale Crover and Coady Willis. For a band that's over 40 years into its career, their recorded output continues to keep us on our toes. — J. Hadusek

The guitarist pairing of Richie Kotzen and Adrian Smith has turned out to be a fruitful partnership, with the duo dropping their latest collab LP Black Light / White Noise in April. Smith brings out the metal side of Kotzen, while the latter taps into the former’s affinity for the blues. And neither appear to be recycling shelved ideas from their other bands, i.e. The Winery Dogs and Iron Maiden, which is always a fear with side-projects. Instead, tracks like the title cut “White Noise” see the axemen playing off one another in an almost conversational — or, dare we say, competitive — style of guitar call-and-response, both Smith and Kotzen actively teasing out the other's best fretwork. — J. Hadusek

Voyager to Voyager is heavy psych executed by master craftsmen. Sadly, the album’s lore is overshadowed by the passing of bassist Steve Kille in April 2024. As his health deteriorated, Kille was confined to a couch for the album's final mixing sessions, a two-part journey that first took Dead Meadow to the famous Neve board at Dave Grohl's Sound City studio. As singer-guitarist Jason Simon reflected in the press release for the LP, these mixes were oddly lacking despite the impressive chain of gear at Sound City, so Simon ended up mixing the LP himself at his home studio, and in his own words, achieved the sound of “classic Dead Meadow.” This is their final evolution, with every groove tight, and every riff and turnaround distilled and honed for maximum payoff. A masterpiece to ride out on. — J. Hadusek

It's easy to think of Tetrarch as a new band, but in actuality, they've been around for 18 years. Singer Josh Fore and guitarist Diamond Rowe formed the group in 2007, and they've been grinding it out ever since. On their third album, The Ugly Side of Me, Tetrarch continue to prove they're one of the torchbearers of the modern nu-metal movement, churning out blistering singles like "Never Again (Parasite)" and "Best of Luck" that hook you in with infectious choruses. — Spencer Kaufman

There’s something surrealistic and unsettling about Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, from the UK act’s bizarre name down through the murky, atmospheric riffs that make up the core of their music. Their brand of acidic stoner rock isn’t so much for bong loads as it is for contemplating the end of the world. Much of that comes down to the lyrical content of frontman Matt Baty, which falls somewhere between the camp of the Melvins and the socio-political commentary of contemporaries Chat Pile. On Death Hilarious, he drops cold reality and grim assessments, with the riffage churning steadily. — J. Hadusek

Warbringer’s seventh offering, Wrath and Ruin, comes after nearly a five-year gap following 2020’s Weapons of Tomorrow, a career benchmark in terms of songwriting and production. Wisely, Warbringer chose not to reinvent their sound during that lengthy span, instead tapping into a new level of extremity to enhance their well-established thrash-metal assault. Meanwhile, the LP’s techno-dystopian themes have long been standard fare for Warbringer and the sub-genre at large, which has always been obsessed with such topics. However, in 2025, it no longer feels like ominous sci-fi foreshadowing, but commentary on the zeitgeist. Terrifying, frankly. — J. Hadusek

This collaboration between sludge metallers SUMAC and avant-jazz poet Moor Mother is an example of unbridled human creativity as a form of catharsis. The title makes things clear: This is an audio “film,” each track labeled sequentially as a scene (e.g. track 1 = "Scene 1"). Sludge metallers SUMAC explore their free-jazz improv side, weaving open-ended arrangements that cascade between drone and crushing metal, thus provoking the pen and words of Moor Mother as a sort of reverse soundtrack. — J. Hadusek

Behemoth have largely been a black metal band playing death metal for a few album cycles now. Spiritually and conceptually, the former; sonically, the latter. The Polish vets latest work of blasphemy, The Shit Ov God, largely continues this trend, although fans of the band’s early works should pay heed to highlight tracks like “The Shadow Elite” — a reverentially old-school black metal workout that exemplifies just how violent and unhinged Nergal and company can get when they set ablaze the bestial harshness that defined their formative Pagan years. — J. Hadusek

In the midst of their country's seemingly endless war with Russia, the Ukrainian metal band Jinjer soldier on as one of the standout purveyors of modern progressive metal. With their fifth album, Duél, Jinjer are on top of their game, as singles like "Someone's Daughter," "Green Serpent," and the title track combine crushing riffs with the wide vocal range of powerhouse singer Tatiana Shmayluk, who can swiftly shift from captivating melodic vocals to blood-curdling screams.  — S. Kaufman

When Scowl announced their new album, Are We All Angels, singer Kat Moss admitted, "The majority of us were really not proficient musicians when this band started. It was very Germs-esque in that way." Indeed, the band members have made great strides as musicians since the release of their 2021 debut, How Flowers Grow. With songs ranging from '90s-inspired alternative rock ("B.A.B.E.") to pop-meets-hardcore ("Tonight (I'm Afraid)"), Are We All Angels represents a band who've made a major leap forward with their sophomore effort. — S. Kaufman

Wolfgang Van Halen is one talented individual. Like he did on the first two Mammoth albums, he played every instrument on his outfit's third LP, The End, not to mention handling all vocals. While he has adamantly dismissed any comparisons to his legendary dad, there are nods to the late, great Eddie Van Halen in the blistering guitar intro to the title track, and the mesmerizing solo in "One of a Kind." And don't let the title of the album fool you — Wolfgang is just getting started on an already impressive music career. — S. Kaufman

Japanese pop-metal sensations BABYMETAL went heavy on the guest musicians on their latest album, METAL FORTH, and it paid off with several exciting tracks. Seven of the 10 songs feature guests, including the likes of Poppy, Slaughter to Prevail, Bloodywood, Spiritbox, and Tom Morello. Standout tunes include "from me to u," with lead singer Su-metal's pop vocals contrasting sharply with Poppy's vicious screams, and "Kon! Kon!" featuring Bloodywood bringing their unique vibe from India to a fiery track. The evolution continues for BABYMETAL, who further push the boundaries of metal with each album release. — S. Kaufman

Prior to the surprising departure of singer Alissa White-Gluz late in the year, Arch Enemy unleashed their 13th studio album, Blood Dynasty, on the strength of some stellar singles ("Dream Stealer," "Liars & Thieves," "Blood Dynasty," and "Paper Tiger") leading up to its release. Those tracks were a good indicator of what the full album had in store: consistently thrilling melo-death that’s steeped in the traditions of classic European metal. Whether it's a fist-pumping chorus from White-Gluz or a harmonized guitar lead during a bridge, the Swedish vets masterfully place these footholds throughout their songs, melding their shiny, modern extreme-metal sound with genre’s timeless and always-satiating tropes. — J. Hadusek

The songs on Last Leg of the Human Table could just as well be strummed and sang on an acoustic guitar (and a few are), but Cloakroom’s majesty lies in their ability to lift an otherwise plaintive folk song to sonic grandeur with the use of amplification. Like the great Hum before them, Cloakroom are architects of tone, and their heaviness — when the band does get loud — is doled out deliberately and only when the song demands it. In the context of a full album like Last Leg of the Human Table, it makes for an incredibly well-paced experience. These maximal moments ebb and flow against quiet passages that draw the listener further into the album’s portal of emotion. — J. Hadusek

The enigmatic Sleep Token are a worldwide phenomenon. Looking like a cross between Ghost and Slipknot, the masked UK band's music is not easy to define, yet wildly popular, as evidenced by new album Even in Arcadia debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The term "alternative metal" gets thrown around a lot, but doesn't do the band's sound justice, as they delve into R&B, pop, and prog-rock — all heard on first single "Emergence," which takes listeners on a multi-genre journey that's at times beautiful and haunting. — S. Kaufman

You’ll notice a few zeitgeist-appropriate albums on this list, with CONFLICT DLC being one of them. The band coldly referring to its own album as “downloadable content” aptly prefaces the pessimism and misanthropy that runs through these 12 tracks. The lyrics pull no punches regarding capitalistic tyranny, techno dystopianism, etc., while HEALTH’s typically club-ready brand of electro-industrial goes harsh (not quite harsh noise), eschewing pop inclinations if not burying them altogether. — J. Hadusek

Fleshwater mine an anachronistic sound that originated toward the end of the post-grunge movement, before things got caricatured by nu-metal. Bands like Hum are a good point of reference: huge textural guitars, pounding Dave Grohl-esque drumming, metal riffs and post-hardcore breakdowns, paired with that grunge-era/'90s-indie humility that's best exemplified by plain-sung vocals and a lack of affectation. A song like "Jetpack" has that in spades, hearkening to the very year referenced in the album title, 2000, when a college radio or alternative station might have a few Fleshwaters in heavy rotation. And thanks to engineer of all things heavy Kurt Ballou, the songs were blessed with the massive-sounding production treatment that was central to all the guitar music of the mid-to-late '90s and the major reason those albums hit so hard (and still do). Now two for two albums-wise, Fleshwater continue to do it right. — J. Hadusek

It's not like Dream Theater had a hack drummer for 13 years in Mike Mangini, a virtuoso behind the kit, but there's something about the return of founding member (and one of drumming's all-time greats) Mike Portnoy that has injected a new energy into the prog-metal veterans. The band's 16th studio album, Parasomnia, is a thrilling ride throughout, including lead single "Night Terror," a 10-minute opus featuring singer James LaBrie's vocals accompanied by an onslaught of instrumental fireworks powered by Portnoy's masterful drumming. — S. Kaufman

The Armed are shifty. Their lineup is constantly in flux (to the point where it’s hard to tell who’s performing on what), and given their strident political slant (they made headlines for playing a Bernie Sanders rally this year), operating as an anonymous collective seems apropos. And this new album is by far their most politically charged effort, as well as their most musically unhinged. The gloves come off on a few of these tracks — the not-so-subtle “Kingbreaker” being an extreme example — with the group melding hardcore, free jazz, and alt-rock in a unified expression of anger toward the status quo. — J. Hadusek

Lzzy Hale possesses one of the most powerful singing voices of the 21st century, and it's on full display throughout Halestorm's newest full-length effort, Everest. The band explores new territory on their sixth album, with Lzzy and company taking listeners on an emotional roller-coaster. From the anthemic "Darkness Always Wins" to the downright thrashy "K-I-L-L-I-N-G," Halestorm once again prove why they are one of the top rock acts of the past couple decades. — S. Kaufman

Consequence cover stars Ghost's rise from curiosity to arena headliners over the past 15 years has been nothing short of miraculous. On Skeletá, "new" frontman Papa Perpetua V (as played by Ghost mastermind Tobias Forge) and his merry band of Nameless Ghouls continue to embrace '70s and '80s arena rock like Journey, Kansas, Toto, and Styx on songs like leadoff track "Peacefield" and first single "Satanized," while reminding fans they can still bring the metal riffs on a tune like "Lachryma." — S. Kaufman

This is the album Ho99o9 have been working their way toward, an altogether more mature piece of work from the rap metal act, down to the album art, title, and music herein. The group is still laying down intense, genre-jumping material (there's a more hardcore sound this time around), but everything’s been tightened up and some of the evil trap metal tropes have been toned down, lending more sincerity to the overall project. A high watermark for Ho99o9, Tomorrow We Escape is one of the strongest hardcore-adjacent offerings of the year and arguably the best industrial hip-hop/rap metal LP of 2025. — J. Hadusek

One must approach a critique on La Dispute's 2025 epic No One Was Driving the Car with a cinematic perspective, starting with a full sequential listen of the album, like you would watch a film. Whether he's in a spoken-word mode or unleashing tortured screams, lyricist and vocalist Jordan Dreyer serves as narrator, weaving a series of stories about humanity's loss of control and agency in the modern world (the album's title refers to an actual fatal self-driving Tesla crash). The rest of La Dispute provide a "soundtrack" that ranges from atmospheric post-rock to clattering post-hardcore, a consistently enthralling backdrop that rises and falls with the emotional intensities presented by Dreyer. — J. Hadusek

Spiritbox have been one of the fastest-rising acts in the metal scene over the past half decade, and with good reason. Led by dynamic singer Courtney LaPlante, the Canadian band continues to take big risks sonically, and it's paid off tremendously on 2025's Tsunami Sea. From the scream-tastic "Soft Spine" to the industrial/electronic vibes of the melodic "Perfect Soul" to the absolute crushing "No Loss, No Love," Tsunami Sea represents a fearless band with no limits on the heights it can reach in its ascension up the metal ranks. — S. Kaufman

Most of Deftones' latter-era material since Saturday Night Wrist is defined by a dreamy sort of heaviness. It’s still metal, but it’s smoothed out, with the riffs becoming more of a singular wash of sound. On private music, the band finds something of a middle ground between that textural shoegazer approach and the harder edge of its formative years. There’s a bit more punch and life to Stephen Carpenter’s guitar, best heard on tracks like “Cut Hands” and “Milk of the Madonna,” and his riffage is more varied here as opposed to Deftones’ previous two LPs, Gore and Ohms. Meanwhile, the steady presence of frontman Chino Moreno is unwavering, as his coos and screams remain the ultimate compliment to the band’s romantic alt-metal stylings, carrying both the softer and heavier numbers with natural grace. — J. Hadusek

Turnstile released one of the best albums of the decade thus far with 2021's GLOW ON, so the Baltimore hardcore heroes had a tough act to follow. NEVER ENOUGH picks up where GLOW ON leaves off, as the band continues to expand into more melodic territory, while never forgetting its hardcore roots. Singer Brendan Yates' echoey vocals sound hypnotic on the title track and "Look Out for Me," each featuring Nirvana-inspired riffs. Elsewhere, Turnstile delve into an '80s Bowie sound on "SEEIN' STARS," while letting their hardcore flag fly on "Birds." — S. Kaufman

On Lonely People with Power, Deafheaven return to black metal but with a more guided hand, combining the whirlwind textures of their seminal Sunbather with the best elements of their softer 2021 release Infinite Granite. The alchemical combo results in something arguably more potent than the sum of its parts, unlocking an added layer of emotion within the band's music. A vicious slab like “Magnolia” can blow the doors off and pummel relentlessly, while a song like “Heathen” can caress with its majestic arpeggios before once again immolating into metallic fury. Here, the band's achieves the perfect balance of harshness and serenity. — J. Hadusek