Happy Holidays to all! As 2025 is
rapidly coming to a close, it’s time for those Top Albums of the Year lists to
start popping up. There were too many records I wanted to feature to fit on a Top
10 list so I decided to do what I did a few years ago and do a Top 13 list
instead. It’s been another phenomenal year for metal music once again. The
albums you’ll find on this list consist of LPs that I find myself going back to
most often and that I see myself spinning many more times over the years to
come in the genres and subgenres of Metal, Rock, and Doom. So, without further
ado, here are my thirteen favourite records of 2025 with a link to my Harbinger’s
Killer Picks article for each along with links to purchase the LPs:
13. Helloween – Giants
and Monsters (Label: Reigning Phoenix Music)
12. Gin Lady – Before
the Dawn of Time (Label: Ripple Music)
11. Black Rain – Black
Rain (Label: Self-Released)
10. Lordi – Limited
Deadition (Label: Reigning Phoenix Music)
9. Wings of Steel – Winds
of Time (Label: High Roller Records)
8. Various – No Life
‘til Leather: A Tribute to Metallica's Kill 'Em All (Label: Silver Lining
Music)
7. Animalize – Verminateur
(Label: Dying Victims Productions)
6. Reflection – The
Battles I Have Won (Label: Pitch Black Records)
5. Year of the Cobra – Year
of the Cobra (Label: Prophecy Productions)
4. H.e.a.t – Welcome to
the Future (Label: earMUSIC)
3. Mausoleum Gate – Space,
Rituals and Magick (Label: Cruz Del Sur Music)
2. Solicitor – Enemy in
Mirrors (Label: Gates of Hell Records)
1. Venator – Psychodrome
(Label: Dying Victims Productions)
And there you have it! Hopefully my list will make you discover an LP or a band that you’d overlooked or not heard of. I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank all the PR firms, labels, and bands who have contacted me and sent me some great music throughout the year. I do my best to review a wide variety of releases; if it sounds good to me, then I’ll review it, regardless of the genre it’s in. I’ll see you all on the other side of the calendar on January 31st, 2026 to kick off another year of the Harbinger’s Killer Picks. Until then, stay safe and have a healthy and happy New Year!
