#steven-wilson — Public Fediverse posts

🇬🇧 Ultravox "Quartet (Steven Wilson Stereo Mix)" – 2023

A remix of the 1982 album, where Steven Wilson brings clarity and separation to Ultravox’s dense synth arrangements. The stereo image is widened, details are more defined, and the balance between electronics and instrumentation feels more transparent without losing the original atmosphere...

#ultravox #stevenwilson #newwave #synthpop #80smusic #remix #vinylcommunity #vinyl #music #vinylrecords #nowspinningonvinyl #nowspinning #nowlistening

Steven Wilson strikes again. He remixed Jeff Buckley's incredible Grace album from 1994 in Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround sound and will be available on blu-ray audio soon.

https://www.thesdeshop.com/products/jeff-buckley-grace-blu-ray-audio

File under: #StevenWilson #JeffBuckley #bluray

Following a string of setbacks, barriers, and logistical complications, Aussie progressive rock/metal juggernaut Karnivool finally return with their hotly anticipated fourth opus, In Verses. After nearly thirteen years between drinks, the crafty quartet, from the far reaches and musical hotbed of Perth, Western Australia, make a welcome return for prog aficionados and longtime fans of the veteran collective, who flourished from crunchy alt metal and nü flavored beginnings, into a revered progressive band through three previous LPs of high quality. From the clever arrangements and blockbuster hooks of 2005’s Themata, through to the accomplished, complex Toolisms and evolving textures of stunning sophomore platter Sound Awake (2009), to the rawer, experimental edge of 2013’s Asymmetry, Karnivool’s discography is sparse yet undeniably excellent.

Approaching In Verses feels a little strange initially. Karnivool’s curious decision to gradually drip-feed half the album’s songs across numerous months lends a familiarity to those without the willpower to give in to temptation, ensuring several of the songs are well lived in before giving the entire opus full attention. Take, for instance, the stormy rhythmic thrust and instantly gratifying hooks of lead single “Drone” (released in July 2025) or the revamped, stuttering crunch of “All It Takes,” originally released back in 2021. These higher energy songs are scattered throughout an album that pivots into more measured, subdued progressive pathways, courtesy of several longer form melodic odysseys, rich in detail, slow burning builds, and emotive, gorgeous vocals from silky voiced frontman Ian Kenny.

Opener “Ghost” unfurls at a relaxed pace, ramping up tension before a delightfully heavy, Middle Eastern-esque groove kicks in. After doing the rounds in their live shows, it is cool to finally hear the song in its studio form. Its complex arrangement and grinding edge lend a darker, off-kilter punch before the infectious burst of “Drone” makes its impressive mark. In Verses largely maintains momentum, sequencing quibbles aside. The softer material and prog power balladry roughly consume half the album, finding Karnivool snaking down introspective, heartfelt pathways, while compromising elements of Karnivool’s signature heavier, energetic fare, leading to pangs of initial disappointment. Over time, these feelings subsided as the brooding tones, glistening melodies, and gentle swells washed over. Soaring mid-album cut “Conversations” comes replete with delicate guitar work undercutting earworm hooks that cut deep. From noodling, melancholic builds, to crunchier undertones and hooks that eventually penetrate the brain and prove tough to dislodge, “Reanimation” culminates with an epic, soul-tingling solo from prog veteran Guthrie Govan (The Aristocrats, Steven Wilson).

Following the infectious grooves and bright melodies of “Remote Self-Control”, In Verses wraps up with a pair of wrenching, lighter in the air ballads (“Opal,” and haunting, bagpiped-adorned “Salva”). Again, displaying the slow-burning unfurl, structural subtleties and pop sensibilities featuring prominently across the album’s mellower cuts. Kenny’s powerhouse singing has been a staple of the Aussie music scene for decades now, both with Karnivool and high-profile rockers (now the questionably pop-inclined) Birds of Tokyo. It’s another highlight reel performance, bolstering Karnivool’s muscular, progressive rock/metallic core with blockbuster hooks, singalong anthems, and an emotionally raw delivery. Drummer Steve Judd and bassist Jon Stockman lay a mighty foundation, through a complex, tightly synced mix of tricky rhythms and driving grooves, paving way for guitarists Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking to delve into their bag of tricks. Supplementing crushing bursts of technical riffage and chunky grooves with understated layers of texture and noodling prog excursions, the duo perform impressively.

Over an hour-long runtime, Karnivool mostly get things right, though astute editing in patches and sequencing to more effectively disperse the mellower fare and energetic numbers, creates lingering nitpicks. Thus, In Verses proves difficult to score. Much of the material achieves, or at least teeters on the cusp of greatness, though the minor bloat, uneven pacing, and ballad-heavy approach compromise the album’s undeniable strengths. Regardless, In Verses marks a nuanced, introspective step in Karnivool’s evolution, rewarding patience, while retaining the signature hallmarks, intelligent songwriting, and hooky accessibility curated over the past couple of decades. Definitely a grower, In Verses won’t change the minds of listeners previously unmoved by Karnivool. Another singular entry into the band’s outstanding repertoire, In Verses stays true to the winning facets that have led to Karnivool’s revered status. Falling narrowly short of the lofty heights of Themata or Sound Awake, flaws and all, In Verses triumphs on its own merits.



Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Cymatic Records
Websites: Official | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: February 6th, 2026

#StevenWilson has introduced #HeadphoneDust, a name that I've heard years before, and I don't know how it's new.
Anyway, it's high quality audio / video for nerds, currently only SW stuff, but probably with more to come, all SW-curated.

https://headphonedust.store/

Discos Favoritos 2025 – Internacional

¿Por qué?

En redes sociales, una persona del medio musical, a quien respeto y admiro mucho, hizo una publicación cuestionando las motivaciones para hacer una lista personal de los mejores discos del año. Si una alguien que sabe de verdad sobre música lo pone en duda, ¿Qué queda para mí? Apenas podría considerarme un simple escuchador que sabe poco y nada. Con dificultad puedo diferenciar un “re” de un “do”, entonces ¿Qué podría aportar yo con una lista de ese tipo?

Luego de una ardua e intensa reflexión –mientras devoraba un pancito con huevo al desayuno– entendí que alguien que está dentro del profesionalismo del medio tiene una responsabilidad mayor. Aunque los comentarios sean subjetivos y basados en sus gustos personales, requiere rigurosidad y precisión en los detalles. Yo tengo la libertad que otorga el total amauterismo e ignorancia en el tema. Pero, lo más importante, la motivación principal es la misma por la que publicamos cualquier cosa en redes sociales: simplemente compartir. No hay mas pretensión que esa.

A mi me gusta revisar listados que publican otras personas –especialmente con quienes comparto gustos– más que las que hacen los medios. Considero que el valor de la música está en lo que provoca en nuestro interior. La subjetividad, lo que nos llega al alma y nos hace vibrar. Y valoro a quienes pueden escribir desde ahí, complementando con conocimientos y rigurosidad objetiva, más que a la inversa.

Vamos a lo que importa

Después de mis excusas, paso a aclarar que esto es un ejercicio absolutamente personal y subjetivo hecho con la humilde arrogancia del que poco sabe. Es la lista de mis favoritos dentro de lo que escuché durante este año. Gran parte lo compartí con la etiqueta #rel2025 en mi cuenta de Mastodon. Mi criterio para seleccionar es simple: los que más disfruto.

Sin duda hay muchos otros discos que podrían haber estado, pero que por diferentes razones dejé fuera. NEVER ENOUGH, de Turnstile; Who Is The Sky, de David Byrne; Everybody Scream, de Florence + The Machine; West End Girl de Lilly Allen; o Antidepressants, de Suede; solo por mencionar algunos de los buenos lanzamientos de esta temporada que se me vienen rápidamente a la cabeza.

Para no seguir aburriendo al lector, vamos a lo que importa.

15. Arthur Buck 2 – Arthur Buck

La colaboración entre el cantante Joseph Arthur y el guitarrista Peter Buck (ex R.E.M.) es lo más R.E.M. que he escuchado desde el fin de la banda. La guitarra de Buck vuelve a sonar como si estuviera en su mejor etapa de los ’90 en canciones como «Average Ghost», «Love at First Sight» o «Pow». Sonidos que me atrapan de inmediato.

https://album.link/s/4NKfJbbVXlfoUpZDjQvory

14. Are we All Angels – Scowl

La segunda entrega de Scowl viene marcada por la rabia del hardcore punk, guitarras afiladas y una poderosa voz femenina que por momentos se transforma en gritos desgarradores. Con letras que hablan de temas como la vulnerabilidad emocional y la salud mental.

https://album.link/s/0zDdwRsOg2sVvOFpjEOtHs

13. viagr aboys – Viagra Boys

Viagra Boys es de esa camada de bandas jóvenes que están llevando la bandera del rock en estos tiempos. Con una base post-punk, mucha energía y guitarras que se vuelven muy ruidosas por algunos pasajes. Un lugar seguro para escuchar cuando el ánimo anda bajo.

https://album.link/s/0ibbISvq4loJXVtZquKrQB

12. LUX – Rosalía

Comencé a escuchar a la española Rosalía con su disco anterior, Motomami, superando de a poco el prejuicio por la música urbana. Descubrí a una artista que es mucho más que una simple etiqueta. Ese álbum es más veraniego, alegre y cercano a lo urbano, pero en definitiva es pop moderno. LUX se aleja de lo urbano abrazando aún más al pop, fusionado con música clásica en algo que es como avant-garde del pop. Rosalía demuestra que está entre las grandes de la música actual y su obra trasciende a cualquier género o etiqueta.

https://album.link/s/3SUEJULSGgBDG1j4GQhfYY

11. Runaway Emotions – Sons of Silver

No recuerdo cómo llegué a esta banda, pero cuando escuché el disco –que es su primer larga duración– quedé gratamente sorprendido. Una mezcla de estilos que cautivan a cualquier amante del rock noventero influenciado por las décadas anteriores. Puede ser grunge, puede ser U2, Guns o hasta Peter Murphy. Todo tan bien cohesionado que no deja de sonar original.

https://album.link/s/5dyyDba29YRdsir7OQci4E

10. Let All That We Imagine Be The Light – Garbage

Tengo claro que está lejos de ser lo mejor de la banda, pero es un disco que disfruté mucho, sobre todo en la primera parte del año. Tiene de ese rock industrial que a mi me gusta harto. Shirley Manson conserva el carisma y las letras que no dejan de ser profundas incluso cuando la música te invita bailar.

https://album.link/s/3SVwtqCeeVLPdnxipKxgIj

9. Drink the sea I y II – Drink the Sea

Son 2 álbumes en realidad, pero para estos efectos lo considero como si fuera un disco doble. Es el debut del súper grupo con Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Barett Martin (Mad Season, Screaming Trees), Alain Johannes –sí, nuestro Alain– (Eleven) y Duke Garwood en la voz. Me pareció un poco denso y no tan fácil de digerir en las primeras escuchas, pero una vez que le tomé el gusto me quedé pegado escuchando por un buen rato. Me trae a la memoria al fallecido Mark Lanegan, y no creo que sea coincidencia.

https://album.link/s/5BiSSH5I2441klhO0WbONG

8. Arctic Moon – The Chameleons

El primer disco de estudio tras el regreso de la banda el año 2021. Un clásico del post-punk. Y así suena este álbum. Con un bajo melódico muy marcado y la guitarra que crea una atmósfera que te atrapa. Aquí viene una de mis canciones favoritas del año Free Me.

https://album.link/s/2x4BaT44jmOZJjbkQzv0XI

7. private music – Deftones

Lo mejor de la banda de Chino Moreno en un buen tiempo. Aquí está el Deftones de inicios de los 2000, la banda que escuchaba en mis tiempos universitarios. La misma fuerza, la misma onda, pero no suena a algo repetido. Deftones es la banda insigne del Nu-metal, pero es una etiqueta muy limitada para para la música que hacen.

https://album.link/s/1gmWnG5TeRj91Tdm2lpEvJ

6. Divididos – Divididos

¡Qué agrado volver a escuchar un disco nuevo de mi banda favorita del rock argentino después de tanto tiempo! Y sobre todo porque mantiene el espíritu y esencia del trío argentino. Me gustó que incluyeran algunos sencillos publicados hace tiempo como San Saltarín y la balada rock Mundo Ganado que es una de mis favoritas del álbum y del Divididos del último tiempo.

https://album.link/s/5umNRvNHP6ubJNA8q5Da8v

5. A tres días de la tierra – Eruca Sativa

Alguien dijo –no recuerdo quién– que Eruca Sativa es como la versión femenina de Divididos. De cierta manera tiene razón. El formato power trío, la fuerza rockera y la mezcla con folclor y música de raíz. Aún así esa descripción se queda corta porque la banda de Lula Bertoldi y compañia es mucho más que solo eso y este álbum lo confirma.

https://album.link/s/7poJz5Q7eom1HnU7hvNv3Z

4. The Overview – Steven Wilson

Cada vez que Steven Wilson anuncia un nuevo disco, yo reservo un lugar en mis favoritos de inmediato. Y nunca falla. En The Overview regresa a un progresivo más clásico, después de ese coqueteo con el pop de sus últimos trabajos. Tiene solo 2 canciones larga duración, a la vieja usanza del subgénero. En algunos pasajes te sientes inmerso en una obra retro-futurista en que los sintetizadores dominan el panorama, rock sicodélico y espacial, pero también tiene del clásico Wilson solista. Una delicia parar escuchar en momentos de relajo.

https://album.link/s/3xOcExpIWzroZldcdc212q

3. Something Beautiful – Miley Cyrus

Mi ídola pop del siglo XXI. Este es un disco conceptual que, de acuerdo a la propia cantante, está inspirado en The Wall de Pink Floyd. Palabras mayores. Como sea, me parece que es lo mejor de Miley en su carrera. El sonido experimental se acerca mucho al rock con electrónica y pop. Tiene el ritmo de una obra dramática incluso si no pones atención en las letras.

https://album.link/s/7h7smPzBYx8LOLI3ncM3vQ

2. Cancionera – Natalia Lafourcade

Un disco que me transporta a otro lugar y a una época que nunca viví, pero que se siente muy cercana, como de nuestras tierras y costumbres. Mezcla boleros, cumbia, quizás algo de jazz y otros tantos estilos latinos que no soy capaz de identificar. Música que empecé a apreciar con la madurez (¡Cuánto tiempo perdido!). Es cálido, íntimo y hasta conmovedor. Me encantó.

https://album.link/s/4gqGuqjdi0io8D0vgMPczu

1. More – Pulp

Mi gran favorito del año. El regreso de Pulp no fue solo por cumplir. Parece que nunca se hubieran ido. More es un retorno al sonido característico de la mejor época de la banda. No se acerca al magistral Different Class, pero podría ubicarse perfectamente luego de la trilogía que se completa con This is Hardcore y His N Hers, que fue el peak de Jarvis Cocker y los suyos. Agradezco este disco y ojalá que tengamos mucho más Pulp en el futuro cercano.

https://album.link/s/4et2xBFMKmsaWQPjlKTbG6

My record of 2025.

1. Steven Wilson - The Overview

I think I've listened to this @ 20 times and am still not tired of it. We're blessed to have Steven Wilson in our lives.

Proggy, rocky, electro and about space and time. Everything a geek could need in 50 minutes. Amazing.

#StevenWilson #TheOverview

Listurnalia is now upon us once again! If you are not ready to be assailed by non-stop lists and bad opinions for the next week and change, I suggest you get fooking ready! Listurnalia cannot be stopped, nor contained. It can only be tolerated and endured!

More than any year in recent history, 2025 saw more seasoned staffers step away from writing duties due to time constraints and life changes. To compensate for the loss of these slackwagoning quitters and shirkers, we added a gaggle of fresh new voices. This made for a bittersweet time around these parts as long-time friends departed and a bunch of untested, unknowns rose through the brutal n00b gauntlet to seize the means of promo production. These greenhorn neophytes have created great havoc at AMG HQ with their terrible taste, inability to follow directions, and steadfast refusal to ignore deathcore.

We’ve been here before, though, and we always straighten out the newbie upstarts. The daily beatings, deprivations, and absence of positive reinforcement will wear them down, and if not, we have plenty of space in the rotpit out back. This is, and will ever be, the AMG modality.

2026 will be an interesting year as the new crew members are shepherded by the olde while everyone is crushed beneath the iron heel of AMG management. Who will make it to 2027? Who will be sold off to Metal Wani for a box of bananas and Gorilla Glue? Place your bets in the official AMG Survival Pool!

As you read the Top Ten(ish) lists below, remember, reading our content is free, but you get what you pay for.

Grymm

#10. Venomous Echoes // Dysmor
#9. Blut Aus Nord // Ethereal Horizons
#8. Dormant Ordeal // Tooth and Nail
#7. Structure // Heritage
#6. Lorna Shore // I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me
#5. Sigh // I Saw The World’s End – Hangman’s Hymn MMXXV
#4. Imperial Triumphant // Goldstar
#3. Am I In Trouble? // Spectrum
#2. Dax Riggs // 7 Songs for Spiders
#1. Paradise Lost // Ascension – I fully expected Paradise Lost to come out with quality music, which has been mostly par for the course in their storied almost-40-year career, and no one could blame them if they decided to coast along on their legendary sound. Instead, Ascension sees them giving a masterclass in songcraft and atmosphere, showing everyone, everywhere, how it’s done. With Black Sabbath now officially put to rest, Anathema long gone, and whatever the fuck is happening within My Dying Bride these days, somebody has to fly the British Doom flag high and proud, and Paradise Lost have done a bang-up job of doing so.

Personal Highlight o’ the Year: Seeing Acid Bath live. I may or may not have cried during “Venus Blue,” and no, I don’t fucking care. 19-Year-Old me was pleased as punch that 48-Year-Old me got to see a legendary band (and one of his personal favorites) come back from tragedy to pay tribute to their fallen bassist and friend, Audie Pitre, by giving it another long-awaited go.

Disappointment(s) o’ the Year:

• Losing so many influential heroes (RIP Ozzy Osbourne, Ace Frehley, and Tomas Lindberg, among too many others)
• My health: I was hoping to be a lot more active this year, but early on, I needed to, in the immortal words of David Lynch, “fix (my) heart or die.”1 Thankfully, after surgery, I feel a million times better, so you should see a lot more of me in 2026. You have been warned.

Song o’ the Year:

• Paradise Lost // “Salvation”

El Cuervo

#ish. Astronoid // Stargod
#10. Ollie Wride // The Pressure Point
#9. Kauan // Wayhome
#8. Zéro Absolu // La Saignée
#7. Mutagenic Host // The Diseased Machine
#6. Asira // As Ink in Water
#5. Bruit // The Age of Ephemerality
#4. Saor // Amidst the Ruins
#3. The Midnight // Syndicate
#2. Steven Wilson // The Overview
#1. Messa // The Spin – In a year replete with comfort picks—progressive rock, synthwave, and death metal abound—how is that Italy’s enigmatic, inscrutable Messa forged my Album o’ the Year? The Spin doesn’t take the trouble to make itself easily approachable. Doom, prog, and post influences circle around velvety melodies that sometimes sound like deliberate songs, and sometimes like jazz improvisation. But it’s these very qualities that belie its subtle allure; only with repetition and attention does The Spin shine. Messa gradually reveals rhythmic motifs, instrumental nuances, and rich compositions that enhance my life on so many days. “The Dress,” especially, is stunning. And though the record’s loungey whimsy defies metal conventions, each track prizes genuine grit through its top-drawer guitar riffs. With the devotion it demands, no record from 2025 was more rewarding than The Spin.

Honorable Mentions:

• Décryptal – Simulacre
• An Abstract Illusion – The Sleeping City
• Puteraeon – Mountains of Madness
• Hasard – Abgnose

Song o’ the Year:

• Ambush – “Maskirovka”



GardensTale

#ish. Structure // Heritage
#10. In Mourning //The Immortal
#9. Flummox // Southern Progress
#8. Der Weg Einer Freiheit // Innern
#7. Nephylim // Circuition
#6. Besna // Krásno
#5. Messa // The Spin
#4. Labyrinthus Stellarum // Rift in Reality
#3. Gazpacho // Magic 8 Ball
#2. Dormant Ordeal// Tooth & Nail
#1. Moron Police // Pachinko — I was a little nervous when I first read about the length and ambition behind Pachinko, especially in the context of the incredible and very concise A Boat on the Sea. I’ve never been this happy to be this wrong. Nothing in the last decade has overtaken my life as much as Pachinko has, and I’m listening to it yet again as I write this, and will probably restart it once it finishes. Pachinko has a lot in common with Everything Everywhere All At Once, one of my all-time favorite films, as a treatise on the chaos of life and the importance of friends and family. It treats its philosophy of silliness very seriously, laughing in the face of darkness in such a beautiful and inspiring way; it brightens my life every time I hear it. And it does all that in tribute to a dear friend who was gone too soon and too suddenly, and no other eulogistic album has let me feel like its subject’s soul touched mine. An astounding monument to friendship on top of an incredibly accomplished hour of music. Pachinko is a miracle.

Honorable Mentions:

• Hangover in Minsk // Party is Over
• 1914 // Viribus Unitis
• Bianca // Bianca
• Fange // Purulences
• An Abstract Illusion // The Sleeping City
• Blindfolded // What Seeps Through Threads

Song o’ the Year:

• Moron Police – “Giving up the Ghost”



Non-metal Albums of the Year:

• Lorde // Virgin
• Jonathan Hultén // Eyes of the Living Night
• Shayfer James // Summoning

Mark Z.

#ish. Malefic Throne // The Conquering Darkness
#10. Urn // Demon Steel
#9. Teitanblood // From the Visceral Abyss
#8. Shed the Skin // The Carnage Cast Shadows
#7. Guts // Nightmare Fuel
#6. Dormant Ordeal // Tooth and Nail
#5. Perdition Temple // Malign Apotheosis
#4. Paradise Lost // Ascension
#3. Revocation // New Gods, New Masters
#2. Death Yell // Demons of Lust
#1. Abominator // The Fire Brethren – It took me a few years after hearing this Australian duo’s last album, 2015’s Evil Proclaimed, to realize I was wrong about them. Their raw and relentless black-death metal wasn’t just good, it was fucking awesome. With their long-awaited sixth album, The Fire Brethren, Abominator has conjured flames that reach higher than ever. As always, the enraged rasps, scorching riffs, and endlessly pummeling rhythms are like plumes of hellfire shot directly into your ear canals. But amidst the bludgeoning is some genuinely great songwriting, with deep-cutting hooks (“The Templar’s Curse,” “Underworld Vociferations”), flashes of melody (“Progenitors of the Insurrection of Satan”), thrashy breaks (“Sulphur from the Heavens”), and just enough variety to keep everything hitting as hard as possible. It’s not for everyone, but for those into Angelcorpse and other music of that sort, The Fire Brethren is the type of album you just can’t get enough of.

Honorable Mention:

• Blasphamagoatachrist // Bestial Abominator

Song (Title) o’ the Year:

• Omegavortex – “Dystopian Worldrape”

Song o’ the Year:

• Fugitive – “Spheres of Virulence”



Carcharodon

#ish. Dax Riggs // 7 Songs for Spiders
#10. Novarupta // Astral Sands
#9. Atlantic // Timeworn
#8. Structure // Heritage
#7. Agriculture // The Spiritual Sound
#6. Igorr // Amen
#5. Messa // The Spin
#4. Abigail Williams // A Void Within Existence
#3. Cave Sermon // Fragile Wings
#2. Dormant Ordeal // Tooth and Nail
#1. Grima // Nightside – In each of 2019, 2021, and 2022, Grima released an album and, in each of those years, I listed said album (#5, HM, and #10). But this year, the year in which I have listened to the least metal and, of course, written the least since I started here in 2018, is also the year that Grima got everything dialled in to just what I want from a Grima album. On Nightside, the duo struck the perfect balance between the traditional influences of 2019’s Will of the Primordial and the propulsive, frozen atmosphere of Frostbitten (2022). The combination gives Nightside an almost hypnotic and weirdly tranquil flow, offset by Vilhelm’s rasping vocals, which remain among the best in the BM game. Every time I come back to this record, and the title track in particular, it’s even better than I remember it being, and I always end up spinning three or more times back-to-back. An album that can keep playing that trick deserves its #1 spot in my book.

Honorable Mentions:

• An Abstract Illusion // The Sleeping City
• Gorycz // Zasypia
• Psychonaut // World Maker
• Wardruna // Birna

Songs o’ the Year:

• Messa – “Fire on the Roof”



• Novarupta – “Now Here We Are (At the Inevitable End)”

Mysticus Hugebeard

#10. Orbit Culture // Death Above Life
#9. An Abstract Illusion // The Sleeping City
#8. Qrixkuor // The Womb of the World
#7. Dormant Ordeal // Tooth and Nail
#6. Panopticon // Laurentian Blue
#5. Blackbraid // Blackbraid III
#4. Arkhaaik // Uihtis
#3. Kauan // Wayhome
#2. Wardruna // Birna
#1. Thumos // The Trial of Socrates – I recall groggily stumbling upon Thumos’ The Trial of Socrates at work one early morning, and I’m not sure if I’ve grown attached to it or it’s grown attached to me. It looms in my periphery, routinely interrupting my listening schedule for just one more spin. This gargantuan dive into ancient Greek philosophy and justice is melodically rich, laden with atmosphere, and fiercely intelligent. I love how this album stimulates my curiosity. I pore over The Trial of Socrates like a madman, piecing the puzzle together with feverish glee but never quite feeling finished, because every re-listen yields new shapes, new colors, new ideas. It eggs me on to research various topics on ancient Greek history or philosophy, and even made for an unlikely study partner during my long preparations for the German A1 exam. I always feel smarter by the end of it—hubris, I’m sure, but The Trial of Socrates genuinely sparks my imagination in ways few albums do. Time to go listen to “The Phædo” for the zillionth time.

Honorable Mentions:

• Night Flight Orchestra // Give Us The Moon
• Mutagenic Host // The Diseased Machine

Songs o’ the Year:

• Disarmonia Mundi – “Outcast”

The Dormant Stranger by Disarmonia Mundi

• Jamie Page & Marcy Nabors – “Do No Harm (Ventricular Mix)”

Do No Harm by Jamie Paige, Marcy Nabors, & Penny Parker

• Thumos – “The Phædo”

The Trial of Socrates by Thumos

Disappointment(s) o’ the year:

• The dissolution of Ante-Inferno: After Death’s Soliloquy topped my list last year, I was genuinely gutted to see Ante-Inferno’s post that they were no more. Still, I shall not weep but rather smile that they happened, because Ante-Inferno was a rare breed of genuinely moving black metal. Just that one album rooted itself so deeply within me, and I will be listening for a long time.
• Arno Menses leaving Subsignal: Man, fuck. Fuck. Remember my nuclear-grade glaze of Subsignal, where I might as well have said Menses’ voice single-handedly justified the entire existence of music? How could I not break down in heaving sobs in the middle of this Denny’s when I heard that Menses and Subsignal have parted ways? It sucks, I tell ya. I will still listen to what Subsignal puts out in the future, because Markus Steffen is a talented musician, but it’s going to be a huge adjustment since Menses is nigh irreplaceable.

Samguineous Maximus

#ish. Imperial Triumphant // Goldstar
#10. Primitive Man // Observance
#9. Motherless // Do You Feel Safe?
#8. Deafheaven // Lonely People with Power
#7. Weeping Sores // The Convalescence Agonies
#6. Between the Buried and Me // The Blue Nowhere
#5. Calva Louise // Edge of the Abyss
#4. 1914 // Viribus Unitis
#3. Crippling Alcoholism // Camgirl
#2. Crippling Alcoholism // Bible Songs II
#1. Yellow Eyes // Confusion Gate – Yellow Eyes are one of the best black metal bands in the game, and Confusion Gate is their most impressive work to date. It sees the band return to a more traditional atmospheric sound, but with the lessons learned from their explorations of dissonance and ambience. The result is a kaleidoscopic blend of gorgeous melodies, haunting riffs, and a pervasive sense of pathos that only the best art can achieve. Confusion Gate feels like communing with nature from the top of a wintry peak, embodying both impossible grandeur and awesome terror. This is a record that bypasses the analytical reviewer’s brain and just hits me right in the feeling. It offers a unique catharsis in a year where I truly needed it.

Honorable Mentions

• Flummox // Southern Progress
• Hexrot // Formless Ruin of Oblivion
• Ava Mendoza/Gabby fluke-Mogal/Carolina Pérez // Mama Killa
• Strigiform // Aconite

Song o’ the Year:

• Crippling Alcoholism – “Ladies Night”



Spicie Forrest

#ish. Cryptopsy // An Insatiable Violence
#10. Crimson Shadows // Whispers of War
#9. Oromet // The Sinking Isle
#8. -ii- // Apostles of the Flesh
#7. Suncraft // Welcome to the Coven
#6. Suncraft // Profanation of the Adamic Covenant
#5. Chestcrush // ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ
#4. Dormant Ordeal // Tooth and Nail
#3. Qrixkuor // The Womb of the World
#2. Primitive Man // Observance
#1. Wytch Hazel // V: Lamentations – I know, I’m surprised too. But the bottom line is that I’ve been listening to V: Lamentations front to back at least once a week since it released on the most American of holidays, July 4th. For Steel, Wytch Hazel’s latest didn’t have the same staying power as previous efforts, but Lamentations is the first to truly resonate with me. Though musically consistent with their Wishbone Ash-meets-Eagles style, vocalist Colin Hendra brings a new sense of passion to the record, and the interplay between instruments, vocals, and lyrics hits me like a lightning bolt. Very possibly inspired by the core Christian tenet laid out in Romans 6:23-24,2 Lamentations is a masterful portrayal of what it means to perpetually fail, to know you’ll never be good enough, and in the face of a salvation that renders all efforts, deeds, and accomplishments worthless, to keep striving toward the impossible anyway. Even for godless sinners like me, Lamentations is a beautiful reminder that purpose is found in hardship, that the journey is the goal, and that falling down is merely an opportunity to stand up again.

Honorable Mentions:

• Proscription // Desolate Divine
• Apocalypse Orchestra // A Plague upon Thee
• Messa // The Spin
• Bloodywood // Nu Delhi
• Pedestal for Leviathan // Enter: Vampyric Manifestation

Song o’ the Year:

• Yellowcard – “honestly i”

Grin Reaper

(ish) Sallow Moth // Mossbane Lantern
#10. Turian // Blood Quantum Blues
#9. Calva Louise // Edge of the Abyss
#8. Lychgate // Precipice
#7. An Abstract Illusion // The Sleeping City
#6. Thron // Vurias
#5. Structure // Heritage
#4. Species // Changelings
#3. Havukruunu // Tavastland
#2. Aephanemer // Utopie
#1. 1914 // Viribus Unitis – I didn’t know Viribus Unitis would be my top album of the year the first time I listened to it, but I knew it would list. 1914’s naked emotion and rousing story of a Ukrainian soldier’s survival through World War I, reconciliation with his family, and inescapable return to war remains as gripping and bittersweet now as it did the first time I heard it. Across adrenaline-fueled riffing, oppressive marches, and somber dirges, 1914 never relents on musical or lyrical weight. Though Viribus Unitis was released late in the year, it quickly became the standard I used to appraise albums while going through listing season. 1914 paints war-torn life with savage grace, supplying devastating melody and grueling crawls that elevate the album to such heights that I’m genuinely moved each time I get to the end. Viribus Unitis is bleak, raw, and human, but for all that, I’m never deterred from listening. Ultimately, 1914 clutches the threads of hope and weaves an aural tapestry that brings tragedy and triumph to life, cementing Viribus Unitis as my undisputed top album of 2025.

Honorable Mentions:

• Walg // V
• Moron Police // Pachinko
• Defigurement // Endbryo
• Ültra Raptör // Fossilized
• Igorrr // Amen

Songs o’ the Year:

• Aephanemer – “Le Cimetière Marin”

• 1914 – “1918 Pt. III: ADE (A Duty to Escape)”

Andy-War-Hall

#ish: Dragon Skull // Chaos Fire Vengeance
#10: Changeling // Changeling
#9: Steel Arctus // Dreamruler
#8: Abigail Williams //A Void Within Existence
#7: Petrified Giant // Endless Ark
#6: Imperial Triumphant // Goldstar
#5: Structure // Heritage
#4: Lipoma // No Cure for the Sick
#3: Crippling Alcoholism // Camgirl
#2: Hexrot // Formless Ruin of Oblivion
#1: 1914 // Viribus Unitis – Immersion defines great music and art for me. It is almost unfortunate how good 1914 are in this facet of their music. Their ability to transport the listener to the battlefield in all its violence, both carnal and psychological, is stupefying. The utter dehumanizing hatred with “1914 (The Siege of Przemyśl),” the ravenous bloodlust of “1917 (The Isonzo Front),” the hellish wails haunting “1918 Pt. 1 (WIA – Wounded in Action):” all portrayed vividly through 1914’s brilliantly caustic and composed musicianship and deeply personal lyricism. When Dmytro Ternushchak bellows “For three days / The Russians attacked / And accomplished nothing but / 40,000 dead pigs” [“1914 (The Siege of Przemyśl)”], it’s all you need to get into his character’s violent headspace. When 1914 mournfully sing in Ukrainian “Це моя земля”3 [1915 (Easter Battle for the Zwinin Ridge)], you grasp how someone could put their life on the line for kin and country. When our soldier sings “My little girl reached out to me / But duty calls” [1919 (The Home Where I Died)]… well, shit, your heart just has to break, right? 1914 don’t play “history metal.” Viribus Unitis is as present and relevant as you can get.

Honorable Mentions:

• Fell Omen // Caelid Dog Summer
• Ophelion // The Jaunt
• Coroner // Dissonance Theory
• Starscourge // Conqueror of the Stars – Betwixt Sundered Seraphim, the Lands Between Bleed

Song o’ the Year:

• Fell Omen – “The Fire is Still Warm”



Lavender Larcenist

#ish Spiritbox // Tsunami Sea
#10. Sold Soul // Just Like That, I Disappear Entirely
#9. Calva Louise // Edge of the Abyss
#8. Dying Wish // Flesh Stays Together
#7. Grima // Nightside
#6. Aversed // Erasure of Color
#5. Deafheaven // Lonely People With Power
#4. Ghost Bath // Rose Thorn Necklace
#3. Changeling // Changeling
#2. Dormant Ordeal // Tooth and Nail
#1. Crippling Alcoholism // Camgirl – Sometimes you listen to music, and you feel like it gets you. Camgirl was exactly that type of album, and it probably doesn’t say anything good about me. Ever since Crippling Alcoholism’s latest graced my ears and I shared it with my partner, we have been singing “I fucking hate the way I look, yeah I look like a fat fucking scumbag” way too often and mumbling “Mr. Ran away, ran away from family” every chance we get. The album is dripping with the atmosphere of neon-lit back rooms, seedy interactions, and terrible decision-making. It feels like a lens into the lives of those society has left behind, and I can’t help but feel a connection. The self-destructive nihilism, drugged-out sex, and abrupt violence that is all too common in those on the margins of life is something I think more and more we can all relate to, and Camgirl is the art that mirrors society back to us. As a result, it is an album that is just as ugly as it is terrifying and beautiful.

Honorable Mentions:

• Shadow of Intent // Imperium Delirium
• Pupil Slicer // Fleshwork
• 1914 // Viribus Unitis

Song o’ the Year:

• Crippling Alcoholism – “bedrot”

Creeping Ivy

#ish. Nite // Cult of the Serpent Sun
#10. Blackbraid // Blackbraid III
#9. Flummox // Southern Progress
#8. 1914 // Viribus Unitis
#7. Cave Sermon // Fragile Wings
#6. Saor // Amidst the Ruins
#5. Imperial Triumphant // Goldstar
#4. Phantom Spell // Heather & Hearth
#3. Coroner // Dissonance Theory
#2. Messa // The Spin
#1. Havukruunu // Tavastland – On their Bandcamp page, Havukruunu explain the concept of their fourth LP: ‘Tavastland tells how in 1237 the Tavastians rose in rebellion against the church of Christ and drove the popes naked into the frost to die.’ Sounds like the metal album of 2025 to me! But I didn’t crown Tavastland for its lyrics that I can’t understand. As Dr. A.N. Grier has been exhorting for a decade, Havukruunu stands as a model of Viking black metal consistency, having dropped only very good-to-great albums since 2015. Tavastland isn’t a radical improvement over 2020’s Uinuous syömein sota, but it’s an (arguably excellent) improvement nonetheless, making it Havukruunu’s finest work yet. Yes, these fiery Finns forge sounds reminiscent of Bathory and Immortal, but Tavastland seized my attention for its adventurous prog sensibilities. Some of this can be attributed to the return of Hümo, whose bass rattles like the four strings of Geddy Lee. But the prog is deep in the album craft, from the overture-style modulations of opener “Kuolematon laulunhenki” to the extended guitar wankery of closer “De miseriis fennorum.” Now if only I can learn Finnish, I’ll be able to appreciate the killer anti-popery narrative while headbanging to my Record o’ 2025.

Honorable Mentions:

• Am I in Trouble? // Spectrum
• Blut Aus Nord // Ethereal Horizons
• In Mourning // The Immortal
• Oromet // The Sinking Isle
• Wyatt E. // Zamāru Ultu Qereb Ziqquratu Part 1

Song o’ the Year:

• Phantom Spell – “The Autumn Citadel”



Baguette of Bodom

#ish. In the Woods… // Otra
#10. Species // Changelings
#9. Dragon Skull // Chaos Fire Vengeance
#8. A-Z // A2Z²
#7. Apocalypse Orchestra // A Plague upon Thee
#6. Amorphis // Borderland
#5. Dolmen Gate // Echoes of Ancient Tales
#4. Dormant Ordeal // Tooth and Nail
#3. Amalekim // Shir Hashirim
#2. Suotana // Ounas II
#1. Buried Realm // The Dormant Darkness – Melodic tech death? Symphonic power metal? Who knows! Much like my 2025 in general, The Dormant Darkness has a bit of everything in one gigantic clusterfuck. The great news is, neither I nor the album crumbled under all that weight. In a year full of odd twists and turns, my list became more varied and unusual than ever. Buried Realm took this variety and gave me everything I like about metal in one dense package: blazing speeds, soaring guitars, majestic vocals, and relentless fury. It’s also inexplicably well-produced for how many layers there are to deal with. While 2025 was not a particularly star-studded release year—especially compared to most of the 2020s so far—it threw plenty of fun curveballs at me, and The Dormant Darkness exemplifies this with its Xothian fusion of metal subgenres in one big Ophidian I blender ov shred. I would also like to request several Christian Älvestam features on every album, please.

Honorable Mentions:

• Victim of Fire // The Old Lie
• Dawn of Solace // Affliction Vortex
• Dynazty // Game of Faces
• Coroner // Dissonance Theory
• Hooded Menace // Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration

Song o’ the Year:

• Dragon Skull – “Blood and Souls”

Chaos Fire Vengeance by Dragon Skull

#BestMaster: #Kauan - Wayhome

https://album.link/t/429390240

#StevenWilson's "The Overview" could have easily claimed top spot in this category, until these guys came along: the album sounds perfect, without being overpolished.

Voyage 34💊

#StevenWilson #PorcupineTree

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Ql5nVY4Ao

Uno de los capos, pero CAPOS. Y además sacó el vinilo en uno de mis colores favoritos.

The Overview - Steven Wilson

#StevenWilson #Vinilos #VinylRecords #Vinyl #NowPlaying #LaSicodelica #Musica #Rock

Riedizione in 12 CD, 2 LP e 1 Blu-ray (anche troppo)

https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/yes-super-deluxe-edition-tales-from-topographic-oceans

#rock #progressive #progrock #Yes #StevenWilson #remaster #remix

Hoy cumple 58 años el líder de Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson. Uno de los más talentosos músicos de su generación, a quién tuvimos como solista hace pocos días por Chile.

#StevenWilson #CumpleañosRockero #PorcupineTree #Rock #ProgRock

https://www.rollingstone.it/musica/storie-musica/steven-wilson-i-segreti-del-mago-che-rida-vita-ai-classici-del-rock/1009256/

#musica #rock #rimasterizzazione #suono #album #StevenWilson

#StevenWilson: The Relentless Pursuit of #Musical #Possibility Produce Like A Pro #yt

https://youtu.be/jOmpyJUPHpg

#nemoradio

Remix Wizard Steven Wilson Breaks Down His Work With the Who, the Dead, and the Stones

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/steven-wilson-best-remixes-who-dead-stones-sabbath-1235453878/

Porcupine Tree - Drown with Me (Live)
https://youtu.be/G6Z_ClPCf3c

#nowplaying #music #musica #porcupinetree #stevenwilson #sovietmuzyka

#xtc #stevenwilson #music

Ooh ! Steven Wilson is rebuilding XTC's Drums and Wires. This is exciting !

https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/xtc-drums-and-wires-steven-wilson

🔹 Una Noche de Rock Estratosférico con Steven Wilson 🔹

El domingo por la noche fui a ver al prodigio de la música Steven Wilson en el Movistar Arena. El inicio del concierto me encontró comprando agua en el kiosko. Tuve que correr para llegar a la cancha y encontrar una buena ubicación. No fue difícil, pues el recinto estaba lejos de estar lleno y con cancha única, así que logré quedar bastante cerca del escenario.

Steven Wilson no es un nombre muy conocido en el mainstream del rock, pero es un talento fuera de serie. Si tienes a bandas como Pink Floyd y Radiohead entre tus favoritas, es muy probable que ya lo conozcas. Y si no, este puede ser un buen momento para que empieces a escucharlo.

La jornada se extendió por casi tres horas. Los primeros 45 minutos estuvieron dedicados a su disco más reciente, «The Overview», un álbum que –en la mejor tradición del rock progresivo– cuenta con solo 2 canciones que presentan un viaje sonoro extenso e inmersivo. Luego de eso, un break de 20 minutos para dar paso al resto del concierto, que mantuvo un nivel estratosférico toda la noche.

Las imágenes en la pantalla gigante, a espaldas de la banda, fueron un complemento perfecto para la experiencia musical. En algunos momentos lograron hipnotizarme completamente, tanto que me parece necesario aclarar que no consumí ninguna sustancia alucinógena. Wilson también hizo pausas para hablar al público, mostrando su humor característico se burló de lo largas que son algunas de sus canciones e, incluso, de su propia banda, Porcupine Tree.

Hay un detalle que merece una mención aparte: el sonido. Estuvo absolutamente impecable. Algo que no siempre se puede decir de los conciertos en el Movistar Arena. Se nota la preocupación de Steven Wilson y su equipo por alcanzar la perfección auditiva; era posible apreciar con claridad cada uno de los instrumentos.

Vi a Wilson por primera vez el 2018 como solista en el Caupolicán, luego, el 2022, con Porcupine Tree en el Movistar Arena, y esta fue mi tercera vez. Sin duda, fue la mejor de todas y la que más he disfrutado. Steven Wilson es, sencillamente, un gigante del rock y la música a nivel planetario.

🔗 https://altgr.xyz/2025/10/20/una-noche-de-rock-estratosferico-con-steven-wilson/

🏷️ #Conciertos #Conciertos2025 #MovistarArena #PorcupineTree #ProgRock #StevenWilson

Steven Wilson se acaba de despachar una clase magistral de rock espacial sicodelico progresivo eléctrico y buen sentido del humor. ¡Maestro!

#StevenWilson #MovistarArena #Conciertos #Conciertos2025

Cómo era de esperar, Steven Wilson pide a los asistentes no grabar durante su concierto. Aprovecha y vive la experiencia. 🤘🏻🥲

Por nuestra parte y por respeto a este grande que nos ha regalado tanta buena música y momentos, será lo único que mostraremos de este show.

A disfrutar 🚀🤯

#stevenwilson #theoverview #tour #chile

🐦🔗 https://farside.link/x.com/Nacion_Rock/status/1980046387157807466#m
RT: https://twitter.com/Nacion_Rock/status/1980046387157807466#m