#tomsaoty2025 — Public Fediverse posts

Seems like I forgot some important albums when I tooted my AOTY top 10 yesterday (see
https://metalhead.club/@derthomas/115734764764360081 )

So to add, here are some nice albums that didn't make my top 10 (otherwise I wouldn't have forgotten about them), but deserve a shout out (and help me to complete a 4x4 grid):

👉 Gin Lady - Before the Dawn of Time: nice old school psych/prog rock
👉 Jethro Tull - Curious Ruminant: the legend(s) with a very strong late album
👉 Testament - Para Bellum: Banger with one stinker
👉 King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Phantom Island: solid
👉 Manic Street Preachers - Critical Thinking: solid
👉 Morcheeba - Escape the Chaos: solid

#TomsAOTY2025 #AOTY

🥇 #TomsAOTY2025

Alright, here it is, my album of the year.

It won't be a surprise to anyone following me because I had nothing but praise for this album throughout the year.

Maybe I am biased because they come from my old hood in the misty hills of the Waldviertel, Austria, but I don't care.
They improved so much and gave me serious Van Halen vibes.

So my album of the year is:

🏆 Küenring - In Search of Paradise 🏆

"Searching for Paradise" migjt as well be my song of the year. Give them a try if you haven't already.

https://kuenring.bandcamp.com/album/in-search-of-paradise

#AOTY #Küenring

(interlude) #TomsAOTY2025

Usually you do shoutouts before you present your AOTY, right? But I don't really have any this year. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard maybe, or Testament, but I really didn't listen to many new albums this year.

But I did revisit the past and did 15 metal journeys and deep dives this year.

So I am doing a metaljourney of the year award, and this one goes without a doubt to the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne.

I didn't really know Ozzy's solo stuff, but boy did I miss out.

R.I.P. you legend🦇

https://metalhead.club/@derthomas/114822177993070830

🥈 #TomsAOTY2025

Number 2 and almost my album of the year. Winner of several categories which are...

"Most fun"
"Best earworms"
"Most uplifting album"
"Best album from Oceania, even though there was a King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard album this year"

They come from a land down under...

Battlesnake with "Dawn of the Exultants and the Hunt for the Shepherd"

Let me tell you this:

Machine murder murder
Machine murder murder...

https://battlesnakeband.bandcamp.com/album/dawn-of-the-exultants-and-the-hunt-for-the-shepherd

#AOTY #Battlesnake

🥉 #TomsAOTY2025

We step onto the podium. Number 3. and winners of the John Cena award:

Ghost with "Skeletá" 👻👏

I had to double check because it felt like this album was already released last year, but nope, it was this year.
There are so many great songs on this album, I just had to put it on 3.

Ghost are the ABBA of heavy metal and I love it.

https://ghost.bandcamp.com/album/skelet

#AOTY #Ghost

4️⃣ #TomsAOTY2025

Misheard lyrics of the year and my number 4 go to real icons...

Paradise Lost with "Ascension"

I kept myself wondering if they really started the album with "real bitch competition".

Paradise Lost always deliver, it's as simple as that.

https://paradiselostofficial.bandcamp.com/album/ascension

#AOTY #ParadiseLost

5️⃣ #TomsAOTY2025

The "give me a hand, I can't lift these heavy riffs alone" award and my no. 5 go to...

Desert Smoke with "Desert Smoke" 👏

It's also my instrumental album of the year if anyone cares.

https://desert-smoke.bandcamp.com/album/desert-smoke

#AOTY #DesertSmoke

6️⃣ #TomsAOTY2025

Winners of "Best costumes on an album cover even though there was a Ghost album this year" and my number 6 go to:

Castle Rat - The Bestiary 🏰 🐀 ⚔️

All hail the Rat Queen!

They might also deserve the MIP award, what a gigantic step up from their first album.

https://castlerat.bandcamp.com/album/the-bestiary

#AOTY #CastleRat

7️⃣ #TomsAOTY2025

The "why did I always forget about this album award" and my #7 go to...

Rivers of Nihil with Rivers of Nihil 👏

They can't do any wrong, can they?

https://riversofnihil.bandcamp.com/album/rivers-of-nihil

#AOTY #RiversOfNihil

8️⃣ #TomsAOTY2025

At 8 I have what would have been my Fedi album of the year but @MetalMinder doesn't seem to be active in here any longer so it is just my first Bandcamp haul of the year:

Am I In Trouble? - Spectrum

I love it, it's just so lovely and brutal.

https://amiintrouble.bandcamp.com/album/spectrum

#AOTY #AmIInTrouble

9️⃣ #TomsAOTY2025

At number 9 and winner of the "best album that reminded me of Hellripper in a way but slower" award:

MORAX with "The Amulet"

Great riffs, great atmosphere, great album cover art, well done! 👏

https://morax.bandcamp.com/album/the-amulet

#AOTY #Morax

🔟 #TomsAOTY2025

The winners of the inaugural FITA* peace price and #10 on my AOTY list are...

THE HIVES! 👏

The Hives Forever Forever The Hives! 👑👑👑👑👑

https://album.link/y/OLAK5uy_nHDtYE3vwH9hLK11CQzzf1FWJGQZ-_Pe0

*Fédération Internationale de Toms Albums

#AOTY #TheHives

My AOTY 2025 (so far).

🥇 Battlesnake - Dawn of the Exultants and the Hunt for the Shepherd 🆕
:bandcamp: https://battlesnakeband.bandcamp.com/album/dawn-of-the-exultants-and-the-hunt-for-the-shepherd

🥈 Küenring - In Search of Paradise
:bandcamp: https://kuenring.bandcamp.com/album/in-search-of-paradise

🥉 Desert Smoke - Desert Smoke
:bandcamp: https://desert-smoke.bandcamp.com/album/desert-smoke

Honourable mentions:

Castle Rat - The Bestiary https://castlerat.bandcamp.com/album/the-bestiary

Paradise Lost - Ascension https://paradiselostofficial.bandcamp.com/album/ascension

Ghost - Skeletá https://ghost.bandcamp.com/album/skelet

Am I In Trouble? - Spectrum https://amiintrouble.bandcamp.com/album/spectrum

#TomsAOTY2025 #AOTY2025