Sounds from the Dark Side top albums of 2025 (until now)

Darkside_Sounds

Summer solstice is behind us and that means it’s time to take a look at the albums that have shaped the sound of the year so far.

Jim Ghedi – Wasteland
Wasteland is Ghedi’s most outspoken album to date as it captures a world that is changing for the worse. Contemporary folk music at its best (full review by Wander Meulemans). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ghost – Skeletá
On Skeletá, Ghost finally fully embrace their arena rock sensibilities, lifting up a set of enormously good songs to an even higher plain whilst still maintaining true to their occult rock leanings (full review by Ralph Plug). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anika – Abyss
So we told you that this work belongs at the heart of European counterculture. Luckily Anika doesn’t care for our opinions so best give it a spin yourself (full review by Wander Meulemans). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Epica – Aspiral
Aspiral sees Epica being Epica, with big songs and big orchestrations, once again building on an already great discography (full review by Ralph Plug). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Caroline – Caroline 2

Creative mess or a musical playground? Be warned, you won’t get any easy hooks. Instead, Caroline creates its own imperfect contradictions that are a bit broken, a bit wild, but ultimately very much alive (full review by Wander Meulemans).

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Zeicrydeus – La Grande Hérésie

Hailing from Quebec, Canada, Zeicrydeus is the most Greek sounding black metal album I’ve heard so far this year. A masterful blend of black and more traditional heavy metal for fans of both Varathron and Rotting Christ, but also Running Wild and Manowar.

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Temple Fang – Lifted From The Wind
This is a heavy psych-prog record with both heart and teeth, balancing between intensity and calmness. Clocking at 75 minutes this is an immersive, sprawling, and deeply intense journey you can’t miss (full review by Wander Meulemans).

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Messa – The Spin

The Spin might be the best thing these Italians have released. The band rides along on the current wave of ’80s synth nostalgia but manages to never get caught up in the hype. It is simply a great listen that needs to be named in this list, or in any list, if you ask us (full review by Wander Meulemans).

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Church of the Sea – Eva

Hailing from Greece, Church of the Sea delivers a masterful blend of Messa-ish rock with a healthy dash of The Grateful Dead. Eva is one of the more interesting albums released early 2025 for fans of that kind of style.

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Swans – Birthing
Birthing is living proof that endings can sound as colossal as beginnings. I for one felt the transition, and now it is your turn to do the same.

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That’s about it. Now let’s comfortably numb.

Wander (WRM) & Ralph (RP) – 280625

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