Cockroach's Best Of 2025

ALL HAIL COCKROACH

Adam's Best Of 2025

Hey everyone, how's it going? First of all, I know I missed a ton of releases this year and it's nearly impossible to keep up with everything, so if there's somethat you can't believe I didn't mention, It might just be because I missed it. Feel free to drop your favorites in the comments or in the chat.

I try to never put these lists in any kind of order but there are two releases this year that are clearly in the top-two for me, problem is that I can't pick a #1. But those two releases are Deafheaven's "Lonely People With Power" and Secret Cutter's "///". On one hand, the Deafheaven show I saw in Seattle was really fucking fun and sounded incredible, and this album is a sonic work of art. But to be fair, I've never seen Secret Cutter so what do I know. I will tell you that I love that they just dropped their new album with no warning or fanfare whatsoever, and the fact that it is better than 2018's "Quantum Eraser" is insane.

So, I'm just going to put these two up top in no particular order. After that, everything will be in aphabetical order so nobody's feelings get hurt. Take care everyone.

A feral grindcore assault steeped in blackened chaos:

Grinding hardcore, chainsaw tone and frantic blasts:
Blunt, noisy hardcore, fast and harsh:
Grindcore with fantasy‑tinged grief themes, violent yet strangely catchy:
Vulgar and pessimistic, urban aggression in short bursts:
Bleak and crushing, Midwest riffs dragged through doom:
Sludgy hardcore, weaving crushing grief into misanthropic riffs:
Grindcore violence, sharp and chaotic, raw and heavy without any frills:
Noisy and hostile, grinding forward with bleak riffs and suffocating weight:
Ugly, heavy death metal that leans hard into groove and filth:
West Coast death violence with short blasts of rage:
Sludge‑hardcore, bleak grooves and anxiety‑fueled metallic hardcore:
Chaotic metalcore channeling dissonant riffs and crushing breakdowns:
Blackened crust debut, snarling mix of hardcore, grind, and black metal:

"Non omnis moriar..." Compilation

From the Hypaethral Records Bandcamp: Welcome to our 2025 compilation, where we once again highlight some of our favourite bands from the southern Ontario scene -- spanning cities, genres, and eras. Fulfilling one of our core aims as a label: to document and champion the best that our scene creates.

Sunday Synthwave

Price of Redemption - Demo 2025

 

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Price of Redemption is a hardcore/metalcore band from Springfield, Massachusetts, and they’ve just put out a debut Demo. This release is raw and direct, showing off heavy riffs, sharp breakdowns, and tons of no‑frills energy. You can really hear both the hardcore urgency and the darker metalcore edge in the way the songs are put together.

FFO: Shadows Fall, Unearth, Hatebreed, Earth Crisis

Armus - Mirror Image

 

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Armus from Portland, Maine just put out Mirror Image and it’s heavy as hell. They’ve always had that slow and kind of hypnotic creepy doom vibe, and this record keeps it going by mixing in elements of sludge and death metal. This new one clocks in at just under half an hour, but every track feels massive.

FFO: Electric Wizard, Conan, Primitive Man, Coffins

GRAY STATE - S/T

 

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Formed in 2015 in Finland, Gray State blends blackened hardcore, metalcore, and punk influences into a furious wall of riffs and breakdowns. With themes rooted in veganism, animal rights, and death, their music carries a social conscience and relentless aggression.

FFO: Brutality Will Prevail, Jesus Piece, Malevolence, Arkangel

FALSETRIP - S/T

 

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Formed in 2016, FALSETRIP from Ebern, Germany quickly built a reputation for blending hardcore punk, thrash, and black metal influences into a sound that is both abrasive and cathartic. Their self‑titled album, released in June 2025, features tracks like Push It On, Soulripper, and Nazi scum, each brimming with relentless riffs and politically charged aggression.

FFO: Integrity, Power Trip, Ringworm, Municipal Waste

FOSCO - TRES ESTACAS

 

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Emerging from Spain’s underground hardcore scene, FOSCØ blends screamo, post-hardcore, with hardcore punk, and plunges listeners into a heavy, atmospheric sonic journey. TRES ESTACAS showcases their ability to balance chaotic aggression with moments of atmosphere. 

 FFO: Jeromes Dream, Funeral Diner, Celeste, Lentic Waters

foxglove - labyrinthine

 

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Seattle’s Foxglove have quickly become one of the city’s most compelling heavy acts, and their newest EP Labyrinthine shows why. Blending screamo, post-hardcore, emo, ambient, screamo and punk, the band crafts a sound that is both chaotic and atmospheric. This release captures raw emotion with crushing riffs and haunting melodies.

FFO: Converge, Orchid, City of Caterpillar, Hewn