This year at Devolution HQ felt like being caught in a storm of brilliant new music, the kind that kept us arguing, swapping links, and reshuffling our Album of the Year list on a weekly basis. Heavy music was alive with risk taking and reinvention, from emerging acts finally getting the recognition they’ve fought for to established bands tearing up their own rulebooks and coming back fiercer than ever. Watching that growth has been genuinely exciting. Narrowing it all down was a nightmare in the best way, but these are the records that hit us hardest: Nickie’s, Gary’s, and George’s picks of the year.
NICKIE AOTY
Witch Fever – Fevereaten
Fevereaten had barely been summoned into the world on Halloween before it claimed a place on my Album of the Year list. Honestly, the moment I heard Dead To Me, I knew the band were about to deliver something extraordinary and this offering makes a statement because it refuses to sound like anyone else. Witch Fever didn’t chase any trends or soften their edges, They literally doubled down on their identity and created something raw, unsettling, empowering, and completely their own. The themes and the emotional weight behind the writing all landed with an undeniable purpose and then seeing them take that same fire onto a 41 date arena tour with Volbeat and Bush proved they weren’t just releasing an album, they were claiming space and Fevereaten is a loud declaration of who they are and why they matter.
Wednesday 13 – Mid Death Crisis
Mid Death Crisis easily pierces its way into my top five albums of the year. Not just because it’s a killer record, but because Wednesday 13 continue to prove they’re one of the hardest working, hardest touring undead machines stalking the planet. The band never stops spreading their own brand of horror soaked shock ’n’ roll across the globe, dragging their unmistakable sound, unique image, and deliciously ghoulish vibe from stage to stage with the same feral energy that they had decades ago. They really are a league of one, aging like a fine blood red vintage, sharpening their claws, exposing their fangs, and majestically weaving their stagecraft while refusing to let anyone even sniff at their camp – horror crown. This album is a fun, weird, wickedly playful, contagiously chaotic, and downright fangtastic reminder that Wednesday 13 remain the undisputed overlords of their gloriously macabre little kingdom – long may they reign.
Cradle Of Filth – The Screaming Of The Valkyries
The year may have closed in chaos and controversy, but Cradle Of Filth stormed valiantly into 2025 with a ferocity that reminded everyone why they remained icons of the extreme. The Screaming Of The Valkyries felt like a deliciously triumphant return to form and a serious Album of the Year contender. One that was razor sharp, vicious, theatrical, and unmistakably Cradle. Hearing them come back with such fire was genuinely thrilling; every track lunged forward with precision purpose, snarling and cutting through its tight running time with classic venom. It was the sound of a band reclaiming their narrative, proving that they still had the power to dominate the dark.
Lorna Shore – I Feel The EverBlack Festering Within Me
Lorna Shore spent the year undeniably proving that deathcore could be cinematic, operatic, and emotionally devastating all at once. I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me wasn’t just heavy; it became an ultra sensory experience. Each track was built as a film score dragged through the abyss. Their visuals beautifully amplified it: sweeping, gothic, apocalyptic worlds that matched the music’s scale. The first single ‘Oblivion’ set the tone, and the release day video for ‘Glenwood’ delivered a raw, vulnerable moment as Will Ramos shared an honest conversation with his estranged father and offered a rare glimpse of repair and forgiveness through music. And for some of us softies out there, let’s not forget the band’s performance at Hellfest this summer, where Ramos turned brutality into romance by altering lyrics during ‘Dancing Like Flames’ as he passionately screamed, “A world without Eve isn’t meant for me,” in an emotionally charged, heartfelt declaration. Lorna Shore is a band evolving at an impossible speed. Absurdly polished, relentlessly intense, and capable of pulling at the absolute core of you.
Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea
This release earned its place in my five picks because it was a rare record that felt both colossal and deeply human. Across its eleven tracks, Spiritbox blended crushing heaviness with delicate moments of fragile beauty, creating a cathartic musical journey that mirrored the chaos and calm of real life. Courtney LaPlante’s extraordinary vocal range was at the heart of the experience, shifting from ferocity to haunting clarity. Every song seemed crafted to flow into the next like a rising tide, forming a unified emotional whole. In a year defined by uncertainty, Tsunami Sea stood as a powerful reminder of resilience, creativity, and hope, and I’d like to think many of us can carry at least one of those into 2026.
GARY AOTY
Air Drawn Dagger – A Guide For Apparitions
A heady mix of light pop punk and shadowy emo that committed to record a vibe the band had been creating live for some time. Lovely textured writing with a dark theme and some seriously far-ranging vocals make this a feast for the listener. The layout of the album means the momentum created lasts right through to the end, by which time you want to start all over again. Fans of Paramore and My Chemical Romance really need to hear these songs. Let’s hope Air Drawn Dagger don’t wait too long for a follow up.
Bloodywood – Nu Delhi
We should all be aware of Bloodywood by now, the Indian mob that have taken the metal world by storm combining heavy music with traditional folk sounds, and quite a bit more too. This album cements them as pioneers. It sees them progress their unique sound and infuse it with even more daring writing. The guest appearance of Baby Metal on ‘Bekhauf’ is well worked and astute. Here we are seeing a glimpse into the future of metal and it looks very bright indeed. As said on the original review ‘Bloodywood – Bloody Hell – Bloody Good’.
Skunk Anansie – The Painful Truth
The respect held for Skunk Anansie within the music scene is huge. Here is a band that are truly revered. They still have to deliver musically though and ‘The Painful Truth’ does that and then some. In some ways this is a summation of everything they have put out previously. It takes a little from each of their previous records, adds gained maturity, and then just wows you. The writing is strong and the playing masterful. Skin shows off her vocal skills to perfection. Her range and tone are a lesson in how to knock it out of the park. Simply put this album rocks.
The Pretty Wild – zero.point.genesis
New kids on the block The Pretty Wild really know how to make an entrance. This debut goes for the jugular right from the off, sinks it’s teeth in and refuses to let go until the last dark note has echoed out of earshot. It’s an ultra modern blend of all corners of the alternative music scene over layed with a mix of fairy tale sweet and metalcore ferocious vocals. There are nods towards an appreciation of things more classical too. A super cool album with cover art to match.
Marisa And The Moths – Live At Studio 3 Abbey Road
It’s a bold move to go for a live studio album. The obvious upside is that you can capture that venue vibe, the downside being you might capture too much of that venue vibe. Here Marisa And The Moths have nailed it. So much so they sound like a band with decades of experience. It’s just so polished with real finesse through those little touches right throughout. And Marisa is a belter of a singer, someone genuinely world class but thus far relatively undiscovered. This is a rock album of the highest quality.
GEORGE AOTY
Imperial Triumphant – Gold Star
It is absolutely no exaggeration to say that this incredible piece of work has become my favourite extreme metal album of all time. Yes, you heard that right, above Entombed, Death and even Morbid Angel, and I’ll tell you why. Imperial Triumphant tracks are all about New York and that state runs deep in the DNA of this album in particular. You can visualise the Chrysler building in all its gleaming art deco splendour on Lexington Delirium, Dave Lombardo appears for a Latino drum off on Pleasuredome, the analogue synths on Hotel Sphinx are pure Scarface and the incidental flourishes like the 47 second hyper last of NEWYORKCITY and the Goldstar radio ad are genius. Add to this the New York jazz chops and innovation and you get the most exciting extreme metal album I have ever heard.
The Callous Daoboys – I Don’t Want To See You In Heaven
This album is my most listened to album this year by far. If ever I’m feeling sluggish or down this record is a wild shot of adrenaline that makes me feel alive. It’s a schizophrenic offering which takes in more genres than are on most people’s playlists all fused together under The Daoboys’ crazy mathcore umbrella. Carson Pace has the most flexible voice since Mike Patton and a keen sense of melody and soul alongside his hardcore and death growls. The musicianship is utterly stunning on this record from top to bottom. From the hardcore bounce of Two Headed Trout to the slinky Lemon to the slow mo genius of A Country Song In Reverse, not a single second of this album is anything short of inspired. This is why it is by far my favourite travelling companion.
Mogwai – The Bad Fire
Mogwai is a band I took a long time to understand but when I did, I voraciously ate up their discography. The real turning point for me was their headline set at ATG in 2024 when I could literally feel the penny drop. When Mogwai came back with this glorious album in early 2025 I was immediately hooked. Seemingly more direct than its predecessors. The first single I heard was the glorious Lion Rumpus and I was all in. There are now not many weeks when I don’t listen to this album in full at least once. I find it’s an album that needs to be heard in full to be truly appreciated and once again, like all my other choices it’s been a trusted companion this year. I know hardcore Mogwai fans will probably not think it’s as good as Mr Beast or maybe Rock Action but for me, this record pushes my buttons in a way no other band does.
Backxwash – Only Dust Remains
I have never been more excited to hear a record as I was when I first was informed that Backxwash had a new album coming out. Backxwash was previously mostly known for her hard-hitting fusion of heavy metal aesthetics with experimental hip hop but on this album, she flipped the script and did something less obvious but far heavier in terms of subject matter and delivery. Only Dust Remains eschews the previous metal guitars and screams and injects a tuneful melancholia that accentuates Backxwash’s laid bare, painfully raw lyricism and strips it back, naked and vulnerable. This is why at the time I said it was the “heaviest album of the year,” and this is a statement I stand by all these months later. From the raging, Wake Up, to the show stopping, History Of Violence no part of this album is anything less than essential listening. When I was privileged enough to see Backxwash perform this album in full at Supersonic Festival this year, she performed on her own, no DJ, just herself and a microphone and some visuals and she put down the greatest performance I have seen all year. Just Backxwash and her truth destroys any supposedly heavy act out there.
Mclusky – The World Is Still Here And So Are We
There were a lot of albums in contention for the number five spot in this list but when I think of an album that has been the one I’ve reached for every time I’ve been pissed off this year, it’s this one. Falko’s ability to be the new sharpest tongue in noise rock since the tragic death of Steve Albini has been a saviour to me in a thoroughly frustrating year. Tracks like the sulphuric, People Person sound like the inner monologue I drag around with me. But it’s not just lyrically where this album speaks to me, the thunderous rhythm section that propels this album is truly hip shaking and angular in all of the best ways. On tracks like Chekhov’s Guns where they aren’t doing much more than hammering down the route notes it’s so upfront and so belligerent that it’s brilliant. This foundational support allows Falko to go wild and fleet his fancy all over my topics with great aplomb and wit. Also in Unpopular Parts Of A Pig, they have my favourite opening track to get me up and out on a morning so for that alone, Mclusky gets the much contested number 5 spot.
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