After decades in the commercial wilderness, metal music is currently enjoying a sizable renaissance. With both Ghost and Sleep Token enjoying number 1 albums in the United States for the first time in eons, there is more cause for optimism for heavy bands than there has been in some time.
Indeed, there is plenty to be excited by, from established bands and new artists. As is often the case with metal, a genre that’s counterculture by design, not everything on this list is designed for mass consumption.
Metal is thriving with varied and technically impressive artists in 2025, with acts bringing ideas and sounds to heavy music from all over the globe. The year is only halfway through, but these are the 10 best metal albums of 2025 so far.
10
Paleface Swiss – Cursed
FFO: Slipknot, Slaughter To Prevail, Korn
Combining the tight intensity of the nastier end of nu metal but none of the genre’s commercial sheen, Paleface Swiss is a devastating proposition. Now on their third album, the European bruisers have shown steady improvement with every passing release. Cursed contains the best hooks of their career, while they’ve lost none of their ability to stomp a mudhole with their crushing breakdowns.
Paleface changed their name to Paleface Swiss in 2023 due to legal reasons.
Livewire frontman Marc “Zelli” Zellweger shows the biggest improvement on this record. His unhinged scatting recalls Slipknot and Korn at their most dangerous, and he shows a superior ability to craft memorable vocal hooks, assisted by his band’s thrash-and-beatdown attack on album highlight “Youth Decay.” Cursed should see even more people joining Paleface Swiss’s brigade.
9
Ghost – Skeletá
FFO: Iron Maiden, Journey, general spookiness.
As has been long-established, Ghost are one of the most significant bands in metal. A long way from the sinister tones that characterized their early days, Tobias Forge’s songwriting has become as grandiose and bombastic as the band’s theatrics.
While there’s an awful lot of substandard material on this album, disappearing into broadway material that’s all boredom and not enough of the bombast, there is still fun to be had on Skeletá.
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Though the album lacks consistency and the sheer volume of hooks that usually come on a Ghost album, Skeletá has plenty of standout moments. “Satanized” is classic Ghost, bringing a satisfying chug to their guitar tone and having an iconic chorus.
“Peacefield,” on the other hand, is so enjoyable they can be forgiven for how shamelessly they rip off Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).” The enjoyable moments on Ghost’s sixth album are sensational; it’s just a shame there aren’t more of them.
8
Ingrown – Idaho
FFO: Nails, Ingest, DRI
Never letting its foot off the gas for a solitary second, Ingrown provides a relentless and bludgeoning listening experience. There’s absolutely no gloss on the production, and it draws from everything from power violence to some of the dirtiest thrash metal heard in years. Idaho is frenetic without ever sounding unskilled. It’s barbarianism but done with exceptional knowledge of the craft.
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Of the many things to enjoy about the band’s ode to their home state, Ingrown’s Idaho has incessant, unpredictable shifts in tempo that are discombobulating and satisfying in equal measure. Because of the chaos that exists omnipresently on this album, it makes it incredibly effective when they slow down, as Ingrown stomps like Godzilla on the likes of “Your Fault.”
Idaho is a timely reminder of just how great punk rock and savage metal can be when mashed together.
7
Bloodywood – Nu Delhi
FFO: System Of A Down, Electric Callboy, Bhangra
Fun is in short supply in heavy music, but India is about to redress that balance. A cultural and musical breath of fresh air, Bloodywood are a welcome addition to mainstream metal.
Delivering the same party-friendly feel that has made Germany’s Electric Callboy and BABYMETAL become international heavyweights, Nu Delhi brings Bhangra’s rhythmic approach and Indian rap cadence to metal with superb results.
Bloodywood’s 2002 debut, Rakshak, became the first Indian metal album to chart on the Billboard Hot 200.
Due to Bloodywood’s willingness to wear their influences on their sleeves, Nu Delhi owes a lot to the world of nu metal. Their rhythmic gallop will feel accessible to System Of A Down fans, and they detonate choruses like Limp Bizkit in their heyday. They need to add more range to their bag of tricks, but Bloodywood are bringing a killer new melodic voice to metal’s mainstream.
6
Gates To Hell – Death Comes To All
FFO: Vomit Forth, PSYCHO-FRAME, Knocked Loose
Specializing in filthy breakdowns and maniacal riffing, Gates To Hell delivers A-list modern heaviness with a charming glee. Death To All is the Louisville, KY band’s second full-length album and bristles with wide-eyed enthusiasm, capitalizing on the strong foundations of their self-titled 2022 debut. Adding more nous and quality to their entire operation, this is a delightfully punishing listen.
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Propelled by an atmospheric and ambitious production job by Randy Lebouef, Death Comes To All should see Gates To Hell become notorious in metal’s underground. Nothing outstays its welcome, with the band packing an almighty amount of material across 10 tracks and a 21-minute runtime.
Every bit as appealing as the likes of Lorna Shore and Slaughter To Prevail, Gates To Hell seems set for one hell of a future.
5
Spiritworld – Helldorado
FFO: Metallica, Clutch, Volbeat
This album is for riff junkies. Quietly ripping away on the underground circuit, Spiritworld is perfect for old and new school metal fans alike.
Coming from the same musical place as Power Trip, they have a sound that’s perfect for annihilating sweaty clubs and shaking the ground at giant festivals. Having delivered the pace and power of prime-time Slayer and an avalanche of no-frills metal riffs to the party in the past, Helldorado sees their enormous talent for riffs infused with a Western flavor.
Sounding like James Hetfield scoring Bone Tomahawk, this is flawless heavy metal. A precise and beefy production, and an increased new melodic sensibility that shares similarities with Clutch at their catchiest, this is Spiritworld’s best album to date. Helldorado is the kind of joyous album that could be used as an excuse for speeding.
4
Imperial Triumphant – Goldstar
FFO: Meshuggah, Dillinger Escape Plan, Blood Incantation
There aren’t many bands that are genuinely terrifying in today’s musical landscape, but New York’s Imperial Triumphant are one of metal’s most intimidating bands. Musically dense and delivered with virtuoso-level musicianship, this is guttural metal via lawless jazz, played at thunderous volume by hooded figures in black. Their albums are all-consuming bodies of work, and this is one of their finest moments.
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Much like their back catalog to date, Goldstar is a dizzying and disorientating experience. Synths blare over the top of relentless musical chaos and an irresistible death metal crescendo on “Gomorrah Nouveaux”, and the band’s regular collaboration with Meshuggah drum god Tomas Haake is as jaw-dropping as usual.
If having your mind melted by progressive extreme metal and a relentless percussive onslaught sounds like a good time, you’ll have a blast with Imperial Triumphant.
3
Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea
FFO: Architects, Invent Animate, Sleep Token
It is no exaggeration to say Spiritbox are one of metal’s biggest success stories of recent years. Frontman Courtney LaPlante has taken her place as one of metal’s leading voices, both on stage and off, and their polished brand of ethereal heaviness has struck a chord on a global scale. Best yet, this feels like a band that has connected with their audience on an emotional level.
Spiritbox’s debut album, Eternal Blue, was recorded entirely in an Airbnb rental house.
Unlike so many of the bands they share mainstream US rock radio with, Spiritbox have refused to soften their sound. Shorn of the stifling shackles that usually come with being a popular heavy band, opener “Fata Morgana” and the twisted riffing of “No Loss, No Love” ensure tender moments like “Perfect Soul” enjoy more success when leaning into their gentler moments.
Spiritbox is going from strength to strength, and that’s an indisputable fact.
2
Your Spirit Dies – My Gnawing Pains Will Never Rest
FFO: Trivium, Orthodox, The Acacia Strain
Hailing from Columbia, South Carolina, Your Spirit Dies is currently metal’s best-kept secret. Displaying a metalcore approach that’s way closer to the likes of Unearth and Killswitch Engage’s early days than the genre’s overly commercial reputation, YSD have superb hooks that rely on aggression more than melody. Whether it’s thrash’s speed, death metal’s technicality or Trivium-esque versatility, this is an incredible debut album.
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Spectacular for its entire runtime, My Gnawing Pains Will Never Rest is loaded with quality. “In the Depths of Grief” is the album’s highlight, with breakdowns of the highest standard and a delicious lead riff that sees guitars and drums attacking in unison with phenomenal chemistry. There may not be a better breakthrough album in heavy music this year.
1
Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power
FFO: Alcest, Converge, Pallbearer
Following their unexpected detour into shimmering indie rock on 2021’s fantastic Infinite Granite, Deafheaven have returned to metal with sensational results. The Californians have a knack for delivering albums that are complete bodies of work, and have displayed a unique ability to provide black metal flourishes that bloom with warmth instead of utilizing the usual glacial tones.
It’s a beautiful thing when the likes of “Doberman” and “The Garden Route” are unveiled in such devastating yet awe-inspiring fashion. Not everything is centered around elegance on this beast of an album, however.
There’s a paranoia and sonic power that fuels “Magnolia”, and “Revelator” opens with one of the best straight-up metal riffs of Deafheaven’s entire career. Deafheaven remain one of metal’s most creatively rewarding bands, and Lonely People With Power is another great addition to their growing collection of phenomenal albums.
