As much as we music journalists like to act like omniscient know-it-alls, the fact of the matter is that no set of ears can hear everything. Albums and artists will always pass you by, which is why it’s so important to shout about underground bands as loud as possible. 2025 has seen tentpole releases from the likes of Ghost and Sleep Token, but for each one of them, there’s been at least a dozen records begging for a fraction of their attention. So, these are the best heavy metal albums that most people probably missed this year.
Ancient Death – Ego Dissolution
Space metal has become one of the underground’s most formidable genres, and Ancient Death added strength to its ranks with their full-length debut. Ego Dissolution was a cosmic tech-death voyage in the vein of Blood Incantation and Tomb Mold, separating bursts of intricate destruction with psychedelic rocket rides. Songs like Breathe – Transcend (Into The Glowing Streams Of Forever) and Journey To The Inner Soul introduced death/doom parts that set the band apart from the pack, while Echoing Chambers Within The Dismal Mind flaunted their melodic side. One album in, these New Englanders already feel special.
Ancst – Dominion
This German anti-fascist crew know no singular genre, having swapped between death metal, black metal, crust punk and even electronica. On latest album Dominion, they presented what could have been the missing link between Sweden’s death metal heyday and the metalcore wave which was inspired by it. These blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em songs had the same dirt under their fretboards as At The Gates and Entombed, while also flaunting the kind of melodic sophistication and slicing lead guitars you’d expect from Killswitch Engage. A gem that, were it released by any bigger band, would have won a place on many end-of-year lists.
Melpomene – A Body Is A Suggestion
A post-metal duo from Minneapolis, Melpomene draw from their own experiences as queer women to make discordant and powerful post-metal. It’s easy to compare the songs on their full-length debut album to those of Russian Circles, given the heaviness of the riffs they stack side-by-side. But, there’s so much more to find as well, with influence being taken from the jazz and post-rock genres. I Am The Future Both Feared And Hoped For is the shoegazing tech-death lovechild of Imperial Triumphant and Deafheaven, and if the sound of that doesn’t excite you, you need to reassess your priorities.
Obscure Sphinx – Emovere
Technically, the first new music from Polish sludge merchants Obscure Sphinx in nine years was an EP, not an album. But, Emovere ran for 30 seconds longer than Reign In Blood, and in that time the band handed out three devastating, widescreen tracks. Opener Scarcity Hunter reintroduced the horrific soundscape of their prior output, making Amenra sound comparatively jolly in the process, before As I Stood Upon The Shore and Nethergrove ventured to more forgiving terrain. Frontwoman Zofia Fraś got to stretch all of her muscles in a way she never had before, spelling an interesting future for these long-underrated prospects.
Spidergawd – From Eight To Infinity
If you can think of a good reason why Spidergawd aren’t filling up arenas right now, you’re doing better than us. The Norwegian rockers’ aptly titled eighth album could have been best described as ‘psychedelic Foo Fighters’, taking the expert songwriting of Dave Grohl’s bunch and dipping it in enough acid to intimidate High On Fire. The Grand Slam kicked things off with shamanic strings, 200 Miles High had the kind of hallucinogenic guitar parts you’d expect from Jimi Hendrix, and Winter Song was a closing dose of uncut stoner metal. With a boatload of hooks also in there, we got some top-shelf, mind-melting rock’n’roll.
Trauma Bond – Summer Ends. Some Are Long Gone.
The first album from this noise/grindcore duo may be hideous as fuck, but it also felt like it had breakout potential. Featuring guitar work from Converge member and producer extraordinaire Kurt Ballou, it was a meticulously crafted ball of nastiness that should have cemented this band as the 2020s’ answer to Napalm Death. Where Brushed By The Storm and Chewing Fat disturbed with industrial grooves and layers of discordance, the lightspeed metal of Good Grief and Repulsion went straight for the jugular. The UK metal scene is bursting with talent right now, but it had better make room for this pair to come charging through.
Vauruvã – Mar Da Deriva
Ever wondered what it would sound like if Darkthrone were off their tits on Ayahuasca? Wonder no more! Hailing from Rio De Janeiro, Vauruvã bring a psychedelic and folk-infused twist to black metal. Legado – the opener of their second album, Mar Da Deriva – started with bold tribal drums and cosmic ambience before bursting into its first raw, grooving riff. The rest of the album showed that the band’s reach is near-limitless, with centrepoint Os Caçadores emphasising melody and quarter-of-an-hour conclusion As Selvas Vermelhas No Planeta Dos Eminentes going full prog mode. To feel unique in the metal underground is rare, but this duo do just that.
You Win Again Gravity – Don’t Leave Me Here, Part 1
If post-hardcore ever got its doctorate, it would sound like You Win Again Gravity. This lot are graduates of the same school as Protest The Hero and Periphery, taking mid-2000s emo melodies and singing them over hardy prog metal. Don’t Leave Me Here, Part 1 is an effort that appeals to both the head and the heart, mixing accessible vocals with intellectual music and making it sound seamless. The segue songs, normally a nuisance on albums, only make things flow all the smoother. Before you know it, half an hour is gone and you snap back to reality as if waking from a dream.
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