Best Metal Albums of 2025: Year-End Lists Roundup

As the metal world rings in 2026, critics finalize their best-of-2025 lists. Recurring favorites include SPIRITBOX's "The Fear of Fear," TRIVIUM's "The Sin and the Sentence Part II," and KNOCKED LOOSE's "You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To." The underground was represented by BLOOD INCANTATION's "Luminescent Bridge" and ULCERATE's "Cutting the Throat of God." Metal publications noted 2025 as a particularly strong year for progressive and atmospheric metal, with LEPROUS, HAKEN, and DEVIN TOWNSEND all delivering career highlights.