Best of 2025

jdefacto

What you all saying?

Randall

I’m terrible at these list. I have a hard time remembering what came out when, but off the top of my head here’s the stuff I listened to the most that I didn’t put out.
Artificial Go- Musical Chairs LP
Midnight Mines- Feel I’m Slipping Away Now LP
Knowso- Hypnotic Smack LP
Puppet Wipes- Live Inside LP
Norm Dogs- In The Stains 7”
Cheap Fix- Soul Tune 7”

problemface

Heavy Möther II
Battle Elf - 10
The Ex - If Your Mirror Breaks
The Lavender Flu - Tracing the Sand by the Pool
Fan Club - Stimulation EP
Optic Sink - Lucky Number
Split System - No Cops in Heaven single
Damon Locks - List of Demands
Circuit des Yeux - Halo on the Inside
Wiccans - Phase IV
Frizbee- Sour Kisses
Sex Faces - Bad Vibes OST

Al Dorado

Adrian Sherwood: The Collapse Of Everything
Artificial Go: Musical Chairs
Boy Commandos: Comet
Bria Salmena: Big Dog
Dark Thoughts: Highway To The End
FACS: Wish Defense
Hüsker Dü: 1985: The Miracle Year
Midnight Mines: Feel I'm Slipping Away
Nape Neck: The Shallowest End
Optic Sink: Lucky Number
Puppet Wipes: Live Inside
Radioactivity: Time Won't Bring Me Down
Sex Faces: Bad Vibes OST
The Bug Club: Very Human Features
The Educated Fools: Tantric Decapitation: 69 Mins. Of Trichotomy And Liquefaction
The Sharp Pins: Radio DDR

7"s
Cheap Fix: Re-Animator Blues
Fucked Up: Disabuse
Jacket Burner: Tonite
Split System: No Cops In Heaven
Tee Vee Repairmann: Only A Memory
The Sleeveens: Downtown

Mostly not including bandcamp buys (Boy Commandos is the exception). Not reissues/archival either

Randall

Al Dorado
OH shit how did I forget the Tee Vee REpairmann single? Its been getting a ton of play around here. Can't wait to hear the new album

Emil M. Antonowsky

I feel like i've been living under a rock when it comes to new bands/releases this year but by looking at my discogs and sorting after release year it seems theres quite a bunch of stuff that i managed to hord anyway:

Total Con - Who Needs The Peace Corps? The Nine Song E.P.
Fugitive Bubble - What Will Happen If We Stop?
Post-Tragic Man - Unintentionally Provoked Kundalini Awakening LP
Necron 9 - People Die LP
Misanthropic Minds / Häpeä - International Hardcore Punk Split 7" EP
Know-So - Hypnotic Smack LP
Destruxion Amerika - Gritos Norteño LP
Strul - Fuck Strul LP
Ville Valavuo - Commemoration Songs LP
Kaleidoscope - Cities Of Fear LP
Twisted Teens - Blame The Clown LP
Sære Gamle Villa - Anden Akt LP

There's obviously a lot of stuff that i listened too but havnt bought (yet)

One of course is The Educated Fools – Tantric Decapitation: 69 Mins. Of Trichotomy And Liquefaction Dlp that i've listened too a whole bunch and love. Can't wait to get my copy in the mail.

Another one i want to mention is
Pleaser – Begging Guitars LP - 2nd album by local favs here in Copenhagen that i think you should all check out.

samantha

Pyrex Body LP #1 duh

see-saw.fun's evan minsker

gotta plug the see/saw top 54 punk + rock'n'roll records of 2025 newsprint broadsheet. order one!

personal highlights for me: Citric Dummies, Eraser, Puppet Wipes, Fugitive Bubble, Kissland, SEXFACES, Abi Ooze, U.T.A.I., Artificial Go, Panel, Cruelster, Kilynn Lunsford, Total Con, Necron 9, Twisted Teens, Kaleidoscope, Nape Neck, Optic Sink

Jack H

A few favorites not yet mentioned:
Mozart Estate - Tower Block in a Jam Jar
Thee Headcoatees - Man Trap
Escape-ism - Charge of the Love Brigade
Chip Kinman - S/T
Tav Falco - Desire on Ice

Mystery_Ship

A few that got a lot of spins over here -
Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band - New Threats From the Soul
Thee Educated Fools - Tantric Decapitation
Sharp Pins - Radio DDR
King Blood - Eye I Aye Ivy
Lavender Flu - Tracing Sand by the Pool
Heavy Mother II
Equipment Pointed Ankh - Eggs a Little Late
Midnight Mines - Feel I'm Slipping Away Now

Archival stuff-
Cheater Slicks live LPs and Don't Like You demos
Les Rallies Denudes - Jittoku 76
Ron House - Obsessed

Afteryourbrain

I’ll list a couple records I don’t expect to be mentioned here that I really enjoyed:

Cass McCombs- Interior Live Oak
Ball- Satanic Ecstasy

I also want to second that Destruxion Amerika LP I saw mentioned above. Definitely my favorite in the hardcore punk realm this year.

And like most are saying: the Educated Fools, Puppet Wipes, Midnight Mines, Sharp Pins

Scrodd Prickknee

I don't much keep up anymore, but maybe the best song from this year I've heard is the R.M.F.C. "Ecstatic Strife" 7" A-Side, and I didn't see it listed....

Lammie

I've never been good at these kind of lists, but have discovered a good number of bands through those of other people so here's my attempt at contributing.

I was stoked that these two came out this year.

Carnivorous Bells - Beacons in Limbo: https://humanheadstonepresents.bandcamp.com/album/beacons-in-limbo.

Unidad Ideologica - Choque Asimetrico: https://lavidaesunmus.bandcamp.com/album/choque-asim-trico.

The Kaleidoscope Lp that was released this year is good too, need to listen to it more.

Am I the only one who wonders what the point of these lists is? Without write-ups they seem pretty meaningless to me. I don't know you peoplem so I have no idea if our tastes are similar.

Lincoln

Check out the DOWN the RABBIT HOLE
"Best of 2025" radio show! One hour of total rippers from around the globe
https://xray.fm/broadcasts/67988

ratcharge

I really, really liked these :

ANNIE ACHRON – Never paradise (Siltbreeze)
LOS BANGERS – Demo ’25 (Chose Inutile)
BRAINBOMBS – Die (Riot Season)
CULT CRIME – S/T (Ugly Pop)
DISTANCE – Le Décor (Dans le vide)
EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING – Shapes and forms (Cool Death)
FLŌD – S/T (Autoprod’)
GALORE – Dirt (Speakeasy Studios SF)
HEAVY MÖTHER II – S/T (Total Punk)
KILYNN LUNSFORD – Promiscuous Genes (Feel It)
KISSLAND – Girls Mignon (625)
THE LO YO YO – S/T (Concentric Circles)
LEOPARDO – Side A/Side B (Chrüsimüsi)
LÙLÙ – ST (Dangerhouse Skylab)
PUPPET WIPES – Live inside (Siltbreeze)
QUANTUM DREGZ – Type Of Zoöids (Autoprod’)
RON HOUSE – Obsessed (Zaius)
SON OF DRIBBLE – Poking A Hole In A Bag of Tears (Minimum Table Stacks)
SPLEEN – II (Roachleg)
SCRABBLED – Plough Through The Rust (DIY)

Lammie

ratcharge Thanks Alex. I know very few of these so a lot of exploring ahead. I'm disappointed in myself that I did not know there was a new BrainBrainbombs.

kai

https://www.maximumrocknroll.com/article/2025-year-end-top-tens-part-one/