2025 has been… Quite the year for me. On a personal note, I’ve moved house, and I’ve moved careers. Yet, as always, I still write this blog. I’ve been doing this for a long, long time now. So, as always, it only makes sense to sum up the year with an end-of-year post, and as you all love, give you my favourite albums of the year list. Music this year has been some of the best I’ve heard in a while. 2025 has been substantially better than 2024 for releases, but I’m not blind to the struggles of the industry. Streaming services continue to pay artists basically nothing for their music, the general population continues to ignore the plight of artists wanting to be paid daily for their work, and, my biggest pet peeve, the rise of AI in music! Oh, how I despise the rise of AI artists on streaming platforms. The dawn of AI music makes it even harder for new artists to break through to the mainstream, or even any sort of stream. So, this is why I will continue to champion the real musicians, both signed and unsigned. I think that’s why I still love writing this blog. Even nearly two decades in! I love discovering new music, and if I can introduce you to your new favourite band or artist, I feel like I’ve somewhat served my purpose.
Anyway, to sum up my 2025 music experience, I would have to break it down into segments. I’ve not been to nearly as many concerts as in recent years, but I did go to two-day festivals and one of the big summer festivals, so it evens out. I’ve listened to more music than ever and started a huge research project, which is still a work in progress. I’ve taken a huge interest in the rock and metal scenes in Greece and interviewed a few bands, and this is something I hope to continue in 2026 as I continue to refine and pursue this project. I do regret that the blog basically came to a stop in July from the death of the great Ozzy Osbourne. This was unintentional, and now I’m going to continue from there. So, to sum it up… This year is a mixed bag. With some of my highest highs, but still room to improve and move upwards.
So, let’s crack on and talk about this year then
Gigs
I will admit this year has been light and whole gig front. However, I got to see some really interesting shows. There are a lot of bands that I’ve wanted to see for a long time that I finally got to see, and some that I never knew that I needed to see that I’m glad that I did. Some I’ve already talked about at length for the blog, so I won’t waste words that I’ve already written. I’ll link to the blog posts where necessary. In January, I got to see the excellent H.E.A.T. in Manchester, which was soon followed by one of my musical heroes in February, when I saw Tremonti. I couldn’t tell you how excited I was for Tremonti, a sold-out O2 Ritz theatre, a loud and ready crowd, and Tremonti coming off the back of their most recent release, The End Will Show Us How. You couldn’t write a better show. It was amazing and yet another evening that confirmed to me that Mark Tremonti is up there as a generational artist and master of his craft.
Winter fell into spring, and a whole match of shows. Three of which I already reviewed for the blog. However, they were titanic shows. Wille and The Bandits, The Zac Schulze Gang and Joe Bonamassa were all amazing shows. Wille and The Bandits was certainly a night to remember, and the addition of James Dixon to the evening made it as perfect as a gig could be. If you were to tell me, as a teenager, when I started this blog, that I would be asked to review one of my icons, I wouldn’t have believed you. Getting to see Joe Bonamassa was a dream as he went on to play one of the best concerts I’ve experienced. Also, just to quickly mention The Zac Schulze Gang. Everyone needs to put their stock in Zac Schulze; that guy is going to be a generational guitar player, inspiring the next generation. Finishing up the spring, I took my mum to see one of our favourite groups, The Shires. This was a special night filled with joy. A smaller, purely acoustic show with just mountains of greatest hits. It was an evening of joy that I got to share with my mum, and seriously, what could be better than that?
I’ll come back to my summer in a moment, but firstly, let’s talk about how I ended my year. In November, I made quite the trip across this country of mine from the north-west down to the south-east. All to see and a childhood nostalgia-fest. A co-headline tour of Drowning Pool and SpineShank, and, oh, would you look at that? Hed P.E. for an opener too! This was one hell of a kick-ass evening to attend. And Norwich? You freaking showed up for this one! My first gig in your fine city, and you guys made it amazing. You know it was a good gig when you leave with an injury, your head ringing, and your body completely in pain. Drowning Pool was everything I wanted them to be. I got into them as a teenager when Ryan was originally the singer. Now he’s back as the vocalist, it just feels right. Getting to hear the songs that I grew up with performed by the lineup that created the songs, man, that was just magic. Then my year ended with a gig in Manchester. I finally got to see The Commoners. I’ve already talked about this show at length, so you can read that here. 
Slam Dunk Festival & Graspop Metal Meeting
Well… My summer was filled to the brim with band performances outdoors. Lots of great music and lots of variety. So many bands that I’ve always wanted to see, and these were the perfect opportunities to see them live. As I’ve already spoken about Rock The Castle on the blog, you should go read that blog here.
On the Bank Holiday weekend in May, I travelled to Leeds with my older brother to go to Slam Dunk Festival. Slam Dunk is an ideal day out for us, elder emos. A day filled with nostalgia acts from the world of pop-punk, metalcore and hardcore punk. While I won’t go through my entire day, I will give you some of the highlights. I remember being in college and listening to I See Stars in between lectures and coursework. I’ve always wanted to check them out, but it just never seemed meant to be. Well, Slam Dunk gave me that experience. Under the midday sun, I See Stars took to the stage, and man, what a show they put on. The crowd were ready to go! An expertly driven set that kicked ass, it was worth the wait. Speaking of “worth the wait”, that could be said for The Starting Line. I remember my brother having their album on CD, and we used to play it in our shared bedroom. Getting to experience them with my big brother next to me… It meant more than any words I could write on this blog. My biggest surprise of the day was the iconic band Less Than Jake. Man, these guys were so much fun, it’s no wonder they’ve been around as long as they have. Complete stage stealers, as their charm and personality shone through. The day ended with A Day To Remember, and even though I’m not the biggest fan per se, they were absolutely worthy of closing out the day with an excellent show! Another year and another Slam Dunk in the books and onto next year!
June saw my return to Belgium and to one of my favourite festivals ever, Graspop Metal Meeting. Let me say this now, returning felt like coming home. When I was there, it was like my own personal heaven. Surrounded by my metal family in another country, listening to the music that made me the person I am today. While I could do a full blow-by-blow, I’ll stick to the highlights of my weekend. For context, I will list every band I saw by day, along with the order in which I saw them on that day. To sum up, the whole weekend was a blast, the crowds were great, the bands were great, and the overall atmosphere was incredible. All of the headliners brought their A-game, and the bands on the undercard filled my days with moshpits and crowd surfing. It was a hot-hot weekend, and at one point, I did genuinely suffer from heat-induced sickness, which was the main down point of the weekend, and I ended up missing some bands on Saturday, but it didn’t put a damper on the whole weekend. Graspop 2025 will go down as one of my favourite memories. Graspop will always be one of my favourite places to visit. Now let’s hope it’s not another nine years before I return.
Bands I saw on Thursday: Psychonaut, Warkings, Trash Boat, Charlotte Weasels, Alien Ant Farm, Alestorm, Paradise Lost, Yellowcard, Perturbator, Stick To Your Guns, Iron Maiden, Powerwolf.
I woke up on Thursday morning, excited and full of energy. I was so ready for the days to come. I walked into the main arena, and my first stop was the marquee tent, as I was particularly curious about Belgium’s own Psychonaut. They were excellent and an absolute force of a presence on stage. Big riffs and spacey atmosphere, I’ve been interested in their music for a while, so it was an absolute pleasure to see them live on stage, in their home country, no less. The next band I want to talk about from the Thursday of the festival is a UK hard-hitter. How can you not love Paradise Lost? They’ve been around since 1988, and they’re still going strong. I wasn’t planning on seeing them, but they were playing as I was walking past the tent and, well, I had to stop in. As always, they delivered a stellar show that struck me to my core and made me realise what an exceptional band they are. Other highlights leading to the main event came in the form of Yellowcard and Perturbator, who were incredible in their own ways. What was the main event, you ask? Well, that had to be the German might of Powerwolf. Powerwolf put on one of the best stage shows I’ve ever seen! Doesn’t seem fair to the rest of the bands for the weekend. But, believe me when I say this, dear reader, Powerwolf is the best metal act of our generation, at least in my humble opinion. However, being in that crowd, feeling that music, being in that atmosphere. It was an almost religious experience. Well, it was the Metal Mass after all. It was a monumental close to the day and put me in a great mood for the rest of the weekend.
Bands I saw on Friday: Static Dress, As Everything Unfolds, Villagers of Ioninna City, Employed To Serve, Knocked Loose, Green Lung, Orange Goblin, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Jinjer, Dethklok, Slipknot.
Friday was a lot calmer. Thursday, was rushing from one band to the next. Whereas, on Friday, I decided to take it easy. I still saw loads, but fewer. It was a special day for two reasons. The first reason came early in the day. I got to see Villagers of Ioninna City again. This is the second time I’ve seen this band live, and they just get better with every passing year. An immense sound and strong stoic charisma, they are just on another plane of existence than we mere mortals. Their set was incredible and, I’ll admit, I got a little star-struck when I got to meet them at the signing tent. Though waiting for forty-five minutes in the baking sun was probably not a great idea. Still, it was awesome! The other big one was getting to see Orange Goblin perform. I’ve seen them a bunch, but this was special. This is the last time I’d get to see one of my favourite bands perform live. So this felt like closure. They were amazing as always, and I headbanged my ass off on the barrier. Orange Goblin put on one of their best sets I’ve seen from them, and what a way to go out! Closing Friday was a unique experience. Getting to see Dethklok and Slipknot on the same night, I mean, what a combo. Not something you could get anywhere else!
Bands I saw on Saturday: Kittie, Oomph, Skindred, The Warning, The Dead Daisies, Bullet For My Valentine, The Hu, Korn, Airbourne, Nine Inch Nails.
Saturday started with me running full pelt to the main stage. I needed to see the opening acts of the day. What a way to kick off a festival day. The Canadian metal masters, Kittie and the German industrial heavyweights, Oomph. Getting to watch Oomph at Graspop felt perfect to me, as that’s where I discovered them all those years ago. Standing at the crowd barrier and singing along in German (which I only half understand) was such a good feeling. I danced and hugged strangers as songs like “Labyrinth” blasted through the festival arena. I may have overdone it, though, as jumping, sweating and singing in 30+ degree heat may not have been my best plan, as I’m sure it led to my heat-induced sickness, but and ice bath, nine bottles of water and an hour and a half sleep later, I was right as rain. In the second half of the day, after my break, and the sun started to set, there were more bands to see. A massive highlight was the Mongolian collective, The Hu, in the Marquee tent. That tent was packed with a capital P. The bass tones filled the tent; it was one of the most powerful and commanding performances that I’ve witnessed. As for the headliners… I’ll admit, I got pretty bored watching Korn, so I picked myself up and walked over to see Airbourne. I haven’t seen them in years; these guys just do not age. They put on a show and a half. It was a fantastic rush of nostalgia. 
Bands I saw on Sunday: Aviva, Seven Hours After Violet, Creeper, SiM, Beyond The Black, Fit For An Autopsy, Krokus, Heaven Shall Burn, Currents, Katatonia, Stray From The Path, Judas Priest.
Finally, it was time for Sunday. I had one mission and one mission only for this day. Keep enough energy for Judas Priest. Let’s quickly go over the earlier bands. It’s funny to think the first time I saw Creeper was in some basement club in Manchester. Yet, here they were, commanding a massive stage to a massive crowd at a metal festival in mainland Europe. There was a small part of me that felt proud of them. Growing up, I used to listen to my Dad’s music collection, and Krokus were in there somewhere. So I turned up to the mainstage and rocked out for him. Later in the day, I went to see one of my favourite progressive metal bands. Katatonia knocked it out of the park. Hot off the heels of their new album Nightmares As Extensions of the Waking State, I would describe it as a transcendent experience. Standing there in that crowd, I don’t think I could fully describe the experience, but it felt special. Closing out the day and my whole weekend was, well, emotional. I mentioned that I used to listen to my Dad’s music as a kid. Well, one of the first bands he introduced me to was Judas Priest. I’ve never had the chance to see them live. I always wanted to watch them with my Dad, and I feel like he was with me in spirit. Judas Priest were pretty much everything that I wanted them to be. The fact that Rob Halford can still hit those high notes in his 70s is a complete mystery to me. It was a show for my lifetime and one that will live in my memories and my heart forever. It might sound sappy, but as they played “Living After Midnight”, I started to cry, because I missed my Dad and he should have been here for that show, for that performance. But I’ll take it. This was the weekend of a lifetime. 
Top 40 Favourite Albums and EPs of The Year
So, here it is. Since 2011, I have been summing up my year with my favourite albums of the year. My year just doesn’t feel complete without some sort of ranking. Well, here we go. I hope you find some new music from this list. Even if you don’t agree with my ranking, I hope you can appreciate the work that these artists put into their music. These albums have either given me comfort, pushed the limits of what I thought music is, done something incredible or a combination of all three. This year's list is a mixed bag of goodies. So, take them, make playlists, and support them by buying their music instead of streaming it. See them live, share their music with your friends. I just wanted to give all of these artists their due.
1. The Night Flight Orchestra - Give Us The Moon
My number one pick might be an odd choice to a lot of people. However, for me, there isn’t an album that came out this year that brought me more joy than this one. It is superbly composed, so well written. This album makes me smile, brings me to tears, and makes me want to dance and sing at the top of my voice. All of the songs are memorable and, honestly, feel like they’ve always been songs. If there’s one album that I ask you to listen to from 2025, it’s this one. I don’t know what more I can say that wasn’t covered in my original review or my interview with Bjorn Strid. It’s just fantastic and an album that I will keep listening to forever.
2. Avantasia - Here Be Dragons
Does Tobias Sammet miss? No, I say no! Here Be Dragons is an example of a band with everything working. The composition is exemplary. The writing is poetic and evocative. The production shines from every angle. This is an experience of a record. Whereas I like albums that hit those personal notes. This album is pure escapism. Tobias seems to have an uncanny ability put guest vocals exactly where they’re needed on any given song. If you want to get lost in an album, like truly lost? Yes, this record is the one for you, my friends.
3. Shura - I Got Too Sad For My Friends
How long I waited for this record. After Shura’s second album, Forevher, I was waiting for the third to drop. It took a long time, but in 2025, we finally got it. What a beautiful and deeply personal album. Talk about an album where you feel like you know the songwriter more by listening to it. The atmosphere, the passion, the personal touches. It just feels like something special. Shura is a special talent, and I feel like we must protect her at all costs. I just found myself putting it on time and time again. Each time I put this record on, it makes me emotional as Shura manages to reach me on such a deep level.
4. The Turnpike Troubadours - The Price of Admission
I’m really changing it up for the top 5, aren’t I? This album dropped on a random day, and I immediately fell in love with this sound. I grew up on country music, and I’ve been craving something that would take me back to that classic country sound. This album does that and so much more. With songs that tell stories and burst with emotion, this is a record that just kept me coming back again and again.
5. Beatpella House - What's In My Room?
And now for something completely different. How did I fall so completely in love with an acapella beatboxing K-Pop group? Beatpella House bring such an incredible amount of talent and skill to the microphone that catches my ear in just the right way. The combination of expert skill and masterful composition, this is more than enough to make the top 5!
6. Countown - Χαιρεκακία
This album… What can I say? This album started me on my journey to learn Greek because I wanted to understand this album on a deeper level… And you know an album has to be good for me to want to learn an entirely new language. This is a furious, pissed-off nu-metal album that is a pure throwback to the early 2000s.
7. Still Dusk - Chronicles of Dystopia
This has been a constant one for me since it came out. I kept coming back to this one. Though rough around the edges, the raw and aggressive nature of this album just kept me captivated. A commanding and powerful hard rock album that shines with excellence.
8. Tyler Hilton & Bethany Joy Lenz - Well Well Well
This is everything I wanted. As a teenager, I was a huge fan of One Tree Hill. So this album feels like it was tailor-made for me. Tyler Hilton and Bethany Joy Lenz reimagine some of the biggest hits from the show in a deeply personal way. I love this one.
9. The Yagas - Midnight Minuet
If you were to tell me that Vera Farmiga would put out one of the best gothic metal albums in 2025… Well, I believe it now. The Yagas remind me of the great gothic metal albums of the 90s. Midnight Minuet is supremely dark and masterfully brooding.
10. The Zac Schulze Gang - Straight To It
The Zac Schulze Gang are getting ready to take their act all the way to the top. I said it earlier. Put your stocks in this band, I’m telling you now, this band has all of the potential to be a generational blues act. This album is exceptional.
11. Master Sword - Toying With Time
The third in a trilogy can be difficult to pull off convincingly. Master Sword came out of the studio swinging with this album. An epic and bombastic album that will get you ready for an adventure.
12. Katatonia - Nightmares As Extensions of the Waking State
I saw them at Graspop and had an emotional experience. Listening to this record, I remembered why I fell in love with Katatonia in the first place.
13. Joe Bonamassa - Breakthrough
In my opinion, this is one of Joe’s best albums in years. An immaculate and powerful album that bubbles with emotion, and Joe busts out some generational blues music.
14. James Dixon - Good Ground
A beautiful and wondrous album that embodies everything that I wanted out of folk music. Listen to it and get lost in it; you will not regret it.
15. Bumblefoot - …Returns!
If you want something that will take you on a journey, well, this one will. Bumblefoot is such an insane talent and will forever push the boundaries of what is possible on guitar.
16. Tremonti - The End Will Show Us How
Mark Tremonti continues to be one of the most versatile and dynamic songwriters in modern metal. Gut-busting riffs and blistering guitar solos. This is one you need to hear.
17. Anneke van Giersbergen - La Vie
I will forever respect Anneke for continuing to make the music she enjoys, no matter what. This EP is a beautifully serene listening experience.
18. Paradise Lost - Ascension
I said it earlier. It’s mad that they’ve been around this long and are still making music this good. I was captivated from start to finish for this one.
19. All That Remains - AntiFragile
This was an album that I was incredibly excited for. The first All That Remains album since the passing of Oli Herbert, and man, is this a gripping one.
20. Perturbator - Age of Aquarius
A dark and brooding album that was perfect for those days when I didn’t want to leave my house and just wanted to forget the world.
21. Amy Macdonald - Is This What You've Been Waiting For?
Amy’s music has never sounded larger than this. This anthemic and pulse-pounding album has field workouts and many drives home in my car.
22. KAJ - Sauna Collection
My obligatory Eurovision favourite made the list. This album is so catchy, even if I don't understand every word being sung. Ah, well, it makes me smile.
23. Passengers In Panic - Amnesia
A darkly moody, yet endlessly uplifting album. It's an album I keep finding myself returning to, over and over again.
24. Three Days Grace - Alienation
Adam Gontier returns to Three Days Grace, and it feels like home. Alienation is a great album that hits right in the nostalgia.
25. Orianthi - Some Kind of Feeling
The Australian guitar queen returns with a new solo record. This one has that pep that makes me remember why I fell in love with her music in the first place.
26. Psychonaut - World Maker
These caught my imagination this year. I was so excited for this album, and when it came, I loved listening to every moment of it. Sh
27. Newton Faulkner - Octopus
Faulkner has never been one to shy away from pushing the boundaries of what he can do in music. His new record is completely different, and it’s so fascinating to listen to.
28. Samantha Fish - Paper Doll
The delta blues never sounded so good. The blues star from Missouri brings that twang and thump to this new record, and she continues to kick ass and take names.
29. Beans On Toast - Kill Them With Kindness
Beans On Toast comes back for another year and with another collection of folk songs that comment on the state of the world, with his signature tone of joy.
30. Night Resident - Total Obscurity
Atmospheric, gothic and deeply melancholic. This record spoke to my soul on a personal level. There is beauty in the darkness, and Night Resident found that sweet spot.
31. Longshots - Between Two Fronts
An impressive EP for up-and-coming rockers. Well worth your time, in my opinion. There’s a long career for Longshots, and I hope I see them live someday soon.
32. The Wonder Years - Burst & Decay Vol 3
Reimagined acoustic versions of their punk rock catalogue with some bonus tracks. The Wonder Years display raw emotion on this one.
33. Euphrosyne - Morus
This dark and deeply personal record takes the listener on a journey through the darkness of death, but with an acceptance of grief.
34. Darklon - Mind Reaper
Heavy metal fury has no name like Darklon. This fast and furious album will take you on a whirlwind of power metal glory.
35. Blackbriar - A Thousand Little Deaths
Gothic, beautiful and endlessly creative. Blackbriar swings and hits another home run. This one is for those who need a little light in their darkness.
36. Candar. - Wallflower
I was really impressed when I saw them live with The Commoners. So I picked up this EP at the merch table. I haven’t been able to put it down since.
37. Honeybadger - Let There Be Light
A grungy record that scratched a certain itch for me this year. It was definitely a surprise one that found its way onto many of my playlists.
38. Motion City Soundtrack - The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World
A punchy pop-punk record with clever and poetic songwriting that certainly captured my imagination. Put this on full blast in the car, you’ll know what I mean.
39. I See Stars - The Wheel
A blistering album that worked on every level for me. All elements came together and gave me that good nostalgic feeling for yesteryear.
40. Rise Against - Ricochet
A really great effort from Rise Against. A solid punk album through and through. A little rough around the edges, but that’s how good punk should be.
Looking Forward to 2026
So, now we look ahead to 2026. It’s a scary world for the music industry. Music is so important to me, and I want to continue to share it with the world. I’m excited for some killer new releases from the likes of Villagers of Ioninna City, Alter Bridge, Black Stone Cherry, Laurence Jones, Edenbridge, Beyond The Black, Gorillaz, Story of The Year, New Found Glory, Glamour of the Kill, Paul Gilbert & Kidneythieves, and I can’t wait for those records to see the world. I’m excited for another year at Slam Dunk Festival. I’m excited to see Skillet, Black Stone Cherry and Ninja Sex Party live in concert.
As long as the world doesn’t tear itself apart and there is still music filling the world, I’ll still be here doing my best to talk about it. So, happy new year, dear reader. Thank you for another year on this blog. Let me know what your highlights of 2025 are and what you’re looking forward to in 2026.
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