(Andy Synn looks ahead to what we might expect from 2025)
Is it just me or does 2025 seem to be off to a bit of a slow start?
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve already written about a couple of gems (Am I In Trouble?, MEM//BRANE) and I’ve got my eyes on a few upcoming releases (including one which, having heard it in full, is probably destined for my “Disappointing” list) but, for the most part, it feels like 2025 has yet to properly kick into gear.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though, since it gives us a bit more time to get our shit together and start planning out the year to come… which in this case means highlighting some of the albums which I really hope make an appearance, and make an impact, some time over the next twelve months.
Of course, this isn’t a definitive list of all the albums I’m looking forward to – you could just as easily add the likes of Mantar, Abduction (though I’ll probably let someone else handle the review for that one, since we share a drummer these days) and Shadows Fall – nor does it include any of the albums I’ve already heard (Imperial Triumphant, Abigail Williams, Euphrosyne, etc) or anything from my own band (though you should definitely keep an eye out for the completed album/EP trilogy later in the year).
And, obviously, you should feel free to add some suggestions of your own in the comments – as much as we try to stay on top of everything that’s being released it never hurts to be reminded of what’s coming up – while also making a note to keep an eye (and an ear) out for these five records whenever they finally hit the airwaves!
SANZU – OUR BEHAVIOUR WHEN DROWNING
It’s now been almost a full decade since “Southern Hemisphere Hydro-Groove” (patent pending) monsters Sanzu released their devastatingly heavy debut album, Heavy Over the Home (“a pulverising demonstration of sheer sonic power…“).
And while the follow-up was originally pencilled in for some time in 2022, a mix of personal, professional, and global issues all conspired to delay the writing and recording of Our Behaviour When Drowning, which still doesn’t have a definite release date.
However, I’m still hopeful that the album will see the light of day this year – recording seems to have been completed, and the band have already released two primer singles (“Throne of Rope” and “Cultivate“) to wet our appetites – so let’s cross our fingers and hope that 2025 is the year when we finally get more Sanzu!
GROWTH – TBC
Sticking around in the southern half of the globe (or the bit close to the ice wall, if you’re a flat earther) I’m pleased to announce that the long-awaited second album from self-described “Post-Traumatic Death Metal” trio Growth looks likely to finally rear its head some time this year, as both the guitars and drums were successfully completed back in July of 2024.
What form it will take I’m still not sure, but if it’s anything like their fantastic first album, The Smothering Arms of Mercy – which, in hindsight, was easily one of the strongest and most promising debuts of 2020 (one which grabbed my attention right away but then also proved, appropriately, to be a real grower as well) – then I’m sure that Growth 2: The New Batch (or whatever it ends up being called) will end up being one of the finest new additions to the ever growing Post-/Dissonant Death Metal genre.
EMPLOYED TO SERVE – TBC
Closer to home (my home, anyway, not yours) I’m really looking forward to whatever UK Metalcore/Metallic Hardcore (maybe that’s a difference without a distinction, I don’t know) titans Employed to Serve release next, as they’ve been on an absolute roll (critically, commercially, and creatively) since the release of 2017’s The Warmth of a Dying Sun.
Interestingly enough, the band themselves have stated that their new album will err closer to the latter record than 2021’s Conquering, as they feel like they lost a bit of the depth and variety of their sound on that one (which I suppose I can see… even though I loved Conquering and thought it’s “Earth Crisis meets Machine Head” approach really lent itself to producing banger after banger), so I’ll be very interested to hear what they come up with as a result!
RANNOCH – TBC
Here’s a little semi-exclusive insider info for you… back in November when we did our little weekender with Rannoch (and Earthbound) the band confided in me that mainman Ian Gillings had already completed writing and demoing of the band’s as-yet-untitled fourth album -the follow-up to 2023’s outstanding Conflagrations – and that they would be going into the studio early this year to record it, with the hope of releasing it via Willowtip towards the end of 2025.
So get ready, and get hyped, for some of the darkest, most dynamic Prog Death you’re likely to hear this year… if past experience is any indication.
KHONSU – TBC
This one is a bit more of a “wish fulfilment” entry, as while the band have said that they hope to complete the recording of their new album in Spring of 2025, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will release this year.
Cross your fingers that it does, however, as it’s been far too long since the cosmic Black Metal majesty of The Xun Protectorate, and we need to hear some more Khonsu soon!
HEXER – TBC
Blackened Doomsayers Hexer have been teasing the follow-up to 2023’s Abyssal for a little while now, with the promise that both writing and recording were ongoing throughout last year.
So let’s hope that album #4 finally drags its carcass into the light some time this year, as these guys really deserve a lot more hype and attention (and, hopefully, we’ll be able to help bring them some more when the record finally lands)!
STONED GOD – TBC
Stoned God‘s second album, Incorporeal, was one of my favourite albums of 2020, striking a chord between Gojira, Darkane, and Black Crown Initiate which kept it in regular rotation throughout the year (and beyond).
But although outside circumstances ended up slowing the band’s momentum down to a crawl, they recently announced that their third album has been completely recorded and will be with us at some point during 2025 (with a flurry of tour dates – possibly, if we can arrange it, featuring my own band – to follow).
OMINATION – PARAGON OF DOOM
Post-apocalyptic Doom lords Omination made a serious impact here at NCS with 2021’s New Golgotha Repvbliq (it was one of my favourites of the year, no question) and will soon be releasing the long-awaited follow-up, Paragon of Doom.
So far the only hint of what it’s going to sound like comes from the release of a demo version of “Initiation”, but I have no doubt it’ll be just as crushingly heavy, and oppressively atmospheric, as everything else they’ve done… if not even more so!
GORGUTS – TBC
Last, but by no means least, one of the most legendary bands in the entire metalsphere will finally be releasing their new album this year – preceded, of course, by their highly-anticipated headline performance at this year’s edition of Northwest Terror Fest – and the excitement just keeps on building.
We obviously don’t know much about it yet – in fact we’re not even sure it’ll be a 2025 release, but it seems probably, so I’ve got my fingers crossed – but I have no doubt that the quartet (legendary mainman Luc Lemay, long-time collaborators Colin Marston and Kevin Hufnagel, and new drummer Michel Bélanger) will have a lot of mind-bending new tricks (and neck-wrecking new riffs) up their collective sleeve!