The Top 10 Hard Rock And Metal Albums Of 2025

Coming in at the #1 spot is none other than Testament with an excellent album that will leave scorch marks on your speakers. Para Bellum is everything that a metal album should be. From start to finish, this album is a fiery, aggressive mix of nasty riffs and heavy crunch, delivering the adrenaline to your brain and making your ears bleed.

Deftones return to the fold with a surprising album that experiments a little more than some of their past efforts. Don’t let the idea that the band tries new ideas make you think it’s not up to par. Far from it, Private Music delivers a blast of modern metal with some well-designed twists and turns that make this album interesting and a new standout in their discography.

Dream Theater has returned with a heavy, yet at times ethereal feel on Parasomnia. The dark heaviness on this album perfectly fits the mood and makes you realize that the band still has some pretty heavy stuff up their sleeves, even if it is done in a meticulous and technical musical style.

Hardcore metal fans rejoice! Biohazard has finally returned with a new album, and it’s definitely worth the wait. Divided We Fall pulls no punches and leaves no prisoners. The blunt, in-your-face message that Biohazard is known for comes through in a gritty and street-level sounding album that doesn’t care what you think about it. Hopefully, this album signals a full-fledged return to the band making more albums, but honestly, if it is the last album the band ever does, it’s a fitting swan song for an incredible band that still knows how to demolish the system.

Alice Cooper returns with the surviving members of the classic lineup of the band and proves that old-school still rules. Over 50 years since the original Alice Cooper band broke up, they’ve returned to show why they were a force to be reckoned with. It’s like getting in a time machine and traveling back to the 70s to an alternate universe where Alice didn’t go solo and kept the band together.

I’m not gonna lie, I haven’t been one of those people who found Ghost exciting from the get-go. However, with Skeleta, Ghost seems to have found the right mix of sounds that made me take notice this time around. In my opinion, this album is the best they’ve released thus far, and I’m on board if they continue at this level of songcraft. It is also the first of their albums that I feel crosses over to a slightly more mainstream metal audience appeal. And that’s great to see.

Dark Angel returns after an overwhelming tragedy and turns it into one of their best albums so far. If you thought thrash metal was dead, think again. On March 8th, 2023, guitarist Jim Durkin passed away. The band has stated that they intended to issue their new album “Extinction Level Event” in tribute to Durkin. This album is aggressive and blistering in every aspect, which should please any self-respecting metalhead. It’s a great return for a band that last issued an album in 1991, which was 34 years ago.

Spiritbox crosses over into delivering their unique blend of eclectic metal music to larger audiences with the album “Tsunami Sea”. Clearly, the band is still on an upward trajectory and seems to be bridging the gaps between various genres. As always, they deliver an album that is compelling to listen to and gets better with repeat listens.

Classic German metal band Helloween has released one of its best albums in years, “Giants and Monsters”. The band, now fronted by two great singers, gets better with age like a fine wine.

Skunk Anansie returns with their first new album in almost ten years, and it was definitely worth the wait. For many, Skunk Anansie has been a best-kept secret for years as the band has developed a solid following over the years. Skin’s vocals are spot-on throughout this album, with a genuine artistic vibe that shows musicians can still make art and music that’s enjoyable to listen to without compromising their integrity.