Edited by Anselm Anderson 

Written by Ellis

I love being a part of the Noob Heavy team. Espi, Jangel, Kep, Kirk, Westin – great people covering great music, standing up for important shit, making me laugh a lot and sharing some highly appreciated parenting solidarity when I have needed it. Shout-out to the wider NH community too and especially the album swap crew, even if you have exposed me to things like ‘gorenoise’ and X-Mas Death Jazz. 

I don’t always get round to writing up an end of year list but I was feeling it this year and I’m breaking it down into five demos, five EPs and ten albums.

Starting with the demos: I’ve written about all but one of these already in my quarterly demo round-ups so we’ll do these quick. In no particular order apart from Turn of Phrase defo at number 1:

Unmoved – Demonstration

Martyr AD/Coalesce type metalcore from Vancouver, Canada.

xWeaponx – Weapon X Demo 2

“WEAPON X HATES YOU” – straight edge supergroup shit init.

Direct Order – Demo 2025

Real stomp stomp music. Legitimately inspired the creation of the entire Demolicious Derby series.

Dead Stare – Demo

Terror are probably my favourite band too…

Turn of Phrase – Finish Just To Begin

Drinking water melodic hardcore from London/Brighton, UK.

Now the EPs. Consider these half ranked. I’m trying not to overthink it but my top two or three are defo where they should be.

Recollection – Vivid Dreams

A late entry for me but this EP sounds too much like my top album pick and apparently shares members with the band behind it so that has essentially thrown this straight into ridiculously heavy rotation. Shout-out my friend Jamie for keeping me supplied with the very best Stage Dive Music.

Crush Your Soul – Living Gracious

I am fully convinced that Jay Petagine is the best frontperson in all of hardcore at the moment, and this and the preceding Crush Your Soul EP are doing absolutely nothing to disabuse me of that notion while I wait for that third Mindforce LP. Remember swag?

Hour of Reprisal – Endless War, Endless Peace

Take everything Hour of Reprisal already did brilliantly—incisive lyrics, squeaky guitar bits, stoopid breakdowns—add a few extras like pig squeals and a bit more melody and package it up in the best production they’ve had yet and you get this EP. “Car bomb at the gates of Eden” .

Dynamite – Settle the Score

Best band in the UK bar none and a genuine contender for best hardcore band in the world right now. Dynamite don’t miss and this is surely their best sounding record yet. Opener “Hardcore Pride” is truly a perfect hardcore song.

Mercy Ruin – The Killing March

Carries all the giddy, ecstatic and cathartic thrills of the kind of run in the cold where you can feel the air tearing into the back of your lungs in the best way possible. Gloriously urgent gothy post-punk from Boston/Brooklyn.

And lastly: albums. These ones are as ranked as they can be…

SCARAB – Burn After Listening

Absolute Demon Music from SCARAB—as per really. Eight tracks and 13 minutes of mosh, fast bits, scorching vocals, killer guests and a perfect dollop of metallic stuff for good measure.

Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH

What is there to say? It’s Turnstile init. There’s a reason these guys are (probably) the Biggest Guitar Band in the World RN. My friend Jack described it as “hardcore taking a bubble bath” and I couldn’t put it better myself. 

Martirio – Los Siete Sellos

Limiting myself to one real metalcore/edge metal pick in the name of diversity or something. I think Martirio is legitimately the best one of these I’ve heard this year but could also easily have been Faced Out or xdetesterx or Divine Hatred. Oops.

By a Thread – Mirrored Life

Described this in the September round-up as “post-hardcore for adults” and I stand by it. Epic, authentic, anthemic stuff, soaked in reverb and atmosphere and carrying an unmistakable emotional heft.

First Attack – No Escape

Boot. Wearing. Music. Vancouver’s First Attack are easily one of my favourite Axe to Grind discoveries of the year (fellow Canadians Home Front are another and their latest album probably only missed out on this list by one). This album makes me wanna shave my head and kick shins, and I’m just about done shaving my shins…

*RECORD SCRATCH* *FREEZE FRAME* 

“Wait, isn’t this a metal site?” I hear you ask. And yes I haven’t really got any pure metal in my top 10 but there are a few albums that would have probably been sniffing around my top 20 if I’d had capacity for that, so please allow this brief intermission to identify my top metal picks by subgenre:

• Black Metal: Blood Abscission – I I
• Death Metal: Sepulchral Curse – Crimson Moon Evocations
• Doom Metal: Conan – Violence Dimension
• Thrash Metal: Inhuman Nature – Greater Than Death
• Trad Metal: TOWER – Let There Be Dark

(Editor’s note: don’t worry, pretty sure my list has enough metal for both of us.)

Age of Apocalypse – In Oblivion

After all that, this one’s probably the closest to a metal pick that I’ve got here and that’s thanks pretty much entirely to vocalist Dylan Kaplowitz’s absolute pipes. This is uniquely epic metallic hardcore, with soaring melodies that stand just as tall as any of its most gargantuan riffs and breakdowns.

Stateside – Where You Found Me

Every year for the past few years there’s always been literally one pop-punk album that’s given me everything I want from the genre. No Pressure in 2022, Koyo (with a bullet) in 2023, Neck Deep last year, and now Stateside absolutely clearing it with their debut full-length this year. Bonus points for some lashings of emo and post/melodic hardcore.

Backxwash – Only Dust Remains

Backxwash is surely one of the most talented, creative and important artists of this generation. Only Dust Remains is a stunning evolution on the trilogy of innovative industrial hip-hop albums that preceded it, stepping into a newfound vibrancy while still holding firm to the quality and intensity that marked each of those records.

Speedway – A Life’s Refrain

Just as I was in the April round-up I am still struggling to put into just how infectious this album is. I just think all hardcore should sound like this honestly. Urgent, catchy and as impossible to contain as it is to put down.

Skinhead – It’s a Beautiful Day, What a Beautiful Day

As tough as it is vulnerable, as genuinely funny as it can be emotionally devastating—consider the final two tracks “Separate Checks” and “That’s a Promise (The Song About a Dog)” for example—over the past six months I have found that I can listen to this album in any mood and any context and by the end of it have drawn the exact same conclusion as its title. Whether it’s missing friends gone too soon or just wanting to kick an op’s teeth in, It’s a Beautiful Day… covers it all with such disarming authenticity and packages it up in nine of the catchiest Oi!/punk tracks this side of Shock Troops by Cock Sparrer.

Thanks for reading this far if you’re still here. Shout out Jesus, straight edge, and my family for saving my life every day. Happy Christmas/Hanukkah/New Year/Thursday etc. Free Palestine. Free Sudan. Fuck the police. Go to a show.

The post Ellis’ End of Year Lists 2025 (Demos, EPs, & Albums) appeared first on Noob Heavy.

^{Death Angel brought a heavy lineup stacked with many of their Bay Area thrash brothers to The Belasco to close out the final night of the 35th anniversary Act III U.S. tour. Opening the show was Chicago thrash band Misfire. While this band isn’t from the Bay Area, they do have a Death Angel connection.}

^{Death Angel founder and guitarist Rob Cavestany does have a guest appearance on the title track of Misfire’s latest album Product of the Environment. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a guest appearance at the show, but the Chicago thrashers delivered a set worthy of a lineup featuring two of “Big Six of Bay Area Thrash Metal” bands. Their album is out now on MNRK Heavy.}

Lions at the Gate was up next with their nu-metal-tinged brand of groove metal. While they’re mainly known for vocalist Christian Machado and guitarist Ahrue Luster’s former band ill nino, Luster has a Bay Area thrash connection. He did a stint with Bay Area groove thrashers Machine Head. Their tight set was mostly from their 2023 debut The Excuses We Cannot Make, but they did play a few newer tunes including their latest single “Burn the Candle.” They’ll have a new album out next year.

^{Vio-lence was up next with a blistering set as always. Vio-lence may never have received the commercial success of some of their fellow big six from the Bay, but vocalist Sean Killian has always been a master of putting together a great band and putting on an amazingly intense show. They played the “Upon the Cross” from the 2022 EP Let the World Burn, and the rest of the set was from the Robb Flynn and Phil Demmel era of Vio-lence.}

^{Finally it was time for Death Angel. After an already nonstop metal assualt with only 15 minute changeovers between the other three bands, the crowd was more than ready for the thrash legends. Death Angel aren’t just part of the big six of Bay Area thrash, but they’re widely considered a leader in the second wave of thrash as part of the “Big Eight.” After playing a set of Act III songs, the band also played a 6-song encore with a sampling of their other releases and the newly released single “Cult of the Used.” It was a powerful ending to the anniversary tour before going back home for their annual-ish Another Death Angel X-mas Show.}

Here we go again! Let’s dive in. I am pleased to be revealing the rankings for the best EPs, the best music videos, the best sessions, and… the best album artwork. Tomorrow, I will unveil Still in Rock’s Top 40 albums, followed on Wednesday by the 100 best songs. Cheers!

***

The 5 best EPs of 2025

(minimum of 4 songs, maximum of 6!)

5. Fan Club – Stimulation

.

4. Nov LT — ME TIME!

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3. Gull House – Gull House II

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2. Beer – Beer III

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1. Sick Thoughts – Another Piece Of Plastic

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The best music videos of 2025

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The best sessions of 2025:

.

.

.

***

The best artworks of 2025:

(good music only)

ELVIS 2 – THANK YOU VERY MUCH

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Metdog – one for the kids 

***

The post Best of 2025: Best EPs, artworks, videos… appeared first on Still in Rock.

Rising rock juggernaut SATURNS DOWNFALL launches into an entirely new stratosphere with the release of their electrifying new single, “Chasing Gravity,” a high-voltage collision of intensity, atmosphere, and raw alt-metal power. The track marks the beginning of a bold new chapter for the band as they sharpen their sonic identity and push their artistic boundaries further than ever before.

With “Chasing Gravity,” SATURNS DOWNFALL fuses soaring vocals, relentless grooves, and cosmic-scale production into a song that feels both weightless and crushing at the same time. The result: an undeniable anthem built for massive stages, late-night drives, and fans who crave music that hits on every emotional frequency.

About “Chasing Gravity” 

Brady Hearn – “Chasing Gravity’ came from one of the most honest places we’ve ever written from. Every beat and every lyric carries the weight of what we’ve lived through. It’s raw, it’s emotional, and it represents exactly who we are at our core.”

Colby Bennett – “The song is a look inside addiction’s grip — the highs, the lows, and the fight to rise above the force that keeps pulling you back down.”

The post SATURN’S DOWNFALL IGNITES A NEW ERA WITH THEIR EARTH-SHAKING SINGLE “CHASING GRAVITY” appeared first on Antihero Magazine.

When the clock strikes twelve, the world changes — and so does the sound of modern rock. Rising rock force Illusions of Grandeur steps into the shadows with their explosive new single, “Midnight”, a cinematic, pulse-pounding anthem that blurs the line between reality, illusion, and revelation.

Fueled by towering guitars, a thunderous rhythm section, and vocals that rise from a whisper to a storm, “Midnight” captures the moment where fear and freedom collide. It is a song about reckoning — with your past, your demons, your dreams — and the dangerous power that comes alive when nothing is left to hide.

Released in 2023, “Midnight” is getting new life with an official release.

LISTEN ON

SPOTIFY

ITUNES

BANDCAMP

The post ILLUSIONS OF GRANDEUR SUMMON THE NIGHT WITH ELECTRIFYING SINGLE “MIDNIGHT”  appeared first on Antihero Magazine.

There’s a particular kind of trust that sits quietly in the background at heavy shows. Fans trust bands to deliver. Bands trust crews to keep the machine moving. And photographers, often working in cramped pits with strict rules and tighter time windows, trust that the work they create won’t end up somewhere it shouldn’t.

That’s why the allegations aimed at Sleep Token this week are landing with extra weight in the metal and hard rock world, where merch is more than just clothing and becomes identity, community, and a major revenue stream.

Photographer Laura Ioana V says she discovered that a live image she captured of Vessel was altered and used on official, commemorative merchandise sold at Sleep Token’s November 10, 2024, show in Frankfurt, Germany, without her permission. She states the original photo was taken earlier, during Sleep Token’s June 15, 2023, performance at Copenhell festival in Copenhagen, while she was working on an editorial assignment for a magazine.

If you’ve ever shot a festival set, you know how much labour is packed into a handful of songs: the sprint to find an angle, the battle against lighting, the split-second timing, the long edit after the gig. That effort is exactly why licensing matters. Whether the final image ends up in a magazine, a press cycle, or a poster run, the permission and terms are the whole point.

Laura Ioana V put the situation into plain language in her Instagram post: “This year I found out the photo I took in 2023 at @copenhell festival (on an editorial assignment for a magazine) was used for merch in 2024, without my permission. I have not signed any contract granting anyone the licensing rights to these photos.”

For readers who don’t live in the photo world: that one sentence is the hinge. Editorial access and assignments don’t automatically translate into “free for anything.” Official merchandise is a commercial use, and commercial use is where licensing, contracts, and payment aren’t optional niceties. They’re the baseline.

What pushes this from “messy misunderstanding” into “scene-wide conversation” is the communication gap Laura Ioana V describes. She says she tried repeatedly to reach the band and its representatives, without success: “I have sent emails myself and sent a lot of DMs on socials as well, but I haven’t been successful in establishing a communication line with the band directly.”

That line will resonate with plenty of creatives, not because it’s dramatic, but because it’s familiar. When you’re a photographer (or designer, or videographer) without a big agency behind you, a closed door can stay closed for a long time. The power imbalance is real, and the silence can feel like part of the strategy, even when it’s just bureaucracy or mismanaged inboxes.

There’s also a practical reality here: official merch can involve multiple layers: management, merch companies, designers, printers, tour staff. Any of which could be handling assets. Sometimes that complexity becomes a shield, intentional or not. If accountability is spread everywhere, it can feel like it’s located nowhere.

Still, if the claim is accurate, the “how did this happen?” question doesn’t erase the “why wasn’t it cleared?” question. In a genre that prides itself on authenticity, it’s not a great look when the people documenting the culture feel ignored.

The most pointed part of Laura Ioana V’s post isn’t even about Sleep Token specifically: it’s about what it feels like to be the person on the other end of the machine. She says a settlement was proposed by someone involved with the merchandise, and she felt the offer wasn’t fair. She also claims she was labelled “aggressive” for pushing back.

Her words: “As a small creator, it is a bit disheartening when you do something with passion, and it gets stolen for profit and dismissed like this… it seems to not be an isolated case.”

That’s a heavy accusation: not just “this happened,” but “this has happened before.” And whether or not it ultimately proves true, it speaks to a bigger tension in music: the people who help build the visual mythology of a band often have the least leverage when that mythology becomes monetised.

After asking followers to share her post in hopes of reaching the right people, Laura Ioana V later added an update saying Future History Management — Sleep Token’s management company — had been in touch: “Management finally got in contact so let’s see what solution they will have to this.”

As of the information provided here, there hasn’t been a public statement from Sleep Token or their representatives addressing the specific allegation.

Because if metal is a community, then the people capturing its most iconic moments shouldn’t have to go public just to be heard.

The post SLEEP TOKEN Accused Of Using An Unlicensed Live Photo For Official Merchandise appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Heavy music has plenty of bands that can write a riff you’ll hum for days. Prog has plenty of bands that can twist time until it resembles a math problem. The rare ones are the groups that can do both at once, and still hit you in the chest. Tool has lived in that overlap for decades, building songs that feel physical first, and only later reveal how much weird architecture is holding the ceiling up.

That balancing act is exactly why Justin Chancellor matters so much to the machine. When the guitars are jagged, and the drums are doing their own gravitational math, the bass can’t just “follow.” It has to steer. And while the band’s public image tends to orbit around mystique and intensity, Chancellor’s comments read more like someone who’s still trying to earn his spot in the room every night.

“There’s a vulnerability to our music that attracts people,” Chancellor told Bass Player. “Maynard is up there with the greatest vocalists, I think Danny will go down as one of the best rock drummers of all time, and Adam and I have our own styles. We’re not the greatest, but we try really hard, and there’s an honesty that comes through. People can hear that and relate to it on a deeper level.”

That idea of vulnerability as a hook lands differently when you’re talking about a band that can sound like an industrial press smashing through a cathedral. But it tracks. Tool doesn’t just flex. They leave space for discomfort, tension, and that uneasy “what did I just hear?” feeling that keeps you replaying a section until it clicks.

Plenty of players with Chancellor’s influence could easily drift into self-mythology. His tone, his control of odd meters, his ability to make a bass part feel like a lead instrument without turning the song into a solo contest: those things have shaped modern heavy rock bass more than a lot of people want to admit.

And still, he frames it like work that could fall apart if he gets too comfortable: “I still feel like I’m trying hard to be in a good band, I really do. And I think that’s a healthy approach. If you start to believe the hype about yourself, then you start to lose the bigger picture, and your focus is in the wrong place. You get to enjoy that kind of gratitude when you play your live show, so you don’t need to spend the rest of your time thinking about it.”

For a metal/hard rock audience, that’s the kind of mindset that usually shows up in the tightness of the performance. You can hear when a band is coasting. Tool doesn’t sound like they’re coasting; even when they’re repeating a motif, it’s more like a pressure test. The bass, especially, often feels like it’s pulling the song forward by the collar.

A lot of fans talk about Tool like the songs arrive fully formed from a dark, sacred place. Chancellor makes it sound more human than that, ideas showing up while living a regular life, then getting reshaped through rhythm and feel.

“A lot of times, a riff will come to me when I’m walking my dogs or driving around, and when I go to count it out, it’s usually in an odd meter, but you can make anything straight time when you put four beats behind it. That’s something we take full advantage of in our music. And we’ll even overlap time signatures, or take an odd meter and straighten it out within a riff.”

And he’s also quick to point out the not-so-secret weapon: a drummer who can turn almost anything into something that breathes.

“But then again, I have the advantage of Danny being our drummer, so I can play anything, and he latches right on and makes it better. I can bring him something in 7, and he’ll be right on it. Even if something sounds a little uncomfortable, Danny finds a way to groove through it and make it come alive.”

If you’ve watched Tool live, or even just listened closely, you know what he means. The grooves aren’t “busy” for the sake of being clever. They’re elastic. The drum part doesn’t just support the riff; it interrogates it, then makes it swing anyway.

For a band with a cult reputation, the behind-the-scenes method sounds almost mundane: capture ideas quickly, keep them simple, and let the room decide what survives.

“We have a whole treasure chest of ideas on our phones that we record on our own. Basically, Adam and I have riffs and Danny has rhythms or different time-signature beats, and we try to keep them basic before bringing them in to see what the other members will do with them.

“My role is to marry things together – that’s the duty of bass guitar in general, as the glue in the lower register. It’s something you feel that merges the kick and the guitar strings and the voice. It has melody, but it’s deep down there, so it can support everything.”

The post JUSTIN CHANCELLOR Talks TOOL’s Creative Process: “We’ll Even Overlap Time Signatures Or Take An Odd Meter And Straighten It Out Within A Riff” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Good Day Noir Family,
Ben Aubergine’s “The Man’s Always Getting Me Down” arrives with a relaxed confidence that feels earned rather than forced.

The Man’s Always Getting Me Down is Ben Aubergine’s Single Out Now

 An open guitar arpeggio sets the stage, and the track immediately leans into a warm blend of rock and Americana.

However, this is not nostalgia for its own sake. Instead, the song frames familiar textures through a modern lens, which keeps everything grounded in the present.

Soon after, the rhythm section locks in with a steady, human pulse. The song feels like a late-night drive rather than a polished studio exercise. The chord progression moves with intention, shifting just enough to hold attention without distracting from the narrative. Moreover, the production allows space to breathe, so every instrument speaks clearly without crowding the mix.

Vocally, Aubergine delivers with a calm assurance that draws you closer. His tone feels lived-in and sincere, which strengthens the emotional weight of the lyrics. Rather than overplaying the sentiment, he lets phrasing and timing do the work. The story lands naturally, echoing themes of quiet frustration and everyday resilience. While the subject matter carries a reflective edge, the song never sinks into heaviness. Instead, it strikes a balance between introspection and momentum.

The chorus opens slightly wider, adding a subtle psychedelic touch that lifts the track without breaking its core identity. At this point, the song invites the listener to drift for a moment, before gently pulling them back into the groove. Meanwhile, the guitar work remains tasteful throughout. The brief solo in the bridge stands out for its restraint, offering a pause that feels thoughtful rather than showy.

The interplay between acoustic textures and electric accents gives the track a timeless quality. It recalls classic songwriting traditions, yet it avoids sounding dated.

“The Man’s Always Getting Me Down” succeeds because it trusts simplicity. It doesn’t chase trends, nor does it rely on excess. Instead, it leans on craft, clarity, and emotional honesty.

The Man’s Always Getting Me Down is Ben Aubergine‘s Single Out Now!

Direct and Real!

The Man’s Always Getting Me Down is Ben Aubergine’s Single Out Now

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The post The Man’s Always Getting Me Down is Ben Aubergine’s Single Out Now appeared first on Edgar Allan Poets – Noir Rock Band.