Another year in the can. Album wise, some gems in overall slim pickings. Live concerts though probably provided the best year for me in a long time with Parkway Drive in Wembley and a backstage shoot for them during their final European show in Sweden. Turnstile, live was just a fever dream (got to storm the stage and shake hands with drummer Daniel Fang) Ghost, Iron Maiden, Bush, Slipknot and so many more. Music is your own personal journey. I hope your 2026 is another good one. To Quote Sea-Fever by John Masefield: “I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied”
Turnstile Never Enough
If Never Enough is a fine tuning of the efforts on previous album Glow On from 2021 then it’s one that expands on the band’s sound without taking it too far from its Hardcore Punk roots. This album was shot in the arm for many this year and the live concert experience was even better still. Can’t wait to see them again.
Must hear track: Never Enough
Avatar Don’t Go In The Forest
Swedish mad maestros Avatar dropped one of my favorite albums of the year (on Holloween, of course). Its another very strong effort following up on 2023 Dance Devil Dance. With a wide range of influences ranging from metal core to what sounded like Tom Waits this has been on constant rotation for the last 2 months.
Must hear track: Tonight We Must Be Warriors
Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway Addicted to the Violence
Ok. So we may never get a new System of A Down album again and that’s ok if Daron keeps sporadically popping out gems like this every few years. Pissed off politics & social commentary wrapped up in punk melodic hooks and riffs.
Must hear track: The Shame Game
Creeper Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death
A follow-up from 2023 slab Sanguivore. Leaning more into the Meatloaf and Jim Steinman era of rock opera theatrics with a double dose of teen bloodletting. Great fun as always and cannot wait to see this band live.
Must hear track: Prey for the Night
Ghost Skeletá
Is this album as good as what came before? Not really, but as a big fan that was a high bar. Having said that, there are some bangers on this, especially the first half of the album. Also to highlight a trend in fantastic concert experiences Ghost and frontman Tobias Forge brought another “Top 10 of all time gigs” for me this year when they visited Copenhagen. If you are on the fence about this band, see them live. I’m sure you will be converted.
Must hear track: Satanized
Honorable Mentions
Florence & the Machine Everybody Scream Everybody Scream is close to my favorite song of the year.
Sinners Soundtrack Both the movie score from Ludwig Göransson and the songs from likes of Jerry Cantrell.
Biohazard Divided we fall Crushing riffs, old school fun and my go to gym album this year. Enough said.
Alien Weaponry Te Rā Maori infused metal with shades of Sepultura and Chaos AD.
