Best of 2025

[Cranial Blast]

Also huge that we finally got Con-Dom's Colour of a Man's Skin as 2XCD from Tesco

I am in love with this. Maybe I look in the wrong places, but I'm surprised that this isn't seen as a masterpiece of "narrative noise" (my term). It's brilliant.

Definitely a good one! I'm glad Tesco did a CD version of this one and also a proper CD reissue of The Grey Wolves - Punishment album as well.

[Fistfuck Masonanie]

I had a really tough time narrowing it down, but settled on a tight 11! Couldn't get it to 10. I originally had a top 20, as there were so many good releases this year.

In alphabetical order:

New Releases
Bizarre SS – II
Black Leather Jesus / Moth Drakula – Knife Roughplay/As Skin Flies
Carousel – Awakened Spirits Of Ancient Mischief
Commando 15 x Nuori Veri – Kuovia Tuijottavat Miehet
Government Alpha – Apophenia
Grunt - Karike and the collab with Gelsomina
IESKADULLA – Apuvälinekeskus
Kiran Arora – Virgin Forest
Erik Nystrand – Brain Damaged By Head Meat
Priest In Shit – Virgin Martyr
Worth – Me Vexat Pede

Reissues
Dead Body Love – Annihilation Devices
Dead Body Love – Annihilation Devices Part 2
K2 + Dead Body Love – Traumantra
Macronympha – Relentless Agony
People's Person – People's Person
Richard Ramirez – Tracking Device

[prolapsedlielack]

Agonal Lust - Unabridged Suffering
Âmes Sanglantes – La Dame De Fer: Fête Foraine 1889
Coldship Passage - F.A.T.A.L. Game
Detonation Day - Rebuilding Self
Eroticism - Anal Summer (Split with Richard Ramirez, reissued with extra material on CD format)
Frontier - Tissues In Refusal
Genocide Organ - Operations With Contempt and Maggots on the Cliffside (with Prurient)
Golden Purifier - Iron Age Paranoia
M.I.A. - One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Pleasure
Never Sorry - Problematic, collab with Junkyard Burial, To Whom It May Concern
Straight Panic - One Perfect Day
Prurient – Black Table With The Two Griffins Attacking

[BirdBolt]

Another fantastic year for new releases.

Sverige På 80-Talet - Tre Små Rätter
Ruusuriimu - Tánc a Rothadásért
Kartio - Alkeis
Robert Fuchs - Shutters & Anchors
Primitive Isolation Tactics - All Pressures Past
Skärgård / BRYSKT / Heppakirjat - Hurrinoise Samling
Carousel - Awakened Spirits of Ancient Mischief
Skullflower & Culver - Poison for the Fairies
Kristian Olsson - Molna I Mull
Giärmäi - Boreaaliset Syvät Vedet
Tyhjä Pää - High Magnetic Intensity
Erik Nystrand - Brain Damaged By Head Meat
Moss Harvest - Redux Amalgam
Haaska - Akrasia
Kadef / Star - Wer Seinen Spaß Hat, Vermißt Die Träne Im Augenwinkel Nicht

Still waiting on the new Spring of Life 12" - sure that will be amazing, too.

Reissues:

Total / Merzbow - Merzbow Mixed Total
Redneck - Bloodcraving
The Day of the Antler - Rural Industrial
People's Person - People's Person
Richard Ramirez - Tracking Device
Odal - Lenin Stinkt
Dead Body Love - Lo-Fi Power Carnage

[Balor/SS1535]

Another fantastic year for new releases.

Sverige På 80-Talet - Tre Små Rätter
Ruusuriimu - Tánc a Rothadásért
Kartio - Alkeis
Robert Fuchs - Shutters & Anchors
Primitive Isolation Tactics - All Pressures Past
Skärgård / BRYSKT / Heppakirjat - Hurrinoise Samling
Carousel - Awakened Spirits of Ancient Mischief
Skullflower & Culver - Poison for the Fairies
Kristian Olsson - Molna I Mull
Giärmäi - Boreaaliset Syvät Vedet
Tyhjä Pää - High Magnetic Intensity
Erik Nystrand - Brain Damaged By Head Meat
Moss Harvest - Redux Amalgam
Haaska - Akrasia
Kadef / Star - Wer Seinen Spaß Hat, Vermißt Die Träne Im Augenwinkel Nicht

Still waiting on the new Spring of Life 12" - sure that will be amazing, too.

Reissues:

Total / Merzbow - Merzbow Mixed Total
Redneck - Bloodcraving
The Day of the Antler - Rural Industrial
People's Person - People's Person
Richard Ramirez - Tracking Device
Odal - Lenin Stinkt
Dead Body Love - Lo-Fi Power Carnage

I feel like I have heard little about the Kadef/Star split, so it is cool to see it here.  What makes it so strong for you?  (For context, I have not heard it!)

[Minus1]

K2 - Geld Ist Alles is an Honourable Mention for me.

It's been kicking my ass for a week (thank you online sampling at Bent Window Records). So I got the CD.

I might be wrong, but from the notes I see, this is "manipulated live" works. ie Live then "realized" later on!?

Anyway, the 3 pieces (54min total) here are dense, meandering, sinister...

I have early K2. This late work makes me very happy.

[BirdBolt]

Another fantastic year for new releases.

Sverige På 80-Talet - Tre Små Rätter
Ruusuriimu - Tánc a Rothadásért
Kartio - Alkeis
Robert Fuchs - Shutters & Anchors
Primitive Isolation Tactics - All Pressures Past
Skärgård / BRYSKT / Heppakirjat - Hurrinoise Samling
Carousel - Awakened Spirits of Ancient Mischief
Skullflower & Culver - Poison for the Fairies
Kristian Olsson - Molna I Mull
Giärmäi - Boreaaliset Syvät Vedet
Tyhjä Pää - High Magnetic Intensity
Erik Nystrand - Brain Damaged By Head Meat
Moss Harvest - Redux Amalgam
Haaska - Akrasia
Kadef / Star - Wer Seinen Spaß Hat, Vermißt Die Träne Im Augenwinkel Nicht

Still waiting on the new Spring of Life 12" - sure that will be amazing, too.

Reissues:

Total / Merzbow - Merzbow Mixed Total
Redneck - Bloodcraving
The Day of the Antler - Rural Industrial
People's Person - People's Person
Richard Ramirez - Tracking Device
Odal - Lenin Stinkt
Dead Body Love - Lo-Fi Power Carnage

I feel like I have heard little about the Kadef/Star split, so it is cool to see it here.  What makes it so strong for you?  (For context, I have not heard it!)

It's a really coherent release, for a start. I dunno if the two were in touch before recording their tracks, but it sounds like everything's coming from the same place. There's a real rough minimalism and simplicity to everything both projects are doing, and a lot more melody than I was expecting. The Star tracks, in particular, are quite different to his recent releases and all the better for it.

And it's quite a melodic / despondent release, too. Some of the loops have a similar feel to Andrew Chalk's strange synth miniatures, like they're loaded with meaning but still strangely cold.

But when it gets more aggressive, it sits somewhere between a muted 80s industrial/PE feel and 80s cassette culture strangeness - simple flanger/phaser (I can never tell which is which) and primitive drum machines against really rough, muffled textures. And it all flows naturally out of the more melodic tracks.

It's very atmospheric / hypnotic, and a lot of simple ideas produce some really beautiful results. Lots of replay value to this one - well worth picking up.

[Balor/SS1535]

Another fantastic year for new releases.

Sverige På 80-Talet - Tre Små Rätter
Ruusuriimu - Tánc a Rothadásért
Kartio - Alkeis
Robert Fuchs - Shutters & Anchors
Primitive Isolation Tactics - All Pressures Past
Skärgård / BRYSKT / Heppakirjat - Hurrinoise Samling
Carousel - Awakened Spirits of Ancient Mischief
Skullflower & Culver - Poison for the Fairies
Kristian Olsson - Molna I Mull
Giärmäi - Boreaaliset Syvät Vedet
Tyhjä Pää - High Magnetic Intensity
Erik Nystrand - Brain Damaged By Head Meat
Moss Harvest - Redux Amalgam
Haaska - Akrasia
Kadef / Star - Wer Seinen Spaß Hat, Vermißt Die Träne Im Augenwinkel Nicht

Still waiting on the new Spring of Life 12" - sure that will be amazing, too.

Reissues:

Total / Merzbow - Merzbow Mixed Total
Redneck - Bloodcraving
The Day of the Antler - Rural Industrial
People's Person - People's Person
Richard Ramirez - Tracking Device
Odal - Lenin Stinkt
Dead Body Love - Lo-Fi Power Carnage

I feel like I have heard little about the Kadef/Star split, so it is cool to see it here.  What makes it so strong for you?  (For context, I have not heard it!)

It's a really coherent release, for a start. I dunno if the two were in touch before recording their tracks, but it sounds like everything's coming from the same place. There's a real rough minimalism and simplicity to everything both projects are doing, and a lot more melody than I was expecting. The Star tracks, in particular, are quite different to his recent releases and all the better for it.

And it's quite a melodic / despondent release, too. Some of the loops have a similar feel to Andrew Chalk's strange synth miniatures, like they're loaded with meaning but still strangely cold.

But when it gets more aggressive, it sits somewhere between a muted 80s industrial/PE feel and 80s cassette culture strangeness - simple flanger/phaser (I can never tell which is which) and primitive drum machines against really rough, muffled textures. And it all flows naturally out of the more melodic tracks.

It's very atmospheric / hypnotic, and a lot of simple ideas produce some really beautiful results. Lots of replay value to this one - well worth picking up.

Thank you for the review!

I'm only familiar with Star's Elephant in the Snow, so I'm not certain how he operates on other releases.  Is there still the foregrounded sample manipulations?

Not too familiar with Kadef either, though I have been meaning to check him out due to his connections with 666vbn.

[Baglady]

Gotta say the Kadef / Star split is an absolute favorite for me as well. Had the exact same impression of it as previous speaker; they both operate in the same ballpark, but differ just enough that you can tell them apart. Truly introvert and intuitive noise which sort of hovers above any noise timeline stylewise.

[BirdBolt]

Another fantastic year for new releases.

Sverige På 80-Talet - Tre Små Rätter
Ruusuriimu - Tánc a Rothadásért
Kartio - Alkeis
Robert Fuchs - Shutters & Anchors
Primitive Isolation Tactics - All Pressures Past
Skärgård / BRYSKT / Heppakirjat - Hurrinoise Samling
Carousel - Awakened Spirits of Ancient Mischief
Skullflower & Culver - Poison for the Fairies
Kristian Olsson - Molna I Mull
Giärmäi - Boreaaliset Syvät Vedet
Tyhjä Pää - High Magnetic Intensity
Erik Nystrand - Brain Damaged By Head Meat
Moss Harvest - Redux Amalgam
Haaska - Akrasia
Kadef / Star - Wer Seinen Spaß Hat, Vermißt Die Träne Im Augenwinkel Nicht

Still waiting on the new Spring of Life 12" - sure that will be amazing, too.

Reissues:

Total / Merzbow - Merzbow Mixed Total
Redneck - Bloodcraving
The Day of the Antler - Rural Industrial
People's Person - People's Person
Richard Ramirez - Tracking Device
Odal - Lenin Stinkt
Dead Body Love - Lo-Fi Power Carnage

I feel like I have heard little about the Kadef/Star split, so it is cool to see it here.  What makes it so strong for you?  (For context, I have not heard it!)

It's a really coherent release, for a start. I dunno if the two were in touch before recording their tracks, but it sounds like everything's coming from the same place. There's a real rough minimalism and simplicity to everything both projects are doing, and a lot more melody than I was expecting. The Star tracks, in particular, are quite different to his recent releases and all the better for it.

And it's quite a melodic / despondent release, too. Some of the loops have a similar feel to Andrew Chalk's strange synth miniatures, like they're loaded with meaning but still strangely cold.

But when it gets more aggressive, it sits somewhere between a muted 80s industrial/PE feel and 80s cassette culture strangeness - simple flanger/phaser (I can never tell which is which) and primitive drum machines against really rough, muffled textures. And it all flows naturally out of the more melodic tracks.

It's very atmospheric / hypnotic, and a lot of simple ideas produce some really beautiful results. Lots of replay value to this one - well worth picking up.

Thank you for the review!

I'm only familiar with Star's Elephant in the Snow, so I'm not certain how he operates on other releases.  Is there still the foregrounded sample manipulations?

Not too familiar with Kadef either, though I have been meaning to check him out due to his connections with 666vbn.

The Star material here is quite different to Elephant... There's less obvious sample manipulation, and it's a lot less taxing on the ears. Elephant... is a massive undertaking to sit through for me (as much as I enjoy it) - this is far more comforting / enveloping and much less alienating.

I disagree with the the 'weird' noise tag that Star got stuck with, but the easiest way to describe it is that this is a lot less weird. It's a very personal / intimate-sounding release.

If someone told me this whole tape was a lost 80s cassette by an obscure one-off bedroom project, I could easily believe it.

[BirdBolt]

Gotta say the Kadef / Star split is an absolute favorite for me as well. Had the exact same impression of it as previous speaker; they both operate in the same ballpark, but differ just enough that you can tell them apart. Truly introvert and intuitive noise which sort of hovers above any noise timeline stylewise.

Hovering above any noise timeline style wise is a really great way of putting it. A very hard release to put a date / context to.