In 2024, RMR’s Top 10 was dark, ominous, and, at times, frankly distressing. Full of Satanik Panik, deep excursions into the terrible underground of Death and Black Metal, or – again – just frank, straightforward malevolence. There weren’t many rays of light, and one wondered what daemon visited the RMR Office Tower exactly to inflict such a brutal punishment on the esteemed audience. Even if the RMR crew just discovered some odd tidbits of ’24 that could have lightened the load. Could. But didn’t.
And perhaps this was a harbinger of doom for the year to come. With the worst fucking year since the end of World War II in full swing and the doomsday clock at five alarm levels, RMR’s 2025 Top 10 show remarkable restraint and an appetite for new (underground) records with a variety of flavors and new directions. Let’s hope these premonitions will hold true yet again and lead to a better 2026 in a lighter setting with all gruesome orange hues erased from sight.
So, with that out of the way, let’s lead in one of the more astonishing Top 10 lists this here zine ever produced.
Marko Hietala – Roses From The Deep
Who would have thought that, right? An unchained Marko Hietala visited this here zine. The RMR crew already knew that he is a good musician. But we never knew that he was that great. A flowery, feisty, and dangerously inventive set of rock and slightly metallic tracks hit our turntables with gusto. And that left us scratching our heads in a way. As in, how much was this man constrained when still under you-know-who’s controlling thumb? But, ’nuff said. Let the man of the scraggly beard and divine musical prowess speak by himself. And quickly, he ain’t getting any younger.
Jade – Mysteries of a Flowery Dream
We’re still laughing. Flowers, they said. But it is a nervous laugh. Because there’s nothing flowery here. Already the monster-laden album cover will tell you that. The whole record exudes a sickly sense of unease, fear, and tribulation. A dissonant, disjointed piece of tribulation surging forth in a blackened robe. Dystopian soundscapes written on a canvas of superior songwriting and a brutally effective and outstanding production that will have you run for cover. But you will find none. You have been warned.
Sun of the Suns – Entanglement
Star Trek is out, they’re old news. Get with the real spacejokeys, explorers of the mighty dark matter, and avid terraformers. A storyline written on the canvas of densely constructed Extreme Metal, imbibed with a musical mastery you seldom see in ‘young’ bands such as this one. And with some energy to spare. So, if you are up for a supremely executed yet highly technical excursion into the depths of nuanced Death Metal undercurrents, this record is for you. Consume without moderation!
Lord Belial – Unholy Trinity
The daemon is out. Again. And who would have thought that someone would still invoke the Unholy Trinity in 2025? But here we are. Lord Belial don’t post often, but when they do, things thunder. A full load of the blackest of Black Metal, delivered by Sweden’s most virulent and genuine black metallers. A casket full of vile, merciless, and – yes – unholy bile, is spewing forth on all them worshippers out there. Oh, and turn your crosses upside down before you listen to this. It might leave a burnmark, else.
Ba’al are hiding well beneath all that black smoke. To the point that they’re sailing underneath the radar so much, they’re forgetting to present their wares to their limited fanbase. Once we prepared this Top 10 and this here record came into discussion, blank faces were seen all around. Another listening round was needed to drive the excellence and outstanding musical prowess home yet again. The doom-laden fare isn’t an easy listen, but once immersion happened, the record truly found its place here.
Khôra – Ananke
It coldly stares at you. The terryfing visage of a terrible goddess with its raw hunger and sharp tongue. And matching this first impression, you get the wild ride of Extreme Metal you asked for. A savage mélange of Black Metal and dissonance, sprinkled by attempts of melodics and prog somewhere in the background. A bit like that sickly light that gives you hope during a frightening storm. Only that the thing starts howling again with new-found force just after some relief flushed through you. And why did this make the cut on this here Top 10? Well, metal pieces with the ability to match the mountains of madness Anaal Nathrakh usually climbs need to be mentioned. That’s why. Oh, and because they’re damned good at their dystopian trade.
Evadne – The Fragile Light of Fireflies
That’s impossible. No unplugged remake of any metal record should ever appear on the RMR zine, they loudly hollered. Let alone make an appearance on our revered Top 10 records list. But this is exactly what happened. Evadne‘s The Fragile Light of Fireflies aged like good wine over here. Here’s to a band who surpassed their former piece by leaps and bounds pretty much with an acoustic piece and a ton of untamed skill. A dreamy, groove-laden, and often hypnotically sensuous immersion into the depths of the wispy world of luminescent beetles. Or something. Stellar craftsmanship ahead. Enjoy!
Epica – Aspiral
Symphonic Metal ain’t dead. And who said so anyway? Ah, yes, this zine. Time to eat our own words? Perhaps. Because Epica here just proved the contrary to be true. After a gazillion of records, they churned out one of the best, if not THE best, records of their career. Aspiral is a thunderclap in an embarrassingly overloaded genre. A smooth operation with a production that just flows. Effortless in appearance, but outstanding in musical prowess. Unctuous, smooth, harsh, and refined. An amalgamation of moods and flavors coalescing into one of 2025’s most amazing records. Metal o’ the Light in full glory.
Helloween – Giants & Monsters
It can be done. Come in at n00b status because – you know – nobody bothered to slam one of the biggest Power Metal bands onto RMR’s roster. And then, they end up on this here Top 10 to boot. But this didn’t just happen out of thin air, of course. Helloween brought back some of the old souls of long-gone times and – boy – did things accelerate. Suddenly, the tone changed and an almost frantic energy rushed to the forefront. This, together with a stellar section of wildly gyrating tracks, just took over the Review Desk over here. They’re back to stay. Point made.
Paradise Lost – Ascension
You know, we had Paradise Lost down to a band milking their own pastures until there’s no more to give. After all, the RMR crew was facing the number seventeen, meaning the act’s 17th record was about to hit our review pipe. But instead of a weak-tea rehash, the band landed a masterclass in Doom Metal. Refined, honed to perfection, drenched in powerful energy, and a will to give their best delivered by a band in their prime. A record without any bad track and executed at the highest levels of craftsmanship. And to that, we stand in awe.
Near Misses Ov the Mighty Ten!
And yes, there are always these guys. Bands that were under serious consideration for one of the top spots, but got brutally displaced by others. And yet. They have merit, and their talent truly shines brightly. The RMR crew would be remiss not to mention them.
So, here goes, in no particular order.
Alukta – Merok
Ah, yes. The RMR crew found a new, fascinating take on Atmoblack and Atmospheric Doom. A majestic build-up of slow-marching laments, built with massive bricks, seemingly thrown around helter-skelter by imaginary giants. A jostle of blackened regurgitations that will dazzle and surprise you around every rusty corner they take. A devil’s spawn of a wild ride into some dystopian world that is cold and hostile. Alukta delivered a pig-headed take of a genre this crew long thought buried. A means to tell a story of a people in an obscure corner of the world. Disturbingly good.
Tribunal – In Penitence and Ruin
A year like 2025 can induce pessimism and – yes – depression and desperation. So, more doom should be in order? Quite. Tribunal shed the shreds of Doom Death they still wore with pride and hit the turntable with a powerful excursion into more traditional doom territory. And this ended in a uniquely baroque soundscape, oscillating from growl-infused power to the wistful wailing of the female in their midst. These guys slammed a sure-footed, potent mix of what doom has on offer these days. A record that still garnishes our turntable often over here.
Cirkus Prütz – Manifesto
Sometimes you need some of that. Dusty, whiskey-fueled Heavy Rock and wistful groove that – seemingly – reaches us from the vast lands of the American West. A sound that makes you want to kick that bike into a frenzy, don yer sunglasses and roar off into the distant yonder. And that is what the dudes from the mighty Cirkus have done this time. This refined, welcome change from harsh metal to down-to-earth rock that is soothing to this here soul after so much gallivanting about demons and dragons. So, where’s that tequila shot? Oh, and the gas pump is dry, too, amid those tumbleweeds. So, relax, sit down, wait for the fuel truck, and have some more Manifesto. Let ‘er roar, sez I.
Impureza – Alcázares
Let’s admit it. Impureza got coverage somewhat as an afterthought. Because, y’know, the wiseasses over at the Review Desk thought that joining Flamenco with Death Metal would never work. But for some reason, it did, and this record took the Office Tower by storm. This is one of the most amazing Death Metal pieces of 2025 on this zine. Boundless metallurgy in cahoots with age-old folk tunes. Who would have thought that possible? Now, break out that humble pie. This crew needs to taste some.
Zéro Absolu – La Saignée
Our hints at more flowery fare on this Top 10 won’t mean that we didn’t visit the haunted vaults of the blackest of Black Metal. And that lands us in France yet again. Who would have thought that, right? This specific bloodletting happened by wielding Extreme Metal like a lethal weapon without regard on where this daemonic rage takes you. A dystopian yet equally fascinating take on where a virulent, unsettling mix of Black and Post Black Metal can take you. It ain’t pretty, but it is damned good nonetheless.
The Letdown of 2025!
Magnadur – Beautiful Nightmare
The RMR crew has a request. We would like to know what these folks, or more, that one guy, smoked when concocting this fucking mess. It must be some potent weed. The album art would win any contest for the 2025 cut of records covered. But the unlistenable exercise in futility that this waste of time generated is beyond the pale. Dissonance and experimentation are great tools when done right. Only, when the connection fails between them unhinged elements, things will accelerate right down that chute straight into the dreaded oubliette. And this is what happened to this blurb.