Author Topic: Master Rays Top Albums Of 2025!  (Read 901 times)

Master Ray

  • Totally Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 9629
  • Keep it going, friends...
Master Rays Top Albums Of 2025!
« on: December 16, 2025, 09:28:38 PM »

It's been a pretty good year for albums, I did struggle to chop it down to ten albums but here's what I loved this year, be interested to see what you lovely lot were into...

1 - Suede - Antidepressants

2 - Manic Street Preachers - Critical Thinking

3 - The Chameleons - Arctic Moon

4 - The Wildhearts - The Satanic Rites Of The Wildhearts

5 - Pulp - More

6 - Sam Fender - People Talking

7 - Skunk Anansie - The Painful Truth

8 - Envy of None - Stygian Wavz

9 - The Slow Readers Club - Out Of A Dream

10 - Lacuna Coil - Sleepless Empire


Anyone got any opinions as to my choices?  Got anything I might have missed and should listen to?  You know the drill, what tickled your music pickle this year?   ;D


... we might still get this Forum back to something like former glories!

Guillaume

  • Totally Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 1608
Re: Master Rays Top Albums Of 2025!
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2025, 10:18:00 AM »
Anyone got any opinions as to my choices?

Your list reminds me that I need to listen to the new albums by The Chameleons and Skunk Anansie. Unfortunately, I missed The Chameleons concert in Paris ten days ago, but I was lucky enough to see Skunk Anansie live about ten years ago in my small town, and it was excellent—lots of energy and Skin's beautiful, powerful, and charismatic voice!

For the 2025 releases I can recommend Samantha Fish's latest blues-rock album, "Paper Doll," which is also a Grammy nominee. It's a solid album, like her previous ones, and I also recommend seeing her live; she's an excellent singer, songwriter and guitar player.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rhUFAdfEjA&list=RD3rhUFAdfEjA&start_radio=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY59jjqTh_w&list=RDQY59jjqTh_w&start_radio=1

Let's cross our fingers that NMA will record a new album in 2026!!

« Last Edit: December 17, 2025, 10:21:18 AM by Guillaume »

cthulhu

  • Totally Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 972
  • i'm trying to quit, but i just quit trying
Re: Master Rays Top Albums Of 2025!
« Reply #2 on: December 17, 2025, 02:30:30 PM »
Well, i can say nothing about your list only that i know some Bands and thinking they're great ones and have been around for many, many years and i would be curious to listen to some new stuff the put out.

For me, when i think about what i have bought in 2025, it was almost just old stuff i wanted to have in my collection and loved to listen to again.

The only releases of this year were:

GWAR - The Return of GorGor
Been a GWAR fan for kind of as long as i listen to NMA, and believe it or not this band is almost as important to me, so i was very curious and looking forward to the new album, which was a 40th Anniversary release and had only 3 new songs and 4 live version of old songs, but also inlcuded a 30page comic and i enjoyed that release.

Tortoise - Touch
Don't know how long this has been since the last release but a whole bunch of years went by and 2025 i collected more old and obscure stuff by Tortoise, great Albums and re-mixes and was very much looking forward to this and it didn't disappoint me for a second.

The old stuff i bought was

Iron Maiden - Killers
Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time
Muse - Black Holes and Revelations

And i also saw Skunk Anansie once live at a festival and this would be the album of your list i would be very much interested in.
Not saying that i would not love to listen to every release of your list.
The bands i don't know are: The Wildhearts, Sam Fender, Envy of None, The Slow Readers Club
« Last Edit: December 17, 2025, 02:33:30 PM by cthulhu »
ever tried. ever failed. no matter.
try again. fail again. fail better.
(samuel beckett)

Master Ray

  • Totally Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 9629
  • Keep it going, friends...
Re: Master Rays Top Albums Of 2025!
« Reply #3 on: December 17, 2025, 07:53:21 PM »
Well, i can say nothing about your list only that i know some Bands and thinking they're great ones and have been around for many, many years and i would be curious to listen to some new stuff the put out.

For me, when i think about what i have bought in 2025, it was almost just old stuff i wanted to have in my collection and loved to listen to again.

The only releases of this year were:

GWAR - The Return of GorGor
Been a GWAR fan for kind of as long as i listen to NMA, and believe it or not this band is almost as important to me, so i was very curious and looking forward to the new album, which was a 40th Anniversary release and had only 3 new songs and 4 live version of old songs, but also inlcuded a 30page comic and i enjoyed that release.

Tortoise - Touch
Don't know how long this has been since the last release but a whole bunch of years went by and 2025 i collected more old and obscure stuff by Tortoise, great Albums and re-mixes and was very much looking forward to this and it didn't disappoint me for a second.

The old stuff i bought was

Iron Maiden - Killers
Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time
Muse - Black Holes and Revelations

And i also saw Skunk Anansie once live at a festival and this would be the album of your list i would be very much interested in.
Not saying that i would not love to listen to every release of your list.
The bands i don't know are: The Wildhearts, Sam Fender, Envy of None, The Slow Readers Club

About the bands you don;t know...

The Wildhearts have been going since the early 90's, they've split up a few times but always gotten back together with, admittedly, different line-ups, they play stuff that varies between catchy pop / rock tunes (ten top thirty singles in the UK!), really heavy stuff and some tunes that are even a bit proggy (plenty of tunes over the ten minute mark)... There's a huge back catalogue to investigate!  Be happy to post any recommendations!

Sam Fender is huge in the UK, playing arenas and stadiums and winning many awards along the way.  I've heard him described as a British Bruce Springsteen and that's not too far from the truth.  Many fine songs to check out!

Envy Of None are a side project by Alex Lifeson from Rush and some other lauded musicians. Not gonna deny it, I'm a big fan of Rush and if you're into something in a melodic / prog line then this might fit the bill.  Probably not something that other hardcore NMA fans might be into.   ;D

The Slow Readers Club are a band I love, basically indie rock music with a bit of an 80's feel to them.  They've got a small but very passionate fanbase and their gigs are always great, seen them a dozen times or so.  Check out 'Lunatic', it'll give you a good idea about what they're like.  I think they really should be much bigger than they are.

Looking forward to hearing what anyone has been listening to this year!
... we might still get this Forum back to something like former glories!

Shush

  • Obsessed
  • ****
  • Posts: 385
  • ORP. Gryf. 1939
    • Watnall Troop S.N.Y.C. local history
Re: Master Rays Top Albums Of 2025!
« Reply #4 on: December 19, 2025, 12:56:54 AM »
My favourite album of 2025 - Wings, greatest hits. - it reminds me of being young and on holiday
The longer this century goes on, the more I feel I belong in the last one.

Winterwulf

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 130
Re: Master Rays Top Albums Of 2025!
« Reply #5 on: December 19, 2025, 04:02:31 PM »
I've previously mentioned both on here, but I would highly recommend Half Man Half Biscuit's "All Asimov and no Fresh Air", and Cardiacs' "LSD" - I know the latter is not easy listening if you're not familiar with their style, but Tim Smith made some mad but brilliant music, and it's wonderful that the rest of the band have managed to create the album out of his rough demos.
"We are lost, we are freaks, we are crippled, we are weak
We are the heirs, we are the true heirs, to all the world"

Master Ray

  • Totally Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 9629
  • Keep it going, friends...
Re: Master Rays Top Albums Of 2025!
« Reply #6 on: December 19, 2025, 11:03:53 PM »
My favourite album of 2025 - Wings, greatest hits. - it reminds me of being young and on holiday

Ah, a band a certain Mr Partridge once said, 'The band the Beatles could have been...'   ;D
« Last Edit: December 20, 2025, 11:27:44 PM by Master Ray »
... we might still get this Forum back to something like former glories!

Master Ray

  • Totally Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 9629
  • Keep it going, friends...
Re: Master Rays Top Albums Of 2025!
« Reply #7 on: December 20, 2025, 11:28:39 PM »
I've previously mentioned both on here, but I would highly recommend Half Man Half Biscuit's "All Asimov and no Fresh Air", and Cardiacs' "LSD" - I know the latter is not easy listening if you're not familiar with their style, but Tim Smith made some mad but brilliant music, and it's wonderful that the rest of the band have managed to create the album out of his rough demos.

Ah, I do love a bit of HMHB!  Forgot that one! 
... we might still get this Forum back to something like former glories!

Rusco

  • Totally Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 2511
  • Belly man
Re: Master Rays Top Albums Of 2025!
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2025, 09:11:02 PM »
Hi Ray. A nice surprise here when I saw this topic here as I entered the board since a long time.
Hope you and everyone else are feeling ok.


1 - Suede - Antidepressants

2 - Manic Street Preachers - Critical Thinking

7 - Skunk Anansie - The Painful Truth


I enjoy them and to be fair it's the Manics that have stayed as one of my long time faves. I just purchased Critical Thinking to my wife as a present. It sounds so good. All the fresh lyrics and views about todays life. So much reason in it... A Great album!

I also love Skunk Anansie and Suede is nice too.

Some of the big albums for me in 2025 have been kinda like this:

1. Coroner - Dissonance Theory

2. Rancoeur - Fatalite

3. The Damned - Darkadelic

4. The Young Gods - Appear Disappear

There have been some more for sure.

Cheers!

T
« Last Edit: December 23, 2025, 04:24:34 AM by Rusco »
A screaming comes across the sky