Giovanni Mori | Posted February 13th, 2026
For The Music Man!’s first full year of being an official website has been full of amazing music, and even more amazing artists and people behind it all. Our first post of 2026 is looking back on the top ten albums released in 2025 that made our year stand out, and in some ways, helped give everyday life new meaning with a new tune to listen to over and over again.
While I am just one person, and even though this ranking won’t even come close to doing the whole year justice, it was still an incredible year, whether looking at established artists creating more music for listeners and fans to relish in, or newer artists finally making their mark and becoming household names. Thank you to every artist and band, big or small, for sharing your music with the world, thank you to everyone who sat for an interview with FTTM!, and more importantly, thank you for reading!
Before going down the ranking, here’s a small list of honorable mentions. These are albums that did not make the top ten, but are still overall solid records that were considered:
- I Beat Loneliness – Bush
- Big Ole Album Vol. 1 – A Day To Remember
- This Won’t Be The Last Time – acloudyskye
- I’ve Felt Better – Dinosaur Pile Up
- The Blue Nowhere – Between The Buried And Me
- Lonely God – Fit For A King
- FLUORESCENCE – TRUSS
#10: Metro – The blue stones
YouTube: The Blue Stones
Our list begins with Canadian garage rock duo, The Blue Stones, who have consistently taken everything fans love from the raucous and rough around the edges style of rock music, and made it flexible with other genres including blues, hip hop, pop, and more. Their fourth studio album, Metro, gets experimental with the concept of identity and reevaluating your life purpose, wondering if what you’re doing now is what you wanted your life to be.
Each tune, including the fuzz filled “Your Master,” the stoner rock “Come Apart” and “Jesse James,” and the emotional “Happy Cry” and “Falling Leaves” sound full as ever despite the band only being a duo, but vocalist and guitarist Tarek Jafar and drummer Justin Tessier make it work both in the studio and in their live concerts. As their lengthiest album to date, Metro has a good mix of energetic tunes to keep you on your feet, along with slower and soulful songs to simmer you back down. The interludes may get in the way of your listening, but keep up with echoing the theme of the album, and the feelings from the band that went into the making of the first LP on their own record label.
Check out my post on The Blue Stones for more!
#9: Quasar – Constellation X
YouTube: Constellation X – Topic
While we’re thinking about experimental albums, our ninth spot goes to the first full length from a Pittsburgh based progressive metal band FTMM! had the pleasure of interviewing nearly a full year ago, Constellation X.
Vocalist and guitarist Ash Haughey says their album, Quasar, provides an easy listening experience to segue fans into the world of progressive rock and metal music, as the jazz inspired genre is characteristic of odd time signatures, longer song length, and unconventional song structure. Heavy music listeners will enjoy ripping tunes like “Voyagers,” “Mapping Stars,” and the lead single, “Sudden Disquiet,” while the more casual rock listeners might enjoy the friendlier sounding “Am I Coming Home?” and ” The Words of Daedalus,” and true prog fans looking to pull themselves in multiple directions will enjoy “Under Control” and the mighty twenty minute “Quasar II: Shadows.” Some parts and songs tend to drag a little and dampen the listening experience, but they all pack just the right amount of punch to bring you back in, and is overall a super solid first effort for the local band.
The album lyrically tells a tragic story about Earth facing an energy crisis, and revolves around three main characters, The Scientist, The Medic, and The Captain, going on a long term space mission to find a planet that can sustain habitable life, as well as a luminescent star called Quasar, with each of the nine tracks detailing a new chapter and perspective in our characters’ story. It’ll be an album you’ll want to listen to a few times to get the full picture, but listeners will have fun gathering those details put into the music by the Pittsburgh prog metal band.
Due to the vast amount of content to take away from the band and their album, the interview had to be split into two different posts, check them both out below, and for a better experience, I recommend listening to Quasar in full before reading.
#8: Violent nature – i prevail
YouTube: IPrevailBand
On the much heavier side of things, up next is Violent Nature, the fourth album from modern metalcore band I Prevail. 2025 saw a new era for the band after the departure of clean vocalist Brian Burkheiser, leaving fans uncertain about the future of I Prevail. The band responded quick the best way they knew how, by debuting a new single, the album’s intense title track, with harsh vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe officially taking over the role of frontman.
More singles followed leading up to the full release, featuring a mix of some of the loudest and dreamiest music the band had ever released in their career, becoming heavy as ever in their original form with crushing songs like “NWO,” and “God,” while also showing a new side of Vanlerberghe I Prevail fans rarely get to see, with beautiful falsettos in ballads like “Synthetic Soul,” “Crimson and Clover,” and “Into Hell.”
Violent Nature is the shortest album in the band’s discography with only ten songs totaling up to just a little over thirty minutes, and while it may not be a personal favorite from I Prevail’s discography, it’s still a very decent sounding record from a band that bounced back and made due when fate called their future into question.
#7: private music – deftones
YouTube: Deftones
Private Music is Deftones’ tenth album, and is the longest break from new music fans have ever had from the band, with their previous release, 2020’s Ohms, nearly a full five years earlier. During that time, the band became the biggest they’ve ever been with the help of TikTok spreading their unique alternative rock and nu metal sound to new generations, and as a result, turned Private Music into one of the most anticipated releases of the year, and when it came out, it seemed to leave fans either praising the release as the band’s best, or defaming it by calling it the worst in their discography.
FTTM! found it to be a great listen from front to back as it continues what Deftones are known for, crushing and hazy metal songs that gracefully lift you in air. One alarming issue is it’s not very memorable and doesn’t jump out at you like previous songs and releases at first listen. The sound of the album is very heavy leaning on chords and progressions with notably less catchy riffs, making some songs difficult to process. While in some cases, this works very well in the songwriting with tracks like “infinite source” and “milk of the madonna,” which happen to be the biggest fan favorites from the album, in other cases, it feels like the songs just come and go.
The good news is there isn’t necessarily a bad song on the album, and there are some songs that still have catchy metal riffs that call back to the band’s heavier and more aggressive style on “my mind is a mountain” and “cut hands.” It becomes stronger after listening more, and I encourage fans to give it a couple more listens before being too quick to hate and judge on it, but no matter where it ends up in your ranking, die hard fans will already be eagerly waiting for the next release anyway.
#6: blood & water – tarbox
YouTube: Tarbox
Number six goes to another Canadian band called Tarbox with their album Blood & Water. The quartet also took their explosive sound to Pittsburgh at DIY venue The New Low, on tour all the way from Montreal, mixing the meanest hardcore with the darkness of 90s grunge and alternative rock music, with instrumentals that could’ve easily came from bands like Nirvana, Mudhoney, and Alice In Chains, that was then cranked to eleven with harsh vocals and overall intensity of each note. With this combination, the band can also be comparable to notable hardcore and metalcore bands like Norma Jean, Every Time I Die, and Zao.
In the album’s short twenty-eight minute runtime, the band can get real catchy with songs like “Ain’t No Fun,” “Underwater,” and the album’s highest streamed tune, “Too Much To Ask For,” but throws just as much heaviness into the mix with the title track and “What If I F*ck Up And Fail” among many others. It’s the noisiest album on this ranking, but it’s obvious the band has worked hard in their craft in the studio, and in their live performance by the way they seem to control the amount of noise put in to the songs. If you’re a fan of that real rough and dirty sounding type of music, Blood & Water from Tarbox may be the next album for you, or if you’re a fan of that particular hardcore and 90s grunge sound, even better!
#5: The Sky, the earth & all between – architects
YouTube: Architects
One band that always gets talked about whenever they release a new album is Architects, and this year is no exception with their eleventh (!) studio release, The Sky, The Earth & All Between. What separates this album from others is how often listeners and fans have regarded this album as one of, if not, the best metal album that came out this year. I obviously had to take the time to listen and see for myself, and while I’m not sure if it’s the best metal album of 2025, it’s definitely up there and ended up earning it’s way to the number five spot.
With growing concern surrounding the UK band changing their metalcore style the same way as other notable bands like Bring Me The Horizon and Linkin Park have done, the band fired back with the crushing first single “Seeing Red,” containing one of lead vocalist Sam Carter’s deepest “bleghs” in the band’s discography. More singles soon followed, and by the time the full LP was in listeners’ ears, we’d soon find out “Seeing Red” isn’t even one of the best songs on the album. The heaviness continues with other ripping tunes like “Whiplash,” “Curse,” and “Evil Eyes,” along with the emotionally charged “Blackhole,” the punky “Brain Dead”, and the poppy “Everything Ends” to remind fans the band can still make whatever kind of music they please.
The album has excellent replayability with each song that could’ve easily made great singles on their own. Even at the album’s weakest, which in my opinion was the industrial sounding “Judgement Day,” still holds up against the album’s strongest moments. Again, while it can’t be confidently said if The Sky, The Earth & All Between is the best metal album of 2025, it’s definitely true that modern metal fans have, and will continue to hold the album to very high standards.
#4: Sunshine and balance beams – pile
YouTube: Pile
The number four spot on FTTM!’s ranking goes to Sunshine and Balance Beams from Pile, a band who has been in the music world for a considerably long amount of time crafting etherial post rock. I am yet to dive into the band’s full discography, but when the album came highly recommended to me, it was all I could listen to for a full week.
Sunshine and Balance Beams is not a rock album to rage and punch holes in your walls to, but is more on the calm and collected side that you may prefer to drive down a long highway in the night to, or float in a hammock to. The album gets noisy at times with fan favorites like “Deep Clay” and “Born At Night,” but still comes very easy going with falsettos and violins sprinkled into the mix with songs like “Holds” and “Bouncing in Blue,” there seems to be something for everyone here with an excellent blend of styles that may surprise you upon first listen, but then more than likely will leave you coming back for more soon enough.
The band is also known for having incredible live performances and have recently announced a spring tour, arriving in Pittsburgh on March 29th at the Bottlerocket Social Hall, so I will soon see if what fans and listeners say hold up. In the meantime, listen to Pile’s newest album, Sunshine and Balance Beams, now!
#3: Never enough – turnstile
YouTube: Turnstile
As we approach the top three, next up is NEVER ENOUGH by the Baltimore band Turnstile. The band, known for becoming a gateway for new hardcore punk listeners, has had an excellent few years with the success of their third release, 2021’s GLOW ON, as their shows have gotten bigger than ever both as headliners, and as openers for major touring acts like My Chemical Romance, Suicideboys, and blink-182, leaving fans more and more eager for a follow up to their half punk half eighties new wave sound.
But how do you follow up with your biggest and most successful album to date? For years that question stemmed in fans minds, but it seems they found the answer as NEVER ENOUGH picks up stylistically and lyrically where GLOW ON left off, look no further than listening to track one, the title track, which sounds like a part two to GLOW ON‘s opening track, “MYSTERY.” It’s clear the band wanted to make a good follow up, and in the process, may have come up with something better as each chord and note within the songs are emotional and carry more weight to them when listening to songs like “SOLE,” “I CARE,” and “LOOK OUT FOR ME.”
Of course the band will never shy away from their punk side with faster and mosh pit starting tracks like “LIGHT DESIGN,” “DULL,” and “BIRDS,” which give the more serious tone of the album a fun side for fans. For the 2026 Grammy Awards, the band has been nominated in many categories of the rock genre, and took home Best Rock Album and Best Metal Performance, and is there really any better way to say you’re doing something right then by winning not one, but two Grammys?
#2: Ego death at a bachelorette party – hayley williams
YouTube: Hayley Williams
Our number two spot for 2025 albums goes to Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party, the third solo album from one of the most well known voices in pop punk and emo for the last two decades. As a big Paramore fan who hasn’t yet given all of Hayley Williams’ solo music the time of day, it was surprising to hear how powerful the songs were with just her at the helm, which arguably and sacrilegiously may have turned into something better than some Paramore albums.
What’s not to love about the twenty (!) track album exploring the many genres of punk, dream pop, grunge, new wave, and just about every other genre you can think of? The album pulls influence from many directions, and especially female voices with songs that sound like they came from TLC, Alanis Morrisette, and Fleetwood Mac, but also sounds so modern with tunes that could be mistaken from Billie Eilish. Songs like “Mirtazapine” and “Parachute” are hard rocking fun and more guitar driven, while the title track, “Disappearing Man,” and the closer “Showbiz” are catchy pop tunes, and finally there’s some darkness to be explored with songs like “Kill Me,” “True Believer,” and “Discovery Channel.”
While the album may tend to drag too long, it’s very difficult to say which songs could be omitted and still maintain a cohesive listen. It’s also important to note the album can be listened in any way fans choose since it was surprise released as a bunch of singles, with Williams encouraging fans to come up with their own track lists, which was truthfully the only reason why the album was placed second. It may not be Paramore which fans like myself would normally prefer, but Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party is sure as hell the next best thing.
#1: Getting killed – geese
YouTube: Geese
Am I just a fake fan jumping on the Geese bandwagon, or are die hard fans just mad because their favorite niche rock band became popular? Either way, there’s no doubt Getting Killed has been one of the most talked about albums of the year. Just when rock fans thought they heard it all, in comes Geese with their blend of indie, folk, and funk that’s been often compared to the likes of Bob Dylan and The Strokes.
And how could you talk about Geese without mentioning lead vocalist Cameron Winters’ trademark lackadaisical, vibrato filled vocal style, which feels more like listening to a trumpet or brass instrument? Tracks like “Bow Down,” “Au Pays du Cocaine,” and “Cobra” showcase style best, while the title track and “100 Horses” are filled with the energy of soul and funk, and “Islands of Men” along with the album’s lead single, “Taxes,” explore of the more indie rock style from the band. Just don’t let the oddly intriguing opener, “Trinidad,” veer you away from the rest of the album, because by the time you reach the epic closer, “Long Island City Here I Come,” you’re going to be left wising there was more.
Speaking of Long Island, Geese recently made their debut on Saturday Night Live, sparking mixed reactions coming from fans and critics on all sides. But no matter what you think of the unusual style of music, Getting Killed and Geese will surely find a way to stay on your radar, so you might as well jump on the bandwagon now.
Lots of great music are already in the works to be released in 2026, so if you agree with FTTM!’s picks, listen to them all in full while you wait for the next best record of this year!
Sources
“Blackhole” YouTube, uploaded by Architects, 25 Feb. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdCU4ReBROc&list=RDqdCU4ReBROc&start_radio=1
“Come Apart” YouTube, uploaded by The Blue Stones, 14 Jan. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tXABpRLbjw&list=RD2tXABpRLbjw&start_radio=1
“Deep Clay” YouTube, uploaded by Pile, 12 May 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdfJio5DNeM&list=RDRdfJio5DNeM&start_radio=1
“Geese – 100 Horses (Official Audio)” YouTube, uploaded by Geese, 26 Aug. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT0RBSpDiKo&list=RDDT0RBSpDiKo&start_radio=1
“Into Hell” YouTube, uploaded by IPrevailBand, 18 Sept. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv-Yasf1cFM&list=PLetgZKHHaF-afBvR4VXOIXYW2dSefQIyA&index=7
“milk of the madonna” YouTube, uploaded by Deftones, 21 Aug. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfsg12xVUVo&list=RDvfsg12xVUVo&start_radio=1
“Mirtazapine” YouTube, uploaded by Hayley Williams, 6 Nov. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5E6JY3mmoE&list=RDh5E6JY3mmoE&start_radio=1
“NEVER ENOUGH” YouTube, uploaded by Turnstile, 5 Jun. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ICCvzZ7kbY&list=RD0ICCvzZ7kbY&start_radio=1
“Sudden Disquiet” YouTube, uploaded by Constellation X – Topic, 2 Jan. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=568i5VQHi4o
“Underwater” YouTube, uploaded by Tarbox, 22 May 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO4pS6HFjmo&list=RDVO4pS6HFjmo&start_radio=1
