Album of the Year

The Infernal Records: Our Staff’s Personal Albums of the Year

The Infernal Records: BMZ Staff’s Personal Albums of the Year. Discover the top 3 picks from our writers, featuring essential 2025 releases. Read more!

Roberto, Michael, Anthony, Kevin, Emma, Vetle, Kili Schauer

05 Jan 2026 — 15 min read

It's a new year, and that means it's time for the annual album of the year list by Black Metal Zine. Last year was a good year; there have been some good releases all around, and as always, it's challenging to pick favorites, but we tried anyway. Below you'll find the top 3 albums of some of our staff and contributors.

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Michael:

Band: One of Nine
Album: Dawn of the Iron Shadow
Released: October 31, 2025

This is hands down my choice for album of the year. One of Nine is a band I've followed closely since its inception, and having anticipated its release since early in the year, the expectations I had for it upon release were already high, and it far exceeded those. Featuring album art from renowned Tolkien illustrator Ted Nasmith and featuring guest vocals from the likes of Hulder and Lamp of Murmur solidified its slot on my list. The album from start to finish is a flawless example of how modern black metal should sound and has no weak moments. 10/10

Band: Bloody Valkyria
Album: In Our Home, Across the Fog
Released: April 4, 2025

Again, a shining example of modern black metal. Boasting pristine production, excellent songwriting/instrumentation, and Elden Ring themed lyrics. This release totally blew me out of the water. Taking everything that was great about the debut album “Kingdom of Fire” and perfecting it. It's a masterpiece that deserves to be listened to as a whole from start to finish. Bloody Valkyria will be on my radar for a long time to come, and I certainly hope that a follow-up of this same level is on the horizon.

Band: Ninkharsag
Album: The Black Swords of Winter
Released: March 8, 2025

Even though this release was technically an EP, it more than deserves its spot on an AOTY list. It boasts some of the strongest songwriting and riffs to be heard in 2025. Spanning only 23 minutes in length, the EP captures the second-wave in all its glory and brings it into the 21st century with modern production. Ninkharsag has slowly become one of my favorites over the last couple of years, and I'm eagerly awaiting to hear what they do next.

Kevin:

Band: Afsky
Album: Fællesskab
Released: October 17, 2025

Fællesskab rounded out my number one album of the year, hands down! Daring to open the track with a sample of Maria Stenz's “Hvor Er Alle Drømmene” drowning out to a cold, rainy, windy happening of melodic blistering riffs. That's blended with the sorrowful and melancholic vocals of Ole to give this album a perfect production of atmosphere and melodic dread.

Band: Ofermod
Album: Drakosophia
Released: October 3, 2025

Drakosophia was a hair away from being my number one. It is definitely no slouch, opening with “Aicha Kandisha”, blistering the ears apart with insane riffs and blast beats galore. As the album furthers away into bestial torment, it dissects the soul piece by piece with hypnotic riffs, mid-paced melancholy, and unholy chanting. Think of “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” when they lowered the poor man down into an inferno with his heart ripped from his body and the haunting chants of doom echoing throughout as he screamed towards his unmerciful death; that's what Drakosophia is to me.

Band: Zaratus
Album: Those Who Dwell Beyond
Released: October 24, 2025

Zaratus surprised us with the release of Those Who Dwell Beyond. When I saw this release, I was like, What the hell?!? It paid off with the unannounced masterpiece outshining the debut, In the Days of Whore. Greek black metal veterans Stefan Necroabyssious and Bill El crafted one of the most beautiful, yet melancholic and remarkable opuses to Hades himself with this album to date!

Anthony:

Band: Blood Abscission Album: II Released: April 11, 2025 I can’t put exactly into words why this release is so special. It's just like, hey, you either get it or you don’t with this one. Honestly, it’s probably my favorite thing released this year. The perfect balance of new and old, weird and straightforward, post and black. The songwriting is top-notch from start to finish. It never becomes too bland or too odd. A rarely perfect record.

Band: Drudkh Album: Shadow Play Released: March 21, 2025 Any time Drudkh releases something, it’s going to be on an album of the year list for me. One of the most consistently heartfelt and ferocious black metal bands of all time. The expanded range of sounds on this one shows Drudkh still can find ways to surprise their fans after 20 years.

Band: Fauna Album: Ochre and Ash Released: September 26, 2025 An underrated release this year from a criminally underrated band. With every album, Fauna shows why they’re one of the best modern atmospheric black metal bands. There's no bull***t with what this band does; it's deeply ritualistic down to its very core. The fact they lean so heavily into elements of funeral doom and post-metal is also deeply refreshing.

Vetle:

Band: Lamp of Murmuur
Album: The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy
Released: November 14, 2025

A fantastic album with great standalone tracks as well. The guitar sound is nasty, and the riffs are so addictive. It has grooves and tempos to keep your head aloft. The gnarly vocals hit like the nails in Jesus's joints, and that does it for me!

Band: 1914
Album: Viribus Unitis
Released: November 14, 2025

The theater of war is once again brought to us by Ukrainian 1914. Specialized in storytelling with grim, blackened death now fueled by the hate and fear that surrounds them daily in their war torn homeland. The band has put their emotions into this album, and their instruments serve as their weapon. Truly great album once again; can't wait to catch them live at Inferno this year.

Band: Heimland
Album: Der Torv Moeter Hav
Released: November 14, 2025

A young band playing Norwegian black metal in the true way. Fast, hard, and uncompromising. Blending groovy yet melodic riffs, heavy bass, relentless drums, and snappy vocals with lyrics connecting them to their Norwegian heritage. A strong release from this up-and-coming group that I've listened to a lot since it was dropped.

Emma:

Band: Sunken
Album: Lykke
Released: 24th October, 2025

I was not shy in gushing about my love for Sunken’s long-awaited third album; their waves of oceanic despair crashed down on us with such deep character. They impeccably delivered their desolate emotion through four tracks, none shorter than ten minutes long, each carrying such a weight of melodic melancholy and ripples of tranquil calms. It's a delicate balance that is handled so well, allowing you to catch your breath before you face the storm once more.

Band: Saor
Album: Amidst the Ruins
Released: 7th February, 2025

The Caledonian champion of atmospheric black metal with a touch of Scottish folk returned early in the year, and after hearing the titular single last year, I just knew this album would be something special. The album itself is fantastically complex, with harsh tremolo riffs to juxtapose the whistles and pipes that give it the Scottish touch. We also get a powerful acoustic track, ethereal and calming to be at one with nature with. I was lucky enough to be at the launch show of this album in Glasgow and hear it played in full for the first time, and what a magical evening it was (technical difficulties be damned).

Band: Bloodbark
Album: Sacred Sound of Solitude
Released: 3rd January, 2025

With how early this came out in the year, it was easy to forget about considering it for top of 2025 lists. But this is an album that never left my mind since I first heard it. Perhaps an appropriate blend of my other two picks, it is an atmospheric black metal album with a focus on nature with a touch of a more mournful or somber feeling. It is incredibly refreshing every time I hear it, whether it’s the harsh verses with crushing riffs or the serene spoken word sections with clean picking and synths.

Kilian:
Band: Gaahl's Wyrd
Album: Braiding the Stories
Released: June 6th, 2025

Being as controversial as can be for a legend like Gaahl, the complete mood change on this record from straight Black Metal to a more Gothic Rock oriented Clean Singing Black Metal definitely left its mark on my record player.

Band: Jordsjuk
Album: Naglet til Livet
Released: September 19th, 2025

Absolutely no compromises on that one. 50 min of straight-up punishing riffs and disgusting vocals. From a “true” Black Metal standpoint, there can't be another album of the year than this one. Looking forward to seeing them live in 2026.

Band: Necht
Album: The Inevitable Suffering
Released: June 12th, 2025

What a masterpiece of an EP. After already holding their debut EP in high regard, Necht went on an entirely different level with this EP. Following the storyline of their band being worshippers of the sun god B'ahn, the guys absolutely made their point to him. Straightforward, hard-hitting, but still melodic

Roberto:

Band: GraveRipper
Album: From Welkin to Tundra
Released: October 17th, 2025

Although this is more blackened thrash metal, this album has been on repeat for a while, and I really love it, so it deserves a spot on my album of the year list. It's just an overall great package, and if you would like to know more about it. Read the review I wrote (link below).

Band: Barshasketh
Album: Antinomian Asceticism
Released: 9th of January 2025

This album took me by surprise, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was released at the start of 2025, so after a while it fell out of rotation, but overall this was a very nice album.

Band: Sarastus
Album: Agony Eternal
Released: July 1st, 2025

Pascal, the vocalist from the Dutch black metal band Wrang (an outstanding band), moved to Finland and joined Sarastus, and that alone is a step up in my book. I love his vocals and ferociousness, and that goes very well with the style Sarastus is going for.

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