IUF Staff Picks for 2025
One of the unexpectedly pleasant side effects of the cultural dissonance we are all experiencing
in the mid 2020s is that every year is a big year for music. Artists have more to say than ever;
while the catalysts are complex, it is a landmark era for creative expression. Check out our staff
picks for the best new music of 2025, plus a very special guest!
Sonny Reza
IUF co-founder, podcast host, and concert photographer
Honorable Mentions: -Tate McRae – “So Close to What” -Despised Icon – “Shadow Work” -Heaven Shall Burn – “Heimat”
Sonny’s Top 5 Albums of 2025:
5. Deftones – Private Music
4. Wolf Alice – The Clearing
3. Whitechapel – Hymns in Dissonance
2. Chokecherry – Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls
1. Oversize – Vital Signs
“I don’t know if I’ve ever loved a deathcore album this much. Even if it’s not really your thing, this album is good enough to make a believer out of you.” – Sonny Reza on Hymns in Dissonance
Cory Hodges
IUF co-founder and Media Manager
Honorable Mentions: -Taylor Swift – “Diary of a Showgirl”-Bleeding Through – “NINE”-Morgan Wallen – “I’m the Problem:-K-Pop Demon Hunters – “(OST)”
Cory’s Top 5 albums of 2025:
5. Cradle of Filth – The Screaming of the Valkyries
4. Bleed from Within – Zenith
3. Deftones – Private Music
2. Colter Wall – Memories and Empties
1. Tech N9ne – 5816 Forest
“Like a lot of their fans, I feel like I have a special connection with the band. This album really highlights that connection and reminds me why it’s such a special band.” -Cory on “The Screaming of the Valkyries”
James Reza
IUF Staff Writer and Creative Consultant
Honorable Mentions: -Deafheaven – “Lonely People with Power” -La Dispute – “There Was No One Driving the Car” -Scary Kids Scaring Kids – “Maps Written in Water” -Ben Quad – “Wisher” -Dreamwake – “The Lost Years” -Hayley Williams – “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party” -Northlane – “Node (Re-recording)”
James’s Top 5 Albums of 2025:
5. Novelists – Coda
4. Turnstile – Never Enough
3. Thornhill – Bodies
2. SCOWL – Are We All Angels
1. Anxious – Bambi
“A timeless and complex record, which is extraordinarily rare for their genre. It got me through a rough summer, and it will always remind me of finding the bright spots in difficult times.” -James on Bambi
Jessica Karlsson
IUF staff photographer
Honorable Mentions: -Igorrr – “AMEN” -Avantasia – “Here Be Dragons” -Behemoth – “The Shit Ov God” -Orbit Culture – “Death Above Life”
Jess’s top 5 Albums of 2025:
5. Dream Theater – Parasomnia
4. Epica – Aspiral
3. Whitechapel – Hymns in Dissonance
2. Katatonia – Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State
1. Currents – All That Follows
“A true masterpiece and a hugely powerful statement about women’s belonging in heavy music.” – Jess on “Aspiral”
Nick White
IUF Staff Photographer
Nick’s Top 5 Albums of 2025:
5. Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea
4. Deftones – Private Music
3. Ghost – Skeleta
2. Deafheaven – Lonely People with Power
1. Taylor Swift – Diary of a Showgirl
“Not necessarily my usual taste in music, but the catchy songs and the cultural impact are undeniable.” -Nick on Diary of a Showgirl
SPECIAL GUEST: Rachel Rosenberg
Artist Rep with Atom Splitter PR
Honorable Mentions: -Heaven Shall Burn – “Heimat” -Stick to Your Guns – “Keep Planting Flowers: -The Acacia Strain – “You Are Safe From God Here”
Rachels’ Top 5 Albums of 2025:
5. Calva Louise – Edge of the Abyss
4. Excide – Bastard Hymns
3. Greyhaven – Keep it Quiet
2. Chokecherry – Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls
1. Vianova – Hit It
“Such a beautiful record. They sound like they belong to everyone – every culture, every people group – everyone.” -Rachel on Edge of the Abyss