Here are 20 rock albums that stood out to us in different ways and kept us coming back. This list is, of course, just a snapshot of the music that crossed our paths this year and reflects our own tastes. If you have favorites of your own, feel free to share them in the comments.
With that, on to the albums. Hope you find something new to love here.
[1–10, in no particular order]
DEFTONES – PRIVATE MUSIC
Quick Take: Ten albums in and Deftones still sound hungry. Private Music is a real late-career high point, balancing teeth-bared aggression and floaty beauty with more confidence than ever.
| From: Sacramento, California, United States RIYL/FFO: Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal, Post-Hardcore, Shoegaze Mood/Sound: Atmospheric, Heavy, Dreamy, Punchy Standout Tracks: “Infinite Source,” “Ecydsis,” “Metal Dream,” “Souvenir,” “I Think About You All The Time” |
Listen: Spotify
Playlist Companion: Best New Alternative Rock
HONNINGBARNA – SOFT SPOT
Quick Take: Packing experimental hardcore, punk bite and off-kilter grooves into one tight blast, Soft Spot is one of the year’s most exciting heavy albums.
| From: Kristiansand, Norway RIYL/FFO: Noise Rock, Punk, Post-Hardcore Mood/Sound: Punchy, Dynamic, Aggressive Standout Tracks: “Schäfer,” “Hvilke Splinter,” “Festen Som Aldri Stopper,” “Rød Bic” |
Listen: Spotify
Playlist Companion: Noise Rock & Heavy Punk / Post-Punk
RACING MOUNT PLEASANT – RACING MOUNT PLEASANT
Quick Take: A fantastic, heartfelt album that plays like a personal story told on a chamber pop scale, with rich, full-bodied instrumentation.
| From: Michigan, United States RIYL/FFO: Chamber Pop, Art Rock, Folk Rock Mood/Sound: Bittersweet, Lush, Melodic Standout Tracks: “Call It Easy,” “Your New Place,” “Emily,” “Racing Mount Pleasant” |
MARUJA – PAIN TO POWER
Quick Take: Free jazz meets noisy guitars, post-rock builds bloom into sudden hardcore eruptions, and politically charged lyrics thread through it all in rap verses and spoken monologues. Pain To Power is a remarkable release, bold in scope and emotionally dense.
| From: Manchester, United Kingdom RIYL/FFO: Punk, Post-Punk, Jazz Fusion, Noise Rock Mood/Sound: Dynamic, Maximalist, Abrasive, Eclectic Standout Tracks: “Bloodsport,” “Trenches,” “Look Down On Us” |
Listen: Spotify
THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE & I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE – DREAMS OF BEING DUST
Quick Take: Imagine the heart of classic TWIABP songs dropped into a warzone of post-hardcore riffs and progressive metalcore punch, and you get Dreams Of Being Dust. It is a heavy, politically furious record that still slips in big hooks and gorgeous melodies all the way through.
| From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States RIYL/FFO: Alternative Rock, Post-Hardcore, Progressive Metal Mood/Sound: Rhythmic, Punchy, Energetic Standout Tracks: “Auguries Of Guilt,” “Dimmed Sun,” “Captagon,” “No Pilgrim” |
Listen: Spotify | Bandcamp
Playlist Companion: Best New Alternative Rock
SWANS – BIRTHING
Quick Take: One more deep breath from Swans, pushing their mix of noise, drone, and bruised spirituality to a strangely beautiful extreme, and building another towering big sound world. A heavy, devotional sprawl that earns every minute of its runtime.
| From: New York, United States RIYL/FFO: Post-Rock, Drone, Experimental Rock, Noise Rock Mood/Sound: Ritualistic, Hypnotic, Suspenseful Standout Tracks: “I Am A Tower,” “The Healers,” “Birthing” |
Listen: Spotify | Bandcamp
Playlist Companion: Dark Post-Rock
PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS – POGO RODEO
Quick Take: Bright, crunchy psych rock with King Gizzard style energy, all fuzzed out leads, oddball melodies and a nonstop forward rush that makes the whole album feel like one long, deranged chase scene.
| From: Perth, Australia RIYL/FFO: Neo-Psychedelia, Alternative Rock, Garage Rock Mood/Sound: Energetic, Quirky Standout Tracks: “Salsa Verde,” “Born In The A.D’s,” “Manny’s Ready To Roll” |
ALGERNON CADWALLADER – TRYING NOT TO HAVE A THOUGHT
Quick Take: If you like the feeling of mathy, twinkly emo that still sounds like a bunch of friends in a basement, this album scratches that itch right away. Their first release in 14 years, Trying Not To Have A Thought picks up where Algernon left off and nudges everything forward with sharper guitar lines and lyrics that look more directly at the world around them.
| From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States RIYL/FFO: Midwest Emo, Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Math Rock Mood/Sound: Melodic, Bittersweet, Nostalgic Standout Tracks: “Hawk,” “Trying Not To Have A Thought,” “Koyaanisqatsi,” “noitanitsarcorP” |
Listen: Spotify | Bandcamp
Playlist Companion: Emo-flavored Indie Rock & Midwest Emo
SLOW CRUSH – THIRST
Quick Take: Slow Crush finds the perfect balance between weight and haze on Thirst, as the guitars hit with real force even while the vocals stay soft and distant. A lush, enveloping listen with plenty to love for fans across the alt rock and shoegaze spectrum.
| From: Leuven, Belgium RIYL/FFO: Shoegaze, Grungegaze, Alternative Rock Mood/Sound: Atmospheric, Dense Standout Tracks: “Haven,” “Thirst,” “Leap,” “Hlýtt” |
Listen: Spotify | Bandcamp
Playlist Companions: Grungegaze & Heavy Shoegaze | Best New Alternative Rock
BEN QUAD – WISHER
Quick Take: All tangled riffs, wild tempo shifts, vocals that swing between raw screaming and wide-open melodies. Ben Quad turn all of that into a tight, high-energy emo punk record that feels cathartic as hell without losing its sense of fun.
| From: Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States RIYL/FFO: Emo, Pop Punk, Math Rock, Post-Hardcore Mood/Sound: Melodic, Dynamic, Bittersweet Standout Tracks: “Painless,” “Did You Decide To Skip Arts And Crafts?,” “It’s Just A Title,” “I Hate Cursive And I Hate All Of You” |
Listen: Spotify | Bandcamp
Playlist Companion: Melodic Post-Hardcore, Pop Punk & Emo
[11–20, in no particular order]
THE ARMED – THE FUTURE IS HERE AND EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED
Quick Take: Short, frantic and wired, this album crams hardcore speed, blown-out guitars and piled-on vocals into a tight burst that is way more fun to replay than its title suggests.
| From: Detroit, Michigan, United States RIYL/FFO: Punk, Noise Rock, Hardcore, Mathcore, Noise Pop Mood/Sound: Noisy, Chaotic, Angular, Eclectic Standout Tracks: “Purity Drag,” “Sharp Teeth,” “Gave Up,” “I Steal What I Want” |
Listen: Spotify | Bandcamp
Playlist Companion: Noise Rock & Heavy Punk / Post-Punk
PARACHUTE DAY – SEASONAL EXPRESSION
Quick Take: Seasonal Expression turns clean, interlocking guitar lines and loose, bouncy grooves into an instrumental arc that genuinely feels like watching winter slowly give way to spring.
| From: Chicago, Illinois, United States RIYL/FFO: Math Rock, Instrumental Rock, Post-Rock, Midwest Emo Mood/Sound: Lively, Dynamic, Uplifting Standout Tracks: “Smooch,” “Propeller,” “Mijito,” “Manifest” |
Listen: Spotify | Bandcamp
Playlist Companions: Math Rock & Mathy Indie / Prog | Upbeat Instrumental Rock
KHAN – THAT FAIR AND WARLIKE FORM // RETURN TO DUST
Quick Take: With two extended tracks of psych-soaked, stoner-leaning prog, That Fair and Warlike Form // Return to Dust plays like a hypnotic spell you will want to fall under again, as Khan constantly uncovers new grooves, textures, and emotional peaks within each piece.
| From: Melbourne, Australia RIYL/FFO: Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Stoner Metal Mood/Sound: Dynamic, Narrative |
Listen: Spotify | Bandcamp
Playlist Companion: Slow / Heavy Stoner Metal & Rock
SUICHU SPICA – LUX
Quick Take: A refreshing, inviting mathy album packed with glassy guitar tones, clever rhythms, and melodies that stay sweet even when the playing gets knotty.
| From: Kyoto, Japan RIYL/FFO: Math Rock, Math Pop, Midwest Emo Mood/Sound: Mellow, Warm, Lively Standout Tracks: “Iki,” “Miyako,” “恐竜も人間も飲む水は同じ” |
Listen: Spotify | Bandcamp
Playlist Companion: Math Rock & Mathy Indie / Prog
KALLSUP – EN SISTA RÄDDNING
Quick Take: This debut feels less like a first step and more like a lost favorite finally surfacing. Hazy guitars and soft, emotionally worn vocals bring back that mix of chill and melancholy you get from the most heartfelt shoegaze records of the early 2000s.
| From: Örebro, Sweden RIYL/FFO: Shoegaze, Dream Pop Mood/Sound: Atmospheric, Hazy, Bittersweet Standout Tracks: “Gnistan,” “Stilla Havet,” “Blå,” “Golfströmmen” |
Listen: Spotify | Bandcamp
Playlist Companion: Shoegaze & Dream Pop
THEY ARE GUTTING A BODY OF WATER – LOTTO
Quick Take: If you want shoegaze-y alt rock that trades dreamy distance for bruised, in-your-face honesty, LOTTO is a cathartic hit that feels very much like real life breaking through the noise.
| From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States RIYL/FFO: Alternative Rock, Shoegaze, Grungegaze Mood/Sound: Dense, Heavy, Hazy Standout Tracks: “The Chase,” “Sour Diesel,” “Rl Stine” |
Listen: Spotify | Bandcamp
Playlist Companions: Grungegaze & Heavy Shoegaze | Best New Alternative Rock
SHOW ME MARY – ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE
Quick Take: From the immediate pull of “Lie to Me” and “Never Ends” to the long, slow swell of “Hiedra”, All The Things You Are is an emotionally rich shoegaze record that keeps slipping between sharp hooks and full-on haze.
| From: Charleston, South Carolina, United States RIYL/FFO: Alternative Rock, Shoegaze, Grungegaze Mood/Sound: Atmospheric, Somber, Cathartic Standout Tracks: “Lie To Me,” “Never Ends,” “Daisy Cutter” |
Listen: Spotify
Playlist Companion: Grungegaze & Heavy Shoegaze
CAR SEAT HEADREST – THE SCHOLARS
Quick Take: The Scholars plays like a campus rock opera, following a tangled cast of students and staff at a fictional college through long piano-driven songs, scrappy guitars, and bursts of brass that link the scenes together. A big, nerdy, strangely moving ride.
| From: Leesburg, Virginia, United States RIYL/FFO: Indie Rock, Alternative Rock, Art Rock, Post-Punk Mood/Sound: Anthemic, Lively, Bittersweet, Nostalgic Standout Tracks: “CCF (I’m Gonna Stay With You),” “The Catastrophe (Good Luck With That, Man)” |
THE BETHS – STRAIGHT LINE WAS A LIE
Quick Take: Perfect example of ‘happy music with sad lyrics.’ This album strings together songs about anxiety, dead-end plans, and stalled lives, but wraps them in such melodic, lush indie rock that you can’t help but lean in.
| From: Auckland, New Zealand RIYL/FFO: Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Pop Rock Mood/Sound: Melodic, Mellow, Bittersweet Standout Tracks: “Straight Line Was A Lie,” “Best Laid Plans,” “Mosquitoes,” “Til My Heart Stops” |
BOUQUET – FEEL IN COLOR
Quick Take: Wrapped in a super clean, polished mix, Feel In Color glides from atmospheric, cathartic passages that lean toward screamo to cleaner, more melodic emo stretches. A beautifully devastating EP that hits far harder than its length suggests.
| From: Iowa, United States RIYL/FFO: Alternative Rock, Post-Hardcore, Emo, Emogaze Mood/Sound: Atmospheric, Melodic Standout Tracks: “Blue Hour (A Stream Of Consciousness),” “In The Creek” |
Listen: Spotify | Bandcamp
Playlist Companions: Melodic Post-Hardcore, Pop Punk & Emo | Emogaze & Dreamo
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