The long, dark and damp January was a quieter month for headline releases, yet much remains on the horizon for the rest of 2025. Despite this, it was a month that was filled with gems. After scouring through January’s releases, here are some of those that may have gone under the radar.
Mirar – Ascension (Independent)
Completing djent’s ascension (pun intended) into truly being worth of the once-damning description of “metal’s answer to dubstep”, French thall duo Mirar seek to strip that notion of its negative stigma through an unrelenting, unique and enth(r)alling debut LP that pushes that concept to its very limit. Based on a number of classical pieces from the likes of Bach and Couperin, Ascension’s blend of percussive, hyper-modern tech-wank (positive connotation, I promise) and subdued, methodical classical composition & instrumentation provides one of the most engaging and spiritually fascinating releases the tech metal world has seen in some time. It may not be to everyone’s taste, especially if the idea of djent’s progressive race-to-the-bottom (purely in terms of tuning) leaves a sour taste in your mouth. However, if that’s something you can stomach, or even wholly gravitate towards like myself, you’ll surely find something to bask in reverent awe at within Mirar’s debut full length.
FFO: Vildhjarta, Fractalize & Frontierer
Spitballin – Spit It Out (Cut & Run Records)
If there’s one universal language in this world, it’s the language of throwing down, and Spitballin’ opt to demonstrate their fluency with uncompromising swagger through fifteen minutes of Americanised aggression. Spit It Out wears the legacy of metallic hardcore firmly on their sleeves for all to see. It’s all tooled up with golden age-powerchord riffs and antipathic articulations, emblematic of the peak of crossover thrash and beatdown. This particular debut gets the ball rolling, revitalising an old dog with some new tricks.
FFO: Merauder, Mindforce & Cold As Life
I’m Sorry Emil – I’m Sorry Emil (Independent)
While it may be a bold move to drop an EP on New Year’s Day, London emo three-piece I’m Sorry Emil’s hit all the right notes with their self-titled debut. The band moves between twinkly clean riffs, strummed acoustic guitars and moments of crushingly heavy distortion with blistering speed. The disparate styles are bound together with vocalist Filip Nowiki’s brutal fry screams, as well as surprisingly dynamic production. While I’m Sorry Emil contains many elements commonly found in classic emo, these influences have been dissected and stitched into something remarkably fresh for a new generation.
FFO: foxtails, I Hate Myself & The Spirit of Versailles
Gnostician – Unification as an Art (Independent)
Embracing one of the lesser explored corners of the tech metal sphere these days, Gnostician’s frenetic, pulverising take on mathcore to the tune of The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza and iwrestledabearonce will no doubt appeal to any folk who, much like myself, find themselves yearning for more modern bands of the style. A masterful contrast between mind-melting dissonance and keen melodicism, Unification as an Art is a violent, chaotic and brilliant slice of tech from a very new face on the block.
FFO: The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, iwrestledabearonce & Emmure
Beneath a Steel Sky – Cleave (Big Light Records)
Post metal is often (and rightly) indulgent, but here’s a record which truly finds balance in the genre. Scottish band Beneath A Steel Sky come at the genre with a distinctive focus on melody, with very prominent clean guitars throughout, covering Cleave‘s bleakness with a layer of glassy hope. At the close of each track you will be crushed by their heaviness, but not by dissonance or harsh noise, and not too often. The result is a record that puts you in a state of profound calm. The songwriting is patient and immediately relatable, with perfectly paced tracks like “Vanguard” and “Quetzalcoatlus”. And when they stick to an idea, it’s worth it: “The infinite silence that follows the absolute truth” stays barely above a whisper before its dramatic finale.
FFO: Rosetta, If These Trees Could Talk & Pelican
Praetorian – Pylon Cult (APF Records)
Moving from the ethereal to the squalid, Pylon Cult is a long awaited LP from UK midlanders Praetorian, a hefty release that stands up to their even heftier sound. Running the gamut from slow churning doom to frenetic crust punk, this is a record that seeks to leave you feeling unclean. Tom Clements’ harsh vocals are absolutely rancid [complimentary], peaking on the closer “Burly Haemorrhoid”. They’re no one-trick band, though – to pull off all of the epic prog structures on the record, they bring in colourful moments like “Chain of Dead Command”’s enthralling tom grooves and “Tomb of the Blind Dregs” high register doom bridge.
FFO: Primitive Man, Inter Arma & Windhand
Chidori – Microcosm of a Midlife Crisis (Independent)
After rolling out a number of singles in the years since dropping their debut EP in 2021, Atlanta’s Chidori started 2025 off strong with the release of their first full-length album Microcosm of a Midlife Crisis. Last year’s run of singles (“Not In Love,” “For Sure, Chauffeur!,” and “Armani Swiss Army Knife” were a well-rounded showcase of the trio’s own dynamic blend of electronic-infused post-hardcore, with their dual-vocal approach, Swancore styled guitars, and expansive synth work drawing comparisons to genre progenitors such as Dance Gavin Dance, Enter Shikari, and Sky Eats Airplane.
FFO: Hail The Sun, With Sails Ahead & A Lot Like Birds
Deathbloom – Suffer Through The Pain (Independent)
Deathbloom (US) emphasise the hardcore elements of modern metalcore on their debut EP. Using what their members learned in an impressive list of previous bands (Filth, Tallah, and The Stygian Complex), they’ve immediately captured a sound that combines “professional” with “pandemonium”. It’s easy to imagine a whole room swinging along to the ludicrous moments in “Snake Venom” and “Embracing Sin”.
FFO: Kublai Khan TX, Starve & INDEVTH
athousandangelsandseven – athousandangelsandseven (Independent)
Finishing up with a real ear-bleeder, athousandangelsandseven’s debut EP is a portrait of the insane things that can be done in the screamo-skramz realm. If the personality of the band isn’t expressed through their furious instrumentals, then Elle Reynolds’ ridiculous vocals will seal the deal. Here’s hoping their live shows are a tenth as ridiculous as this.
FFO: Heavenly Blue, Blind Girls & fallingwithscissors