SO HERE WE ARE AGAIN…
SO HERE WE ARE….
Another year, another year end list. To be honest, this year kinda smoked last year. I learned how to drive and finally beat the “Native New Yorker who can’t drive” allegations. I ended up getting a car, which I’m still unsure if it was a good idea or not. I got to travel to Ireland, first time leaving the country. Also got to beat the “Native New Yorker who never leaves New York let alone the country” allegations too. Gonna try to take more pictures this coming year, if you’ve been following me for a while (why would you) you’d know I used to be a pretty active photographer.
Cliffs of Howth, truly breathtaking
Very important decorations on my car
Funeral Leech/Noroth end of tour photo.
Some stuff hasn’t changed, I still need to put an effort into this website. Got a few cool ideas, so maybe you’ll see those soon. Cause it really still feels like “old man yells at cloud dot com” so fuck it! CUE THE MUSIC
SBC’S BEST MUSIC OF 2025:
This is in no particular order and guess what? I don’t care if I didn’t include the record you liked… it probably was ass. Go make your own damn list.
C4 - Payback’s a Bitch - Triple B records
Make hardcore DUMB again! That’s not to say this release is stupid at all, it’s just exactly the kind of knuckle dragging crude stuff I want from a hardcore record sometimes, doesn’t take itself very seriously, and is filled with enough pissed off rage to satiate even the biggest of haters. “Suck my dick - kiss the tip - eat the peanuts from my shit” Modern poetry really. Tows the line of crossover, with a lot of the thrash esque riffs, but this is a hardcore record through and through.
There’s even a nod to the riff in “Public Assistance” that goes into the “Crucified” riff. If you don’t like that, there’s something wrong with you.
FFO: Af, Citizens Arrest, Nuclear Assualt
Standout Tracks: Carved in Blood, Cry About It, Payback’s a Bitch
Listen/Purchase HERE: https://bbbrecords.bandcamp.com/album/paybacks-a-bitch
HOME FRONT - Watch It Die - La Vida Un Mus
Hey do you love that song “New Age” by Blitz? What if a band sounded exactly like that. Cool. Another record by this Canadian gem of a band. Perfect blend of Oi!, Punk and New Wave. Near flawless execution.
FFO: Devo, New Order, Blitz, The Crack, Solovair Boots, Synthesizers.
Standout Tracks: Watch it die, For The Children (Fuck All)
Listen/Purchase HERE: https://arewenothomefront.bandcamp.com/album/watch-it-die
DISPOSSESSED - Dêmocide - Carbonized Records
Sludge filled Death-Doom. Executed perfectly. This record caught me off guard, but its right up my alley. Excited to hear more from them. Carbonized had a really good chunk of Death/Doom releases, and maybe I’m biased cause my band is on the label, but they are truly one of the best metal labels out right now
FFO: Noothgrush, Coffins, Mortiferum, Grief.
Standout Tracks: Watan/If I must Die
Listen/Purchase HERE: https://dispossessedpdx.bandcamp.com/album/d-mocide
Sijjin - Helljjin Combat - Sepulchral Voice
I mourn the loss of Necros Christos every day. BUT at least I have Sijjin. I covered this in my mid year post. The first LP didn’t stand out to me, it wasn’t bad but this is completely on another level. This feels like a total OLD SCHOOL death metal record. Classic satanic imagery and lyrics, thrashy riffs, and killer solos and leads.
FFO: Morbid Angel, old Slayer, Deicide, Necros Christos
Standout Tracks: Trance Of The Mummified, Religious Insanity Denies Slavery
Listen/Purchase HERE: https://sijjin.bandcamp.com/album/helljjin-combat
Cigarette Camp - Steps LP - Dead Broke
Debut full length from this Self proclaimed “Copy Machine punk” band. Sounds exactly like a long lost band that Cometbus was in. Not mad at that at all.
FFO: Fifteen, Pinhead Gunpowder, Crimpeshrine.
Standout Tracks: Car, Listerine, Tell Me Something
Listen/Purchase HERE: https://deadbrokerekerds.bandcamp.com/album/steps
Catharsis - Hope Against Hope - Crimethinc
Okay so, a new Catharsis album in 2025 wasn’t on my bingo card. Very unexpected but highly appreciated. Exactly what you would expect from these guys. Urgent, passionate hardcore. A very nice surprise. Makes me want to burn down a McDonalds.
FFO: Anarchism, Crimthinc, Cars on fire with no one at the wheel
Standout Tracks: Power, Embers, Last Words
Listen/Purchase HERE: https://crimethinc.bandcamp.com/album/hope-against-hope
Skinhead - It’s a Beautiful Day, What a Beautiful Day - Closed Casket
A masterclass in lyrical storytelling. Packaged up with catchy, oi influenced hardcore. “Dreams” might be one of my favorite songs this year.
FFO: Fucked up, Criminal Instinct, Hooligans
Standout Tracks: Dreams, Ancient History, Separate Checks
Listen/Purchase HERE: https://skinhead.bandcamp.com/album/its-a-beautiful-day-what-a-beautiful-day
Evoken - Mendacium - Profound Lore
The kings of Funeral Doom are back. You know it’s a good sign when they put the OG logo on the new album. And that’s what you get here, it takes everything that was great about Hypnogagia, and went even further. It feels like a return to form, there are moments that remind me of “Embrace The Emptiness” and that era of the band. A great addition to their discography.
FFO: Mournful Congregation, Asunder
Standout/Tracks: Lauds, None
Listen/Purchase HERE: https://evokenofficial.bandcamp.com/album/mendacium
Sabrina Carpenter - Man’s Best Friend - Island
I un-ironically LOVE this album. Incredibly catchy pop, with just a tiny twang of country influence.
FFO: Basic Pop
Standout Tracks: Nobody’s Son, House Tour, Goodbye
Dark Thoughts - Highway To The End - Stupid Bag Records
I don’t think I need to explain the references here, if you like the Ramones… you’ll love this record. I’ve enjoyed every record this band has done, they just keep nailing this sound flawlessly.
FFO: THE RAMONES
Noteworthy Tracks: So Alone, Sweet Success
Listen/Purchase HERE: https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/highway-to-the-end-lp
Teitanblood - From The Visceral Abyss - Norma Evangelium Diaboli
Wow, just wow. Pure sonic fury, a war metal record on the surface but pure death metal dissonance at heart. Oozing style and atmosphere. A+
FFO: Antichrist Siege Machine, Heresiarch, Pissgrave
Standout Tracks: Honestly run the whole album front to back. That’s how it’s meant to be listened in my opinion
Listen/Purchase HERE: https://teitanblood.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-visceral-abyss
Caustic Wound - Grinding Mechanism of Torment - Profound Lore
It’s not to say the last record didn’t stand out, but this record is absolutely incredible. Pure grinding death madness. Took everything from their previous album and ramped it up several levels. Blistering fast blast beats (used to love seeing Psychic Limb, just for Casey Moore alone), blazing riffs and divebombs as far as the eye can see. I had the pleasure of seeing them play this album front to back live and it was awesome.
FFO: Assuck, Miasmic Necrosis, Insect Warfare
Standout Tracks: Blackout, …into Cold Deaf Universe, The Bleed Trail
Listen/Purchase HERE: https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/grinding-mechanism-of-torment
Inmates - Role Of God - Iron Lung
This record sounds like a perfect blend of GISM and Victim In Pain era AF… something I didn’t know I wanted, but I’m glad I got it.
FFO: Clevo Hardcore, Agnostic Front, GISM, Airborne couches
Standout Tracks: Church Ladies, Funsucka
Listen/Purchase HERE: https://ironlungrecords.bandcamp.com/album/role-of-god-lungs-292
Paul Riedl- <<Demystification>> // <<Forestscapes>> - Special Low Frequency
Maybe I’m biased, but I always enjoy Paul’s work. So no surprise his new full length that came out at the tail end of the year has been on repeat for me. Warm ambience to close your eyes to, be taken away to a peaceful place. He’s really outdone himself this time, I haven’t got the vinyl of it just yet, so I can only assume how great that sounds on my turntable.
FFO: Hoverkraft, Steve Roach, Daydreaming in the warm sun
Standout Tracks: Into The Solar Prominence, Song For My Wife’s Love
Purchase/Listen HERE: https://paulriedl.bandcamp.com/album/demystification-forestscapes
Scarab - Burn After Listening - Rebirth Records
13 minutes of pure sonic chaos. Angst and hate filled lyrics and a near perfect production. It’s over before you even have a second to digest. Multiple listens required.
FFO: Nails, Terror, Cursed
Standout Tracks: Animal In Pain, Ugly, Withdrawn
Listen/Purchase HERE: https://rebirthrecordsphl.bandcamp.com/album/scarab-burn-after-listening
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Runemagick, Rich Brian, Malakim, Hooded Menace, Innumerable Forms, Lovesick
SBC’S best FILMS of 2025
I went to the movies A LOT again this year. here’s what stuck out according to my Letterboxed
One Battle After Another
Good lord. This was incredible. Dare I say a perfect film. Possibly my favorite DiCaprio, Penn and Del Toro roles. Easily. Wish I got to see it in Vistavision.
Bugonia
Jessie Plemons is a national treasure.
Keeper
OsGood Perkins is 3 for 3 in my humble opinion. This nailed an atmosphere for me.
Weapons
This one was great, real gruesome and tense.
Bring Her Back
This movie made me feel bad. There was a scene or two that really made me wince and movies don’t easily do that to me. Better than Talk To Me.
Caught Stealing
I swear to god, that cat better get an award for this. Nice to see the neighborhood I grew up in as a centralized focus in a movie.
Honorable Mentions:
Sinners, Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, Sorry Baby, Frankenstein.
That’s about it for me I think. Last year I think I included video games and tv but I only really played two new games this year, Death Stranding 2 and Clair Obscura expedition 33. As for TV, I loved the show TASK and the new season of Smiling Friends. Currently enjoying Welcome to Derry and Pleburus. Anyways, goodbye for now. Catch ya in the next year.
-L