Album of the year 2025: Opia - “I Welcome Thee, Eternal Sleep”. Much as I can enjoy happy, uplifting music, there's a definite place for music that puts you through the wringer emotionally. This is an absolute, gothic masterpiece, and a worthy album of the year. youtu.be/odCQAQgf-jQ?...
Albums of 2025 no. 2: Cwfen - “Sorrows”. A brilliant debut. The vocals grabbed me at first, but then there are the guitars sounding like John McGeoch meets Tony Iommi. youtu.be/R4ElqI1RZGM?...
Albums of 2025 no. 3: Saor - “Amidst the Ruins”. This album makes me want to sit by a fire with a whisky admiring the highland landscape. (It was pretty sublime played live at the Exchange this year, though, as well as the first time I'd seen bagpipes on a stage that small.) youtu.be/zSvHI7EHyAw?...
Albums of 2025 no. 4: Ofnus - “Valediction”. I wasn't sure how Ofnus could follow their epic, cinematic debut, but it turns out that adding a heavier sound to an album about grief made for something even better. youtu.be/x__7zIYlTB8?...
"At first glance [it] might seem like a carefree album about drinking... it's a story of loss... about drowning your grief in alcohol... at some point, you even start having a little fun. You go on a binge because it feels like there’s nothing left to lose... eventually, the hangover catches up..."
![Hangover in Minsk - Devil In Me Wants To Dance [FIRST BAND SINGLE PREMIERE]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7iyqcbtqpk5p6sdgns6fj6an/bafkreidzd43nzde6fyeunijercvnpkxghgpx5bg7vegdu2yuwh3jb73eqi)
Albums of 2025 no. 5: Hangover in Minsk – "Party is Over”. A side-project of the brilliant Dymna Lotva, but worthy in it's own right. youtu.be/4DqzLjoWHbU?...
Albums of 2025 no. 6: Frayle - “Heretics and Lullabies”. A band I fnally got to see live this year, and it was every bit as good as I'd hoped. This has to be their best album (and yes, it does include a Lana Del Ray cover.) youtu.be/my26tU0KeLA?...
Albums of 2025 no. 7: Æl-Fierlen - "All is Far Away". Gorgeous blackened, shoegazey folk metal.
youtu.be/g2DAtgbrCU0?...
Albums of 2025 no 8: Coltaine - “Brandung”. The previous incarnation of the band, Witchfucker, topped my list in 2020 with "Afterhour In Walhalla", and this is easily the best thing they've done since then. Hoping to get to see them live finally as well in 2026. www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzOl...
Albums of 2025 no 9: Conjurer - "Unself". I suspect this could have been higher if it had come out earlier in the year, as I'm still getting to grips with it. Still a very accomplished album, though, and I'm looking forward to seeing them live again next year.
youtu.be/VdcHE0OjS7Q?...
Albums of 2025. No 10: John McKay - “Sixes and Sevens”. The guitarist on the first 2 Banshees albums recorded this over the course of the 80s, but it was only ever released this year. It's easy to forget what an original and innovative guitarist he was. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vveT...
Albums of 2025. It's that time already. I'm going to keep it strictly to a top 10, for once.
Man with beard smiling and holding a copy of a book, Wasted Opprotunities by Dan Hawcroft
I won something! I actually won something! A guy who used to be Lemmy's PA has written a book cum multimedia thingy about his time with him and appeared on @primordialradio.bsky.social's podcast. And I won a copy from the station. All the funny, but affectionate anecdotes! #metalsky
I had a FB memory from 7 years ago today saying people needed to see Ward XVI, and also listen to their debut album. Instead of sharing it, let me point you to their brand new album that came out today. It's the final part of their trilogy, and is essential listening. earache.com/collections/...
Won't they learn? Primordial Radio has let me & Big Phil join Blunty for another 2-hour viking & folk metal solstice special. We'll be spinning some 2025 favourites (all the mushroom juice), and then fininshing with some bangers. This Saturday from 2-4PM BST. Listen for free at primordialradio.com
Sad to hear of the passing of Gang of Four and Shriekback bassist Dave Allen. What a sound he had. youtu.be/7R0QZa9i3ik?...
Two tabby cats asleep nose to tail on a bed
A big fuck cancer for Wildheart (left), who we had to say goodbye to this afternoon. For such a tiny cat, she's left a huge hole in our lives.
Sponsored Facebook ad from The Whisky Exchange for Buckfast tonic wine.
Go Home Whisky Exchange, you've had too many of your own products today.
Excellent news - Demonic Resurrection are supporting Bloodywood. I never really expected to see them again, so I'm made up. Bloodywood are great live as aell, and I really enyoyed Calva Louise last year (that keyboard - IYKYK). Anyone going to Bristol, I'll see you in The Gryphon before #metalsky
You too! We're definitely planning to come up next year - @estpinkdent.bsky.social is already reading up about Inverness.
Man with long beard coloured red, blue and purple and wearing a dinner suit; woman with multi-coloured hair weating smart green dress
When metalheads do #burnssupper. Don't think @estpinkdent.bsky.social and I scrubbed up too badly for the Primordial Radio Burns Supper 2025.
📷 MTG Photo
I enjoyed the #23Daysof4AD thing, but now I really feel the need to post some metal. Let's have some Moon Reaper, as I'm wearing their shirt today. One of the most exciting underground bands around at the moment. #metaksky youtu.be/xxhtVk8ZYy8?...
#23Daysof4AD day 23. Thing 2. I started this #musicchallenge with Cocteau Twins, so let's finish it with them as well. youtu.be/u0upaIZF_gA?...
#23Daysof4AD day 23. Thing 1. The final day of this #musicchallenge. One of my favourite 4AD songs somehow hasn't featured so far, so here we go. youtu.be/YNqV_qA_TaQ?...
#23Daysof4AD day 22 thing 2. Love this track. youtu.be/wANv31sHYrk?...
#23Daysof4AD day 22 thing 2. Love this track. youtu.be/wANv31sHYrk?...
#23Daysof4AD Day 22. This wasn't the plan for the penultimate day of this #musicchallenge, but I played Pod last night, and enjoyed it so much that I had to post a couple more from it today. This one is a Beetles cover, but I'm sure you alreadyknow that youtu.be/mpHScoWJdvA?...
creu-xda6 here, thanks 🤘
#23Daysof4AD day 21 thing 2. Here's another track Dead Can Dance played that evening, one of a couple of their This Mortal Coil tracks in the set. This was an unexpected highlight (along with Ocean and of course Dreams made Flesh)
youtu.be/NEq6ObRjXi8?...
![LISA GERRARD | SWANS [1995]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7iyqcbtqpk5p6sdgns6fj6an/bafkreicmwnpj3yizegxsxojj27nfdme2p6lqnjysfwclp3lsbgdh5dx6xa)
I asked her to sign my ticket, and she drew the moustache of the security guard who was trying to get us to leave. Sadly, it's long lost in various house moves over the years. This was on the set that evening, before she eventually released it as a solo track. youtu.be/lgr8G1JeZmo?...
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