This year, I thought I would do something a little different compared to a standard ‘end-of-year list’. There have been plenty of awesome albums, EPs and songs released this year – so for the 24 days of advent, I will be sharing some of my favourite cuts of 2025 along with a short review of each.
Windwaker – Hyperviolence (Expansion Pack)
You don’t need me to tell you again about how awesome Hyperviolence by Windwaker is – you can read my glowing review of it from last year here. So naturally when they released an “expansion pack” for the album featuring four extra tracks, I was naturally ALL OVER THAT.
Three of the tracks are excellent additions. Apathy is perhaps one of the strongest songs Windwaker have ever made, and absolutely begs to be blasted at top volume thanks to the energy and the absolutely massive chorus – I’m really hoping they will play it when I see them in Hamburg in a few weeks! Meanwhile 31.10, despite its short duration, packs a massive punch with the powerful snarled vocals, and Arcane is an earworm that is surely destined to get stuck in your head for a long while after you’re done listening.
But as for Sirens 2.0…well, considering they removed my favourite vocal section near the end of the original song to replace it with some rather lifeless-sounding guest vocals…let’s just leave it at that, along with a recommendation to stick with the OG version of the song if you still need to check the band out 😉
Songs to check out: Apathy, Arcane, 31.10
Purchase here: https://windwaker.bandcamp.com/album/hyperviolence-expansion-pack
Day 01: Orbit Culture – Death Above Life
Day 02: You Win Again Gravity – Don’t Leave Me Here, Part 1
Day 03: Pithy – Agonizing Plexus
Day 04: Septicflesh – Amphibians
Day 05: Karl Casey – White Bat EPs
Day 06: Paradise Lost – Ascension
Day 07: Metamalice – Symphony of the Knife
Day 08: I Prevail – Violent Nature
Day 09: Sheep – Forbidden Fields
Day 10: Dance With The Dead – Psycho Disco
Day 11: Bleed From Within – Zenith
Day 12: Cyberpriest – Cliff The Headhunter (Remixed)
Day 13: Kelluvat Ikkunat – Kelluvat Ikkunat
Day 14: Memoremains – Toxic Devotion
Day 15: Rootbrain – Mothertomb
Day 16: Project Silence – Rotten
Day 17: Labyrinthus Stellarum – Rift in Reality
Day 18: The Villains Have Wings – Not Enough
Day 19: Feuerschwanz – Knightclub
Day 20: Vast Slug – Driving Music
Day 21: Lik – Necro
