# 2025 in heavy metal music
**2025 in heavy metal music** was the year that Ghost and [Sleep Token](https://www.edgepedia.org/sleep-token) both scored number-one metal albums on major charts, [Black Sabbath](https://www.edgepedia.org/black-sabbath) and [Ozzy Osbourne](https://www.edgepedia.org/ozzy-osbourne) ended their career with a single final concert before Osbourne's death 17 days later, and long-running veterans such as Deftones, Deafheaven, Coroner, and Testament released records that dominated year-end critical lists.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Album of the year (critics) | Ghost's *Skeletá*, named album of the year by Metal Hammer, its third such award after *Prequelle* (2018) and *Impera* (2022)[1](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/ghost-skeleta-album-of-the-year-2025) |
| Chart-topping albums | Two new metal number ones: Ghost's *Skeletá* and Sleep Token's *Even In Arcadia*[2](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/metal-hammers-albums-of-the-year-2025) |
| Consensus metal #1 | Deftones' *private music*, their tenth album (August 22), scored 9.5 on rock.news, ahead of Deafheaven's *Lonely People with Power* at 9.3[3](https://rock.news/metal) • [4](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/genre/40-metal/2025/) |
| Biggest commercial metal album | Sleep Token's *Even In Arcadia*, which topped charts on both sides of the Atlantic[5](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/the-best-metal-albums-of-2025-so-far) |
| Major loss | Ozzy Osbourne died 17 days after Black Sabbath's final hometown show in Birmingham[2](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/metal-hammers-albums-of-the-year-2025) |
| Other deaths | Ace Frehley, Brent Hinds, and Tomas Lindberg also died in 2025[6](https://metalinsider.net/columns/metal-by-numbers/metal-by-numbers-2025-full-year-analysis-in-album-sales) |
| Streaming | Rock grew +6.4% year-over-year in U.S. on-demand audio streaming in 2025, one of the largest genre gains[7](https://view.ceros.com/luminate-data/luminate-year-end-music-report-2025-1/p/1) |
| Live | Metal ranked #2 in Bandsintown's 2025 fan engagement, behind Rock and ahead of Alternative[8](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bandsintown-drops-2025-high-notes-fans-festivals-and-genres-that-ruled-the-year-in-live-music-302643915.html) |
## Releases and year-end recognition
Two bands set the commercial agenda. Sleep Token and Ghost each landed a new metal number one during 2025[2](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/metal-hammers-albums-of-the-year-2025), and Metal Hammer judged that even without chart success, Sleep Token's *Even In Arcadia* would easily have been the biggest metal album of 2025[5](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/the-best-metal-albums-of-2025-so-far). The reception was divided: an album by Sleep Token received a 2.3 out of 10 review from Pitchfork, which described it as "sanitized pop-rap with all the sexed-up verve of Droopy the dog"[9](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2025/10/arts-criticism-future/684523/).
**Critical favorites.** Aggregated lists placed Deftones near the top across outlets. *private music*, the band's tenth studio album released August 22, 2025, ranked #1 on Album of The Year's metal chart with a critic score of 87 from 20 reviews[4](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/genre/40-metal/2025/) • [10](https://metalinjection.net/news/rolling-stones-15-best-metal-albums-of-2025-list-is-pretty-solid?message=sme-cleared-site-cache&sfnsn=wiwspwa), and rock.news named it Best Metal Album at 9.5[3](https://rock.news/metal). Other well-reviewed 2025 metal releases with dates from the same aggregate include Spiritbox's *[Tsunami Sea](https://www.edgepedia.org/tsunami-sea)* (March 7, critic score 89), Blackbraid's *Blackbraid III* (August 7, 88), Agriculture's *The Spiritual Sound* (October 3, 86), Deafheaven's *Lonely People With Power* (March 28, 83), and Imperial Triumphant's *Goldstar* (March 21, 87)[4](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/genre/40-metal/2025/).
**Metal Hammer's year-end list.** Metal Hammer's staff and freelancer vote placed Ghost's *Skeletá* at #1, ahead of Lord Of The Lost's *Opvs Noir Vol. 2* at #2 and Testament's *Para Bellum* in the top 20[2](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/metal-hammers-albums-of-the-year-2025) • [11](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/metal-hammer-readers-poll-the-best-metal-albums-of-2025). The reader poll returned the same winner: Ghost took top spot for both critics and readers[11](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/metal-hammer-readers-poll-the-best-metal-albums-of-2025). The reader top 40 also included Deafheaven's *Lonely People With Power* at #28, Jinjer's *Duel* at #26, [Dream Theater](https://www.edgepedia.org/dream-theater)'s *[Parasomnia](https://www.edgepedia.org/parasomnia-album)* at #22, [Arch Enemy](https://www.edgepedia.org/arch-enemy)'s *Blood Dynasty* at #21, and Machine Head's *Unatoned* at #36[11](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/metal-hammer-readers-poll-the-best-metal-albums-of-2025).
## Deaths and the end of Black Sabbath
The year's defining loss was Ozzy Osbourne. Black Sabbath and Osbourne bowed out with a massive hometown gig in Birmingham, and Osbourne died just 17 days later[2](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/metal-hammers-albums-of-the-year-2025). Metal Insider's year-end tally also listed [Ace Frehley](https://www.edgepedia.org/ace-frehley), Brent Hinds, and Tomas Lindberg among the significant deaths of 2025, alongside band quarrels, breakups, and major lineup shifts[6](https://metalinsider.net/columns/metal-by-numbers/metal-by-numbers-2025-full-year-analysis-in-album-sales).
## Veteran comebacks
Legacy acts competed on new material rather than catalog. Coroner returned after 30 years with the technical thrash record *Dissonance Theory*, which critics and fans treated as a genuine career high, and [Paradise Lost](https://www.edgepedia.org/paradise-lost)'s 17th album received widespread acclaim[3](https://rock.news/metal). Testament (*Para Bellum*) and Machine Head (*Unatoned*) also released new albums that appeared on year-end lists[3](https://rock.news/metal) • [11](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/metal-hammer-readers-poll-the-best-metal-albums-of-2025). Loudwire's ranking of the year noted that metal's elders sounded "wholly reinvigorated," competing fiercely with a rising new generation[12](https://loudwire.com/best-metal-albums-2025-ranked/).
## Trends: blackgaze and the underground
**Bright black metal.** rock.news's year-in-metal analysis reported that traditional lo-fi black metal was pushed aside in 2025 as [Deafheaven](https://www.edgepedia.org/deafheaven) and [Agriculture](https://www.edgepedia.org/agriculture) led a move toward dynamic, emotionally expansive blackgaze described as "ecstatic rather than nihilistic"[3](https://rock.news/metal). Agriculture, a Los Angeles band billing itself as an "ecstatic" black metal band, followed its 2023 self-titled debut with *The Spiritual Sound* in October[13](https://www.metacritic.com/news/best-music-of-2025/).
The underground remained productive alongside the tentpoles. Metal Hammer's round-up of overlooked records highlighted Ancient Death's full-length debut *Ego Dissolution* in space metal, the [Minneapolis](https://www.edgepedia.org/minneapolis) post-metal duo Melpomene's debut *A Body Is A Suggestion*, and Obscure Sphinx's *Emovere*, the Polish sludge band's first new music in nine years[14](https://www.loudersound.com/features/best-obscure-metal-albums-2025). Bandcamp Daily's year-end list framed 2025 as a strong year at every level, spanning veteran comebacks, out-of-nowhere debuts, and records by perennial greats[15](https://daily.bandcamp.com/best-of-2025/the-best-metal-albums-of-2025?from=hp_feat_ed).
## Charts, streaming, and live
On U.S. radio, the Mediabase Active Rock year-end chart for 2025 was led by Falling In Reverse f/SARAYA's "E - Bad Guy" on Epitaph, with Sleep Token's "Emergence," Ghost's "Lachryma" and "Satanized," [Linkin Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/linkin-park)'s "The Emptiness Machine," and [Bad Omens](https://www.edgepedia.org/bad-omens)' "Specter" among the year's biggest titles[16](https://pdf.mediabase.com/yearend25/YearEnd2025_US.pdf).
Streaming data pointed the same direction as live figures. Rock grew its share of U.S. audio streaming more than almost any major genre in 2025, with a +6.4% year-over-year increase in on-demand audio volume[7](https://view.ceros.com/luminate-data/luminate-year-end-music-report-2025-1/p/1), and metal placed #2 in Bandsintown's fan-engagement ranking for the year[8](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bandsintown-drops-2025-high-notes-fans-festivals-and-genres-that-ruled-the-year-in-live-music-302643915.html).
The genre's geographic spread also showed. In [Madagascar](https://www.edgepedia.org/madagascar), the annual Rage of Rock festival continued and Gasy MetalHead held its 2025 edition in April, part of a scene whose metalheads played a visible role in a broader youth artistic movement[17](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/m-le-mag/article/2025/12/21/madagascar-s-metalheads-lead-charge-of-anger-it-s-easier-to-make-yourself-heard-when-you-scream_6748730_117.html).
## References
1. [Ghost's *Skeletá* named album of the year by Metal Hammer, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/ghost-skeleta-album-of-the-year-2025)
2. [Metal Hammer's albums of the year: 2025, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/metal-hammers-albums-of-the-year-2025)
3. [Best Metal Albums 2025, rock.news](https://rock.news/metal)
4. [The Best Metal Albums of 2025, Album of The Year](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/genre/40-metal/2025/)
5. [The best metal albums of 2025 (so far), Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/the-best-metal-albums-of-2025-so-far)
6. [Metal By Numbers 2025: Full year analysis in album sales, Metal Insider](https://metalinsider.net/columns/metal-by-numbers/metal-by-numbers-2025-full-year-analysis-in-album-sales)
7. [Luminate Year-End Music Report 2025](https://view.ceros.com/luminate-data/luminate-year-end-music-report-2025-1/p/1)
8. [Bandsintown Drops 2025 High Notes, PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bandsintown-drops-2025-high-notes-fans-festivals-and-genres-that-ruled-the-year-in-live-music-302643915.html)
9. [Traditional Criticism Is in Trouble, The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2025/10/arts-criticism-future/684523/)
10. [Rolling Stone's 15 Best Metal Albums Of 2025, Metal Injection](https://metalinjection.net/news/rolling-stones-15-best-metal-albums-of-2025-list-is-pretty-solid?message=sme-cleared-site-cache&sfnsn=wiwspwa)
11. [Metal Hammer reader's poll: the best metal albums of 2025, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/metal-hammer-readers-poll-the-best-metal-albums-of-2025)
12. [The 13 Best Metal Albums of 2025 (Ranked), Loudwire](https://loudwire.com/best-metal-albums-2025-ranked/)
13. [The 40 Best Albums of 2025, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/news/best-music-of-2025/)
14. [The best metal albums that you almost definitely missed in 2025, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/features/best-obscure-metal-albums-2025)
15. [The Best Metal Albums of 2025, Bandcamp Daily](https://daily.bandcamp.com/best-of-2025/the-best-metal-albums-of-2025?from=hp_feat_ed)
16. [Mediabase 2025 USA Year-End Chart](https://pdf.mediabase.com/yearend25/YearEnd2025_US.pdf)
17. [Madagascar's metalheads lead charge of anger, Le Monde](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/m-le-mag/article/2025/12/21/madagascar-s-metalheads-lead-charge-of-anger-it-s-easier-to-make-yourself-heard-when-you-scream_6748730_117.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music institutions and events › Music festivals › Music festivals by year*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license