Whatโs occurring, riff fiends? May 2025 wasnโt about daffodils or Maypole dancingโit was about riffs, rage, and records that hit harder than a Valleys pub lock-in. From blasphemous blackened death to chart-smashing alt-metal, this month was stacked with noise, chaos, and more than a few hangovers. Letโs dive in. ๐ป
๐ถ May 2025 Albums That Broke Skulls
- Behemoth โ The Shit Ov God (May 9)
Polandโs blackened death-metal overlords returned with their thirteenth studio album, and itโs as subtle as a dragon crashing through your roof. Kerrang! hailed it as โtranscendental musical darkness,โ while Blabbermouth crowned it their โfinest in a decade.โ If you want blasphemy with blast beatsโthis is it. ๐ฅ - Sleep Token โ Even in Arcadia (May 9)
The mysterious masked collective smashed the charts, landing a No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and putting all ten tracks on the Hot 100. Thatโs pop-star level madness from a โmetalโ band. But critics reckon it drifted too far into rap/pop territoryโless riffs, more TikTok vibes. Love it or hate it, this album owned May. - Hate โ Bellum Regiis (May 2)
Fellow Poles Hate kept it bleak with walls of blackened death fury. Still ferocious, still devastating, and still the sort of record that makes your nan mutter, โTurn that bloody noise off.โ ๐ค - Swans โ Birthing (May 30)
Nearly two hours of crushing experimental soundscapes. Swans donโt write albumsโthey build sonic black holes. Word is this could be their last colossal โall-consumingโ statement. If youโve got the patience (and strong ears), itโs a masterpiece. ๐
๐ค Criticsโ Picks โ The Mayhem Favourites
The tastemakers went wild for:
- Nightfall โ Children of Eve
Greek blackened death with atmosphere and rage. One of the monthโs most praised releases. - Cwfen โ Sorrows
Scottish doom-shoegaze that sounds like My Bloody Valentine got trapped in a mausoleum. Gorgeous misery. - Slow Fall โ Blood Eclipse
Finnish melodeath that balances savage riffs with piano-led balladry. Who knew corpse paint and melancholy could be so lush?
๐ต Singles That Smacked Hard in May
The one-offs that rattled skulls and playlists:
- Part Of The Theory โ โFamished Mammonโ โ proggy, symphonic, Balkan folk-tinged metal that won Metal Hammerโs poll.
- Parkway Drive โ โSacredโ โ the Aussie metalcore kings returned swinging.
- Orbit Culture โ โThe Tales of Warโ โ furious melodeath carnage.
- Attack Attack! โ โDanceโ (feat. Will Ramos) โ yes, the crabcore lads roped in Lorna Shoreโs beast for a breakdown fest. ๐ฆ๐ฅ
- Full Of Hell โ โBroken Sword, Rotten Shieldโ โ grind madness.
- Mawiza โ โWingkawnoamโ โ Colombian thrash blending native rhythms with metallic rage.
And thatโs not allโearly May saw chaos from Loathe, Death Angel, Shadows Fall, Signs of the Swarm, Heaven Shall Burn, and Immortal Disfigurement. Basically, every Spotify โNew Metalโ playlist was on fire.
โก Quickfire May Shred-Level Index
| Category | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Extreme Metal Albums | The Shit Ov God (Behemoth), Bellum Regiis (Hate) |
| Chart-Smashing Madness | Even in Arcadia (Sleep Token) |
| Experimental Mammoth | Birthing (Swans) |
| Criticsโ Darlings | Children of Eve (Nightfall), Sorrows (Cwfen), Blood Eclipse (Slow Fall) |
| Singles That Ripped | โFamished Mammonโ, โSacredโ, โThe Tales of Warโ, โDanceโ, โBroken Sword, Rotten Shieldโ, โWingkawnoamโ + tracks from Loathe, Death Angel & more |
๐ค Final Riff
May 2025 was pure carnage: Behemoth blasphemed, Sleep Token conquered charts, Swans swallowed galaxies, and Hate refused to slow down. Add in a flood of savage singles, and youโve got one of the most stacked months of the year so far.
Forget sunny days and BBQsโthis was about riffs, pits, and pint-fuelled destruction. And butt, if this is only May, Juneโs about to tear our heads off. YESS MUN! โก๐บ












