Oi oi, rock ‘n’ metal fam—grab your air guitars, crank that volume to 11, and get ready for the January 2025 rundown! Here’s what’s been dropping in the riff-heavy, shouty world of ROCK & METAL, served with a side of cheeky Cymraeg flavour. 🤘🏴
🎶 January 2025 Albums That Bring the Noise
⚡ Heavy Metal Hotness (Jan 10 releases went OFF)
- Alt Blk Era – Rave Immortal
- Barshasketh – Antinomian Asceticism
- Ex Deo – Year of the Four Emperors EP
- Faithxtractor – Loathing & The Noose
- Haunted Horses – Dweller
- Magnum – Live At KK’s Steel Mill
- Maw – The Humble Collapse
- Moon Wizard – Sirens
That’s a tidy stack of riffs to kick the year off. Proper job, mun! 🤯🎤
🤘 Critics’ Favourites of the Month
Treble rang the alarm with some tasty picks:
- The Great Old Ones – Kadath
- Besna – Krásno
- Uulliata Digir – Uulliata Digir
- Trauma Bond – Summer Ends
Meanwhile, PopMatters’ MetalMatters crew couldn’t shut up about:
- Dax Riggs (yes, the dark crooner is BACK)
- Sacrifice proving thrash never dies
- Necromaniac summoning proto-death/black nightmares
Nightmare fuel, riffs sharper than dragon teeth, and the kind of chaos you want soundtracking a bar fight in Swansea. 🐉🥊
🌑 Post-Black Metal & Atmospheric Carnage
Invisible Oranges spotlighted:
- Harakiri for the Sky – Scorched Earth (week of Jan 19–25)
A melancholic monster of an album. Perfect for staring at the rain in Cardiff while pretending you’re in a tragic black metal music video. 🌧️🖤
🎵 Singles to Rock Your Socks Off (January 2025)
Dead Rhetoric rounded up the bangers worth smashing repeat on:
- As December Falls – “Therapy”
- Ave Mujica – “KiLLKiSS”
- Band-Maid – “Zen”
- Cyhra – “Superman”
- City of the Weak – “STFAFM…”
- Plus killer drops from Conquer Divide, Diablevoix, Dimrays, East of Eden, Lilac & Lotus, and more.
Whether you’re a headbanger, emo-screamer, or “just here for the riffs,” there’s something to blast while you spill your pint in the pit. 🍺💥
⚡ Quickfire January Shred-Level Index
| Category | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Heavy Metal Albums | Rave Immortal, Antinomian Asceticism, Dweller, The Humble Collapse, Sirens |
| Critics’ Top Picks | Kadath, Krásno, Uulliata Digir, Summer Ends, Dax Riggs comeback, Sacrifice, Necromaniac |
| Post-Black Metal | Scorched Earth – Harakiri for the Sky |
| Singles to Rock | “Therapy”, “KiLLKiSS”, “Zen”, “Superman”, “STFAFM…” and more |
🤘 Final Riff
So there ya have it, butt—a proper January stacked with feral riffs, melancholic screams, and face-melting licks. A month where metalheads could feast like kings (and queens 👑), while the rest of the world is still faffing with dry January. Pfft.
C’mon, turn it up, grab a pint, and let’s make 2025 the loudest year yet. YESS MUN! 🎤🔥
Diolch for cruising The Riff Report Blog—where every day is a front-row mosh. 🤟
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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