What’s occurring, metal fam? July 2025 was no lazy summer holiday—it was a month of riffs, gutturals, power-metal charges, and even some saxophone madness (yep, cheers Daron Malakian 😅). From underground filth to stadium-ready anthems, this month melted faces harder than a Newport kebab shop fryer at 2am.
🎶 July 2025 Albums That Melt Faces
⚡ Alt/Nu-Metal Madness
- Daron Malakian & Scars on Broadway – Addicted to the Violence (July 18)
The System of a Down riff wizard returned with his third solo album. A one-man band effort stacked with distorted grooves, quirky vocals, and even a bloody sax solo. It’s unhinged, unpredictable, and absolutely brilliant.
⚡ Deathcore Carnage
- Slaughter to Prevail – Grizzly (July 18)
Alex Terrible and his Russian wrecking crew dropped their third LP—a beast of guttural roars, savage breakdowns, and brutal guest vocals from Babymetal. Yep, kawaii meets caveman deathcore. Proper chaos, butt.
⚡ Power-Metal Heroics
- Warkings – Armageddon (July 4)
The kings of battle anthems return, galloping into the fray with choirs, soaring solos, and more swords-and-shields imagery than a Valleys LARP weekend. Cheesy as hell, but lush fun.
🤘 Critics’ Darlings – July’s Hidden Gems
PopMatters’ MetalMatters list highlighted shadowy, avant-garde treasures:
- Axis of Light – To the Great Unbearing North
- Blind Equation – A Funeral in Purgatory
- Cénotaphe – Chimères
- Dephosphorus – Planetoktonos
- Sigh – [new madness]
- Wytch Hazel, Venus Star, Vésperal and loads more underground brilliance.
Heavy Music HQ faves:
- Scalp – Not Worthy Of Human Compassion – savage death-grind filth.
- Abigail Williams – A Void Within Existence – blackened melody with haunting riffs.
- Ba’al – The Fine Line Between Heaven And Here – post-black melancholy with melodeath edges.
- In The Company of Serpents – A Crack in Everything – doom meets Americana dust.
🎵 Singles That Hit Like Thor’s Hammer
- Deftones – “My Mind Is a Mountain” (July 10)
Five years since their last track, Deftones returned with a shoegaze-soaked alt-metal masterpiece. Heavy yet dreamy—Chino Moreno still owns that whisper-to-scream magic. - President – “Rage” (July 18)
Masked mystery band unveiled a synth-laced, Dylan Thomas-inspired stomper. Premiered at Download Festival, this one comes wrapped in cathedral visuals and pounding electronics. - Other July highlights:
- Babymetal (feat. Bloodywood) – “Kon! Kon!” – kawaii collides with folk-metal stomp.
- Paradise Lost – “Serpent on the Cross” – gothic misery still going strong.
- Halestorm, Tom Morello, Ice Nine Kills – all firing out fresh summer bangers.
⚡ Quickfire July Shred-Level Index
| Category | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Alt/Nu-Metal Revival | Addicted to the Violence – Daron Malakian & Scars on Broadway |
| Deathcore Carnage | Grizzly – Slaughter to Prevail |
| Power-Metal Anthemics | Armageddon – Warkings |
| Critics’ Faves | Not Worthy… (Scalp), A Void Within Existence (Abigail Williams), The Fine Line… (Ba’al), avant-garde obscurities like Axis of Light & Sigh |
| Singles That Ruled | “My Mind Is a Mountain” (Deftones), “Rage” (President), plus Babymetal/Bloodywood, Paradise Lost, Halestorm & more |
🤘 Final Riff
July 2025 was stacked—alt-metal royalty returning, deathcore beasts breaking bones, power-metal warlords galloping into battle, and underground gems keeping things filthy. Add in Deftones’ massive comeback and President’s mysterious stomp, and you’ve got a month where every corner of rock and metal fired on all cylinders.
The summer of riffs is in full swing, butt—so keep your horns high, your pint cold, and your playlists loud. YESS MUN! 🍻🔥
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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