And here we are. If you’re in my very niche line of work (nerding out about music on the internet and constantly recommending stuff in various forms – mom’s probably proud), the spring and fall months hit very hard. March and April are usually crazy with releases, as are September and October – and April 2025 hit especially hard. I tried my best to slow down and find a rite of passage to bring you the best the month had to offer. Cool? Cool!
Snooze – I KNOW HOW YOU WILL DIE
April 4 // Independent
Snooze started as one of those math rock bands – a little bit twinkly, a bit emo and a lot of noodling. So naturally, their new album I KNOW HOW YOU WILL DIE is a pleasant surprise, because it’s a fresh take on the math rock formula, ending up being no math rock at all, but an amalgamation from a myriad of different elements and influences.
Panchiko – Ginkgo
April 4 // Nettwerk
The history of this band and how we ended up with this album in the first place is interesting in and of itself, but we’re here to focus on Panchiko‘s new album Ginkgo – a record I can’t praise enough. There’s definitely a Radiohead-ishness to this record, but it’s less pretentious, more down-to-earth, and so damn warm. It also has a Billy Woods feature, and that’s awesome.
Sarah Mary Chadwick – Take Me Out To a Bar / What Am I, Gatsby?
April 4 // Kill Rock Stars
Jane Remover – Revengeseekerz
April 4 // DeadAir
After fucking me up emotionally in a good way with her debut album Census Designated and her in-between side project venturing, my hopes were high for Revengeseekerz – and while the album is not as accessilble as Jane Remover‘s previous material, it flourishes into something truly special if you are patient enough to give it time.
Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals – A City Drowned in God’s Black Tears
April 4 // Phantom Limb
I’ve already talked about some picks for the best rap of 2025 – mainly Saba and John Glacier – but damn, this album will make it very hard for all the other hip hop this year. Probably the rap album that had the biggest impact on the hip hop enthusiasts on our team, which says a lot since we all come from different angles of appreciation for the genre. Nevertheless, A City Drown in God’s Black Tears absolutely crushed it.
Chestcrush – ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ
April 4 // Independent
Oh, the beautiful gerumpel. This Scottish band has absolutely destroyed it with their new album, one of the heaviest and most disgusting extreme metal records of the year. With a thick and modern production, Chestcrush mixes blackend death metal with sludge, adding dissonant soundscapes and hellish vocals to create something wonderfully disturbing.
Black Country, New Road – Forever Howlong
April 4 // Ninja Tune
Habak – Mil orquídeas en medio del desierto
April 4 // Persistent Vision Records
Kaschalot – Anemoia
April 8 // Independent
Sheldon Agwu – Kintsugi
April 11 // Independent
Elements of hip hop, electronica/IDM and jazz have been thrown into the mix and London-based composer Sheldon Agwu creates beautiful soundscapes. One of those records I know I want to listen to after the first few seconds. Truly relaxing, the album provides a healthy sizzle throughout its runtime, soothing the soul and nurturing the mind.
NEPTUNIAN MAXIMALISM – Le Sacre Du Soleil Invaincu
April 11 // I, Voidhanger Records
There is a cult around Neptunian Maximalism by now, and rightfully so. There is no other project like it out there, and probably no other project that makes I, Voidhanger Records such a great label. Pushing the artistic progress in the forefront, Le Sacre Du Soleil Invaincu continues the intriguing journey Neptunian Maximalism started all those years ago. Very triumphant!
Idle Heirs – Life is Violence
April 11 // Relapse Records
At first I was mostly intrigued by the man behind the mix – Sean Ingram of Coalesce. When I finally got into the album, I was surprised to find so much more. A post-metal record at heart, Idle Heirs is grungy, alt-rocky and gawky, and when it hits, it hits hard. A great debut – I hope there is a real future for this promising project.
Nite Kite – Erratic Erosion
April 11 // Independent
key vs. locket – i felt like a sketch
April 11 // Independent
Final Dose – Under the Eternal Shadow
April 11 // Wolves of Hades
Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE
April 11 // Jagjaguwar
Stander – Collapsing
April 11 // The Garrote
Just the right amount of artistry to balance out the great moments of discovering your inner caveman. This is my first encounter with Chicago-based trio Stander, and what can I say – I fucking love it. There is a tension and directness within Collapsing that is truly captivating, and it makes it one of the most interesting albums in the wider realm of post/sludge stuff.
Big Hands – Thauma
April 11 // Marionette
BLUE YOUTH – Defeatist
April 15 // Zegema Beach Records/The Ghost Is Clear Records
Cave Sermon – Fragile Wings
April 16 // Independent
Divine Laughter was one of the best metal albums of 2024, so when Fragile Wings somehow overshadowed it, I got giggly. Cave Sermon is such an amazing project that simply modernizes extreme metal into fantastic and compelling territory, and while this album may not reach the same quality as its predecessor, I’m still enjoying the shit out of it.
Dormant Ordeal – Tooth and Natil
April 18 // Willowtip Records
Divide and Dissolve – Insatiable
April 18 // Bella Union
Ancient Death – Ego Dissolution
April 18 // Profound Lore Records
Quade – The Foel Tower
April 18 // AD 93
I had never heard of this band before, so I went in with an open mind – and I knew pretty quickly that this was one of my favorite records of the year. What happens on Quade‘s The Foel Tower is hard to explain and best experienced for yourself – but trust me, it’s one of the most intense musical experiences you’ll have all year.
ostraca – Eventualities
April 18 // Persistent Vision Records
They may only be four songs, but they’re four songs from Ostraca, one of the best skramz bands currently active, and I’m grateful for every bit of their artistry. After delivering one of the best albums in the genre in recent memory with Disaster, the band’s ever-evolving sound continues to amaze.
Strandhem – The Silence of Snow
April 19 // Independent
Absolutely mesmerizing blackgaze EP, somewhere between early Alcest and Kauan‘s Sorni Nai. Love this from start to finish, fantastic songs and great sound.
Daniel Herskedal – Movements Of Air
April 25 // Edition Records
Daniel Herskedal is a regular here by now, so it’s no surprise that I’m featuring his releases again. If you like Nordic jazz, you probably already know him – if you have no idea what Nordic jazz means, Daniel’s music is a fantastic starting point.
Bank Myna – EIMURIA
April 25 // Medication Time/Araki Records/Stellar Frequencies
I’m not the biggest fan of the new Messa (although some of my comrades at EIN think otherwise – more power to them), partly because it was overshadowed by the new Bank Myna. EIMURIA is dark, occult and experimental, and I got lost in its depths a few more times than I expected.
Michael Vallera – The Other World
April 25 // Torn Light
Droning, intense ambient soundscapes – compared to Michael Vallera‘s previous material, I was surprised how dark this new album is. Still, there are sparks of hope and healing in it, and in the end, it leaves you wanting more.
Salami Rose Joe Louis – Lorings
April 25 // Brainfeeder
Some of her previous releases had the tendancy to have some kind of forced quirkiness, but Lorings got stripped of all that, leaving it to be the most authentic and intimate project Lindsay Olsen aka Salami Rose Joe Louis ever put out. Electronica-based art pop full of details and rich stories.
Maria Somerville – Luster
April 25 // 4AD
Heith – Escape Lounge
April 25 // PAN
Fly Anakin – (The) Forever Dream
April 25 // Lex Records
Emma-Jean Thackray – Weirdo
April 25 // Brownswood Recordings
Part of the newer London jazz scene, Emma-Jean Thackray turned my head with her last album, Yellow – a very flamboyant, vibrant and quirky take on modern jazz and its reflectiveness. With Weirdo, Thackray is counterintuitively less weird, to her music’s great benefit, with a much more focused vision and more clearly structured ideas.
Djrum – Under Tangled Silence
April 25 // Houndstooth
Djrum is an electronica/IDM artist, but he releases a jazz album by heart. The cascading piano, which is the most prevalent element on Under Tangled Silence, shifts how this album would feel under different circumstances – a very flourishing, lush, and moving piece of music overall.
SUMAC and Moor Mother – The Film
April 25 // Thrill Jockey
Collaborations can invigorate artistry – Full of Hell is proof of that. I didn’t think Sumac needed it, but their collaboration with Moor Mother ended up being the most impressive and captivating achievement of their career. I may be biased because I fucking adore Moor Mother, but that doesn’t make me any less right.
Satomimagae – Taba
April 25 // RVNG Intl.
EMMA GOLDMAN – all you are is we
April 28 // Zegema Beach Records
Thanya Iyer – TIDE/TIED
April 30 // Topshelf Records
Thanks for scrolling.
