The NwothmPablo’s top 10 releases of 2025
As 2025 draws to a close, our team has been eager to highlight the year’s standout heavy metal releases. This time, the spotlight falls on our talented South American contributor, Pablo, who curated his personal Top 10 list. Here are the bands that made the cut! Do you agree with his picks?
Helm Deep – Chasing Dragon
Aesthetically and musically it feels fresh, combining Eastern and Western elements within a futuristic setting. This does not remain only in the imagery or the lyrics, but is fully present in the songs themselves. There are Dorian scales, clever instrumental sections, and a powerful vocal performance that recalls King Diamond, all supported by an excellent final mix.
Ambush – Evil In All Dimensions
Brutal, a pure declaration of war. Banner songs, metal anthems forged from dynamite and napalm. The Swedes are at their creative peak, and from the very first singles you could already smell real, old-school heavy metal, well played. Overwhelming like an armored tank, sharp as bayonets, dangerous as an atomic bomb.
Crimson Storm – Livin’ On The Bad Side
It masterfully captures the entire hard rock vibe of the seventies, with excellent production that highlights its rough, heavy metal phrasing. It is the perfect soundtrack for getting on a motorcycle and, hair blowing in the wind, watching the sun disappear on the horizon between towering buildings lit by neon lights.
Hyena – About Rock And Roll
Along similar lines to Crimson Storm, this Peruvian band engages closely with the South American scene, drawing from major references such as Colombia’s Axe Steeler, Chile’s Acero Letal, or Argentina’s Innerforce. This is heavy metal of the old school, unapologetically combining aggressive, streetwise solos with elements of speed and even power metal.
Starforce – Beyond The Eternal Night
Epic songs do not have to be set during a castle siege or a medieval battle. They can also travel through space, carried by a female voice, reverberated and distant, like a laser beam cutting through the galaxies. This album blends the best of speed metal with NWOBHM-style heavy metal from the first wave, relying more on grit than on grand resources. There is a song sung in Spanish, a ballad that sounds absolutely crushing.
Speedclaw -Stardust
Speedclaw’s album stands strong on its identity: speed, instrumental clarity, and unfiltered eighties energy. The production is clean, the mix lets every instrument breathe, and the bass(rare in this kind of release) commands attention. There is internal coherence, momentum between tracks, and a genuine understanding of the heavy and speed metal legacy.
Sintage -Unbound Triumph
This album makes it clear that Sintage knows the weapons of classic heavy and speed metal and how to sharpen them in 2025. Spiraled riffs, racing sections, ballads leaning toward the progressive and nods to the heroes of the eighties. Even if the bass is left behind in some passages and there are moments where the vocals could blend better, the energy, the variety of structures and the care in the mix shape a clear personality and a vibrant pulse. The band avoids monotony, dares to balance harshness with emotion and delivers a solid and memorable work, with songs destined to remain staples in their live repertoire.
Owlbear -Feather & Claws
From the final mix to the excellence of its musicians, passing through the heroic themes, Katy Scary’s outstanding vocals, and the lyrics filled with tabletop RPG stories—everything is well thought out and executed. Each song seeks to draw you in with its storytelling. The album’s artwork is more than adequate; however, it doesn’t fully capture the speed, the musicians’ technique, and the epic aggression the band delivers. That aside, this is a memorable work, and the only thing we, as fans of this genre, ask for is that they keep composing and delighting us with such great songs.
Prehistoria – Cryptic Halo
Prehistoria borrows those crushing and brutal rhythms of early Blind Guardian, a steroid-fueled, razor-sharp power metal, moving into fast drumming closer to raw black metal, all without losing the essence of heavy metal. Melodic passages, epic choruses, and powerful, inspired solos remain central. Prehistoria will appeal to anyone who enjoys exploring different metal frameworks, always with a heavy metal heart running at full throttle.
Iron Spell – From the Grave
A tribute to horror films and television series, as well as to literature, built on galloping bass lines, forceful drumming, and a masterful blend of eighties Iron Maiden, with its cinematic and atmospheric solos, and a darker, more malevolent strain of heavy metal in the vein of Mercyful Fate. Listening to the album is a guaranteed journey into the heart of darkness, into the shadowed side of the human condition.
Pablo’s Posts
#AMBUSH #crimsonStorm #HeavyMetal #hyena #IronSpell #NewAlbum #NewWaveOfTraditionalHeavyMetal #NWOTHM #owlbear #PablosTop102025 #Prehistoria #sintage #Speedclaw #Starforce #thenwothm #thenwothmCom #top10ReleasesOf2025
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