korine — news — Stille Records

In some years three or four releases dominate most year end lists, but 2025 was different. The wide range of records championed on 2025’s year end lists is emblematic of the sheer volume of great music being released each year (especially in the world of hardcore, metal & punk). Honestly, any of the 20 records below could have easily ended up in my top five, but Agriculture gets the crown. The Spiritual Sound is Agriculture’s best yet & exactly the type of transcendent, beautiful, queer black metal that we need right now.

I always strive to read more and this year I actually did it. Thanks to the Chicago Public Library & audiobooks on the commute to work, I spent a lot of time with some great books. I added my favorite 10 books I read this year….some were new while others have been sitting on the shelf for years.

I hope you find something on the list below that speaks to you & check it out. My first listening journey of 2026 will be checking out all the cool shit on other year end lists that I missed earlier in the year.

-vh

Best Records of 2025

1 - Agriculture - The Spiritual Sound

2 - Lambrini Girls - Who Let the Dogs Out

3 - Militarie Gun - God Save the Gun

4 - XweaponX - Demo 2

5 - Korine - A Flame in the Dark

6 - Anxious - Bambi

7 - Ragana & Drowse - Ash Souvenir

8 - Graham Hunt - Timeless World Forever

9 - Gruesome - Silent Echoes

10 - MSPAINT - No Separation

11 - Cloakroom - Last Leg of the Human Table

12 - Yellow Eyes - Confusion Gate

13 - Turnstile - Never Enough

14 - Pet Symmetry - Big Symmetry

15 - Deafheaven - Lonely People With Power

16 - End It - Wrong Side of Heaven

17 - Melpomene - A Body Is a Suggestion

18 - Pup - Who Will Look After the Dogs

19 - Basic Needs - The World Isn’t My Concern

20 - Greet Death - Die in Love

Best Books I Read in 2025 (but not necessarily published this year)

1 - Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

2 - The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

3 - A People’s History for the United States: 1492 - Present by Howard Zinn

4 - The Fort Bragg Cartel by Seth Harp

5 - All Fours by Miranda July

6 - Original Sins by Eve L. Ewing

7 - You Dreamed of Empires by Alvaro Enrigue

8 - Outclassed by Joan C. Williams

9 - Yoko by David Sheff

10 - Exiles by Mason Coile

It’s almost over. Yes, 2020 can fuck off….you’re heard it a million times already.

This year has been defined by loss. Millions have lost love ones. Many more have lost their livelihoods, their passions, or at best…their sense of normalcy. We have lost our safety nets, old coping mechanisms, the closeness of family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. The things that we haven’t lost have changed. Even music has changed. The loss of live music has rippled throughout our world affecting the artists we love and the sense of community they sustain for all of us.

My favorite albums embody the shared sense of loss, anger & sadness that we all experienced this year. It was especially hard to keep it to only 25 this year, but here they are. Each one of these albums helped soften the blow of 2020. Try out something you haven’t heard of….they’re all incredible.

-VH

1. Soft Kill - Dead Kids R.I.P. City

2. Jeff Rosenstock - No Dream

3. MSW - Obliviosus

4. Korine - The Night We Raise

5. Georgia Maq - Pleaser

6. Infant Island - Beneath

7. Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou - May Our Chambers Be Full

8. Gilt - Ignore What’s Missing

9. Scalp - Domestic Extremity

10. Retirement Party - Runaway Dog

11. Lawrence Arms - Skeleton Coast

12. Soft Kill - Premium Drifter

13. Initiate - Lavender

14. Dikembe - Mush

15. Power Alone - Rather Be Alone

16. Soon - What the Fuck Did We Do to the Earth

17. Narrow Head - 12th House Rock

18. Vanguard - Rage of Deliverance

19. Diet Cig - Do You Wonder About Me

20. Changeling - III

21. Lucky Malice - Magnetic

22. Nø Man - Erase

23. Lié - You Want It Real

24. Vile Creature - Glory Glory! Apathy Took Helm!

25. Crowning - Survival/Sickness