Zealot - Dead Icarus (2025)

some 2025 releases I hadn’t gotten to yet

I mean… whoa.

I had listened to this a bit when it came out this summer, but I hadn’t gone back to it til today. This has to be one of the best metal records I’ve heard this year. Favoriting tracks only to find out I’d already favorited them back in July is a nice little confirmation that I’m on the right track.

This is about as big as a metalcore band can sound. an air fryer level of crunch, followed by Bad Religion-style melodic choruses.

This whole thing is rock solid. I needed a good kick in the teeth this morning and I certainly got it.

Tracks I Liked

The Unconquerable - guitar shred for days

Zealot - a Mastodon-style banger

Casting Spells - more melodic lines from the guitar but with the same crushing rhythm section