A list of the top 10 (mostly) punk things I loved from 2025 in no real particular order:

ULTIMATE DISASTER - …For Progress

If I HAD to pick a favorite record from last year, this would likely be it. Might be a perfect record. Live, the band is also great.

KRIEGSHÖG live at Earthdom - Tokyo, Japan 11/16/25

Love & Revenge was on my top 10 list last year and I was lucky my trip to Japan lined up with this show. This set was unreal. An experience I will never forget. The whole show was great. SKIZOPHRENIA played and might have been just as good.

CONDUMB - s/t ep

I already wrote a review explaining why I loved this record. It’s gotten a lot of play this year.

CATHARSIS - Hope Against Hope lp

Another one I gushed about and continues to stay in rotation. A band whose presence is as poignant as it was in the 90’s.

MEM//BRANE - s/t lp

I love this band so much, and another record I reviewed for The Counterforce. I believe MEM//BRANE is no longer an active band which makes me sad but I heard a rumor they are putting out another 7” in 2026 so I’ll hold on to that as a consolation prize.

URIN live at Foto Club - Philadelphia, PA 3/7/25

Prior to this show, I had heard URIN before but was generally indifferent. I went to this show because I didn’t have anything else to do that night, and holy shit I am still thinking about their set. Crushing, chaotic, and dissonant.

RASKOL live at Cousin Danny’s - Philadelphia, PA 1/10/25

I saw one of the worst sets I have ever seen by THE BERSERK at this show. I audibly booed when they finished. RASKOL on the other hand played one of the best sets I’ve seen from them. The energy was palpable as they say. The band fed off the crowd. The crowd fed off the band. I might have moshed.

ADDISON RAE - Addison lp

There’s usually one yearly moment of pop music that I cannot shake. This year there were 2 (luckily I’ll get to save ROBYN’s new record for next year’s list). On paper ADDISON RAE’s music shouldn’t really do it for me. It’s a little more mainstream pop than I typically like and I’m not a huge fan of songs about fucking, but god damn this record is great front to back. I don’t know if she has a song I don’t actually like. Great live too.

OKLOU - Choke Enough lp

The second pop offering of 2025 that I obsessed over. This is much more my speed when it comes to pop music. "Harvest Sky" might be one of my favorite songs written since "Call Your Girlfriend". My most listened to song of the year for sure.

SHAKTI - s/t lp

I don’t think this record blew me away but I do love listening to it and have a lot this year. It’s cool peace punk. "The Riz Ahmed" intro is a little weird since they just lifted it from his record and is about Britain and this band, I believe, is from Barcelona, but I guess it works. Despite how lukewarm this sounds, it really is a great record.