The Humbug's Albums of 2025

This year has been ups and downs for me to be honest, but music has always been there to save the day so in this special article from the humbug post, I'd like to go through some of my favourite releases this year, so here they are in no particular order!

(Just some ones from independent folks, there's obviously some albums I love this year that are more popular but they're already popular so, yeah lol.)

Am I in Trouble? - Spectrum

Label: Bölverk Collective / Negative Wingspan
Artwork: Eva Darron / Factotum Design Co.

Now, let me start by saying, I listen to no metal at all, I listen to more punk rock stuff. But this was the album I saw getting promoted most around the time when I joined Ampwall (which Ed Herbers made me aware of when I used to release as METHEWS! Yeah, that far back!) I never even listened to the singles which I'm not sure is a good idea, but I done it anyway and forked out money for a cassette tape from Negative Wingspan which I do not regret! This album was my gateway into metal and I would not have it any other way! It's an amazing record that was a decade in the making and really shows Steve Wiener's amazing creativity creating these tracks with beautiful instrumentation along with amazing collaborations.

An album that I feel anyone can enjoy.

Voidscan - Tired Monster

Label: SHIFT+CTRL Music
Artwork: Maria Forsberg

Tired Monster is my perfect electronic album, it's amazing and so easy to listen to. It's a calmer electronic album that I feel kinda borrows some elements from ambient and trap. It's got some amazing sounds that just let me relax and is amazing for working, chilling or doing random tasks (like writing these posts!) The remix album that accompanied it is also incredible, having a story written by the wonderful Vern Carson. Tired Monster is an album that I think is accessible for everyone.

Exit Chamber & Ed Herbers - SELF-

Label: Passed Recordings
Artwork: Exit Chamber & Ed Herbers

SELF- brings such an incredible kind of concept to the table. It's that kind of thing that makes you want to reflect on yourself and who you are as a person, at least for me. It also makes me think of people around me, like on the bus, in the town and everywhere else I go. You think about them and who they might be, it's an interesting thing about us as people.

It's an incredible dark ambient album, and what I'd argue is the best one I've heard. It's a collaboration between two artists I love that feels like the ambient supergroup we needed.

Dr. Mocker - Constant Current Stimulus

Label: Negative Wingspan
Artwork: Unknown Artist

Constant Current Stimulus is arguably the most experimental little rock album I've heard this year, it has these spacey atmospheres with these interesting sounds which really brings it together with it's amazing instrumentation and vocals.

A very unique release that feels impossible to describe, but is so incredible.

lua beach - demo disc: 2024-2025

Label: SHIFT+CTRL Music
Artwork: lua beach

I don't care if this is technically just a "demo compilation" this is one of the best things I've heard in a while. This project of Niki Blackwell is a really amazing one that makes incredibly chill songs that are almost reminiscent of the Minecraft music discs in a way.

It takes chill music and just flips it to be so much more interesting.