August 5, 2025 by A.S. Van Dorston

The belated second quarterly season report rolls into summertime as major releases slow to a trickle.

There is no doubt that the actual release schedule has not slowed down. Every week there is still an avalanche of hundreds of albums released. However, relatively few of them came from artists I personally connect with or have been anticipating (hello/goodbye Quadeca, Clipse). It’s possible that aside from Messa and maybe Stereolab, none of the albums released from April through July will make the year-end Lucky 13. It may have less to do with the actual quality than my state of mind since I unplugged for a vacation in May and got on a reading kick that has continued through the summer. More on that soon.

Taking a month off from diving down RYM/YouTube rabbitholes is highly recommended for both mental health, and avoiding burnout. Reading the latest column “How to Dig for Music Without Spotify” from Kieran Press-Reynolds (genius spawn of the great writers Joy Press and Simon Reynolds, born in Manhattan with music feeds flowing directly into their brain) is alternately hilarious, impressive and terrifying, as I saw my possible future, falling into a “Level 5: Esotericel” SlimeTok hole where I’m so addicted by the thrill of newness that I’m only excited by discarded 20 second fragments of songs abandoned by their creators that no one wants to hear. I’ll be at the DoomBox, soiling my diaper, drooling and gibbering.

In the meantime, *shudder* I’ve cautiously resumed populating my New Releases playlist, but have been more slack about fully sampling popular albums that I’m not excited by. A couple playlists that got heavy rotation were Are Friends Electric? (1977-83 synthpop) and Psychedelic Psummer ’25, which was largely padded by albums from previous years. One belated new discovery is L.A. psych pop/surf/garage band Mystic Braves, who have released five albums from 2012-22, and a couple singles this summer hint at a new album to be announced soon.

Messa – The Spin (Metal Blad) Apr 11

Messa – The Spin (Metal Blade)

Lathe of Heaven – Aurora (Sacred Bones) | Aug 29

Brooklyn post-punkers graduate from baleful deathrock/goth on debut Bound by Naked Skies (2023) to more melodic influences from mid-80s Chameleons, Killing Joke and The Sound.

Lathe of Heaven – Aurora (Sacred Bones)

Stereolab – Instant Holograms on Metal Film (Duophonic) | May 23

Stereolab – Instant Holograms on Metal Film (Duophonic)

Civic – Chrome Dipped (ATO) | May 30

The cream of the Melbourne garage punk scene, Civic expand their palate on their third album for a more multifaceted production that still emphasizes their muscular sound, but buffed and polished to a cold gleam. While their Radio Birdman era proto-punk roots are still detectible, this has more in common with recent garage noir efforts from The Buttertones and The Blinders. Perhaps not a formula for lucrative crossover business, but I’m sold.

Bask – The Turning (Season of Mist) | Aug 22

Bask’s third album III (2019) perked my ears with their potent mix of prog metal, heavy psych and Americana. I circled back to their first two albums and was so impressed by their progression, I was expecting them to keep the momentum up and do great things. Then six years of silence followed. So it goes. Not quite a leap forward, their fourth reprises the band’s strengths, the Western psych flavored lonesome wail vocal melodies bringing to mind Isaiah Mitchell’s short-lived project Golden Void. With only just a tiny taste of Appalacian folk, as well as contemporaries All Them Witches, My Morning Jacket and King Buffalo, the Asheville band’s influences stray out west, and they strike gold with the highlight “Dig My Heels,” driven by melodic guitar hook and potent vocals that could just break the band’s popularity through to a new level.

Triptides – Shapeshifter (Label 51) | Jun 13

The tenth album from L.A. psych pop mainstays Triptides might be easy to take for granted. However, they’ve been featured heavily on my Psychedelic Psummer playlist, and with nothing new from Tame Impala in many years, it scratches that itch nicely. The album was recorded entirely by main man Glenn Brigman, who began the project with recent inspiration from Stones Throw Records, Stepkids and Toro Y Moi. Run through the Triptides dreamy psych pop filter, Shapeshifter is the summer sleeper, one of their best.

Phantom Spell – Heather & Hearth (Wizard Tower) | Jul 18

This Spanish band’s second album fulfilled the potential hinted at their mix of prog and heavy metal on Immortal’s Requiem (2022), surpassed it and then some. Consider contemporaries Wytch Hazel were they to dig deeper than the Thin Lizzy/Ashbury guitar influences into Wishbone Ash, and even the early prog-era Styx, keyboards and all. One would think that would smell moldy, but in Phantom Spell’s bony hands it’s fresh as a daisy.

Dumb Things – Self Help (Coolin’ By Sound) | Apr 04

Brisbane’s Dumb Things first couple jangle pop efforts were a satisfying snack that you can take for granted, but in 2025, this genre is running a little thin on new releases. Naturally, Self Help served overtime on my summer playlist, offering just enough song craft to keep the janglin’ from going stale.

Causa Sui – In Flux (El Paraiso) | May 15

There are now fourteen Causa Sui albums that might be hard to tell apart for both newcomers and even seasoned fans. I’ll interpret it as the band’s consistently high quality, and really, every release on El Paraiso is worth collecting if you can afford it and appreciate great cover art (see Futuropaco from earlier this year, and the fourth Edena Gardens album, out Aug 22).

IE – Reverse Earth (Quindi) | May 09

Fourth album from this Minneapolis group, cosmonauts pulling threads from Too Pure trip hop to glitch pop, drone, space rock. Their latest mixes the lulling fog of New Age into their floating space ambient post-minimalism. A unique band whose quiet voice is worth turning out the hordes to seek out.

Wytch Hazel – V: Lamentations (Bad Omen) | Jul 04

Fifth album from white robed Rennaissance metal band whose lyrics draw from Christianity while the band rejects being labeled as such. This finds them at their most melodic and least hard rockin’, but those lead guitar harmonies are gorgeous as always.

The New Eves – The New Eve is Rising (Transgressive) | Aug 1

This new band from East Sussex draws from sources comfortably familiar to me, but are far from fashionable, which is always a plus. Post-punk and avant-folk infused with slightly amateurish, atonal violins bring to mind The Raincoats, The Ex and Dog Faced Hermans. The songs constantly threaten to veer off the rails, but totter back on track to keep this delightful album thoroughly engaging.

Blackwater Holylight – If You Only Knew EP (Suicide Squeeze) | Apr 18

I discovered this Portland group of five women in 2018, the same year Messa debuted. It seemed their doom flavored heavy psych could become just as appealing and popular as the Italian band, and they’ve evolved with gorgeous multicolored facets of dream pop and doomgaze. A fourth full length might have gained them more attention/hype, but hopefully they have something lined up to follow soon.

The Lord Weird Slough Feg – Traveller Supplement 1: The Ephemeral Glades EP (Cruz del Sur) | Apr 11

After several years working under the truncated Slough Feg, they embraced the wyrd and reverted to the full The Lord Weird Slough Feg for their tenth album in 2019. Six years later they revisit the glories of possibly their best album, Traveller (2003), the theme based on an obscure 1977 SF role-playing game. It’s a pretty worthy follow-up, and has me wondering when there will be a Supplement 2.

Witchcraft – Idag (Heavy Psych) | May 23

When Black Metal (2020) was released, many fans were concerned for Magnus Pelander’s well-being, as it sounded like he told his band to feck off, and was left to abuse us with some of the most excruciatingly bad acoustic rock ever recorded. It’s with cautious relief that Idag has the band (with different members) back in action, more or less at the level of Nucleus (2016), but far from the greatness of their first four albums. The sound is oddly low-fi and murky, perhaps in an effort to recall the glories of their classic debut. Either way, at least 3/4 of the album hits the mark, a welcome return when it was unclear of Witchcraft even existed anymore.

His Lordship – Bored Animal (His Lordship) | Jun 20

This duo who served time in The Pretenders in the 00s meld the raw rockabilly with the garage punk of The Heartbreakers (the grimy New Yawk version lead by Johnny Thunders), early White Stripes and The Jim Jones Revue. This is their second album in as many years, and they sound even rougher than the debut, in a good way.

Wucan – Axioms (Long Branch) | Aug 29

Fourth album from German hard rock/psych proggers can’t outdo their stellar first three albums (last one was 2022’s Heretic Tongues) but a welcome return nevertheless.

Sex Scenes – Everything Makes Me Sick (Big Neck) | May 09

Plenty of hardcore punk can come in blazing and leave a briefly electrifying impression, only to quickly fade from memory due to lack of songs. Milwaukee’s Sex Scenes has enough hooks and interesting twists to stick to your ribs, even when washed down with toxic liquids meant to obliterate recall.

Streaming Playlists

Spotify | Tidal

Video Playlist

Spring/Summer Rundown

Messa – The Spin (Metal Blade) | Apr 11 | Italy | Bandcamp
Lathe of Heaven – Aurora (Sacred Bones) | Aug 29 | USA | Bandcamp
Stereolab – Instant Holograms on Metal Film (Duophonic) | May 23 | UK | Bandcamp
Civic – Chrome Dipped (ATO) | May 30 | Australia | Bandcamp
Bask – The Turning (Season of Mist) | Aug 22 | USA | Bandcamp
Custard Flux – Enter Xenon (Custard Flux) | Jun 01 | USA | Bandcamp
Hotline TNT – Raspberry Moon (Third Man) | Jun 20 | USA | Bandcamp
The Miffs – The Miffs (Miffs) | Apr 20 | Australia | Bandcamp
Wet Leg – Moisturizer (Domino) | Jul 11 | UK | Bandcamp
The New Eves – The New Eve is Rising (Transgressive) | Aug 01 | UK | Bandcamp
Black Honey Cult – Black Honey Cult (Heavy Psych) | May 02 | USA | Bandcamp
Phantom Spell – Heather & Hearth (Wizard Tower) | Jul 18 | Spain | Bandcamp
baan – Neumann (Your Adorable Dog) | May 15 | South Korea | Bandcamp
These New Puritans – Crooked Wing (Domino) | May 23 | UK | Bandcamp
Caroline – Caroline 2 (Rough Trade) | May 30 | UK | Bandcamp
Greet Death – Die in Love (Deathwish Inc.) | Jun 27 | USA | Bandcamp
Triptides – Shapeshifter (Label 51) | Jun 13 | USA | Bandcamp
Floral Image – Gone Down Meadowland (Fuzz Club) | Apr 25 | UK | Bandcamp
Dumb Things – Self Help (Coolin’ By Sound) | Apr 04 | Australia | Bandcamp
Kuunatic – Wheels of Öon (Glitterbeat) | Apr 11 | Japan | Bandcamp
Keys – Acid Communism (Libertino) | Jul 18 | UK | Buy
Causa Sui – In Flux (El Paraiso) | May 15 | Denmark | Buy
Temple Fang – Lifted From the Wind (Stickman) | Apr 25 | Netherlands | Bandcamp
IE – Reverse Earth (Quindi) | May 09 | USA | Bandcamp
Wytch Hazel – V: Lamentations (Bad Omen) | Jul 04 | UK | Bandcamp
Teethe – Magic of the Sale (Winspear) | Aug 08 | USA | Bandcamp
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets – Carpe Diem, Moonman (What Reality?) | May 15 | Australia | Bandcamp
Go Kurosawa – Soft Shakes (Guruguru Brain) | Jul 28 | Japan | Bandcamp
Frankie and the Witch Fingers – Trash Classic (Reverberation) | Jun 06 | USA | Bandcamp
Sacred Paws – Jump Into Life (Merge) | Mar 28 | USA | Bandcamp
Shallowater – God’s Gonna Give You a Million Dollars (Shallowater) | Aug 15 | USA | Bandcamp
Swans – Birthing (Young God) | May 30 | USA | Bandcamp
Bootblacks – Paradise (Artoffact) | Jun 13 | USA | Bandcamp
Little Barrie & Malcom Catto – Electric War (Easy Eye Sound) | Apr 18 | UK | Bandcamp
Blackwater Holylight – If You Only Knew EP (Suicide Squeeze) | Apr 18 | USA | Bandcamp
Turtle Skull – Being Here (Art as Catharsis) | May 23 | Australia | Bandcamp
M(h)aol – Something Soft (Merge) | May 16 | Ireland | Bandcamp
Kal-El – Astral Voyager Vol. 1 (Majestic Mountain) | May 16 | Norway | Bandcamp
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Phantom Island (p(doom)) | Jun 13 | Australia | Bandcamp
The Lord Weird Slough Feg – Traveller Supplement 1: The Ephemeral Glades EP (Cruz del Sur) | Apr 11 | USA | Bandcamp
Kombynat Robotron – AANK (Fuzz Club) | Jul 25 | Germany | Bandcamp
Witchcraft – Idag (Heavy Psych) | May 23 | Sweden | Bandcamp
Wucan – Axioms (Long Branch) | Aug 29 | Germany | Bandcamp
Kadavar – Kids Abandoning Destiny Among Vanity And Ruin (Clouds Hill) | May 16 | Germany | Bandcamp
Modele – Pleasure for the Holy (Modele) | Mar 28 | Canada | Bandcamp
Sex Scenes – Everything Makes Me Sick (Big Neck) | May 09 | USA | Bandcamp
The Armoury Show – Dead Souls (Last Night from Glasgow) | Mar 28 | UK | Bandcamp
The Discussion – All the Pretty Flowers (Artoffact) | May 23 | USA | Bandcamp
Seedy Jeezus – Damned to the Depths (Blown) | Jul 24 | Australia | Bandcamp
Preston Pfanz & the Seaton Sands – Return to Burnt Island (Spinout Nuggets) | Jun 27 | UK | Bandcamp
The Hare and the Hoofe – Compasse (Hare Hoofe) | May 02 | UK | Bandcamp
Joe Harvey-Whyte & Bobby Lee – Last Ride (Curation) | May 16 | USA | Bandcamp
Edena Gardens – Dispossessed (El Paraiso) | Aug 22 | Denmark | Bandcamp
Mourning [A] BLKstar – Flowers for the Living (Don Giovanni) | May 16 | USA | Bandcamp
Ribbon Skirt – Bite Down (Mint) | Apr 11 | Canada | Bandcamp
Kills Birds – Crave EP (Lucky Number) | Apr 11 | USA | Bandcamp
The Elven – Solstice (Spinda) | Apr 03 | Spain | Bandcamp
Foxwarren – 2 (Anti-) | May 30 | Canada | Bandcamp
Street Fruit – Strange Tanks (Slouch) | Aug 15 | USA | Bandcamp
Preoccupations – Ill at Ease (Born Losers) | May 09 | Canada | Bandcamp
Wasted Youth – Neo Noir (WY) | Jun 30 | UK | Bandcamp
Silver Tears – Silver Tears (AVANT!) | May 23 | Germany | Bandcamp
Neptunian Maximalism – Le sacre du soleil invaincu (I, Voidhanger) | Apr 11 | Belgium | Bandcamp
Lifeguard – Ripped and Torn (Matador) | Jun 06 | USA | Bandcamp
Nephila – Nephila (The Sign) | May 06 | Sweden | Bandcamp
The Beths – Straight Line Was a Lie (Anti-) | Aug 29 | New Zealand | Bandcamp
Body Maintenance – Far From Here (Drunken Sailor) | Jun 27 | Australia | Bandcamp
His Lordship – Bored Animal (His Lordship) | Jun 20 | UK
Radiohead – Hail to the Thief (Live Recordings 2003-09) (XL) | Aug 13 | UK | Bandcamp
Lavinia Blackwall – The Making (Barne Society) | May 30 | UK | Bandcamp
Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You (Daughters of Cain) | Aug 08 | USA | Buy
Dog Race – Return the Day EP (Fascination Street) | Jun 06 | UK | Bandcamp
Dimorphodons – Waui (Hand of Glory) | Apr 25 | UK | Bandcamp
Black Sword Thunder Attack – Black Sword Thunder Attack (No Remorse) | Apr 25 | Greece | Buy
Eel Men – Stop It! Do Something (Jimmy Elliott) | Jul 11 | UK | Bandcamp
Winter – Adult Romantix (Winspear) | Aug 22 | USA | Bandcamp
Crypt Sermon – Saturnian Appendices EP (Dark Descent) | Aug 08 | USA | Bandcamp
Nuclear Daisies – First Taste of Heaven (Portrayal of Guilt) | Aug 01 | USA | Bandcamp
Racing Mount Pleasant – Racing Mount Pleasant (R&R) | Aug 15 | USA | Bandcamp
L.A. Witch – DOGGOD (Suicide Squeeze) | Apr 04 | USA | Bandcamp
C.A.D & The Peacetime Consumers – Play Atlantis (Dot Dash Sounds) | May 02 | USA | Bandcamp
Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power (Roadrunner Records) | Mar 28 | USA | Bandcamp
Korine – A Flame in the Dark (Born Losers) | Mar 28 | USA | Bandcamp
The Airport 77s – Don’t Let Go (Jem) | May 30 | USA | Bandcamp
Snapped Ankles – Hard Times Furious Dancing (Leaf) | Mar 28 | UK | Bandcamp
Pixel Grip – Percepticide: The Death of Reality (Pixel Grip) | Jun 12 | USA | Bandcamp
Glare – Sunset Funeral (Deathwish Inc.) | Apr 04 | USA | Bandcamp
Electric Citizen – EC4 (Heavy Psych) | Jun 27 | USA | Bandcamp
Steve Queralt – Swallow (Sonic Cathedral) | Jun 13 | UK | Bandcamp
The Black Watch – For All the World (ATOM) | Jun 20 | USA | Bandcamp
A.M. Overcast – Junk Drawer (Independent) | Aug 30 | USA | Bandcamp
Gösta Berlings Saga – Forever Now (Pelagic) | Jun 06 | Sweden | Bandcamp
Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band – New Threats from the Soul (Sophomore Lounge) | Jul 05 | USA | Bandcamp
Peter Murphy – Silver Shade (Metropolis) | May 09 | UK | Bandcamp
Gruesome – Silent Echoes (Relapse) | Jun 06 | USA | Bandcamp
Sports Team – Boys These Days (Bright Antenna) | May 23 | UK | Bandcamp
Grinding Eyes – Out of Focus (Little Cloud) | Apr 04 | Australia | Bandcamp
Tom Henry – Songs to Sing and Dance To (Royal Oakie) | Jun 27 | USA | Bandcamp
Jehnny Beth – You Heartbreaker, You (Fiction) | Aug 29 | UK
Blackbraid – Blackbraid III (Blackbraid) | Aug 08 | USA | Bandcamp

Coming Soon

Saint Etienne – International (Heavenly) Sep 05
Shame – Cutthroat (Dead Oceans) Sep 05
Suede – Antidepressants (BMG) Sep 05
Chameleons – Arctic Moon (Metropolis) Sep 12
Maruja – Pain to Power (Music for Nations) Sep 12 | Bandcamp
Nepal Death – Pilgrims and Psychonauts (Kali Psyche) Sep 12 | Buy
Slomatics – Atomicult (Majestic Mountain) Sep 12 | Bandcamp
Sunniva – Hypostasis (Svart) Sep 13 | Bandcamp
Castle Rat – The Bestiary (King Volume) Sep 19 | Bandcamp
Wednesday – Bleeds (Dead Oceans) Sep 19
Nation Of Language – Dance Called Memory (Sub Pop) Sep 19
Cosmic Reaper – Bleed The Wicked, Drown The Dammed (Heavy Psych) Sep 26 | Bandcamp
Sloan – Based on the Best Seller (Yep Rock) Sep 26
Sprints – All That Is Over (City Slang) Sep 26 | Bandcamp
The Vintage Caravan – Portals (Napalm) Sep 26 | Bandcamp