Tobi Morelli of Archspire’s Top Albums of 2025

(Editor’s note: Looking back on 2025, there were so many good albums released that we decided to reach out to some of today’s artists and get them to weigh in on their favorites. What follows is Archspire guitarist Tobi Morelli’s ‘Top Albums of 2025.)

Man, 2025 was a wild, exciting, panic-fuelled year for us in Archspire! We announced that we, as a band, have gone fully independent and launched a crowdfunding campaign to support our new upcoming album that raised nearly $400,000 Canadian in 30 days. We also acquired a new drummer, Spencer Moore, who came into the fold when we needed him at the most crucial moment of our album recording and production process. He absolutely crushed it, and he added exactly what we were looking for to complete our fifth studio album. We pushed ourselves further than we’ve ever gone before, and I am beyond proud to say this is some of the strongest music we’ve ever created.

What I am really looking forward to the most in 2026 is the release of our upcoming album Too Fast to Die. We worked so hard to get it to where we wanted it and had to go through our fair share of challenges to get it done, but we did it, and we cannot wait to share it with everyone. In 2026, we will be back on track with a new album and a bunch of awesome tours to support it. We are very fortunate to have such a supportive fanbase, because without them we wouldn’t be able to do this at this level.

Now, here are my Top Five Albums of 2025 that stood out to me:

Igorrr — Amen

Can I just say album of the year? Because I truly believe that’s what it deserves. For those who haven’t heard of Igorrr, I kindly suggest you crawl out from under the rock you’ve been living under and give this band a listen. This album is pure perfection, and I’ve found that each release from Igorrr progressively gets better.

It is well-crafted, unique, and absolutely batshit crazy from the first track all the way to the final hanging note. The production is outstanding, adding even more weight to the chaos. This record is a fun, unpredictable, and chaotic ride, and I highly recommend experiencing it from start to finish.

This album does not just stand out — it defines the year. If our band and my internal thoughts had a soundtrack to capture everything we have been through, this record would be it. It embodies the chaos, the intensity, and the creativity of 2025, and it will continue to resonate long after the year has passed.

Dormant Ordeal — Tooth and Nail

This year I randomly discovered this band and instantly became a fan! This is brutal Polish death metal at its finest. The album is packed with relentless blast beats, dark melodic heavy riffs, crushing grooves, and classic death metal vocals.

What makes this record stand out is how it balances sheer brutality with atmosphere — it’s exactly what I needed to hear this year. Discovering this band has been one of the highlights of my year, and I can confidently say this album has earned a permanent spot in my rotation.

Retromorphosis — Psalmus Mortis

From the members of Spawn of Possession, the godfathers of tech-death have produced a darker, more raw version of their previous works — and I absolutely love it!

I’ve been waiting to hear something from this project for a long time, and it didn’t disappoint. I feel that they were able to break away from some of the more restrictive rules they set for themselves as Spawn of Possession and write more freely, without having to worry about conforming to whatever they felt was expected of them from the subgenre.

If you are a hardcore fan of Spawn of Possession as much as I am, you will really enjoy this new project they created.

Der Weg einer Freiheit — Innern

As a huge fan of black metal, I was instantly hooked when this band was recommended by our new drummer during our studio sessions. I especially love track 2, “Xibalba.” There is an almost cinematic quality to it, and that feeling carries through the entire album.

This record creates an atmosphere that is evil, haunting, epic, yet beautiful — and it keeps me coming back again and again. It has everything I love about the genre, plus a little something extra that gives it a unique quality. I highly recommend giving this album a spin from start to finish.

Depravity — Bestial Possession

Hailing from Australia, Depravity has released a full-on punishment of death metal with the right amount of shred and tech added throughout. It gives me a glimpse back into all the great things about mid-2000s death metal — but modernized.

I haven’t heard death metal like this in a long time, and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I don’t fully know what goes on “down under,” but I do know that Aussies are extremely good at making high-quality death metal, and this album is a great example of that.