The Metal Dad

When I was first asked to put this list together for the Hartford Courant almost a decade ago I thought it was one of the hardest writing tasks I had ever been assigned. All these years later and the difficulty of putting this year-end list together hasn’t changed. That’s a testament to a local music scene that continues to not only survive but thrive.

I found this year’s list  particularly hard to whittle down to 20 albums. (Hence the extra long list of honorable mentions this year.) As a reminder this list is not necessarily a “best of” list so much as a list of my personal favorite albums from 2025. For example, if this list seems metal heavy this year (see what I did there), you would be correct. I’ve waxed poetic multiple times on the Metal Dad Radio Show about what a stellar year the CT metal scene has had. Regardless, I hope you find something on this list that you’ll love as much as I do, and as always click the links provided and support the bands listed. On to the list in pseudo-alphabetical order.

 

The Almighty Yellow Star – The Almighty Yellow Star
Featuring two New Haven scene vets who’ve been on this list multiple times (Kierstin Sieser of Tiny Ocean, and Paul Belbusti of Mercy Choir), The Almighty Yellow Star are the perfect amalgamation of those two acts – one part dreamy folk that wisps along Americana lines, and one part experimental outlet that smashes genre barriers. Combined it’s a unique concoction that’s best listened to with headphones and your full attention.
https://thealmightyyellowstar.bandcamp.com/album/the-almighty-yellow-star

 

Andy Wakeman – Late Bloomer
I love when an artist takes their own sound and successfully expands it without losing the essence of what made their music so enjoyable to listen to in the first place. Case in point, the new full-length from singer-songwriter Andy Wakeman. Wakeman has appeared on this list before for albums that were solidly within that Americana label. On Late Bloomer, Wakeman adds a pop/synth element that’s as refreshing as it is interesting. A handful of these songs could easily find homes on current pop radio stations, yet there’s a nostalgia quietly buried here as well that hearkens back to Wakeman’s earlier works and equally, a simpler time. All told it’s a fantastic journey.
https://open.spotify.com/album/1xPqJAXwzmz6ODxoS4UusJ

 

Apathy – Mom & Dad
CT hip-hop legend Apathy seems to make annual appearances on this list, but one listen to his new album Mom & Dad will give credence as to why this prolific rapper shows up once again. As a fellow Gen Xer an album soaked in ’80s nostalgia, both lyrically and sonically, already has my interests piqued. But beyond the stories of being raised up in the shadows of Reaganomics, this album touches on a personal journey that every generation that’s come after Gen X can also relate to. Combined with Apathy’s flawless delivery, this album was easily one of the best hip-hop albums to emerge from Connecticut in 2025.
https://apathy.bandcamp.com/album/mom-dad

 

Balkun Brothers – Two Leather Jackets
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the musical journey that sibling-fronted act Balkun Brothers has partaken over the last decade plus of their careers. From blues rock stalwarts (heavy on the blues part) to a hard rock tank blasting through every brick wall that dares stand in their way. Their newest album Two Leather Jackets has completed their transition to an act that can hold the stage alongside fellow metal and punk acts in their home state. It shouldn’t be shocking to see either Balkun brother wearing a Motorhead t-shirt on stage, as that might be the closest musical comparison I can come up with here. Just as Lemmy and his crew did, the Balkun Brothers have successfully melded metal, punk, and a dash of heavy blues to perfection.
https://balkunbrothers.bandcamp.com/album/two-leather-jackets

 

The Bargain – Smile and Smile
2025 started off with a bang as one of Connecticut’s finest dropped an absolutely stellar album just after the New Year parties were finally cleaned up. Coming out firing with a full band accompaniment, The Bargain delivered one of the catchiest albums you’ll here from this corner of the world, and this particular corner of the Americana universe. These three scene vets  – Frank Critelli, Shandy Lawson, and Muddy Rivers – somehow keep getting better and better with each album, which is astonishing when you go through their entire discography. With each album you think, ‘they can’t possibly top this one’, yet Smile and Smile may actually be their best and most complete album to date. Furnished with toe-tapping melodies and beautifully introspective lyrics, this is an album that will stick with you for a long time.
https://thebargain.bandcamp.com/album/smile-and-smile

 

Bone Church – Deliverance
One of Connecticut’s finest metal exports over the last half decade or so is stoner rock outfit Bone Church. I’ve always felt that stoner rock was the most accessible sub-genre of metal for non-fans of the genre. Chock full of chunky riffs, clean vocals, and driving rhythm sections, stoner rock is the logical successor of all the proto-metal/classic rock bands of the ’60s and ’70s. Sometimes a band of that ilk will take their sound even further across the divide and closer to their riffing ancestors. Such is the case with the new Bone Church album. It’s hard for a band to make an album that’s catchier and more accessible for the average music fan than their previous material while still maintaining the heaviness and grittiness that made them darlings of the stoner rock world. Yet here we are. Turn this one up to 11 and keep it there.
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/deliverance

 

Brian Dolzani – The Endless Sky
One of CT’s most well-traveled singer-songwriters also happens to thankfully be one of the state’s most prolific recording artists as well. Brian Dolzani writes music that is not only inherently catchy, but it’s a deep well of emotive, contemplative sounds, filled with rich lyrics and the kind of old-soul vibes you can only gain with experience. His newest album The Endless Sky is easily one of his best, which is no small feat to these ears considering how often Dolzani has shown up on this year-end list in the past.
https://briandolzani.bandcamp.com/album/the-endless-sky

 

Brian Larney – Scrambler
Bridgeport’s Brian Larney is not the first artist to cull together a year’s worth of singles into a full album, but he’s one of the few to do it in a way that said album flows seamlessly. Larney’s knack for writing pop and indie-infused folk songs is truly uncanny, and this album in particular sees Larney lean hard into the pop and indie parts of that equation. There’s a glean of sunshine and smiles infused into these songs that give them a wonderful upbeat feel without falling into syrupy ridiculousness that too many songwriters unfortunately drift into. Play this album immediately, but then revisit it in the springtime when the the thaw hits and the birds start chirping again. You’ll be glad you did.
https://brianlarney.bandcamp.com/album/scrambler

 

Cemetery Moon – Dominion of Ashes
Released just in time for Halloween, one of CT’s best metal exports, Cemetery Moon, dropped their newest album of powerful, unadulterated black metal this year. More melodic than their previous releases, Cemetery Moon opted for a fuller, more approachable recording on this album. Yet, that doesn’t mean this will be accessible to the mainstream masses. On the contrary, the slight alterations to their sound created an even more overall vicious and frost-bitten affair. It’s an album that’s worthy of repeat listens, especially on these long, cold winter nights.
https://cemeterymoon.bandcamp.com/album/dominion-of-ashes

 

Christopher Cavaliere – Self Checkout
Few indie folk artists infuse as many varied influences into their work as Bridgeport’s Christopher Cavaliere, and even fewer do it as successfully. His newest album, Self Checkout, is a masterwork of musical intricacies woven into a sonic tapestry that’s as stunning as it is listenable. Mixing indie and alt-rock with elements of folk, blues, jazz, country, and even a little funk for good measure, Cavaliere has created an album designed to take listeners on a journey through the the great Americana pantheon and back again. It’s a beautiful, wild, inspiring ride.
https://christophercavaliere.bandcamp.com/album/self-checkout

 

Fjord Pony – The Last Green Valley
A couple years ago Middletown’s Fjord Pony crept up on me and dropped an album I was absolutely enamored with. I wasn’t going to let them sneak up on me again. My patience was rewarded back in April when they released newest effort The Last Green Valley. I think what I like most about this band is that their sound is not easily definable. It’s alt rock at its core, but there are indie and pop elements at play, there’s a bit of prog rock sizzling under the surface, and it’s guitar driven while still allowing the other instruments to breathe. All told their sound, and this album, are wholly memorable and worthy of your attention.
https://fjordpony.bandcamp.com/album/the-last-green-valley

 

Inner Groove – Momentary Glance
I don’t go into each year thinking about lists like this, but inevitably there’s a moment or a record that hits and I think for the first time, ‘oh this has to make whatever year-end list I decide to put together.’ In 2025 it was Momentary Glance by Inner Groove. I’ve always liked the music that Denise Jones and Tom Sekscenski have put together under the Inner Groove moniker, but this is easily their best album to date. The songs are introspective and personal, yet built to be played blasting through a car stereo with the windows down on some back country roads. There’s a richness and familiarity to these songs that make them feel like the welcoming arms of an old friend. Embrace the embrace and give this album multiple spins.
https://open.spotify.com/album/17ovF9bZ4ixrbO1vnGOTH7

 

Intercourse – How I Fell In Love With The Void
I don’t get out to as many shows these days as I used to, but I did have the pleasure of seeing noise rock titans Intercourse open a show at The Space Ballroom in Hamden, CT this year and it was easily one of my top three live sets in 2025. Part of the reason why is how absolutely killer the new material from this record sounded on stage. I’ve been an Intercourse fan for longer than I can remember and count some of their releases among my favorites of the last decade plus. But How I Fell In Love With The Void is special, even for a band that’s this good at what they do. This is a violent, vicious album that never really relents enough for you to ever catch your breath, and that’s exactly how Intercourse likes it. Make sure you give at least one listen with headphones on so you can pay close attention to some of the best, and most biting lyrics you’ll see this year as well. Just an all-around stellar effort from a band that keeps getting better with age.
https://intercourse.bandcamp.com/album/how-i-fell-in-love-with-the-void

 

The Lonesome While – The Lost of Us
It’s been at least five years since Hartford’s The Lonesome While has released any new music, and they themselves state on their Bandcamp page that these are songs they never thought would see the light of day. Thankfully for all of us they did. I’ve always thought The Lonesome While were one of Hartford’s underrated gems and this collection of songs proves why. Various shades of punk and indie rock collide in spectacular fashion on The Lost Of Us. The songs on this album waver back and forth from the catchy pop side of the punk spectrum to something much more biting. Either way this album was meant to be played loud and often, which would also be my personal recommendation. Here’s to hoping The Lonesome While continues to gift us songs they didn’t think they’d release.
https://thelonesomewhile.bandcamp.com/album/the-lost-of-us

 

The Meadows Brothers – In The Land of Steady Habits
Another on of the first truly great albums of 2025 came from The Meadows Brothers. Readers of this blog (or listeners of Wrong Side of the Tracks on Cygnus Radio) know my love for the brothers Meadows. There are few acts in the world who can put out as many albums as these guys have and claim not one stinker among the bunch, or for that matter not one album that has any filler on it either. In The Land of Steady Habits (Connecticut’s unofficial/official nickname) is another gem of an album, filled with top tier Americana. Each song on this record is a snapshot of what the Meadows Brothers do best – songs that stick with you long after they stop playing, and ones that make you long to hear them again.
https://open.spotify.com/album/6GuAKTvooacebL7oKmNevf

 

Michael Suddes – Out Of My Hands
Some debut albums are worth the long wait. Michael Suddes has been a top-notch guitar player both as a solo artist, as well as with other people’s projects for quite a while now. Out Of My Hands is the culmination of years of honing his craft as a songwriter and live performer, and what we are left with is an album’s worth of material that takes indie folk to new and interesting places. Unafraid to mix in elements of jazz, pop, and alt rock, Suddes creates music that seems to float and flutter in and out of various influences, yet never feels forced or contrived. His music seems designed to get the listener into a relaxed, contemplative state of mind, one where the world is filled with possibilities and challenges are easily bested with pure positivity. That’s a world I’m here for.
https://open.spotify.com/album/4qfWEQpxu9TEQ9vzast9vd

 

Ponybird – Fire & Stars
After multiple electronic releases as her WEAREBISON alter-ego, Ponybird mastermind Jennifer Dauphinais returned to her ethereal alt-folk roots with Fire & Stars. It had been roughly a decade since Ponybird released a full-length’s worth of material that floated along Americana lines like 2014’s Modest Quarters (still one of my all-time favorite CT albums), however the comparisons between the two albums are really superficial at the end of the day. This record, while rooted in folk aesthetics, is more experimental when it needs to be and at times truly stretches the boundaries and limits of Americana music in the best ways possible. While there may only be five new studio tracks here, coming close to breaking our full-length albums only rule, the demo and live material that’s been included is excellent enough to count.
https://ponybird.bandcamp.com/album/fire-stars

 

Various Artists – James
There has never been a tribute record on this list before but there is possibly no other artist in the history of CT music more deserving  of having a tribute record show up here or any other year-end list. For anyone reading this from outside of Connecticut, New Haven’s James Velvet was an absolute legend in this state’s music scene. Through various projects over the course of several decades Velvet’s name was synonymous with the New Haven scene, and through his work with The Local Bands Show the greater statewide scene as well. This tribute to Velvet reads like a who’s who of the Connecticut shoreline including Shellye Valauskas & Dean Falcone, Anne Castellano & The Smoke, American Elm, Shandy Lawson, Frank Critelli, A Pallet For The Shoal, The Lost Riots, Brian Slattery, Stephen Peter Rodgers, Christine Ohlman & Jim Chapdelaine, and over a dozen more acts. A truly fitting tribute to a guy who absolutely deserves one.
https://jamesvelvet1.bandcamp.com/album/james

 

When the Deadbolt Breaks – In The Glow of the Vatican Fire
One of my favorite metal bands coming out of CT today are the trio known as When the Deadbolt Breaks. Mixing doom and sludge metal with atmospheric and experimental elements When The Deadbolt Breaks create a truly unique sound unlike even other outfits of the same ilk. In The Glow of the Vatican Fire is their most ambitious album to date, yet may also be their most accessible as well. Usually in the metal world when you hear a band has not only toyed with their sound but made it seemingly more digestible (albeit a relative term to non-metal fans) that usually doesn’t bode well, yet for When The Deadbolt Breaks it not only works, the final result is exceptional.
https://whenthedeadboltbreaks.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-glow-of-the-vatican-fire

 

Xavier Serrano – Enantiodroma
It’s been five long years since New Haven’s Xavier Serrano has gifted us with a full-length album, and Enantiodromia was well worth the wait. Serrano has always been the master of writing ethereal chamber folk, yet on this record he’s expanded his sound to a fuller, richer one. It would not be hyperbole in the least to say that each song on this album is cinematic in scope, complete with abundant and carefully curated orchestration. This album showcases Serrano at the absolute top of his craft as both a songwriter and a master of atmospherics. Drop the shades, light some candles, and settle in with this album. You will not be disappointed.
https://xavierserrano.bandcamp.com/album/enantiodromia

 

Honorable Mentions:

A Pallet For The Shoal – The Trembling Ground
Afghan Haze – Sermons of Filth and Disgust
All The Pretty Horses – hammersmashedface
Greenholt – The Neighborhood
Isaac Monts – Since the Beginning
Jason LaPierre – There Are Things I’d Like To Say
Jim LoPresti – Life As Liquid
Kevin MF King – Looking at a Screen of Someone Else’s Dreams
Mourn The Light – Sorrow Feeds The Silence
Old Milk Mooney – Darlin’
Post-Modern Panic – To the Silence
Shawn Taylor – The Last One
Showrocka – From CT With Love
The Ambulance Chasers – Too!
The Lil Guy – Great & Terrible
The Problem With Kids Today – Take It!
Whatnot – Whatnot