Monolith Cocktail Blog

Choice Highlights From The Last Year Part Two

In case you missed Part One of this illustrious list, here’s a recap.

I said I wasn’t going to do it this year. And this may be the last. But here is the second part of a comprehensive revue listing of choice albums (some extended EPs too) from 2025 that we returned to the most, enjoyed or rated highly. See it as a sort of random highlights package if you will.

As usual a most diverse mix of releases, listed alphabetically – numerical orderings make no sense to me unless it is down to a vote, otherwise what qualifies the placing of an album? What makes the 25th place album better than the 26th and so on…

Whilst there is the odd smattering of Hip-Hop releases here and there, our resident selector and expert Matt Oliver has compiled a special 25 for 25 revue of his own, which will go out next week.

Part One: A to M can be perused here

N……………

Neon Crabs ‘Make Things Better’ (Half Edge Records) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Noir & Superior, Che ‘Seeds In Babylon’
Picked by Dominic Valvona

Novelle & Rob Mazurek, Alberto ‘Sun Eaters’ (Hive Mind Records) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Nowaah The Flood ‘Mergers And Acquisitions’
Picked by Dominic Valvona

O……………

Occult Character ‘Next Year’s Model’ (Metal Postcard Records)
Picked by Dominic Valvona

P…………….

Philips Arts Foundation, Lucy ‘I’m Not A Fucking Metronome’
Reviewed by Brian Bordello Shea here

Phill Most Chill & Djar One ‘Deal With It’ (Beats House Records)

Picniclunch ‘snaxbandwitches’
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Pound Land ‘Can’t Stop’ (Cruel Nature Records) 
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Q……………..

Querci, Cosimo ‘Rimane’ (Quindi Records) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

R………………

Robertson, Kevin ‘Yellow Painted Moon’
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Rose, Sophia Djebel ‘S​​​é​​​cheresse’ (Ramble Records/WV Sorcerer Productions/Oracle Records) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Rumsey, Andrew ‘Collodion’ (Gare du Nord) 
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

S……………….

SAD MAN ‘Art’ (Cruel Nature Records)
 Review by Dominic Valvona

Salem Trials ‘Heavenly Bodies Under The Ground’ (Metal Postcard Records) 
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Sanders, Pharoah ‘Love Is Here – The Complete Paris 1975 ORTF Recordings’
(Elemental Music Records) Picked by Dominic Valvona

Schizo Fun Addict ‘An Introduction To…’ (Fruits der Mer) 
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Schnitzler, Conrad ‘RhythmiCon’ (Flip-Flap) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Scotch Funeral ‘Ever & Ever’
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Silva, Maria Elena ‘Wise Men Never Try’ Review
‘Wise Men Never Try Vol. II’ Review by Dominic Valvona

Širom ‘In the Wind of Night, Hard-Fallen Incantations Whisper’
(Glitterbeat Records) Picked by Dominic Valvona

Sleepingdogs ‘DOGSTOEVSKY’ (Three Dollar Pistol Music)
Picked by Dominic Valvona

Soft Speaker ‘Rippling Tapestries’ (Cruel Nature Records)
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Sol Messiah ‘War of the Gods’ Picked by Dominic Valvona

Staraya Derevyna ‘Garden Window Escape’ (Ramble Records/Avris Media) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Stewart, Macie ‘When The Distance Is Blue’ (International Anthem) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

T………………..

Teamaker, Marc ‘Teas n Seas’
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Theravada ‘The Years We Have’ Picked by Dominic Valvona

Toivanen Trio, Joona ‘Gravity’ (We Jazz)
Reviewed by Dominic Valvona here

Tomo-Nakaguchi ‘Out Of The Blue’ (Audiobulb Records)
Review by Dominic Valvona

Tortoise ‘Touch’ (International Anthem X Nonesuch Records)
Review by Dominic Valvona

Toxic Chicken ‘Mentally Sound’ (Earthrid) 
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Trupa Trupa ‘Mourners’ (Glitterbeat Records)
Info/Singles Review Feature by Dominic Valvona

U…………………

Uhlmann, Josh Johnson, Sam Wilkes, Gregory ‘Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes’
(International Anthem) Review by Dominic Valvona

Ujif_notfound ‘Postulate’ (I Shall Sing Until My Country Is Free) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

V………………….

Various ‘TUROŇ/AHUIZOTL’ (Swine Records w/ Fayuca Retumba)
Review by Dominic Valvona

Various ‘Wagadu Grooves Vol. 2: The Hypnotic Sound Of Camera 1991 – 2014’
(Hot Mule) Review by Dominic Valvona

Vexations ‘A Dream Unhealthy’ (Cruel Nature Records) 
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Violet Nox ‘Silvae’ (Somewherecold Records) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Voodoo Drummer ‘HELLaS SPELL’
Review by Dominic Valvona

W…………………..

Wants, The ‘Bastard’ (STTT) 
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Warda ‘We Malo’ (WEWANTSOUNDS)
Review by Dominic Valvona

West Virginia Snake Handlers Revival ‘They Shall Take Up Serpents’
(Sublime Frequencies) Reviewed by Dominic Valvona

Winter Journey, The ‘Graceful Consolations’ (Turning Circle)
Reviewed by Dominic Valvona here

Y…………………….

Yellow Belly ‘Ghostwriter’ (Cruel Nature Records) 
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Young Mothers, The ‘Better If You Let It’ (Sonic Transmissions) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Z……………………..

Zavoloka ‘ISTYNA’ Picked by Dominic Valvona

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