Archive for the Album Reviews Category

« Older Entries

Magic Fig’s ‘Valerian Tea’: Two Cent Review for Post-Trash’s Best 50 LPs of 2025

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 12/21/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

With their second record, Valerian Tea, Magic Fig incorporated mellotron, glockenspiel and percussion into a trippy affair, albeit one mitigated by thee band leaning and scratching deeper into the surfaces of soft rock and prog that they mostly traipsed over the last time around. Go to Post-Trash to read my full review of Valerian Tea for the outlet’s “Year in Review: The Best of 2025” roundup.

Don’t miss these two other roundups either:

• Friends of The Bad Penny Share Their Top 10 Lists of 2025 Best Albums

• Boise Friends of The Bad Penny Share Their 2025 Top 10 Lists

Leave a comment »

The Bad Penny’s Top 50 Best LPs of 2025, Pt. 4: Wode, Floating, Jason Isbell, Glare, Havukruunu

Posted in Album Reviews, Lists, Reviews with tags , , , , , , , , , on 12/20/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

A lot of fucked-up up shit happened in the U.S. this year. Way, way too much of it. For many of us Americans who actually carry values in our hearts instead of bloviating about them or slapping bumper stickers on our monster trucks, it was almost too much to bear.

Fortunately, 2025 also saw the release of a staggering number of stellar records, which made the year a little more … well, bearable. Hence, for the first time ever, The Bad Penny is deviating from its usual annual tradition of limiting out favorite listens to just 10 and breaking them into a five-part series containing 10 records per installment.

What follows is the third batch. (Go here for The Bad Penny‘s favorite albums, #21 through #30; here for The Bad Penny‘s favorite albums, #31 through #40; and here for The Bad Penny‘s favorite albums, #41 through #50.)

11. Wode – Uncrossing the Keys (20 Buck Spin)

• Wode’s ‘Uncrossing the Keys’: Two Cent Review

12. Floating – Hesitating Lights (Transcending Obscurity)

13. Jason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow (Southeastern)

• Jason Isbell’s ‘Foxes in the Snow’: Two Cent Review for Treble’s Best Albums of 2025

Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

Liquid Cross’ ‘Don’t Think’: Two Cent Review for Post-Trash’s Best 50 LPs of 2025

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 12/19/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

The titular instruction of Liquid Cross’ 10-minute whiplash Don’t Think is worthy of a smirk, as the three-piece punk band – just formed this year – doesn’t even provide the listener with such an opportunity over the course of these five fiery yet fleeting tracks. Go to Post-Trash to read my full review of Don’t Think for the outlet’s “Year in Review: The Best of 2025” roundup.

Don’t miss these two other roundups either:

• Friends of The Bad Penny Share Their Top 10 Lists of 2025 Best Albums

• Boise Friends of The Bad Penny Share Their 2025 Top 10 Lists

Leave a comment »

Hedonist’s ‘Scapulimancy’: Two Cent Review for Post-Trash’s Best 50 LPs of 2025

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags , on 12/18/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

Hedonist’s Scapulimancy debut terrorizds the innocent with a sound resembling a construction crew of demons using pile drivers to burrow deep, and then deeper, and then even deeper, into the earth. Go to Post-Trash to read my full review for the outlet’s “Year in Review: The Best of 2025” roundup.

Don’t miss these two other roundups either:

• Friends of The Bad Penny Share Their Top 10 Lists of 2025 Best Albums

• Boise Friends of The Bad Penny Share Their 2025 Top 10 Lists

Leave a comment »

Degraved’s ‘Spectral Realm of Ruin’: Two Cent Review for Post-Trash’s Best 50 LPs of 2025

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags , , , on 12/17/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

A tip of the sombrero to Post-Trash for allowing me to write seven capsule reviews among the 50 presented in the esteemed website’s Year In Review: The Best of 2025. The first one I’m presenting on The Bad Penny is Degraved’s Spectral Realm of Ruin (Dark Descent / Me Saco Un Ojo),

Seattle’s death-metal dealers took a helluva long windup before finally pitching their first full-length, concentrating for five years after their formation to ensure their opening salvo landed smack-dab in the middle of the strike zone. Indeed, the band hit right on the money.

Go to Post-Trash to read my full review.

Leave a comment »

The Bad Penny’s Top 50 Best LPs of 2025, Pt. 3: Keep, Florist, Pharaoh Overlord, Gaupa, Igorrr

Posted in Album Reviews, Lists, Reviews with tags , , , , , , , , , on 12/14/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

A lot of fucked-up up shit happened in the U.S. this year. Way, way too much of it. For many of us Americans who actually carry values in our hearts instead of bloviating about them or slapping bumper stickers on our monster trucks, it was almost too much to bear.

Fortunately, 2025 also saw the release of a staggering number of stellar records, which made the year a little more … well, bearable. Hence, for the first time ever, The Bad Penny is deviating from its usual annual tradition of limiting out favorite listens to just 10 and breaking them into a five-part series containing 10 records per installment.

What follows is the third batch. (Go here for The Bad Penny‘s favorite albums, #31 through #40 and here for The Bad Penny‘s favorite albums, #41 through #50.)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

Jason Isbell’s ‘Foxes in the Snow’: Two Cent Review for Treble’s Best Albums of 2025

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 12/12/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

Few living artists embody the word “integrity” more than Jason Isbell, who is on the fast track to receiving the universal respect that forebears Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson garnered. Isbell continues to bring together Americans in an age where cultural fragmentation is omnipotent, and he’s done it once again with Foxes in the Snow. Read my reflection on his LP as part of Treble‘s best albums of 2025 feature.

Leave a comment »

Greet Death’s ‘Die in Love’: Two Cent Review for Treble’s Best Albums of 2025

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 12/12/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

Every Greet Death song is blessed with a brilliant touch. The shoegazing musicians look directly at you, instead of their feet, the entire time they play Die in Love – because they rightly know this is the next-level rock. Read my reflection on their LP as part of Treble‘s best albums of 2025 feature.

Leave a comment »

Agriculture’s ‘The Spiritual Sound’: Two Cent Review for FLOOD’s Best Albums of 2025

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 12/09/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

The Spiritual Sound is Agriculture’s declaration that they’ll stay true to themselves and abide by the self-described “ecstatic black metal” gauntlet they threw down with their self-titled debut two years ago. With this follow-up LP, the LA quartet delivered a terrifying listen made by terrifyingly talented musicians that’s just as singular and spectacular as their debut. Read my reflection on their LP as part of FLOOD‘s best albums of 2025 feature.

Leave a comment »

The Armed’s ‘The Future Is Here and Everything Needs to Be Destroyed’: Two Cent Review for FLOOD’s Best Albums of 2025

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags , , , , , on 12/09/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

Within days of No Kings I, The Armed gave us “Kingbreaker,” which could’ve easily served as the head-banging set’s theme song for the day. And then, less than two months later, The Armed unveiled The Future Is Here and Everything Needs to Be Destroyed, a long-form manifesto of the Detroit-based band’s opening salvo that made a spectacular case supporting the name of their latest album. Read my reflection on their LP as part of FLOOD‘s best albums of 2025 feature.

Leave a comment »

« Older Entries