Curious what notable personalities in the scene think was great this year? So is TGEFM! So we reached out to some of our favorite luminaries ranging from musicians, label personnel, and more for their “Best of 2025” lists. Now, listen: TGEFM is not a taskmistress. Contributors can write these out however they want. So if it doesn’t actually look or read like a list… and sometimes it really is just a list with no other observations! Who cares?
In 2025, The Car Bomb Parade dropped an absolute shredder of a split with RBNX. Now TCBP are preparing to deliver a massive evolutionary leap in 2026, with 2 new members joining the New World Hardcore fray. Today, the band’s Will and Kevin have agreed to share with TGEFM their favorites of 2025. Check it out below.
Kevin’s 2025 album picks (alphabetical):
Age of Apocalypse – In Oblivion
Combust – Belly of the Beast
Dream Theater – Parasomnia
Lil Tecca – Dopamine
School Drugs – Funeral Arrangements
Will’s 2025 album picks (in loose-ish order):
Scowl – Are We All Angels
Turnstile – Never Enough
School Drugs – Funeral Arrangements
Slaughterhouse – Sick and Tired
Niis – Niis World
Cradle of Filth – The Screaming of the Valkyries
Negative Charge – Negative Charge
Bass Drum of Death – Six
Killswitch Engage – This Consequence
Jacket Burner – Eat Shit + Die
Will’s 2025 movie picks (in loose-ish order):
Black Phone 2
28 Years Later
Weapons
Night of the Reaper
Strangers Chapter 2
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/