I think Hideous Aftermath is great, super heavy and brutal but it's obviously not just mindless caveman stuff (though it's groovy enough even caveman-listeners could vibe with it)! I'm not gonna lie and pretend it's gonna sit at the top of my tier list or anything, but it's definitely in the better half of the 200~ albums I've heard and rated from 2025. And yeah like you said, a really great example of bringing the old school sound and feel into the new school.

Suggestions (i'll keep 'em recent-ish for now unless you want older stuff):

1. Horse Bitch - RIP Pistachio (2021) - Folk punk. Just a tremendous and extremely underground record that's equal parts pathos, catharsis, party, and funny. This is pretty small band and honestly I think I might just be their biggest fan, lol. I love this goddamn album.

2. Playboy Manbaby - Violence (2026) - Garage punk/indie rock, almost a bit post-punk. Insanely approachable punk album that still has some meat to the lyrics. This one totally surprised me but it's currently my 3rd highest rated album of 2026 so far.

3. Vittra - Intense Indifference (2025) - Melodic Death Metal. This wasn't my favorite album last year (it was #13 though!), but it had to be one of the most fun albums I listened to last year, especially for a heavy album. I don't know how else to explain it other than to say that it's just such a goddamn good time and the entire run of the album it really sounds like the musicians themselves are having a goddamn blast. If you want to know what I mean without committing to the full album yet, just check out 'Transylvanian Buffet,' although album opener 'MOFO' is just as fun but like 10% less silly.

BONUS 3.5. Impureza - Alcázares (2025) - Technical Death Metal/Prog Metal/SPANISH FOLK MUSIC. Okay so Alcázares and Intense Indifference aren't really all that similar, but they have a similar vibe to me; both are super playful, inventive, and experimental without feeling novelty or tacky. Overall I like Intense Indifference more, but if you really vibe with that one and gotta have something else that scratches a similar itch, this is absolutely what I'd recommend.

4. Anna Pest - Dark Arms Reach Skyward With Bone White Fingers II: Be (Not) Afraid (2026) - Deathcore/Technical Death Metal/Mathcore/Electronicore/Hyperpop? Real talk, this album blew my mind. I only checked it out because in January I saw it was doing well in the early 2026 charts on rateyourmusic so I wanted to see why. Looking at the album cover I was immediately worried, absolutely certain that I was about to hear something insanely cringe. Instead my face was immediately ripped off and sewn back on with a bloody manic smile. This shit is wild. It's basically the most extreme maximalist hyperpop approach, but applied to metal. You gotta be open to being like, sonically overwhelmed at times tbh, but holy shit what a ride.

5. Open Mike Eagle - Anime, Trauma & Divorce (2020) - Alternative Hip-Hop/Conscious Rap. Mostly just wanted to include a hip-hop album since we both liked the most recent Clipse. Anime, Trauma & Divorce is definitely my favorite hip-hop album of the 2020s so far, but it's definitely on the more like, chill, introspective side of the genre. Tons of clever, nerdy bars though, and just awesome music underneath the voice. The tracks with "Little A$e" (OME's son) are admittedly kind of pointless throwaways but I ain't gonna fault the man for including his own child in the experience of sharing his art, especially on the album specifically about familial strife, ya know? All of the rest of the album is GOLD though, imo. Although admittedly I'm like almost the same age and have extremely similar interests as OME so this is one where your mileage might vary greatly depending on how relatable you find it.

Tried to give you a little variety, hopefully you'll like a couple of those. Same as you said, I'm not precious about this shit at all and I love talking music, so if you listen to them feel free to share any opinions you have, even if it's "this shit sucks and anyone who listens to it is stupid!" 😅