2025 Emo Tier List: A- Tier (Cont) - A Tier
Key vs. locket - i felt like a sketch (A- Tier)
After releasing tons of demos this year and last, Brazil’s new Midwest Emo project Key vs. locket has released their nearly 50-minute debut LP and it’s a pretty extraordinary effort. Despite leaning toward the softer side of the genre, the songs aren’t comprised of mathy twinkles and off-key vocals. The guitar is the standout instrument on this album, switching effectively between the aforementioned twinkly riffs, light arpeggios and rockin’ chord progressions. The music itself is filled with all of the tropes you’d hope for in a Midwest Emo album, including quiet-loud sections, group vocals and constant forward motion.
Melancholy Club - thank god for you (A- Tier)
Melancholy Club is one of the truly underrated hidden gem bands of our time, fusing gruff, screamy Post-Hardcore with ethereal, dynamic Midwest Emo. Each of these twelve songs is a distinct musical journey that utilizes acoustic guitar, clean / screamed vocals, twinkles and mathiness to craft unique tracks all their own. At times, the aggression seems boundless and infinite, only for tormented, heartrending clean sections to slip in and change the mood entirely.
Thoughts on Bowling - Who U Callin Pinhead (A- Tier)
Thoughts on Bowling is 100% Gen Zmo Revival, which is just to say Emo Revival Revival by obviously young folk. That’s not a bad thing, and neither is the fact that this album is VERY derivative; the band features some excellent songwriting that goes far beyond the Sparklepunk of old. The twinkles here are quite graceful and are counterbalanced by strong strumming and chord progressions. The vocals aren’t going to defeat any stereotypes about Midwest Emo singers, and neither will the copious amount of somewhat immature song titles, references and samples strewn about, but they are more than serviceable.
Emma Goldman - all you are is we (A- Tier)
Although Screamo is a genre built on the utmost human vulnerability, experimental artistic expression and dynamic dissonance, it’s also a genre traditionally associated with humor, absurdism and cheekiness. After at least seven years as a band together, Emma Goldman has finally released their debut LP onto the world, and it contains all aforementioned qualities and more! There is a relentlessness and carnage at every corner, though you can tell the band is having a gay old time in the recording studio. This is the culmination of nearly a decade of work and has earned at least a curious full playthrough.
First Day Back - Forward (A- Tier)
First Day Back is one of the most inspirational bands of the entire year, leveraging the burgeoning Second Wave Revival to craft authentic Midwest Emo in the 90s style. They sound like some combination of Cap’n Jazz and Mineral with some violin thrown in for good measure. The production harkens back to the Post-Hardcore-Tinted, surly guitar tones of old, referencing a time when Midwest Emo was seen as a more definitive offshoot of Hardcore. Using history as a guide, these wonderful folks have made one of the most refreshing Emo albums of the year and have blown up considerably as a result.
Do It Later - Feeling Spent (A- Tier)
Do It Later is a French concoction, taking catchy, anthemic Emo and combining it with spirited, restless Pop-Punk. Too often, this approach turns out to be listless Sparklepunk, but this band does away with soft production and twinkles; instead, they replace them with Melodic Hardcore guitar tones and certain instances of heaviness throughout the record. While not the most unique approach to the genre, it’s quite stimulating to hear this take on the formula in the year 2025.
…And Always - Feel Fine (A-Tier)
…And Always is a Screamo outfit from Toronto and have close ties to other bands like Respire. So what sets this group apart from many of the other releases on this list? Well their signature brand of Screamo isn’t exactly original, utilizing the tried and true formula of dissonance, melody, dynamism and crescendos. The songwriting in and of itself is great, but what I appreciate most about these Canadians is the immense passion that flows through each screamed word, each painfully executed guitar chord, every dramatic beat of the drum.
Bob Atea - BobAtea.mp3 (A- Tier)
Indonesia’s small but notable DIY scene has produced a few gems over the years, and its latest contribution to Emo comes by way of Bob Atea. This four-piece from Jakarta plays Midwest Emo, but they do so without actually trying to play Midwest Emo. They’re just four sad individuals pouring their hearts and souls over a boundless musical cauldron. The result? A small EP that’s never boring, feels like a fever dream and is chock full of the kind of references you’d expect from this style of music.
Lord Snow - Have You Heard of the High Elves (A Tier)
Lord Snow is a modern Emoviolence icon, having gained notoriety with 2013’s epic Solitude before going on hiatus in 2019 following Shadowmarks. Six years on, Have You Heard of the High Elves is a compelling mix of original tracks and remade tracks from prior releases, mainly the aforementioned Solitude. Their virtuosic drumming and guitar playing shines brightly amid the discordant arrangements, usually transpiring at breakneck tempos or with nothing but senseless, beatless noise attached. If it the majority of these tracks weren’t just inventive reimaginings, this would absolutely be in the top 10.
Hundreds of AU - Life in Parallel (A Tier)
Illustrious underground legends of Albany, NY for about a decade, this Screamo / Post-Hardcore band has torn it up across three studio albums and a few extra releases, accessing their ample musical knowledge to color each one slightly differently. Arguably, Life in Parallel is their magnum opus, refocusing on the frenetic, impassioned Screamo that they’re best known for while introducing some Mathcore into the mix, leading to one of their most technical works to date. The energetic aggression the band writes with spills onto every corner of this near 30-minute release.
Arm’s Length - There’s A Whole World Out There (A Tier)
Arguably the definitive Emo band of the Fifth Wave thanks to their generational debut LP Never Before Seen, Never Again Found, Arm’s Length honestly had nothing left to prove. Nonetheless, this sophomore album proves once and for all that Arm’s Length are THEM; their glorious, magnificent sound is amplified, the melodies are bolder, the arrangements more ambitious. It is a dream follow-up for fans of the band and Emo as a whole. I’d only give the edge to the former album due to having more standout tracks, but this cohesive 45+ minute musical odyssey should be heard by everyone this year.
Pool Kids - Easier Said Than Done (A Tier)
After Emo Icon Haley Williams gave this band a shoutout all the way back in 2019, this talented group has been destined for superstardom; their 2022 self-titled album propelled the band into one of the definitive acts of the Fifth Wave. However, could they follow this up? Easier Said Than Done answers this question with a resounding yes! The aforementioned Williams’ influence is all over this, from the incredible vocal performance to the driving, melodic songwriting, though Pool Kids’ personal Emo Pop concoction also includes dreamy sound textures, Midwest Emo structures and a disciplined use of synths. This third album officially etches Pool Kids into the cobblestone of Emo history.
UNIVERSITY - McCartney, It'll be OK (A Tier)
Coming from a smallish city in Cheshire, UK, UNIVERSITY is a frantic, chaotic Post-Hardcore / Emo outfit with heavy leanings into Noise Rock. From the onset, this record immediately thrusts you into a hysteria of distortion, crude vocalizing and boisterous songwriting. The panicked drums, heavy basslines and various synths give many songs on here an experimental edge, but none of these elements ever get in the way of the negative emotion at the heart of the music. This is perhaps the most anxiety-ridden release of the entire year.
Cataratas en Siberia - Todas las Tardes Que Nos Robó el Fuego (A Tier)
Cataratas en Siberia (translating to Waterfalls in Siberia) is the perfect name to encapsulate this EP’s sound: chilling aural textures crash into massive, epic songwriting. The first track introduces us to their crescendo-heavy Midwest Emo style, even without vocals, as well as the leitmotif they will write off of for much of the record. From there, their propensity for lush tones, dreamy ambiance, blistering guitar riffs, high-register basslines and dynamic screamed / clean vocals. What separates them from the pack is that, despite being only 15 minutes, the entire record builds up to the last song immaculately.
Weatherday - Hornet Disaster (A Tier)
With six years between full-length releases, the Fifth Wave trendsetters Weatherday have finally released their sophomore album, by far one of the most ambitious recordings of the year and in the genre as a whole. Hornet Disaster is the result of these Noise Pop-laden Emos delicately crafting over an hour and fifteen minutes worth of recorded music. Believe it or not, this interconnected jumble of sounds actually flows quite well, despite the staggering 19 tracks. Since I can’t possibly describe everything on here, I’ll say this: if you view new albums as opportunities to collect cool new songs for you personal repertoire, this might be the very best of the year.
Just the top 10 remains! Will your favorites be included or did I already cover them before?
