IoMP 109: What Have You Been Listening To? - BEST of 2025

The Influencers of Metal Podcast closes out 2025 with the final WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO? episode of the year, counting down our Top 5 BEST metal picks—and yes, chaos starts before the intro even finishes.This marks our first full calendar year as a podcast, and we listened to an absurd amount of metal to celebrate properly. As expected, Collin and Tom immediately complicate things by using completely different rules for their lists. Collin sticks strictly to full-length albums, while Tom throws the doors wide open to albums, EPs, and singles, because limiting joy is illegal.After honourable mentions featuring Fallujah and one of the funniest breakdowns of the year from AlphaSix, the Top 5 begins. Collin travels the globe—from Alien Weaponry’s Mauri metal assault to Canadian brutal death metal and a full-on thrash metal declaration of war. Tom counters with Quebec symphonic death, Sabaton replay addiction, hardcore chaos, neoclassical death metal, and a progressive power metal masterpiece that completely stole his heart.The episode wraps with bold predictions, surprised reactions, and one final question to close out the year: What Have You Been Listening To?Check out more from Collin!https://indi1015.ca/shows/thrashers-paradise/https://www.youtube.com/@thrashersparadise4132https://www.instagram.com/thrashers_paradise/https://www.facebook.com/Thrashers.Paradise.666/Check out more from Tom!https://themetalrobot.com/https://www.youtube.com/@MetalRobotReviewshttps://www.facebook.com/theMetalRobothttps://x.com/theMetalRobothttps://www.instagram.com/the.metalrobot/MUSIC:Fallujah “Labyrinth of Stone”AlphaSix “The Ritual (feat. Howie Straws)”Alien Weaponry “Ponaturi”Vortex “When Humans Defy The Void”In Mourning “As Long as the Twilight Stays”Sabaton “Cycle of Songs”Testament “Witch Hunt”Paleface Swiss “River of Sorrows”Dying Remains “Grotesque Remains”Burned in Effigy “Befouled Benefaction”Warbringer “Strike From The Sky”In Virtue “Gunslingers of the New American Desert”-----------------------------DISCLAIMER: Copyright Exceptions under the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42), allowance is made for "fair dealing" for the purposes of criticism or review.