Top5 2025 Songs

And so, 2025 comes to an end, and here are my thoughts on every track featured within the playlist I compiled in Spotify for my Top5 songs for this year. It has been a year that was full of musical discoveries and re-discovering songs that I had listened to at a younger age. Below is the link to the playlist and to the official website of each artist featured in it so you can discover more about them.

It starts with “Esolampas” by Thy Catafalque, a band I discovered when I purchased the live album Mezolit, and from this album I went on to learn more about the discography of this one man band from Hungay. Of all the songs this is my pick, although I did watch and listen to this record several times over the year. I would put it up as my top album of this year as well.

Next up is the mighty Imperial Triumphant, whose album Alphaville I reviewed for Metal Imperium several years ago. “Lexington Delirium” is not only an amazing song with many twists and turns, but the accompanying video is amazing, since it shows the band performing on top and inside of the historical Chrysler Building in New York. Having been to New York years ago I believe this song captures very well the chaos and sense of of the great metropolis in a very weird but catchy tune.

“Earthtomb” is a song by Deathwhite which struck a chord with me when listening to it. Maybe it was the depressing atmosphere or the sadness of the singer of this anonymous band. The accompanying video has haunted my dreams over the months with a man walking through a deserted ghost town with corpses lying in the ground, only to meet death personified when he eventually visits a grave in a cemetery. I highly recommend listening to this if you are a fan of modern black metal like Gaerea or Uada.

I got the chance to see both Till Lindemann and Eagles of Death Metal at the Evil Live festival this year, and although I already knew both artists, seeing them live gave me a fresh perspective on them. “Zunge” opens the album of the same name which I reviewed for a Portuguese publication when it hit the shelves years ago. It is an amazing song that is somber and powerful thanks to the emotion in the voice of Till Lindemann and the music that supports it (courtesy of producer and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Karelly).

As for Eagles of Death Metal, when I saw them live the presence and delivery of lead singer/guitarist Jesse Hughes captured me from the beginning of their set all the way to its’ end. “I Love All The Time” is a song that I have been listening to a lot since that amazing live performance.

In conclusion I wish you all a happy 2026, with plenty music and concerts, as usual I appeal that you support the artist by listening to their music on streaming services or physical media, attending their gigs, buying their merch, etc… The music industry is going through a tough transitional period, and musicians are finding themselves in more need of direct support from their fans. Happy listening!

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Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6uYvapJkIQbqHCNxAQIZYK?si=52c74f1139014579&pt=8d056849cafacda2ea9d34e2180777ca

Eagles of Death Metal: https://eaglesofdeathmetal.com/  

Till Lindemann: https://www.till-lindemann.com/

Imperial Triumphant: https://www.imperial-triumphant.com/

Deathwhite: https://deathwhite.bandcamp.com/album/grey-everlasting

Thy Catafalque: https://thy-catafalque.hu/

 

Paciência com Deus: Oportunidade para um Encontro (Tomás Halik: 2013, editora Paulinas)

Este livro permitiu-me ver a fé cristã de uma forma diferente, dado que se foca na fé cristã como uma religião de contradições, o que implica uma análise profunda dos Evangelhos. Compreender as contradições do cristianismo é um trabalho que leva muitos anos, eu próprio sinto-me precoce a escrever este artigo dada a minha parca compreensão deste texto.

No entanto, decidi escrever um breve texto pois considero que este livro merece ser lido apesar de ser denso na sua análise do Evangelho, nomeadamente do episódio de Zaqueu, o homem de pequena estatura, cuja curiosidade acerca de Jesus o levou a subir a uma árvore de forma que o pudesse observar. Tratava-se de um homem rico, cuja profissão o marcava como pecador, mas apesar disso, Jesus pede-lhe que desça da árvore para que possa jantar em casa dele.

A curiosidade dos muitos “Zaqueus” que existem é algo que Tómas Halik analisa e procura explicar à luz do Evangelho e tendo presente que o seu país natal (Checoslováquia) tem uma alta percentagem de ateus. Pode ser que um dia Deus os chame pelo seu nome e peça para entrar. Concluo com o seguinte verso de “Black Soul Choir” dos 16 Horsepower (também recomendo a versão deste tema pelos Devildriver):

No man ever seen the face of my Lord, no
Not since He left his skin
He's the one you keep cold on the outside, girl He's
At your door, let Him in

 

Angels in America (2003: Mike Nichols)

 

I recently watched this incredible mini-series based on the play of the same name by Tony Kushner (who also made the script). It is based around the life of several New Yorkers who have to deal with consequences of the AIDS epidemic of the 1980’s, the Reagan presidency, while also focusing on the lifestyle of the gay community in the city.

The main character is Prior Walter, who reveals to his lover Louis that he has AIDS, and from that point on other characters are introduced, but the shadow of this disease never leaves the plot, specially hanging over the head of Walter like a death sentence.

However what made me feel so attached to this story was the performance of the actors: Patrick Wilson as Joe Pitt, who has to deal with the fact that he is closeted homosexual and decides to assume his homosexuality; Al Pacino as Roy Cohn, an influential lawyer who hides his homosexuality and has to deal with an AIDS diagnosis; and a sublime Jeffrey Wright who plays many characters, my favorite being Belize, a nurse who is not afraid to show his gay nature and attitude towards the world, while also serving a role that  connects many of the characters and story treads.

Although I tend to spoil the narrative of most of the stories I cover in this blog, I always try to keep to a minimum necessary to understand why I analyze movies, tv shows and other media in general. In the case of Angels in America, I feel it is important to do so in order to understand why this story is so endearing as well as dark in its’ tone.

It is a story, in my opinion, about relationships (not just: with death, disease and their repercussions) but mostly relationships between people in distress: Prior dealing with his disease and the influence it has in his relationship with friends and lover; Louis who appears as both a struggling lover (towards Prior) but also as a dominating one (towards Joe); Harper dealing with a failing marriage; Roy dealing with his diagnosis and professional situation; Joe dealing with his sexuality and the implications it has on his faith, marriage and relationship with his mother (an intense and sternly calm Meryl Streep).

All actors are incredibly well cast and play their parts to perfection, it is a series I highly recommend given the way it deals with its’ subject matter.