Which rock album reigns supreme in 2025? That’s the burning question on everyone’s mind as we prepare to crown the best rock album of the year. You’ve been playing a pivotal role in guiding the decision process at Loudwire Nights, helping to pit Three Days Grace’s Alienation against Deftones’ private music in an ultimate showdown for the title. Now, it’s time to put an end to the debate once and for all.
2025 was a significant year for Three Days Grace, marked by the return of their former lead vocalist Adam Gontier, who joined forces with current frontman Matt Walst for their eighth studio release, Alienation. This album has maintained the band's impressive record of hit singles, already delivering tracks like "Mayday" (check it out here), "Apologies" (listen here), and "Kill Me Fast" (view it here) in 2025, with even more potential hits expected to emerge in 2026.
On the other side, Deftones appears to be experiencing a surge in popularity, reveling in their success with the album private music. The band has already released popular tracks such as "my mind is a mountain" (see it here), "milk of the madonna" (watch here), and "infinite source" (check it out). As we move into 2026, the excitement continues with anticipated releases like "Cut Hands" (listen now).
Just like all previous matchups in Chuck's Fight Club, Loudwire Nights host Chuck Armstrong will kick off this thrilling battle during the 8 PM hour of Monday’s show. Each album will receive its moment in the spotlight on Tuesday and Wednesday, where compelling cases will be made for both contenders while you continue to rank them. By Friday, we’ll tally the votes, and the winning album will earn a special feature in a Loudwire Nights rock block during that same hour.
Don’t forget! You can catch Loudwire Nights with Chuck Armstrong every night starting at 7 PM ET. Tune in from anywhere by clicking here or by downloading the Loudwire app (available here).
Additionally, let’s take a moment to reflect on the top rock and metal albums of 2025 as we’re already halfway through the decade! Discover which of your favorite albums made the cut in our curated list.
Contributions to this exciting content were made by Chuck Armstrong (CA), Jordan Blum (JB), Rob Carroll (RC), Chad Childers (CC), Joe DiVita (JD), John Hill (JH), and Lauryn Schaffner (LS).
Gallery Credit: Loudwire Staff (learn more)
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