The Music Finland team has again cast its votes for the standout Finnish albums of the year — and the results are officially in! Explore our selections below, and don’t forget to check out a playlist of the choices at the bottom of the page.

What a remarkable year it has been for Finnish music! Looking back, these are the albums that left the strongest mark on our staff throughout 2025. Browse the picks below, listed in alphabetical order by each contributor’s name.

Chosen by: Tuuli Elo (Export Manager, contemporary and classical, folk and global music)

Meriheini Luoto: Talven uneen vaipuen (Eclipse Music)

"If northern winter were music, what would it sound like? Meriheini Luoto’s album “Talven uneen vaipuen” (‘Falling into winter sleep’) paints an atmospheric sonic picture of winter within eight tracks. Meriheini Luoto is a composer and performer working with violin, nyckelharpa, and voice, whose music explores the boundary between improvisation and composition. On this mesmerizing album, she performs with four talented quartets: Saxtronauts, Awake Percussion, Signe, and Luoto luonnos. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and let these sounds lead you through this winter."

Listen to Talven uneen vaipuen on Apple Music and Spotify.

Chosen by: Teemu Fiilin (Communications Manager)

Louie Blue: Blood & Bones (Booa Music)

”If smoothness was a crime, Louie Blue would be doing hard time. Corny puns aside, with his 3rd album, the Turku-based singer-songwriter has truly found his sound: a soft, comforting voice, backed with unhurried drum beats, guitar chords that float 20 feet above the ground, insanely jazzy keyboards, and bass so elastic that it’s in a constant fear of turning into chewed bubblegum. Yes, it’s 80s-indebted and AOR as hell: this music would not exist without Sting, Steely Dan, Bryan Ferry, Sade, Toto, Christopher Cross, or The Doobie Brothers. But for a 24-year-old artist to be making this music in 2025 is utterly uncompromising, not to mention the fact that he took four years to make the album in the first place. At a time when pop music is usually polished to a flawless gleam, Louie Blue leans hard into the emotion and the rawness of live musicians. The warmth isn’t accidental, and neither are the scuffs. It’s the work of an artist no longer courting the data and numbers, but reaching for something rarer: the truth of his own voice."

Listen to Blood & Bones on Apple Music and Spotify.

Chosen by: Merja Hottinen (Research Manager)

Hexvessel: Nocturne (Prophecy Productions)

"In today’s abundance of good new music, I rarely stay with one album for long – there’s always something new waiting. However, Hexvessel’s new black metal album “Nocturne” proved to be an exception. From the first listen, it seized my attention, drawing me back again and again with an intensity I wasn’t prepared for. Why? It’s difficult to pinpoint. Certainly, the album is a great example of melancholic black metal, but it also weaves together a wide range of influences – from the soft piano opening to echoes of folk music, from acoustic textures to full-blown metal climaxes. Guest performers add further emotional depth, and the album’s overall arc is dramaturgically compelling. None of this should perhaps surprise a listener who has followed the band’s evolution since their early folk-inflected psych-rock, yet “Nocturne” feels like something greater than the sum of its parts."

Listen to Nocturne on Apple Music and Spotify.

Chosen by: Niko Kangas (Senior Advisor)

Pearly Drops: The Voices Are Coming Back (Music Website)

"On their 3rd album "The Voices are Coming Back" the great indie pop duo Pearly Drops, consisting of Juuso Malin and Sandra Tervo escape the gloom of Finnish winter to the sunny glitz and glamour of Hollywood. “At its heart, this album is about the emotional unraveling that can happen when you chase a dream too hard—when fantasy and ambition start to bleed into your sense of identity", the band explained. Sonically, the album encapsulates everything we already love about Pearly Drops: Sandra's hauntingly dreamy vocals, immaculate, if somewhat experimental songwriting, and amazing synth-pop production."

Listen to The Voices are Coming Back on Apple Music and Spotify.

Chosen by: Kari Laitinen (Information Manager)

Jouni Kaipainen: South by Northeast (Alba Records)

"The Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Hannu Lintu, has released a disc of music by the orchestra's late composer-in-residence Jouni Kaipainen (1956–2015). The Piano Concerto Op. 55 (1997) heard on the disc is the first recording of the work, and Juhani Lagerspetz also played as the piano soloist at the premiere. The soundscape of the work North by North-East (2000-2001), composed for the Nordic Youth Orchestra, is based on northern nature experiences, and Aubade beninoise – A Beninese Morning Song (2008–2009) describes the moods the composer experienced during his visit to the Villa Karo Cultural Center in Benin in 2000."

Listen to South by Northeast on Apple Music and Spotify.

Chosen by: Heli Lampi (Head of Communications and Promotion)

Áššu: Luohteniegut (Nordic Notes / CPL-Musicgroup)

"As a long-time fan of Ulla Pirttijärvi, I’ve been excited to listen to her various ensembles over the years. In the latest, Áššu, she is joined by Norwegian musicians Kenneth Ekornes and Olav Torget. The trio’s album “Luohteniegut” intertwines brilliantly traditional joik with contemporary sounds and even West African rhythms. If you've never listened to joik before, grab this album and be amazed."

Listen to Luohteniegut on Apple Music and Spotify.

Chosen by: Mikko Manninen (Executive Director)

The Rasmus: Weirdo (Playground Music Scandinavia)

"Making a comeback after the departure of one of your founding members is one thing, but making a second, successful comeback album is another. But after over 30 years of existence, The Rasmus are on top of their game, commercially and artistically. In many ways, The Rasmus has never sounded as heavy as they do on “Weirdo”; check out the opening track Creatures of Chaos for proof. What is also fun to notice is that this time around, The Rasmus even shines some light on the generations that grew up on their music, with fellow Finns Blind Channel featuring on Break These Chains and Atlanta-based emo rockers The Funeral Portrait gracing the album’s title track."

Listen to Weirdo on Apple Music and Spotify.

Chosen by: Anna Reponen (Export Manager, pop and rock)

Goldielocks: Two of a Kind (Sony Music Finland)

"Goldielocks’ debut is a lively, feel-good pop album with a sound you recognize the moment it starts. It really feels like the artist has settled comfortably into their own voice, crafting songs that flow naturally and stick with you in the best way. The only collaboration on the album, My Religion, especially caught my ear — it brings in something fresh while still sounding unmistakably like Goldielocks. Overall, it’s an easygoing, warm-hearted record that fits perfectly for relaxed listening and happy moments."

Listen to Two of a Kind on Apple Music and Spotify.

Chosen by: Helka Ruusumetsä (Intern)

Kaisa's Machine: Moving Parts (Greenleaf Music)

"Kaisa’s Machine delivers an energy boost that is very much needed at this time of year! The album is an inspiring work that combines jazz, catchy grooves, and Kaisa Mäensivu’s brilliant double bass playing. With a sense of playful calculation, the songs are fun to listen to. "Moving Parts" is equal parts head-nodder and head-scratcher (in the best way possible)."

Listen to Moving Parts on Apple Music and Spotify.

Chosen by: Visa-Matti Uimonen (Financial Manager)

Bloodred Hourglass: We Should Be Buried Like This (Out of Line Music)

"While Bloodred Hourglass has been frequently labeled a melodic death metal band, the band has gradually shifted toward a more modernized sound. These days, the sextet is incorporating elements of metalcore and alternative metal into their music. Their latest, 7th album delivers a nicely balanced mix of melody and aggression, resulting in an intense metal package with consistent songwriting and a cohesive flow from start to finish. If you’re drawn to heavy riffs, powerful yet catchy melodies, atmospheric synths, and punishing vocals, this release should be right up your alley."

Listen to We Should Be Buried Like This on Apple Music and Spotify.