Despite all the negativity and division, we have endured one constant positive aspect to 2017; all the great heavy metal music being released. When the shit hits the fan in the rest of the world, headbangers can at least be thankful for the endless array of new music that came out this year. We now present the top 20 metal albums of 2017, in alphabetical order.
Arch Enemy- Will To Power
When Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy announced the departure of frontwoman Angela Gossow in 2014, many questioned whether the band could or should continue. But then when Alissa White-Gluz(formerly of The Agonist) stepped up to the plate, the band was given a new breath of life. Three years, one studio recording and one live album later, 2017 saw the release of Will To Power, which also featured the debut of guitarist Jeff Loomis. Overall the album is an anthology of melodic, epic and intricate death metal. The walls of sound and fury contained within these 50 minutes produce enough energy to light a city with power for ages. Gluz’s volume, depth, and immensely powerful voice make her the perfect new singer for the band, not replacing the former frontwoman but taking over where she left off. Growls and grunts aside, the guitar work of Loomis is impressive, to say the least, and is accentuated by the guitar work of Michael Amott. The record is full of beautifully crafted songs, and a balance of empowerment, rage, and electric energy, that only a band like Arch Enemy can deliver.
The Black Dahlia Murder- Nightbringers
Nightbringers is the band’s eighth full-length album, and delivers a punch to the throat in terms of savage, majestic, evil sounding death metal, with a fury that mixes styles of black metal, American death metal to appease fans of both Deicide and Dissection. Since forming in 2001, this band has been one of the hardest working groups in extreme metal, touring the world numerous times, appearing with giants like Nile and King Diamond and everyone in between.
This record shines with the band’s mastery at death metal that hasn’t been refined or processed beyond recognition. This music is fierce, macabre and full of darkness, and velocity and aggression, that the band initially had when it appeared on the scene 17 years ago. The songs all meld together and there is a build up from the onset that hooks listeners in and don’t let go. Nightbringers is the band’s most intense release to date.
Cannibal Corpse- Red Before Black
Death metal titans Cannibal Corpse have been pulverizing fans’ eardrums, for almost 30 years, and with each release the band seems to grow faster and more intense. The growth is apparent on the band’s 14th full length album, Red Before Black, a blood-soaked testament to the gore-filled violent sound the band helped to pioneer. All the elements of a great death metal record are here: brutal and hacking chainsaw riffs, the inhuman blast beat drums and the monstrous guttural vocals, courtesy of longtime singer Corpsegrinder. Fans will rejoice in such songs as “Only One Will Die,” “Code of the Slashers,” and “Heads Shoveled Off,” as the band’s brutality has only increased over the past three decades.
Code Orange- Forever
With just under 10 years on the national scene, Code Orange’s third album is a mix of death metal, metalcore, hardcore punk, and even some slightly industrial-tinged elements splattered throughout. Code Orange has been on tour almost the entire year to support the record, giving fans a chance to experience songs like “Kill the Creator,” “Forever,” and others in a live setting, where the band’s sonic bursts of energy truly shine. The band’s percussion section rings with an echo of fury and mechanized chaos.
Converge-The Dusk In Us
The first release from the band in five years, The Dusk In Us is a celebration of all things melancholia, and malevolent with tons of metallic hardcore experimentalism that Converge is known for. Part slow, part sped up and rigid in sound, Converge offer up a lethal dose of raw human emotion encapsulated by the buzzing guitar work of Kurt Ballou and tortured yet extroverted vocals, of singer Jacob Bannon. Fans of the band’s previous works might find this to be the band’s most exhilarating release to date. The album’s tracks bleed into one another seamlessly so fans can appreciate the totality of Converge’s sound.
Cradle of Filth- Cryptoriana: The Seductiveness of Decay
The British extreme metal band is back again with album number 12, and this time the band’s songs take on the Victorian Gothic era darkn ess, which was obsessed with the Occult and the paranormal. This album takes the band back to its early days and the classic album, Cruelty and the Beast. Fans will love songs like “Achingly Beautiful,” and “You Will Know the Lion By His Claw,” which resonate with the evil, raspy demonic sound vocalist Dani Filth helped to usher in with the band.
Dead Cross- Dead Cross
This supergroup’s self-titled album features drummer Dave Lombardo joining Mike Patton on vocals along with guitarist Justin Pearson and bass player Michael Crain. Patton has stated before that this record is a sort of homage to the hardcore punk that inspired him decades ago. The result is a caustic bombardment of crusty grinding, metallic punk. With only half an hour, this is an album that will knock you to the floor, and have you seeing stars when you get back up. It is charged, abrasive and foaming at the mouth, perfect for fans catching the band live, as this is the best way to experience the insanity of the album up close and personal.
Dying Fetus- Wrong One To Fuck With
Insane amounts of heaviness and crunchy powerful sound that these death metal groovers have become known for combines with a sense of technicality and in your face with a violent energetic sound that many bands attempt to replicate. This album doesn’t fail to live up to the expectations. The only natural response while listening is to bang your head at light speed or mosh like there’s no tomorrow. Either way, this is some fast, and downright brutal music, not for the faint of heart.
Enslaved- E
The kings of Viking metal, Norway’s Enslaved return with this album, which is full of spacey, avant grade passages of death metal, psychedelic black metal and a lot of distortion, dissonance and beautiful interlocked song structures that Enslaved has perfected. This will take fans back into the band’s early sound yet keeps the band in the present. The entire album is like a journey through the icy ancient Viking land, a profound dream set to the soundtrack of enthralling post-black metal.
Expulsion-Nightmare Future
As the title of this album suggests, this music is no walk in the park. A grinding venomous picture of the bleak future, this grindcore supergroup features members of Phobia, Repulsion, Exhumed and Gruesome. With a savage attack of bone-crushing death metal, this album will shred your face in first, then ask questions later. The inhuman violence can be heard and felt and if there was a soundtrack to the zombie-infested nuclear apocalypse, Nightmare Future would be it. Get ready for a solid kick in the teeth and punch to the throat as you blast this one loud.
Gwar- The Blood of Gods
Even after the tragic loss of two members, Pustules Maximus and Oderus Urungus, GWAR cannot die. Despite all the challenges the band faced, its inhuman members forge on with the mission of enslaving humanity with their brand of punk metal shock rock. With this album, they have created something that is bigger than humanity and will live on in infamy. Beefcake the Mighty, takes over on vocals and is now known as Blothar the Berserker. The band’s stage shows blood-soaked gore and executions of public figures at their live concerts are still a staple, proving that death cannot stop the almighty GWAR. All Hail to this rock band of non-human overlords.
Havok- Conformicide
Havok might be in the next generation of thrash bands, but they prove that hard work pays off. This album has kept the band on tour practically for months at a time, and within the collection of songs, thrashers will find a musical ode against the establishment. This record is a big middle finger to the ultra PC culture we have been accustomed to. With songs that are sure to endure mosh pits and headbanging, this is an ode to classic bands like Slayer, early Metallica, Anthrax, and bands like SOD and Sacred Reich. This is a band full of new blood, and is carrying on the flag of thrash metal into 2018 and beyond.
Iced Earth- Incorruptible
From the band’s early days, Iced Earth has evolved. Not that the band still isn’t a full-on American traditional heavy metal band, but the band has slowly inched its way into the political side of things as the years went on. Founding member Jon Schaffer leads the band with this new record, a power metal opus about American heroism, wars, and patriotism. Stand out tracks include “Great Heathen Army,” “Raven Wing,” and “Seven Headed Whore.” Fans of the band’s heyday will appreciate this node to the old school power metal, while newer fans will appreciate the class, and passion that streams from this collection of heavy metal songs.
Mastodon-Emperor of Sand
Mastodon has come a long way, from one time underground doom band to one of the most successful heavy bands of the past decade. This album is esoteric rock music that is intricate and larger than life, in the form of a concept album about the curse of wandering the desert lost in a sea of sand mirages and the blistering sun. This album has it all: Heaviness, a prog rock foundation, and damn good songs, written to be memorable and catchy yet distant and doom-laden. With hints of psych-pop melodies, the band takes the experimentalism to a new level and fans and critics alike have deemed this album one of the band’s best released thus far.
Municipal Waste- Slime and Punishment
This Richmond, Virginia-based crossover thrash band’s career was built upon a foundation of thrashing speed metal and hardcore punk, much like their forefathers in bands like Cro-Mags, DRI, and Supersuckers, among others. With Slime and Punishment, the band’s apocalyptic, humorous, raging party themed thrash soaks into listeners’ ears like toxic radioactive goo sealing out of its containers. With tunes like “Enjoy the Night,” “Shrednecks,” and “Parole Violators,” Municipal Waste have honed their craft and created a solid as any of their previous five releases.
Night Demon- Darkness Remains
Southern California based traditional heavy metal band rages with this album, that glues together modern heavy metal, speed metal, and The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) with its own distinct flavors and additives. There are dabs of darkness in each song, and the ability to translate metal tunes into epic stories is evident after the first listen. Taking cues from greats like Iron Maiden, Angel Witch, King Diamond and bits of Motorhead, the band’s critically acclaimed album helped them to take part in massive tours over the past year.
Obituary- Self Titled
On this 10th album by this Florida death metal pioneers, Obituary proves itself to be like fine wine, only getting better with age. The record is like concrete brick smashing you in the face, from the onset listeners are pummeled with the trademark death metal growl and furious riffs that the band has become known for. Though the band’s classic material from the late ’80s/early ’90s is what many consider to be a blueprint for modern death metal, this album retains the energy, speed, and brutality that makes death metal so extreme. This could be, arguably the band’s best material since the seminal Slowly We Rot. Clocking in at just under 40 minutes, the riffs are memorable and razor sharp, and the crushing groove of drums and bass seem to complement the exhilarating guitar solos throughout from the first song to last.
Power Trip- Nightmare Logic
Since 2008, this Dallas, Texas-based metal band has been thrashing and ravaging any who willing to listen, headband and circle pit to the band’s modern interpretation of old-school speed metal. With Nightmare Logic, the band’s second full length, Power Trip show their skills and prove they are here for the long haul. With a rabid and unrelenting bass and drum section, the band’s in your face music is full of heavy metal madness that seeps into your ears and buzzes with urgency and power. This album solidifies the band’s place among peers like Iron Reagan, Municipal Waste, and others, who keep thrash metal alive and well into 2018 and beyond.
Satyricon- Deep Calleth Upon Deep
The ninth offering from this Norwegian metal band offers up something for fans of both the band’s classic black metal material found in the first three albums and the evolved black n roll from the band’s later more accessible music. With the simplistic artwork aside, this album is raw with a dark vibe, with evil, permeating riffs and melodies that are slightly sinister and super catchy. Interspersed throughout Satyricon’s haunting ethereal and raspy vocals are bits of doom metal and a Motorhead style punk groove that is unmistakable. The single, “Midnight Serpent” is just one slice of the album, and can be listened to isolated, but is best heard in the context of the entire record. This might not be what black metal purists hoped for, but still, the music is dark and lives up to any other album on the band’s catalog, even its early days. One thing making Satyricon so compelling is their iconoclastic approach, and Deep Calleth Upon Deep is no different.
Warbringer- Woe to the Vanquished
These Southern California based neo-thrashers are back with another sonic piece of ancient warfare embedded in a headbanger focused thrash metal soundtrack that is fierce, fast and heavy as hell. With a dark, and in your face approach to speed metal, Warbringer’s aggression, stamina, and intensity make them a true force in the new generation of thrash metal. With tiny hints of black metal and death metal, this album will cater to fans of all sub genres of extreme metal with its technicality, sharp percussion and face shredding riffs and solos. Woe to the Vanquished is a cohesive collection of thrash tunes that showcases the talent and precision of the musicians, and depth of intelligence behind the band’s historical influenced lyrical themes.
Alex Distefano is an established freelance writer and music blogger from the Los Angeles area. With over a dozen years under his belt as a published Journalist, he covers the worlds of heavy metal music, punk rock, current events, cannabis culture, comedy, radio, food, tattoos, the paranormal, and ‘conspiracy theories.’ He graduated from California State University Long Beach in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in both Journalism and Ancient History. Aside from his professional writing endeavors, Distefano works as an Educator, and delivery/rideshare driver.