Entertainment Earth

1/03/2018

The 20 Best Hard Rock & Metal Albums of 2017, Pt. 2: 10-1

10. Morbid Angel- Kingdoms Disdained- Morbid Angel are back, motherfucker with the best album they have made in years and the best album from an old school death metal band in 2017. My full review: http://themastergio.blogspot.com/2017/11/morbid-angel-kingdoms-denied-album.html

9. Myrkur- Mareridt- This might piss of some of the more hardcore cvlt readers out there, but, for these ears, Myrkur- Mareridt is the very best black metal album of 2017. She simply drips with so much talent. The album is bold and complex, with various influences that make sound fresh in a world a of bands trying to be like other bands. She was a wonderful voice that ranges from beautiful and haunting to ethereal to menacing. As much as I adored her last full length, studio album M, this album actually tops it.  Not only is this my most played black metal album of last year, but one of my most played, period! Also, the video to "Ulvinde" is one of the coolest of 2017, beautiful, haunting, and horrific, much like her music is. 

8. Thy Art Is Murder- Dear Desolation- Without a shadow of a doubt, Dear Desolation is THE deathcore album of the year. It is heavy, has a great groove to it, and is awesomely aggressive and seething with unadulterated anger. The unrelenting music adds up to the finest album the band, has put out to date. Dear Desolation is a pummeling aural experience with some the most memorable songs of 2017, like "Slaves Beyond Death", "Puppet Master", and the title track They will make you wanna break some fucking shit!

8. Chelsea Wolfe- Hiss Spun- I fucking LOVE Chelsea Wolfe! There is little else of a way to describe how I feel about her and her amazing music. What is truly amazing is how she gets better and better with each following album. She is continuously putting out classics. Hiss Spun is incredible beyond mere words, an album that is more and more rewarding each time you listen to it. Heavy, in both emotion and sound, there is no way in hell that this is not metal. Her voice is majestic and cannot be compared to anyone else. It is one of the best the rock world has seen in the last couple of years. The excellent production brings every thing to life perfectly. I should also mention that the dark and soul crushing "16 Psyche" is one of my favorite, if not, in fact, favorite, single of the year.


6. Body Count- Bloodlust- From the moment I heard this album, I immediately became obsessed with it. While, the preceding album from them, Manslaughter was a very solid release, this is their first truly great work since their classic debut. Angry, timely, and ass kicking to 100th degree this IS the metal soundtrack for the world we live currently. The violent and pissed off lyrics fit perfectly with the strong musicianship on-hand. Songs such as "No Lives Matter", "The Ski Mask Way", and "This Is Why We Ride" will have you signing along and jumping into that motherfucking pit!



5. Power Trip- Nightmare Logic- This is THE album for those of us who reminisce of the old days of 80's thrash metal. Made to make you want to mosh and kick some fucking ass, this will get you thrashing around like a fucking maniac. Recalling bands like Anthrax and Nuclear Assault, at their peak, it incorporates both Bay Area influences and crossover thrash that has resulted in rave reviews from fans and critics. As the word of mouth swelled over, one might have been worried that this one got overrated. I am here to tell you fuck no, it did not! Songs like "Executioner's Tax (Swing of the Axe)", "Soul Sacrifice", and the title track, are ones that you will to not spot listening and banging your head to! On a side note, the video to the aforementioned "Executioner's Tax" is the most wonderfully 80s metal video of 2017!



4. Goatwhore- Vengeful Ascension- A monster of thundering and wholly memorable blackened death and thrash metal, with Vengeful Ascension, Goatwhore have made the definitive classic of their career. My full review: http://themastergio.blogspot.com/2017/06/goatwhore-vengeful-ascension-album.html


3. Warbringer- Woe to the Vanquished- Warbringer NEVER fail to make my best of list when they put out an album, and that is with good fucking reason. They are one of the best thrash metal band currently making music. And, Woe to the Vanquished is their best album, yet, and one of the best thrash metal records of the last couple of years. Unrelenting, fast, and crushing this fucker will make you move. In my humble, "Remain Violent" is easily one of the very best singles of 2017.

2. Trivium- The Sin and the Sentence- I am a huge fan of Trivium, and while I like all their albums, to one degree or another, anything after Shogun, just has not felt up to snuff. That is until this album. The Sin and the Sentence is not just their best sine that masterpiece, but ranks among their best work, period. I liked this album from my first listen, but its real power lies in each listen after that. It simply gets better and better after every time you hear it. It is GREAT to hear Matt Heafy scream again, and, of course, the musicianship on display her, from the entire band, is utterly mind blowing. Perfect to sing along and headbang to this is not just the second best album of last year, but the finest mainstream metal album, as well. 

1. The Black Dahlia Murder- Nightbringers- For two albums in a row, a band has topped this list. I maybe mistaken, but I do believe that is a first for a band on this site to accommplish. But, when the band is as great as TBDM, there should be no surprise. Abysmal was a magnificent record, but somehow they topped it with Nightbringers. In many ways, it feels like the real follow up to the perfection that is Nocturnal. From the artwork, to the album title referencing the night, to the very music itself, this is the album for anyone who said that they peaked with that aforementioned disc. Dark, technically strong, and utterly battering this is a masterwork of mello-death. Songs like the absolutely KILLER opener "Widowmaker", the merciless "Of God and Serpent, of Spectre and Snake", the rollicking title track, the awesome "Matriarch", the wait... EVERY fucking song rules on this album, every single one is a fucking 5 out of 5. As such, there is no other choice but to declare Nightrbingers the best album of 2017!

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