2017: The year I became a grown-ass man! On paper, that is. Yours truly turned 18 and enjoyed his newfound freedom by attending every 18+ show he could *gasp* without a parental guardian (still love ya, dad). This wasn’t the only major rite of passage that occurred that year. I’d also find myself smack dab in the middle of nowhere Illinois, thrown head first into a hellish first semester of college. It was trying times, for various reasons, but your boy powered through, largely thanks to the albums that make up this list. Without further ado, here are our Top 10 Metal Albums of 2017.
10. Immolation – Atonement
The ’10s saw Immolation return in a big way. Not that they ever disappeared to begin with, but to say they were relegated to cult status in the ’00s would be an understatement. Come the ’10s, the death metal devils found themselves on high profile tours and releasing music to a brand new generation of headbangers, many of whom weren’t even alive when they released heir landmark debut, Dawn of Possession (1991). On Atonement, Immolation proved that these old dogs had some new tricks left in them, continuing to craft some truly bleak, dissonant, and diabolical death metal. It marked a strong ending to a triumphant decade for the favorite of “Despondent Souls” the globe over.
9. Antichrist – Sinful Birth
As I mentioned in my 2011 retrospective, Antichrist is a band who wouldn’t cross my radar until many years later. In fact, it was 2017 to be exact, upon the release of their sophomore album, Sinful Birth. Having been spinning Bewitcher’s self titled debut on repeat since its release a year earlier, Sinful Birth immediately captivated me with its wicked thrash stylings. The riffs are fast and diabolical, owing much to Destruction’s Infernal Overkill and Kreator’s Endless Pain. The songs are straightforward for the most part, but manage to kick ass even when they lie on the ambitious side (i.e. the 10+ minute instrumental, “Chernobyl 1986”).
8. Undergang – Misantropologi
Back in 2017, the OSDM craze was still relatively underground, reserved almost exclusively for freaks who partook in the ancient ways of tape trading and zine writing. One of the bands responsible for this resurgence, intentional or not, was Undergang. Although the band had been lurking about the underground since 2008, it was their fourth album, Misantropologi, that caught the attention of many within the metal scene, particularly the Decibel reading crowd who were still in the throes of black metal and sludge metal by 2017. Channeling the primal murk of ’90s cult legends like Convulse and Rippikoulu, Undergang took a fresh spin on a nearly extinct sound, helping pave the way for a slew of bands to follow.
7. Pagan Altar – The Room of Shadows
Of all the ’70s metal obscurities who underwent resurgences in the ’10s, Pagan Altar were perhaps the least expected. The English doom pioneers spent the better part of the ’00s catching up on unfinished business, properly recording songs that dated back to their initial late ’70s-early ’80s run. Come the ’10s, they found themselves triumphantly conquering the festival circuit, amongst these appearances being a now iconic set at Maryland Deathfest 2013. Unfortunately, things would come to a halt in May of 2015, as frontman Terry Jones lost his battle with cancer at the age of 69. To commemorate what would’ve been his 72nd birthday, Pagan Altar honored their fallen leader with the release of their final album, The Room of Shadows. Largely recorded prior to Jones’ passing, Shadows showcases a band who was sharp as ever, dealing in magickal riffs and picturesque lyricism like it was nobody’s business.
6. Overkill – The Grinding Wheel
Would it be a Defenders Top 10 albums of any given year list without Overkill? I think not. The Grinding Wheel in particular holds a special place in my heart. Not only did it see New Jersey’s finest continuing their reign as thrash overlords, but it marked my first time seeing the band live. I know, I was late to the game. I missed them with Symphony X, and Kreator before that. I wasn’t gonna mess up this time around. A freshly 18 year old Joe made his way to Concord Music Hall, all by himself, to thrash his nearly collegiate ass off to “Mean, Green, Killing Machine”, “Goddamn Trouble”, and more. Good times!
5. Condor – Unstoppable Power
Condor’s sophomore outing, Unstoppable Power, is one of those albums I can’t help but shake my head at while listening to. Not because there’s anything wrong with it, mind you, but because I have the same question as every other cult thrasher when listening to it: What the hell happened? Seriously, these guys had the underworld by the balls with this one. True to its title, Unstoppable Power is an all gas, no brakes blackened thrash brutalizer that still hits the spot today. The riffs, drumming, and structures come straight from the school of Kreator and early Sodom, but they nailed it so damn well. Assuming this is the last we’ve heard of Condor, then boy did they go out with a bang.
4. Vulture – The Guillotine
If Slayer’s Show No Mercy and Exodus’ Bonded by Blood had a baby, it would be Vulture’s The Guillotine. As the last remnants of the late ’00s/early ’10s pizza thrash scene faded into obscurity, Vulture flew in to the sound back to its feral, high speed, over the top roots. Similar to the Antichrist and Condor albums on this list, The Guillotine is a gloriously old school affair, sounding like a lost thrash relic straight out of ’84. It thrashes hard enough to get the pit spiraling out of control, but boasts enough Mercyful Fate-esque intricacies to keep it interesting for the listener, especially when it comes to those dual leads.
3. Night – Raft of the World
OSDM wasn’t the only dominant movement of the past five years picking up steam in 2017. So was the NWOTHM (yeah, I’m cringing too). Following the cues of bands like Enforcer, Skull Fist, and Cauldron, a whole wave of bands arose, doing their best Priest and Maiden impersonations. To which Night said, “Screw that.”, and did something completely different. Coming off as the missing link between the twin guitar hard rock acts of the ’70s (i.e. Wishbone Ash, Blue Öyster Cult) and the NWOBHM in its infancy, Night’s third album, Raft of the World, saw the band reach new creative heights. In the near decade since its release, few traditional metal releases come close in terms of dynamism and character.
2. Hellripper – Coagulating Darkness
True to their band name, Hellripper came ripping out of hell with their debut album, Coagulating Darkness. Granted, when I say “they”, I mean “he”, and by “he”, I mean one Mr. James McBain. Similar to Midnight’s Athenar, McBain took the one man band ethos and ran with it on this 26 minute outburst of blackened speed barbarity. The songs are short, punchy, and straight to the point, in the tradition of Venom, but without coming off as a lazy rehash. The riffs mean business, the playing is tight (You have to be to play with yourself *ba dum tss*), and the energy is downright explosive. It’s a mind-numbing show of force, only to be topped by…
- Power Trip – Nightmare Logic
PSA: If you are a crossover, beatdown, or straight up hardcore act who has experienced any success in the slightest in the past 7 years, you have this band and album to thank. Power Trip were rising in the ranks in the years leading up to 2017. They were already well established in hardcore circles and quickly making a name for themselves in the metal scene. But when Nightmare Logic hit the shelves in February of that year, it was game over for anyone else in the world of crossover. 2013’s Manifest Decimation came off as a warmup by comparison.
Fusing the brute force of Nuclear Assault with the streetwise attitude of Cro-Mags, Nightmare Logic thrashed and bashed harder than any release of its nature had in a long while. Admittedly, my bias might be coming into play here, as these already muscular songs became entirely different beasts when performed live. “Soul Sacrifice”, “Waiting Around to Die”, “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)”: These are now anthems of the “too young to be a millennial, too old to be Gen Z” generation. And if you’re around my age (25, going on 26), then you’ll more than understand why Nightmare Logic is the greatest metal album of 2017. You just had to be there!
Honorable Mentions
- Eclipse – Momentum
- Malokarpatan – Nordkarpatenland
- Necrot – Blood Offerings
- Satan’s Hallow – Satan’s Hallow
- Vampire – With Primeval Force
No other option for #1!