UnholyDarklotus’ Favourite Albums of 2017 ( Numbers 15 to 6)

So this is the second of 3 lists that will count down my Top 25 Albums of 2017. A year that has thrown forth a plethora of top, top quality rock and metal albums. We started with numbers 25 through to 16 which you can read here. This list counts down numbers 15 to 6. The final article will end with my Top 5 Albums of 2017.

Let’s get started then.

15 – Gunmen by Orden Ogan (AFM Records)

Gunmen isn’t a perfect album but it is very close. There are a couple less brilliant songs on here but the good ones, well damn, they are amazing. With 6 great songs, 1 good and 3 okay songs is a great tally for an album. The reason this features on a top list is because those 6 songs are bloody brilliant. Orden Ogan are still masters of power metal and, for the most part, have compiled an album full of fist pumping verse, catchy choruses and flamboyant guitar playing. It is well worth checking out. Read the full review here.

Recommended Track – Fields of Sorrow

14 – Machine Messiah by Sepultura (Nuclear Blast)

Machine Messiah is a really strong album. It is dripping in creativity, melody and heaviness all packed into an album that may just be the one to finally shut at least some of the haters up. Songs like Machine Messiah and Sworn Oath are up there with any song ever released by Sepultura and for anyone who thinks they haven’t released a good album since Roots, myself included, well they have now. Check out the review here.

Recommended Track – Sworn Oath

13 – Tonight the Revenge Starts by Blaze the Thunder (Self Released)

I was absolutely blown away by this album. I felt absolutely elated when Tonight the Revenge Starts ended and couldn’t think of anything else to do except start listening again. And again. And again. The songs are great. There is a load of creativity on show and you can tell that these are three supremely talented musicians. The songs are well written and well structured, as is the whole album actually. Everything has a place and everything works to give us 8 tracks of thrashy, attitude filled metal tracks. A superb album and one of the best albums of 2017. Check out the review here.

Recommended Track – Revenge

12 – Halfway Human by Within the Ruins (E1 Music/Long Branch Records)

I think Halfway Human is one of the most interesting listens I have had this year. It is very creative. At times it is technical and progressive but at other times it is just good heavy metal. Metal to bang your head too. Within the Ruins have obviously put a lot of energy into the album. It shines through and it works brilliantly. The added clean vocals have taken their songs up a notch and I always admire bands who don’t want to stand still. It doesn’t always work out but here, it has worked admirably. Check out the review here.

Recommended Track – Beautiful Agony

11 – Vicious World by MyChildren MyBride (eOne/GoodFight Music)

The album is mixed and mastered to perfection sounding modern and fresh but also unpolished and real. The songs themselves are structured brilliantly and each take you on a journey of discovery. I love the sound, love the vocals and love how MyChildren MyBride are not happy to just push out “another metalcore album”. Instead they have pushed themselves hard and produced an album that should define their career to date, inspire countless others and advance the metalcore genre to new heights. Check out the review here.

Recommended Track – Act IV – The Laughing Coffin

10 – Gods of Violence by Kreator (Nuclear Blast)

Gods of Violence is a great album, packed full of inventive moments and immense musicianship. If you don’t like extravagant guitar playing, well, why are you reading this? If you do like big riffs and solos, this album will make you smile. The lyrics are usually solid and occasionally a little cheesy.  That’s a minor issue in an otherwise great listening experience though. Check out the review here.

Recommended Track – Death Becomes My Light

9 – Slime and Punishment by Municipal Waste (Nuclear Blast)

The music on Slime and Punishment is fast, heavy but rhythmic. There are some fantastic solos and the riffs will have your head banging on almost every track. The drumming really stands out though – Witte is a beast at the kit. Slime and Punishment pushed Municipal Waste back to the forefront of everyone’s minds. Brilliant thrash metal and great fun – what more could you ask for. Check out the review here.

Recommended Track – Slime and Punishment

8 – Visions by Anomalie (Art of Propaganda Records)

I am a fan of black metal and I think this is one of the best albums to come out of that genre in years. It is beautiful and sombre in equal measure. It is heavy, of the fast and slow variety, and melodic. I love a lot of the lead guitar work. The bass glues everything together perfectly. The drumming is exceptional and Marrok has a fantastic voice and vocal range. This album is bordering on perfection. It is exceptional. If you only listen to one black metal album this year, make sure Visions is it. Check out the review here.

Recommended Track – Vision VI – White Forest

7 – Urn by Ne Obliviscaris (Season of Mist)

Urn is a quite astonishing album. There is so much going on, you almost feel like it shouldn’t work. It should be disjointed and messy. It isn’t though. Instead it is interesting, creative, exciting and heavy. The album is structured well and some of the songs are perhaps more accessible then on previous albums. As a whole, Urn should have pleased old fans and convinced new ones too. It is one of the more exciting albums I have heard this year. Check out the review here.

Recommended Track – Intra Venus

6 – Psychosis by Cavalera Conspiracy (Napalm Records)

Psychosis, the album, is near faultless. Mixing fast and furious metal with a feeling of nostalgia around the old Sepultura sound. The drums, guitars and vocals – everything is just married together to perform a ruthless assault on your body and mind. It is one of the best musical releases this year. It is also Cavalera Conspiracy’s best release so far which is saying something. The Cavalera brothers are an unstoppable force. Check out the review here.

Recommended Track – Spectral War

So there you have it. Numbers 15 through to 6, in my opinion. We will take move on to the top 5 next. As always with these articles, these are my (UnholyDarklotus) opinions only and I would love to hear yours. Let me know who you think I have overlooked or misplaced in the comments below.

You can also pick up these albums from the links below. Thanks for reading.

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