Heavy Metal Yeti's Best Metal Albums of 2017!

**I accidentally deleted the original post. Here is the repost!** 

    Our planet has circled the sun once again and some wicked tunes have been made during the journey. I think most people can agree that 2017 was a tricky year to say the least. Black Sabbath played their last live show, bands like Spawn of Possession, Textures, and Dillinger Escape Plan have called it quits, David Vincent left Morbid Angel again while Steve Tucker came back to the band, Ron left Overkill, and to be honest the world just lost too many awesome people this year. A huge thank you and massive cheers to Gord Downie, Chris Cornell, Chester Bennington, Warrel Dane, Malcolm Young, Geoff Nicholls, Scott Wily, Martin Ain, Trish Doan, Chuck Mosley, Tom Petty, Chuck Berry, and all the other metalheads we lost this year!

     But all was not lost as the metal bands of the world kept on delivering a constant supply of ass kicking tunes to keep the horns raging and the heads banging. Some great new bands emerged onto the scene this year (I'm looking at you Necrot, Varius, and Cloak) while a good bunch of up and coming bands are posturing themselves to give some of the metal legends a run for their money. This all being said the old school gods proved their worth this year with bands the likes of Obituary, Incantation, Kreator, Iced Earth, and Cannibal Corpse still pumping out impressive and fresh material.

     It was hard to keep track of all the releases this year, but here are my top 25 albums of 2017! \m/ These are my favourite and most listened to albums from the past year. If you haven't checked any of them out, take some time out of your busy schedule and give them a listen! Cheers to all the metalheads around the world and here's hoping that the next few years take a lesson from 2017 and offer up some more magnificent metal for our headbanging pleasure. Feel free to post your top albums in the comments! /,,/

1. Archspire - Relentless Mutation
Technical Death Metal - Season of Mist
https://archspire.bandcamp.com

2. Cloak - To Venomous Depths
Blackened Heavy Metal- Season of Mist
https://cloakatlanta.bandcamp.com

3. Ex Deo - The Immortal Wars
Symphonic Death Metal - Napalm Records
https://exdeo.bandcamp.com 

4. Enslaved - E
Progressive Black Metal - Nuclear Blast
http://enslaved.no

5. Varius - Red Messenger
Death Metal - Independent
https://variusband.bandcamp.com

 6. Kreator - Gods of Violence
Thrash Metal - Nuclear Blast
http://kreator-terrorzone.de

7. Persefone - Aathma
Progressive Metal - ViciSolum Productions
https://persefone1.bandcamp.com 

8. Paradise Lost - Medusa
Doom/Gothic Metal - Nuclear Blast
 https://paradiselost2.bandcamp.com

9. Widek - Hidden Dimensions
Progressive Metal - Independent
https://widekmusic.bandcamp.com

10. Power Trip - Nightmare Logic
Thrash Metal -  Southern Lord Recordings
https://powertripsl.bandcamp.com

11. Septicflesh - Codex Omega
Symphonic Death Metal - Season of Mist
https://septicflesh.com/

12. Iced Earth - Incorruptible
Power/Thrash Metal - Century Media Records
http://icedearth.com

13. Ne Obliviscaris - Urn
Progressive Metal - Season of Mist
https://neobliviscarissom.bandcamp.com 

14. Obituary - Obituary
Death Metal - Relapse Records
https://obituary.bandcamp.com

15. Intervals - The Way Forward
Progressive Metal - Independent 
https://intervalsmusic.bandcamp.com

16. Vampire - With Primevil Force
Death/Thrash Metal - Century Media Records 
 https://vampiretheband.bandcamp.com

17. Necrot - Blood Offerings
Death Metal - Tankcrimes Records
https://necrot.bandcamp.com

 
18. Temple of Void - Lords of Death
Doom/Death Metal - Shadow Kingdom Records
https://templeofvoid.bandcamp.com 

19. Suffocation - ...Of the Dark Light
Technical Death Metal - Nuclear Blast
https://www.suffocationofficial.com

 

20. Maat - Monuments Will Enslave
Death Metal - Aural Attack Productions 
https://maatofficial.bandcamp.com

21. Dying Fetus - Wrong One To Fuck With
Death Metal - Relapse Records
https://dyingfetus.bandcamp.com

 22. Cannibal Corpse - Red Before Black
Death Metal - Metal Blade Records
http://cannibalcorpse.net 

23. Scale The Summit - In A World Of Fear
 Progressive Metal - Independent 
http://www.scalethesummit.com 

24.The Black Dahlia Murder - Nightbringers
Melodic Death Metal - Metal Blade Records
http://www.tbdmofficial.com 

25.  Incantation - Profane Nexus
Death Metal - Relapse Records
 https://www.incantation.com

Honourable mentions to Origin, Body Count, Mastodon, Pallbearer, Immolation, Sikth, Belphagor, Goatwhore, Wolves In The Throne Room, Unleash the Archers, Venenum, Sinister, Soulrot, Carach Angren, Electric Wizard, Threat Signal, Grotesque, The Contortionist, The Haunted, Hour of Penance, Firespawn, and so so many more bands that made 2017 a kick ass year for metal music! \m/

Between the Buried and Me, The Contortionist, Polyphia, & Toothrgrinder @ The Opera House, Toronto (Sept 29, 2017).

   Last night, Between the Buried and Me rolled through town on their only Canadian stop on the milestone Colors 10 Year Anniversary Tour. It's hard to deny that Colors is one of the best progressive death metal albums of all time. The perfect combination of crushing technical guitar and drum work, bone-shattering riffage, lyrical mastery, and the oddly satisfying progressive/experimental elements (insert death metal hoedown here) are what make Colors truly unique and wonderful. I have been a huge BTBAM fan since the start, but Colors is the album that they will be remembered for (pun intended)!! 

   The night started off with some surprisingly heavy metalcore from the beasts of Toothgrinder, who brought a high energy performance that quickly set the tone for what would become a night to remember. By the time Polphyia took the stage the Opera House was  almost completely full. Polyhia delivered a wickedly dialed set of  cheery but incredibly technical instrumental prog metal that would no doubt out a smile on the faces of bands like Intervals and Scale the Summit. With the crowd  now 100%  fucking amped, The Contortionist took the stage with a masterful and crowd pleasing set of old and new material.

             

   The energy was palpable while the crowd cheered as Between the Buried and Me took the stage. And while unfortunately they were one man short (god dammit Dustie how can you forget your passport!), they delivered a perfect blast from the past with an impressively dialed full album playthrough of Colors. The cherry on top of this whole night however was the encore with the band completely devastating the crowd with Mordecai, the song that started it all of a lot of BTBAM fans. I was lucky to be there the first time around and I'll no doubt be there the next time around on the 25 year anniversary tour! A huge shout out to all the crazy die-hards in the pit and cheers to the bands for putting on such a wicked night! Check out some photos of the night below. 

 Between the Buried and Me

The Contortionist 

Polyphia

Toothgrinder