Musically somewhere in-between Hideous Divinity and Putridity. Fierce, slightly technical and pretty varied.
Archspire (CAN) – Relentless Mutation
Great follow-up to one of my absolute favorites from 2014. If I‘m completely honest, I think I like „The Lucid Collective“ still a bit more, but this album is stellar, none the less.
Fun fact: The Intro to „Calamus Will Animate“ is an homage to Tech N9ne, a Rapper.
Check
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqgSkqDsSnY and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSZrnEJtHxU
Birth Of Depravity (GRE) – From Obscure Domains
Great TDM in the vein of older Deeds Of Flesh! Highly recommended
Broken Hope (USA) – Mutilated And Assimilated
After the last album didn‘t manage to satisfy all of the old fans (me not included) this one is a total blast (pun intended). The vocals of Damian Leski are much better here!
Cannabis Corpse (USA) – Left Hand Pass
Cannabis Corpse is a band that is often waved aside as a Fun Metal band, which is doing them an injustice. They play very well crafted Death Metal with, admittedly, silly titles and are absolutely worth checking out for everyone who hasn‘t yet.
Cannibal Corpse (USA) – Red Before Black
CC is a band that has no bad albums, only slightly less great ones. This one is a KILLER, might be among my top 3 from CC.
Condemned (USA) – His Divine Shadow
The addition of a new vocalist helped evolve their sound into a much darker direction, which suits them very well, as I think.
Contrarian (USA) – To Perceive Is To Suffer
I was a bit surprised how much I like this one, as their Debut and the Ep were good, but also far from blowing me away…
Cytotoxin (GER) – Gammageddon
I suppose T said enough about that one. Check it if you haven‘t, yet.
Decrepit Birth (USA) – Axis Mundi
Finally, they are brutal again! Still a good deal of melody on that one but the production and songwriting is much more „Death Metal“ compared to their last 2 albums.
Devangelic (ITA) – Phlegethon
Great Technical Brutal Death Metal, no Defeated Sanity but an amazing album, none the less.
Engulfed (TUR) – Engulfed In Obscurity
Never heard of them before, but this is a very good old school album, in the vein of Incantation and the likes.
Exhumed (USA) – Death Revenge
I sort of lost track of Exhumed a couple of yrs ago, but this album is fantastic. It captures a lot of early- to mid-90‘s flavor. Exhumed were always Carcass worship, but here I hear some At The Gates and other rather melodic influences, which make this a very entertaining listen.
Fatuous Rump (TWN) – Propagation Of The Foul
This is One-Man-Slam-Band from Larry Wang, the coolest dude on the whole planet!!!
Very clumsy, even primitive, but addictively groovy! Check it out!!!
Haemorrhage (ESP) – We Are The Gore
I guess I don‘t have to say much about Haemorrhage. Gore galore!!!
Hate Inclination (USA) – Disease Swept The Cosmos
At first I didn‘t like this one much when I first discovered it in the Chamber. But after a while, I listened to it, rather by accident than anything else, and I started loving it. This is some very eerie and strange sort of technical BDM and not everyone will like it, but maybe let it rest for a couple of months and then give it another try.
Hour Of Penance (ITA) – Cast The First Stone
Another album that surprised me. While I always liked them, I grew increasingly bored of them with their last 2 or 3 releases, but this is simply the best they have done to date even challenging Hideous Divinity as the best Italian album in a year that had so many great releases from the home of NIKKI.
Hideous Divinity (ITA) – Adveniens
As mentioned above this is my favorite Italian album of 2017, in fact, if I had done a ranked list it would have to be 1st or 2nd (or maybe 3rd...you see why I couldn‘t rank this list). Period.
Immolation (USA) – Atonement
I‘ll admit, as with CC, I might be a bit of a fanboy when it comes to Immolation, but IMHO they never fail to deliver. While „Kingdoms Of Conspiracy“ was probably their fastest and most brutal album, this one is again more melodic and atmospheric. KILLER!
Infitar (IDN) – Rotation Of The Sun
Great NY-style DM from Indonesia.
Ingurgitating Oblivion (GER) – Vision Wallows In Symphonies Of Light
This one is very hard to digest. Avantgarde/Progressive DM with songs ranging from 8 to 20 minutes. Surely not for everyone, but a great trip, if you‘re into that kinda stuff!
Interminable Corruptions (ITA/RUS) – Xenodimensional Conflux
Another Disgorge-style Technical Brutal DM, again with Paolo Chiti from Devangelic on the vox. The style is also similar to Devangelic‘s, but that totally is not a bad thing.
Logic Of Denial (ITA) – Aftermath
And again, top quality Brutal Tech DM from Italy. The Italians sure know how to do that properly!
Maggot Colony (TWN) – Vile Reincarnation
The 2nd of 3 bands with Larry Wang on my list. This is probably the most serious of them. We were fortunate enough to tour with them through Europe in 2016 and they absolutely tore down every single place we played at. Besides that, they‘re the most pleasant people to be around with – I LOVE MAGGOT COLONY!
Masachist (POL) - The Sect (Death Religion)
While I always liked Masachist quite a lot, this is probably their best release to date. Aggressive slightly techy polish DM with former members of Decapitated, Yattering, Vesania and others. How could you not love it?
Morbid Angel (USA) – Kingdoms Disdained
I cannot understand why this album evokes almost as much fuzz as the infamous „I“ album did. I could understand it there, but this is simply the best MA album since „Formulas...“ and what I understand Trey‘s vision of the band is. To me, this is easily one of the top 5 albums this year!
Narcotic Wasteland (USA) – Delirium Tremens
I loved their debut, I love that one. Not too surprising, cuz not too much changed here. Imagine Nile minus all the Egyptian stuff plus a fair dose of Malevolent Creation and you have Narcotic Wasteland. The lyrics are a bit too simple for my tastes, but that might be nitpicking on my part. They are just not that...artistically appealing, or maybe witty.
Nephren-Ka (FRA) - La Grande Guerre De L‘epice
This one needed some time to fully seep into me, but when I got into it, I started loving it. Another great TBDM album from 2017, not much more to say here.
Omnioid (AUS) - Hex Dimensional Paralysis
Slightly technical BDM, a bit in the vein of older Wormed. It‘s a total blast, and the production (despite being maybe a bit too „modern“) helps to underline that.
Order Ov Riven Cathedrals (ITA) - The Discontinuity‘s Interlude
As I already mentioned in the Cbox, I was surprised to find that one on T‘s list, not because I didn‘t think he would appreciate their music, but for some reason I considered this one rather obscured. Anyways, this is some top-notch Black/Death Metal or Blackened DM (donno if there‘s supposed to be a difference between the two?!) with some SciFi sounds occasionally thrown in.
Origin (USA) – Unparalleled Universe
This is the album I awaited with the most mixed feelings this year. I love Origin, though their last one disappointed me quite a bit. But they are back to old form! The production is not the strongest, but once you get used to it, it does the job.
Profanity (GER) – The Art Of Sickness
I hope they won't need another 17 years to release another album, ‚cuz this shit rules!
Raster Density (FIN) – Mother Ov Mankind
I have never before heard of these guys and that is unfortunate. They play very entertaining Tech/Prog DM.
Saprobiontic (GER) – Science Of War
This is another band we became friends with over the years but this absolutely is not the reason for them to be on my list. A bit more old school as I expected in the first place, but this is one killer album!
Suffocation (USA) - ...Of The Dark Light
A bit more melodic as before but that‘s not a bad thing. Frank Mullen‘s voice is getting weaker with every release, but still Suffocation fucking nails it!
Suicidal Causticiy (ITA) – The Human Touch
I know it‘s getting tiresome to a degree...but again top-notch TBDM from Italy, surprise!
Svart Crown (FRA) – Abreaction
Svart Crown just keeps getting better. Fantastic Black/Death Metal from France.
Virulent Depravity (USA) – Fruit Of The Poisoned Tree
Excellent Tech/Prog DM with Malcolm Pugh from A Loathing Requiem. Definitely worth a listen to anyone who enjoys this kind of music.
Vomit Remnants (JAP) – Hyper Groove Brutality
This one also came as a surprise to me. After 18 years I really did not expect this one to come, let alone to be this good! While arguably a blatant Dying Fetus rip-off, I like this one a bit better than „The Wrong One...“ hence the latter appears among the honorable mentions…
Your Chance To Die (USA) - Ex Nihilo
NIKKI turned me into them, because she mentioned Som Pluijmers is doing the vox for them, now, and I love her voice. I consider her to be the undisputed no1 female DM voice (her work for Cerebral Bore is simply unmatched. And not many male vocalists can compete with her, not that it would even matter to me in the slightest whether the person doing the vox is male or female, but I‘m getting side-tracked). Great TDM, that sometimes reminded me of Decrepit Birth, when they are being good ;)
Honorable Mentions
Annihilation (POR) – The Undivided Wholeness Of All Things
Great TDM with Diogo Santana from Analepsy and Trepid Elucidation doing the vox on this album.
Beheaded (MLT) – Beast Incarnate
Probably their best in the last 10 years, or so - maybe in total. In a year not that strong, they would have made the BOTY.
Blindfolded And Led To The Woods (NZL) – Modern Adoxography
Never heard of that band before, until I discovered them in the Chamber, highly diversified slightly technical Death/Grind.
Cryogenetic (PE) – Heighten Awareness
Great BDM from Peru.
Cut Up (SWE) – Wherever They May Rot
I think after all the praise these guys got from Carl I don‘t have much to add, here.
Dead Centre (USA) Fractured Memories Of Grotesque Butchery
Desecrate The Faith (USA) – Unholy Infestation
Dying Fetus (USA) – Wrong One To Fuck With
While I really enjoyed their less technical, rather grindish approach a lot, I just enjoyed others more. Again, a victim to the sheer amount of top-quality DM in 2017.
Grotesque (AUS) – Feedback Loop
Very entertaining debut. Looking forward to hearing more of them in the future.
Gorepot (TWN) – A Friend With Weed Is A Friend Indeed
This is Larry Wang‘s 3rd band here. It initially started as another 1-man band but is a complete band, now.
This one takes the special award for the most hilarious song titles in 2017 (maybe ever!): „A Girl phoned me the other day and said, come on over, there‘s nobody home. I went over. Nobody was Home“; „Is raping a considered rape or shoplifting“ and „Calendars are popular cuz they have a lot of dates“ just to name a few.
Incontinence (USA) – Prey For Us
Maysaloon (SYR) - The Forgotten Dawn
Maysaloon are from Damascus, Syria and that alone is worth a mention, if you ask me (and as this is my list, I not gonna wait for anyone to ask me anything ;) ) They play very well crafted TDM with a lot of (middle-eastern) melody. Very interesting, very entertaining, very much worth supporting!
Mesosphera (ITA) Mythopiesis
Misanthrope Monarch (GER) – Regress To The Saturnine Chapter
Opticleft (USA) – Opticleft
Pathology (USA) – Pathology
Not much to say about that one. Pathology just doing their thing. Only Matti seems a bit weak on that here.
Redemptor (POL) – Arthaneum
Rendered Helpless (NZL) – Entities Of Transdimensional Emergence
Scordatura (SCO) – Self-Created Abyss
Seduced (AUT) – Discarding The Mask
Spectrum Of Delusion (AUT) – Esoteric Entity
The Kennedy Veil (USA) – Imperium
Very entertaining TDM with a lot of melodies and quite some Synth‘s but always used very effectively and never over present.
The Last Of Lucy (USA) – Ashvattha
Technical Death/Grind with a bit of Jazz thrown in the mix. It worked for Cephalic Carnage, it works here.
Verminous Mind (RUS) – Dusk Of Humanity
EPs
EximperituserqethhzebibÅ”iptugakkathÅ”ulweliarzaxuÅum (BLR) – W2246-0526
Quite an obscure band from Belarus playing some strange Tech Brutal DM with VERY strange lyrics and song titles that tend to have a billion letters in an obscure half-forgotten dialect. Apparently, this EP is titled rather simply „W2246-0526“ which, as professor Google teaches, is the most luminous Galaxy known.
Involuntary Convulsion (AUS) – Disambiguation
Unfortunately, this is just a single, but it‘s so good I had to include it!
Gorod (FRA) – Kiss The Freak
This is what Gorod would sound like if they were Thrash band instead of a DM band. Very entertaining and I like it better than their 2016 album.
Lithopaedion (USA) Unrealized Potential
Trepid Elucidation (POR) – Upcoming Reality
Technical Progressive DM in the vein of later Death and Decrepit Birth‘s more melodic stuff (but better as the latter‘s prior 2 releases) with Diogo Santana from Analepsy on Guitar and vox. Hope for a full album soon!