Jay’s Top 10 Metal/Hard Rock Albums of 2017

10. All That Remains– Madness
Singles: Madness, Louder, Thunder Rolls (Garth Brooks Cover)

All That Remains put out their 8th studio album in 2017. Madness is a solid record from start to finish opening up with some of the bands heaviest work to date (Safe House) and closing with one of the catchiest cover songs I’ve heard in awhile, as the band takes on Garth Brook’s ‘Thunder Rolls’.

9. While She Sleeps– You Are We
Singles: Silence Speaks, Hurricane

While She Sleeps got their album on the map with the help of an unlikely source- Olli Sykes from Bring Me The Horizon. The bands had been intertwined in a decade long feud with a lot of bad blood. After the death of a mutual friend, Architects guitarist Tom Searle, the two bands got together and decided to put the last behind them. Olli produced and added vocals to the track, ‘Silence Speaks’ and the rest was history. Outside of the hot single, the entire album delivers with heavy riffs and a solid vocal performance.

8. Mastodon– Emperor of Sand
Singles: Show Yourself, Steambreather

I may take some heat for having Mastodon so low on this list. A lot of my fellow metalhead’s and hard rock lovers put this album at number one for 2017. Mastodon really delivers a solid concept album with a great story. The album is about a battle with cancer- it is emotional and powerful and truly a piece of art. There is a certain groove to Mastodon that I am all about. In making a solid concept album, there were a few tracks that didn’t fit, and the band released a separate EP later in the year with some of the tracks that missed the record. As a combined work, it may have scored higher, but nonetheless this was one of the best works of the year!

7. Motionless in White– Graveyard Shift
Singles: LOUD (Fuck It), Eternally Yours, Necessary Evil (feat. Jonathan Davis)
Metal Thoughts album review

Motionless in White had a killer 2017. For a band that has spent a lot of time drawing comparisons to Marilyn Manson, they put out an album that stood out from his work in 2017. Graveyard Shift is a heavy album that stood out as one of the best of the year- my favorite track on the album is definitely ‘Necessary Evil’ which features KoRn’s Jonathan Davis, and samples the classic ‘It’s My Party’ with a dark, heavy twist.

6. Asking Alexandria– Asking Alexandria
Singles: Into the Fire
Metal Thoughts album review

To be fair, this album is being released in the midnight hour of 2017. At the time I am writing this, the album has yet to even be released! I was fortunate enough to get early access of this album from the band, and it made a big impression in a short amount of time. It’s rare to see a late December release in a top 10 list, but this album is the real deal. Plus, I have been singing ‘Into the Fire’ incessantly since the first time I heard it.

5. Foo Fighters– Concrete and Gold
Singles: Run, The Sky is a Neighborhood
Metal Thoughts album review

I really wanted this album to be number 1. I just couldn’t justify it. I love everything about Save Grohl and the Foo are my all time favorite band. Don’t get me wrong- this album is amazing. There are so many throwback vibes and solid songs- it is one of their best. As a fan, I am not buying the critical disdain of this album. After the first time I heard ‘Run’ I was hoping for a hard and heavy album, but Concrete and Gold delivers in a big way, regardless of expectations!

4. Trivium– The Sin and the Sentence
Singles: The Heart from Your Hate, The Sin and the Sentence
Metal Thoughts album review

This album is phenomenal. Trivium is one of the most underrated bands in heavy music right now. Their heavy melodic riffs are every bit as intricate as A7X and Matt Heafy can hang with anyone in the industry on vocals. One of the biggest selling points, however, are the thoughtful, pointed lyrics on the album. Trivium is poised for a big year to follow up in 2018.

3. Stone Sour– Hydrograd
Singles: Fabuless, Song #3, Rose Red, Violent Blue (This Song is Dumb and so am I)
Metal Thoughts album review

There was a time when I thought this album was a lock for the best album of 2017. Fabuless and Song #3 dominates the summer. Corey Taylor is a bonafide rock star- he can do no wrong. From a feud with Chad Kroeger of Nickelback to start 2017, to releasing an autobiography, and ending the year with the promise of a solo live acoustic album, Corey Taylor has dominated 2017. By the way Chad, for a band that “is incapable of a hit single” Hydrograd seems to have produced 3 in 2017. That’s 3 more than Nickelback…

2. In This Moment– Ritual
Singles: Oh, Lord, Roots, In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins Cover)
Metal Thoughts album review

I love horror metal. And In This Moment is as good as they come. Maria Brink is the total package. Ritual is the bands best work yet and it returns to the dark, heavy feel of 2012’s Blood. This album was my favorite for most of the year, and it went back and forth with the top spot. In fact, my favorite single of 2017 is fat and beyond ‘Roots’. No disrespect to Maria and company- this album rocks and I will be jamming it on repeat until we get the next one!

1. Nothing More– The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Singles: Go To War, Let Em Burn, Don’t Stop, Fadein/Fadeout
Metal Thoughts album review

If this is a surprise to you, then you haven’t checked out Metal Thoughts or followed me on social media (and you should, because I am awesome). This is going to go down as one of my favorite albums of all time. As of right now, Nothing More is the most nominated rock band for the Grammy Awards, has had the most top 10 hard rock songs of the year, and has had 3 top 10 songs at any given time throughout most of the last 4 months since the release of this album. Johnny Hawkins is next level, for sure. I anticipate that every song on the album will receive airtime, much like the bands 2014 self titled record, and I am NOT mad about it