It’s been a long year, and with a long year comes a lot of new music to dive into. I, personally, discovered an abundance of music both new and old this year which, considering all the shit that went down in the world these past 354 days, is a huge positive. I’ve managed to narrow down my top ten releases (keyword being releases, so EPs are included) from the past year, and I can assure you that all of these are worth your time.
Given how much music I’ve listened to this year, there was always going to be some releases that weren’t going to make the cut, but are otherwise worth noting. These are: Converge - The Dusk in Us, Vatican - Ache of Eternity, Ecostrike - Time is Now, and Free - Ex Tenebris. Definitely give these a listen if you haven’t.
Given how much music I’ve listened to this year, there was always going to be some releases that weren’t going to make the cut, but are otherwise worth noting. These are: Converge - The Dusk in Us, Vatican - Ache of Eternity, Ecostrike - Time is Now, and Free - Ex Tenebris. Definitely give these a listen if you haven’t.
#10: No Warning - Torture Culture
I’ve spoken about this record in depth before, but this record still deserves more praise heaped onto it. In my review, I drew a comparison to an alternate universe in which Jerry Cantrell moves to New York in 1986, joins Agnostic Front, and subsequently writes this record with them in place of Cause for Alarm, and that comparison still holds up. It’s basically what Suffer Survive should’ve been.
#9: Renounced - Theories of Despair
I’m well aware that this record came out in 2016, but I also don’t really care, because it came out really late last year and I didn’t hear it until this year. Renounced mix old Poison the Well and 7 Angels 7 Plagues to produce what might just be a modern metalcore classic that channels emotions and aggression in equally important portions. The breakdowns are punishingly hard and the production is spot on, creating a perfect avenue for vocalist Daniel Grey to let out his frustrations with the world.
#8: Glassjaw - Material Control
I picked the perfect time to get into Glassjaw. Instead of having to wait years and years for a follow-up to 2002’s Worship and Tribute, I only had to wait about 10 months. That being said, Material Control is a post-hardcore masterclass that drags the genre out of the hole that it’s been in for the past 10 years and brands it with the Glassjaw logo and the Puerto Rican flag. I haven’t known you for very long, but welcome back guys.
#7: Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
It’s rare for rappers to release back-to-back classics, and even rarer for them to release a third record that lives up to the quality of those records. Kendrick doesn’t really like to follow to rules though, so it should really come as no surprise how damn (pun not intended) good DAMN. is. As usual, Kendrick manages to make a record that is equal parts catchy and accessible, as well as important on a social and personal level. Any of you who complain about modern rap ignoring lyricism can bite me; Kendrick’s been appealing to both crowds and yet none of you who complain can see it.
#6: Incendiary - Thousand Mile Stare
What LIHC legends Incendiary lack in variety, they more than make up for in sheer riffage. This thing riffs about as hard as any record put out in 2017, meeting the almost impossible task of matching 2013’s Cost of Living.
#5: Counterparts - You’re Not You Anymore
I’ve spoken a lot about expectations on this list and, more importantly, how these artists are able to meet or surpass the expectations put on them by the quality of past releases. In cases such as these, it’s hard to argue that an artist (or group of artists in this case) can face the monumental expectations that Counterparts for You’re Not You Anymore, the follow-up to 2015’s Tragedy Will Find Us. Having come off a year that included a tour bands such as Parkway Drive, as well as incredibly successful US headliner, the odds became even great for them when primary songwriter and original member, guitarist Jesse Doreen, left the band in 2016. And yet, they manage to produce a record that not only equals their previous records - it surpasses them in every conceivable way, cramming riff after riff into a 25 minute record that is as concise as it is emotionally hard-hitting.
#4: Movements - Feel Something
Ironically, I really didn’t know how to feel about this record at first. I really enjoyed Movements’ debut EP, Outgrown Things, but on the first few listens I felt as if something was off about the record. And then everything just clicked. Feel Something isn’t game-changing, but it’s vulnerability and genuine tone coupled with the band’s somber instrumentals and Patrick Miranda’s fantastic vocals make for an LP that will certainly push the listener to, well, feel something.
#3: Jay Z: 4:44
This might just be Jay Z’s most sincere and complete record. The sampling is top-notching, the features are incredible (Frank Ocean is ethereal on “Caught Their Eyes”), and the lyrical topics are about as diverse as ever, with songs addressing the importance of unity in the black community (“Family Feud”), his mother’s long-closeted homosexuality (“Smile”), and, in easily the most vulnerable and striking song on the record - the title track - his unfaithfulness to Beyonce. Jay’s released a lot of stinkers since The Black Album, but I promise you that this one is worth your time.
#2: Sanction - The Infringement of God’s Plan
There’s a reason why this list includes my top releases of the year and not my top LPs. I first heard Sanction when Vein posted a link to their bandcamp when the record came out in August, and it hasn’t left my regular rotation since. Taking influence from seminal turn-of-the-century metalcore bands like Martyr AD and Disembodied, as well as, apparently, an early deathcore influence, Sanction have written the heaviest, and best, EP of the year. Seriously, the breakdown about 1:20 into “Fixated Upon a Figure” is downright irresponsible.
#1: Citizen - As You Please.
I’m convinced that anyone who still clings onto the argument that Youth is Citizen’s best record after this wonderful record is just lying to themselves. I gave As You Please a glowing review earlier in the year, and in my closing remarks, I noted that Citizen finally came into their own for their third LP, rather than trying to sound like Brand New like they had been accused on their last record, as well as shedding the juvenility of their debut. Citizen came through with a record that contains banger after banger after banger, ultimately becoming my album of the year.
- Cesar G.
Archival details
- Original URL
- https://metallifestyle.weebly.com/metal-lifestyle/cesars-top-10-albums-of-2017
- Recovery source
- live-weebly
- Recovery date
- 2026-07-22
- Stewardship polish
- 2026-07-22
- Preservation status
- restored
- Missing assets
- None recorded
Preserved by Bloodsoaked Media · The Archives