Metal Hammer's 100 best albums of 2017

Metal Hammer's 100 best albums of 2017

Okay, here we go. It’s the big one. We’ve already revealed that Mastodon’s Emperor Of Sand is Metal Hammer’s album of the year (because who can keep a secret like that?!), but what about the other 99 albums on our mammoth roundup of the past twelve months?

Voted on by Metal Hammer staffers and a load of freelancers, this is the most comprehensive and well-orchestrated Albums Of The Year list you’re going to find anywhere (it took ages). Of course, if you pick up the latest issue of Metal Hammer you’ll be able to read exactly why certain albums were voted for, along with stories behind the key releases and an interview with Mastodon about reaching the coveted number one spot.

The 100 albums listed below span the vast smorgasbord that is metal. We’ve got hardcore (Code Orange), doom (Pallbearer), thrash (Kreator), post-metal (Amenra), prog-metal (Anathema), metalcore (While She Sleeps), noise (Full Of Hell) and so so much more.

And it’s not just the established bands propping up the Top 100 Albums Of 2017, there are plenty of debut albums in there from bands ready and waiting to conquer the world – from Creeper to Zeal & Ardor.

So, without further ado, here is the definitive list of the one hundred best albums of the year.

Have we ballsed up? Did we miss out your favourite album? Or did we do just fine? Let us know!

Metal Hammer’s Top 100 Albums Of 2017

100) Hey Colossus – The Guillotine
99) Rebirth Of Nefast – Tabernaculum
98) Bokassa – Divide & Conquer
97) Forgotten Tomb – We Owe You Nothing
96) Implore – Subjugate
95) Betraying The Martyrs – The Resilient
94) The Night Flight Orchestra – Amber Galactic
93) Hallatar – No More Stars Upon The Bridge
92) R.I.P – In The Wind
91) Botanist – Collective: The Shape Of He To Come
90) Blaze Bayley – Endure And Survive
89) Arugs – From Fields Of Fire
88) Necromandus – Necromandus
87) Pagan Altar – The Room Of Shadows
86) Primus – The Desaturating Seven
85) Septicflesh – Codex Omega
84) Ufomammut – 8
83) Comeback Kid – Outsider
82) Förgjord – Uhripuu
81) Circle – Terminal
80) Helheim – Landawarijar
79) H.E.A.T – Into The Great Unknown
78) Integrity – Howling, For The Nightmare Shall Consume
77) Ho99o9 – United States Of Horror
76) Caligula’s Horse – In Contact
75) August Burns Red – Phantom Anthem
74) Battle Beast – Bringer Of Pain
73) Papa Roach – Crooked Teeth
72) Fleurety – The White Death
71) Cannibal Corpse – Red Before Black
70) The Haunted – Strength In Numbers
69) Nicole Sabouné – Miman
68) Ghost Bath – Starmourner
67) Sons Of Apollo – Psychotic Symphony
66) Dragonforce – Reaching Into Infinity
65) Oxbow – Thin Black Duke
64) Tchornobog – Tchornobog
63) Immolation – Atonement
62) Vuur – In This Moment We Are Free – Cities
61) Blood Command – Cult Drugs
60) Iced Earth – Incorruptible
59) Bell Witch – Mirror Reaper
58) Deep Purple – Infinite
57) Darkest Hour – Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora
56) Thy Art Is Murder – Dear Desolation
55) Akercocke – Renaissance In Extremis
54) The Bronx – V
53) Disperse – Foreword
52) The Great Discord – The Rabbit Hole
51) Mutoid Man – War Moans
50) Accept – The Rise Of Chaos
49) Whoredom Rife – Dommedagskvad
48) Alice Cooper – Paranormal
47) Here Lies Man – Here Lies Man
46) Cradle Of Filth – Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay
45) Horisont -– About Time
44) Wear Your Wounds – WYW
43) Threshold – Legends Of The Shire
42) Elder – Reflections Of A Floating World
41) AFI – AFI (The Blood Album)
40) Arch Enemy – Will To Power
39) Stray From The Path – Only Death Is Real
38) The Lurking Fear – Out Of The Voiceless Grave
37) Northlane – Mesmer
36) At The Drive-In – In.ter.a.li.a
35) Body Count – Bloodlust
34) Power Trip – Nightmare Logic
33) Full Of Hell – Trumpeting Ecstasy
32) Spectral Voice – Eroded Corridors Of Unbeing
31) Perturbator – New Model
30) The Contortionist – Clairvoyant
29) The Ruins Of Beverast – Exuvia
28) Sikth – The Future In Whose Eyes?
27) Prophets Of Rage – Prophets Of Rage
26) Trivium – The Sin And The Sentence
25) Royal Thunder – Wick
24) Amenra – Mass VI
23) Employed To Serve – The Warmth Of A Dying
22) Satyricon – Deep Calleth Upon Deep
21) Sólstafir – Berdreyminn
20) The Obsessed – Sacred
19) Ulver – The Assassination Of Julius Caesar
18) Kreator – Gods Of Violence
17) Creeper – Eternity, In Your Arms
16) Leprous – Malina
15) Anathema – The Optimist
14) Marilyn Manson – Heaven Upside Down
13) Pallbearer – Heartless
12) The Black Dahlia Murder – Nightbringers
11) Wolves In The Throne Room – Thrice Woven
10) Converge – The Dusk In Us
9) Paradise Lost – Medusa
8) While She Sleeps – You Are We
7) Chelsea Wolfe – Hiss Spun
6) Grave Pleasures – Motherblood
5) Zeal & Ardor – Devil Is Fine
4) Enslaved – E
3) Code Orange – Forever
2) Myrkur – Mareridt
1) Mastodon – Emperor Of Sand

You can read our full 2017 review in the latest issue of Metal Hammer – in stores now. Buy it directly here or become a TeamRock+ member to read it right now.

Machine Head star in our end of year spectacular

Metal Hammer

Founded in 1983, Metal Hammer is the global home of all things heavy. We have breaking news, exclusive interviews with the biggest bands and names in metal, rock, hardcore, grunge and beyond, expert reviews of the lastest releases and unrivalled insider access to metal's most exciting new scenes and movements. No matter what you're into – be it heavy metal, punk, hardcore, grunge, alternative, goth, industrial, djent or the stuff so bizarre it defies classification – you'll find it all here, backed by the best writers in our game.