Yearlist 2017:

Eighties //Nineties //90919293949596979899 //Nihils //00010203040506070809 //TwentyTens //10111213141516[2017]1819 //Twenties //2021222324 //All_Time
 
①The Ruins Of Beverast - Exuvia
Score: 10/10
For those of you familiar with The Ruins Of Beverast, Exuvia follows in the footsteps of Blood Vaults. As this album ended very high in my yearlist I was eagerly looking forward to Exuvia, and it did not disappoint. I am not completely sure which of the two is better though. Blood Vaults had some more high and lowlights and Exuvia is more balanced, perfecting their dark and brooding soundscapes. For those unfamiliar with the band, imagine drowning in a swamp. Slowly. At night. Highly recommended. The music, not the drowning.
 
Abyssphere
Na puti k zabveniju
Score: 10/10		②
 
③Disbelief - The Symbol of Death
Score: 9.5/10
Disbelief have released a new album every couple of years for the last twenty years, and usually they are very enjoyable but not extraordinary. But after their last album they were on hiatus for seven years and went through some line-up changes, and now they're back stronger than before. With The Symbol of Death, Disbelief delivers their strongest album since 66Sick. Only thing is that since the vocalist is now also in Morgoth, the two bands sound alike sometimes. But since I love me some Morgoth this is no real issue.
 
Fen - Winter
Score: 9.5/10
Fen has a 10 year history of delivering high quality atmospheric black/doom in veins of Agalloch, so you know you can expect a great release here. Unless they make a big change and start playing acoustic folk. Luckily no folk here, only their signature 10 min+ soundscapes like the Ruins of Beverast mentioned above, but easier digestible.		④
 
⑤Drudkh / Paysage d'Hiver - Split
Score: 9.5/10
Like every year there's some amazing split albums that usually get ignored by other reviewers' year-end lists. This one is a collaboration of one of my favorite Ukraine black metal acts Drudkh and Swiss Paysage d'Hiver whose ambient black I often find more hit-and-miss but who deliver an excellent 20 minute performance here.
 
Nokturnal Mortum
Istina
Score: 9.5/10		⑥
 
⑦Au Champ Des Morts
Dans La Joie
Score: 9.5/10
 
Korpiklaani
Live At Masters of Rock
Score: 9.5/10		⑧
 
⑨Hetman
Zshita z popelu kniga
Score: 9.5/10
 
Paramnesia / Ultha
Split
Score: 9.5/10		⑩
 
⑪Ophis - The Dismal Circle
Score: 9.5/10
2017 was not a great year for doom. Most of the bands in my yearlist are black/death which are my fallback genres if I can't get my dosis of Doom. Luckily I still caught the new Ophis album on the last days of this year, and it singlehandedly saved doom! Balancing on the border between Funeral Doom and Doom/Death, it puts down a soulcrushing atmosphere but keeps enough speed to make the 10 minute tracks pass by quickly.
 
Sawhill Sacrifice
Pimeyteen Ja Kuolemaan
Score: 9.5/10		⑫
 
⑬Evilfeast
Elegies of the Stellar Wind
Score: 9.5/10
 
Nailed To Obscurity
King Delusion
Score: 9.5/10		⑭
 
⑮Manetheren - The End
Score: 9.5/10
Manetheren's last release Time was the first time I came in contact with this band, and they immediately blew me away. Expectations were high of course when after 5 years they finally released another album, but I must say it does not reach the brilliance of Time. They still produced an album full of excellent atmospheric black metal though.
 
Helheim - landawarijaR
Score: 9.5/10
As a Norwegian BM act that has been around since the early 90s, fans of the genre have probably heard about Helheim, but they were always kind of overshadowed by the many legendary acts in this genre. Now in 2017 most of those bands have either quit, changed genre, or release unremarkable albums (looking at you, Satyricon!), so this is the time to shine for Helheim.		⑯
 
⑰Clouds - Destin
Score: 9.5/10
Clouds is somewhat of a doom metal superband with members from bands like Shape of Despair and Pantheist. They released two full-lengths before that are beautiful, but a lot softer than the bands just mentioned. This release manages to keep my interest a lot better, also because it's a lot shorter. The band even entitled it an EP although with 35 minutes it's still longer than some other bands' full lengths. The limited edition adds bonus tracks to reach a full hour, but there again they exceed my attention span.
 
Cradle Of Filth - Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness of Decay
Score: 9.5/10
Cradle Of Filth has always been my guilty pleasure. Not that I'm embarrassed about it, but you can't seem to call them Black Metal without the whole scene getting their panties in a twist ;). Besides the over the top image and some subpar live releases I've always enjoyed their music, and Cryptoriana is another solid symphonic black metal release.		⑱
 
⑲Havukruunu
Kelle Surut Soi
Score: 9.5/10
 
Auðn
Farvegir Fyrndar
Score: 9.5/10		⑳
 
21Argentum
Stirpe Diabolica
Score: 9.5/10
 
Dødsengel
Interequinox
Score: 9.5/10		22
 
23Anomalie - Visions
Score: 9.5/10
Visions is an excellent follow-up to the already excellent Refugium album from two years back. Anomalie plays a nice blend of black death and viking with a sauce of Gothenburg. Some parts remind Árstíðir Lífsins, other In Flames, but for sure it never gets boring.
 
Venenum
Trance Of Death
Score: 9.5/10		24
 
25Taake
Kong Vinter
Score: 9.5/10
 
Gratzug / Kalmankantaja - Split
Score: 9.5/10
Another great split this year is between Germany's Gratzug and Finland's Kalmankantaja, and it gives us the best in BRBM: Bedroom Black Metal, a term I like to use for one-man bands. It's probably not recorded in a bedroom but it sounds funnier that way. Kalmankantaja of course is my discovery of last year and serves us excellent Burzumesque atmospheric metal. Gratzug does the same and mostly succeeds, except that the drums are a bit off.		26
 
27Dimmu Borgir - Forces of the Northern Night
Score: 9.5/10
Wait what? Both Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth in my yearlist, what is this, 1996? Actually this album contains a live concert from 2011 already, and it just took them six years to put it on a disc. We've all heard plenty of Dimmu live releases before, but this one is special because it includes a full symphony orchestra. Pretty cool except for the songs performed only by the orchestra, which sound like movie soundtracks that vaguely remind metal songs. I prefer the metal/orchestra combination!
 
Woe
Hope Attrition
Score: 9/10		28
 
29Marche Funèbre
Into the Arms of Darkness
Score: 9/10
 
Deinonychus
Ode to Acts of Murder, Dystopia and Suicide
Score: 9/10		30
 
31Scuorn
Parthenope
Score: 9/10
 
Ne Obliviscaris
Urn
Score: 9/10		32
 
33Wolfheart
Tyhjyys
Score: 9/10
 
Acrimonious
Eleven Dragons
Score: 9/10		34
 
35Falls Of Rauros
Vigilance Perennial
Score: 9/10
 
Nocte Obducta
Totholz - Ein Raunen Aus Dem Klammwald
Score: 9/10		36
 
37Sun Of The Sleepless
To the Elements
Score: 9/10
 
Cult Of Erinyes
Tiberivs
Score: 9/10		38
 
39Imber Luminis
Nausea
Score: 9/10
 
Ex Deo
The Immortal Wars
Score: 8.5/10		40
 
41Der Weg Einer Freiheit
Finisterre
Score: 8.5/10
 
The Flight Of Sleipnir
Skadi
Score: 8.5/10		42
 
43Wolves In The Throne Room
Thrice Woven
Score: 8.5/10
 
Farsot
Fail Lure
Score: 8.5/10		44
 
45Dominia
Stabat Mater
Score: 8.5/10
 
Moonspell
1755
Score: 8.5/10		46
 
47Septic Flesh
Codex Omega
Score: 8.5/10
 
Saltus
Jam Jest Samon!
Score: 8.5/10		48
 
49Mistralth
My Grief
Score: 8.5/10
 
Loss (USA)
Horizonless
Score: 8.5/10		50
 
51Spectral Voice
Eroded Corridors of Unbeing
Score: 8.5/10
 
White Ward
Futility Report
Score: 8.5/10		52
 
53Maat
Monuments Will Enslave
Score: 8.5/10
 
Kalmankantaja
Demo IV (demo)
Score: 8.5/10		54
 
55Hermóðr
Hädanfärd
Score: 8.5/10
 
Almyrkvi
Umbra
Score: 8.5/10		56
 
57Is
Into My Own
Score: 8.5/10
 
The Spirit
Sounds from the Vortex
Score: 8.5/10		58
 
59Diablerie
The Catalyst vol I: Control
Score: 8.5/10
 
Pandemonium
Nihilist
Score: 8/10		60
 
61Darkenhöld
Memoria Sylvarum
Score: 8/10
 
Bereft Of Light
Hoinar
Score: 8/10		62
 
63Zgard
U Viri Chornoi Snagi - Within the Swirl of Black Vigor
Score: 8/10
 
Turia
Dede Kondre
Score: 8/10		64
 
65Selvans
Hirpi
Score: 8/10
 
The Project Hate MCMXCIX
Of Chaos and Carnal Pleasures
Score: 8/10		66
 
67Graceless
Shadowlands
Score: 8/10
 
The True Endless
Blacklight Inferno
Score: 8/10		68
 
69Emyn Muil
Elenion Ancalima
Score: 8/10
 
Suffocated
Your Body Is the Hardest Metal
Score: 8/10		70
 
71Eldamar
A Dark Forgotten Past
Score: 8/10
 
Kalmankantaja
Routamaa
Score: 8/10		72
 
73Saille
Gnosis
Score: 8/10
 
Forgotten Tomb
We Owe You Nothing
Score: 8/10		74
 
75Leichenzug
Schwarz
Score: 8/10
 
The Father Of Serpents
Age Of Damnation
Score: 8/10		76
 
77Grima
Tales of the Enchanted Woods
Score: 8/10
 
Antropomorphia
Sermon Ov Wrath
Score: 8/10		78
 
79Iku-Turso
The Great Tower
Score: 8/10
 
Morast
Ancestral Void
Score: 8/10		80
 
81Spell Of Dark
Journey into the Depths of Winter
Score: 8/10
 
Graveyard Of Souls
Pequeños Fragmentos de Tiempo Congelado
Score: 8/10		82
 
83Evoke Thy Lords
Lifestories
Score: 7.5/10
 
Chaos Moon
Eschaton Mémoire
Score: 7.5/10		84
 
85Taake
Baktanker
Score: 7.5/10
 
Obituary
Obituary
Score: 7.5/10		86
 
87Paradise Lost
Medusa
Score: 7.5/10
 
Foscor
Les Irreals Visions
Score: 7.5/10		88
 
89Acherontas
Amarta (Formulas of Reptilian Unification Part II)
Score: 7.5/10
 
Aphonic Threnody
Of Loss and Grief
Score: 7.5/10		90
 
91Satyricon
Deep Calleth Upon Deep
Score: 7.5/10
 
Mesarthim
Presence (digital)
Score: 7.5/10		92
 
93Ancst / Thränenkind
Split
Score: 7.5/10
 
Limbonic Art
Spectre Abysm
Score: 7.5/10		94
 
95Memoriam
For the Fallen
Score: 7.5/10
 
Minas Morgul
Kult
Score: 7.5/10		96
 
97Hermóðr
Ghost of the Cold Winds (digital)
Score: 7.5/10
 
Nachtmystium
Retox: Remixes and Rarities (digital)
Score: 7.5/10		98
 
99Forefather
Tales from a Cloud-Born Land (digital)
Score: 7.5/10
 
Voices Of Decay
Evasion
Score: 7.5/10		100


Stats generated at: 09/03/24

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