Well everybody, here we are. The votes have been tallied and the results are in! Thank you to everybody who voted for the Encyclopaedia Metallum Album of the Year 2017! In total, there were 123 ballots cast, for 524 unique albums. The results are presented with the final number of votes for each position on their respective ballots. Point totals can be found in the other thread if you'd like a refresher. Anyway, I know what you're all here for, so HERE ARE THE RESULTS:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2017

1. Power Trip - Nightmare Logic: 4-8-2-2-2-4-2-1-1-0 = 368pts
2. Immolation - Atonement: 0-3-8-2-2-1-4-1-1-2 = 258pts
3. The Ruins of Beverast - Exuvia: 3-3-2-1-4-1-2-4-1-0 = 249pts
4. Satan's Hallow - Satan's Hallow: 3-4-2-2-0-1-0-1-4-1 = 222pts
5. Spectral Voice - Eroded Corridors of Unbeing: 3-1-1-2-4-0-3-1-1-0 = 196pts
6. Bell Witch - Mirror Reaper: 3-2-0-1-3-1-0-1-0-0 = 165pts
7. Elder - Reflections of a Falling World: 3-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-0-1 = 164pts
8. Nokturnal Mortum - Verity: 2-2-2-1-1-2-1-0-0-0 = 160pts
9. Malokarpatan - Nordkarpatenland: 3-1-2-1-1-0-1-2-0-0 = 159pts
10. Dying Fetus - Wrong One to Fuck With: 4-1-0-1-1-1-1-1-0-0 = 158pts
11. Pallbearer - Heartless: 1-3-1-3-1-0-1-2-1-0 = 156pts
12. Tchornobog - Tchornobog: 2-1-1-2-2-2-1-0-1-0 = 151pts
13. Kreator - Gods of Violence: 3-1-1-0-0-0-2-2-0-1 = 129pts
14. Suffocation - ...of the Dark Light: 3-0-1-2-0-1-1-0-0-0 = 128pts
15. Antichrist - Sinful Birth: 3-0-0-1-2-2-0-0-1-0 = 125pts
16. Portrait - Burn the World: 1-1-1-2-1-2-0-1-0-0 = 112pts
17. Archspire - Relentless Mutilation: 1-1-1-2-1-0-1-2-1-1 = 109pts
18. Lunar Shadow - Far from Light: 2-1-2-0-1-0-0-0-0-0 = 108pts
19. Venenum - Trance of Death: 0-3-2-1-1-0-0-0-0-2 = 108pts
20. Enslaved - E: 0-1-3-1-1-1-2-0-0-2 = 107pts
21. Threshold - Legends of the Shires: 2-1-1-1-1-0-0-0-0-1 = 106pts
22. Cradle of Filth - Cryptorania - The Seductiveness of Decay: 2-0-1-0-3-1-0-0-0-0 = 103pts
23. Septicflesh - Codex Omega: 0-2-1-2-0-1-1-1-0-2 = 95pts
24. Jordablod - Upon My Cremation Pyre: 1-1-0-2-1-1-1-0-0-2 = 93pts
25. Havukruunu - Kelle surut soi: 2-2-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-1 = 91pts
26. Ayreon - The Source: 1-2-1-0-1-0-0-0-1-0 = 88pts
27. Mastodon - Emperor of Sand: 1-0-1-1-2-0-1-1-2-1 = 87pts
28. Evilfeast - Elegies of the Stellar Wind: 1-1-1-1-0-0-2-1-0-0 = 86pts
29. Cannibal Corpse - Red Before Black: 2-0-0-0-1-1-2-1-0-1 = 85pts
30. The Chasm - A Conscious Creation from the Isolated Domain: pt I: 1-2-0-0-0-1-2-0-0-2 = 83pts
31. Wampyrinacht - We Will Be Watching, really long subtitle: 0-2-2-0-1-0-1-0-0-0 = 82pts
32. Wolves in the Throne Room - Thrice Woven: 0-3-0-0-2-0-0-1-0-2 = 80pts
33. Aosoth - V: Inside the Scriptures: 0-1-1-1-1-0-2-2-1-3 = 80pts
34. Dodecahedron - Kwintessens: 0-2-0-1-1-1-0-2-1-1 = 77pts
35. Condor - Unstoppable Power: 1-0-1-0-2-0-2-1-0-0 = 76pts
36. Galneryus - Ultimate Sacrifice: 2-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 68pts
37. Ulver - The Assassination of Julius Caesar: 1-1-0-1-0-1-0-1-0-0 = 67pts
38. Sons of Crom - The Black Tower: 1-1-0-0-1-0-1-2-0-0 = 67pts
39. Vulture - The Guillotine: 0-0-1-3-0-0-2-0-1-0 = 65pts
40. Air Raid - Across the Line: 1-1-0-1-0-1-0-0-0-0 = 63pts
41. Godflesh - Post Self: 1-0-2-0-0-1-0-0-0-0 = 63pts
42. Lorn - Arrayed Claws: 1-0-2-0-0-0-0-0-3-0 = 61pts
43. The Black Dahlia Murder - Nightbringers: 0-1-2-0-0-1-0-1-0-1 = 61pts
44. Hellripper - Coagulating Darkness: 0-1-1-1-1-0-0-1-1-0 = 61pts
45. Paradise Lost - Medusa: 0-0-1-1-1-2-0-1-1-2 = 61pts
46. Craven Idol - The Shackles of Mammon: 0-2-0-0-1-0-2-0-0-1 = 59pts
47. Satyricon - Deep Calleth Upon Deep: 0-1-1-0-1-2-0-0-0-0 = 59pts
48. Necrot - Blood Offerings: 0-0-1-2-0-1-1-1-1-0 = 59pts
49. Black Cilice - Banished from Time: 1-0-2-0-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 57pts
50. Night Demon - Darkness Remains: 0-2-1-0-0-0-1-0-0-0 = 57pts
51. Spirit Adrift - Curse of Conception: 1-1-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-2 = 55pts
52. Warbringer - Woe to the Vanquished: 1-0-0-1-0-1-1-0-0-1 = 52pts
53. Pain of Salvation - In the Passing Light of Day: 1-1-0-0-0-0-1-0-1-0 = 51pts
54. Temple of Void - Lords of Death: 1-0-0-1-0-1-1-0-0-0 = 51pts
55. Attic - Sanctimonious: 1-0-0-0-1-0-1-1-3-0 = 51pts
56. Belphegor - Totenritual: 2-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 50pts
57. Succumb - Succumb: 2-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 50pts
58. Shaarimoth - Temple of Adversarial Fire: 1-0-1-0-1-0-0-0-0-0 = 50pts
59. Akercocke - Renaissance in Extremis: 1-0-1-0-0-0-0-2-1-0 = 50pts
60. Artificial Brain - Infrared Horizon: 0-0-0-0-2-2-2-0-0-2 = 50pts
61. Origin - Unparalleled Universe: 1-1-0-0-0-0-0-1-1-0 = 49pts
62. Pagan Altar - The Room of Shadows: 1-0-0-0-1-0-1-0-2-3 = 48pts
63. Vassafor - Maladiction: 0-0-0-3-0-1-0-1-0-0 = 48pts
64. Cormorant - Diaspora: 0-2-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0 = 46pts
65. Sons of Apollo - Psychotic Symphony: 1-0-0-1-0-1-0-0-0-0 = 45pts
66. Firewind - Immortals: 0-1-1-1-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 45pts
67. Blazon Stone - Down in the Dark: 0-1-0-1-0-1-1-0-0-1 = 45pts
68. Argus - From Fields of Fire: 0-0-2-1-0-1-0-0-0-0 = 45pts
69. Duskmourn - Of Shadow and Flame: 0-1-0-0-1-2-0-0-0-0 = 44pts
70. Overkill - The Grinding Wheel: 0-0-1-0-1-0-2-1-1-1 = 44pts
71. The Obsessed - Sacred: 1-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 43pts
72. Pyrrhon - What Passes for Survival: 1-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 43pts
73. Metalian - Midnight Rider: 1-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 42pts
74. The Flight of Sleipnir - Skadi: 1-0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0-0 = 41pts
75. Obituary - Obituary: 0-0-0-1-2-1-0-0-0-1 = 41pts
76. Crypt Rot - Embryonic Devils: 1-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 40pts
77. Lantern - II: Morphosis: 1-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 40pts
78. Midnight - Sweet Death and Ecstasy: 0-0-1-2-0-0-0-0-0-1 = 40pts
79. Drudkh/Paysage d'Hiver - Somewhere Sadness Wanders/Schnee IV: 1-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 37pts
80. Grima - Tales of the Enchanted Woods: 1-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 37pts
81. Lovebites - Awakening from Abyss: 1-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 37pts
82. Primitive Man - Caustic: 1-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 37pts
83. Morbid Angel - Kingdoms Disdained: 0-1-0-0-1-0-1-0-0-3 = 37pts
84. Sorcerer - The Crowning of the Fire King: 0-1-0-0-1-0-1-0-1-0 = 36pts
85. Horn - Turm am Hang: 1-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0 = 35pts
86. Night Viper - Exterminator: 1-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0 = 35pts
87. Ascended Dead - Abhorrent Manifestation: 0-1-1-0-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 35pts
88. Tetragrammacide - Primal Incinerators of Moral Matrix: 0-1-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 33pts
89. Orden Ogan - Gunman: 0-0-1-0-1-1-0-0-0-0 = 33pts
90. Benighted - Necrobreed: 0-0-2-0-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 32pts
91. Execration - Return to the Void: 0-0-0-2-0-1-0-0-0-0 = 32pts
92. Sutrah - Dunes: 1-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0 = 31pts
93. Emptiness - Not for Music: 1-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-2 = 31pts
94. The Ominous Circle - Appalling Ascension: 0-1-0-0-1-0-0-0-1-1 = 31pts
95. Der Weg einer Freiheit - Finisterre: 0-0-1-0-1-0-1-0-0-0 = 31pts
96. Ensnared - Dysangelium: 0-0-1-0-1-0-1-0-0-0 = 31pts
97. Al-Namrood - Enkar: 0-1-0-1-0-0-0-0-0 = 30pts
98. Persefone - Aathma: 0-1-0-1-0-0-0-0-0 = 30pts
99. Suffering Hour - In Passing Ascension: 0-1-0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0 = 30pts
100. Ningen-Isu - Ijigen no Houkou: 1-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0 = 29pts
101. Red Moon Architect - Return of the Black Butterflies: 1-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0 = 29pts
102. Yellow Eyes - Immersion Trench Reveries: 1-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0 = 29pts
103. Fen - Winter: 0-1-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-1 = 29pts
104. Decapitated - Anticult: 0-0-1-1-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 29pts
105. Progenie Terrestre Pura - oltreLuna: 0-0-0-2-0-0-0-0-2-1 = 29pts
106. Blut Aus Nord - Deus Salutis Meae: 0-0-1-1-0-0-0-0-0-1 = 28pts
107. Wode - Servants of the Countercosmos: 0-0-1-1-0-0-0-0-0-1 = 28pts
108. Amenra - Mass VI: 0-0-0-1-1-0-1-0-0-0 = 28pts
109. Adagio - Life: 1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 27pts
110. Ungfell - Totbringaere: 1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 27pts
111. White Skull - Will of the Strong: 1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 27pts
112. One Master - Lycanthropic Burrowing: 0-0-1-1-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 27pts
113. Wiegedood - De Doden Hebben Het Goed II: 0-0-1-1-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 27pts
114. Dream Troll - The Knight of Rebellion: 0-1-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0 = 26pts
115. Dumal - The Lesser God: 0-1-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0 = 26pts
116. Vampire - With Primeval Force: 0-1-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0 = 26pts
117. Legendry - Dungeon Crawler: 0-0-0-1-0-1-0-1-1-0 = 26pts
118. Vallenfyre - For Those Who Fear Him: 0-1-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-1 = 25pts
119. Woe - Hope Attrition: 0-1-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-1 = 25pts
120. White Death - White Death: 0-0-1-0-1-0-0-0-0-0 = 25pts
121. Sasquatch - Maneuvers: 0-1-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0 = 24pts
122. Vintersorg - Till Fjalls, del II: 0-1-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0 = 24pts
123. Walpyrgus - Walpyrgus Nights: 0-0-1-0-0-1-0-0-0-1 = 24pts
124. Outrage - Raging Out: 0-0-0-2-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 24pts
125. Azarath - In Extremis: 0-0-0-0-1-1-1-0-0-0 = 24pts
126. Taake - Kong Vinter: 0-0-1-0-0-1-0-0-0-0 = 23pts
127. Nightbringer - Terra Damnata: 0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0-1-0 = 23pts
128. Selbst - Selbst: 0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0-1-0 = 23pts
129. Accept - The Rise of Chaos: 0-0-0-0-1-1-0-1-0-1 = 23pts
130. Leprous - Malina: 0-0-0-0-1-1-0-1-0-1 = 23pts
131. Apostate Viaticum - Before the Gates of Gomorrah: 0-1-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0 = 22pts
132. Eruption - Cloaks of Oblivion: 0-1-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0 = 22pts
133. Samael - Hegemony: 0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0-0-1 = 22pts
134. Chevalier - A Call to Arms: 0-0-0-1-1-0-0-0-0-0 = 22pts
135. Incantation - Profane Nexus: 0-0-0-1-0-0-1-0-2-0 = 22pts
136. Vaivatar - Vanitas: 0-0-0-0-0-2-1-0-0-0 = 22pts
137. Arrayan Path - Dawn of Aquarius: 0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0-0-0 = 21pts
138. Battle Beast - Bringer of Pain: 0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0-0-0 = 21pts
139. Cnoc an Tursa - The Forty Five: 0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0-0-0 = 21pts
140. Nidingir - The High Heat Licks Against Heaven: 0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0-0-0 = 21pts
141. Procession - Doom Decimation: 0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0-0-0 = 21pts
142. Stalker - Shadow of the Sword: 0-0-0-1-0-1-0-0-0-1 = 21pts
143. Integrity - Howling, for the Nightmare Shall Consume: 0-0-0-0-1-0-1-1-0-1 = 21pts
144. The Lurking Fear - Out of the Voiceless Grave: 0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 20pts
145. Possession - Exorkizein: 0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 20pts
146. Tomb Mold - Primordial Malignity: 0-0-1-0-0-0-0-1-0-1 = 20pts
147. All Pigs Must Die - Hostage Animal: 0-0-0-1-0-1-0-0-0-0 = 20pts
148. Blaze of Perdition - Conscious Darkness: 0-0-0-1-0-1-0-0-0-0 = 20pts
149. Desultory - Through Aching Aeons: 0-0-0-1-0-1-0-0-0-0 = 20pts
150. Nargaroth - Era of Threnody: 0-0-0-0-2-0-0-0-0-0 = 20pts
151. Legionnaire - Dawn of Genesis: 0-0-0-0-1-0-1-1-0-0 = 20pts
152. Gigan - Undulating Waves of Rainbiotic Iridescence: 0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1 = 19pts
153. Jute Gyte - Oviri: 0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1 = 19pts
154. Obskuritatem - U Kraljevstvu Mrtvih...: 0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1 = 19pts
155. Crystal Viper - Queen of the Witches: 0-0-0-0-1-1-0-0-0-1 = 19pts
156. Pillorian - Obsidian Arc: 0-0-0-0-1-1-0-0-0-1 = 19pts
157. Wolfheart - Tyhjyys: 0-0-0-0-1-1-0-0-0-0 = 18pts
158. Stereo Nasty - Twisting the Blade: 0-0-0-0-1-0-1-0-1-0 = 18pts
159. Tau Cross - Pillar of Fire: 0-0-0-0-0-1-1-1-0-0 = 18pts
160. Phrenelith - Desolate Landscape: 0-0-0-0-0-1-1-0-2-0 = 18pts
161. Cloven Hoof - Who Mourn for the Morning Star?: 0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 17pts
162. Cover of Night - The Depths: 0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 17pts
163. Decrepit Birth - Axis Mundi: 0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 17pts
164. Mindmaze - Resolve: 0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 17pts
165. Ne Obliviscaris - Urn: 0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 17pts
166. Chaos Moon - Eschaton Memoire: 0-0-0-0-0-2-0-0-0-1 = 17pts
167. Extremity - Extremely Fucking Dead: 0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-1 = 16pts
168. Sinister - Syncretism: 0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-1 = 16pts
169. Urn - The Burning: 0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-1 = 16pts
170. Nocturnal Rites - Phoenix: 0-0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0-0 = 16pts
171. Wintersun - The Forest Seasons: 0-0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0-0 = 16pts
172. Wrathblade - God of the Deep Unleashed: 0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 16pts
173. Inanimate Existence - Underneath a Melting Sky: 0-0-0-0-1-0-1-0-0-0 = 16pts
174. Falls of Rauros - Vigilance Perennial: 0-0-0-0-1-0-0-1-1-0 = 16pts
175. Drug Honkey - Cloak of Skies: 0-0-0-0-0-2-0-0-0-0 = 16pts
176. Trivium - The Sin and the Sentence: 0-0-0-0-0-2-0-0-0-0 = 16pts
177. Whoredom Rife - Dommedagskvad: 0-0-0-0-0-2-0-0-0-0 = 16pts
178. Undergang - Misantropologi: 0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-1-1 = 15pts
179. Contaminated - Final Man: 0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-1-0 = 14pts
180. Ulvedharr - Total War: 0-0-0-0-1-0-0-1-0-0 = 14pts
181. Unleash the Archers - Apex: 0-0-0-0-1-0-0-1-0-0 = 14pts
182. Novembers Doom - Hamartia: 0-0-0-0-0-1-1-0-0-0 = 14pts
183. Father Befouled - Desolate Gods: 0-0-0-0-0-1-0-1-1-0 = 14pts
184. Droid - Terrestrial Mutations: 0-0-0-0-0-1-0-1-0-2 = 14pts
185. Heresiarch - Death Ordinance: 0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1-2-0 = 14pts
186. The Great Old Ones - EOD (A Tale of Dark Legacy): 0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-1 = 13pts
187. Myrkur - Mareridt: 0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-1 = 13pts
188. Runespell - Unhallowed Blood Oath = 0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-1 = 13pts
189. Sepultura - Machine Messiah = 0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-1 = 13pts
190. Battle Dagorath - II - Frozen Light of Eternal Darkness: 0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0 = 12pts
191. Cult of Eibon - Lycan Twilight Sorcery: 0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0 = 12pts
192. Cold Insight - Further Nowhere: 0-0-0-0-0-1-0-1-0-0 = 12pts
193. Havok - Conformicide: 0-0-0-0-0-1-0-1-0-0 = 12pts
194. Slaegt - Domus Mysterium: 0-0-0-0-0-1-0-1-0-0 = 12pts
195. Witherfall - Nocturnes and Requiems: 0-0-0-0-0-1-0-1-0-0 = 12pts
196. Analepsy - Atrocities from Beyond: 0-0-0-0-0-0-2-0-0-0 = 12pts
197. Sun of the Sleepless - To the Elements: 0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1-1-0 = 12pts
198. Evocation - The Shadow Archetype: 0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-1 = 11pts
199. Sortilegia - Sulphurous Temple: 0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-1-1 = 11pts
200. Inconcessus Lux Lucis - The Crowning Quietus: 0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-1-0 = 10pts
201. Lor - In Forgotten Sleep: 0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-2 = 10pts
202. Acid Witch - Evil Sound Screamers: 0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1-0-0 = 10pts
203. Desolate Shrine - Deliverance from the Godless Void: 0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1-0-0 = 10pts
204. Impetuous Ritual - Blight Upon Martyred Silence: 0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1-0-0- = 10pts
205. Monolord - Rust: 0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1-0-0 = 10pts
206. Bonehunter - Sexual Panic Human Machine: 0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-1-0 = 8pts
207. Helheim - landiwarijaR: 0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-1-0 = 8pts
208. Unaussprechlichen Kulten - Keziah Lilith Maeda (Chapter X): 0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-1-0 = 8pts
209. Dyscarnate - With All Their Might: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-2-0-0 = 8pts
210. Hideous Divinity - Adveniens: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1-2 = 8pts
211. Wulkanaz - Paralys: 0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-1 = 7pts
212. Au-Dessus - End of Chapter: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1-0 = 6pts
213. Below - Upon a Pale Horse: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1-0 = 6pts
214. Labyrinth - Architecture of a God: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1-0 = 6pts
215. Loviatar - Loviatar: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1-0 = 6pts
216. Black Anvil - As Was: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-1 = 5pts
217. Ingurgitating Oblivion - Vision Wallows in Symphonies of Light: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-1 = 5pts
218. Darkest Hour - Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1 = 3pts
219. Edenbridge - The Great Momentum: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1 = 3pts
220. God Dethroned - World Ablaze: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1 = 3pts
221. Loss - Horizonless: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1 = 3pts
222. Memoriam - For the Fallen: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1 = 3pts
223. Hour of Penance - Cast the First Stone: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-2 = 2pts
224. Venomous Maximus - No Warning: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-2 = 2pts

So for the second year in a row, we see the denizens of the Archives rally around a thrash album, so I'm proud to say congratulations to Power Trip. Neither their point total nor their margin of victory is quite as ridiculous as Vektor's last year, but they still cleared the 2nd place spot by over 100 points and handily won the top spot. However, unlike last year, the votes remained more or less really tight from about the 5th spot to the 25th-ish. Any one more ballot could have completely upended the bottom half of the top ten, and that's the kind of drama I love. There was a good mix of genres as well, showing that lots of different fans came out to give love to their favorite genres, and a ton of these had a lot of crossover appeal (Satan's Hallow, for example, was on tons of lists that were far from exclusive to trad metal, unlike Avantasia last year who pretty much only appeared on power metal centric lists).

And now let's take a look at the albums that received only one vote throughout the course of the month. Unlike last year, I didn't bother to put out the voting sheet or alphabetize them, because you'd be amazed at how much fucking time that wastes. So instead they're just listed by placement and then by the order they were voted in. Shouldn't be too hard to navigate, and you can always ctrl+f if you're curious about something you can't find on the main list. Either way, here is:


RANDO CORNER


And lastly, the DEBUT OF THE YEAR tally. We did much better this year in this category, with 71 total entries out of 123 ballots, giving us a decent ~57% of the ballots going out of their way to nominate a debut. Therefore it's thankfully not a tie this year! I want to extend a hearty THANK YOU to everybody who went the extra mile to nominate one.

DEBUT OF THE YEAR 2017


So congratulations to Satan's Hallow for taking Debut of the Year 2017! The band has more or less already broken up, and that's a shame, because clearly they had a ton of promise on this self titled debut if these votes were anything to go by.

BH's FINAL THOUGHTS:
Once again we see the split between how certain fans of certain genres voted. Once again Rando Corner is flooded with black metal, which leaves open the eternal question whether or not there is just a shitload more black metal worth listening to in the world or if BM fans value obscurity above all else and therefore struggle to rally around a huge standout album. On one hand, The Ruins of Beverast, Nokturnal Mortum, and Malokarpatan all found themselves in the top ten. On the other hand, one of the albums that got a first place vote in Rando Corner is limited to 20 cassette tapes. You be the judge. I and many others noted that this was a particularly strong year for death metal, and the main list reflects that as there are a ton of death metal albums in there receiving multiple votes. Trad metal also apparently had a much stronger year that I personally realized, because there are quite a few high ranking ones in there. I also notice MA's weird relationship with thrash metal, because as a whole it's seems to be almost looked down upon in the post-UltraBoris, post-retro thrash world, but when an album comes out that seems to transcend the stigma, everybody falls in love with it. Thrash took the top spot in the two years I've been curating this poll, and I never would've guessed that ahead of time. There aren't quite as many surprises as last year, but there are certainly a few. I certainly never would've guessed that Kreator would've ranked as high as they did, and in fact they spent most of the month in the top ten and only fell out within the last two days of voting when Bell Witch went on a fucking tear and jumped from like 200th place to 6th. And I know I joke about how much I hate Wintersun all the time, but them only getting two votes was a total shock. I'd love to see an explanation as to how the hype and review scores didn't translate to the end of the year poll at all. I also want to give props to Dying Fetus, who I am pretty sure didn't get any votes in the second half of the month, but got so many early on that they held on to their place in the top ten all the way down the wire, just barely making the cut at #10 by a whopping two points.

And of course, the Rando Calrissian Award for the highest placement with zero first place votes goes to Immolation - Atonement who defied the odds and managed to land 2nd place despite not topping anybody's list. Truly a feat in itself and also somehow totally indicative of Immolation's general standing here, since everybody seems to like them but they haven't really been on top of the genre since 2002.

Well that's all for 2017, folks. It was a pleasure doing this again and I can't wait to see how things turn out next year. Now let's use this thread for discussion and sharing! Were you pleased with the results? Incensed? Want to ban everybody who voted for Pallbearer? Feel free to now post your own lists and talk about whatever you'd like. Thanks again to everybody for participating!

HALL OF FAME

More top 10/20 albums in my list than I'd expect.

1. Godflesh - Post Self (41st)
2. Dodecahedron - Kwintessens (34th)
3. Blut Aus Nord - Deus Salutis Meæ (106th)
4. All Pigs Must Die - Hostage Animal (147th)
5. Antichrist - Sinful Birth (15th)
6. Tchornobog - Tchornobog (12th)
7. Immolation - Atonement (2nd)
8. Dying Fetus - Wrong One To Fuck With (10th)
9. Satan's Hallow - Satan's Hallow (4th)
10. Septicflesh - Codex Omega (23rd)

Debut of the Year: Tchornobog - Tchornobog (2nd)


Here's a question: What criteria do you guys use for an album being on your list? For me, an album has to score above 90% on my scale.

Here's my list:

1. Metalite - Heroes in Time
A breath of much-needed fresh air in this dreary year--just some of the absolute best earworms to have been assembled in recent years. Obviously it's not to everyone's tastes (since I was the only one smart enough to nominate it), but I couldn't have asked for anything more revitalizing in such a dismal, depressing year.
Top Three Tracks: "The Light of Orion," "Over and Done," and "Afterlife"

2. Serenity - Lionheart
The perfect redemption after the miserably mediocre Codex Atlanticus. Full of excellent hooks and some of their finest tunes yet.
Top Three Tracks: "Eternal Victory," "United," and "Lionheart"

3. Threshold - Legends of the Shires
Glenn may be the band's weakest vocalist, but I was surprised that he was able to help put out the absolute best album in the band's career. These songs are all super-ambitious while simultaneously being incredibly accessible. A monumental feat.
Top Three Tracks: "Stars and Satellites," "The Shire (Part 2)," and "Small Dark Lines"

4. Lovebites - Awakening From Abyss
It's Diet Mary's Blood. Enough said.
Top Three Tracks: "Scream for Me," "The Apocalypse," and "Don't Bite the Dust"

5. Seven Spires - Solveig
I couldn't nominate the Light & Shade album (despite the fact that it basically didn't exist online last year when it came out), so this will have to take its place. Interesting symphonic metal with a lot of atmospheric touches and well-crafted hooks.
Top Three Tracks: "Depths," "The Cabaret of Dreams," and "Ashes"

6. Blazon Stone - Down in the Dark
Yep, this sure is a great Running Wild album.
Top Three Tracks: "Down in the Dark," "Into Victory," and "Captain of the Wild"

7. Battle Beast - Bringer of Pain
Shame on you, Battle Beast--this is your worst album to date. It's still good enough to make the list, but if 2017 had been a better year, you'd have been left on the doorstep. You'd better start shaping up and stop coasting by or you'll be screwed next time.
Top Three Tracks: "Bastard Son of Odin," "Familiar Hell," and "King for a Day"

8. Labyrinth - Architecture of a God
It's not quite Return to Heaven Denied, but I'll be damned if it doesn't sometimes come close. A bit hit-or-miss, but when this album hits home, it REALLY hits home.
Top Three Tracks: "Still Alive," "We Belong to Yesterday," and "Someone Says"

9. White Skull - Will of the Strong
For whatever reason, White Skull have been completely uninteresting to me until now. All their past albums go in one ear and out the other, but Will of the Strong--for whatever reason--just sticks and clicks. Pretty cool stuff.
Top Three Tracks: "Metal Indian," "Shieldmaiden," and "Will of the Strong"

10. Walpyrgus - Walpyrgus Nights
This is just a good album. I don't have much more to add to that, because in a better year, this wouldn't have made the cut.
Top Three Tracks: "Somewhere Under Summerwind," "Dead Girls," and "Lauralone"

Runner Ups:
Keldian - Darkness and Light
Overkill - The Grinding Wheel
Amberian Dawn - Darkness of Eternity
Accept - The Rise of Chaos
Galneryus - Ultimate Sacrifice

Good to see that I helped keep the Rando Corner well-stocked. >:U

Surprised that Cradle's Cryptoriana made it to 22. It was my number 1 spot and got a higher vote count than many other picks on my list......I would've probably also put Power Trip somewhere on my list but just short of top 10 so I didn't list it. So here was my list

1. Cradle of Filth- Cryptoriana
2. Cormorant- Diaspora
3. Ne Obliviscaris- Urn
4. Enslaved- E
5. Bell Witch- Mirror Reaper
6. Leprous- Malina
7. Kreator- Gods of Violence
8. Mastodon- Emperor of Sand
9. Progenie Terrestre Pura- oltreLuna
10. Wode- Servants of the Countercosmos

1. Suffocation - ...Of the Dark Light
2. Slow - V - Oceans
3. Lorn - Arrayed Claws
4. Archspire - Relentless Mutation
5. Ketha - 0 Hours Starlight
6. Oghre - Gana
7. Amentia - Scourge
8. Dodecahedron - Kwintessens
9. Maze of Sothoth - Soul Demise
10. Gigan - Undulating Waves of Rainbiotic Iridescence

Goddamn, 5 of mine ended up in the rando corner.

I knew Power Trip would win. Everyone loved it (and so did I) but I knew it would get a lot of votes. Funny to see Immolation come 2nd with nobody listing it as a favourite. I guess it was just a solid album but nothing groundbreaking...which I can agree with.

Interesting list, and plenty of albums I loved made it. Good work, BastardHead!

I'm the only one to vote for Melvins, fuck is wrong with you people?!

1. Spectral Voice - Eroded Corridors of Unbeing
2. Vallenfyre - Fear those who fear him
3. Wiegedood - de doden hebben het goed II
4. Obelyskkh - the providence
5. Archgoat - the eternal damnation of christ
6. Katavasia - Daemonic Offering
7. Amenra - Mass VI
8. Slaegt - Domus Mysterium
9. The Ruins of Beverast - Exuvia
10. Venenum - Trance of Death

debut of the year: spectral voice

Wow! Thanks for putting these lists together and also for sharing your insights. I skimmed it for now but plan on returning, using it as a reference, and spending time with records I don’t know.

Here’s the list I submitted:

1. Crypt Rot ‘Embryonic Devils‘
2. Eruption ‘Cloaks of Oblivion’
3. Power Trip ‘Nightmare Logic‘
4. Foreseen ‘Grave Danger’
5. Satyricon ‘Deep Calleth Upon Deep’
6. Drug Honkey ‘Cloak of Skies’
7. Attic ‘Sanctimonious’
8. Necrot ‘Blood Offerings’
9. Black Cilice ‘Banished from Time’
10. Aosoth ‘V: The Inside Scriptures’

Gotta say I’m surprised someone else voted for Eruption. Not because they aren’t a worthy band, but because I think their record has been overlooked. It definitely satisfies my Santuary/Artillery cravings and does honor to both bands.

My list was as follows:

1. Lorn - Arrayed Claws
2. Jute Gyte - Oviri
3. Black Cilice - Banished from Time
4. Blattaria - Blattaria (+ Debut of the Year)
5. The Senseless - The Buried Life
6. Phrenelith - Desolate Endscape
7. Spectral Voice - Eroded Corridors of Unbeing
8. Voidsphere - To Call | To Speak
9. Krallice - Loüm
10. Flowers to the Welshman at Dusk - good metal songs

Half my list got rando-cornered this year, so y'all have some pretty terrible taste.

Thanks for what you did here, BH. Pretty intriguing results. Power Trip and Immolation were definitely good but not really what I wanted. Here's my list:

1. Excalion – Dream Alive
Perfectly written and executed PM. Just snappy, catchy songs and superb emotive hooks. I love it.

2. The Chasm – A Conscious Creation From The Isolated Domain – Pt. 1
Their most daring and complex work - over an hour of instrumental mastery, a clinic in metal guitar.

3. Arrayan Path – Dawn Of Aquarius
A richer, more diverse and complex album from these guys. Huge and expansive.

4. Vulvagun – The Painful Road to Eden
Great riffs, epic songwriting and powerful charisma made this a winner.

5. Threshold – Legends Of The Shires
They didn't do anything here that's terribly new, but they have pretty much nailed their formula and created their most confident album yet. Glynn Morgan is spectacular.

6. Legendry – Dungeon Crawler
A gleeful old school metal album that mashes together its influences in a jubilant way - addictive stuff.

7. Ruins Of Beverast – Exuvia
Masterful waves of evil, ancient sound - loving the Native American folk bent... can't wait to see what he does next.

8. Nocturnal Rites – Phoenix
Heavy, poppy and infectious - their best in probably 15 years or so.

9. Labyrinth – Architecture Of A God
Labyrinth blind-sided me with an album of classy, well-written power metal that recalls Kamelot's old work and the kind of depth the genre can have at its best.

10. Pagan Altar – The Room Of Shadows
A farewell album for this band - magnificently emotional and tender, and also full of epic doom riffs.

Really good top 2. I put Lorn at #3 and Jute Gyte literally at #11, haha. But I fully support these choices. I'd actually forgotten how great Lorn was until I heard it after a while of putting it away and it shot straight to the top again. Just a superb, superb, superb album.

I always like these lists - because my knowledge of metal beyond the bigger bands is so poor, it functions as a list of things to check out. Particularly this year, where I was out of it for recent metal releases.

Not a single vote for Endeligt. No surprise though since the voting cutoff was New Years Eve and the album came out on the 29th. If the voting deadline was extended (as asked by me), then it probably would have cracked the top 10. But, none of the mods ever listen to me around here...

TL;DR - Nortt gets robbed.

Thanks for doing this! Here's my list:

1) Aether Realm - Tarot
2) Vintersorg-Till Fjalls Del II
3) Benighted - Necrobreed
4) Wormwood - Ghostlands-Wounds From a Bleeding Earth
5) Sons of Crom - The Black Tower
6) Orden Ogan - Gunmen
7) Dying Fetus - Wrong One to Fuck With
8) Dyscarnate - With All Their Might
9) Archspire - Relentless Mutation
10) Enslaved - E

Surprised no one else voted for the Aether Realm album, it nailed the melodic death/folk sound in a year where both Ensiferum and Wintersun put out records.

My list is in my blog in my sig, but for those who don't care about my extended thoughts and extra categories and such, it goes like this:

13: Hideous Divinity - Adveniens
12: Evil Invaders - Feed Me Violence
11: SikTh - The Future in Whose Eyes?
10: Full of Hell - Trumpeting Ecstasy
9: Malokarpatan - Nordkarpatenland
8: Cannibal Corpse - Red Before Black
7: Power Trip - Nightmare Logic
6: Craven Idol - The Shackles of Mammon
5: Dying Fetus - Wrong One to Fuck With
4: Deathwish - Unleash Hell
3: The Black Dahlia Murder - Nightbringers
2: Satan's Hallow - Satan's Hallow
1: Suffocation - ...of the Dark Light

Only one of mine to wind up in Rando Corner was Evil Invaders, which is a shame because it rips ridiculously fucking hard and anybody drooling over that Vulture album should also love it. Most of mine did fairly well, with only Hideous Divinity finding itself way down the list and four of them (Power Trip, Malokarpatan, Satan's Hallow, Dying Fetus) winding up in the top ten, with Suffocation very close behind.



You didn't even vote, quit fucking whining.

This is a poll BH did for fun and, more importantly, for free - he didn't get anything for this. So shut the fuck up you dumb, whiny little baby.

Jesus Christ, dude, knock it off.


I'm glad we agreed on this.

Yes, I'm sure that band with polarized reviews playing a rather unpopular style of metal would have cracked the Top 10 if they only had a few more weeks to win us all over.

My top 10 for 2017:

1. Tchornobog - Tchornobog
Kinda surprised this didnt break the top 10. Tchornobog out did Ruins of Beverast at their own game this year IMO.

2. Sadness - Leave
This was an extremely late addition, and it looks like I am the only one who voted for it. Great post black metal stuff if anyone is interested.

3. Black Cilice - Banished From Time
Great dirty, filthy black metal that also has a strong post punk vibe... somehow. They really feel influenced by Have a Nice Life.

4. The Ruins of Beverast - Exuvia
Way better than Blood Vaults, still not as good as anything before Blood Vaults.

5. Ensnared - Dysangelium
Weak year for Death Metal, Ensnared pretty much saved the year for the whole genre.

6. Sortilegia - Sulphorous Temple
Held up mostly by the production, which is just perfect for this style of black metal.

7. Impetuous Ritual - Blight Upon Martyerd Sentience
Its another Impetuous Ritual album... which is fine.

8. Ingurgitating Oblivion - Vision Wallowed in Symphonies of Light
Pretty decent tech death in a weak year for tech death. Gorguts, Ulcerate style.

9. Consummation - Ritual Severence
Not as good as their demo. Its fine.

10. The Black Dahlia Murder - Nightbringers
I needed a tenth album.

2017 was not great... only my top 5 really impressed me. But I didnt listen to the new Vassafor... so maybe the order changes in the future

1. Lunar Shadow - Far From Light - Stan's hollow was fun but THIS is the trad metal album of the year. Epic, folky, meandering metal, like combining Dark Forest with Borrowed Time

2. Spirit Adrift - Curse of Conception - Pallbearer worship no more. This is basically "arena doom", with huge catchy melodies in the style of Metallica or Priest. Gatecreeper topped my list last year, and now their sister band does it again.

3. Pallbearer - Heartless - their best album so far. Didn't think I'd rank it so high but each time I hear it I like it even more. Dropped most of the funeral doom in favor of more prog noodling and catchy melodies, and it really works. A masterpiece is on the horizon if they keep this up.

4. Thy Art is Murder - Dear Desolation - GOES SO HARD. one of the best performances I saw this year as well. TAIM has been consistently the best deathcore band since Hate.

5. Jordablod - Upon My Cremation Pyre - really cool black metal that i never saw coming. Love the freaky, endless guitar solos that sound like they're out of a Manilla Road song, though the riffs are more like DSO.

6. Power Trip - Nightmare Logic - well, duh. been eagerly anticipating this for a while, did not disappoint at all. such an improvement over Armageddon Blues it's stupid

7. Phrenelith - Desolate Endscape - it's death metal. basically the only caverncore album i've been into because RIFFS

8. Immolation - Atonement - i've never been super into Immolation but i got into this and Dawn of Possession hard this year. surprising and awesome to see it do so well on the board.

9. Spectral Voice - Eroded Corridors of Unbeing - gonna go out on a limb and declare this album as MILDLY DISAPPOINTING. it's still really really good, but cutting out some of the nasty Finndeath riffage in exchange for more necrotic funeral doom wasn't up my alley. the demo was better

10. Venomous Maximus - No Warning - neat USPM with a sort of gothic/doom approach. Very catchy and infectious, kind of like Danzig if you cut out all the blues shit and just went for the riffs.

Debut of the year: Extremity - Extremely Fucking Dead - really wish I had discovered this earlier, it might have beat Phrenelith or Immolation. nasty fucking Bay Area death the way it's meant to be. Better than the Necrot album IMO.

Notes i'd like to make: I'm shocked that Portrait album did as well as it did. Could not get into it at all, "Martyrs" was the only song I could really dig.

RIP for Thy Art is Murder being relegated to the Rando corner (understandable in this crowd) and for Venomous Maximus just barely making it to a solid last place on the list proper. Was supposed to see them play with Pallbearer in Oakland but they dropped sadly.

I also really enjoyed Woe - Hope Attrition. Could have made my list if it simply hadn't slipped my mind.

Here's mine, I think this is honestly the most metal I've heard in a year since 2013 or something lol.

1. Yellow Eyes - Immersion Trench Reverie
2. Power Trip - Nightmare Logic
3. Elder - Reflections of a Floating World
4. Amenra - Mass VI
5. Spectral Voice - Eroded Corridors of Unbeing
6. Blaze of Perdition - Conscious Darkness
7. Aosoth - V: The Inside Scriptures
8. The Body / Full of Hell - Ascending a Mountain of Heavy Light
9. Lorn - Arrayed Claws
10. Hell - Hell

Honourable mentions:

Kauan - Kaiho (honestly, this one would have probably been a contender for #1 for me had I really gotten into it sooner, always end up sleeping on these guys. Love that they've finally just gone full post-rock and dropped the metal altogether)
All Pigs Must Die - Hostage Animal
Wiegedood - De Doden Hebben Het Goed II
Dumal - The Lesser God
Jute Gyte - Oviri

Oh and that Skáphe EP from March was hella good too.

Quality year yoooooo.



This guy is still on about Nortt, get tf over it dude.

Agree with this. If I had voted, I would have had this album in my top 3. Terrific album from start to finish.

Endeligt could have won album of the year if you had given it more time! WE JUST CAN'T NORTT!!

Never heard 99% of the albums posted here. Only Kreator rings a marked bell. I'm familiar with Labyrinth's quality but not my bag.

Out of the 222 albums in the list, I only managed to listen to 73 of them.

I was one of two people who placed Urn, Darkest Hour, and Extremity in my top 10.

Out of the random one-off albums, I only listened to 22 of them.

I had the exact same #1 (not surprising) and #6-7, which is kinda funny. My favorite debut (The Ominous Circle) placed 8th.

Here's my list:

1. Power Trip
2. The Ominous Circle
3. Extremity
4. Necrot
5. Artificial Brain
6. Bell Witch
7. Elder
8. Hellripper
9. Darkest Hour
10. Urn

What a crazy good year.

BastardHead, I think there was a mistake as I voted for Wrathblade as my 9th place vote.


“Bring The Magik Down” Riddlemaster would have been my 5th place vote but its still in pending status so I couldn't vote for it.

So the top 10 I voted for was:
1. “Behind the Demon's Eyes” Hellwell (RANDO CORNER, really? that's shocking. Did people forget about this?)
2. “Undulating Waves of Rainbiotic Iridescence” (152. deserves better placement.)
3. “Midnight Rider” Metalian (73.)
4. “The Guillotine” Vulture (39.)
5. “Dawn Of Genesis” Legionnaire (151.)
6. “Something Wicked This Way Comes” Thunderstick (RANDO CORNER)
7. “Motherless” Trial(Swe) (RANDO CORNER, thought this would at least place on the bottom half.)
8. “When Colors Fade Away” Blackfinger (RANDO CORNER)
9.“God of the Deep Unleashed” Wrathblade (Appears as 4th in RANDO CORNER?)
10. “No Warning” Venomous Maximus (222. Only managed to escape RANDO CORNER because I couldn't vote for Riddlemaster.)

Debut of the year: “The Guillotine” Vulture (3.)

My full list on my blog:
https://perspectiveofsword.blogspot.com/2017/12/2017-best-albums-end-of-year-list.html

Ah damn, you're right, I'll update it now. There were quite a few albums (The Great Old Ones, Red Moon Architect, and Air Raid off the top of my head) that I had accidentally put on the list twice because I had somehow missed that it was already on the list. I thought I caught all of them but it looks like at least one slipped through the cracks. Wrathblade is on its way to the main list now. Sorry!

1. Pyrrhon - What Passes For Survival
2. Svart Crown - Abreaction
3. Caligula's Horse - In Contact
4. The Flight Of Sleipnir - Skadi
5. Ulvedharr - Total War
6. Drug Honkey - Cloak Of Skies
7. Warbringer - Woe To The Vanquished
8. Archspire - Relentless Mutation
9. Power Trip - Nightmare Logic
10. Madrost - The Essence Of Time Matches No Flesh

I'd have put Converge in 4th place if they were on the Archives, though. A fair balance. One in Top 10, three in the Rando corner and the rest I'm not alone in. I would have expected more votes for Pyrrhon, but that's probably just me. Surprised someone else voted for Ulvedharr and Drug Honkey, too.

And here's my top 10:

1 The Ruins Of Beverast - Exuvia
I've like pretty much everything Meilenwald's been involved in, but even so, this was much more impressive than even I was expecting. I love how genuinely unique this sounds, while somehow not straying from the TRoB sound. Massive, trance-inducing riffs, fantastic mix of black, death and doom metal, great Native American shamanistic atmosphere from time to time without being hokey. Just great all around.

2 Venenum - Trance Of Death

One of those great "old-school" death metal bands who don't sound "old" if that makes any sense. Some nice prog influences elegantly sneak into here, but on the whole this is some absurdly solid death metal.

3 Wampyrinacht - We Will Be Watching​ - Le Cultes De Satan Et Les Mysteres De La Mort

A literally long lost classic Greek black metal album. The fact that this manages to sound progressive and daring right now, makes me wonder what titanic waves this could have made had it been released 2 decades ago like it was supposed to. Very intriguing mix between that warm, mediterranean black metal style and good, old trad and thrash metal. Too bad that the production is a bit too abrasive for its own good, but other than that, this slays.

4 Tchornobog - Tchornobog

I'm having a tough time exactly pinning down which death metal sub-genres apply to this. It does a bit of everything, along with a dose of black and doom metal, but it all sounds so organic and natural together. Ginormous cosmic, cavernous, astral, hellish riffs.

5 Cradle Of Filth - Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay

Cradle of Filth was the band which got me into more extreme metal with Cruelty, so when Hammer of the Witches came out and slayed, it brought the biggest grin on my face. Well, they didn't just equal that album, they freaking surpassed it. Hammer-horror black-heavy metal and I love every second of it.

6 Nokturnal Mortum - Verity

Not quite as mindblowing as the previous album, but I still really dig the crap out of the tasteful folk black metal here. This sounds surprisingly close to Twilightfall in spirit to my mind.

7 Evilfeast - Elegies Of The Stellar Wind

Wintry keyboard black metal is basically my comfort food at this point. Which means I'm not quite as massively impressed as I could have been had I not listened to so many albums in this vein, but regardless, this is still some solid wintry synth and black metal.

8 Septicflesh - Codex Omega

Like many fans of this band, Septic Flesh hadn't really blown my socks off with their last couple releases (though I do still like the Great Mass), but Codex Omega makes up for a lot. Some pretty great songwriting, and a bigger emphasis on actual guitar-playing and a more tasteful use of the orchestra corrects a lot of issues I had with Titan. It's not quite the heights they reached on Sumerian Daemons, but they're certainly back in my good esteem.

9 Cult Of Eibon - Lycan Twilight Sorcery

Just some good, solid classic Greek black metal. Basically a modern continuation of Thy Mighty Contract and His Majesty at the Swamp. It's worship, but it's pretty damn on point.

10 Blut Aus Nord - Deus Salutis Meæ

BaN does a black metal Streetcleaner. I just love the sheer sound of this, the grimy industrial guitars, the booming bass, the sick drum-beat and the fucked up synths and ambience. The only problem I have, is that Vindsval seems to hold back too much here. It could have been longer, bigger, more screwed up. Still cool to put on, but it doesn't stick around in my memory nearly as much as "black metal Godflesh" should suggest.


And the debut of the year, probably no surprise : Venenum - Trance Of Death

Thanks, BastardHead!

Here's my list:
01) (2017) Nokturnal Mortum - Verity: Position 8 with 2-2-2-1-1-2-1-0-0-0 = 160pts.
02) (2017) Ulver - The Assassination of Julius Caesar: Position 37 with 1-1-0-1-0-1-0-1-0-0 = 67pts.
03) (2017) Wolves in the Throne Room - Thrice Woven: Position 32 with 0-3-0-0-2-0-0-1-0-2 = 80pts.
04) (2017) Enslaved - E: Position 20 with 0-1-3-1-1-1-2-0-0-2 = 107pts.
05) (2017) Blut Aus Nord - Deus Salutis Meae: Position 106 with 0-0-1-1-0-0-0-0-0-1 = 28pts.
06) (2017) Tchornobog - Tchornobog: Position 12 with 2-1-1-2-2-2-1-0-1-0 = 151pts.
07) (2017) Cradle Of Filth - Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay: Position 22 with 2-0-1-0-3-1-0-0-0-0 = 103pts.
08) (2017) Evilfeast - Elegies of the Stellar Wind: Position 28 with 1-1-1-1-0-0-2-1-0-0 = 86pts.
09) (2017) Memoriam - For The Fallen: Position 221 with 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1 = 3pts.
10) (2017) Morbid Angel - Kingdoms Disdained: Position 83 with 0-1-0-0-1-0-1-0-0-3 = 37pts.

Pretty weak year, in my opinion. As I stated before, the good part was, in most cases, bands releasing NEW albums.

Not GOOD ones.

P.S: Time to check what did I miss!

Another year where not a single one of my favorite albums makes the top 223. I guess I really either like albums not favored by others or albums that not many have listened to.

My top 10


1.Imperceptum-The Eternal Path to Nothingness

2.Laochra-Home and Heart(Best Debut)

3.Gratzug / Kalmankantaja Split-https://kalmankantaja.bandcamp.com/album/gratzug-kalmankantaja-split

4.Worthless Life-Conscious in Coma

5.Ermengrond-Wijdse Grond

6.Insatiable Ouroboros-No One Ever Wins

7.Mountains Crave-As We Were When We Were Not

8.La Torture des ténèbres-IV: Memoirs of a Machine Girl

9.Kilta-Harmaa satama

10.Sickle of Dust-Between the Worlds

Here is my top 10.

1. Bell Witch - Mirror Reaper
By and large the funeral doom release of the year. There were several good ones, but this one really hits a unique atmosphere. It is haunting and vividly atmospheric. The vocals echo through desolate surreal plains. I am glad to see this crack the top 10.

2. Pallbearer - Heartless
They almost made it to the top 10. Curse that dang Dying Fetus for being so damn good with death metal. I was very close to putting this at number 1 instead of Bell Witch. Heartless is an album that I listened to at one of the darkest moments in the year. I will leave the gritty details out, but this album actually fills me with sorrow. Doom metal that can do that successfully is rare.

3. Mindmaze - Resolve
These are friends of mine and I think they put out incredible music with each album. I may be a wee bit biased.

4. Incantation - Profane Nexus
Incantation is my favorite death metal band, so this album got a lot more spins than other death metal releases of the year. Hell, I haven't even heard the Cannibal Corpse album.

5. Wolves in the Throne Room - Thrice Woven
This album would have been ranked higher except there were four albums that were better and so this is number 5. But, Wolves in the Throne Room is one of my favorite bands.

6. The Black Dahlia Murder - Nightbringers
I like these guys.

7. Procession - Doom Decimation
I like doom.

8. Cold Insight - Further Nowhere
This album was highly anticipated and it did not disappoint!

9. Origin - Unparalleled Universe
Played this a lot after seeing Origin play live this past summer.

10. Fen - Winter
I love Fen, I hate Winter, but I also had to pick between this and Wrong One To Fuck With and I figured Fen deserved a spot in my list.

Agreed. Such an overlooked gem.

So little love for Acrimonious.

My list was:

1.Elder- Reflections Of A Floating World
2.Morbid Angel-Kingdoms Disdained
3.Power Trip- Nightmare Logic
4.Vulture- The Guillotine
5.Through The Eyes Of The Dead- Disomus
6.Mastodon-Cold Dark Place EP
7.Spaceslug- Time Travel Dilemma
8.Void Cruiser- Wayfarer
9.Hideous Divinity- Adveniens
10.Enslaved-E

Good to see tee a lot of them up there.

Starting my yearly "check out albums I saw while doing this poll that intrigued me" thing and I've gotta say this Venenum record fucking smashes. Excellent call, everybody who voted for them.

^ Hell yeah. Fucking awesome album. Venenum landed high on my list and got my vote for debut of the year.

I'll be offering my thoughts, list and year-end wrap up as soon as I finish ironing out the kinks. But of course, I have to say thank you BastardHead for putting in all the work. That's a ton of albums to sort through.

Also, not surprised by Power Trip taking the top spot. Wasn't on my list but it seemed to be a real crowd pleaser basically everywhere. I am surprised by Malokarpatan cracking the list though. They deserve it, that album is a lot of fun.

here's mine:

1. shaarimoth - temple of the adversarial fire
2. venenum - trance of death
3. immolation - atonement
4. undergang - misantropologi
5. artificial brain - infrared horizon
6. inconcessus lux lucis - the crowning quietus
7. temple of void - lords of death
8. porky vagina - astroschwein
9. bestia arcana - holókauston
10. aosoth - v: the inside scriptures

i'm really surprised that bestia arcana ended up in rando - seems like a style that's quite popular around here; certainly not surprised that i was the only one to have voted for porky vagina

power trip probably would have made my top 15 or so, certainly a top 20 - some others that didn't quite make it include: lo-ruhamah, necrot, craven idol, cannabis corpse, lunar shadow, satan's hollow, barathrum

Congrats! And great thread, i already found some really good albums.. as i predicted too much stuff always flies under my radar

Glad to see Nokturnal Mortum high, it's album i'm sure to spin a lot in the years to come.. i don't wanna know how much work they put into the arrangements, but it shows

Also Antichrist scoring 15th is nice! It's not my usual cup of tea and ended mid in my list, but when i'm in the mood i think it has little to envy to a good number if thrash classics

I'm a bit sad to see Samael so down below, their album is basically a Passage 2.0.. but a damn good one

Overall: lots of highly enjoyable and above average albums, but only a handful of stuff that i'm sure i will listen in the next years.. kinda like the last year, but a bit better

I thought so, too, but there were a shitload of albums to choose from so it may have flown under many people's radar. Holokauston is a pretty great album, so it should be discovered.