Article By: Leanne Ridgeway
Santiago Gutierrez just joined us as a writer here at Riff Relevant. He made it just in time for our first Year End. He dove right into deep water with his list, too.
Santiago came into the fold with experience as a heavy music reviewer and is a rather prolific listener. This is an amazing list.
RiffRelevant.com now presents Santiago’s Favorites of 2017! He chose a selection of nearly 125 releases from this year! While there are links to stream each band and/or release name, we didn’t embed a stream for each in this article, as that might set my editing brain on fire.
He put a lot of thought and care to share such a comprehensive list and give recognition to many bands. See his list below and check out these releases! – Leanne
2017 has been quite a year for music. Like 2016, this year was filled with a plethora of music releases from a wide spectrum of genres. Doom, death, black, progressive, thrash, traditional metal, etc., it was all represented well.
At times, I discover something I may have missed among the many lists that are posted. I hope some of you may find something that may have flown under your radar among these entries. The list is long, so let’s get on with it shall we:
Best of 2017 (Alphabetical order because there is no way I am attempting a rank.)
- Alunah – Solennial
- Anathema – The Optimist
- Arduini / Balich – Dawn of Ages
- Argus – From Fields of Fire
- Artificial Brain – Infrared Horizon
- Attic – Sanctimonious
- Au Champ des Morts – Dans la Joie
- Avatarium – Hurricanes and Halos
- Bathsheba – Servus
- Bell Witch – Mirror Reaper
- Below – Upon a Pale Horse
- Bestia Arcana – Holókauston
- Blackfinger – When Colors Fade Away
- Blut Aus Nord – Deus Salutis Meæ
- Boris – Dear
- Bretus – From the Twilight Zone
- Brume – Rooster
- Caligula’s Horse – In Contact
- Cardinals Folly – Deranged Pagan Sons
- Caskets Open – Follow Nothing
- Clouds Taste Satanic – The Glitter of Infinite Hell
- Coltsblood – Ascending into Shimmering Darkness
- Condenados – The Tree of Death
- Cormorant – Diaspora
- Craven Idol – The Shackles of Mammon
- Dark Matter – Wood Lane
- Dead Kosmonaut – Expect Nothing
- Demon Head – Thunder on the Fields
- Desolate Shrine – Deliverance from the Godless Void
- Destroyer of Light – Chamber of Horrors
- Doomsday Kingdom – Doomsday Kingdom
- Dread Sovereign – For Doom the Bell Tolls
- Dumal – The Lesser God
- Dynfari – The Four Doors of the Mind
- Dzӧ-nga – The Sachem’s Tales
- Elder – Reflections of a Floating World
- Elliott’s Keep – Lacrimae Mundi
- Enslaved – E
- Eruption – Cloaks of Oblivion
- Farsot – Fail-Lure
- Fellwarden – Oathbreaker
- Fleurety – The White Death
- Flight of Sleipnir – Skadi
- Foreseen – Grave Danger
- Forsaken – Pentateuch
- Ghâsh – Goat
- Hallatar – No Stars Upon the Bridge
- Havukruunu – Kelle Surut Soi
- Hela – Death May Die
- Hellwell – Behind the Demon’s Eyes
- Hooded Priest – The Hour be None
- Horrified – Allure of the Fallen
- Howling Void – Darkness at the Edge of Dawn
- Isenordal – Shores of Mourning
- Ivan – Strewn Across Stars
- Lacrymae Rerum – The Flies
- Legionem – Ipse Venena Bibas
- Loss – Horizonless
- Lucifer’s Chalice – The Pact
- Lӧr – In Forgotten Sleep
- Lord Vigo – Blackborne Souls
- Lunar Shadow – Far from Light
- Mangog – Mangog Awakens
- Manilla Road – To Kill a King
- Marche Funebre – Into the Arms of Darkness
- Mastodon – Emperor of Sand
- Mausoleum Gate – Into a Dark Divinity
- Molasses Barge – Molasses Barge / Covered in Molasses
- Monolith Cult – Gospel of Despair
- Night Demon – Darkness Remains
- Nokturnal Mortem – Verity
- Novembers Doom – Hamartia
- Old Night – Pale Cold Irrelevance
- Pagan Altar – Room of Shadows
- Pallbearer – Heartless
- Paradise Lost – Medusa
- Phrenelith – Desolate Endscape
- Pillorian – Obsidian Arc
- Portrait – Burn the World
- Possession – Exorkizein
- Procession – Doom Decimation
- Professor Emeritus – Take Me to the Gallows
- Profundum – Come, Holy Death
- Purple Hill Witch – Celestial Cemetery
- Rituals of the Oak – Mark III
- Ruined – Descent into Oblivion
- Ruins of Beverast – Exuvia
- Slow – V-Oceans
- Solstafir – Berdreyminn
- Sorcerer – The Crowning of the Fire King
- Sortilegia – Sulphurous Temple
- Spectral Voice – Eroded Corridors of Unbeing
- Spirit Adrift – Curse the Conception
- Spiritual Void – White Mountain
- Sun of the Sleepless – To the Elements
- Taberah – Sinner’s Lament
- Talsur – Slough of Despond
- Tau Cross – Pillar of Fire
- Tchornobog – Tchornobog
- Temple of Void – Lord of Death
- The Evil – The Evil
- Towards – I
- Vallenfyre – Fear Those Who Fear Him
- Vin de Mia Trix – Palimpsests
- With the Dead – Love from With the Dead
- Witherfall – Nocturnes and Requiems
- Wolves in the Throne Room – Thrice Woven
- Xanthochroid – Of Erthe and Axen (Act I & Act II)
Best of 2017 (EP)
- Benthic Realm – Benthic Realm
- Cromlech – Iron Guard
- Cruciamentum – Paradise Envenomed
- Dymna Lotva – Палын
- Evil Spirit – Imageless Mirror
- Fvneral Fvkk – Lecherous Liturgies
- Malefic House – Tetramorph
- Vendel – Vendel
Top 2 Demos of 2017
Top 3 Splits of 2017
- Drudkh / Paysage d’Hiver – ДЕСЬ БЛУКАЄ ЖУРБА (SOMEWHERE SADNESS WANDERS) / SCHNEE (IV)
- Hands of Orlac / Wandering Midget – split
- Temple / Acolytes of Moros – Strength for a New Dawn / The Bitter Wind
Many thanks to Santiago for sharing his favorites for the year, as well for all his contributions to Riff Relevant. – Leanne
