Article By: David ‘Sunshine’ LaMay ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
David ‘Sunshine’ LaMay has been writing at Riff Relevant since soon after I launched this ship of mayhem. We unknowingly have been wandering the peripherals of the same music circles for longer than either of us probably realize… way-back machines are scary.
David is… well, Mister Sunshine. While being a life-long metal wizard, he also tends to listen to really off-the-cuff music you might not expect. In many instances, these defy categorization. He can run the gamut in his listening queues, but if he likes it, he definitely likes it. When he doesn’t like it there is no convincing him otherwise. Stubborn and cantankerous, like any standard wizard should be. As you can see here from his reviews here, his spectrum of listening hits all the music colors.
RiffRelevant.com now presents David ‘Sunshine’ LaMay’s Favorites of 2017! Dave chose a huge selection of releases from the year, and we also have an audio stream for the beginning titles, with links included for all titles. See his list and check out these bands! – Leanne
Well all, here it is – My favorites of 2017. I decided to give only the top two a fixed rank, as there was too much musical goodness to be had, as well as accounting for moods and such. I’ve little doubt that something has been forgotten, so forgiveness is asked in advance. I also chose to leave some items off, simply because I felt that not enough listening time was allotted to truly be fair.
With that said, I hope you enjoy my (lack of) musical taste for this past year.
My Number One Release Of 2017:
Galactic Cowboys – ‘Long Way Back To The Moon’
(Alternative / Progressive / Art Metal)
Once I heard GC’s return effort, the deal was immediately sealed. After 17 years away, the band is still every damn bit as quirky, melodic, and undeniably appealing as ever. Everything one could possibly hope for in a comeback offering, and maybe even a little bit more, is right here.
My Number Two Release Of 2017:
Shadow Witch- ‘Disciples Of The Crow‘
(70’s-Influenced Heavy Rock)
Well, Shadow Witch was determined to not make things easy on me. Yep, I tinkered with this possibly being the best of the year. ‘Disciples Of The Crow‘ is truly a classic, just waiting for time to bestow that status in a permanent matter. There is no weakness present in any facet, at least to these ears. All killer, no filler.
And now, in alphabetical order only, the best of the rest:
Acid Witch – ‘Evil Sound Screamers‘
(Scuzzy Horror Doom Metal)
Apollo Suns – ‘Each Day A Different Sun‘
(Horn-Driven Progressive Rock)
(Technical Death Metal)
(Old-School Death Metal)
Bretus – ‘…From The Twilight Zone‘
(Doom Metal)
(Technical / Brutal Death Metal )
Buckethead – ‘Pike‘ Series: Any 2017 Release
(Guitar Virtuoso / Avant Garde Metal)
Burning Shadows – ‘Truth In Legend’
(Heavy Power Metal)
Coffin Burner – ‘…What Creeps!’
(Horror Sludge Metal)
Come Back From The Dead – ‘Caro Data Vermibus‘
(Old-School Death Metal)
Cross Highest Trip – ‘Vision Without Execution Is Hallucination‘
(Psychedelic Heavy Stoner Rock)
Dawn Of Disease – ‘Ascension Gate’
(Technical Death Metal)
(Old-School Death Metal)
(Progressive/Death/Black/Power Metal)
Embrace The Dawn – ‘The Effigist’
(Progressive Death Metal)
(Horror/Death Metal)
Fondlecorpse – ‘Dark Contagion’
(Horror/Death Metal)
Forbidden Dimension – ‘It’s A Morbid, Morbid, World!’
(Ghoulish Garage/Punk Rock)
(Atmospheric Funeral Doom)
(Retro Heavy Rock)
Gunk – ‘Subhuman Cellular Mutation’
(Severe Grind/Loogiecore)
Haemorrhage – ‘We Are The Gore’
(Gore/Grind Metal)
Hideous Rebirth – ‘La Fosa Comun’
(Brutal Death Metal)
Human Nihility – ‘Biomass Adaptation’
(Brutal Death Metal)
(Retro Prog/Psych Rock)
(Thrash Metal)
(Old-School Death Metal)
(Traditional Metal)
Marginal – ‘Total Destruction’
(Grindcore/D-Beat)
(Traditional Metal)
(Doom Metal)
Mountaineer – ‘Volume I and II’
(Speed/Thrash Metal)
Night Demon – ‘Darkness Remains’
(Traditional Metal)
(Death Metal)
Paganizer – ‘Land Of Weeping Souls’
(Old School Death Metal)
(Industrial/Groove Metal)
(Speedy Doom Metal)
Reckless Manslaughter – ‘Onwards Into Darkness’
(Old-School Death Metal)
Red Beard Wall – ‘Red Beard Wall’
(Unhinged Minimalist Alternasludge/Doom Metal)
Repulsive – ‘The Flesh Domain’
(Melodic Death Metal)
(Melodic Old-School Death Metal)
(Progressive/Death/Black/Doom Metal)
(French(!) Old-School Death Metal)
Slug 13 – ‘Chasing A Prize Worth Nothing’
(Alternasludge Metal)
Soulskinner – ‘Descent To Abaddon’
(Old-School Death Metal)
(Traditional Metal)
Suppressive Fire – ‘Nature Of War’
(Thrash Metal)
(Progressive Death/Doom Metal)
(Doom Metal)
(Thrash Metal)
(Retro Heavy Rock)
Weedcraft – ‘Satan’s Heavy Spliffs’
(Instrumental Doom)
Wild Evel And The Trashbones – ‘Digging My Grave‘
(60’s Retro-Garage Rock)
Many thanks to David for sharing his favorites for the year, as well for all his contributions at Riff Relevant. – Leanne
