#40 - Top of 2017

Samael - Hegemony  (Napalm Records)


Samael are giants in their own right, with very influential black metal albums in the beginning of their career, transitioning into an atmospheric/industrial/gothic vibe later on, and producing one of the best albums of that genre, "Passage". Many years have passed since then, with the band dabbling in many different genres, but keeping their essence true, while lyrically expanding into societal issues, from a socialist perspective. Their new album, Hegemony, swings the pendulum back into a more "heavy" sound compared with its 6 year old predecessor, and pays tribute to "Passage" by being by far the album more reminiscent of that sound since then. But that does not mean that the band compromises or simply imitate itself; rather it can be seen as an introspective step backwards to move forward for Samael. Best tracks out of the album include the almost operatic "Red Planet" and bass-heavy "This World", as well as "hit" song "Black Supremacy", which generated some controversy when released.  Overall, a solid listen from a band that here, did not re-invent the wheel, but rather went back to its roots, to reclaim all elements defining it.

91/100


Below is the music video for "Black Supremacy".

#41 - Top of 2017

Vulture Industries - Stranger Times (Season of Mist)

The top albums of 2017 open with yet another excellent album from the Norwegian avant-garde scene. Here, in their 4th album, Vulture Industries evolve from their previous endeavour (2013's The Tower), which while also superb, bore many similarities to Arcturus. Here, the band makes their sound even more distinct from the rest of the scene, borrowing influences from other great bands of the genre (like D.S.O. and Ghost) and producing an end result that establishes the band as one of the most important of the avant-garde scene this decade.
This time the Vultures experiment, moving away from the style of the previous albums and reducing their speed,  focusing on the theatricality of the tracks. In Stranger Times, the Norwegians create nine compositions with quite a variety,  passing through doom trails, escaping from the "typical" avant-garde metal framework. Good examples of this direction of the album include "As The World Burns", "Strangers" and "Something Vile".  The former ("As The World Burns") is a rock opera where Bjørnar's vocals dominate throughout, leaving  you with a heavy metal aftertaste. "Strangers"incorporates a trumpet track, which provides a perfect showcase of the band's evolution.
 Finally, "Something Vile" with its doomy riff and surrealist video brings to mind the late Woods Of Ypres and creates a dark an uneasy atmosphere. Recommended release for all fans of the scene.


90/100

Below are the music videos for "Strangers" and "Something Vile".

Top 41 Albums of 2017

The blog returns with a vengeance as we will soon start to be counting down the top 41 metal and prog releases of 2017.

Stay tuned for more top albums to come in the future!