What is missing in my TOP 50 metal chart for 2017

So many bands, genres, sub-genres and new albums in 2017. It is impossible to give a listen to everything. I tried to use December to catch up with some of those albums and bands in order to have better impression and to know what's all about.
My TOP 50 with metal albums for 2017 was originally compiled by 1 December and obviously there are some missing albums. Some of the albums simply couldn't top there (not that they are bad, but not enough good for me personally), others regretfully were missed out due to my lack of enough close experience with them. I'm going to outline here few of these gems and why they didn't make it into the chart.

Memoriam - For the fallen

Obviously my biggest miss. When I heard the album in spring time, I wasn't that impressed. However in NovemberI returned to it and slowly but steadily it began gaining speed and power. By the first week of December it was already among my top 5 favourite albums of the year! Unfortunately already too late for my chart...
Every song in the album crushes everything on its way. Very powerful, heavy as enormous rock, this album is an absolute death metal gem from the present. I wished it contained couple more songs, but that's fine. Over the past month, For the fallen has been on constant repeat in my audio system.


The Ruins of Beverast - Exuvia

I definitely needed much more time with this album. I listened to it from time to time, but it wasn't steadily. At the end, I just missed it out to put it in my chart.
The album requires specific mood for me to listen. Wintertime definitely is more appropriate in comparison to the sunny spring-summer time when I heard it for the first time. Chants, black, doom and hallucinating visions. The album transcends into a separate reality.




Loss - Horizonless

I can say absolutely the same about Loss' Horizonless album as for Ruins of Beverast. Very similar situation with both bands and albums for me in 2017.
This album is so desperate, that I need winter dark and falling snow to drown in.







Urn - The burning

Excellent return by the band. Yes, the album provides the well-known status quo in the blackened thrash, and in my opinion a controlled aggression. No unnecessary staggerings, but solid straight performance. Worth to listen. I feel very comfortable with this album.







Condor - Unstoppable power

Pure unleashed blackened thrash violence. Period.









Hellripper - Coagulating darkness

Obviously it has been the year of blackened thrash/speed sub-genre. Hellrippers' album is among the finest there. Galloping songs, great riffs (some even well-known) and...the album ends too quickly that it is necessary to be played over and over again in order to satisfy the hunger for more.

Bonus albums in the chart

When my chart was originally published in a simple list, there were two "bonus albums" and one withdrawn.

Bonus album 1: Stälker - Shadow of the sword.

Speed metal at full speed. This album is actually more vital than Vulture's Guillotine. Heavier. It is a good mixture between Evil Invaders' Feed me violence and Ranger's Speed and violence from 2016. Ok, and soaked from many classics from the 80s. I simply didn't spend enough time with it and now the shadow of the sword is over me.






Bonus album 2: Origin - Unparalled universe

This album contains so big quantity musical data inside (riffs, solos, blast beats, changing tempos...) that it is hard for my mind to process all of them!
This is a parallel universe in the technical brutal death metal. One of the albums to steam off with.

The biggest disappointment of the year. Withdraw.

This album went straight in my top 10 when it was released. I have been a big fan of the band since 2013 when I saw them live. 

Then in late summer happened all the accusations. Whatever it is true or false, I'm already disgusted and completely stopped listening to this band. It is how I feel it and I'm very much disappointed and sick of them.