Russell HughesWith their second album Wage War have produced the second best metalcore album of the year, only beaten by the incredibly While She Sleeps.
Deadweight is a phenomenon of the genre and songs like Stitch and Disdain only serve to put themselves up at the top of the tree going into 2017.
Party rock may have a bad name through acts like Kid Rock and The Blackout (towards the end of their career), but Eskimo Callboy are here to change that.
The Germans started off their career talking about the less serious aspects of life, but they’ve added a more serious string to their bow and are reaping the benefits.
The Scene is a wonderful albums that combines the hard excesses of their past with the subtle touches of their future.
Yorkshire metalcore giants While She Sleeps have produced the best metalcore album of the year with You Are We and produced a blueprint for other bands to follow.
The record took two years to make but the wait was well worth it. The album has catapulted them to the top of the log and now they need to make 2018 theirs.
IDLES are the angriest new band out there but it all has direction. It has meaning. It has purpose.
Lead by the energetic Joe Talbot, the British new-wave punks have a lot to say and you should definitely listen.
Armed with a unique sense of humour and enough rhythm to seep deep into your soul, Brutus is a 2017 must-listen.
Creeper – Eternity, In Your Arms
If IDLES are spearheading a new wave of punk, then Creeper are bringing in a goth revival in the best way possible.
With the music to appeal across generational and scene lines, Creeper bring forward a message of hope from the darkness.
From incredible backing vocals to spellbinding guitar, Eternity, In Your Arms is a beautiful piece of work.
Motionless In White – Graveyard Shift
Graveyard Shift followed in some serious footsteps but Motionless In White took the time to get it right – and boy, did it pay off.
The result is an organic, tumultuous twisting, turning thunderbastard of a modern metal record that will melt faces and hearts in equal measure.
After one listen, Hydrograd appears to be confused. It seems to lack direction. It seems to feature mediocrity punctured by excellent. All of those first instincts are wrong.
As you listen more and more to this wonderful album, the more it makes sense. The disjoints become joints. The confusion morphs into clarity. The album changes from bad to magnificent. Write it off at your peril.
Diet Cig – Swear I’m Good At This
This is a very different album to the ones that have already appeared on this list, but it’s here on merit.
Two-piece Diet Cig can turn on the charm or they can go on an acid laced sarc offensive – and that’s part of their attraction.
Swear I’m Good At This is an exciting debut album that hints at greater things to come from the new year.
From a band who has barely started to a band who has done it all. 36 Crazyfists delighted the world with their new album Lanterns and add to their substantial back catalogue.
Brock Lindow’s voice is as good as always and the album rests upon his ability to convey his message.
While Sleepsick is the best song on the album by miles, it’s backed up by a number of others – including Death Eater.
wars – We Are Islands, After All
Post hardcore monsters wars dropped their debut album We Are Islands, After All back in January and it was an absolute monster.
They make a whole mess of noise, but it’s intelligent. It serves a purpose and most importantly, it sounds good.
It also displays a surprisingly whimsical side to the group, who layer their sound with emotional honesty.