Best release of 2017 so far?

[dannemannen 69]

If you had to choose only 2 releases, and only the absolutely best ones, from 2017, which would you choose? 

 

Edited August 28, 2017 by dannemannen

[Bear 1817]

I haven't kept up with music at all this year and I haven't heard many Japanese albums. Only one I can think of is Evil. But my favourites as far as I can remember would be these:

 

Rude - Remnants...

Rude formed in 2008 and released their debut album Soul Recall in 2014, an album that happens to be one of the very best death metal albums post-1995. So my expectations were extremely high for their new album Remnants... This time around they sound a bit less Pestilence-esque than on their debut, but there's still many touches of classic bands like Pestilence, Death, Autopsy, Morbid Angel and Possessed in their sound. It sounds old school and familiar, but at the same time they've really found their own sound with this album and added a few new twists. Superb album! Not sure if it's better than Soul Recall, but it's amazing nonetheless.

 

Black Magick SS ‎– Kaleidoscope Dreams

Black Magic SS gives us another taste of their unique brand of occult psychedelic rock, and once again it's almost too catchy. By far their best piece of music till now, and I'm one of those who couldn't stop praising any of their other releases. This band is as good as they are unique.
 

Quote

 

Drift away into the night of

everything that you will need

Drift away into Kaleidoscope Dreams

 

 

Wampyrinacht - We Will Be Watching. Les cultes de Satan et les mystères de la mort

I'm a huge fan of the 90's Hellenic black metal scene, and whenever a band comes along and release something that sound like it was written and released in 1993-94 alongside classic albums like Thy Mighty Contract, Crossing the Fiery Path, His Majesty at the Swamp and Eumenides I'm just totally into it. Now Wampyrinacht isn't a new band at all. They formed in 1995, but since them they only released a demo in 96 and an EP in 1998, and this album was actually written between 95-99 and recorded between 00-02. So it's not a new band at all, and not a new album in that sense. Riff-wise there's a lot of classic Hellenic black metal riffing similar to old Rotting Christ, Varathron and Necromantia, as well as nailing the atmosphere of those times. But it's not just rehashing or anything. It's new and it's unique, and most importantly it's absolutely brilliant.

 

 

 

My three picks of the year I think.

[Peace Heavy mk II 7200]

Look waht you made m3 do - Taylr Swift

[Mihenno 4195]

Too hard to only pick 2. So I'll break the rules and pick 6.

 

甘い暴力 - 名前がない

GAMEOVER - continue

Initial'L - FIREFLY

ルクス - LOVELESS

Sioux - Last scene

-真天地開闢集団-ジグザグ - 『メンヘラ』はじめました

[Lestat 2167]

I can't merely choose two! This year has been full of great releases already, although not so much on the Japanese scale. Internationally however... what a blast. I'll be sneaky here and choose two international releases and two Japanese releases, hah.

 

International; 

 

 

"Tchornobog" by Tchornobog.

— I can barely even describe this album. It is an infinitesimal blackened death metal journey through a bleak science-fictional world, composed by merely one man with a fantastic mind full of otherworldly and otherplanetary ideas. Four gigantic tracks that cover a vile and unknown landscape of metaphorical events and sensory overload. I cannot call this anything but absolutely brilliant.

 

 

"Terrestrial Mutations" by Droid.

— Where Vektor left many of us feeling with quite empty void inside of ourselves, Droid appear with their second release and it's everything a thrash metal fanatic could ever hope for (although not with blackened influences, but a great deal of significant progressive effects). It's classic, fresh and timeless all at once in both its musical, technical as well as its lyrical contents. I will be listening to this for many years to come.

 

Japanese;

 

 

"Death Is A Flower" by Creature Creature.

— Every little spawn of Morrie is wonderful, with "Death Is A Flower" being of course no exception. It feels rather dark and eerie, and emotionally encumbered as is always the case with this band, but perhaps the members have taken it up a notch. There are moments that feel quite panicky and distressed, primarily lead by cunning guitarwork that builds tension and startling moments at exactly the right time.

 

 

"13" by cali≠gari.

— This release is just as quirky and unconventional as you would expect from cali≠gari, but there is still a nice balance between their usual peculiarities as well as generally more friendly songs for everyone's ears, and both sides are very, very enjoyable and easy to listen to. Just imagine listening to this in a cloudy mob-and-maffia bar in the 1920's. Jazzy elements, horns and smart basslines aplenty! 

[Bear 1817]

Yeah, that Droid album is neat and very unique. I do have a hard time comparing it to Vektor, tho, because musically and stylisticly it's just way different. They do carry many of the same progressive elements, but it's really different at the end of the day.  They're as much speed metal as thrash, and they really do embrace their prog and space rock influences and braid it perfectly into the mix of speed and thrash metal. Spacey, progressive speed/thrash metal.

 

The last time I talked about them I said something along these lines: imagine Megadeth being heavily inspired by Voivod (87-89), Realm, Yes and Ash Ra Tempel instead of Metallica, or something along those lines.

 

 

Not sure I've heard Tchornobog. Will check it out for sure.

Edited August 29, 2017 by Bear

[hotcocoa 36]

sukekiyo's ADORATIO made a huge impression on me, I can't think of other releases from this year that had an effect of the same degree.

[JimHarper 28]

THere are several  J-rock albums I haven't heard yet, but the best ones I have heard are:

 

1. Vamps:  Underworld. Transitioned into an industrial rock band they sound pretty magnificent.  'BYOB' and 'Rise or Die' are both bloody fantastic.

2. D'erlanger: J'aime  la vie. An improvement over their last couple of albums this is pretty solid stuff, even if the album is barely 35 minutes long!

3. Granrodeo:  Pierrot Dancin'. Granrodeo are pretty consistent when it comes to albums and this one has everything you'd expect from a few few forgettable pop  numbers to some decent rock and metal tunes.

 

 

 

[NICKT 147]

Japanese only? Hm, not sure about favourites, but going through my music these stand out:

 

Beverly's Awesome.

The Birthday's NOMAD.

Bradio's Freedom.

Defspiral's To the Galaxy.

E - Girl's Love Queen.

Man With A Mission's Dead End in Tokyo.

Mariya Nishiuchi's Motion.

The Oral Cigarettes' Unofficial.

Pandora ft. Beverly's Be the One.

Perfume's If you wanna.

Polkadot Stingray's Dai Masayoshi.

Sever Black Paranoia's FLYING LEAP.

Shonan no Kaze's Odore.

 

Edited January 21, 2018 by NICKT