By , , and Features, Staff Picks, Staff Playlists April 5, 2017

A new year, more new (in) metal: 2017, part 1

While much of modern civilization seems to be imploding (or, perhaps, some destructiveness is becoming harder to not see), metal continues to evoke, chronicle, critique, ignore, and sometimes contribute to the chaos.

Winter chaos: The Deluge by John Martin. 1828.

There’s too much going on in metal these days to leave all our ‘best of’ and year-in-review lists to the end of the year. Here is a sketch, from a few Hellbounders, of the opening months of 2017 in metal terms.

2017 in metal (so far)

Adrien Begrand

Top Five:

1. Pallbearer, Heartless

2. Power Trip, Nightmare Logic

3. Mastodon, Emperor of Sand

4. Kreator, Gods of Violence

5. Midnight, Shox of Violence

Bottom Five:

5. The supposed end of Black Sabbath.
4. Antifa and the alt-right ruining the fun of heavy metal.
3. The death of Gabriel “Negru” Mafa.
2. Writers letting personal politics get in the way of entertainment journalism.
1. The loathsome Daniel Maraat of “Death Metal Underground”.

Danielle Griscti

Withered, Immortal Bird, Vile Creature, and Klarg – February 29, 2017 at Coalition T.O (event page). Solid back to back badassery.

Fen, Winter. So far Winter is sounding solid,

Oranssi Pazuzu: Kosmonument, Farmokologinen, and Muukalainen Puhuu. I can’t stop with the Oranssi Pazuzu re-releases.

Craven Idol, Shackles of Mammon. It was a blind pick and I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

St. Paddy’s Day Doom w/Völur, Gates, Pale Mare, and Dawn of Tyrants – Friday, March 17 at Coalition: T.O (event page). I snapped a few photos that are so dreamy it almost hurts to look at them.

Laura Wiebe

Anathema, “Springfield”

Longhouse, “No Name, No Marker” – a track written to raise greater awareness to the history of the Indian Residential School system in Canada

Fundraising for a good cause (this one is actually looking ahead, but the gigs were announced in the first quarter of the year):

Thursday, April 7 – Varga Breakfast Club Bash at Burlington Central High School (event page) to raise funds for the Breakfast Club program

Friday, April 21 – The Rab Bash at Coalition T.O (event page), celebrating the too-short life of a Toronto metal legend and raising funds for North Toronto Cat Rescue

Folks stepping up and helping out when something shitty happens to other folks. Like when Immortal Bird had their van and gear stolen in Brooklyn but were quickly able to crowdfund enough support to keep the tour going. This is also a selfish pick, ’cause this meant Immortal Bird was able to make it to Toronto for their show with Vile Creature and the rest.

The main guitar lick and anti-racist message of Body Count, “No Lives Matter”…

Adam Wills

Amorphis, Swallow the Sun, and Vesperia – March 18, 2017 at the Opera House in Toronto (event page).

Pallbearer, Heartless

Mastodon, Emperor of Sand

Soen, Lykaia

Woe, Hope Attrition

Stay tuned for part 2, about another three months from now…

Laura is associate editor of Hellbound.ca and co-host of weekly metal show Kill Eat Exploit the Weak on CFMU 93.3 FM. She loves doom, prog, cats and basketball, believes in equity and social justice and is not cool with any form of discrimination, marginalization, harassment or oppression.

Contributor of photos and plenty of rambling - also on Instagram & Youtube @riffsdontlie

Adam has been a photographer for Hellbound since day 1 and also has a hand in the technical aspects of running the site.