The 40 best albums of 2017
Do you have any idea how many records are released in any given year? That’s OK, neither do we. We do know that there are thousands of records that come out every year, from manufactured pop stars to local church choirs, and all of them are hoping to get your attention. So through all the noise, here’s what stood out. Check out our favorite albums from 2017.
Watch the video below and/or scroll down to see the full list:
Read more: Our staff picks the 28 best songs of 2017
’68 – Two Parts Viper (Cooking Vinyl)
“Two Parts Viper broadens the vision with weird micro-moments of cut ’n’ paste, backward guitars, wax cylinder fidelity and Lord knows what else.” —Jason Pettigrew
AFI – AFI (The Blood Album) (Concord Records)
“Fans of the band’s older albums will be pleasantly surprised with AFI (The Blood Album). The record embodies AFI’s ubiquitous dark sensibilities while embracing their punk foundations.” —Gen Handley
All Time Low – Last Young Renegade (Fueled By Ramen)
“All Time Low proved that their penchant for catchy hooks and can't-help-but-sing-along choruses are as strong as ever on Last Young Renegade.” —Maggie Dickman
Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness – Zombies On Broadway (Vanguard Records)
“Not only does the album overflow with stick-in-your-head hooks, but it also boasts contemporary production, from sleek digital programming to airy synthesizers, to go along with more traditional band-based instrumentation.” —Annie Zaleski
Asking Alexandria – Asking Alexandria (Sumerian Records)
“Asking Alexandria should not be overlooked by longterm fans wishing for the old days to return—they might very well be pleasantly surprised.” —Taylor Markarian
At The Drive-In – in•ter a•li•a (Rise Records)
“In•ter a•li•a isn’t about capturing a zeitgeist as much as it is about jumpstarting some urgency in a rock scene that desperately needs more wild abandon and psychic plasma.” —Jason Pettigrew
August Burns Red – Phantom Anthem (Fearless Records)
“Sonically, there’s something incredibly otherworldy and fantastical rooted in Phantom Anthem, making the album translate like an epic poem rather than a collection of songs.” —Natasha Van Duser
Avenged Sevenfold – The Stage Deluxe Edition (Capitol Records)
“Straight up? Avenged Sevenfold’s new album is compelling because the SoCal quintet unashamedly continue to embrace their larger-than-life arena-rock ambitions, while genuflecting at the altars of the gods of hard rock and metal before them—on their own terms.” —Jason Pettigrew
Broadside – Paradise (Victory Records)
“Paradise takes a sandblaster to 2015's grittier Old Bones for a sunnier day. (Read: less shouting, more singing.)” —Brian Kraus
Can’t Swim – Fail You Again (Pure Noise Records)
“Fail You Again has to follow the surprise success of 2016's Death Deserves A Name, and it does so with its production gains and hooks for days. Bitter basement anthems have never sounded this sweet.” —Brian Kraus
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Code Orange – Forever (Roadrunner Records)
“This album is unexpected at every turn, so much so that one track can feel like it spans an entire lifetime. It’s unnerving, exhilarating and surprising, and after one listen, 'What the fuck just happened?' will be the only appropriate response.” —Taylor Markarian
Converge – The Dusk In Us (Epitaph Records)
“If the album title seems like a premonition, the stuff coming out of the speakers conveys the emotional context and sonic evacuation Converge have built their legend upon. As they have grown as musicians, writers and humans (with all the baggage that contains), the band still maintain their status as leaders.” —Jason Pettigrew
Counterparts – You're Not You Anymore (Pure Noise Records)
“When spinning this record for the first time, it somehow feels as if you’ve always known these songs intimately. Each is desperate to make a powerful human connection, and to Counterparts’ credit, all achieve their goal.” —Taylor Markarian
Creeper – Eternity, In Your Arms (Roadrunner Records)
“Eternity, In Your Arms could very easily be a musical score as much as it is a step forward for abrasive punk.” —Taylor Markarian
Enter Shikari – The Spark (Ambush Reality/PIAS Recordings)
“In a world experiencing political, cultural and social turmoil, Enter Shikari saw a light at the end of a very dark tunnel and grabbled with positivity and hope to create their latest record, The Spark. With Bowie-influenced vocals and electro-fused arrangements, The Spark exhibits both frustration and tenderness whilst simultaneously inviting you onto the dance floor.” —Chelsea Smile
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – Modern Ruin (International Death Cult)
“While on the surface its 12 tracks might seem less visceral than some of his previous work, they’re actually an incredibly powerful, important and thought-provoking glimpse of both his life and mind—and the state of the world at large.” —Mischa Pearlman
Glassjaw – Material Control (Century Media)
“Fifteen years after the release of their last-full-length LP, Daryl Palumbo and Justin Beck return to move the walls of post-hardcore to create new spaces to both ruminate and detonate in. Hear what they're building.” —Jason Pettigrew
Grayscale – Adornment (Fearless Records)
“Grayscale honed in on what worked on past releases—raw storytelling and hooks—while fine-tuning their musicianship and introducing new tactics. The band nail everything from the infectious get-out-of-this-town dynamic to the lovelorn.” —Rachel Campbell
Hundredth – RARE (Hopeless Records)
“No more yelling, tough guy. With RARE, Hundredth proved they could shed their fear, create a drastic departure—a hazy coo instead of a walled-in squall—and end up being a better band. It's up to you to decide if the braid they tied was worth the fray. And that's OK! Because you can always put on something you've heard before.” —Philip Trapp
Julien Baker – Turn Out The Lights (Matador Records)
“There’s an elegance to Julien Baker's music that wasn’t there before—a sudden bright piano riff over deep guitar; a harrowing, shouted a capella—that feels like a coming of age.” —Kika Chatterjee
K.Flay – Every Where Is Some Where (Interscope Records)
“Every Where Is Some Where is a suitably expansive title for an album that refines her blend of pop tunefulness, hip-hop cadence and alt-rock attitude into its most potent brew yet. The unifying force is the lyrics, which rage against the dying of the light with a fierceness that’s easy to love, no matter your views.” —Dan LeRoy
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE: KNUCKLE PUCK, LANY, LIGHTS, LIL PEEP AND MORE