CROM Awards 2017: The World's Least Desired Awards...REVEALED
Happy Holidays! Continuing with a long standing personal tradition, but now translated through CROM, I present the winners of the First Annual CROM Awards.
It was another incredible year of heavy metal releases, but lets not beat around the bush here and get right to the winners.
No wait...no explanations...and no countdowns (ok...well, one countdown actually, but it OPTIONAL).
Here are the winners of the Overall Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, Live Performance of the Year (That I Witnessed) and the DVD/Blu-Ray of the Year:
TOP 150 ALBUMS OF 2017
RULE: NO EPs, live releases, singles qualify for Album of the Year
Now for those that enjoy a countdown reveal, I'll do an optional one here. This is a slideshow that DOES count down the Top 10 Albums of 2017:
Here is the Top 22 as an image:
Here is #11-20:
and here is 21-30:
....and the rest (31-150):
31. Anubis Gate – Covered in Black
32. Jack Starr’s Burning Star – Stand Your Ground
33. Pink Cream 69 – Headstrong
34. Helker – Firesoul
35. Hell in the Club – See You On The Dark Side
36. Mors Principium Est – Embers of a Dying World
37. Overkill – The Grinding Wheel
38. Rage – Seasons of the Black
39. Avatarium – Hurricanes and Halos
40. Xanthochroid – Of Earthe and Axen, Acts I & II
41. Need – Hegaiamas: A Song for Freedom
42. Paradise Lost – Medusa
43. Eluveitie – Evocation II – Pantheon
44. Serious Black – Magic
45. Nocturnal Rites – Phoenix
46. Vuur – In This Moment We Are Free - Cities
47. Moonspell – 1755
48. Cellar Darling – This is the Sound
49. Argus – From Fields of Fire
50. Seven Spires – Solveig
51. Jono – Life
52. Evertale – The Great Brotherwar
53. The Dark Element – The Dark Element
54. Communic – Where Echoes Gather
55. Venom Inc. – Ave
56. Ne Obliviscaris – Urn
57. Shakra – Snakes & Ladders
58. Arrayan Path – Dawn of Aquarius
59. Adagio – Life
60. Below – Upon a Pale Horse
61. H.E.A.T. – Into the Great Unknown
62. Septicflesh – Codex Omega
63. Enslaved – E
64. The Doomsday Kingdom – The Doomsday Kingdom
65. Arthemis – Blood-Fury-Domination
66. Kobra and the Lotus – Prevail I
67. Seven Kingdoms – Decennium
68. Almanac – Kingslayer
69. Poison Pill – Poison Pill
70. Alice Cooper – Paranormal
71. Diablo Swing Orchestra – Pacifisticuffs
72. Grave Digger – Healed By Metal
73. Steel Seal – The Lion’s Den
74. Gyze – Northern Hell Song
75. Bare Infinity – The Butterfly Raiser
76. The Ferrymen – The Ferrymen
77. Galneryus – Ultimate Sacrifice
78. Kee of Hearts – Kee of Hearts
79. Prospekt – The Illuminated Sky
80. Cardiant – Mirrors
81. Divinity Compromised – Terminal
82. Sons of Apollo – Psychotic Symphony
83. Panzer – Fatal Command
84. Alunah – Solennial
85. Aldaria – Land of Light
86. Burning Witches – Burning Witches
87. Burning Point – The Blaze
88. Victorius – Heart of the Phoenix
89. Voyager – Ghost Mile
90. Persefone – Aathma
91. F.K.U. – 1981
92. Air Raid – Across the Line
93. Astral Doors – Black Eyed Children
94. Ensiferum – Two Paths
95. Amberian Dawn - Darkness of Eternity
96. Europe – Walk the Earth
97. Gods of Silence – Neverland
98. Witchery – I Am Legion
99. Within Silence – Return from the Shadows
100. Jorn – Life on Death Road
101. Sweet & Lynch – Unified
102. Arduini/Balich – Dawn of Ages
103. Axxis – Retrolution
104. Soulspell – The Second Big Bang
105. Satyricon – Deep Calleth Upon Deep
106. Signum Regis – Decennium Primum
107. Cryonic Temple – Into the Glorious Battle
108. Eagleheart – Reverse
109. Phantom 5 – Play to Win
110. Pyogenesis – A Kingdom to Disappear
111. Walpyrgus – Walpyrgus Nights
112. Unleash the Archers – Apex
113. Lancer – Mastery
114. Obituary – Obituary
115. MindMaze - Resolve
116. Eternal Flight - Retrofuture
117. Kaledon – Carnagus – Emperor of the Darkness
118. Echotime – Side
119. Morbid Angel - Kingdoms Disdained
120. Wolfchant – Bloodwinter
121. Crystal Viper – Queen of the Witches
122. Damnations Day – A World Awakens
123. Dream Evil – SIX
124. Coffeinne – Circle of Time
125. Fogalord – Masters of War
126. Lovebites – Awakening from Abyss
127. Pallbearer – Heartless
128. Snakeyes – Metal Monster
129. Starsoup – Castles of Sand
130. Galderia – Return of the Cosmic Men
131. Brother Firetribe – Sunbound
132. Crafteon – Cosmic Reawakening
133. Bulletback – The Quest for New Horizons
134. Coldspell – A New World Arise
135. God Dethroned – The World Ablaze
136. Iris Divine – The Static and the Noise
137. Ten – Gothica
138. Evil Invaders – Feed Me Violence
139. Procession – Doom Decimation
140. Goatwhore – Vengeful Ascension
141. Witherfall – Nocturnes and Requiems
142. CyHra – Letters to Myself
143. Scars of Armaggedon – Dead End
144. Dyscarnate – With All Their Might
145. Vanish – The Insanity Abstract
146. Damnation Plan – Reality Illusion
147. Cellador – Off the Grid
148. Crimfall – Amain
149. Dragonhammer – Obscurity
150. Dr. Living Dead – Cosmic Conqueror
ALBUMS OF 2017 (BY SUBGENRE)
We took the Top 150 and did mini Top 15/Top 10 Lists for various subgenres. Now, before you get all up in arms and butthurt about who belongs in which subgenre, keep in mind that although this is just one silly opinion, if we divided them up into every machination of metal it would result in many more hours of work (and trust me, we already put WAY too much time into this)...
First, here are the winners in various subgenres:
And now the Lists:
Top 15 Thrash Metal:
1. Kreator – Gods of Violence
2. Overkill – The Grinding Wheel
3. Panzer – Fatal Command
4. Witchery – I Am Legion
5. Evil Invaders – Feed Me Violence
6. Goatwhore – Vengeful Ascension
7. Dr. Living Dead – Cosmic Conqueror
8. Havok - Conformicide
9. Game Over – Claiming Supremacy
10. Cripper – Follow Me: Kill!
11. Ice Age – Breaking the Ice
12. Exarsis – New War Order
13. Gross Reality – Escaping Gravity
14. Warpath – Bullets for a Desert Session
15. Annihilator – For the Demented
Top 15 Traditional/Classic Metal:
1. Jag Panzer – The Deviant Chord
2. Accept – The Rise of Chaos
3. Jack Starr’s Burning Starr – Stand Your Ground
4. Rage – Seasons of the Black
5. Venom Inc – Ave
6. Kobra and The Lotus – Prevail I
7. Poison Pill – Poison Pill
8. Grave Digger – Healed By Metal
9. Burning Witches – Burning Witches
10. Air Raid – Across the Line
11. Astral Doors – Black Eyed Children
12. Gods of Silence – Neverland
13. Jorn – Life on Death Road
14. Axxis – Retrolution
15. Walpyrgus – Walpyrgus Nights
Top 15 Doom Metal:
1. Sorcerer – The Crowning of the Fire King
2. Crimson Dawn – Chronicles of an Undead Hunter
3. Avatarium – Hurricanes and Halos
4. Paradise Lost – Medusa
5. Argus – From Fields of Fire
6. Below – Upon a Pale Horse
7. The Doomsday Kingdom – The Doomsday Kingdom
8. Alunah – Solennial
9. Arduini/Balich – Dawn of Ages
10. Pallbearer – Heartless
11. Procession – Doom Decimation
12. Novembers Doom - Hamartia
13. Forsaken - Pentateuch
14. Monolith Cult – Gospel of Despair
15. Ancient VVisdom - 33
Top 15 Death Metal (includes Melodic and Symphonic Death Metal):
1. Arch Enemy – Will to Power
2. Ex Deo – The Immortal Wars
3. Mors Principium Est – Embers of a Dying World
4. Paradise Lost – Medusa
5. Moonspell – 1755
6. Seven Spires – Solveig
7. Septicflesh – Codex Omega
8. Gyze – Northern Hell Song
9. Obituary – Obituary
10. Morbid Angel – Kingdoms Disdained
11. God Dethroned – The World Ablaze
12. Goatwhore – Vengeful Ascension
13. Dyscarnate – With All Their Might
14. Damnation Plan – Reality Illusion
15. Entrails – World Inferno
Top 10 Folk/Viking Metal (includes Folk/Power, Melodic Death/Viking, Pirate Metal):
1. Elvenking – Secrets of the Magick Grimoire
2. Alestorm – No Grave But the Sea
3. Vintersorg – Till Fjalls Del II
4. Eluveitie – Evocation II – Pantheon
5. Cellar Darling – This is the Sound
6. Ensiferum – Two Paths
7. Wolfchant – Bloodwinter
8. From North – From North
9. The Privateer – The Goldsteen Lay
10. Infinitas - Civitas Interitus
Top 15 Hard Rock:
1. The Night Flight Orchestra – Amber Galactic
2. Eclipse – Monumentum
3. Pink Cream 69 – Headstrong
4. Hell in the Club – See You on The Dark Side
5. Jono – Life
6. The Dark Element – The Dark Element
7. Shakra – Snakes & Ladders
8. H.E.A.T. – Into the Great Unknown
9. Alice Cooper – Paranormal
10. Kee of Hearts – Kee of Hearts
11. Sons of Apollo – Psychotic Symphony
12. Europe – Walk the Earth
13. Sweet & Lynch – Unified
14. Phantom 5 – Play to Win
15. Brother Firetribe – Sunbound
Top 15 Progressive Metal:
1. Threshold – Legends of the Shires
2. Pyramaze - Contingent
3. Ayreon – The Source
4. Labyrinth – Architecture of God
5. Daydream XI – The Circus of the Tattered and Torn
6. Secret Sphere – The Nature of Time
7. Anubis Gate – Covered in Black
8. Need – Hegaiamas: A Song for Freedom
9. Vuur – In This Moment We Are Free – Cities
10. Communic – Where Echoes Gather
11. Ne Obliviscaris – Urn
12. Adagio – Life
13. Diablo Swing Orchestra – Pacifisticuffs
14. Prospekt – The Illuminated Sky
15. Voyager – Ghost Mile
Top 15 Power Metal:
1. Orden Ogan – Gunmen
2. Battle Beast – Bringer of Pain
3. Bloodbound – War of Dragons
4. Beast in Black – Berserker
5. Power Quest – Sixth Dimension
6. Dark Avenger – The Beloved Bones: Hell
7. Firewind – Immortals
8. DragonForce – Reaching Into Infinity
9. Helker – Firesoul
10. Serious Black – Magic
11. Nocturnal Rites – Phoenix
12. Evertale – The Great Brotherwar
13. Arrayan Path – Dawn of Aquarius
14. Arthemis – Blood-Fury-Domination
15. Seven Kingdoms – Decennium
Top 15 Symphonic Metal:
1. Xandria – Theater of Dimensions
2. Serenity – Lionheart
3. Seven Spires – Solveig
4. The Dark Element – The Dark Element
5. Bare Infinity – The Butterfly Raiser
6. Aldaria – Land of Light
7. Amberian Dawn – Darkness of Eternity
8. Soulspell – The Second Big Bang
9. Exit Eden – Rhapsodies in Black
10. Edenbridge – The Great Momentum
11. Sleeping Romance - Alba
12. Angel Nation – Aeon
13. Aevum - Dischronia
14. Eternal Silence – Mastermind Tyranny
15. Akoma - Revangels
TOP 30 SONGS OF 2017
1. Kreator – Army of Storms
2. The Night Flight Orchestra – Domino
3. Threshold – The Man Who Saw Through Time
4. Sorcerer – Crimson Cross
5. Pyramaze – Heir Apparent
6. Jag Panzer – Black List
7. Battle Beast – Familiar Hell
8. Samael – Red Planet
9. Arch Enemy – The Race
10. Kreator – Hail to the Hordes
11. Orden Ogan – Ashen Rain
12. Labyrinth – Stardust and Ashes
13. Ayreon – The Day That the World Breaks Down
14. Cellar Darling – Black Moon
15. DragonForce – WAR!
16. Power Quest – Starlight City
17. Bloodbound – Tears of a Dragonheart
18. Xandria – Ship of Doom
19. Battle Beast – King for a Day
20. Alestorm – Treasure Island
21. Daydream XI – The Circus of the Tattered And Torn
22. Jono – The Magician
23. Elvenking – The Voynich Manuscript
24. Serenity – The Fortress (Of Blood and Sand)
25. Threshold – Stars and Satellites
26. Beast in Black – Zodd the Immortal
27. Ex Deo – Cato Major: Carthago Delenda Est!
28. Avatarium – The Sky at the Bottom of the Sea
29. Seven Spires – The Cabaret of Dreams
30. Crimson Dawn – Gaze of the Scarecrow
31. Sorcerer – Ship of Doom
32. Firewind – Ode to Leonidas
33. Diablo Swing Orchestra – Karma Bonfire
34. Alestorm – Fucked With an Anchor
35. Accept – Analog Man
TOP 15 NEWCOMERS OF 2017
RULE: "Newcomer" refers to a band that released its debut full-length album in 2017. I do not need an education about any band that "has been around a long time." The key is released material - so I care not about whether a band was around 30 years - if they never released a full length album until 2017...they are NEW.
1. Beast In Black
2. Vuur
3. Cellar Darling
4. Seven Spires
5. The Dark Element
6. The Doomsday Kingdom
7. Poison Pill
8. The Ferrymen
9. Kee of Hearts
10. Sons of Apollo
11. Aldaria
12. Burning Witches
13. Gods of Silence
14. Arduini/Balich
15. Walpyrgus
TOP 15 LIVE PERFORMANCES OF 2017
RULE: These are performances that I witnessed. There are many I wish I did...
1. Accept (Irving Plaza, NY, NY – September 26, 2017)
2. Angel Dust (ProgPower USA – Center Stage, Atlanta, GA – September 8, 2017)
3. Myrath (ProgPower USA – Center Stage, Atlanta, GA – September 8, 2017)
4. Power Quest (ProgPower USA – Center Stage, Atlanta GA – September 6, 2017)
5. Orden Ogan (70,000 Tons of Metal, Alhambra Th – Independence of the Seas – February 3, 2017)
5. Dynazty (ProgPower USA – Center Stage, Atlanta, GA - September 9, 2017)
6. Orphaned Land (ProgPower USA – Center Stage, Atlanta, GA – September 6, 2017)
7. Twilight Force (ProgPower USA – Center Stage, Atlanta, GA- September 7, 2017)
8. Arch Enemy (70,000 Tons of Metal, Pool Deck – Independence of The Seas – February 5, 2017)
9. Kalmah (70,000 Tons of Metal, Pool Deck – Independence of the Seas – February 5, 2017)
10. Snowy Shaw (ProgPower USA, Center Stage, Atlanta, GA – September 9, 2017)
11. Pain (70,000 Tons of Metal – Ice Rink/Studio B – Independence of the Seas – February 2, 2017)
12. Amon Amarth (College Street Music Hall, New Haven, CT – May 9, 2017)
13. Avatarium (70,000 Tons of Metal, Ice Rink/Studio B – Independence of the Seas – February 2, 2017)
14. Draconian (70,000 Tons of Metal, Alhambra Theater – Independence of the Seas – February 3, 2017)
15. Manegarm (70,000 Tons of Metal, Alhambra Theater – Independence of the Seas – February 5, 2017)
.....and FINALLY, the last:
TOP 10 DVD/BLU-RAY RELEASES OF 2017
1. Fates Warning – Awaken the Guardian Live
2. DGM – Passing Stages: Live in Milan and Atlanta
3. Black Sabbath – The End
4. Edguy – Monuments
5. Accept – Restless and Live
6. Arch Enemy – As the Stages Burn!
7. U.D.O. – Back to the Roots – Accepted!
8. Kissin’ Dynamite – Generation Goodbye – Dynamite Nights
9. Temperance – Maschere: A Night at the Theater
10. Vanden Plas – The Seraphic Live Works
#CROMAwards #CROM #traditionalmetal #thrashmetal #deathmetal #melodicdeathmetal #powermetal #progressivemetal
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