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