2017 in metal so far

Blazon Stone - Down in the Dark

Fire Strike - Slaves of Fate

Numenor - Chronicles

Yuri Fulone - Your Kingdom Will Fall 

Stereo Nasty - Twisting the Blade

Palantir - Lost Between Dimensions

I feel like her dark folk side is more prominent here so it's actually even less of a pure metal album than M was, but it works for me. There are some stronger doom metal elements too, especially in the track Funeral which features Chelsea Wolfe. 

I try to be more reserved with giving out five star ratings than I used to be, but I've had no less than nine albums this year where I couldn't justify anything less (and did try to in some cases). Quite a few 4.5's as well. Of course this is only counting reviewed albums. I've been reviewing steadily this year but not done as many as some years and have been picking and choosing mostly the albums I feel most positive about, especially those I'm purchased for myself. Promo reviewing interests me little these days. I currently stand at 58 2017 reviews. I think I'm going to try to aim for at least 70 before the year is out. 

It's also been a funny year for someone who keeps saying how burned out he is on prog metal, with three albums in my top 5 being prog albums. 

Anyhow, here's how my current top 10 stands, a couple of them actually being very recent reviews:

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/progenie-terrestre-pura/oltreluna

I can't see this one being unseated from my number one spot now. These guys incorporate many unusual elements into their black metal sound and it still blows me away every time I stick it on.

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/mindmaze/resolve

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/ayreon/the-source

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/anubis-gate/covered-in-black

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/ruby-the-hatchet/planetary-space-child

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/esoctrilihum/mystic-echo-from-a-funeral-dimension

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/locust-leaves/a-subtler-kind-of-light

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/madrost/the-essence-of-time-matches-no-flesh

This one is the only one of these I don't physically own, mostly because it's a self-released CD and the postage is excessive to the UK. I still say it's better than Terminal Redux though. 

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/fen/winter

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/iced-earth/incorruptible

The only 4.5 review here. There's a few other 4.5's that could get swapped into this position yet though, so long as a 10th 5.0 doesn't appear that is. 

One last note while I'm here, I will opening MMA's best of year list for everyone to take part in this year - not just site collaborators - so if you're a regular in this thread start thinking of your lists and watch for a submission thread come the year's end. 

There are likely to be a few tweaks to the normal rules to be decided closer to the time. I'm considering allowing MR in the main list but not Non-Metal. Mostly because last year disallowing MR nearly screwed the entirely result when albums that were in Metal subs or even Hard Rock were voted into the top 100 then got moved to MR after the event or even during the result compile. 

Though I would also like to avoid another 2013 situation where people felt the winning album was barely relevant to be on a metal site's top album list.

One change that may happen this year is a scoring overall that rewards people's top album more points. 

Love this album myself and like you didn't buy it because of the ridiculous shipping cost.