20 Best Metal Albums Of 2017 (So Far)

Progressive deathcore did notably well in the opening weeks of 2017, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Halfway Human, the fifth album from American powerhouse Within the Ruins.

Technical and polyrhythmic, the album rings of inspiration from extreme pioneers Meshuggah as well as a plethora of hard-hitting metalcore riffs and insane breakdowns.

There can be an overwhelming amount of prejudice against any heavy genre with the "-core" suffix, but that didn't stop Halfway Human from receiving critical acclaim as it was released, targeted particularly at the intense, diverse riffs as well as the heavy bass and clean vocals of new bassist Paolo Galang.

Thus, this is the first Within the Ruins album to not feature growls exclusively, and the musical maturity this seemingly minor change brings with it is astonishing.