20 Best Metal Albums Of 2017 (So Far)

The self-titled debut by The Parasite Syndicate is a hefty dose of metalcore for the modern era. Mixing breakdowns, growls and meaty choruses with technical riffing, it seamlessly bridges the gap between melody-driven acts like Bullet for My Valentine and unyielding, extreme music.

Masterful and precise, its musical technicality and aggression on entries like "Breathe In" and "Red Sky" are what earns The Parasite Syndicate this slot on the list. Its approach to metal is not too dissimilar to Trivium's opus Shogun (2008), bordering on the edge of the progressive realm while not quite fully adhering to experimental metal archetypes.

With the longest track on the record, "The Illusionist", coming in at six-and-a-half minutes, The Parasite Syndicate is a more direct experience than a wholeheartedly prog album, yet that is where its strengths really lie.