20 Best Metal Albums Of Summer 2017

Quite possibly the best metal debut of 2017 thus far, Bad Sign's rowdy Live & Learn is an intense powerhouse of hard-hitting riffs and monstrous rock n' roll melodies.

Sole guitarist Jonathan Harris drives the record through his sheer inalienable skill and surprising diversity, at times perpetuating clean, tranquil notes, at others laying out semi-progressive, TesseracT-like shreds and, at others, complimenting the melodies of bassist/lead singer Joe Appleford with plentiful power chords.

Meanwhile, Appleford's own gritty cleans snarl with the same immense focus, confidently laying out giant choruses and more subdued passages with equal proficiency. Combine it with the rhythms of Appleford's four-string and drummer Kevin Miller, all of which slice through the mix as sharply as a fresh axe, and you get a straight-forward, no-nonsense rocker filled to the brim with arena-sized anthems.

Everyone should pay close attention to Bad Sign, because they have both the momentum and the potential to be at the very top of the metal world before you even know it.