20 Best Metal Albums Of Summer 2017

As blasphemous as it may sound to the band's most hardcore fans, Anticult is one of Decapitated's best ever records, and more than once came millimetres away from stealing this list's top spot. At just 38 minutes, it makes up for its lack of length by packing every second it has with the most pummelling of full-on death metal.

This single-handedly cements 2017 as the year of death metal's gargantuan comeback, staying true to the blueprints of the sub-genre that were laid out three decades ago, while also feeling fresh with its intricacy, powerhouse grooves and, most alien of all, even very subtle hints of the melodic.

Anticult is primal and sophisticated; an album that has the potential to satiate every kind of metal fan, from the "mosh now and ask questions later" type all the way to the "mathematically pick apart every single note and time signature" type.

Some technical records demand time in order to be appreciated. However, it is easy to fall in love with Anticult right from the get-go; a listener's admiration for it ranges from a simple, superficial love of the disc's musicianship through to a deep-rooted respect for its sheer prowess.

This is easily the greatest achievement of Decapitated since their return, blending a handful of extreme metal sub-genres to craft an extravaganza of complex brutality.