20 Best Metal Albums Of Summer 2017

With Leprous being one of the most adored rock bands of the century, everybody knew Malina, their fifth record, would be brilliant. But, despite the enormous hopes, the album still exceeded expectations, delivering not only the tranquil, avant-garde tunes that die-hards expect, but also decorating them with gorgeous symphonies, which drive such pieces of music as the perfectly haunting "The Last Milestone" and the enchanting title track. Entries like "Stuck" are all-out hard rockers, with their stop-start riffing balanced out by the pipes of frontman Einar Solberg.

"Leashes" and "The Weight of Disaster" are enormous, slow-burning entries, resonating with genuine emotions and immense climaxes.

Of all the entries on this list, Malina is deserving of the number one spot not just because of the pedigree of the band that has made it, but because it is the only record here that anybody could fall in love with. Fans of pop, rock, metal and even classical will all find at least one aspect of the album to cling to and play on repeat.

Easily, this album is the greatest thing to come out of 2017's metal scene thus far, getting everything it does totally correct, demonstrating to the world that heavy music can actually be an intelligent genre.