20 Best Metal Albums Of Summer 2017
18. Stone Sour - Hydrograd
This album is doubtlessly far, far lower on this list than a great many Stone Sour fans would like, but that doesn't stop the band's sixth full-length, Hydrograd, from doubtlessly being a brilliant metal record.
Driven by vitriol and pure attitude, this is a rock n' roll ride starring a plethora of cues that call back to the heaviness of the early '90s, featuring big growls from front-man Corey Taylor, but also even bigger melodies, as is the case with the successful singles "Fabuless" and "Song #3".
It's varied, at times feeling emotive and subtle, but it's also direct, appealing to today's hard rock fans perfectly with its riffs and choruses.
The only reason Hydrograd doesn't clock in higher on this list, however, is that it tragically does not live up to the progressive precedent set by the band's ground-breaking double album House of Gold & Bones (2012/13). Hydrograd never once finds itself able to match the sheer intrigue or artistic creativity of Stone Sour's prior record, yet, by itself, it still succeeds as a hard-hitting metal experience (as proven by it landing number five on the Official UK Albums Chart), so here it is, firmly at number eighteen.