The Hellion’s Top 10 Hard Rock and Metal Albums of 2017

2017 Rankings
By The Hellion
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QUIET RIOT – Road Rage (Frontiers)

Ahhh Quiet Riot… This is the 13th release from this historic band. I spoke with drummer Frankie Banali about bringing on new vocalist James Durbin and keeping the music of Quiet Riot alive. He said he felt the legendary music of QR deserved to be kept going and James was the right fit for it. “Getaway” and “Freak Flag” are tracks that I dig off of this. “Bang your head guys, bang your head.”

L.A. GUNS – The Missing Peace (Frontiers)

L.A. Guns has always been near and dear to my heart. The past several years has found the band in turmoil. Two versions, infighting, member changes…on and on. 2017 finds core members Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis back together with The Missing Peace. Every single track hits for me, no misses. Check out the video for “Speed” and see what we’ve been missing from L.A. Guns all these years. Thanks for the record guys!

BLACK WATER RISING – Electrified (Pavement Entertainment)

Black Water Rising‘s third release finds them getting better and better. I caught them live a couple of years ago and got to hang with them, these guys bring it, hard. Electrified is solid through and through with killer tracks including “Millennial Zombies,”  and “Payback.” If you dig solid, gritty, dirty Rock N’ Roll, Black Water Rising brings it on Electrified.

REX BROWN – Smoke On This (eOne Music)

2017 gave us Rex Brown‘s first solo release. Groove laden and down to earth, Rex delivers. This is another record with no throw away tracks. It’s good to see Rex step up to the front and deliver some great vocals and guitar playing. Dim the lights, pour a glass of whisky, light ’em up and get lost in this fantastic record. Check out “Lone Rider” and “One Of These Days” and you’ll be hooked too! Full Review

KING CREATURE – Volume One (Marshall)

King Creature is special to me. I’ve seen this band work its collective ass off to make a name for themselves. These guys have taken a cue from their musical influences and managed to use them to create a sound of their own. Nothing pretty here, just dirty, working class Rock N’ Roll. I know each of these guys and have seen their struggle. I’m glad to see it’s beginning to pay off for them. Check out the tracks (and videos) for “Lowlife” and “Can You Forgive Me” you will NOT be disappointed.

Well, there you have it. Ten releases that stuck out to me in 2017. I hope you check out some of these and let me know your thoughts.

-it’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s ROCK N’ ROLL!!!

-the Hellion

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My mom introduced me to music at a very young age. There was always some kind of music playing somewhere in the house. One of my earliest musical memories is running around with my cousins screaming in our tiny off key voices “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles.

The music my mom listened to was across the map, but mostly rock oriented. My stepfather, however, was a country man and there was no alternative. I learned to appreciate the sounds I was hearing from songs that they both listened to. I felt the stories they were telling, and that was how I interpreted them, as stories. These “stories” would end up becoming my best friends as my childhood took some nasty turns. They were always there and wouldn’t ever let me down. I ultimately developed an affinity for rock and that became my preferred style of music. I never did lose my appreciation for classic country music though.

The 70’s were a great time for music on the radio. I could hear a broad spectrum of artists on one rock station from ABBA to ZZ Top. I LISTENED and devoured all of the music that I could, often staying up until the wee hours with a small radio under my pillow. I remember a conversation with my mom once where I asked her why she liked music so much her reply was “Because the songs take me away to different places.” I got it, and found myself taking the same journeys. The music was fresh and entertaining and never ever seemed to go stale for me. There was no sub, sub, sub genres, just good music.

This was a time when it was cool to one day wear a Bee Gees shirt and a KISS one the next. We just loved the music. We were clueless and we loved it. We used our imaginations to think about what our favorite musicians were doing and what they would do next, there was bliss in our ignorance.

…it was just music and we simply loved it.

-the Hellion

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