Vote for the Metal Song of the Year – 2017 Loudwire Music Awards

Strap on that neck brace! Whether you're listening live, at home or in public, a good song will move you, forcing you to irresistibly play some air guitar, drum on your thighs and bang your head. The nominees for the Metal Song of the Year, presented by Apple Music, in the 2017 Loudwire Music Awards, all check that essential box, so let's dive a bit further off the stage and into the pit.

Early in 2017, socio-political riff monsters Body Count unleashed "No Lives Matter." The song confronts the dilution of the Black Lives Matter movement by reactionists as Ice-T's stranglehold lyrics engage current events with a head-on charge.

On less specific terms, Power Trip addressed the relation between power, corruption and greed running rampant in politics on Nightmare Logic. "Executioner's Tax (Swing of the Axe)" trims all the riffing fat to leave behind a visceral pit-inducer perfect for the angsty metalhead in today's society.

Heaviness comes in all forms, be it the brutish meat and potatoes style Obituary have stayed true to or the emotional devastation of Pallbearer. "Sentence Day" comes off Obituary's self-titled album, injecting some new elements with '80s style, over the top solos that give flight to their typical cement-cracking aggression. Flipping the script, Pallbearer's "I Saw the End" rides elegant twin melodies at a crawling pace with a fixation on the end of days.

We've tackled politics ad heaviness... now how about some fun?! That's where Municipal Waste and DragonForce come in. After a five year gap between albums, the Waste returned and delivered "Amateur Sketch" a punchy, sub-two minute offering with that classic crossover appeal accented by subtle melodies and a romping two-step mid-section. "Ashes of the Dawn" is a cinematic, glory-bound hymn from the British power metal stars with a chorus so infectious you'll be perched on the nearest chair, singing along by the song's end.

Listen to the six nominees and cast your vote for the Loudwire Music Awards' Metal Song of the Year by playing your favorite song in the player below or anytime in your Apple Music account. Votes will be tabulated from plays of the nominees’ songs that are listened to for a minimum of 30 seconds on Apple Music. The winner of the Metal Song of the Year will be determined by the total number of streams the track gets between Aug. 15 and Oct. 2 on Apple Music.

Winners will be announced at the Loudwire Music Awards ceremony taking place Oct. 24 at The Novo in Los Angeles. Ticketing details can be found here.

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