MetalReviews

Awards 2011

10 reviewers shared their picks for 2011.

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Chris

Top Albums

  1. 1.
    Euphoreon - Euphoreon — I know this shouldn't be in both cateogories but I can't shake the feeling it's the best album for 2011 for me, no matter how I look at it. If I had one album to choose for the year it will be this one.
  2. 2.
    Dragonland - Under The Grey Banner — Dragonland sign their best album to date, simple as that. Hope they continue upon this path.
  3. 3.
    Blackguard - Firefight — Maybe too inspired by the COB of old, but when it's so wonderfully played, I don't care ! Awesome, one of my most listened CD of 2011
  4. 4.
    Powerwolf - Blood of the Saints — A tad inferior than Bible of the Beast, but certainly a great power metal release
  5. 5.
    Iced Earth - Dystopia — AWESOME album from Iced Earth, I didn't think changing singers was good but the new vocalist is the best fit for IE, hope we won't see any lineup change from now on, IE has find perfect balance, please keep it going !
  6. 6.
    Symphony X - Iconoclast — Not as good as Paradise Lost but an awesome album nonetheless. You can't go wrong with Symphony X anyway :)
  7. 7.
    Royal Hunt - Show Me How to Live — An album I discovered late this year, reading Alex excellent review. DC Cooper back, awesome, I feel 16 again :).
  8. 8.
    Theocracy - As The World Bleeds — Killer Power Metal from a really great band.
  9. 9.
    Edguy - Age of the Joker — I know, you will ask what the hell is that doing here right ? Well, for what it is, Hard / heavy metal, it is an absolute great album, I miss the Edguy of old and I wish Tobias would return to his roots, but as Hard Rock goes, this is one of the best slabs of 2011 for me, with vocal melodies thaat stay forever engraved in my mind (who said 2 out fo 7 ?)
  10. 10.
    Serenity In Murder - The First Frisson Of The World — An awesome album for those who like melodeath... I should review this (hopefully)
  11. 10.
    Serenity in Murder - The First Frisson of the World — An awesome album for those who like melodeath...
  12. 11.
    The Unguided - Hell Frost — Very good modern Melodeath with a healthy dose of clean vocals. Great melodies, I love it !
  13. 11.
    <b>The Unguided - Hell Frost</b> — Very good modern Melodeath with a healthy dose of clean vocals. Great melodies, I love it !
  14. 12.
    Saxon - Call To Arms — These guys won't stop and that's all the better for us fans ! Impressive album, best produced Saxon album to date, Call to Arms song is maybe one of their best ever !
  15. 13.
    Stormwarrior - Heathen Warrior — A great follow-up to Heading Northe, maybe a tad too similar somehow but still great force, great power and strong melodies. Keep them coming if they are as good as this !
  16. 13.
    <b>Stormwarrior - Heathen Warrior</b> — A great follow-up to Heading Northe, maybe a tad too similar somehow but still great force, great power and strong melodies. Keep them coming if they are as good as this !
  17. 14.
    Iron Savior - The Landing — A great return to form for german power metal force Iron Savior. Review to be published soon...
  18. 14.
    <b>Iron Savior - The Landing</b> — A great return to form for german power metal force Iron Savior. Review to be published soon...

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
    Amaranthe - Amaranthe — A band with three singers, reminds me of Skillet somehow. Their first release is powerful and brilliant, can't wait to listen to more of them (and I should review this too :) ).
  3. 2.
    <b>Amaranthe - Amaranthe</b> — A band with three singers, reminds me of Skillet somehow. Their first release is powerful and brilliant, can't wait to listen to more of them (and I should review this too :) ).
  4. 3.
    Dragonfly - Non Requiem — While I didn't think I would like it so much at first it grew on me, quite different from it's predecessor, but still a great album and a surprise in style and delivery.
  5. 4.
    Van Canto - Break the Silence — A Capella metal, this must be a joke right ? Not really, it's kick ass, these guys have such panache it's awesome, I love it !
  6. 5.
    Norther - Circle Regenerated — An album that took a lot of bad criticism, I personally find it a worthy album and a step in the right direction. NO Norther album approaches their debut for me, and that style the band will probably never again bring back. But this different while being still being great fun.

Disappointments

  1. 1.
    Nightwish - Imaginaerum — Ok it's not a bad album, and maybe it's too early to be disappointed for me, I didn't listen to it much, but the little I listened doesn't really make me want to return to it (I will though, eventually). But it seemed very watered down for me… I also miss Tarja (she was something else) I think.
  2. 2.
    Iron Savior - The Landing — Don't get me wrong this is a rather good album, but I expected more, it does follow Edguy somehow, it's watered down, less powerful than we're used to, and in the end I had enough of majestically powerful bands going slow… Where is my Condition Red :( ?

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — Test

Danny

Top Albums

  1. 1.
    Mastodon - The Hunter — Who said Mastodon's Black Album?
  2. 2.
    Iced Earth - Dystopia — No one is irreplaceable!
  3. 3.
    Edguy - Age of the Joker — A Hard Rock album monster.
  4. 4.
    Trivium - In Waves — The cover resumes everything :-)
  5. 5.
    Anthrax - Worship Music — Worth waiting … how long did we wait, I forgot …
  6. 6.
    Within Temptation - The Unforgiving — One hit after another. What a slap when I l play it the first time.
  7. 7.
    Machine Head - Unto The Locust — Another killer. The third in a row. What's next ?
  8. 8.
    The Devils Blood - The Thousandfold Epicenter — Their next will confirm they are the new monster out there. I guess they will deliver ... easy!
  9. 9.
    Mystic Prophecy - Ravenlord — Their best so far.
  10. 10.
    Iron Mask - Black As Death — Excellent As Life!
  11. 11.
    Powerwolf - Blood of the Saints — What a live my friends :-)
  12. 12.
  13. 13.
    The Answer — Two class album in a row. Respect!
  14. 13.
    The Answer - Revival — Two top-class albums in a row. Respect!
  15. 14.
    Iron Savior - The Landing — Good to see you back Piet!
  16. 15.

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
    ReinXeed - 1912 — Thank you Mr. Tommy Johansson :-)
  2. 2.
    Written In Blood - We Are Divinity (EP) — YES, you are!!!
  3. 3.
    Myrath - Tales of the Sands — Best Oriental Metal album. Reminds me Greece when I listen to it.
  4. 4.
    Theocracy - As The World Bleeds — ... and now my ears bleeds. Tobias has a twin brother ?
  5. 5.
  6. 5.
    Amaranthe - Amaranthe — Thx bro' for discovering this one. Powerful and blasting. The kids go ballistic with the song Automatic :-)

Disappointments

  1. 1.
    ReinXeed - 1912 — Thank you Mr. ReinXeed :-)
  2. 1.
    Nightwish - Imaginaerum — I need may be to give another try, without waiting the best ...
  3. 2.
    Whitesnake - Forevermore — I miss 1987 :-()
  4. 3.
    In Flames - Sounds Of A Playground Fading — Deliver Us (me). Great song. But the rest .... is it getting worst and worst, or may it is just me?
  5. 4.
    Turisas - Stand Up And Fight — If you like Ennio Moriccone, then listen to .... Ennio.

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — Another great year, with Mastodon, Written in Blood, The Devil's Blood, Theocracy and Myrath proving once again metal regenerates itself, again and again. It will never die! It can't with such artists. Each day, I bless God this music exists out there, it helps me in the good and the bad times. At the end, it fills my heart with joy. I would like to thanks my wife and my children for their support. I hope I can post again some reviews; who knows ... may be in 2012 :-) God bless you all. Danny

Alex

Top Albums

  1. 1.
    Týr - The Lay of Thrym — Received the most plays from me this year, so it must deserve the spot
  2. 2.
    Mournful Congregation - The Book of Kings — Funeral doom of mountainous proportions
  3. 3.
    Primordial - Redemption at the Puritan's Hand — The Irish has slowly moved to the top of the list of my favorite bands
  4. 4.
    Jag Panzer - Scourge of the Light — Comeback of the year, it sounded this way when 2011 began and it sounds this way today
  5. 5.
    Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg — Tamas, can this string of excellent albums last forever?
  6. 6.
    Amon Amarth - Surtur Rising — The best live show I have attended in years, and the 1st half when Surtur Rising was being played held its own against the 2nd half of best hits
  7. 7.
    Royal Hunt - Show Me How to Live — Proud to have been collecting their discography
  8. 8.
    Myrath - Tales of the Sands — Progressive metal album of the year comes from Tunisia
  9. 9.
    Arkona - Slovo — Consistently good, sadly this act receives more recognition outside its native Russia than back in the homeland
  10. 10.
    The Devils Blood - The Thousandfold Epicenter — Occult trip you will not forget
  11. 11.
    Vore - Gravehammer — Somebody, please sign these death metal stalwarts
  12. 12.
    Fyrnask - Bluostar — Psychotic black metal worthy of your time
  13. 13.
    An Autumn For Crippled Children - Everything — Unusually "optimistic" atmospheric black metal
  14. 14.
    Widow - Lifes Blood — One fun old school metal record
  15. 15.
    Iced Earth - Dystopia — This made the list, 'nuff said

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
  3. 3.
  4. 4.
    Vladimirs - The Late Hours — Vampyric goth'n'roll has not sounded so appealing
  5. 5.
    Woods of Desolation - Torn Beyond Reason — Very appealing melodic black metal from Australia

Disappointments

  1. 1.
    Lake of Tears - Illwill — What happened? One too many attempts to be something new on every album?
  2. 2.
    Darkestrah - Khagan — Did I overvalue their previous LP?
  3. 3.
    Insomnium - One For Sorrow — I did not click with once one of my favorite melodic death metal bands for two albums in a row. Something must be wrong with me
  4. 4.
    Hyperborean - The Spirit of Warfare — I definitely liked old material better, this is very much what any other black death band would produce
  5. 5.
    Wolves in the Throne Room - Celestial Lineage — Barely makes this disappointment list, but this band used to be in my Top 5 for their three previous albums

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.
    Embalmed - Exalt the Imperial Beast — All I hear is muffled noise
  2. 2.
    Whispers of Fate - Embrace My Winter — Gothic metal can go wrong in a hurry

Aleksie

Top Albums

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
    Neal Morse - Testimony 2
  3. 3.
  4. 4.
    Utopianisti - Utopianisti
  5. 5.
  6. 6.
  7. 7.
  8. 8.
  9. 9.
  10. 10.
    Paul Simon - So Beautiful Or So What
  11. 11.
    Von Hertzen Brothers - Stars Aligned
  12. 11.
    Insomnium - One For Sorrow — The Finnish melodeathians who always to me were stuck on that threshold of "good not great" blast a helluva record in my face. Sweet (yet gloomy).
  13. 12.
  14. 13.
    Profane Omen - Destroy!
  15. 14.
    Tom Morello - The Nightwatchman: Union Town EP
  16. 15.

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
  3. 3.
  4. 4.
  5. 4.
    Bloodride - Crowned In Hell — Tasty, tasty thrash!
  6. 5.
    Disease Of The Nation - The Rudum

Disappointments

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
    Trivium - In Waves
  3. 3.
  4. 3.
  5. 4.
    Megadeth - Th1rt3en — After the promising and occasionally scortching Endgame, an alright letdown. Contractual obligation album much?

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
    Trivium - In Waves
  3. 3.

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — Big up that good music!!! -AA-

Goat

Top Albums

  1. 1.
    Opeth - Heritage — Yes, Mike and co released their most controversial album, and I've called it the best of the year. Why? Because it's a bloody incredible listen that veers between catchy prog-outs and minimalist tinkering with class and style.
  2. 2.
    Ulver - Wars Of The Roses — Genius, as ever, flows in this band's bloodstream. An album that keeps you guessing, keeps you entranced, and reveals something new each listen. Prog as it should be.
  3. 3.
    Primordial - Redemption at the Puritan's Hand — Ireland's finest made one hell of a grimy, grumpy album here. Brilliant stuff.
  4. 4.
    Hell - Human Remains — One for the old-school. Retro heavy metal at its most silly and enjoyable, just how I like it.
  5. 5.
    Septicflesh - The Great Mass — Orchestral metal at its finest.
  6. 6.
    Ava Inferi - Onyx — This band just gets better with every release. Onyx is the best of a wonderful string of hits from this band.
  7. 7.
    Leprous - Bilateral — More prog-gasms. What Muse would sound like, if they were really any good...
  8. 8.
    Motorhead - The Wörld Is Yours — Why do I keep coming back to this? Because Motorhead, duh.
  9. 8.
    Origin - Entity — Face-melting death metal from the heaviest band in the universe. Space is the place, man.
  10. 9.
    Beardfish - Mammoth — Prog-gasms galore.
  11. 10.
    Crowbar - Sever The Wicked Hand — Metal's heaviest band release sludge's best album.
  12. 11.
    East of the Wall - The Apologist — Better each time I hear it.
  13. 12.
    Cavalera Conspiracy - Blunt Force Trauma — Max's side project is in serious danger of overtaking both Sepultura and Soulfly as ideal format for his grunty riffathons.
  14. 13.
    Benighted - Asylum Cave — Death metal doesn't have to be miserable to be fun. Not as good as their last, but still one of the best of the year.
  15. 14.
    Anthrax - Worship Music — What a comeback! Thrash's most fun band release the year's most fun thrash/heavy/whatever album. Ignore labels, soak up that songwriting.
  16. 15.
    Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events — A grower, but what a grower it is. Dream Theater prove that it takes more than losing a whiny drummer to throw a great band off course.

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
    Foo Fighters - Wasting Light — I've always liked them, but this sees the millionaire rockers at the very top of their game.
  2. 2.
    Within Temptation - The Unforgiving — Catchy goth-rock at its best.
  3. 3.
    Absu - Abzu — WAAAAAAAAH! Texas' finest prove black-thrash and southern charm go together like riffs and blastbeats.
  4. 4.
  5. 5.
    Brutal Truth - End Time — Grind gone leftfield - weird, yet wonderful.

Disappointments

  1. 1.
    Annotations Of An Autopsy - Dark Days — A future death metal hope returns to its deathcore roots. Badly.
  2. 2.
    Chimaira - The Age Of Hell — A talented band with no idea what to do with it.
  3. 3.
    Decapitated - Carnival Is Forever — It's not a bad album, but be honest, it's not what you want to hear from Decapitated, is it?
  4. 4.
    Morbid Angel - Illud Divinum Insanus — I tried hard to like it, and I don't think it's as bad as some say. Neither is it what Morbid should be doing.
  5. 5.
    Old Silver Key - Tales Of Wanderings — Drudkh and Alcest working together, and this is the best they can do?

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.
    Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra — Aw yeah girl you know you want dis

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — It's not been a great year, but it's been a year that has seen plenty of albums released that I seriously enjoyed. Once I listened to metal because it was capable of blowing my mind - that it doesn't blow my mind any more either means that I'm growing bored with the genre or that it's losing its power to blow minds. It couldn't be that I've been spending more time listening to prog and jazz than delving into the deepest parts of the underground, of course. In any case, my top fifteen may not blow your mind, but you will enjoy them all. YOU WILL.

Charles

Top Albums

  1. 1.
    Witch Mountain - South of Salem — I had reservations because in many ways this is too “humble” an album to be number one. Number one should be freaky and ambitious. This isn’t either of those things: it is about feel, and insanely good blues riffs. That stuff is nice too, sometimes.
  2. 1.
    Esoteric - Paragon of Dissonance — YOUR FACE MELTS WITH DESPAIR
  3. 1.
    Opeth - Heritage — Apparently there are some cloth-eared twerps that don’t like this record. No, I can’t believe it either. Who could not adore its every note? Each twang glows with sepia-tinged warmth, and each beat is lightly sprinkled with the dust from old records. I love a metal record that opens with a tribute to Jan Johansson.
  4. 1.
    Ash Borer - Ash Borer — Ash Borer would be a good name for Drudkh, because the latter’s music is so tedious that it could even have a tree looking at its watch. Bazinga! But it isn’t Drudkh’s name, it’s Ash Borer’s, and Ash Borer is awesome. In a final twist, Drudkh’s name also means “wood”. Coincidence?
  5. 2.
    Opeth - Heritage — Apparently there are some cloth-eared twerps that don’t like this record. No, I can’t believe it either. Who could not adore its every note? Each twang glows with warmth, and each beat is lightly sprinkled with the dust from old records.
  6. 2.
    Esoteric - Paragon of Dissonance — YOUR FACE MELTS WITH DESPAIR
  7. 3.
    Ash Borer - Ash Borer — Ash Borer would be a good name for Drudkh, because the latter’s music is so tedious that it could even have a tree looking at its watch. But it isn’t Drudkh’s name, it’s Ash Borer’s, and Ash Borer is awesome. In a final twist, Drudkh’s name also means “wood”.
  8. 3.
    Opeth - Heritage — Apparently there are some cloth-eared twerps that don’t like this record. No, I can’t believe it either. Who could not adore its every note? Each twang glows with sepia-tinged warmth, and each beat is lightly sprinkled with the dust from old records. I love a metal record that opens with a tribute to Jan Johansson.
  9. 4.
    Esoteric - Paragon of Dissonance — YOUR FACE MELTS WITH DESPAIR.
  10. 4.
    Witch Mountain - South of Salem — Actual proper songs, and insanely good doom riffs. This album was a revelation for me.
  11. 5.
    SubRosa - No Help for the Mighty Ones — This wins the prize for most intriguing genre mix for bravely mashing together doom, folk and noisy alternative rock. You could have thought of that but you didn’t, hence your band is not in my top five list of 2012.
  12. 6.
    Antediluvian - Through the Cervix of Hawwah — Somehow, I don’t quite like Autopsy’s Macabre Eternal now as much as I did on its release. And Encoffination’s album was impressive but not quite year-end-list material. So the only real representative of the primitivist end of the death metal continuum is this record; a beast.
  13. 7.
    Fell Voices - Untitled — I don’t think Fell Voices’s album was quite as good as their split from last year, but certainly good enough to include here. I wanted to write it up for this site but some guy joined the team, reviewed it (I didn’t complain because he was new), then off he fucked forthwith. I swore then that I would never do anything nice for anybody ever again, and I’ve been as good as my word.
  14. 8.
    Pyrrhon - An Excellent Servant But a Terrible Master — I love this album. The solos go “Wwwoooooooaaaaaahhhhhhmmmmmm!”, and the riffs go “twiddleiddleiddleiddlesqueeeeeeeeeeak”. A bold new step for tech-death.
  15. 9.
    Ulcerate - The Destroyers of All — Unlike the above, I don’t love this album, but it has a rumbling, ominous power that demands homage.
  16. 10.
    Absu - Abzu — Ok so this did better than Liturgy, are you happy now?
  17. 11.
    Liturgy - Aesthethica — Black metal is known for violence, bigotry and criminality, but when I heard that one new band on the scene had written a pamphlet and cultivated trendy hairstyles, I thought the genre had finally gone too far. Apparently they have even suggested that it might be time to move beyond the traditional genre confines and introduce new techniques and ways of playing! Pull the other one, lads! But such despicable behaviour on the part of the individuals involved doesn’t matter so long as the music is good, right? At least, that’s what I tell myself again and again as I rock back and forth listening to my favourite Nazi acts fighting the international Jewry with their hurdy gurdies.
  18. 12.
    Petrychor - Effigies and Epitaphs — Petrychor is just superb. This album is so strange and singular; the folk guitar playing is so delicately alluring as to make Ulver’s Kveldssanger sound like some twat ham-fistedly mashing a glockenspiel. But as we all gather round this particular bonfire for a midnight singsong, we find it instantaneously extinguished by a gushing stream of black metal piss.
  19. 13.
    Execration - Odes of the Occult — I wanted to make room for this, because it is so screwy. The aging remnants of old-time Swedeath has moved to Norway and gone completely senile.
  20. 14.
  21. 15.
    Thrall - Vermin to the Earth — I gave this a relatively lowly mark at first, but in every single version of this list I made, there was Thrall, demanding to be let in. Something about its collision of polished groove and scary ambiance makes it genuinely compelling to listen to.

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
    Lake of Blood - As Time and Tide Erodes Stone — I felt like I had to make room for at least one USBM album somewhere in my lists.
  2. 2.
    Undergang - Indhentet af Døden — Ooooooooooooh. They have a new one coming out imminently, by the way. In the next few days.
  3. 3.
    Obake - Obake — Super-cool avant-garde stuff in the vein of Patton or somesuch, but with more doom riffs.
  4. 4.
    Revocation - Chaos Of Forms — The surprise is that it's new thrash album I actually like.
  5. 5.
    Aosoth - III — A surprise because I didn't especially rate their last one.

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — Albums that I meant to include in my top fifteen but couldn't because then it wouldn't have been a top fifteen: Virus, Autopsy, Abhor, Midnight, Altar of Plagues, Krallice, Azarath, Oranssi Pazuzu. Just as human society is constantly changing, so is music. John Stuart Mill said that "although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservative". This isn't the place to tell you what to think about politics, but when it comes to music, don't be a stupid person. Have a lovely final 11 months of 2012.

Khelek

Top Albums

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
    Fair To Midland - Arrows & Anchors — These guys have been in my playlist since I heard Fables and this album was more refined, more stripped down, more awesome than the last.
  3. 3.
    Nightrage - Insidious — In my opinion the best melodeath album to be released in 2011.
  4. 4.
    Insomnium - One For Sorrow — One of the few melodeath bands out there still doing it old-school and still sticking to their guns.
  5. 5.
    Ava Inferi - Onyx — Only 8 tracks long, but a great doom album needs no more. This is a walk through gothic melancholy and doomy riffs that any fan of either genre should hear.
  6. 6.
    Weedeater - Jason...The Dragon — Dirty, southern fried stoner sludge done just the way I like it. Heavy and mean with a touch of hopelessness.
  7. 7.
    Giant Squid - Cenotes — Takes some time to appreciate, but overall an excellent sludge album.
  8. 8.
    Touchstone - The City Sleeps — Love the guitar work and wide range of influences this band uses to create some really interesting arrangements.
  9. 9.
    Dragonland - Under The Grey Banner — It took awhile for it to be released, but this is the best power metal I heard in 2011. Jonas Heidgert’s voice sounds excellent as always with the layers of heavy, melodic guitars and powerful drums.
  10. 10.
    Foo Fighters - Wasting Light — By far the best mainstream rock album to be released all year
  11. 11.
    Mastodon - The Hunter — Not quite as complex as their past work, but an excellent album nonetheless.

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
    Dirty Rotten Liars - Dirty Rotten Liars — It’s not often that a mainstream rock album takes me by surprise and these guys are a local act from my area no less. Exceptionally well-crafted rock music, watch for these guys to get bigger in 2012.
  2. 2.
    Hugenelk - Hugenelk — Excellent traditional stoner metal
  3. 3.
    Euphoreon - Euphoreon — Interesting and very energetic take on old-school melodeath

Disappointments

  1. 1.
  2. 2.

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — A bit of a slow year for metal and a fast year in terms of my life since 2011 was my first year in the "real" world and not in college. I didn't get to listen to/review nearly the amount of material I wanted to, but even so I managed to discover some great music. Are you ready for the world to end in 2012? I am.

Erik

Top Albums

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
    Beyond The Bridge - The Old Man And The Spirit
  3. 3.
  4. 4.
  5. 5.

Disappointments

  1. 1.

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.

Cory

Top Albums

  1. 1.
    Symphony X - Iconoclast — No stranger to this spot on the various "top" lists of the world, Symphony X took the successful formula of Paradise Lost and perfected it with Iconoclast. No album has kept me coming back for more like this one, and it is an easy choice for the Album of the Year.
  2. 2.
    Samael - Lux Mundi — Samael gets back to their evolution after their "back to roots" effort Above. Heavy, bombastic, and entertaining, Lux Mundai was a contender this year.
  3. 3.
    Evergrey - Glorious Collision — Despite being the sole remaining member of the original line-up, Tom England has brought this band back to the forefront of Progressive Metal with their strongest effort since Recreation Day.
  4. 4.
    The Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction — Between the pop melodies of Addicted and the serenity of Ghost, Deconstruction was exactly what I was looking far. Aggressive, heavy as hell, and insane. Once again, my mind is blown by the creative depths of the Canada's greatest gift to the world.
  5. 5.
    Iced Earth - Dystopia — While I enjoyed the previous three albums to varying degree's, perhaps nothing I listened to made me out-right happier this year than the upfront ass-whooping Dystopia delivered. Stu Block fits this band like a glove, and this is the sound of a band with a new lease on life.
  6. 6.
  7. 7.
    Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events — After all the drama of Portnoy's departure and Mangini's selection, Dream Theater get back to business with an album that sounds fresher and more inspired than anything since Images and Words.
  8. 8.
    Opeth - Heritage — This album has been a lightning rod for criticism due to it's passive aggressive nature and lack of growls, but for me the album is aging wonderfully. Each listen reveals a little more, and I find it to be one of Opeth's most intriguing albums, and given their history that is a serious statement.
  9. 9.
    Leaves Eyes - Meredead — After three albums of flirting with greatness, Leave's Eyes finally hits the sweet spot in the female-fronted metal world. Liv Kristine's voice is divine as always, and their heavy leaning on Norwegian folk themes pays off big time.
  10. 10.
  11. 11.
    Stratovarius - Elysium — Album number two following the near terminal drama of years past, and Stratovarius make a strong statement. Better than Polaris, Elysium is probably my favorite Power Metal album of the year.
  12. 12.
    Nightwish - Imaginarium — Imaginarium is a damn good album, as you would expect from Nightwish. Now just have to see the movie and hope it lives up to the hype.
  13. 13.
    Arch Enemy - Khaos Legions — My first instinct on listening to this album was to write it off as decent, but repeat listens have given it room to grow on me. Not as good as Rise of the Tyrant, Khaos Legions finds its niche somewhere between that album and Wages of Sin, not a bad place to be.
  14. 14.
    Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times — Another in Amorphis's long line of quality albums. Not quite at Skyforger or Eclipse level, but still a fine effort from a great band.
  15. 15.
    Scar Symmetry - The Unseen Empire — This one allowed me to release a breath I had been holding since Dark Matter Dimensions. The two singer approach is far improved over that album, and though they are still looking up at Scar Symmetry's first three efforts, that gap has been closed somewhat.

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
    In Flames - Sounds Of A Playground Fading — I didn't expect anything of note from this album, but color me surprised that I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. In Flames is officially back on my radar.
  2. 2.
    Dir en Grey - Durn Spiro Spero — Leave it to the Japanese to come up with an album that I can find no words to describe. A massive wall of sound with everything but the kitchen sink thrown into it, I am still trying to digest this album a year later, and I am enjoying every second of it!
  3. 3.
    Van Canto - Break the Silence — A Cappella metal, and you know what? It works.
  4. 4.
    Edguy - Age of the Joker — Tobias has been stretching himself pretty thin, with three Avantasia albums and two Edguy albums in such a short span of time. On Tinnitus Sanctus it showed, but Age of the Joker sounds like he found his second wind, bearing no small resemblance to Hellfire Club and giving Edguy back some of their groove.
  5. 5.
    Solar Fragment - In Our Hands — Those needing a Blind Guardian fix need look no further than these gentlemen, who wear their influence on their sleeves and get Hansi's seal of approval via a guest appearance.

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — All and all, a very strong year for metal and an amazing year for me personally. Many of my old favorites came back with a vengeance (welcome back Evergrey!), and I was introduced to more new bands than I can name, though there is always a hell of alot more to discover, which I am reminded of by looking at these lists. Aaron Michael Ross, my son, was born in September, and already he is working his was through the classics. I began my Audio Renaissance project during the Christmas break, and it has already gained speed and is evolving into what I hope will be an awesome experience for everyone. Bottom line, 2011 kicked ass but I fully expect 2012 to top it. I hope each of you set your own personal goals and meet or exceed them! Best Wishes, Cory

Olivier

Top Albums

  1. 1.
    Overkill - The Electric Age — Incredible.
  2. 2.
    Týr - The Lay of Thrym — Catchiest album of the year.
  3. 3.
    Brainstorm - On the Spur of the Moment — Awesome chorus after awesome chorus.
  4. 4.
    Cavalera Conspiracy - Blunt Force Trauma — What the album title says.
  5. 5.
    Saxon - Call To Arms — Surviving against the odds!!!
  6. 6.
    Riot - Immortal Soul — R.I.P. Mark Reale. We miss you, every single day.
  7. 7.
    Powerwolf - Blood of the Saints — Silly and catchy. And Silly. And catchy.
  8. 8.
    Anubis Gate - Anubis Gate — World in a Dome is the song of the year.
  9. 9.
    Iced Earth - Dystopia — Stu Block > Barlow > Ripper.
  10. 10.
    Absu - Abzu — Top tier Absu.
  11. 11.
    Benighted - Asylum Cave — French dementia.
  12. 12.
    Vintersorg - Jordpuls — It's Vintersorg. Nuff' said.
  13. 13.
    Septicflesh - The Great Mass — THE ARCHITECT.
  14. 14.
    Turisas - Stand Up And Fight — Inconsistent, but stellar moments.
  15. 15.
    Theocracy - As The World Bleeds — My favourite zealous bastards.