I'll be real, I decided to not post my top 10 list this year on purpose on here due to it having alot of non-metal and borderline "objectionable" bands. Normally I don't care about that sort of stuff, but I didn't want to troll you guys with a list of bands that you guys will hate either. So I thought about it and decided to instead post my top 30 albums of 2011, alongside a disclaimer.
*disclaimer: As with every year there were many great metal records put out in 2011.... But unlike 2010 which saw some stellar, game-changing releases from Periphery, Nachtmystium, Kvelertak, and others, this year's metal releases ranged from "good to solid" I'd say. There weren't many metal albums that completely floored me, which a top 10 album really needs to do. I'll be providing my explanations for each pick and why I picked it and posting a Youtube link for the people who haven't heard the band and may want to check them out.
30. Nero - Welcome Reality
If 2011 was a year for anything, it was the year of dubstep. I think it's almost hysterical how quickly the genre went from being played in college dorms to getting into children's cereal advertisements. Yeah, dubstep sold out pretty hard this year - but I don't mind. If you ask me, electronic music has gotten kind of stale these last few years, and it's about time it got a kick in the ass. Lots of snobs, taste-elites, and IMNs bitch about dubstep being the bane of music's existence, and I'll never understand that. For one thing, its technical prowess alone should at least impress these dudes (I mean, it isn't exactly easy to create those sounds), and for another there are alot of similarities between a dub drop and a metal riff!
29. Korn - The Path Of Totality
If even as early as January 2011 you told me I would rank Korn anywhere near my top albums of 2011, I'd probably laugh at you. Korn had become so ridiculously irreverent that their "Remember Who You Are" release was basically regarded as a joke by everyone, despite the fact that they were "going back to their roots." Anywho, I kind of vomited in my mouth when I heard Korn was collaborating with Skrillex and Foreign Beggars, among other dubstep producers on a new record, but I have to say, I fucking love this. To think that Korn would actually become relevant in 2011/2012 is stupefying!
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUOlc_j4rMA&ob=av2e[/ame]
28. Borealis - Fall From Grace
This was a solid modern metal release. I STILL cannot stop listening to it. Catchy as hell, great riffs, the singer has a unique style that keeps the band from becoming a Soilwork clone. I couldn't really ask for more from a band like this.
27. The Devin Townsend Project - Ghost
After being disappointed by the bloated, pretentious mess that Deconstruction was, I held out hope that Ghost would be much better, because it's become obvious that metal is not where Devin Townsend's heart really is anymore. I felt my disappointment subside in exchange for the sheer sense of joy and happiness brought on by Ghost. Listening to Ghost makes me feel like I'm in a dream, floating through clouds. So good!
26. Voyager - The Meaning of I
80's new wave meets Dream Theater-y prog metal? Sign me the hell up please!!!
25. Junius - Reports From The Threshold of Death
I saw these guys open up for Alcest and Enslaved. They were solid, but I wasn't feeling their performance at all, especially since they came on stage right after Alcest's magical set. I decided to pick up their 2011 release anyways and I really got into how unique this band sounds. It's like if The Smiths had a baby with Deftones.
24. Symphony X - Iconoclast
Symphony X is incapable of disappointing me, but I didn't love this record as much as I hoped I would ( think Paradise Lost was my number one album of 2007 if I'm not mistaken). It was a VERY good release though, filled with huge riffs, catchy choruses, and crazy arrangements.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67gUOkOG0aw&feature=related[/ame]
23. Textures - Dualism
The months before this record came out, I remember saying that if Textures put out a record in which all songs sounded like "Awake" off of their previous record, I'd eat it up like a nutella and peanut butter sandwich. Suffice-it to say, that's pretty much they did with Dualism. It's catchy, heavy, lusciously produced with REAL instruments and real takes by HUMAN BEINGS, and just such a great record. I do feel that if it only were a tad shorter, it would probably have ranked alot higher on my list.
22. Rhapsody Of Fire - From Chaos To Eternity
I'm not ashamed to admit it, I've always had a soft spot for these dudes. Some of my first metal bands were Mercyful Fate and Judas Priest, and I've always believed that Rhapsody was the logical continuation to that style. Despite how flowery the band is known to be, they, unlike most power metal bands, actually write RIFFS and don't chug along for 5 minutes while some keyboard refrain echoes in the background. I respect that, and this was a really good album that lived up to the band's roots. Too bad it is also the last.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXMzqCWcPKU&feature=related[/ame]
21. After The Burial - In Dreams
After The Burial rarely ever gets lumped in with the djent scene, and that's probably because they are more of a hc band than they are a metal band, but I still think they stand out from the clones, ESPECIALLY on this CD. "Pendulum" is one of the best examples of how to properly "djentify" punk!
20. Autopsy - Macabre Eternal
Most of the time, reunion records are horrible. Pestilence's last 2 records since they came back were pretty fucking attrocious, and even the Exhumed record was just OK. However, Autopsy knocked it out of the park with Macabre Eternal. In a time where death metal is pretty much entirely boring and unoriginal by and large, and almost every band coming out of the scene is either wanking like it's 2007 or buzzsawing like it's 1993, it's cool to hear an "oldschool" dm record that injects some unique, modern flavors.
19. Revocation - Chaos Of Forms
I called it that this band would be hot YEARS ago when I heard their debut record that they self released. However back then, they were a Cynic lite sort of project, and now they are much thrashier and even a little punk influenced. Honestly, I think the change was for the best, in a scene littered with shreddy, tech bands, Revocation brings the wank, but with a fun "don't give a fuck" punk aesthetic. So far they have yet to disappoint!
18. Close Your Eyes - Empty Hands and Heavy Hearts
There were so many great punk and hardcore releases this year that it made my head spin, and Close Your Eyes, originally a Rise Against-worship band came into 2011 with a unique identity. Empty Hands and Heavy Hearts is a phenomenal release for this young band.
17. Rwake - Rest
Probably the best record Rwake ever put out. So delightfully doomy and evil sounding!
16. Hell - Human Remains
I love this record. Nothing else to say. I feel like it's the Mercyful Fate album that King couldn't release in 2011 due to his back problems, so Hell picked up the slack for him.
15. Mastodon - The Hunter
Like Symphony X, Mastodon has yet to really disappoint me. The Hunter wasn't phenomenal, but it was another great Mastodon record, and like all great Mastodon records, they get SERIOUS playtime.
14. World Under Blood - Tactical
I'm a huge CKY fan, so when I heard Deron Miller was putting a metal project together with Tim Yeung from Vital Remains (now he's more famously in Divine Hersey and Morbid Angel) about 5 years ago I pissed myself. This is basically what I expect when I think CKY and metal combined. Just insanely catchy, aggressive, and full of great riffs.
15. Stray From the Path - Rising Sun
Before the Refused reunion, people were calling Stray From the Path the second coming of Refused, and I totally agree with that. In fact, bands like SFtP and Cancer Bats that are totally repping Refused without ripping them off and are still managing to stay fresh are really exciting to the hardcore scene. I liked the previous two SFtP records, but I LOVE Rising Sun. Also, all the times the singer screams "BLEH" on this record make it that much better.
12. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
Dave Grohl is the most talented human being alive in rock and roll. There, I said it.
11. Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times.
One of the most consistent bands in metal.
10. The Haunted - Unseen
As the tracks were being made available, I got more interested in it. I HATED the last 3 Haunted records, and I don't understand how any human being with ears could actually like them. They were basically putting out the exact same record over and over again. This time around, they were going for a more Alice In Chains/Crowbar sound with some Tool vibes (Dolving is a RINGER for Maynard on a few cuts off this album). So when I saw that this got a fucking 0 in Decibel (actually I was told this by a friend, no way in hell would I subscribe to that hipster rag), I was perplexed. How could anyone possibly POSSIBLY be disappointed with this record? I mean, I get it if you're an IMN dungeon master and you don't like anything rock-oriented, but chances are you probably never like The Haunted to begin with, so why the disappointment? Anyways, fuck 'em. This record smokes!
9. Trap Them - Darker Handcraft
Trap Them basically invented Entombedcore, and now not only are there hundreds of followers coming out of the woodwork, but there are hundreds of straight up Entombed clones coming out too now. Honestly, Entombed was dead to me after Clandestine, and Trap Them brought that sound back again. Yeah, Dismember and the like were killin' it too, but Trap Them injected hardcore and the occasional mathy riff to make things interesting. Not only is Trap Them seriously refreshing right now, but the band keeps getting better and better!
8. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart- Belong
I got into Pains on their debut, self titled record. I think one review refered to them as Ramones meets My Bloody Valentine. Pretty much accurate then. Seems like on this record there's more My Bloody Valentine than there is Ramones, but that's OK for me. Incredible record.
7. Fleet foxes - Helplessness Blues
The most soulful band to emerge out of this decade. I feel like I'm inside a cabin in the woods when I put their records on. Vinyl of course.
6. Touché Amoré - Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me
The second coming of Rites of Spring and AFI is here!!!!
5. Architects - The Here and Now
Like with The Haunted, Architects got a lot of flak for tossing away their Dillinger-influenced sound for a more Comeback Kid inspired one. And like with The Haunted, I think the change was for the better. One of the best records to come out in 2011.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovknCm9JayI&feature=related[/ame]
WARNING: if I haven't gotten shit from the metal police so far, here is where I am expecting the feces to fly.
4. Lady Gaga - Born This Way
Gaga sold me on The Fame Monster. Something clicked when I saw the "Bad Romance" video for the first time. As I said before, I LOVE the direction she went with Born This Way, which is a more 80's inspired record. Every song is utterly infectious, and brilliantly arranged. Can't help but wonder at where she will take her music next.
3. Asking Alexandria - Reckless & Relentless
When I first heard this song, I said "how long before Asking Alexandria gets a major label deal?" and people were like "who?" Now, after hundreds of thousands of records sold, playing the main stage of the Warped Tour, direct support for Hollywood Undead and Avenged Sevenfold, doing Skid Row covers with Sebastian Bach on TV, Jimmy Kimmel live, and now playing Mayhem Fest this summer, Asking Alexandria was undoubtedly the biggest band of 2011. But that's now why I love Reckless & Relentless, I love Reckless & Relentless because it's so damn catchy. It accomplishes what bands like Bring Me The Horizon and Attack Attack! could never do (actually write good songs), while retaining the sense of relevance that those bands have. They can roll with the 80's cock rock crowd, and they can roll with the moshcore crowd. All I know, is that this was a great record.
2. Death Grips - Ex Military
It's been a long time since a hip hop record made my year end list. The last time, it was Aesop Rock's None Shall Pass, which brought a much needed sense of intellectualism and class to hip hop. Still, I pined for the ferocity of early Wu Tang and the like. Enter Zach Hill from math rock band Hella, who decides to put together a mysterious hip hop group called Death Grips and release Ex- Military, the most ferocious hip hop record I've ever heard since Enter The Wu. It's almost a crime that Tyler the Creator is getting so much love these days when this record honestly stomps all over his pretentious nonsense. Hell, Ex-Military is arguably heavier than any metal record that came out this year. I tip my hat to you Mr. Hill. You made particle physics brutal.
1. Times Of Grace - The Hymn Of a Broken Man
Having grown up with Killswitch during the Leech years, I long missed the days of Alive Or Just Breathing. When The Hymn Of a Broken Man came out, I couldn't help but tear up when the record was over. I never thought I'd live to hear Adam D write riffs with Jesse Leech singing over them.
I don't care how much of a singer snob you are. If Jesse isn't on your "top vocalists list" after listening to this record, then you should rethink your perspective on life. Dude even gives Sir Russel a run for his money on some tracks. What a fucking record!
I would also like to give honorable mentions to Dream Theater, Yes, Torchbearer, and East Of The Wall.
