What I listened to last year.

1. 40 Watt Sun - The Inside Room

2. Alda - : Tahoma :

3. Alrakis - Alpha Eri

4. Anaal Nathrakh - Passion

5. Ash Borer - Ash Borer

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This is a favorites list, not a guide or anything of that sort. It just highlights the albums that I've enjoyed listening to and spinned extensively since last November (When I got into this monolithic genre.) One entry for each band. The descriptions aren't necessarily descriptions of the music. I just wrote what came to my mind. I will update with new albums frequently.
EDIT: Got to 50 entries, so I guess I'll stop for now. I want more time to revisit these 50, get into the other albums of the bands listed below and delve into other genres of metal. I guess that taking a break from black metal (at least new stuff) will ensure that I won't get bored of it. It is likely that I'll continue this list by the half of July.

1. A Forest Of Stars - Opportunistic Thieves Of Spring

2. Addaura - Burning For The Ancient

3. Agalloch - Pale Folklore

4. Alcest - Écailles De Lune

5. Alda - : Tahoma :

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Here it is! Yet another unimaginative list of albums released in 2011!

1. MurkRat - Drudging The Mire

2. Esoteric - Paragon Of Dissonance

3. Omit - Repose

4. The Wounded Kings - In The Chapel Of The Black Hand

5. Aquilus - Griseus

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In order roughly, by the number of spins. A lot = A LOT. So when I give ten more spins to the rest of the albums I've listened to, and forgot to rate most probably, this will grow larger. Or not. I'm making this for me anyway.

1. Subsignal - Touchstones

2. Symphony X - Iconoclast

3. Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times

4. Pain Of Salvation - Road Salt Two

5. Iced Earth - Dystopia

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Just because I couldn't leave Sólstafir out

1. Unexpect - Fables of the Sleepless Empire

2. Devin Townsend - Deconstruction

3. Peste Noire - L'ordure à L'état Pur

4. Mastodon - The Hunter

5. Nightwish - Imaginaerum

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Purely subjective list based on personal preferences for the year, unrelated to mass opinion of an album or a band's abilities (e.g. Trivium, Oranssi Pazuzu) - many albums lined up to listen to so will increase in size. Also, not entirely in order, middle order mainly just an approximation.

1. Sylosis - Edge Of The Earth

2. Protest The Hero - Scurrilous

3. Infestus - E x I s t

4. Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times

5. Ouroboros - Glorification Of A Myth

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Pending listen: Vektor, Blut Aus Nord, Iron Savior, Aenaon

By the end of the year, this will be my top 50.

1. Insomnium - One For Sorrow

2. Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg

3. Woods of Desolation - Torn Beyond Reason

4. Septicflesh - The Great Mass

5. Draconian - A Rose For The Apocalypse

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Ordered best to worst. This is entirely my opinion.

1. Insomnium - One For Sorrow

2. Graveyard - Hisingen Blues

3. Havok - Time Is Up

4. Toxic Holocaust - Conjure And Command

5. Deafheaven - Roads To Judah

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My favorites from 2011
I still need to check out (Smohalla - Fell Voices - Sleestak - Arizmenda - Owl - Cloak Of Altering)

1. 40 Watt Sun - The Inside Room

2. Dirge - Elysian Magnetic Fields

3. Esoteric - Paragon Of Dissonance

4. Ulcerate - The Destroyers Of All

5. Blut Aus Nord - 777 - The Desanctification

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1. Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning

2. Fair To Midland - Arrows & Anchors

3. Esoteric - Paragon Of Dissonance

4. Machine Head - Unto The Locust

5. Moonsorrow - Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa

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All the metal albums I've listened to in 2011, including stuff missing from this site on the grounds of its unpopularity and anything else vaguely metal or Steven Wilson. Ratings out of 10.

1. Moonsorrow - Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa

2. Symphony X - Iconoclast

3. Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

4. Woods Of Desolation - Torn Beyond Reason

5. Hypomanie - A City in Mono

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A list of my favorite recent albums in 2011. I'll update this list regularly. In no particular order. I added the rating next to them for the curious ones, but you should check them all.

1. 40 Watt Sun - The Inside Room

2. Mitochondrion - Parasignosis

3. Dirge - Elysian Magnetic Fields

4. Ulcerate - The Destroyers of All

5. Blut Aus Nord - 777 - The Desanctification

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Best (and worst) of 2011 (thus far).
Partially ordered (thus far).
Subject to change, as I see fit.

What a wonderful year, I have to say! This year has seen me expand my tastes like never before. Discovered so many great new acts, while many metal stalwarts delivered the goods as expected. A truly memorable year, and one that I will forever cherish, as far as me being an avid music enthusiast is concerned.

1. Septicflesh - The Great Mass

2. Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

3. Sylosis - Edge Of The Earth

4. Heavenwood - Abyss Masterpiece

5. Insomnium - One For Sorrow

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