2012 has been such a great year for metal releases. So in honor of that, here is my personal favourite Albums of 2012.

1. Indesinence - Vessels Of Light And Decay

2. Faal - The Clouds Are Burning

3. In The Silence - A Fair Dream Gone Mad

4. Enochian Theory - Life... And All It Entails

5. Eternal Deformity - The Beauty Of Chaos

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Because I reached the word limit on the previous list, and don't want to lose my quite excellent in-depth descriptions. Those without descriptions are from my other list.

1. Sylosis - Monolith

2. Be'lakor - Of Breath And Bone

3. In The Silence - A Fair Dream Gone Mad

4. Abigail Williams - Becoming

5. Enslaved - RIITIIR

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1. Agalloch - Faustian Echoes

2. A Forest Of Stars - Opportunistic Thieves Of Spring

3. Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors

4. Blut Aus Nord - 777 - Sect(s)

5. Blut Aus Nord - 777 - The Desanctification

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Voila.

1. Saturnus - Saturn In Ascension

2. Blut Aus Nord - 777 - Cosmosophy

3. Dordeduh - Dar De Duh

4. Indesinence - Vessels Of Light And Decay

5. Enslaved - RIITIIR

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This is a list of almost every album/EP/demo I listened to from 2012. It is primarily composed of the better albums I listened to as I tend to forget about bad albums (and rightfully so).

NOTE: Most of these ratings don't stand anymore.

1. Igorrr - Hallelujah

2. Blut Aus Nord - What Once Was... Liber II

3. Aluk Todolo - Occult Rock

4. Indesinence - Vessels Of Light And Decay

5. Elderwind - Волшебство живой природы

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While I'm slightly disappointed the world didn't end this year, I thought I'd share my musical tastes from throughout the year by arbitrarily ranking other people's art. When the year began I was really into sludge and stoner but as the year has worn on, it's been the black metal releases which by and large have won my attention and appreciation.

1. Royal Thunder - CVI

2. Ancestors - In Dreams and Time

3. Merrimack - The Acausal Mass

4. Hail Spirit Noir - Pneuma

5. Hidden Orchestra - Archipelago

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Another year, another favourites of the year list... But hopefully this will be more complete than the previous years ones. Rather than making a massive list of everything I have listened to, I'll be as selective as possible. I've only started listening to 2012 releases since February, so I'll be playing catch up throughout the year as my time is limited. I've only gone through 556 releases this year properly as of 07/01/2013, so the list can only expand! If you feel strongly about certain albums released this year and it's not here, be sure to leave a comment! Feel free to make a list that's exactly the same =P

1. CSSABA - Underground Lo-Fi Songs

2. Indesinence - Vessels Of Light And Decay

3. Monolithe - Interlude Second

4. Nadja - The Primitive World

5. In The Silence - A Fair Dream Gone Mad

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Albums that have intrigued me and ones that I've liked and loved from 2012, rather than EVERYTHING I've heard from 2012. One again, more emphasis on the obscure and the unknown.
No order.

BANDCAMP LINKS:

METAL
Monolithe | Sigh | Chimp Spanner | Orange Goblin | Christian Mistress | Lord Mantis | Kayo Dot | Nadja | Abigail Williams | Yayla | Nachtruf | What The Blood Revealed | Hiemal | Abyssal | Hellvetron | Bologna Violenta | Vulgaari | Prison Of Mirrors | Nebula VII | Umbah | Ice Dragon | Vattnet Viskar | Biipiigwan | Conan | Pike | A Cloud Forest | Noûs | Beyond Terror Beyond Grace | Abest | Apotheosis | Hivelords | Spelljammer | Inverloch | SaturninE | Demon Lung | Bloodshot Dawn | Book Of Sand | Agruss

1. Reverence - The Asthenic Ascension

2. Monolithe - Interlude Second

3. Diskord - Dystopics

4. Sigh - In Somniphobia

5. Agruss - Morok

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2012 running list... my version

1. Sigh - Somniphobia

2. Sutekh Hexen - Larvae

3. Lunar Aurora - Hoagascht

4. Mondstille - Seelenwund

5. Motorpsycho and Ståle Storløkken - The Death Defying Unicorn

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A list of 2012 albums I found good, interesting or just worth checking out - and some I reviewed that turned out to be crap.

The albums are in order of preference down to and not including those ranked 3/5. Those and below are grouped by style, so that you can easily find similar recommendations.

You can find several full reviews on my RYM list. Check it out.

1. Susanne Sundfør - The Silicone Veil

2. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

3. Mount Eerie - Clear Moon

4. A Forest of Stars - A Shadowplay for Yesterdays

5. Aluk Todolo - Occult Rock

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This is currently undergoing a year end overhaul. All albums added, but not ordered or commented. Expect completion whenever I get round to it!

1. Lamb Of God - Resolution

2. Wilds Forlorn - We, the Damned

3. Dodecahedron - Dodecahedron

4. Monolithe - Interlude Second

5. Liberteer - Better To Die On Your Feet Than Live On Your Knees

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I'm (sorta) back. *The Finishing Touches* OKAY, so obviously not as much stuff from the last half of the year as the first. Sorry guys, but that first six months nearly killed me. Some stuff as a result will be missing, but major stuff not present is stuff I probably didn't care for. Alrighty then, enough with the "stuff"...

1. Bound by Entrails - The Stars Bode You Farewell

2. Royal Thunder - CVI

3. Akphaezya - Anthology IV: The Tragedy of Nerak

4. Dissona - Dissona

5. Anhedonist - Netherwards

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My list of favourites and interests for this year ordered roughly in descending order. My new years resolution is to branch out a bit and listen to new and unfamiliar genres, metal and non-metal.

Edit: Anything above about a 7/10 I'll keep here. Now with approximate rating in a .5 scale and ordered according to **replay value** i.e how often I listen to them. AND now with some comments, adding them gradually.

1. Enslaved - RIITIIR

2. Pharaoh - Bury The Light

3. Anglagard - Viljans Öga

4. Overkill - The Electric Age

5. The Foreshadowing - Second World

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One of likely hundreds of these, more for self-enjoyment (or something) above anything, but if it helps someone find a good album/albums they wouldn't've otherwise heard I'll be happy.

1. Sylosis - Monolith

2. Be'lakor - Of Breath And Bone

3. In The Silence - A Fair Dream Gone Mad

4. Abigail Williams - Becoming

5. Enslaved - RIITIIR

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