My personal top 20 albums of 2012 (in alphabetical order). I would have liked to add the debut album 'Lingua Franca' from T.R.A.M. but they are not on Metal Storm.

1. Alcest - Les voyages de l'âme

2. Aura Noir - Out To Die

3. Baroness - Yellow & Green

4. Between The Buried And Me - The Parallax II: Future Sequence

5. Deftones - Koi No Yokan

      View entire list ››

This is my list of my favourite albums of 2012. These albums are not necessarily "the best" of the year, just what I've heard listed by how much I've enjoyed them.

1. Wintersun - Time I

2. Enslaved - RIITIIR

3. Sigh - In Somniphobia

4. Accept - Stalingrad

5. Kreator - Phantom Antichrist

      View entire list ››

Another year, another list.

1. Enslaved - RIITIIR

2. Kreator - Phantom Antichrist

3. Mgła - With Hearts Toward None

4. A Forest of Stars - A Shadowplay For Yesterdays

5. Neurosis - Honor Found In Decay

      View entire list ››

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

      View entire list ››

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

      View entire list ››

Note; Anything I rate lower than 8 I deem underwhelming. Sure, I might even acknowledge some of them as being rather enjoyble, but considering the "bigger picture of things", I find them unsatisfactory (in varying degrees, depending on their rating).

Partially ordered (the ones with descriptions). The rest are arranged alphabetically.

1. Sybreed - God Is An Automaton

2. Gorod - A Perfect Absolution

3. The Faceless - Autotheism

4. Ihsahn - Eremita

5. Saturnus - Saturn In Ascension

      View entire list ››

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

      View entire list ››

1. Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage

2. Meshuggah - Koloss

3. Allegaeon - Formshifter

4. Wretched - Son Of Perdition

5. Jeff Loomis - Plains Of Oblivion

      View entire list ››

I don't bother myself listing albums with less than 8.

1. Faal - The Clouds Are Burning

2. Bong - Mana-Yood-Sushai

3. Process Of Guilt - Fæmin

4. The Great Old Ones - Al Azif

5. Ahab - The Giant

      View entire list ››

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

      View entire list ››

I will be logging here everything I check out and at least slightly enjoy on 2012, so I don't miss anything by the end of the year. Scores are subject to change.

1. Ihsahn - Eremita

2. Hypno5e - Acid Mist Tomorrow

3. Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pandora's Piñata

4. Between The Buried And Me - The Parallax II: Future Sequence

5. Hail Spirit Noir - Pneuma

      View entire list ››

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

      View entire list ››

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

      View entire list ››

You know the drill...

1. Enslaved - RIITIIR

2. Saturnus - Saturn in Ascension

3. Hail Spirit Noir - Pneuma

4. Be'lakor - Of Breath and Bone

5. Anaal Nathrakh - Vanitas

      View entire list ››