Another Pointless top 20 albums of 2011 list. Most of these are bands I had not listened to before or had listened to very little of.

1.Symphony X - Iconoclast

2.Mastodon - The Hunter

3.Ghost Brigade - Until Fear No Longer Defines Us

4.Pagan's Mind - Heavenly Ecstasy

5.Iced Earth - Dystopia

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2011 is almost over and here is the list of the best music I listened this year.

1.Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn Of Events

2.Anthrax - Worship Music

3.Vektor - Outer Isolation

4.Machine Head - Unto The Locust

5.Havok - Time Is Up

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2011 for me was a year where experimentation really took the spotlight, although not entirely accepted by fans, critics brought more attention to bands trying out something new.

1.Opeth - Heritage

2.Fair To Midland - Arrows & Anchors

3.Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning

4.Mastodon - The Hunter

5.Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn Of Events

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1.Leprous - Bilateral

2.Symphony X - Iconoclast

3.Pain Of Salvation - Road Salt Two

4.Jolly - The Audio Guide To Happiness (Part 1)

5.Pagan's Mind - Heavenly Ecstasy

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2011 have been a good year for metal, and here is my top 30 favourites!

1.Hell - Human Remains

2.Ceremonial Perfection - Alone In The End

3.Children Of Bodom - Relentless Reckless Forever

4.Megadeth - Th1rt3en

5.Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn Of Events

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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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2011 Metal

1.Mastodon - The Hunter

2.Opeth - Heritage

3.Animals As Leaders - Weightless

4.Unearth - Darkness In The Light

5.Cynic - Carbon-Based Anatomy

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This list will expand later and the positions here will probably change a bit as well. An interesting feature is an album in top 10 from a band that's not featured on Metal Storm yet.

1.Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times

2.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

3.MyGrain - MyGrain

4.Constantine - Divine Design

5.Chaos Divine - The Human Connection

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It remains to add bands that haven't released album and add personal comments.

1.Symphony X - Iconoclast

2.Iced Earth - Dystopia

3.Vektor - Outer Isolation

4.Megadeth - Th1rt3en

5.Warbringer - Worlds Torn Asunder

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Even in 2012 (update: 2013), 2011 still isn't too hot a year for me. Still, new stuff keeps on coming, and 2012 itself is looking pretty good, so I'll forgive it. New in the new year is the lack of ratings. It's bothersome, especially since I've decided to sacrifice a few newborns and (retrospectively and retroactively) rate on RYM.

1.Hell - Human Remains

2.SubRosa - No Help For The Mighty Ones

3.Anubis Gate - Anubis Gate

4.Hammers Of Misfortune - 17th Street

5.Mastodon - The Hunter

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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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1.Septicflesh - The Great Mass

2.Betraying The Martyrs - Breathe In Life

3.Dead By April - Incomperable

4.Machine Head - Unto The Locust

5.Mastodon - The Hunter

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1.The Black Dahlia Murder - Ritual

2.Protest The Hero - Scurrilous

3.Abysmal Dawn - Leveling The Plane Of Existence

4.Skeletonwitch - Forever Abomination

5.Decapitated - Carnival Is Forever

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These are the albums I have enjoyed the most with a vague ordering. There are of course a few albums left to be heard. As for the albums I did not enjoy, they will not be making an appearance on this list.

1.Mastodon - The Hunter

2.Opeth - Heritage

3.Fleshgod Apocalypse - Agony

4.Graveyard - Hisingen Blues

5.Hate Eternal - Phoenix Amongst The Ashes

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1.Opeth - Heritage

2.Mastodon - The Hunter

3.Septicflesh - The Great Mass

4.Pain Of Salvation - Road Salt Two

5.Machine Head - Unto The Locust

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