Quite a polarizing year, this one. On one hand, some releases redefined crap itself. On the other hand, we've got quite a few great and awesome albums. All in all, it was a bit disappointing for me, but I won't complain much indeed (unless I compare it with 2007 of course)...

1 to 5: Cream of the crop, by preference order.

1. Lazuli - (4603 Battements)

2. Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg

3. Devin Townsend - Deconstruction

4. Terra Tenebrosa - The Tunnels

5. Unexpect - Fables Of The Sleepless Empire

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List of the albums that surprised me this year (2011). Some of the albums were even more unexpected because it was my first contact with the bands. Others were confirmations.
Oh, how I like good surprises... (ongoing list)

1. Grayceon - All We Destroy

2. Protest The Hero - Scurrilous

3. Tesseract - One

4. Appearance Of Nothing - All Gods Are Gone

5. Long Distance Calling - Long Distance Calling

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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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I don't have this in any special order. Seems like 2011"s flavor for metal has been Death, Prog and Thrash.and that's good with me.I feel in most part the up and coming bands have out did their idols,that's a good thing!!!!

1. Sylosis - Edge Of The Earth

2. Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

3. Havok - Time is up

4. Devin Townsend - Deconstruction

5. Revocation - Chaos Of Forms

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Each year countless of albums come out. This is obviously by no means a definitive guide because as of 14/12/2011, I've only heard 364 releases from 2011, but do check these albums out if you haven't already! Feel free to throw stuff at my direction. In a rough order right now and rankings get rearranged every now and again. Will be trimmed around again in January / February. Note that I still have plenty to check out though.

1. Terra Tenebrosa - The Tunnels

2. Esoteric - Paragon Of Dissonance

3. Born Of Osiris - The Discovery

4. The Psychic Paramount - II

5. Flourishing - The Sum Of All Fossils

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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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1. Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

2. Insomnium - One For Sorrow

3. Sylosis - Edge Of The Earth

4. Mercenary - Metamorphosis

5. Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg

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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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1. Primordial - Redemption At The Puritan's Hand

2. While Heaven Wept - Fear of Infinity

3. Iced Earth - Dystopia

4. Symphony X - Iconoclast

5. Amorphis - The Beginning of Times

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My favorite 25 albums of the year

1. Woods of Desolation - Torn Beyond Reason

2. Obscura - Omnivium

3. Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

4. Deafheaven - Roads to Judah

5. We Were Promised Jetpacks - In the Pit of the Stomach

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Last Updated: 20th November 2012

1. Forefather - Last Of The Line

2. Bloodiest - Descent

3. Ava Inferi - Onyx

4. Cormorant - Dwellings

5. Insomnium - One For Sorrow

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A list of my favourite Progressive albums on Metal Storm, ranked roughly in order of preference.

1. Ayreon - The Human Equation

2. Dol Ammad - Ocean Dynamics

3. Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition

4. Porcupine Tree - Signify

5. Opeth - Still Life

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