A challenger for the best neck-breaking grindcore album of 2011 appears... Seriously, this is the kind of killer shit that is guaranteed to rip you at least one new asshole.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Deadsoulman, Troy Killjoy, White Winter Sun, wormdrink414, X-Ray Rod

When Fates Warning's guitar mastermind Jim Matheos and ex-Dream Theater Kevin Moore unite, we have musical sparks. These sparks will burn you to the core with corrosive lyrics, bursts of heavy riffs, electronic soundscapes and weird noises. Some of these songs are like magnets, you can't help but being drawn to them. Expect musical "freedom", tasteful progressive metal and creative melodies.

OSI will release their new album later this year, so maybe we'll get some of that magic again. If you are in the mood for something different, give it a go.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Fat & Sassy!, Introspekrieg, Dane Train, Milena, Ag Fox

If over the last four years, you somehow managed to miss this fun little trip to a macabre fairy tale about the twisted circus of your dreams... I don't actually know what to tell you besides that you've failed me as a friend. This album is a catchy ice metal sundae made up of a delicious blend of dark cabaret music, Oingo Boingo, Mr. Bungle, nuts and chocolate syrup, all topped off with a lightly flavored black/thrash metal cherry. Take your time. Enjoy it... but you should probably finish it before they (hopefully) dish out their new album this year.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Doc G., jupitreas, Ag Fox, X-Ray Rod, Darkside Momo

A lot of people were perturbed by Aaskereia's rather nifty 'Mit Raben und Wölfen' record due to the unusually wail-y vocals present, despite being a top notch display of ultra catchy pagan black metal. Regardless, returneth they do with their first full length in over 7 years and they haven't lost it, in fact they've grown in maturity exponentially. While the shrieks are still present they're combined with a veritable amada of other vocals styles from dramatic cleans, deathly growls and even a hint of Attila inspired insanity - Grim (yes Grim) is an extremely versatile vocalist. All serve exceptionally well to the driving, melody drenched black metal akin at times to Nagelfar's indomitable 'Hünengrab im Herbst' record.

Quality crap.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Troy Killjoy, X-Ray Rod, Deadsoulman, Promonex

Great riffs, great melodies, epic synths, and plenty of variety out the wazzoo. An incredibly deep sounding album no matter how you slice it. A must-hear for anyone who is looking for some top-notch 2011 releases.

Fun for the whole family.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Ag Fox, KwonVerge

Born Of Osiris was never the easiest thing to "get". But this album really shows a band on top of its game.
If you ever needed a good reason to check out Born Of Osiris, here it is!

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Doc G., jupitreas, White Winter Sun, Ag Fox, X-Ray Rod

Arabian death metallers Nervecell have returned to attack our senses with this, their second full length album entitled 'Psychogenocide'.

Brutal, thrashy & progressive yet refined, this album is a natural progression from 2008's 'Preaching Venom' and stands out as one of the best death metal releases of 2011 so far.

Featuring traditional arabic instruments such as the 'Oud', arabic & english lyrics (a rarity in extreme metal), fantastic guitar work and a guest appearance by none other than Karl Sanders from Nile, this is an album that all death metal fans should check out and is a nice example of what talent there is to be found in the Arabian metal scene.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Troy Killjoy, wormdrink414

In two weeks, the legendary Uriah Heep will release Into The Wild, their 22nd studio album. Wake The Sleeper is the band's last effort from 2008, which itself was their first in a decade, and is an amazing hard rock album that can be compared to their greats from the 70's. You'll be doing yourself a great injustice by not checking them out.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Fat & Sassy!

Founded by a couple of girls obsessed with numbers, Forty-Two Tits might just be one of the craziest new bands of the last decade. This precisely calculated piece of music, filled with allusions to famous mathematicians and maths problems, as well as the question how much boob is enough boob, is a masterpiece in its own right.

Their music is definitely not playing by numbers, actually stating that they squared their originality is an understatement. Mixing their brilliance with an equal amount of sexuality and computations approaching infinity, this is the must-hear album of the year!

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: !J.O.O.E.!, Dane Train, Darkside Momo, BloodTears, Angelique, BitterCOld, White Winter Sun, Fat & Sassy!, Troy Killjoy, X-Ray Rod, Nefarious, Introspekrieg, Ag Fox

Horrible music for horrible people... "At A Loss" is raw, visceral, angry, throbbing, raging sludge. The most pleasant thing about this album are the moribund movie clips that signal the start of virtually every song on this album. The music is a harsh blend of the energy of hard core punk with the misanthropy of black metal and the overall vibe of doom. The worst of all worlds. Have some fun and blare their cover of "Don't Bring Me Down" for the ELO fan in your life... it will bring them down, down, down, down, down... ooh-oh-hooo.

And be sure to catch these guys pitch a Whiskey Fit at Hellfest this year.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Marcel Hubregtse

If you have been paying any attention at all, you know that 40 Watt Sun is the reincarnation of the now-defunct Warning (and if you don't even know who Warning is, gtfo). Let me tell you, Patrick Walker once again delivers: the atmosphere is, well, you'll just have to experience for yourself. The mandatory stuff for every self-loathing doom fan.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Jοe, BitterCOld, Dane Train, White Winter Sun, Marcel Hubregtse, Nefarious, X-Ray Rod, wormdrink414

Here's an album that we all missed when it was first released back in 2009. This is probably because the band only released it on vinyl and as an mp3 bundle on their website. Well, it's a real shame that no real promotion was done for Kiss The Lie because it is a superb little hidden gem, filled to the brim with complex riffs, unorthodox song structures, innovative instrumental virtuosity and some of the best melodies Candiria ever composed.

Note: The version floating around on iTunes is not endorsed by the band since it is unfinished. You need to go to http://risingpulse.com/ to get the real thing.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: BloodTears

Continuing the annual trend of finding (or in this case re-visiting, more or less, ignored) records that should have found their way onto "Best Of" lists the year after their release Zoroaster, a band I'm largely unfamiliar with, are one of the first objects of retrospective desire. Supposedly denizens of the sludge genre this little beauty seems largely devoid of most of the characteristics that adorn that musical subset, the bludgeoning force still present but wrapped in a veil of a stoned-out, mind melting maelstrom, the closing title track being a particularly delicious exercise in Skullflower-driven dronery. And yes, dronery is a word.

So yeah, don't be a toaster, go grab Zoroaster.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Troy Killjoy, BitterCOld, Marcel Hubregtse, Doc G., Promonex, Ag Fox, White Winter Sun

The French psychopaths make their long-awaited return after three and a half years since the band's last opus of groovy, grinding brutal death. Asylum Cave is Benighted just the way we've grown to love them, magnified by a whole lot more of everything.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: White Winter Sun, Troy Killjoy, Nefarious, Marcel Hubregtse, X-Ray Rod, wormdrink414, Darkside Momo

Here's an album title that really speaks for itself... Ulcerate is one of those rare bands with a peculiar monumental sound: there's room for both punishing br00tality and dissonant darkness. A must check out album that will rip yer face off.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Troy Killjoy, Marcel Hubregtse, !J.O.O.E.!, jupitreas, White Winter Sun, Nefarious, Ag Fox, X-Ray Rod, wormdrink414