My top 20 albums of the year, roughly in order.

1.Sylosis - Edge Of The Earth

2.Anterior - Echoes Of The Fallen

3.Born Of Osiris - The Discovery

4.The Human Abstract - Digital Veil

5.Beyond Creation - The Aura

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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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1.Primordial - Redemption At The Puritan's Hand

2.Moonsorrow - Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa

3.Septicflesh - The Great Mass

4.Obscura - Omnivium

5.MaYaN - Quarterpast

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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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These are the bands that have spent the most time coming through my speakers (or will have by the end of the year). In other words: TOP PICKS for 2011, listed in no particular order and updated but not finished...

1.Scar Symmetry - The Unseen Empire

2.Pagan's Mind - Heavenly Ecstasy

3.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

4.Heavenwood - Abyss Masterpiece

5.Havok - Time Is Up

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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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1.Septicflesh - The Great Mass

2.Insomnium - One For Sorrow

3.Ouroboros - Glorification Of A Myth

4.Vreid - V

5.Havok - Time Is Up

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Instead of making an arbitrarily long list of all the albums I enjoyed in 2011 I decided to only list my top 5 albums that were constantly repeating in my head all year (and still do).

1.Sylosis - Edge Of The Earth

2.Textures - Dualism

3.Born Of Osiris - The Discovery

4.Leprous - Bilateral

5.The Human Abstract - Digital Veil

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2011 promises to be a sensational year for metal!

1.Anathema - Falling Deeper

2.Amon Amarth - Surtur Rising

3.Cynic - TBA

4.The Dear Hunter - The Color Spectrum

5.Devin Townsend - Deconstruction

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My tops of this year. If you wanna know anything about those albums or got suggestions PM me!

1.Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg

2.Leprous - Bilateral

3.Devin Townsend - Deconstruction

4.Minushuman - Bloodthrone

5.Textures - Dualism

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My best to worst of 2011 so far. I'll keep this updated as the year progresses and as I listen to more.

1.Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning

2.Vektor - Outer Isolation

3.Haken - Visions

4.Esoteric - Paragon Of Dissonance

5.Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg

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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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1.Fleshgod Apocalypse - Agony

2.Devin Townsend - Deconstruction

3.Septicflesh - The Great Mass

4.Mastodon - The Hunter

5.Insomnium - One For Sorrow

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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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