The only reason that this is a top 14 is that this is the number of albums from 2011 that I've heard thus far. Aside from my top 7 or so, I found this year to be a bit disappointing overall.

1.Iced Earth - Dystopia

2.Machine Head - Unto The Locust

3.Scar Symmetry - The Unseen Empire

4.Draconian - A Rose For The Apocalypse

5.Opeth - Heritage

      View entire list ››

1.Turisas - Stand Up And Fight

2.Draconian - A Rose For The Apocalypse

3.Symphony X - Iconoclast

4.Heavenwood - Abyss Masterpiece

5.Hands Of Despair - Hereafter

      View entire list ››

Heavy metal + power + thrash + death metal top 50 / 2011…

1.Septicflesh - The Great Mass

2.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

3.Samael - Lux Mundi

4.Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction

5.Fleshgod Apocalypse - Aagony

      View entire list ››

1.Draconian - Arcane Rain Fell

2.My Dying Bride - Songs Of Darkness, Words Of Light

3.Evoken - A Caress Of The Void

4.Draconian - Where Lovers Mourn

5.Swallow The Sun - New Moon

      View entire list ››

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…

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

      View entire list ››

Pending listen: Vektor, Blut Aus Nord, Iron Savior, Aenaon

By the end of the year, this will be my top 50.

1.Insomnium - One For Sorrow

2.Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg

3.Woods Of Desolation - Torn Beyond Reason

4.Septicflesh - The Great Mass

5.Draconian - A Rose For The Apocalypse

      View entire list ››

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

      View entire list ››

1.Septicflesh - The Great Mass

2.Insomnium - One For Sorrow

3.Ouroboros - Glorification Of A Myth

4.Vreid - V

5.Havok - Time Is Up

      View entire list ››

1.Nightwish - Imaginaerum

2.Fleshgod Apocalypse - Agony

3.Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times

4.The Devil Wears Prada - Dead Throne

5.Moonsorrow - Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa

      View entire list ››

1.Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times

2.Blood Stain Child - ε Psilon

3.Symphony X - Iconoclast

4.Trivium - In Waves

5.Moonsorrow - Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa

      View entire list ››

1.My Dying Bride - The Angel And The Dark River

2.Swallow The Sun - The Morning Never Came

3.Draconian - Arcane Rain Fell

4.Novembers Doom - The Pale Haunt Departure

5.Ghost Brigade - Isolation Songs

      View entire list ››

1.Septicflesh - The Great Mass

2.Symphony X - Iconoclast

3.Machine Head - Unto The Locust

4.The Black Dahlia Murder - Ritual

5.Opeth - Heritage

      View entire list ››

(still under Construction...!)…

1.Septicflesh - The Great Mass

2.Within Temptation - The Unforgiving

3.Moonsorrow - Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa

4.Anathema - Falling Deeper

5.Insomnium - One For Sorrow

      View entire list ››

1.Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning

2.Fair To Midland - Arrows & Anchors

3.Esoteric - Paragon Of Dissonance

4.Machine Head - Unto The Locust

5.Moonsorrow - Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa

      View entire list ››

In my opinion, the best albuns of 2011…

1.Symphony X - Iconoclast

2.Machine Head - Unto The Locust

3.Krisiun - The Great Execution

4.Shadowside - Inner Monster Out

5.Septicflesh - The Great Mass

      View entire list ››