1. Midnattsol - The Metamorphosis Melody

2. Septicflesh - The Great Mass

3. Nightwish - Imaginaerum

4. Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg

5. Turisas - Stand Up And Fight

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1. Cathedral - Anniversary

2. Radiohead - The King Of Limbs

3. Peter Murphy - Ninth

4. Opeth - Heritage

5. Nightwish - Imaginaerum

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1. Alestorm - Back Through Time

2. Iced Earth - Dystopia

3. Symphony X - Iconoclast

4. Turisas - Stand Up And Fight

5. Stratovarius - Elysium

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I tried to put one album per band, so it was a fucking hard choice in many cases.
Anyway, all of them are great albums in it' genre.
No order followed.

1. Almah - Fragile Equality

2. Andre Matos - Mentalize

3. Arryan Path - Ira Imperium

4. Avantasia - The Metal Opera Part 1

5. Astral Doors - New Revelation

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Looking at this list I realise that 2011 was a better metal year than I remembered it to be. Interesting year with a lot of surprises. The Shining album is in my opinion awesome, one of their best. Power Quest released their best album since "Wings of Forever". Amon Amarth keep on surprising me with solid releases (and I thought I was over them years ago). Opeth's "Heritage" was way better than my expectations. Amebix gave me some of the best tracks of '11. Overall, a really good year. Although I have to admit that the last four are real fillers worthy of the name.

1. Shining - VII - Född Förlorare

2. Lifelover - Sjukdom

3. An Autumn For Crippled Children - Everything

4. Power Quest - Blood Alliance

5. Amon Amarth - Surtur Rising

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If you're like me and can't sit still with just one or two genres, perhaps you'll find some ideas in this list. I kept the variety with genres, but also by including all worthy bands from unknown newcomers all the way up to big names. Basically, everything I liked this year.

Since there are so many genres here, don't get too worked up about specific rating and placement. They're generally in order, but more importantly they're all amazing.

1. Silent Stream Of Godless Elegy - Návaz

2. Fair To Midland - Arrows & Anchors

3. Autumn - Cold Comfort

4. Shadowside - Inner Monster Out

5. 40 Watt Sun - The Inside Room

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I usually do not like this kind of list because everybody has different tastes and nobody can match completely the taste of somebody else.
Anyway here comes my Top 21 Metal Albums of 2011. Why 21? because it sounds better for 2011...
I did not listen to everything in 2011, I will certainly discover some new good albums of 2011 in the next few months of 2012. But as I have started now, let s go for this Top 21 Metal Albums of 2011!

1. Septicflesh - The Great Mass

2. Visions of Atlantis - Delta

3. Belphegor - Blood Magick Necromance

4. Peste Noire - L'Ordure à L'état Pur

5. Red Descending - Kingdoms

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1. Turisas - Stand up and Fight

2. Arafel - For Battles Once Fought

3. Rhapsody of Fire - From Chaos to Eternity

4. MaYan - Quarterpast

5. Moonsorrow - Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa

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1. Turisas - Stand Up And Fight

2. Draconian - A Rose For The Apocalypse

3. Heavenwood - Abyss Masterpiece

4. Symphony X - Iconoclast

5. Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

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1. Edguy - Age Of The Joker

2. Magnum - The Visitation

3. Turisas - Stand Up And Fight

4. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events

5. Powerwolf - Blood of the Saints

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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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This is a list of my favorite releases of 2011. The top 50 is in order of preference, the rest are in random order. I have ranked 150 albums in order of preference on RateYourMusic, but I cannot be bothered to do twice the work. Check my profile there for more rankings and reviews.

My reviews
Top 150 and more.

1. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

2. Subrosa - No Help For The Mighty Ones

3. Einar Stray - Chiaroscuro

4. Eleanoora Rosenholm - Hyväile minua pimeä tähti

5. Giles Corey - Giles Corey

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Ned Stark's picks for this year. Work In Progress.

1. Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg

2. Fleshgod Apocalypse - Agony

3. Vektor - Outer Isolation

4. Illogicist - The Unconsciousness of Living

5. Blotted Science - The Animation of Entomology

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Best Folkish albums I've heard so far...!! Please feel free to post your Suggestions!!

1. Agalloch - The Mantle

2. Ensiferum - Iron

3. Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

4. Blackmore's Night - Under A Violet Moon

5. Blackmore's Night - Shadow Of The Moon

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(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 ››