1.Insomnium - One For Sorrow

2.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

3.Symphony X - Iconoclast

4.Concerto Moon - Savior Never Cry

5.Brymir - Breathe Fire To The Sun

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Here it is! Yet another unimaginative list of albums released in 2011!

1.MurkRat - Drudging The Mire

2.Woods Of Desolation - Torn Beyond Reason

3.Wolves In The Throne Room - Celestial Lineage

4.Esoteric - Paragon Of Dissonance

5.SubRosa - No Help For The Mighty Ones

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1.Rhapsody Of Fire - From Chaos To Eternity

2.Symphony X - Iconoclast

3.Nightwish - Imaginaerum

4.Stratovarius - Elysium

5.Versailles - Holy Grail

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1.To Cast A Shadow - In Memory Of

2.Crysalys - The Awakening Of Gaia

3.Ravenscry - One Way Out

4.Within Temptation - The Unforgiving

5.Powerwolf - Blood Of The Saints

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In order roughly, by the number of spins. A lot = A LOT. So when I give ten more spins to the rest of the albums I've listened to, and forgot to rate most probably, this will grow larger. Or not. I'm making this for me anyway.

1.Subsignal - Touchstones

2.Symphony X - Iconoclast

3.Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times

4.Pain Of Salvation - Road Salt Two

5.Iced Earth - Dystopia

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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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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

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Welcome, no matter if you're a long-term MS member or an Avenged Sevenfold listener. Don't know what to vote for? Here's ANOTHER yearly best-of list for you to go through, or, more likely, for the usual tl;dr. But, wait - what makes this one different: 1) unqualified and totally subjective two-line reviews, 2) conscious restriction to the litte-more-than-20 most impressive albums, 3) an aversion against the much too generic thrash & power metal genres and anything without recall value.

1.Amaranthe - Amaranthe

2.Alestorm - Back Through Time

3.Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg

4.Fair To Midland - Arrows & Anchors

5.The Devil's Blood - The Thousandfold Epicentre

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