This is retrospective ranking of the albums I listened to in 2011. The list is a work-in-progress and the order is likely to change.

10 - Godly Album. Will likely listen to at least once a week for a decade.
9 - Fantastic Album. Will be a classic I remember even in senility.
8 - Great Album. Will recommend to friends.

1.Obscura - Omnivium

2.SubRosa - No Help For The Mighty Ones

3.Paul Wardingham - Assimilate Regenerate

4.Blotted Science - The Animation Of Entomology

5.Protest The Hero - Scurrilous

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As one of the volunteer presiders over the post/sludge/atmospheric genre here at MS I'd like to share some discoveries made in 2011. I'll be adding to the list so stayed tuned! Oh and post your recommendations!

1.Dirge - Elysian Magnetic Fields

2.Jet Plane - All The Static Stars

3.Hull - Beyond The Lightless Sky

4.Amia Venera Landscape - The Long Procession

5.Fading Waves - The Sense Of Space

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These are the albums I have enjoyed the most with a vague ordering. There are of course a few albums left to be heard. As for the albums I did not enjoy, they will not be making an appearance on this list.

1.Mastodon - The Hunter

2.Opeth - Heritage

3.Fleshgod Apocalypse - Agony

4.Graveyard - Hisingen Blues

5.Hate Eternal - Phoenix Amongst The Ashes

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weeeee. all my past staff picks now compiled into one swell list.

1.High On Fire - Snakes For The Divine

2.Krallice - Dimensional Bleedthrough

3.Greymachine - Disconnected

4.Kylesa - Static Tensions

5.Profetus - Coronation Of The Black Sun

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My favorites from 2011
I still need to check out (Smohalla - Fell Voices - Sleestak - Arizmenda - Owl - Cloak Of Altering)

1.40 Watt Sun - The Inside Room

2.Dirge - Elysian Magnetic Fields

3.Esoteric - Paragon Of Dissonance

4.Ulcerate - The Destroyers Of All

5.Blut Aus Nord - 777 - The Desanctification

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My top 2011 list per November

1.Ulcerate - The Destroyers Of All

2.Mitochondrion - Parasignosis

3.Ana Kefr - Burial Tree (II)

4.Atlas Moth - An Ache For The Distance

5.SubRosa - No Help For The Mighty One

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List of the albums that surprised me this year (2011). Some of the albums were even more unexpected because it was my first contact with the bands. Others were confirmations.
Oh, how I like good surprises... (ongoing list)

1.Grayceon - All We Destroy

2.Protest The Hero - Scurrilous

3.TesseracT - One

4.Appearance Of Nothing - All Gods Are Gone

5.Long Distance Calling - Long Distance Calling

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