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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I wanted to create my personal Top List for a long time and to be honest, I always considered it as some kind of cool Prog Metal, Avantgarde Metal mix. As you can see, it has become a bit more complicated. So finally, there are Unexpect and Pain Of Salvation next to Bands like Kamelot and Savatage. Also, some Non-Metal Bands got involved like Jeff Buckley and Oingo Boingo. But could you imagine how PoS would sound without Jeffs influence? Or what would have become of Mr. Bungle if it weren't for Danny Elfman and Oingo Boingo?!

1.Pain Of Salvation - The Perfect Element, Part I

2.Kalisia - Cybion

3.Savatage - Streets: A Rock Opera

4.Dog Fashion Disco - Adultery

5.Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors

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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

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I don't believe in illegal downloading of easily available albums, so this list is only albums I have actually purchased and own a hard copy or official download of. The order is VERY fluid, and in all likelihood, wrong. But oh well....

Coming soon: Comments for each album & finalised order for the year...

1.Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg

2.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

3.Ulcerate - The Destroyers Of All

4.Symphony X - Iconoclast

5.Cormorant - Dwellings

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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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1.Sylosis - Edge Of The Earth

2.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

3.Moonsorrow - Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa

4.Blut Aus Nord - 777 - The Desanctification

5.Fair To Midland - Arrows & Anchors

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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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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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1.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

2.Insomnium - One For Sorrow

3.Sylosis - Edge Of The Earth

4.Mercenary - Metamorphosis

5.Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg

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My top albums of the year, roughly in order.

1.Ouroboros - Glorification Of A Myth

2.Vektor - Outer Isolation

3.Xerath - II

4.Vildhjarta - Måsstaden

5.Havok - Time Is Up

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Last Updated: 20th November 2012

1.Forefather - Last Of The Line

2.Bloodiest - Descent

3.Ava Inferi - Onyx

4.Cormorant - Dwellings

5.Insomnium - One For Sorrow

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2011 Looks to be a very promising year for Metal fans with some of the biggest names in the business preparing to release their new records, and so I decided to compile a list of my own most anticipated albums that is set to be released in the course of this new year.

1.Opeth - Heritage

2.Circus Maximus - TBA

3.Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn Of Events

4.Symphony X - Iconoclast

5.Rush - Clockwork Angels

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Limited to only those albums featured on Metal Storm.

1.Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick

2.Rush - Moving Pictures

3.King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King

4.Pain Of Salvation - Remedy Lane

5.Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime

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