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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Beware of contact high and feelings of severe misanthropy.

1.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

2.Acid Witch - Stoned

3.Ancestors - In Dreams And Time

4.Baroness - Blue Record

5.Bison B.C. - Dark Ages

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Since we had the whole MS album art awards, I figured I would try and list out my favourites.
This is not in any order and has no relation to the music, there are bands in here that I don't like, but the artwork is still great.
I'm not quite sure of some of the illustrators and designers on some covers, so they have been left blank, if you do know who did them, let me know. If you think there are some artists that I would dig coz of similar work, just leave me a shout.
This list is not finished so I will keep adding covers that I like.
I don't like Derek Riggs work too much so don't ask me why an Iron Maiden cover is not on the list.

1.Baroness - Red Album

2.Baroness - Blue Record

3.Mastodon - Leviathan

4.Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Agorapocalypse

5.Kvelertak - Kvelertak

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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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A list of my favorite recent albums in 2011. I'll update this list regularly. In no particular order. I added the rating next to them for the curious ones, but you should check them all.

1.40 Watt Sun - The Inside Room

2.Mitochondrion - Parasignosis

3.Dirge - Elysian Magnetic Fields

4.Ulcerate - The Destroyers Of All

5.Blut Aus Nord - 777 - The Desanctification

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Yep, one of those lists. Everyone has one, so I thought I'd make a list of metal albums I really recommend.

This is not an absolute "best-of" list, for a few reasons:
1) I stick to one album per band, unless there's been a drastic style shift (like Katatonia's).
2) I try to cover all major subgenres fairly, so I have something for everyone. It counterbalances the tendency to list all the cool bands in a style I'm into right now (like drone or epic doom).

1.Warning - Watching From A Distance

2.Candlemass - Nightfall

3.Reverend Bizarre - In The Rectory Of The Bizarre Reverend

4.Pagan Altar - The Lords Of Hypocrisy

5.Katatonia - Dance Of December Souls

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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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Welcome everybody to a little lesson on the history of Sludge & Stoner Metal. I'm Guib and today I have the immense pleasure to serve as your humble teacher.

Please take a seat and travel with me through time as we explore the very best of those two, often blurred, genres. The goal here is simple, I want to get you familiarized with the styles. I want you to understand where they come from through albums on a timeline and while we're at it get a sweet selection of great releases that you might not know and that, hopefully, will get you hooked to explore even more!

But this is a classroom and in my classroom there are a few rules. We want to keep this clean, clear and prevent having a 500+ albums mess. So here are the rules we'll follow throughout this lesson.

- - - - - The Rules - - - - -

1. We will settle for a maximum of 4 albums per year and they will be listed from oldest to newest. Makes it simple to navigate. Those releases will represent what I consider to be hallmarks of the genres for that year. Essentials if you want, yes? Of course, I'll sprinkle a bit of my personality here and there so you will find some unorthodox choices and some less known albums from time to time. It would be boring otherwise... and also why not?

2. We will begin the journey with Melvins' "Gluey Porch Treatments" released in 1987. Why? Because it is arguably the first album to be widely considered as Sludge.

3. The list will mostly feature studio albums. So no Demos & bare minimum when it comes to EPs if any at all. Thank you.

4. I am not going to include releases by Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Hawkwind, etc... I fully understand and recognize the influence older bands had on Stoner Rock, but this is not the list for them.

5. Lastly, not really a rule but more of a note. Considering that we're talking about Sludge & Stoner, it is inevitable that Doom, Post, Progressive, Grunge & Hardcore acts will be featured in this list. Those genres simply go together naturally and are often mixed so do not be alarmed!

- - - - - - - - - -

That is it, I hope you will all discover something to enjoy through my little history lesson. Also, do not hesitate to comment below if you agree or disagree with some of my picks. After all, this is a classroom and debate is invited as it can be fun and educative. As long everything's done respectfully, of course.

Enjoy & Have Fun... Class dismissed!

NOTE: I will now add my picks for best album of the year using this format (best of xxxx) in the chosen album's description.

- Guib -

- - - - - - - - - -

Guib's best Sludge/Stoner Album Picks

Best Of 2023:
Urne - A Feast On Sorrow

Best Of 2024 So Far:
O Zorn! - Vermillion Haze

- - - - - - - - - -

Last Update: April 16th, 2024

1.Melvins - Gluey Porch Treatments

2.Soundgarden - Ultramega OK

3.Oxbow - Fuckfest

4.Melvins - Ozma

5.Soundgarden - Louder Than Love

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This year was quite interesting as far as releases go. All-in-all, it was a GREAT year for good albums, but not a GOOD year for great albums. Usually, there are about 40 albums fighting vigorously for a spot in my lists. This year, there were ten clear cut favorites and a bunch of better-than-average arm arm wrestling for the rest of the final spots. Although my duties at metalreview.com prevent me from spending too much time around these parts, I was still a vicious lurker and enjoy being a part of this community (albeit somewhat silent). To anyone with similar tastes that may have had a good album or two fall through the cracks, I hope this list or any of my others will be of good use to you.

1.Blut Aus Nord - 777 - The Desanctification

2.40 Watt Sun - The Inside Room

3.Sorgeldom - ...From Outer Intelligences

4.Lifelover - Sjukdom

5.Mournful Congregation - The Book Of Kings

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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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Well I'm sitting here bored at work and I figured I would make a list too.
These are pretty much my favourite metal releases over the years(in no particular order)
It's pretty much dominated by sludge/stoner releases.

1.Gojira - From Mars To Sirius

2.Mastodon - Leviathan

3.Baroness - Red Album

4.High On Fire - The Art Of Self Defense

5.Sleep - Dopesmoker

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1.Evergrey - Glorious Collision

2.Heavenwood - Abyss Masterpiece

3.Septicflesh - The Great Mass

4.Primordial - Redemption At The Puritan's Hand

5.Mercenary - Metamorphosis

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Very little metal here! My favorite albums from each year of the 2010s, roughly in order of preference annually. I include several albums from the same artists because some of them (e.g. Susanne Sundfør, SubRosa and Litku Klemetti) released pretty much AOTYs every time they released anything.

1.

2.Owen Pallett - Heartland

3.Susanne Sundfør - The Brothel

4.Robyn - Body Talk

5.Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me

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1.Primordial - Redemption At The Puritan's Hand

2.Helheim - Heiðindómr Ok Mótgang

3.SubRosa - No Help For The Mighty Ones

4.Blood Ceremony - Living With The Ancients

5.Kroda - Schwarzpfad

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Top 10 albums are listed in order. Rest of the list in no particular order.

1.Esoteric - Paragon Of Dissonance

2.Benighted - Asylum Cave

3.Glorior Belli - The Great Southern Darkness

4.40 Watt Sun - The Inside Room

5.Isole - Born From Shadows

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