Top 10 of 2011!
10.) Redemption- This Mortal Coil
Easily Redemption's best album? Some complain about the production now being what Snowfall was, or some riffs sound similar to other songs. but that is meaningless to me. This album is Prog Metal perfection! And no I'm not just saying that because I named their live DVD 'Frozen in The Moment'. haha This is one of the most hard hitting albums lyrically I've heard since Evergrey's Recreation Day. and call me a pussy all you want, I did cry when I hear No Tickets To The Funeral. Having lost many people in my life to cancer, this got to me the first time very much. Like the aforementioned Recreation Day, this album starts off being so depressing and by the end gives you all the hope in the world. Based on True events from Guitarist, Nick Van Dyk beating Blood Cancer. This album takes you through hell and back and never lets go. Plus Ray Adler kicks ass on it. Check this out for one of the best Prog Metal albums in the longest time.
9.) Novembers Doom- Aphotic
It's not too often that a Doom Metal or Death Metal album will make it in my top 10. Top 20, yes but top 10 is rare. There has to be something that grabs me and never lets go. That's exactly what Aphotic Did for me. Novembers Doom's best album to date. It is much proggier then their previous work, but also contains elements of great acoustic work, and one of the most killer blues inspired solos in one of my favorite songs of 2011, Buried. If you are new to Death or Doom Metal and need an album to break yourself in, Get Aphotic. It will change your world for the better!
8.) Scale The Summit- The Collective
BEST INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM IN OVER A DECADE! quote me on that in any way you want. This album has everything that I'm looking for in an instrumental album. Melodic, Heavy, Emotional driven, and Beautiful. A major departure from their 2 previous album. The Collective is a very dark album using minor scales 9AKA sad sounding scales for you non music nerds) and has some of their best songs they have written including Origin Of Species, Whales, and the most perfect ending song Drifting Figures. If you think all music needs to have a singer to be any good, first, go fuck yourself, and second get your head out of your ass and start appreciating some real talent. A great place to start is Scale The Summit.
7.) Iced Earth- Dystopia
Iced Earth has come back bigger and stronger then ever. When I first heard Matt Barlow was leaving the band, AGAIN, my heart sank. Matt Barlow is one of my favorite singers of all time and the thought of anyone replacing him again was unimaginable....until Stu Block, formerly of Into Eternity, was chosen by Jon Schaffer to blow all of the doubters away. And GOD DAMN he really did. I was a huge Into Eternity fan, but a much bigger Iced Earth fan, so this pleased me very much. The entire album is a loose concept about the way of the world of government is slowly becoming using various movies to landscape the idea. While the music is obviously...Iced Earth. It is badass. Anthem, really truly is their Anthem. It saddens me that they are not going to be able to make it to Minnesota in 2012 (SOMEBODY PLEASE CHANGE THIS!) but I really want to see this lineup in Iced earth stick. They are too incredible to have it fall apart. and Dystopia shows this pint very damn well.
6.) 3- The Ghost You Gave To Me
3 is the King's X of Prog Metal. They are the best band that deserves to be heard...that is not. They are also 4 of the coolest dudes I've ever had the pleasure of hanging out with. I got into 3 when Wake Pig was released and fell in Love, The End Is Begun made me a lifetime fan, and The Ghost You Gave To Me made me one of their forever diehard fans. The song, Only Child is easily the best song they have ever written. I hate using the term, but there's no other way to describe it. it's EPIC!!! The whole album is filled ids Prog Rock and Prog Metal masterpieces. I will do anything I can to support these guys in any way I can. They deserve it, and if 3 comes you way GO SEE THEM LIVE, it will easily be one of, if not the best live show you will ever see!
5.) Revocation- Chaos Of Forms
This band, along with Vektor are the bands that are saving metal, in my humble opinion. Taking Thrash Metal and adding so much more to it. Funk, Death Metal, 70's Prog. Chaos Of Forms is utter perfection. While the vocals are definitely a Death Metal/Thrash style (No cleans here, not even on their cover of Faith No More's Surprise! You're Dead!) The music will win you over if you are a true music fan The title track and The Watchers are the best examples of this. There's not too much more I can say other then, if you want Thrash to actually be something more then PBR, Alcohol-Driven Dudefest...check out Revocation.
4.) Dream Theater- A Dramatic Turn Of Events
Probably the most controversial album in Prog in 2011. The first album without Bandleader Mike Portnoy behind the drums. While I'll leave out the politics about that situation. I will say this album is absolutely perfection. The whole album reminds me of Images And Words, not necessarily muscially but the overall feel, a rebirth if you will. Breaking All Illusions is one of the best songs ever made by DT without question. Top 10 for sure. And Mike Mangini is the perfect replacement for Mike Portnoy. On the first listen I closed my eyes and I honestly couldn't even tell Portnoy was out of the band. Mangini fits right in. And this album is 9 killer songs of Progressive Rock and Metal that deserves a fair shot. No matter what side you are on..... Fuck Politics and enjoy the music!
3.) Mastodon- The Hunter
Mastodon has only gotten better and better with every release, kinda like Between The Buried and Me. Crack The Skye is their Colors. The Hunter is their The Great Great Misdirect. Some are torn because it's not Crack The Skye pt. 2. I for one think it's a more concise, stripped down version of Crack The Skye. Shorter songs, heavier, and just as memorable. I will go on record saying Creature Lives is one of their best songs just because of how out in left field it is. Stargasm is my absolute favorite off the album. I'm actually pretty shocked it hasn't been played live yet. Then again This Mortal Soil was the best song off Blood Mountain, and that has never been played live. But regardless. this is as close to Mainstream Progressive Metal as a band is going to get without sucking, you better enjoy it. haha
2.) Daniel Jakubovic- Elef Kirot
The best damn album I have ever heard where I couldn't understand one word that is being sung. That shows how meaningless the lyrics are if the music behind it can tell the story. (The lyrics are in Hebrew by the way) Daniel Jakubovic recorded EVERYTHING on this album with exception to some violin and sax solos provided by his father. This is an album that was meant for me when I was 14 years old. The perfect combination of Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal and Pop Rock, with international influences. Please. Please.....PLEASE!!!! do yourself a favor and go to the bandcamp page for Danial Jakubovic and listen to this album...then immediately buy it. It is sooooo worth it. This is meant for real music fans!
1.) Devin Townsend- Deconstruction *South Park Doctor Voice*- "Who didn't see this one coming a mile away huh folks?"
Yes without question, Deconstruction is my absolute favorite album of 2011. If not the best Metal album ever made (although my favorite album will forever be Terria, although with the description of Epicloud, that just might win me over to put it at number 2) This album literally has EVERYTHING a Metal fan is looking for, every genre of Metal you can think of. It's Strapping Young Lad meets Frank Zappa. All of the guest stars on this album are also showing their true appreciation for the man known as Hevy Devy. The Mighty Masturbator (No pervs, it's not about that) is 16 minutes of epic proportions. and Poltergeist is the perfect ending to the chapter of SYL style music. Am I sad it's gone? kinda. But I'm a bigger Dev solo fan then SYL, so more HEVY DEVY please! IF you need an absolute mindfuck from beginning to end. This album is for you. If you want a Metal album that is what Metal is all albout (good and bad), this album is for you. If you want the greatest thing Dev has ever written musically, lyrically, and overall ball out crazy and beautiful. THIS ALBUM IS FOR YOU!
Topic: The 'What Are Your Favorite Albums of the Year' Thread (Read 11133 times)
