Top 25 Metal Albums of 2011

This year has bequeathed to me many a great metal album, and picking these 25 and making a satisfactory list has proved to be a very arduous task, but now here they are...the best metal albums of 2011.

25-21- The bottom rung of awesome

25.Tombs- Path of Totality- This is one sludgy grimey experience. These riffs are like calculated sledgehammer blows right to your face, as the vocals rip at your jugular.Tombs has crafted an excellent mix of black metal and sludge, and hopefully they will get better with each subsequent album.

24.Moonsorrow-Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa: This album is a bit subpar at least for the first couple tracks, but the last half of this album is absolutely killer. Huuto is one of the best Moonsorrow songs to ever be written. Deserves its place here.

23.Septicflesh- The Great Mass: Absolute symphonic death metal mastery. The drumming is technical, the riffs are very well constructed and the symphonics add just the right touch to complete an awesome album.

22. Fleshgod Apocalypse- Agony: This is pretty much a tie with Septicflesh, but one thing throws it a cut above, and that's the guitar solos and those amazing clean vocals that are thrown in. This album is one constant barrage of symphonic brutality from start to finish.

21. Omnium Gatherum- New World Shadows: This is a very melancholy melodic death metal release, borrowing ideas from others in melodeath and somehow making it work. Unoriginal yes, but it remains to be one of my favorites of this year.

20-11. The Mid Tier of Awesome.

20. Fen-Epoch: Anguished atmospheric black metal with post rock influences. The lyrics are extremely well written and so is the music. This whole album has a very melancholic feel throughout, and captures my attention throughout the majority of the album. There are flaws, but all in all this is an excellent release.

19.Deafheaven-Roads to Judah: Post-blackgaze? I guess you could call it that, all I know is these tracks are emotionally charged and very enaging, with an atmosphere that just envelops you. Wonderful album, albeit a tid bit overrated by some.

18. Antichrist-Forbidden World: This is the thrash revival album we've all been waiting for. Unoriginal, could be but damned if they don't know how to write some infectious headbangable thrash riffs and solos. The vocals have this almost beastial quality hearkening back to the days of Kreator or Sodom. Well done gents. *rubs neck*

17. Autopsy- Macabre Eternal: Its been called an audio snuff film, and I would have to agree. Its gross, its brutal and gorey, hell its everything you know and love about Autopsy. Shredding guitars, pummeling drums and bass and vocals that go right for the throat. So go buy this album...well what are you waiting for?

16. Hell- Human Remains: Welcome back to the 80's where the New Wave of British Heavy Metal is going strong. Only its not really the 80s but this band is straight from that era releasing an album that combines speed metal and NWOBHM tendencies so excellently. This will suit any traditional metal fan. Oh the nostalgia!

15. Arch/Matheos- Sympathetic Resonance: This is one helluva progressive metal release, and one that will be in my rotation for years to come. John Arch of Fates Warning returns with his vocal chords still as powerful as ever. And the instrumental performance fucking rules too.

14. Satan's Host- By The Hands of The Devil: Blackened Power metal....yes please? The vocals are soaring, the lyrics are satanic and the riffs are awesome. This will guarantee replay value just based on how much the songs will stick in your head. What a great fucking album.

13. Obscura- Omnivium: This is an album it took me awhile to get into, but once I did I loved it. This is progressive death metal at its finest. Listen as they channel the spirit of Chuck Schuldiner to prove that death metal is still progressing, and that proggy death metal is still alive. This album is made of 2 parts epic and 2 parts win.

12. Craft- Void: This is the traditional black metal masterpiece I had been searching for all year. It's vitriolic vocals and evil riffs convey the pure essence of Scandinavian hatred. With songs like "I want to commit murder" you can't go wrong. This album is a beast of pure black metal the likes of which would make Darkthrone very proud.

11. Burzum- Fallen: That's right, Varg is back, to stab your skull and burn your local church. But seriously this album proves that Varg can still change his direction add in new elements and make it work just as well as his old material. This album manages to actually be beautiful and emotional, new territory for sure!

10-6- The Top Rung of The Awesome Ladder.

10 Falkenbach-Tiurida: This album is an album that I have had in constant rotation all year long. This album takes relentlessly catchy folk melodies, adds in just the right amount of black metal elements and fuses them with lyrics that make me proud to wave the banner of heathen pride high. This album rules. Choice tracks: Where His Ravens Fly, Runes Shall You Know.

9. Tyr- The Lay of Thrym: This album is so goddamn catchy. I could sing along with the entire thing. The concept is one of overthrowing tyrants. The lyrics are great, the music is infectious and will embed itself into your memory permanently. Don't believe me, try it and see.

8. Wolves in The Throne Room- Celestial Lineage: This album is about one thing: atmosphere, and boy does it deliver. Everything on this album is placed there expertly to give the listener the sense that they are in the presence of nature. It nearly drones in spots but the atmosphere is so engaging that you can get lost in it. This album is truly one that needs to not just be listened to, but experienced.

7. SubRosa- No Help For The Mighty Ones: This is one hefty chunk of female fronted doom metal that manages to be truly haunting. The presence of violins is what really makes the haunting atmosphere stick. This album has not a bad moment on it. It is completely compelling from start to finish.

6. ICS Vortex- Storm Seeker: This is an album I actually didn't have high hopes for, but on the recommendation of several reviews I checked it out and my god am I glad I did. Melodic progressive rock tinged metal with extremely awesome vocals. Some of these lyrics manage to be full of cheese, but honestly I couldn't care less, as the riffs and keyboards and everything else is just perfect.

5-1 God Tier Metal Albums of 2011

5. Perpetuate- S/t: This album took me by complete surprise. This album is a progressive power metal album that really brings so much energy and emotion that I could care less about what flaws there may be in the music itself( which are surprisingly few.) This album is an album that every song gets lodged in my memory and I find myself coming back to time and time again. This band has a very bright future indeed.

4. Symphony X- Iconoclast: This is one hell of an album. Two discs worth of pure progressive awesomeness. The vocals soar above positively infectious riffs and keyboard work. The lyrics are superb, the song structures are complexities woven by masterful musicians. The guitar solos will split your skull in two and melt your face off. What more are you motherfuckers asking for?

3.Beyond Creation- The Aura: The technicality of this album is almost mind bending. The song structures weave a tapestry of brutality and beautality at the same time. The fretless bass stays always in the forefront bidding the listener to give ear to its players amazing skill. The vocals are quite what you'd expect for death metal. The whole album is just one masterpiece of progressive technical epicosity.

2. Mastodon: The Hunter- They've done it again folks. While they've never made the same album twice, they've never failed to bring us an album that it is completely worthwhile, and this is no different. A little more on the commercial side this time, but the album is still one hell of an awesome album and it is still Mastodon at their proggy sludgy best.

1. Vektor- Outer Isolation: This album is truly the album of the year for me. Its thrash metal that actually brings something new to the table. The riffs are furious, the songs are chaotic. The vocals are absolutely vicious. Vektor takes the cake as the kings of modern thrash. May their reign be long, and their masterpieces be many. FUCK YES.