The 'What Are Your Favorite Albums of the Year' Thread

[Metro]

15. Lulu - Metallica & Lou Reed
14. El Camino - The Black Keys
13. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo OST - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
12. Codes and Keys - Death Cab for Cutie
11. Wasting Light - Foo Fighters
10. Iconoclast - Symphony X
9. Circuital - My Morning Jacket
8. Heritage - Opeth
7. Worship Music - Anthrax
6. Ghost - The Devin Townsend Project
5. Sympathetic Resonance - Arch/Matheos
4. Th1rt3en - Megadeth
3. Grace for Drowning - Steven Wilson
2. Deconstruction - The Devin Townsend Project
1. A Dramatic Turn of Events - Dream Theater
0. The Hunter - Mastodon(just bought it today. Woah.)

[jjrock88]

1) Symphony X- Iconoclast
2) Anthrax- Worship Music
3) Saxon- Call to Arms
4) Dream Theater- ADTOE
5) Iced Earth- Dystopia
6) Steel Panther- Balls Out
7) Sebastian Bach- Kicking and Screaming

[setrataeso]

1. The Dear Hunter - The Color Spectrum - Full collection or not, this was the most interesting assortment of songs from any artist this year. The amount of ground The Dear Hunter was able to cover on this assortment of EPs is astonishing, and yet it all sounds carefully composed, and masterfully written.
Highlights: Filth and Squalor, Deny it All, The Dead Don't Starve.

2. Mastodon - The Hunter - A very close second, The Hunter was a total joy to listen to again and again. Mastodon was able to take everything that was awesome from their previous 4 albums, and throw it together, coupled with more mature songwriting. What emerges is a damn-near perfect album from beginning to end.
Highlights: Curl of the Burl, Blasteroid, Octopus Has No Friends.

3. Protest the Hero - Scurrilous - Protest the Hero continues their domination of Canadian metal with Scurrilous. While Fortress was fantastic, PtH has tightened their songwriting and made the songs more listener-friendly. Scurrilous is surprisingly accessible, and seeing some of these songs live was sweet.
Highlights: C'est la Vie, Dunsel, Sex Tapes.

4. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events - I was pleased that A Dramatic Turn of Events was such a success. The whole band feels restored and creative again. This album is still surprising me with every listen. DT's most solid album in many, many years.
Highlights: This is the Life, Breaking All Illusions, Bridges in the Sky.

5. Duran Duran - All You Need is Now - The most unexpectedly great album to come out of 2011 for me. All You Need is Now feels like the album Duran Duran have been meaning to write for several decades. With great hooks, and compelling melodies, I can't go long without listening to this album.
Highlights: All You Need is Now, Mediterranea, Other People's Lives.

6. Scale the Summit - The Collective - A great step-up in both songwriting, and sound quality, The Collective is one of the best instrumental albums ever released. Period.
Highlights: The Levitated, Black Hills, Whales

7. Devin Townsend - Deconstruction - Lots of fun. While I found Ghost to not hold up as well on it's own, Deconstruction works as well as a stand-alone album as it does part of the DTP. Long, bombastic songs about cheeseburgers won me over. I still have lots to discover about this album, but Devy did not let me down.
Highlights: Juular, The Mighty Masturbator, Deconstruction.

8. Wolverine - Communication Lost - A criminally overlooked band, Wolverine never fails to produce some of the most sensitive, yet epic albums I've heard. Communication Lost is terrific. Following the same sonic qualities as Still, Wolverine blends quiet, thoughtful passages and explosive melodies together so seamlessly. And the vocals are 'gasmic.
Highlights: Embrace, Into the Great Nothing, Pulse.

9. Karmakanic - In a Perfect World - A really cool release from a newly-discovered band. The vocal melodies really hooked me, and they still amaze me every time I listen to In a Perfect World. Also, the bass playing is ridiculous.
Highlights: 1969, When the World is Caving In, Can't Take it With You

10. Haken - Visions - Everyone knows Haken is awesome. The darling of the prog-metal world's new album is appropriately awesome. With every listen, Haken rises in my favourite artists list.
Highlights: Portals, Shapeshifter, Visions.


Biggest Disappointments:
Symphony X - Iconoclast - Iconoclast simply sounded like a less-inspired Paradise Lost. Instead of the wonderful soaring vocals, we get Russell Allen's snarls. While they may be great on one or two songs, filling an entire album with the same damn riffs and vocal lines is just boring.

Opeth - Heritage - Heritage, while not a bad album, was just not what I was hoping for. I may grow to like this album in time, but for now it's just a messy album that I don't really enjoy listening to. While I miss the growls a lot, it's the sloppy songwriting that ruined Heritage for me. At least I can listen to Slither over and over again.

dredg - Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy - "Letdown" is pretty much the universally agreed word to describe Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy. Although there were some good songs found on the album, as a whole it just doesn't sound like dredg. I could not get into the electric beats, and the lack of dredg's signature guitar wails was saddening. Also The Tent is an abomination.

[ColdFireYYZ]

1. Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning (Album of the Year)
This album is a masterpiece. There's not one minute that I don't love.

2. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
I was really surprised by this album. I knew it was going to be good but I never expected it to be this good. All the members shine especially Rudess and Myung.

3. Opeth - Heritage
Even though many were dissapointed with this, I like Opeth's new style. I just wish I was able to catch them on tour.

4. Black Country Communion - 2
I really liked the debut but this is so much better. Derek's keys were prominent and he didn't sound like a sideman.

5. Joe Bonamassa - Dust Bowl
He's one of my favorite guitar players and this album is in my top 3 favorite Bonamassa albums. The originals are some of his best.

6. Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
I'm new to this band and post rock in general but I was blown away. I need to check out their other stuff.

7. Blackfield - Welcome to My DNA
Even though Steven Wilson only wrote one track (the best on the album imo) all the songs are great, solid pop rock tracks. It did take a few listens to grow on me.

8. Warren Haynes - Man in Motion
Excellent soul album from Warren Haynes. I don't listen to much soul music, but Warren is a great musician and he's even better live.

9. Van Der Graaf Generator - A Grounding In Numbers
This came as a complete surprise. While its not as good as their classics, its still a great VDGG album.

10. Tedeschi Trucks Band - Revelator
Great album that I listened to a lot over the summer. I love Derek Trucks' style.

If anyone's intrested, I made a list with rankings for all the albums I've listened to this year.
https://www.last.fm/user/jviola95/journal/2011/03/29/4au9fo_2011_albums_%28so_far%29

[JRundquist]

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!

[necrotomist]

1.Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction

2.Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events

3.Between The Buried and Me - The Parallax EP

4.Symphony X - Iconoclast

5.Unexpect - Fables of a Sleepless Empire

6.Leprous - Bilateral

7.The Dear Hunter - The Color Spectrum EP's

8.Protest The Hero - Scurrilous

9.Scale The Summit - The Collective

10.Decapitated - Carnival is Forever 


Other pretty ok albums:

Obscura - Omnivium
Death Cab For Cutie - Codes and Keys
Dim Mak - The Emergence of Reptilian Altars
Devin Townsend Project - Ghost
Hate Eternal - Phoenix amonst the Ashes
Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning
Septicflesh - The Great Mass
The Black Dahlia Murder - Ritual

Dissapointments:

Opeth - Heritage
Origin - Entity

[Lowdz]

Lowdz, The Night Ranger was pretty good, but I still need to spin it more.  The Mecca sounds good, I've been meaning to get that also.  B&T must be good to be in your list already!

The B&T is good. It's a bit one-paced and lacks an uptempo rocker or two but the songs as they are are quality.
Can't remember if I put the Chris Ousey on the list (and I'm too lazy to look!) but that's good too. Mike Slamer plays and produces so there is plenty of oomph in the guitars.

With the Night Ranger: I was never a fan back in the day but loved this new one. I've heard a couple of their other albums and there are a few "nods" to the past on the new one. Maybe Tiago needs to have a look! Good songs very well played though. A harder edge than their old stuff too.

[Ryzee]

I wasn't really able to get as much new music this year as I would have liked.  Thinking back I belive the only new release albums I got this year were:

Bright Eyes- The People's Key
My Morning Jacket- Circuital
Radiohead- The King of Limbs
Adele- 21
Devy- Deconstruction & Ghost
DT- ADTOE
Thrice- Major/Minor

I may be forgetting some but I can't really rememember.  I'm thinking of a few that feel like they were earlier this year but might have actually been last year- it's funny how the year goes by so fast but when you think back to January/February etc. it seems like so long ago. 

Every album I listed is great, but my favorites this year were probably Major/Minor and Ghost.  Deconstruction and A Dramatic Turn of Events both got heavy play when they first came out but I haven't really listened to either much lately.  I think I'm just not as into metal as I used to be.  What are you gonna do.

[kirksnosehair]

9. Karmakanic - In a Perfect World - A really cool release from a newly-discovered band. The vocal melodies really hooked me, and they still amaze me every time I listen to In a Perfect World. Also, the bass playing is ridiculous.
Highlights: 1969, When the World is Caving In, Can't Take it With You

If you liked that album then you are going to LOVE "Who's The Boss In The Factory" as well as "Wheel of Life" which are both, imho, better albums than IAPW.  I don't toss around the term "Masterpiece" too often, but "Wheel of Life" is an astonishing piece of work.

[Gorille85]

1. Unexpect - Fables of the Sleepless Empire
2. Ulver - Wars of the Roses
3. The Dear Hunter - The Color Spectrum (The Complete Collection)
4. Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction
5. Thrice - Major/Minor
6. Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones
7. Radiohead - The King of Limbs
8. Amon Tobin - ISAM
9. Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning
10. CunninLynguists - Oneirology
11. Gotye - Making Mirrors
12. The Decemberists - The King is Dead
13. Bright Eyes - The People's Key
14. Dir en grey - Dum Spiro Spero
15. Björk - Biophilia
16. Floex - Zorya
17. Matthew Herbert - One Pig
18. Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials
19. Mike Patton - The Solitude of Prime Numbers
20. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
21. Sigur Rós - INNI
22. Music for Money - Flying Birds
23. Polkadot Cadaver - Sex Offender
24. Eisley - The Valley
25. Devin Townsend Project - Ghost
26. Opeth - Heritage
27. Fair to Midland - Arrows and Anchors
28. dredg - Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy
29. Mastodon - The Hunter
30. Pain of Salvation - Road Salt Two

I still need to hear Above & Beyond, Mogwai, Tesseract, Kimbra, Cynic, Submotion Orchestra, Primus, Necro Deathmort, Shpongle, Emilie Simon, Protest the Hero and a few others.

[njdtfan]

I don't usually like adding "cover" albums to my years best lists, but 3 stood out this year

1) Stryper-The covering-Thee guys still kick ass
2) Redepmtion-The covers (2nd cd) of This Mortal Coil
3) Puddle Of Mudd-REdiscovered

[emindead]

1. Adele - 21

2. Emily Barker & The Red Halo - Almanac

[bout to crash]

Grace for Drowning easily tops my list...

[MetalManiac666]

because trolling is fun

[Nel_Annette]

because trolling is fun

I didn't recognize a single band on the first page. XD

[bosk1]

Uh oh.  Just got Theocracy last night.  Spinning now.  Top 10 shakeup imminent...

[Ghost]

10. Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

9. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

8. Decapitated - Carnival Is Forever

7. White Denim - D

6. Mastodon - The Hunter

5. Myrath - Tales Of The Sands

4. Portugal. The Man - In The Mountain, In The Cloud

3. Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction

2. Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi

1. Devin Townsend Project - Ghost

[chrisbDTM]

Dream Theater - ADTOE
Protest the Hero - Scurrilous
BTBAM - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues
Kimbra - Vows
Tesseract - One
Born of Osiris - The Discovery
Fair to Midland - Arrows & Anchors
World Under Blood - Tactical

[ariich]

Man, this will be really tough as there was so much amazing music in 2011! I'll have a think and rank every album I've heard from this year, and I'll do brief writeups for the top however many I can be bothered to do them for.

[EPICVIEW]

Zebrahead - Get Nice. Its a bit more upbeat and back to the punk, hip hop fun. I find this band so unique and metal at the same time.. Im not sure if its quite as well done as Phoenix, but I am enjoying it almost daily.

[Vahvahenki]

I have a really hard time deciding what's this year's absolute best so here's a top 5 that all share the #1 spot.

- Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction
- Devin Townsend Project - Ghost
- Leprous - Bilateral
- Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning
- Unexpect - Fables Of The Sleepless Empire

[MetalManiac666]

because trolling is fun

I didn't recognize a single band on the first page. XD

not indie enough

[skydivingninja]

because trolling is fun

If I have albums that both Pitchfork AND DTF have neglected in my top ten does that mean I'm the most indie kid ever?

[yorost]

because trolling is fun

If I have albums that both Pitchfork AND DTF have neglected in my top ten does that mean I'm the most indie kid ever?

Relax, it probably just means you have bad taste.

[Sigz]

 

[skydivingninja]

 

[jag66]

lolpitchfork

[adace]

In no particular order:
Radiohead - The King of Limbs
Blackfield - Welcome to My DNA
Opeth - Heritage
Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning
Devin Townsend - Ghost
Within Temptation - The Unforgiving
Yes - Fly From Here
Nightwish - Imaginaerum
Haken - Visions
Wolves in the Throne Room - Celestial Lineage
Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
Bjork - Biophilia
Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
Animals as Leaders - Weightless
Mastodon - The Hunter
Scar Symmetry - The Unseen Empire
Cynic - Carbon Based Anatomy (yes, I know it's not actually an album)
Steve Hackett - Beyond the Shrouded Horizon
Scale the Summit - The Collective
Amon Amarth - Surtur Rising
Fair to Midland - Arrows and Anchors
Ulver - Wars of the Roses
3 - The Ghost You Gave to Me
Myrath - Tales of the Sands
Symphony X - Iconoclast
Anthrax - Worship Music
Septic Flesh - The Great Mass
Obscura - Omnivium
Moonsorrow - Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa
In Flames - Sounds of a Playground Fading
Altar of Plagues - Mammal

[FiberglassMoon]

29. Moonsorrow - Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa

Glad to see Moonsorrow on someone's list.  Huuto is one of the most epic songs I've ever heard.

[Jirpo]

29. Moonsorrow - Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa

Glad to see Moonsorrow on someone's list.  Huuto is one of the most epic songs I've ever heard.

But not good to see them so low! That album is great.

[Gorille85]

>no particular order

[Jirpo]

>no particular order

Sorry, I guess I missed it because it was numbered

[Gorille85]

Yeah I did the same mistake at first!

[adace]

Sorry for the confusion, guys. I'm used to numbering things when I make lists.

[The Ugliest Unicorn]

5. Lou Reed & Metallica: Lulu
4. Within Temptation: The Unforgiving
3. The Devil Wears Prada: Dead Throne
2. Rise to Remain: City of Vultures

*Drum roll*

1. Septic Flesh: The Great Mass