Top 20 Albums of 2011 by (MikeInWV)

20. The Human Abstract - Digital Veil

Whether you’re familiar with The Human Abstract or not, you’d be remiss to not have this album in your collection. True technicians of their genre.

19. Machine Head - Unto the Locust

It’s been another 4 years in the making since their previous effort The Blackening, but in keeping with tradition, extremely worth the wait! I love how these guys compose brutally heavy themes along with thoughtful musical passages.

18. Revocation – Chaos of Forms

Shoutout to Heavy MattL on this band! A modern incarnation of death/extreme metal of yesterday, Revocation shows off its many talents with this 12-track masterpiece. It also helps when your guitarist hails from Berklee College of Music.

17. Chimaira – The Age of Hell

If the name of the album were any indication as to what this band is going through… The Age of Hell says it all. Members may be leaving and changing, but regardless, this album embodies everything that makes Chimaira a perennial powerhouse.

16. iwrestledabearonce – Ruining it for Everybody

Hahahaha… just check this out. No words.

15. Suicide Silence – The Black Crown

Brutal. Just brutal.

14. Amorphis – The Beginning of Times

One of my favorite prog metal bands ever. Continually impressive.

13. Mastodon – The Hunter

The song “Curl of the Burl” alone put this album on the list for me. You can definitely hear the change in writing styles compared to Crack the Skye. Well done!

12. Symphony X – Iconoclast

An album that blasts above and beyond any previous material in the Symphony X discography. An essential purchase for your metal collection.

11. In Flames – Sounds of a Playground Fading

It may not be Come Clarity, but damnit, it’s solid!

10. Crowbar – Sever the Wicked Hand

Another shocker from a band with some history. If you love low-tuned heaviness… you’ll love Crowbar.

9. Textures – Dualism

If you like some complexity to your metal, by all means, partake in some Textures! This album surprised  me, and I’m glad it did!

8. Scale the Summit – The Collective

The first album sounded like a bunch of music school graduates showing off their new-fangled linear scales. The Collective is anything BUT. Fortunately for you and me, they’ve gone above and beyond. A must have album for fans of instrumental-only tracks.

7. Animals As Leaders – Weightless

Certainly a progression in many ways from their self-titled… but nonetheless amazing. Guitarists everywhere rejoice in Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes! 8-string masters!

6. Opeth – Heritage

There were people who slammed Opeth for their new album Heritage. Why? The typical response was “there aren’t enough growls and screams!”. Who gives a shit, really? If you enjoy 70′s prog bands… think of a modern twist and you’ll find Opeth’s new album. Raw and proggy!

5. Between the Buried And Me – The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues

Granted it’s technically a 3-song EP, however it still made my list. That should tell you how solid it is. Yeah, three songs made my list. Kudos, BTBAM!

4. TesseracT – One

Without a doubt, minus the strong competition from the next few artists in this list… One could have been my top pick of 2011. Sadly, there have been some changes in the lineup, and only the future will show how TesseracT maintains. Solid musicians, smart songs. Fantastic. (Tons of melody, to be more precise)

3. Fair to Midland – Arrows and Anchors

Catchy as hell and mature in song structure. Darroh Sudderth has one of those voices that galvanizes a band’s career. Unbelievable. Also, the CD has been in my Volkswagen dashboard player since July. It’s not a multi-disc changer. Obsessed? Yes.

2. Protest the Hero – Scurrilous

Outperforming vocalists seems to be my trending connection this year. Coincidence? Maybe… Crazy guitars mixed with super-solid melodic passages makes for a strong album. Nobody does it quite like PTH do. So amazing. 2012 is looking bleak in comparison!

1. Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn of Events

I am a Dream Theater fanboy. Let me make it painfully clear that this was one of the toughest years to pick an actual number one album. The top 5 were so incredibly close that it may very well have been a tie. After seeing the A Dramatic Turn of Events tour live, I couldn’t pass on granted this album the top spot. Progressive to the core, heavier than more recent works, and true to their fans, DT really raised the bar even for themselves! WOW, another amazing top 20 albums list!

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Honorable mentions: Insomnium, Trivium, Amon Amarth, Treath Signal, Five Finger Death Punch, August Burns Red, Unearth, Devildriver

Biggest surprise: Korn – The Path of Totality

Biggest disappointment: Charred Wall of the Damned – Cold Winds on Timeless Days

Biggest absolute shitshow of a fail: Lou Reed w/ Metallica – Lulu