1.Novembers Doom - Aphotic

2.Before The Dawn - Deathstar Rising

3.Benighted - Asylum Cave

4.MyGrain - MyGrain

5.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

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I know this is a bit late, but whatever...

1.Insomnium - One For Sorrow

2.Septicflesh - The Great Mass

3.Machine Head - Unto The Locust

4.Opeth - Heritage

5.Wolves In The Throne Room - Celestial Lineage

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Not a top year, but the finalists are:

1.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

2.Ghost Brigade - Until Fear No Longer Defines Us Melancholic Sludge/post-grunge. Good-a little bit below its predecessor

3.Junius - Reports From The Threshold Of Death

4.Black Sun Aeon - Blacklight Deliverance

5.Mastodon - The Hunter

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Lately I have found that I am really, really into melodeath and doom/melancholic metal albums. I enjoy other genres, but after a while I keep reverting back to a small list of masterpieces.

This is a list of these albums. They somehow keep finding their way back into my CD player. As it happens, they (mostly) fit in the following genres:

1.Ghost Brigade - Isolation Songs

2.Katatonia - Dead End Kings

3.Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times

4.Before The Dawn - Deathstar Rising

5.Insomnium - Across The Dark

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Looking at this list I realise that 2011 was a better metal year than I remembered it to be. Interesting year with a lot of surprises. The Shining album is in my opinion awesome, one of their best. Power Quest released their best album since "Wings of Forever". Amon Amarth keep on surprising me with solid releases (and I thought I was over them years ago). Opeth's "Heritage" was way better than my expectations. Amebix gave me some of the best tracks of '11. Overall, a really good year.

1.Shining - VII - Född Förlorare

2.Lifelover - Sjukdom

3.Aquilus - Griseus

4.An Autumn For Crippled Children - Everything

5.Öxxö Xööx - Rëvëürt

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These are my picks of "must haves" of 2011 for those who enjoy progressive, technical, djent, and/or experimental metal and hybrids thereof. Derived from over 50 2011 metal releases I purchased and many more that I heard but did not buy. Maybe you missed a masterpiece that I've identified here -- I know I've found a few from others' lists!

1.Leprous - Bilateral

2.TesseracT - One

3.Unexpect - Fables Of The Sleepless Empire

4.Cynthesis - DeEvolution

5.Blotted Science - The Animation Of Entomology

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Albums from 2011 That I managed to listen and know very well. Best to worst

1.Protest The Hero - Scurrilous

2.Ouroboros - Glorification Of A Myth

3.Revocation - Chaos Of Forms

4.The Human Abstract - Digital Veil

5.Leprous - Bilateral

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1.Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg

2.Insomnium - One For Sorrow

3.Moonsorrow - Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa

4.Septicflesh - The Great Mass

5.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

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1.Obscura - Omnivium

2.Pagan's Mind - Heavenly Ecstasy

3.Born Of Osiris - The Discovery

4.Magic Pie - The Suffering Joy

5.Moonsorrow - Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa

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The best albums off 2011

1.Amon Amarth - Surtur Rising

2.Vader - Welcome To The Morbid Reich

3.Obscura - Omnivium

4.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

5.DevilDriver - Beast

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In order roughly, by the number of spins. A lot = A LOT. So when I give ten more spins to the rest of the albums I've listened to, and forgot to rate most probably, this will grow larger. Or not. I'm making this for me anyway.

1.Subsignal - Touchstones

2.Symphony X - Iconoclast

3.Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times

4.Pain Of Salvation - Road Salt Two

5.Iced Earth - Dystopia

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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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1.Moonsorrow - Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa

2.Shining - VII - Född Förlorare

3.Warbringer - Worlds Torn Asunder

4.MyGrain - MyGrain

5.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

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1.Mastodon - The Hunter

2.foo fighters - wasting light

3.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

4.High Spirits - Another Night

5.Opeth - Heritage

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Title says it all.

1.Vomitory - Opus Mortis VIII

2.Ulcerate - The Destroyers Of All

3.Supreme Pain - Divine Incarnation

4.Woods Of Desolation - Torn Beyond Reason

5.I Chaos - The Human Repellent

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