Metal Awards

Alex's Top 15 albums of 2011

  1. Týr - The Lay of Thrym
    Received the most plays from me this year, so it must deserve the spot
  2. Mournful Congregation - The Book of Kings
    Funeral doom of mountainous proportions
  3. Primordial - Redemption at the Puritan's Hand
    The Irish has slowly moved to the top of the list of my favorite bands
  4. Jag Panzer - Scourge of the Light
    Comeback of the year, it sounded this way when 2011 began and it sounds this way today
  5. Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg
    Tamas, can this string of excellent albums last forever?
  6. Amon Amarth - Surtur Rising
    The best live show I have attended in years, and the 1st half when Surtur Rising was being played held its own against the 2nd half of best hits
  7. Royal Hunt - Show Me How to Live
    Proud to have been collecting their discography
  8. Myrath - Tales of the Sands
    Progressive metal album of the year comes from Tunisia
  9. Arkona - Slovo
    Consistently good, sadly this act receives more recognition outside its native Russia than back in the homeland
  10. The Devils Blood - The Thousandfold Epicenter
    Occult trip you will not forget
  11. Vore - Gravehammer
    Somebody, please sign these death metal stalwarts
  12. Fyrnask - Bluostar
    Psychotic black metal worthy of your time
  13. An Autumn For Crippled Children - Everything
    Unusually "optimistic" atmospheric black metal
  14. Widow - Lifes Blood
    One fun old school metal record
  15. Iced Earth - Dystopia
    This made the list, 'nuff said
Alex's Top 5 surprises of 2011

  1. Lord Vicar - Funeral Circle - Split
  2. Hemoptysis - Misanthropic Slaughter
  3. Einvera - In Your Image
  4. Vladimirs - The Late Hours
    Vampyric goth'n'roll has not sounded so appealing
  5. Woods of Desolation - Torn Beyond Reason
    Very appealing melodic black metal from Australia
Alex's Disappointment(s) of 2011

  1. Lake of Tears - Illwill
    What happened? One too many attempts to be something new on every album?
  2. Darkestrah - Khagan
    Did I overvalue their previous LP?
  3. Insomnium - One For Sorrow
    I did not click with once one of my favorite melodic death metal bands for two albums in a row. Something must be wrong with me
  4. Hyperborean - The Spirit of Warfare
    I definitely liked old material better, this is very much what any other black death band would produce
  5. Wolves in the Throne Room - Celestial Lineage
    Barely makes this disappointment list, but this band used to be in my Top 5 for their three previous albums
Alex's Joke(s) 2011

  1. Embalmed - Exalt the Imperial Beast
    All I hear is muffled noise
  2. Whispers of Fate - Embrace My Winter
    Gothic metal can go wrong in a hurry