Best Albums of 2011

[NotEasy2BeGreen]

Thanks, Music Head ! I am totally unfamiliar with all of them except Heritage by Opeth which will be on my favorite list for this year along with a few others !!!! I have heard of some of the bands/albums listed but I haven't heard the record so I cannot pass judgement !

My abridged list for 2011....

Opeth - Heritage.......... This is the tenth studio album in 16 years by the Swedish metal prog rock group Opeth. Last year they released a live set from the Royal Albert Hall. Heritage embodies many styles of music...classical piano as an intro track, hard rock, progressive folk and rock, many styles here with no death growls. Lead man Mikael Akerfeldt cites his influences as Comus, Camel, Alice Cooper and Uriah Heep. This is definitely my favorite progressive rock/metal album this year !




Steve Wilson - Grace for Drowning........ Steven Wilson from London, England (there's a London, Canada also) released his second studio album this year. Grace for Drowning is a joyous blend of contemporary music...progressive and experimental rock. Wilson is the leader of the metalish group Porcupine Tree and has associations with Opeth. Eighty-five minutes of fabulous listening !



While Heaven Wept - Fear of Infinity....... This septet from Dale City, Virginia has been in business for over twenty years and this year was the first time I listened to them and I am glad I did ! Lead singer Tom Phillips takes us through an epic metal journey reminiscent of Iron Maiden. His vocals are clean displaying a vast vocal range. The tracks are joined together with each other that gives the album an operatic theme. No doom metal here...just great vocals and musicianship !



Helrunar - Sol ...... Now as expected here are the growls, death grunts, and screams of today's black metal ! This German group is also a first listen for me this year ! The darkness of the album is overpowered by the fast paced and uptempo music and over seventy minutes of music flies by quickly. How do these guys play so fast and without a break ????. A very good album of so called Viking metal ....never a dull moment !

We are in tune... Yeah!!! Nice albums!!!

[SteveO]

Very happy to hear, Federico!
What are some of your picks ?...Let's get that Hard Rock/Metal Forum moving !!!!!

[RyanTheRock]

Nickelback songs are still good and awesome. Thanks for sharing bro