Ah, but enough with the preamble. The MetalReview staff proudly presents the most essential albums of 2011, as voted on by the scribes themselves. Unearth and enjoy.
25. VADER – WELCOME TO THE MORBID REICH
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24. MIDNIGHT – SATANIC ROYALTY
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23. THE ATLAS MOTH – AN ACHE FOR THE DISTANCE
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22. MOURNFUL CONGREGATION – THE BOOK OF KINGS
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21. PENTAGRAM – LAST RITES
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20. DECEASED – SURREAL OVERDOSE
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19. ANUBIS GATE – ANUBIS GATE
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18. LOSS – DESPOND
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17. HELL – HUMAN REMAINS
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16. ROTTEN SOUND – CURSED
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15. YOB – ATMA
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14. EXHUMED – ALL GUTS, NO GLORY
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13. ABSU – ABZU
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12. BLUT AUS NORD – 777: SECT(S)
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11. GRAVEYARD – HISINGEN BLUES
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10. RAVENCULT – MORBID BLOOD
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9. AZARATH – BLASPHEMERS’ MALEDICTIONS
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8. HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE – 17TH STREET
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7. VEKTOR – OUTER ISOLATION
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6. ARGUS – BOLDLY STRIDE THE DOOMED
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5. PRIMORDIAL – REDEMPTION AT THE PURITAN’S HAND
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4. SUBROSA – NO HELP FOR THE MIGHTY ONES
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3. BLUT AUS NORD – 777: THE DESANCTIFICATION
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2. ARCH / MATHEOS – SYMPATHETIC RESONANCE
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1. 40 WATT SUN – THE INSIDE ROOM
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…it was a heated battle, but Patrick Walker’s stunning followup to Watching From A Distance took the throne. While the album lacks the head-twisting complexity and skull-caving riffage that permeated our other selections, The Inside Room displayed a naked honesty that is all too rare in our medium. The emotional heft of “Open My Eyes” and “Carry Me Home” is simply unmatched, save for Walker’s prior works. The Inside Room cements him as one of the most soul-stirring songwriters the heavy metal world has ever seen.
Ah, but you beg to differ? Your favorite album didn’t top the list? Or, worse yet, didn’t make the cut at all? Take to your soapbox and let us have it, but not before you scope The Top 3 EPs of 2011; we might not have missed it after all.
Whether you’re an outspoken critic or a silent lurker, we’re glad you’re here to share your love for heavy metal with us. We had a blast in 2011, and big plans are in store for 2012. Thanks for hanging out with us this past year; we hope you’ll stick around for the next…and many more to follow.
