It's time for the cream of the crop, the best of the best - the most impressive albums of 2011, for me. Now that I'm done with all of this, all I can say is that while it was extremely difficult to make the list(s) and separate albums from each other, I'd love to do it again. Hopefully next year I will - unless you totally rape me after reading the text below... Haha. (I hope not!)
The average eventually went up a little and is now ~2.99 when taking both lists into account.
Here. We. Go.
Albums #10-1
10. Dope Stars, Inc. - Ultrawired ***+
Fantastic energy and a purely explosive mix of almost thrash-esque guitars and hard-hitting electronics are what make this album awesome. There are occasions when the industrial elements go over the top for my liking, though, as well as some really poppy and cliché moments. I really can't remember much from this album even after several listens, either, and thus it fails to reach a better score or rank than what's been given. Looking forward to what this band crafts next.
9. Staind - Staind ***+
Just like RED a little further down this list, Staind is great when they're heavy. Despite the fact that Dysfunction is over 12 years old, the band still carries aggression extremely well and makes it seem real and harsh enough for me to really get sucked in with songs like the brilliant opener Eyes Wide Open. Whenever the songs reach too much clean in Aaron Lewis' voice and the effect-filled and harmonized instrumentation comes to life, I'm less intrigued - and just because I prefer heavy stuff over soft melodies most of the time anyway, making my opinion slightly biased, I think there's an actual problem here to be adressed. More often than not, during these mellow moments Staind just doesn't seem to have the same level of passion and originality than with the bursts that literally make me jump out of my chair and tear the roof down. Also, I'm still not a fan of high-pitched solos that don't seem to differ from any of the foundations present in heavy metal for 30 years now. Sorry, Mike Mushok... I do still envy your baritone! Thankfully most of the record is hard-hitting and the solos are far from stealing the main focus.
8. Cave In - White Silence ***½
A beautiful piece of spacey and experimental hardcore/alternative rock. Took me by surprise just like it took the person who recommended it to me (thank you!). The vocals are amazing when at their deepest and most brutal, some of the best I've heard being done in that style, but there's also plenty of clean, since three people are doing the vocals on this album and seemingly only one of them is doing harsher stuff. Some would say that the production isn't quite top notch, but to me the slight rawness (that does have Hydra Head written all over it) is used as a brilliant adventage. The album does get weaker towards the end, where three ballad-like songs follow each other after six smashing tunes. The ballads are enjoyable as well, however, and only lower the score a little bit. Another thing that I'll have to criticize is length on this album - many songs seem to focus solely on an idea or two, yet they go on and on without developing all that much. The epic Sing My Loves suffers from this in particular, as it's over 8 minutes long but really only consists of two riffs. While both fantastic on their own right, I'm left hoping that especially the latter part of the song would've been taken to some different places to keep things more interesting. Nevertheless, a very solid release, and in many ways unexpected by both, its quality and diversity, all while remaining rather simplistic.
7. Thursday - No Devolución ***½
While No Devolución does pale in comparison to a similar release by Fear And The Nervous System, it goes head to head with Cave In. Having only heard Full Collapse from this band prior to this, I can say that things have definitely improved, or at least their music is easier for me to digest than earlier. Maybe that's because hardcore - a genre I've never been hugely into - has significantly lessened in the band's music and instead this album is filled with melodic alternative rock, even containing elements of post-rock and indie pop. Emo(tion) is there, regardless, and the band still sounds like themselves. This is a good album to relax to in particular, but I find it a little too evened out to become a favorite of mine, by which I mean that after a while all the songs sound really alike, particularly chorus-wise. The hardcore-esque parts are essentially what I was left craving more for since I feel that they would've further enhanced the dynamics. I do have to say that the band, particularly frontman Geoff Rickly, is quite successful in its attempt to paint sharp and beautiful landscapes with sound. It even leads to a cathartic experience for me with Empty Glass, a song that rises as the finest moment on the album due to its minimalistic appeal.
6. Nightwish - Imaginaerum ****-
This album reaches out far solely due to its innovation. Maybe it's just me, but flutes on top of distortion guitars, flutes doing dialog with distortion guitars... Woah. The drama and theatrical approach on here has the ability to be really attractive, and I can well imagine this as the soundtrack for a movie of the same name, that's also been done by the band for those that don't know. That is also where some of my complaints fall - at times the album sounds so soundtrack-ish it leaves me feeling distracted, to the extent where I feel that it's impossible to understand this record fully without seeing or knowing the film. Some of the most cinematic moments simply aren't very friendly to the ear without a visual, if that makes sense: it's too much like a background, a frame for something else that's meant to be the main focus. Arabesque is the greatest example, being the weakest song on the album for me. At its strongest, however, this album is catchy, beautiful and wandering in the same time. Anette's vocals don't always fit the music all too well, but in songs like the jazzy Slow, Love, Slow and the calm Turn Loose The Mermaids her voice does shine. Marco is much more equipped for the blasting and heavy parts, in my opinion, and I guess the band doesn't exactly disagree since his role as a vocalist at least hasn't diminished in comparison to earlier albums (or so I hear). My score is further negatively affected by some moments that feel a little filler without the inclusion of the movie, including a few choruses I feel are a bit too candy-coated, plus moments that especially towards the end seem to go a little over the top (why include the long speech on Song Of Myself when it could have been just instrumental? Not to mention how the flutes start to become a tad irritating when used so much after the nice stuff in the beginning). All in all, this is an album I look forward to embracing more and more, even if its style is maybe slightly too "majestic" for my taste, at least for now.
5. Minora - Imago ****-
I was introduced to this band's nu metal side first, so it took some time for me to truly appreciate the new sound found on Imago. In the beginning of the millenium, Minora's biggest influence seemed to be Korn, although I can safely say that the band developed a very original style with their three underrated yet in-your-face EPs, doing what perhaps could have saved nu metal from a downfall if more bands had done the same or at least more people had heard of Minora. But, fast forward a few years and drastic line-up changes, nu metal is practically dead, and Tool and A Perfect Circle are Minora's two big pillars in inspiration. Although the band's influences are more clear than with the old sound, this first full-length of theirs is quite beautiful, I dare to say even particularly romantic. The guitars still hit rather hard, but there's also more melody, and the piano segments are a lovely touch to the autumn-like atmosphere. In addition, I really enjoy the drums on this album. If you're a fan of Tool, APC, 10 Years or other modern, hard, and artsy rock bands, this is for you. Just don't expect it to be the most unique thing out there because it necessarily isn't, or look for hit singles. This is all about the entirety.
4. Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning ****
A lovely and moody double album with vibes of progressive rock, jazz, metal, classical, ambient music... God knows what. I'm sure this isn't the most diverse album the world has ever seen but for me it's quite a palette. And what's great is that more often than not, the album is dark as hell (pun intended). It could be said that Grace For Drowning is cold but not by any means calculated. Unless you want to emphasize Steven Wilson's determination, that is, which is obvious on here. This album, if any, is a real journey and as such it's perfect for movie soundtracks. Unlike some albums that have been ranked lower on this list, there are dynamics that not only work but remain unexpected, and not too many songs sound the same. The sound is crystal clear, and the experimentation doesn't leave the impression of experimenting - it sounds just natural and not nearly a half of it fails like usually with such music. The only true complaint I have is that some of the happier tunes don't sound quite as original as the haunting and more bipolar ones. Once again, it might just be my preference of musical style (though I have also discovered music this year that's both, optimistic and wonderful). I bet if my understanding of music was as diverse as I'd hope it to be, this would have a near perfect score. Even now it's some of the best music I've heard all year.
3. Opeth - Heritage [Special Edition] ****
I can't say that I wouldn't prefer the older material of Opeth next to this one, but does that mean I can't appreciate the beauty Mikael and the guys have once again been able to create? No. This and Steven Wilson's album are the only ones I really need to develop myself as a musician and get into styles like jazz and old school progressive rock. And not only is this album diverse genre-wise, but just like Grace For Drowning, it has crazy dynamic shifts, instruments like flute and upright bass that are not very commonly used in rock music these days, a pure sound (although some vocals are drowned by the music at points)... And believe it or not, a warm ambiance. Yes, the darkness Opeth is known for can still be heard - in fact, one of the best moments on the entire record is the middle section of I Feel The Dark where a silent gap turns into a theatrical and diabolic string progression that musically wouldn't be out of place in an action or horror movie. I just can't help but getting a somewhat homely impression from listening to this album. The music is as adventurous as ever on an Opeth release, but somehow it makes me feel... safe. The key point I have to address and can't emphasize enough is that this album does not get monotone if you focus on it. Grace, evil, calmness, intensity, energy and loudness, ambiance and emotion - it's all here. Despite this, Heritage is an album that's not for every weather, or for every listener. It takes time, and even when you find it amazing, you need to have the right kind of mood to concentrate and reach that nest-like space it offers. Or maybe you personally like to fly to this album... Who cares? :P
2. Evanescence - Evanescence [Deluxe] ****½
Self-titled, this might just be the best Evanescence album to date - it's surely better than The Open Door and not at all worse than Fallen. Catchy, pummeling, lush and epic, Evanescence has all the elements that were there before, only it seems like all the line-up changes finally made the whole better than the sum of its parts. And hey, Amy Lee is still oh-so-adorable. I can't help it, she's a crush... And looking at the booklet that comes with the album, which I by the way own as a physical copy as well thanks to a special someone, can you blame me? :P What could be criticized a little, I guess, is that there's not anything particularly "new" about this release - Evanescence draws from a lot of things that have been done before, but the band captures it a lot better than most other acts around them.
*drum roll*
*crash cymbal rings*
*everyone stares at the screen in awe...*
1. Fear And The Nervous System - Fear And The Nervous System *****-
An absolutely phenomenal piece of art that almost instantly made its way to my favorite albums of all-time. With the help of Billy Gould, Brooks Wackerman, Steve Krolikowski, Leopold Ross and Zac Baird, James "Munky" Shaffer shows breathtaking creativeness and ability to craft highly emotional music that appeals to not only metal fans, but fans of great music in general. What's interesting about this debut is that you can clearly hear little pieces reminescent of Korn, almost allegories to elements of their style, including the industrial and textured experimentation they've done on most of their albums released in the 2000s. This album just seems to do it all in a more genuine, powerful, varied yet balanced fashion than anything since the astonishing Untouchables. Every musical note and vocal is done with such extreme emotion and passion that I'm left absolutely speechless. While the music itself isn't particularly progressive, it breaks away from traditional pop structures just enough to remain both accessible and triggering. The only issues keeping this from being a perfect, five-stars-worthy album are the effects on Steve Krolikowski that kind of disarm the emotion in his voice at a few occasions - plus the fact that not all songs are as mindblowing as the best of the best. Every track is still at least four stars for me. This is officially my new favorite album to listen to while outside, it's my new favorite album to scream and cry to, and it's my new favorite album to cheer myself up with. Words are not enough - if you haven't by now, CHECK THIS ALBUM OUT ASAP.
And that's it. oO What do you think about my list? How about your picks? I urge you to write comments!
The average eventually went up a little and is now ~2.99 when taking both lists into account.
Here. We. Go.
Albums #10-1
10. Dope Stars, Inc. - Ultrawired ***+
Fantastic energy and a purely explosive mix of almost thrash-esque guitars and hard-hitting electronics are what make this album awesome. There are occasions when the industrial elements go over the top for my liking, though, as well as some really poppy and cliché moments. I really can't remember much from this album even after several listens, either, and thus it fails to reach a better score or rank than what's been given. Looking forward to what this band crafts next.
9. Staind - Staind ***+
Just like RED a little further down this list, Staind is great when they're heavy. Despite the fact that Dysfunction is over 12 years old, the band still carries aggression extremely well and makes it seem real and harsh enough for me to really get sucked in with songs like the brilliant opener Eyes Wide Open. Whenever the songs reach too much clean in Aaron Lewis' voice and the effect-filled and harmonized instrumentation comes to life, I'm less intrigued - and just because I prefer heavy stuff over soft melodies most of the time anyway, making my opinion slightly biased, I think there's an actual problem here to be adressed. More often than not, during these mellow moments Staind just doesn't seem to have the same level of passion and originality than with the bursts that literally make me jump out of my chair and tear the roof down. Also, I'm still not a fan of high-pitched solos that don't seem to differ from any of the foundations present in heavy metal for 30 years now. Sorry, Mike Mushok... I do still envy your baritone! Thankfully most of the record is hard-hitting and the solos are far from stealing the main focus.
8. Cave In - White Silence ***½
A beautiful piece of spacey and experimental hardcore/alternative rock. Took me by surprise just like it took the person who recommended it to me (thank you!). The vocals are amazing when at their deepest and most brutal, some of the best I've heard being done in that style, but there's also plenty of clean, since three people are doing the vocals on this album and seemingly only one of them is doing harsher stuff. Some would say that the production isn't quite top notch, but to me the slight rawness (that does have Hydra Head written all over it) is used as a brilliant adventage. The album does get weaker towards the end, where three ballad-like songs follow each other after six smashing tunes. The ballads are enjoyable as well, however, and only lower the score a little bit. Another thing that I'll have to criticize is length on this album - many songs seem to focus solely on an idea or two, yet they go on and on without developing all that much. The epic Sing My Loves suffers from this in particular, as it's over 8 minutes long but really only consists of two riffs. While both fantastic on their own right, I'm left hoping that especially the latter part of the song would've been taken to some different places to keep things more interesting. Nevertheless, a very solid release, and in many ways unexpected by both, its quality and diversity, all while remaining rather simplistic.
7. Thursday - No Devolución ***½
While No Devolución does pale in comparison to a similar release by Fear And The Nervous System, it goes head to head with Cave In. Having only heard Full Collapse from this band prior to this, I can say that things have definitely improved, or at least their music is easier for me to digest than earlier. Maybe that's because hardcore - a genre I've never been hugely into - has significantly lessened in the band's music and instead this album is filled with melodic alternative rock, even containing elements of post-rock and indie pop. Emo(tion) is there, regardless, and the band still sounds like themselves. This is a good album to relax to in particular, but I find it a little too evened out to become a favorite of mine, by which I mean that after a while all the songs sound really alike, particularly chorus-wise. The hardcore-esque parts are essentially what I was left craving more for since I feel that they would've further enhanced the dynamics. I do have to say that the band, particularly frontman Geoff Rickly, is quite successful in its attempt to paint sharp and beautiful landscapes with sound. It even leads to a cathartic experience for me with Empty Glass, a song that rises as the finest moment on the album due to its minimalistic appeal.
6. Nightwish - Imaginaerum ****-
This album reaches out far solely due to its innovation. Maybe it's just me, but flutes on top of distortion guitars, flutes doing dialog with distortion guitars... Woah. The drama and theatrical approach on here has the ability to be really attractive, and I can well imagine this as the soundtrack for a movie of the same name, that's also been done by the band for those that don't know. That is also where some of my complaints fall - at times the album sounds so soundtrack-ish it leaves me feeling distracted, to the extent where I feel that it's impossible to understand this record fully without seeing or knowing the film. Some of the most cinematic moments simply aren't very friendly to the ear without a visual, if that makes sense: it's too much like a background, a frame for something else that's meant to be the main focus. Arabesque is the greatest example, being the weakest song on the album for me. At its strongest, however, this album is catchy, beautiful and wandering in the same time. Anette's vocals don't always fit the music all too well, but in songs like the jazzy Slow, Love, Slow and the calm Turn Loose The Mermaids her voice does shine. Marco is much more equipped for the blasting and heavy parts, in my opinion, and I guess the band doesn't exactly disagree since his role as a vocalist at least hasn't diminished in comparison to earlier albums (or so I hear). My score is further negatively affected by some moments that feel a little filler without the inclusion of the movie, including a few choruses I feel are a bit too candy-coated, plus moments that especially towards the end seem to go a little over the top (why include the long speech on Song Of Myself when it could have been just instrumental? Not to mention how the flutes start to become a tad irritating when used so much after the nice stuff in the beginning). All in all, this is an album I look forward to embracing more and more, even if its style is maybe slightly too "majestic" for my taste, at least for now.
5. Minora - Imago ****-
I was introduced to this band's nu metal side first, so it took some time for me to truly appreciate the new sound found on Imago. In the beginning of the millenium, Minora's biggest influence seemed to be Korn, although I can safely say that the band developed a very original style with their three underrated yet in-your-face EPs, doing what perhaps could have saved nu metal from a downfall if more bands had done the same or at least more people had heard of Minora. But, fast forward a few years and drastic line-up changes, nu metal is practically dead, and Tool and A Perfect Circle are Minora's two big pillars in inspiration. Although the band's influences are more clear than with the old sound, this first full-length of theirs is quite beautiful, I dare to say even particularly romantic. The guitars still hit rather hard, but there's also more melody, and the piano segments are a lovely touch to the autumn-like atmosphere. In addition, I really enjoy the drums on this album. If you're a fan of Tool, APC, 10 Years or other modern, hard, and artsy rock bands, this is for you. Just don't expect it to be the most unique thing out there because it necessarily isn't, or look for hit singles. This is all about the entirety.
4. Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning ****
A lovely and moody double album with vibes of progressive rock, jazz, metal, classical, ambient music... God knows what. I'm sure this isn't the most diverse album the world has ever seen but for me it's quite a palette. And what's great is that more often than not, the album is dark as hell (pun intended). It could be said that Grace For Drowning is cold but not by any means calculated. Unless you want to emphasize Steven Wilson's determination, that is, which is obvious on here. This album, if any, is a real journey and as such it's perfect for movie soundtracks. Unlike some albums that have been ranked lower on this list, there are dynamics that not only work but remain unexpected, and not too many songs sound the same. The sound is crystal clear, and the experimentation doesn't leave the impression of experimenting - it sounds just natural and not nearly a half of it fails like usually with such music. The only true complaint I have is that some of the happier tunes don't sound quite as original as the haunting and more bipolar ones. Once again, it might just be my preference of musical style (though I have also discovered music this year that's both, optimistic and wonderful). I bet if my understanding of music was as diverse as I'd hope it to be, this would have a near perfect score. Even now it's some of the best music I've heard all year.
3. Opeth - Heritage [Special Edition] ****
I can't say that I wouldn't prefer the older material of Opeth next to this one, but does that mean I can't appreciate the beauty Mikael and the guys have once again been able to create? No. This and Steven Wilson's album are the only ones I really need to develop myself as a musician and get into styles like jazz and old school progressive rock. And not only is this album diverse genre-wise, but just like Grace For Drowning, it has crazy dynamic shifts, instruments like flute and upright bass that are not very commonly used in rock music these days, a pure sound (although some vocals are drowned by the music at points)... And believe it or not, a warm ambiance. Yes, the darkness Opeth is known for can still be heard - in fact, one of the best moments on the entire record is the middle section of I Feel The Dark where a silent gap turns into a theatrical and diabolic string progression that musically wouldn't be out of place in an action or horror movie. I just can't help but getting a somewhat homely impression from listening to this album. The music is as adventurous as ever on an Opeth release, but somehow it makes me feel... safe. The key point I have to address and can't emphasize enough is that this album does not get monotone if you focus on it. Grace, evil, calmness, intensity, energy and loudness, ambiance and emotion - it's all here. Despite this, Heritage is an album that's not for every weather, or for every listener. It takes time, and even when you find it amazing, you need to have the right kind of mood to concentrate and reach that nest-like space it offers. Or maybe you personally like to fly to this album... Who cares? :P
2. Evanescence - Evanescence [Deluxe] ****½
Self-titled, this might just be the best Evanescence album to date - it's surely better than The Open Door and not at all worse than Fallen. Catchy, pummeling, lush and epic, Evanescence has all the elements that were there before, only it seems like all the line-up changes finally made the whole better than the sum of its parts. And hey, Amy Lee is still oh-so-adorable. I can't help it, she's a crush... And looking at the booklet that comes with the album, which I by the way own as a physical copy as well thanks to a special someone, can you blame me? :P What could be criticized a little, I guess, is that there's not anything particularly "new" about this release - Evanescence draws from a lot of things that have been done before, but the band captures it a lot better than most other acts around them.
*drum roll*
*crash cymbal rings*
*everyone stares at the screen in awe...*
1. Fear And The Nervous System - Fear And The Nervous System *****-
An absolutely phenomenal piece of art that almost instantly made its way to my favorite albums of all-time. With the help of Billy Gould, Brooks Wackerman, Steve Krolikowski, Leopold Ross and Zac Baird, James "Munky" Shaffer shows breathtaking creativeness and ability to craft highly emotional music that appeals to not only metal fans, but fans of great music in general. What's interesting about this debut is that you can clearly hear little pieces reminescent of Korn, almost allegories to elements of their style, including the industrial and textured experimentation they've done on most of their albums released in the 2000s. This album just seems to do it all in a more genuine, powerful, varied yet balanced fashion than anything since the astonishing Untouchables. Every musical note and vocal is done with such extreme emotion and passion that I'm left absolutely speechless. While the music itself isn't particularly progressive, it breaks away from traditional pop structures just enough to remain both accessible and triggering. The only issues keeping this from being a perfect, five-stars-worthy album are the effects on Steve Krolikowski that kind of disarm the emotion in his voice at a few occasions - plus the fact that not all songs are as mindblowing as the best of the best. Every track is still at least four stars for me. This is officially my new favorite album to listen to while outside, it's my new favorite album to scream and cry to, and it's my new favorite album to cheer myself up with. Words are not enough - if you haven't by now, CHECK THIS ALBUM OUT ASAP.
And that's it. oO What do you think about my list? How about your picks? I urge you to write comments!
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