The Best Albums of 2011

I didn't realise what a great year it had been for music until I sat down to knock together a shortlist for my Top 20 of 2011. Before I'd even seriously thought about it, I'd got a list of over 50 albums. Narrowing them down to a Top 20 was pretty tough, but picking my favourite of the year was ridiculous - any one of the top 3 could have been it. Anyway, on with the list. Read, disagree, call me a cunt. Can't wait!

1. Primordial - "Redemption At The Puritan's Hand"

It's two decades down the line for Primordial this year, and they just keep getting better and better. "Redemption..." is an absolutely stunning album. It's an album that sounds 'Irish' from start to finish - and by that, I don't mean that it sounds trad; I mean that it captures the sound of a wind-swept, rain-blasted rock in the Atlantic Ocean, a particular essence of epic doom that only Ireland could produce.

2: Septicflesh - "The Great Mass"

Bands have been mixing Classical and Metal together for years, but, to me, no-one has done it as well as Septicflesh. It probably helps that, rather than just using a keyboard, they actually have a fully-trained composer in the band. It means that it all fits together perfectly, and just doesn't sound like some goomba blasting strings on his keyboard in the background. "The Great Mass" is an astonishing assault on the ears, and left me sat genuinely open-mouthed the first time I heard it.

3: Devin Townsend - "The Calm & The Storm"

Normally, a year with a Devin Townsend release is one where I don't have a hard time handing out the top slot on this list. That's a testament to how good the two albums above actually are. I'm also counting "Ghost" and "Deconstruction" as one album, despite being polar opposites. They work perfectly together; after listening to the brain-melting insanity of the latter, you'll need the soothing chill-out of the former. Two superb albums and an epic end to the Devin Townsend Project quartet.

4: Insomnium - "One For Sorrow"

I remember listening to the last few Insomnium albums thinking 'these guys are okay... they have a lot of potential'. That potential has now been realised. "One For Sorrow" finally achieves what they've always been striding towards, moving them away from identikit Melodeath and closer to the realms of Amorphis. Level up, guys!

5: The Man-Eating Tree – "Harvest"

The Man-Eating Tree return with their second album, and they've perfected what they set out on their debut. Huge, soaring, gothic metal, these guys deserve to be much bigger than they are. If you're a fan of Anathema, Paradise Lost, or even H.I.M, you need to check them out.

6: Akira Yamaoka - "Shadows of the Damned OST"

Yes, it's a video game soundtrack. And yes, it's one of the best albums of the year. Akira Yamaoka has always pushed the boundaries of what is achievable on a video game OST - from Silent Hill 2 onwards, they've always been

proper, full albums. This one is as batshit as the game it comes from - an insane mix of jazz, metal, lounge and mariachi madness. Check it out. And please buy the game. Nobody else did, and I want a sequel.

7: Scroobius Pip - "Distraction Pieces"

I have to admit, I wasn't sure what to expect from Pip's solo album; Dan le Sac's beats have always been amazing for me, and I was worried that the album might be a bit 'spoken word' without them. My fears were unfounded. It turns out that a mighty rock heart beats underneath that hip hop exterior, because this album is HUGE - as anyone who saw it live will attest to. This, combined with Pip's always-awesome lyrics, made for one of my favourite albums this year.

8: From The Bogs Of Aughiska - "From The Bogs Of Aughiska"

The second of four Irish albums on this lost, which is amazing - that's more than I've had on my lists combined since 2006! FTBOA's debut release is an immensely unsettling slice of dark ambient. However, don't take 'ambient' to mean 'pop it on in the background' - from the opening 'The Great Sea Stack At The Cliffs Of Moher' this will grab your attention and refuse to let go. Speaking as someone who lives in the West of Ireland, FTBOA have perfectly captured the sound of 'Ireland', without any hint of diddly-aye rubbish. This is the distilled sound of the bleak and beautiful wilderness of Connemara.

9: Solstafír - "Svartir Sandar"

I honestly have no frame of reference for this album. I can't even begin to tell you what it sounds like. Sometimes it has the drifting post-rock of Isis, other times it reminds me of old goths like Fields Of The Nephilim. Sometimes it reminds me of the crushing weirdness of their fellow countrymen Mínus. Sometimes it even reminds me of Jane's Addiction. The band's website describes them as 'Antichristian Icelandic Heathen Bastards'. Whatever they are, they rule.

10: Turisas - "Stand Up And Fight"

I always forget how much I actually love Turisas, writing them off as a good-fun-comedy band in the vein of Lordi or Gwar. That's actually bollocks; beneath the facepaint and daft covers lies a superb modern metal band. They are everything heavy metal should be: Epic, loud, and most importantly, fucking fun.

11: Altar of Plagues – "Mammal"

And the awesome year for Irish Metal continues with the new album from Altar Of Plagues, a monolithic slab of Post Black Metal. It's far from an easy listen; this is bleak, cold, desolate and furious stuff, much more so than their previous albums. Those who have the stomach for it will be well rewarded though.

12: The Defiled - "Grave Times"

I have to admit to judging these guys on their appearance without even hearing them, writing them off as another My Passion / Aiden slice of bullshit that teenage girls / Kerrang seems to love these days. When I realised that was unfair and gave the album a spin, I was blown away. This is one of the finest albums Britain has produced this year, reminiscent of the rare, good Nu-Metal bands. Yes, some Nu-Metal bands were good. I'm old, I was there at the start.

13: As They Burn - “Aeon's War”

The first half of this album is impressive, if nothing outstanding – it's heavily Gojira / Meshuggah influenced, but then it hits 'Beg For Death' and suddenly they've hit their stride, and every track from there to the end is unbelievable. In an era where every other metal band seems obsessed with polyrhythmic riffs, these guys stand head and shoulders above the crowd.

14: Anaal Nathrakh – "Passion"

Shitting hell, this is furious. It is, however, a bit more textured than previous releases, which is probably why I like it more - relentless bludgeoning can eventually just get boring and dull (hello, 99% of Death Metal bands). Don't get me wrong though, this is still an assault of abrasive noise.

15: Cruachan - "Blood On The Black Robe"

Cruachan were Folk Metal before that term even existed. However, in recent years, they've drifted more towards Horslips-esque rock and covers of Irish classics. That era is over; the female vocals have been jettisoned and replaced by aggressive, folk-tinged black metal. And they're much, much better for it!

16: Frank Turner - "England Keep My Bones"

I have to admit, I found the last Frank Turner album to be very disappointing; as he stepped further away from the 'one guy with a guitar' sound and more into full-band territory, I found his sound to be getting a little more middle-of-the-road. This album completely destroys that fear; it's his best yet. From the unlikely ancient folk of 'English Curse', to the Atheist anthem 'Glory Hallelujah', to the best-song-he's-ever-written 'I Disappear', this album is a cracker.

17: Fleshgod Apocalypse - "The Agony"

Another album which, like Septicflesh, mixes Death Metal and Classical to great effect. On "The Agony" though, the Classical is more 'Hammer Horror score', while the Death Metal is more relentless. Which explains why I don't like it as much as "The Great Mass". That's not to denigrate it though; it's still a superb beast of an album.

18: The Abominable Iron Sloth - “The Id Will Overcome”

There aren't many bands out there as heavy as The Abominable Iron Sloth, or indeed with a name as awesome. It's in similar territory to the self-titled debut; huge, crushing riffs, with Justin Godfrey's screams still capable of sandblasting entire buildings.

19: Skindred - "Union Black"

While Skindred - and Dubwar before them - have always brought it live, they'd never managed to capture it on record. Both of the Skindred albums had a couple of crackers on them, but a hell of a lot of filler. "Union Black" finally bucks that trend, as it's a beast from start to finish, fusing metal and dub (and even a bit of dubstep) to create a particularly English kind of sound.

20: Mogwai - "Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will"

Mogwai follow up the pretty disappointing "The Hawk Is Howling" with a cracking return to form. They've managed to get a good blend of their sound in on this album, from the soaring instrumentals to the crushing riffs. It's classic Mogwai. There's not much else to say.

Honourable mentions: Arctic Monkeys - "Suck It And See", Black Spiders - "Sons Of The North", Blood Ceremony - "Living With The Ancients", Cerebral Bore - "Maniacal Miscreation", Death Grips - "Ex-Military", Evile - "Five Serpent's Teeth", Foo Fighters - "Wasting Light", 40 Watt Sun - "The Inside Room", Morne - "Asylum", Nero - "Welcome Reality", Opeth - "Heritage", Powerwolf - "Blood Of The Saints", Saul Williams - "Volcanic Sunlight", A Storm Of Light - "As The Valley Of Death Becomes Us, Our Silver Memories Fade", Ulver - "Wars Of The Roses", Within Temptation - "The Unforgiving", Wolves In The Throne Room - "Celestial Lineage".