Top 10 Metal Albums of 2011 (that I listened to...)

(In Descending Order)

10. Animals as Leaders- Weightless- If Dave Davidson is the up and coming thrash metal god, Tosin Abasi is the virtuoso of the new school. On the group’s sophomore album, the intricate guitar work on “Odessa” and “Earth Departure” don’t bash you over the head, but comes off more like a metal jam band and shows that technical metal doesn’t need to be pretentious to amaze fans.

9. Suicide Silence- The Black Crown- When I spoke with lead singer Mitch Lucker this summer, he said this was a “make or break” album for the band. They certainly didn’t break on their third album, as tracks like “Slaves to Substance” and “Smashed” beat your skull in and sent pits ablaze at the Mayhem Festival. We’ll see if the band rises to the top of the metal heap in the future, but “Crown” bodes well for the band.

8. Mastodon- The Hunter- There have been cries of “it’s a pop album” and other derogatory remarks made about this album. Even if it’s not as epic and memorable as their past album “Crack The Skye”, the collection of songs on their latest are songs that are a little more refined than past work. Listen, we all love “March of the Fire Ants” and “Blood and Thunder”, but a band has to evolve at some point and the grooves on “Curl of the Burl” and “All The Heavy Lifting” are undeniable. It’s good to see a metal band crack the Top 10 of the Billboard Album charts as well, it’s something not seen much these days.

7. Devildriver- Beast- After the fury for “Pray for Villains” pummeled fans’ eardrums back in the summer of 2009, you think Devildriver would rest on their laurels and take the foot of the gas a little. Bulls—t! The title of the band’s latest album sums up the push it to the floor mentality of the band over their five albums now. If you doubt me, check out “S—tlist” and “Bring the Fight” and I bet you change your tune real quick.

6. Revocation- Chaos of Forms- Revocation’s Dave Davidson is just a monster on this album. With the band’s third full length, his guitar work on tracks like “Cradle Robber” and “No Funeral” prove that the band is probably one of the more criminally underrated bands. Critics love them, now they just need to capture the metal masses.

5. Ghost- Opus Eponymous- Ok yes, the group’s look and pseudo-Satanic imagery is a gimmick, and they don’t do blast beats or guttural vocals and I can see why someone would roll their eyes at this choice. But if you listen to the songs, it’s a wild throwback to the early days of metal. Songs like the catchy as hell “Ritual” and “Elizabeth” prove that you don’t have to be technically proficient or scary musically to make tuneful music.

4. Asking Alexandria- Reckless & Relentless- Sure, it’s Hot Topic/something-core music that is sure to enrage the metal purists, but if you are looking for a happy medium between a nod to the old school and modern metalcore, these British guys got it right with their second album. “Dear Insanity” and “A Lesson Never Learned” are two of the songs on an album that just seems to get better the later the album goes on and may show some signs of hope for the metalcore scene.

3. Black Dahlia Murder- Ritual- Sure, the guys from Detroit have had some killer albums before- but there was something different about “Ritual”. The guys tried for more melody and diversified their guitar work into a full bodied experience. Even though titles like “Conspiring With the Damned” or “Carbonized in Cruiciform” might not be dinner table conversation, the riffs and frentic vocals give the album real punch and is easily the band’s best yet.

2. Anthrax- Worship Music- Maybe it was because I didn’t have faith in Joey Belladonna’s vocals or their problems, but the material on “Worship Music” made a believer out of me after I went into the album with a lot of apprehension. It’s a great blend of the Belladonna and Bush era material and if you didn’t get into tracks like “The Devil You Know” or “The Giant”, you are hopelessly stuck in your little niche scene and need to show some old school respect.

1. Machine Head- Unto the Locust- The band’s last album “The Blackening” could have been one of the top 3 albums of the past decade, and “Locust” turned out to be just as heavy as it’s predecessor. The songs continue at the same epic length and if you haven’t heard the title track or “I Am Hell”, you probably haven’t heard the best metal songs of the year. The last album help forgive the goggles and jumpsuits of their awkward late 90’s period; this album proved they are one of the titans of the modern era.