#1 - Top of 2011

Opeth- Heritage (Roadrunner Records)

At the very top of the 2011 best albums, we have Opeth, continuing to create discussion around their music with their 10th album, Heritage! Although the album (and Mikael Åkerfeldt's statements about the band's direction and goals) has been controversial, Heritage is an amazing record (completed by the unique imagery that is depicted in the cover art) filled with full-on progressive rock! Starting with the instrumental song that gave its name to the album, Heritage is filled with prog yet groovy and catchy songs that grow on you every time you hear them, such as "The Devil's Orchard"  and "Slither".
Even if you are a fan of Opeth before their major turn towards progressive and their experimentation with 70's vibes and rock elements, you will have to admit that Opeth took a huge step (starting a couple years back and continuing on this road with following albums) proving that great musicianship can evolve between genres maintaining its core and substance! The best response is the one given by Åkerfeldt, the man behind Opeth:  "If I can compare it to any other band, it would have to be Opeth, but it's different from the stuff we've done before...I hope you'll like it once you hear it."


96/100

Below is the trippy music video for the song "The Devil's Orchard".

#2 - Top of 2011

Devin Townsend Project - Ghost (Inside Out)

The second best album of 2011 is ... another Devin Townsend Project Album! Yes, DTP released two albums in this year, concluding the first 4 album period of DTP with a whisper! This album abandons the heavy feeling of "Deconstruction" and returns to the low-key sound of "Ki", coming full circle! This a very mellow and laid back release and among the best albums there are to lay back and relax with.
Right from the beginning, you know that this is something special; a slow and dreamy melody and a song that emulates almost to a fault the feeling of floating through the sky on a warm summer day. 'Fly' sets the mood of the album, which continues through 'Heart Baby' and 'Feather' as a journey begins through various shades and tones of light, peaceful music with Devin's vocals, clean electric guitars, Kat Epple's flute and woodwinds, Katrina Natale's beautiful additional vocals and Mike St-Jean's minimal drumming.  . 'Kawaii' and 'Ghost' give us acoustic guitar and strumming and are a little more upbeat, with 'Ghost' being a phenomenal piece of music. The upbeat feel to the album gets a bit more boost with 'Blackberry', with banjo excerpts added in (!). The next three tracks move away from the acoustic guitars, turning to a more atmospheric synth sounds, ('Monsoon', 'Dark Matters' and 'Texada').
'Seams' returns to a more guitar oriented piece, that hints at some form of melancholy, and then the last two tracks are long, slowly developing pieces with further emphasis on a meditative atmosphere, with ambience, which includes seagulls and waves.
This album is a true masterpiece, coming from a different, introversive side of Devin that might just be what led to the creation of the superb album of Casualties of Cool, 2 years down the road.


95/100

Below is the song Ghost performed live in 2011

#3 - Top of 2011

Karmakanic - In a Perfect World (Inside Out)

As we near the top, we have yet another flawless progressive rock record gracing the top spots of 2011. This one is from Jonas Reingold's (Flower Kings) project Karmakanic, that combines what The Flower Kings do with a pinch of Yes. This is their 4th studio effort and possibly their best one yet.  It starts with "1969", an ambitious introduction, spanning 14 minutes combining epic moments with quiet and solemn ones. "Turn it up" has a more mellow sound and has eerie echoes from Spock's Beard. 
"The World is Caving in" starts with  a capella, slowly adding first some piano, then, drums and keyboards, combining a certain heaviness with a soft background. "Can't take it with you" is a very curious track, creating  kind of latin- american feel, later becoming chaotic and is an excellent experimental track. "There's Nothing Wrong With the World" is top-notch. The bass sound is  present as a main character, creating good lines and helping building up the structure, while constructing one of the most memorable pieces of the album. "Bite the Grit" is short and clearly to the point with some dramatic moments that leave you wanting for more. The final track,"When Fear Came to Town" completes the album, with a soft creeping sound that turns into melancholy before an explosion shortly before the album ends, on a bittersweet note. Another excellent Swedish prog rock album that dares to experiment at times while keeping your interest high at all times, trying to explore new space in a genre that is desperately in need of it.



95/100

Below is the audio for "Turn it Up".

#4 - Top of 2011

Arch-Matheos Sympathetic Resonance (Metal Blade)

In number 4 of the top albums of 2011 we have what has been pegged as the best Fates Warning album in over a decade: the collaborative project between the perennial lead guitarist of Fates and their old singer John Arch. This project is realistically the closest thing to a Arch reunion with Fates and to be honest it really sounds like not a single day has passed since Arch left the band! The chemistry is there, the epic vocals are there, everything just ... fits! The album  opens with 'Neurotically Wired', and immediately the vocals of Arch shine through, along with some stunning time signature changes and an overall a strong prog metal vibe. 'Midnight Serenade' has a sick chorus and is followed by the longest track ,'Stained Glass Sky'. This features amazing lead guitar work and is truly a Fates Warning Classic. 'On the Fence' is more emotional, a power ballad of sorts, and particularly shines with Matheos' lead breaks and guitar tones. 'Any Given Day (Strangers like me)' begins with wonderful instrumentation, and acoustic vibrations, building up into an amazing music break. The closer 'Incense and Myrrh', is a short and powerull track with many emotional vibes in it.
This is truly a collaboration that no fan of early progressive metal should miss.

95/100


Below is the music video for  'Midnight Serenade'.

#5 - Top of 2011

Celtibeerian- Tirikantam (Independent)

Moving up the Top of 2011 is a less known folk metal band from Spain, Celtibeerian which is worth checking out! Tirikantam is the the band's first full-length album, which despite its short duration (29:32 minutes!), is pure folk journey guided by Vasco (in guitars), Dave (in pipes, flutes and backing vocals), Patri (in violin), Gus (in bass and lead vocals) and Vity (in drums)! The album starts with the amazing flute-driven instrumental "Tirikantam" which gave its title to the record and doesn't lose its folk elements between songs. The peaks of the album would have to be "Sacred Wine", a medieval song fulled with flute and violin tunes, "The Great Feast", a song that is bound to stick to you and the quick-paced "Riding Home"! A mix of ballads ("Warrior's Sorrow"), folk ("An Dro") and metal tunes (" The Path"), leave the listener wanting to join the party and looking forward to more material by the Celtibeerian!


95/100

Below is the official music video for the song "The Great Feast".

#6 - Top of 2011

Van Canto- Break the Silence (Napalm Records)

For those who don't know about Van Canto's unique power a capella style (although you must have come across one of their covers songs), the band consists five singers (whose voices substitute for the guitars and bass) and one drummer, with no guitars, bass or keyboards! The only exception is the ballad "Spelled in Waters," where Marcus Siepen (from Blind Guardian) guests with an acoustic guitar. Break the Silence is their 4th full length album and is a mix of new songs by the band and cover songs of well-known metal songs. The songs might lack guitars but the singers make up for it perfectly in songs like " If I Die in Battle", "The Seller of Souls" and "Neuer Wind", leaving you wondering how these vocalist can emulate the sound of a guitar and how that would sound live! There are also a number of more melodic tunes like the "Black Wings of Hate" and "Spelled in Waters! Another fitting guest appearance is that of Sabaton's frontman Joakim Broden n the cover song of Sabaton's "Primo Victoria"! The album closes in an epic and powerful way, with a cover song of Manowar's "Master of the Wind" power ballad, which sounds amazingly great with female vocals! Ram dam dam ram dam dam dam!


94/100

Below are the music videos for the songs "If I Die in Battle", "Seller of Souls" and the cover song "Primo Victoria".

#7 - Top of 2011

Comedy of Errors - Disobey (ACH Media)

Comedy of Errors hail from Glasgow and have been around since 1984 and remarkably this is their debut album! OK, to put some things into perspective, the band was initally formed in the 1980s but disbanded after some years and an EP release. In 2011, the band was re-imagined and returned with their first ever album. This release  combines new ideas with old material that never saw the light  back in the day. The result is an excellent album of neo-prog infused with newer ideas, marking this album (and its two successors) as some of the more interesting "hidden gems" of the progressive rock scene in the current decade. The album opens with the title track, a grandiose opener which fuses power chords with a massive synth sound.  'Jekyll' is an upbeat one, built around the synth sound of Jim Johnston and acoustic passages uniting with choral vocals. 'Prelude, riff and fugue' is a three-parter  instrumental, with obvious ELP influences. 'Carousel' is a self-reflective song describing the ageing process as seen through the eyes of an old man, with symphonic prog elements uniting with neo-prog to offer the biggest epic of the album. 'American rodeo' is a more straight rock tune and a semi-tribute to Deep Purple. 'Could have been yesterday', is another fine prog rock song which brings the tempo down again. 'Joke' is a fine prog rock ballad which nicely acts as a lead to the album's epic four parter  'The student prince', which has been in development since the 1980s and is a grandiose and at the same time exhilarating way of bringing this album to a close. Brilliant comeback and resurrection from a band that despite its age sounds as fresh as ever.

94/100


Below is the music video for "Jekyll"

#8 - Top of 2011

Doomsword - The Eternal Battle (Dragonheart Records)

Italians Doomsword have never been one to disappoint their audience, and you can tell this by the amount of time they spend carefully concocting each new album, at least over the course of the 21st century. Four years between Let Battle Commence and My Name Will Live On, and another four years to produce The Eternal Battle, which turns out to be not only another fine offering, but the very best the band has yet released on this Earth. More than this, the band offer us something so rare, a brand of traditional and epic heavy/doom. The album begins with the mind-blowing "Varusschlacht", which sings of sunken glory through the whispered, dark narrative and the 'whoa oh oh' that marches gallantly into the verse. "Eternal Battle" eschews some of the shadowy atmosphere for the glint of glorious melodies, but it's just as dire and potent, and "Wrath of the Gods" is just balls out fucking heavy metal plugged with soothing, powerful vocals carried over the lamentations of the verse guitars. There is not a track here that will fail to eclipse your soul if given the breath and patience, but  "Soldier of Fortune" and "The Fulminant" excel for the heft of the riffing and the massive atmosphere conjured through the interplay of drums and vocals, not to mention those leads in the latter and how they gracefully transition to the river-like bridge.
Doomsword deliver, and this 5th full-length is a proud scar to wear, a bloodied nose from a steel gauntlet you will not soon forget.


95/100

Below is the audio for the entire epic album for each Warrior to draw (and quarter) its own conclusions. To Battle!

#9 - Top of 2011

Krux - III: He Who Sleeps Among the Stars (GMR Music Group)

The Swedish doom metal band, Krux, is back with their III album with the uniquely heavy vocals by Mats Levén and riffs (by Fredrik Åkesson and Jörgen Sandström) that ooze doom vibes but don't hesitate to experiment with heavy metal tunes. Starting with the song that gave its title to the album, " He Who Sleeps Amongst the Stars" is an amazing introduction that gets the listener hooked and hyped! "The Hades Assembly" and "The Death Farm" are examples of pure doom metal songs and are titled accordingly, with the latter being a song that would satisfy Krux and Candlemass fans. The "Prince Azaar and the Invisible Pagoda" and "A Place of Crows" are the longest in duration songs during which the band shifts towards heavy tunes, while the shorter "Emily Payne (and the Black Maze)" is definitely a highlight of the album that captures the interest of anyone (fan or not)! Overall, the record manages to balance melodic with doom and epic elements making it among the top 10 albums of 2011!


94/100

Below the audio for the song that gave its name to the album.

#10 - Top of 2011

Riot - Immortal Soul (SPV)

This is the final album of truly legendary heavy metal band Riot, that disbanded after Mark Reale sadly passed away in 2012. Releasing their debut back in 1977, they span 4 decades of awesome music and truly inspired songwriting. Although the band never broke to the "mainstream" it will always be remembered as one of the true pioneers of heavy metal. Their final album is a special one and has everything a fan of the band could ask for,  by combining different elements of their repertoire: We have the relentless speedy songs, such as "Riot", "Wings Are For Angels" and "Sins Of The Father", but at the same time one can hear more mid / up tempo pieces that bring to mind the Di Meo season, with most typical examples including the "Whiskey Man", "Fall Before Me", "Believe" and "Immortal Soul". We will be confronted with sometimes furious, sometimes mellow riffs, nice solos and harmonies, with Moore perhaps gives the more mature performance of his career. Mark Reale delivers here one of his best performances as a composer/lead guitar player and leaves this world with an album which rivals the legendary "Thunderseel" and is a fitting swan song for the band.

PS: It is worth noting that surviving members of the band have since reunited as Riot V and have released an interesting album in 2014 - worth checking out for fans of the band.

94/100

Below as a rare treat, a video containing the entirety of the Immortal Soul album.

#11 - Top of 2011

Pain of Salvation- Road Salt Two (Inside Out Records)

Pain of Salvation are following the path they took with Road Salt One towards a 70's prog rock sound, with their album Road Salt Two which is an example of excellent song-writing both in terms of melodies and lyrics. Of course, Daniel Gildenlöw plays a major part in this the band and this album through both his amazing vocals and lyrical themes. The album shifts between melodic-driven tunes with examples such as "Through the Distance" and the piano-driven "1979" and darker bluesy tones in "Softly She Cries" while adding solid riffs in songs like "Conditioned" and more complex tunes in "The Deeper Cut". "To the Shoreline" is a memorable song (that could be described as the most progressive song in this record) and one of the peaks of the album with its contrasts between the piano and the unbelievably catchy chorus that will stick to your mind!
Some of the songs that were first performed in this record (such as "1979") were also recorded with a few twists and changes, and included in their later album Falling Home. Although the album sticks to the concepts introduced in the first part of the Road Salt saga (Road Salt One), it manages to stand out from it as an amazing and unique album both in terms of lyrical and musical themes, adding another great release to Pain of Salvation's career!


94/100

Below is the music video for the song "1979" that was also featured in the album Falling Home.

#12- Top of 2011

Turisas- Stand Up and Fight (Century Media Records)

Stand Up and Fight is undeniably one of the best albums released by Turisas to date, as it manages to capture the epic feeling that the Finnish symphonic/ folk metal band represents inviting the listener to join in the journey to battle and glory! The record starts of with the powerful "March of the Varangian Guard" and keeps going with blasting tunes and strong (clean and brutal) vocals along with amazing choruses. The songs throughout are full with excitement and great melodies, with examples like the "Take the Day!", unique and uplifting "βένετοι! - πράσινοι!" (with its amazing orchestration) and refreshing pirate-themed "Hunting Pirates" that invites you to sing along. The album doesn't slow down with one of the peaks being the excellent "Stand Up and Fight" and the melodic "End of an Empire"!
The choirs and orchestras along with all the metal elements erupt into a bombastic album with unique replay value, especially when you are filling low and looking for something like a catchy battle anthem that can be uplifting and melodic!



94/100

Below is the official music video for the song "Stand Up and Fight".

#13 - Top of 2011

Black Country Communion - Black Country Communion 2 (Mascot)

Black Country Communion were created in 2009 by Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Derek Sherinian and Jason Bonham. That sentence should be more than enough for hard rock fans to go and have a listen at their releases. This is the second album (of a total of three) they released and probably the best among them. The sound of the band combines hard rock elements with the distinct vocals of Glenn and here they present their most cohesive work, with clear references to Led Zeppelin.
Among the best moments of the album are the dynamic "The Outsider",  Glenn Hughes' vocals in the chorus of "Man In The Middle", with an epic Zeppelin feeling, Joe Bonamassa's singing in the "The Battle For Hadrian's Wall" and the equally epic  and trully rocking "Save Me". These four constitute the core of the album, and are truly awesome tracks, guaranteed to be excellent additions in any rock tracklist. Beyond that things are more or less expected; "Smokestack Woman" is straight out of  "Physical Graffiti", while "Faithless" and "An Ordinary Son" are in the same vein with the latest personal works of Hughes (the first) and Bonamassa (the second). Nevertheless, the cohesiveness between the tracks is better than last time, with adrenline-pumping "Crossfire" and bluesy "Cold" flawlessly combining to close out the second attempt of BCC. An album in the true spirit of rock and roll by some big names of the genre that show that they are not ready to retire yet offering one of the most pure "retro" rock sensations of this year.

93/100

Below is the music video for "Man in the Middle".

#14 - Top of 2011

Edguy - Age of the Joker (Nuclear Blast)

Another year, another top position for an Edguy record. This is the 2011 release by German power metallers who, as in their previous 2 records slowly phased out the "Europower" elements from their sound in favour of a more modern sound, complimented by hard rock overtones and the humoristic attitude that the band always had.
Again, as with previous and later releases (their 2015 release was included in the top list for that year here ), there is a constant level of quality in their releases, with hit songs (along the lines of "Robin Hood" , "Rock of Cashel" ), an epic track ( "Behind the Gates to Midnight World"), at least one  humorous track ("Two Out of Seven")and some lesser songs that despite not being extraordinary still remain memorable (for example, "Nobody's Hero"  and "The Arcane Guild" ).  This release is not the finest of the band, but it is impeccable throughout and keeps reaffirming the place of the band as one of the essential/ breakthrough bands of the European power metal scene.

93/100


Below is the music video for "Robin Hood"

#15 - Top of 2011

Amorphis- The Beginning of Times (Nuclear Blast)

Amorphis are back with their 10th album, The Beginning of Times, adding another record to their lengthy list of interesting releases, partly due to the amazing vocalist Tomi Joutsen as well as a mix of heavy and melodic tunes. The band doesn't hesitate to experiment (considering that they started from death metal) adding female vocals (by Netta Dahlberg) and flutes (along with folk elements) in songs like the "Mermaid" and the "Song of the Sage", while the rhythm changes especially in the "Soothsayer" and the "Beginning of Time" (that gave its name to the album), which can be described as the peak moments of the album. The album sets off with the amazing "Battle for Light" with themes that range from more radio-friendly songs such as the "You I Need" without missing out powerful tracks like the "Three Words" and the anthemic chorus in the "My Enemy"! Overall, the Finnish band sticks to the musical themes of the previous albums while developing new ideas and adding unique elements at each step. An excellent addition to their extensive back-catalogue.


93/100

Below is the official video for the song "You I Need".

#16 - Top of 2011

Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction (Inside Out)

This year graced us with not one, but TWO DTP albums, "Deconstruction" and "Ghost". Both made it into the the list for this year with "Deconstruction" being in number 16. Of the two, this represents the "wild" and "heavy" side of the artist, while Ghost is the "pensive" and "introspective" side of Devin. Since the dissolution of Strapping Young Lad, this is the heaviest record of Devin and the third part of the four-part initial DTP experiment. In addition, it is a quasi-concept album of a man's journal to discover the inner workings of truth, leading him to hell, all acting as a metaphor to overcoming fears and difficulties in life. In a track by track examination of the album, we begin with "Praise the Lowered" , the sole relaxing moment of the album, with guest vocals from the singer of Novembers Doom (Paul Khur) . It is followed by "Stand", a complex composition which bears striking similarities thematically to the Devin Townsend Band album "Terria" and has guest vocals (or rather, roaring) from Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth. "Juular" which follows, has since become a live concert favourite and is an extremely heavy and aggressive piece, complimented by guest vocals from Ihsahn.  "Planet of the Apes" is a paranoid piece of true progressive metal with influences from bands like Messugah as well as the aforementioned late Strapping Young Lad.  Again there is a guest vocalist here, Tomy Giles Rodgers (Between the Buried and Me).  "Sumeria"  features the great Paul Masvidal of Cynic and is along with "Juular" the two more listener-friendly moments of the record. This comes in stark contrast with "The Mighty Masturbator" which starts in a very pompous manner and ends up being an absolute mindfuck of a song, justly complimented by the insanity that is Greg Puciato from Dillinger Escape Plan. "Pandemic", is more structured as a song, but just as heavy, and is full of Strapping Young Lad influences, complimented by operatic vocals provided by Miss Floor Jansen (Nightwish, Star One etc.). "Deconstruction" veers again into complete insanity with Jazz improvs followed by blastbeat attacks and GWAR guesting to throw the whole song into a nearly perfect chaos. "Poltergeist" which closes out the album features no guests, but is again extremely aggressive and justly summarises the whole album, acting as a good finisher to one of the most Townsend albums Devin Townsend has ever done. Not recommended to outsiders and a very rough listen, but engaging nonetheless!

93/100

Below is the music video for the infernal "Juular".

#17 - Top of 2011

Hugh Laurie - Let Them Talk (Warner Bros)

Everybody that has watched any show that Hugh Laurie has performed in (with many examples in episodes of the series House) knows that he is a great musician and really into the New Orleans bluesy music genre, but still Let Them Talk is a pleasant and interesting surprise from an amazing artist! This album is the exception to the rule that albums made by actors should be avoided, as it is full of an R&B vibe with great songs like the "St James Infirmary", the "John Henry" (featuring Irma Thomas) and "You Don't Know My Mind". The "Battle of Jericho" and "The Whale Has Swallowed Me" are two of the peak moments of the album, succeeding in being both true to the genre they represent (and Laurie is passionate about), while at the same time adding something new!
Everything is wrapped up with the song that gave its name to the album, "Let Them Talk", perfectly serving as a closing song and as a comment to those who were quick to dismiss this daring attempt.
Although the album is far from being described as either metal or prog, it still is one of the most interesting releases of 2011 and worth checking out even for those that are not fans of the genre!



93/100


Below is the music video for "Swanee River"

#18 - Top of 2011

Vexillum - The Wandering Notes (My Graveyard Productions)

The Wandering Notes is the first full-length album of the power/ folk metal band from Italy, Vexillum, which shows their potential in creating powerful melodies to tell about fantasy stories and adventures. The record starts strongly with the energized "Neverending Quest" setting the mood for album and is elevated by Dario Vallesi's amazing power metal vocals! "Avalon" is an interesting and epic song that gets you pumped to sing along the chorus. "The Brave and the Craven" is filled with great guitar riffs by Michele Gasparri and Andrea Calvanico, while "Ranger Runs Again" has a more folk vibe with the addition of acoustic guitars and choruses. Quick-paced songs like the "Rising from the Ruins" and the"The Wood of Chances" are balanced with more melodic songs like the "Hunter and Prey" throughout this record.The are also some guest-treats such as the one-and-only Fabio Lione in the "The Traveller" which should not be missed!
The album's cover art ties in perfectly with the themes of the songs as it perfectly captures a old fashioned tavern, filled with people drinking and a band playing on the background. To add to this vibe the album begins with a stranger outside the tavern (and the crickets chirping) who then enters the tavern, while a "tavern noise" can be heard between the songs (with drinks being poured and background chats) tying the storytelling together!

93/100


Below is the audio for "The Brave and the Craven".