Abazagorath - s/t [2012 EP]

I've quite taken to the more experimental and progressive breed of black metal grown so rapidly in the past decade, worshiping bands like Enslaved and Klabautamann to no end. Such groups have evolved a genre not known for its technical courage to new heights of creativity and melody, increasing black metal's relevance in the present day. That doesn't mean, however, that a storm of bestial intensity can no longer enthrall the senses in our stuffy, elitist age of innovation equaling quality. Sometimes you just want a consistent torrent of sucker punches to the face, and in that light, Abazagorath has delivered in spades with their self-titled EP.

It would be fair to say that Abazagorath possesses a one-track mind, and luckily for us, that track is a mighty fine one replete with brutal yet catchy finesse. No screwing around is committed here. After a brief, subtle intro, "The Antigod" kicks it up a notch, blasting and pounding its way to the top with some melodic relief provided by the slower sections in between. In fact, this isn't just a voyage made by straight speed and aggression; the band expertly mixes in mid-paced riffs and patterns, making this swarm a bit more memorable and the tracks more distinguishable. Nihilist, if that is his real name, gives an appropriately tortured performance behind the microphone, and his vocal lines complement these tracks well. Sorry, weaklings: no clean vocals or ballads here. Heartbreaking, isn't it?

It's all cloaked in a modern (but not too shiny) production, so Abazagorath isn't exactly a second wave time capsule, not that it needs to be. The highlights are many, even for an EP. "Storms of Destruction" crawls from creation with a haunting and crafty intro, evoking the morbid resurrection of an ancient, evil spirit. The bludgeoning growls thrown in about halfway through only further such a vision as the subtle acoustics elucidate   it. "Lapse" is the shortest complete composition here, and it doesn't fail to make a stirring impression with its blazing rhythms. Out of the 23 sharp minutes offered here, I can't really fault one, even if I found "Immortals" to be the least toxic of the bunch; not bad, and it certainly congeals with its surroundings, but it's not quite as memorable as the others.

I won't comment on this EP's place in Abazagorath's discography, as I'm not familiar with the older work of the band, but I really can't see this release disappointing any fan of primal, no-BS black metal. At any rate, Abazagorath should be a clear indication of a band alive, well, and thriving after four years of silence. I might like my black metal stirred with psychedelia and weirdness, but who's to say I can't pour a smooth glass of well-executed, abrasive chaos every once in a while? It's simple, it's relatively straightforward, but it's also sick and easily replayable. What could be wrong with that? A full-length release of this caliber could make some serious waves. Sure to provide a necessary component to your secret cult meetings.

   Overall: 8/10 (Very Cool - Any more, please?)

Wall of the Eyeless - Through Emptiness [2011 DEMO]

One probably wouldn't guess at the sight of the mind-bending, abstract, and rather awesome cover art that a raw and heavy wall of death metal hid behind it. However, Wall of the Eyeless (kudos on the name) doesn't follow the 90s low-fi tribute wave that so many of these genre bands have been drifting effortlessly upon as of late. Through Emptiness is a fascinating and promising demo that isn't afraid to deliver some surprises and progressive elements; and while its general heaviness isn't to be questioned, this two-piece mixes the style up with free form structures and melodic flourishes.

Through Emptiness moves in mostly mid-paced and sometimes slower speeds, capturing an epic mood appropriate for the music herein. Alongside the more traditional riffs, the songs feature acoustic guitar galore, often focusing on passages of instrumental elegance rather than vocal-driven, pummeling rhythms. Some of the more droning and repetitive guitar parts would give off an essence of black metal if it were not for the deep, bellowing growls of SL, the talented head honcho here who also provides bass and guitar duties. The drums are par for the course: simplistic, but not distractingly so, and effective overall. Nothing here will blow your mind with overt technicality, but the band shows a flair for good songwriting and diverse influences.

With four tracks at twenty-four minutes, Through Emptiness would already make a fully functional EP even in its demonstrative state. I think a cleaner production may suit the lighter parts of this release, but that's not much of a fair criticism considering the fact that this is a demo, and a debut one at that. Personally, seeing a few more hooks and really memorable parts here would have been nice, because even though the group definitely provokes thought while listening, much of this demo will not haunt the memory for long. However, Wall of the Eyeless is still a vision of considerable promise that I'd like to hear more from.

   Overall: 7.25/10 (Cool)

Ecliptica - Journey Saturnine [2012]

I do have to give Ecliptica some credit. After looking at that band name, that vaguely (ahem) familiar logo, and even the somewhat flashy cover art, I think most would reach the same hypothesis as to what to expect here. However, Ecliptica throws an unexpected curveball; they are, in fact, not an exact copy of Sonata Arctica, as you no doubt noticed I was suggesting earlier. However, they don't completely escape the lull of humdrum genericism, either. Journey Saturnine is a (mostly) inoffensive, but entirely predictable and formulaic album.

For the most part, Ecliptica plays par for the course, safe power metal songs. This isn't the kind of PM with extreme, florid keyboards or speed, however, and frankly I'm not sure whether the band could handle such a style. There isn't exactly evidence of a plethora of unique talents showing through here, but that could simply be the result of just how restrained this material is. Nothing is particularly offensive about Journey Saturnine (apart from one abysmal song); it's just sort of... well, there. Too many midpaced clunkers with shoddy, simplistic riffs crowd the track-listing, and too few of the songs deviating from this repetitive scheme contain any convincing hooks to remember.

The most questionable department here is definitely the vocals. They're so hit or miss it's almost unbelievable. Thomas Tieber gives a decent effort without showing too much range, reminding me of Evergrey's vocalist in some respects. Apart from his average, clean performance, however, the other attempts fail on a sometimes humorously awful level. Some harsh vox are provided in a few tracks, and both their utilization and execution are awkward at best. The female singing is absolutely atrocious. I can't tell if their overt throatiness or tone of apathy are intentional, but I do know for sure that it's not working. Like, at all; maybe for a 70s blues band, but not Ecliptica.

The absolute nadir of Journey Saturnine comes in the form of "Without You," which basically redefines how low one can go with a power ballad: putrid vocals, coma-inducing melodies, and truly mind-numbing songwriting. If this track had come in the middle of the album, I honestly would have stopped listening to it entirely. It's that bad. As it stands though, this is just a slightly below average power metal album that will fade from memory shortly after listening to it. It's not bad to affront the senses, but I was in Ecliptica, I certainly wouldn't quit my day job just yet. Just try harder next time.

   Overall: 4.5/10 (Poor)

Lacuna Coil - Dark Adrenaline [2012]

You know, people really do amaze me. They amaze me in a variety of ways, in fact, especially in their acceptance of the absolute bare minimum. I've got a little story to tell; gather 'round the campfire children.

_________________

At the musical methadone clinic, sometime in January, 2012:

Mindless Consumer: "Total crap? Same thing as the product I bought last year? Zero effort or originality involved?! Hell yeah, sign me up!"

Head Record Company Executive: "All right, sir dumbass, just initial here and we'll give you your repackaged poison. No catch! Oh, but you will be giving up your hard-earned money, feeding a brain-sucking, industry-killing leech, and authorizing full utilization of your soul in the unseemly ways we see fit. Do we have a deal?"

Mindless Consumer: "Why wouldn't we? I might be legally deaf, but I would never be one to use discretion and actually give a shit about what I listen to. The stricter the structure of the song, the better. The poppier the chorus, the better. The more phoned in the song... well, you get the point. Just give me my fix, ma'an."

Head Record Company Executive: "Here you go, fresh from the lab: twelve carefully crafted pills of hollow, green-tinted, nonmetal glucose. Granted, they're all the same flavor, and once you've experienced one of them, you've had them all, but we'll generously give you twelve just to make you feel special. Once you're hooked and you're on your sugar rush, be sure to purchase your Lacunacoilium (TM) t-shirts, posters, dolls--ahem, action figures--and laptop/phone skins at the Century Media website. Act now and you'll get exactly what you would if wait for a couple weeks!"

Mindless Consumer: "But Satan, I'm a hardcore deviant sadist; what if twelve aren't enough to fulfill my degenerate fantasies?"

Head Record Company Executive: "Not to worry, dear playtoy! Buy the album at iTunes ('cause, I mean, why support one soulless corporation when you can support two?) and you'll get six bonus tracks and even a video. Losing all character and self-esteem has never come at such a low price! Or, if you're really hankerin' for a spankerin', try the box set edition on for size. It'll serve as a convenient carrying case for your over-produced, overly congruous capsules. Each one comes with a coupon for a free lobotomy, though I can see that you're already, um, well accounted for. Give it to a friend and make sure he uses it before sampling the product. Remember: everybody's doing it, so it must be okay."

Mindless Consumer: "That satisfies me... but wait, why does it explicitly say 'metal' here in the table of contents? 'Dark'? Ick. Scary words dissuade my mindless consumption."

Head Record Company Executive: "We at CM absolutely assure you that the metal factor at work here is only a facade, as is the entire dark image of the Lacunacoilium (TM) property. We have a teen audience, too; we think it's only fair that we give them their drug in a form that's easier for them to swallow. You know, one where they think they're a part of something real, something that'll make them feel cool. There's no need to feel liable to any surprises whatsoever. What you got last time is what you'll get this time, guaranteed: powerless female vocal syrup (because we're using her as a hip gimmick), an illusion of chemical heaviness in the nonexistent riffing section, tracks of nearly identical length, and a spiffy production so crystal clear, you'll swear it'll pop into the room with you. Uniformity has never been this accessibly pervasive!"

Mindless Consumer: "Okay, okay, I think everything's in order. Give me every bottle you got."

...And they all lived happily ever after until the new Kornium (TM) came out.

__________________

If my not-so-subtle rant just alluded you, then you're about to have a new favorite album. I never thought I'd sink low enough to write one of these juvenile 'false conversation' pieces, but Dark Adrenaline took my tolerance to a new level. I'm sorry, but when people (bless their imbecilic hearts) call uninspired dreck like this "incredible," "amazing," and most offensive of all, "heavy," it tends to get to me. It's shit soda pop. People will no doubt take issue with this write-up, and I even doubt it'll be accepted. Where's the musical description, some will say; what an arrogant, pompous ass, others will exclaim. To these comments I'll have only one response: 

I'll write a real review once Lacuna Coil actually puts out a new album.

C'est la vie.

   Overall: 1/10 (Coaster)

Amalgama - Мечта [2012]

Amalgama is one of those Russian power metal bands that you rarely hear of outside their native country, a type of group that you find incidentally while surfing the net for new music to listen to. Unlike three-fourths of the bands I've discovered in this manner, however, this one is actually good at what they do. This is an upbeat melodic power metal squadron armed to entertain with high-flying, surgical tactics.

What's so special about Amalgama? Technically, not much. They deliver simplistic rhythms and melodious leads typical of other better known genre outfits, with to-the-point songwriting and a penchant for tasty hooks. The difference here, however, is in the execution. There's this whimsical lightheartedness at play here, making the admittedly familiar proceedings much more interesting. Sure, as a result the album never really rivals the intensity or power of a Helloween record, but it keeps the energy level up enough as not to fall into dumb frills, either. The vocals should receive some attention, too; they keep the songs afloat with high register melody, stunningly clean while bearing a harsher edge during the more over the top segments. You almost forget they're in Russian until that one English chorus every Russian band seems inclined to have on its album ("Kings of Sky," ironically the best song on here and a stunningly catchy and energetic number in its own right).

I can't say I liked everything, however. The slower balladic moments on this disc don't work nearly as much as when the band's really rockin' out. Track four is good evidence of that, reminding me of an uninspired and cheesy Scorpions imitation more than anything else. Also, the contents tend to feel a bit bare, especially when considering that few sub-40 minute power metal albums have left much of an impact beyond their heyday in the 80s. In the end, Amalgama does create a fun and convincing enough record to give a spin or two when you're tired of your overbearing, fantasy-drenched "epic" metal tomes.

   Overall: 7.5/10 (Good)

Dissona - Dissona [2012]

Remember when I said Eumeria was the American metal band to watch? Well, I wouldn't quite ignore those guys yet, but for the time being, Dissona has stolen my immediate attention and the crown for modern progressive metal. A weathered entity already, this group has been traversing the past decade in the underground while making little impact. That ends with the release of Dissona, the band's first full-length release and a shining jewel of near perfect melodic music.

The band walks a fine line between outright technicality and subtle prog touches. This is mostly achieved through the excellent guitar-playing, alternating between heavy riffs and an intricacy always elegant. Acoustic sections are utilized here and there, adding a bit of melancholic beauty to the mix; the occasional solo isn't half bad, either. Some creative and quirky elements are thrown in as well, including (but not limited to) an interesting flamenco-influenced passage near the end of opening track "Inverted Swarm" and pretty much all of the circus-like "Eccentress," an absorbing song with a title indicative of its contents and one of my favorites on the entire album. Dissona knows how to go epic, too, utterly dumbfounding with the far-reaching and slowly flowing "Avella." No strict structures necessary, just seven minutes of freeform mastery.

Dream Theater this isn't, however. These guys don't rely on half-hour lectures of sleep-inducing boredom to get their point across. Instead, they opt for a more concise approach, striking a cohesive balance between unbridled creativity and memorable songwriting. I would be amiss not to stress how great the vocals are here. Dave Dubenic has this sort of thespian-like quality in his voice characteristic of early US power metal, adding a theatrical touch to the already mystique-driven music. They go a long way to help the tracks retain their impact and create these mesmerizing melodies that I never seem to tire of. Just see "Immersion" or the brief but unforgettable "Chrysalis" to see this man's impact on the overall sound. Sometime's he launches into straight death growls, a style that mixes best when juxtaposed with his soothing cleans. "Fawns" does just that, beginning with a somber opening before exploding into a crushing torrent of emotion.

I could go on and on talking about more of the perfectly executed subtleties on display here (like the rare female vocal line or electronic segment inserted at the just the right time), but what would be the point? I'd rather let the listener discover them for his or herself. Dissona has created one of the best American debuts in years and a triumph for independently released music, an album I've enjoyed well over a dozen times without growing tired of it in the slightest. It's a record that has just about everything I could ever hope for from a prog record without falling into the mildew-drenched prog cliches; and, as of the time of writing, it's all delivered by a virtually unknown outfit with a hundred copies in existence. A travesty. Why not a perfect score? Because I believe that maybe, just maybe, Dissona can make an even better record and really revolutionize this progressive metal thing that's been dwelling in its regressive rut of stagnancy for the past decade or so. This, however, is still essential.

Conclusion: Dissona is the biggest and best surprise of the young year so far. Buy it now and enjoy it while you still can.

   Overall: 9.25/10 (Outstanding)

Horrendous - The Chills [2012]

Let's face it, people: this whole old school thing, whether it's called 'revitalist,' 'retro,' or whatever term that's being forced into the metal glossary as I type, isn't going away. Some have had hard time coping with this fact, but I must ask, why? After all, this nostalgia phenomenon has produced some of the better records of the last few years (including but not limited to Antichrist's Forbidden World, Ghost's Opus Eponymous, and Enforcer's Diamonds) and introduced younger metalheads to the classic bands that inspired them. Until now, I haven't felt that any death metal album of this nature has succeeded in quite the way those aforementioned releases have, not favoring the Incantation worship of bands like Disma. That, however, has changed with Horrendous and their debut.

The Chills instead opts for a sound forged from the glory of early Death and the melancholy vibes of early Swedish death metal. The guitar tone is thick and vibrant in the rhythms but positively dreary in the leads (reminding me of the balance Septic Flesh struck on their mid-90s releases). Songs wind their way between blistering, thrash-influenced passages and doom-laden, cavernous corridors (just see the nine minute "The Eye of Madness"). The vocals are just about as pure as the genre can offer, crushingly growling with zero mercy--or surprise from the listener. The production values couldn't possibly be any better, staying true to the original sound of albums like Leprosy and Severed Survival while utilizing the clarity that modern technology offers. The songwriting isn't as strictly structured as you might find in Schuldiner's old troupe, though, often sprawling beyond the constraints of a normal track and voyaging beyond their simplistic strategy.

The individual tracks are a tad less memorable by nature, but I think the great flow of the release more than makes up for it. It's altogether consistent, but a few notable highlights certainly reveal themselves as one voyages through its vile contents. For one, that intro to "The Womb" certainly won't fade from my memory anytime soon, slowly churning in desolation before exploding into a riff you might hear on Scream Bloody Gore. "The Somber (Desolate Winds)" turns that method on its head, systematically rabbit-punching the listener in the face with its initially punishing rhythm before slowing to an emotion crawl. Personally, I always perk up in the middle of "The Ritual" when song breaks out into a full on assault about midway through. In between those tracks lie more concise numbers like "Ripped to Shreds" and "Altars," which function well as brief asskickers alongside the more developed songs.

Horrendous loads the entire songlist up with winners, clocking in at forty-three minutes of near perfect death metal no fan of the genre should miss. I'm almost surprised it's from the US and not Sweden, a country accustomed to making tried and true efforts of this bloodstained breed. As it stands, though, The Chills is a monumental testament to the relevance of the revitalist movement and an eyebrow-raising debut in a world where so few have existed as of late. It's the kind of album I rarely tire of and the first great release of 2012. A safe buy for everybody who appreciates the form.

   Overall: 9/10 (Outstanding - The darkness beckons)

Alcest - Les Voyages de L'âme [2012]

One of the more controversial acts in the metal underground, Alcest has spun its fine thread of atmospheric wonder to an astounding degree of success and quality already in the band's short existence--paving the way for dozens of other 'blackgaze' projects in the process. Neige produced three bright-eyed, heterogeneous elixirs of black metal, shoegaze, and post-rock from 2005 to 2010, even the least successful of which (probably Le Secret) I would consider no less than outstanding. And the most successful? A beautiful masterpiece from start to finish (or, namely, Souvinirs D'un Autre Monde). For a while I could have sworn I'd never grow tired of the sound created in these works. However, Les Voyages de L'âme has sadly proven that a sound, no matter how great, can only take you so far. Yes, I'd say Neige finally dropped the ball.

Okay, so Alcest's latest isn't a total failure, or even 'bad' for that matter, but for an album titled something as introspective as The Voyage of the Soul, the music beneath its slick cover is surprisingly devoid of spirit or personality. Keeping with the tradition of utilizing fewer metallic elements with each subsequent release, Voyages is the cleanest, most streamlined Alcest album yet, with a production cleaner than a brand new whistle...Too clean, in fact, destroying the natural vibe of the personal dreamland Neige undoubtedly tried to evoke. There's just this overall sense of artifice that fails to hide itself in the midst of its surroundings; imagine catching someone who is attempting to pickpocket you while he or she is in the middle of the act and confronting the awkwardness to follow. That's the feeling I had listening to this. It's as if the emotions were openly robbed and halfheartedly replaced with a tedious stream lacking the harrowing the lows or the optimistic highs I've come to expect from Alcest.

Even though it stands as the longest release to date from this project at fifty minutes, Les Voyages de L'âme feels the least thought out and the most rushed of them all. Songs are either too structured (like the transparent "Nous Sommes l'Emeraude") or appear to have no point at all, voyaging everywhere while truly going nowhere. Just see the interminable "Là où Naissent Les Couleurs Nouvelles," a song that feels as long as its title; throughout its nine minute journey it fails to achieve any sense of euphoric melody or plant itself in the memory for more than the time it takes to listen to it. "Summer's Glory" is a little more successful, but it still hangs too much on its 90s alternative rock influences, coming off as a Smashing Pumpkins track with Alcestian elements rather than the other way around. To my ears, only the title track even gets close to the same league as something off Souvinirs or its followup, briefly creating the essence of beauty I expected upon entry. The rest are comprised of a half-baked mess of ideas.

One might see my relatively fair score and wonder why I've lingered so much on the negative here, and I must admit that I might have been a tad harsh in this review. After all, this is a serviceable slab of post-metal that can entertain every once in a while if used under the right circumstances. However, based purely off my high expectations and the evidence that Neige can do much better readily available to us, Les Voyages de L'âme simply isn't the caliber of release I was hoping for. I hate to be that guy, but a band's music should progress. I know, I know, change is a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" action, but even a vial of nectar can go flat if opened and poured out time and time again. In the end, Voyages isn't the most crushing musical disappointment I've ever experienced, and I do hope that it was just a simple misstep, but it does provide an inauspicious start to a year that promises the apocalypse at it's end. Perhaps this is only the beginning.

   Overall: 6/10 (Fair)

Antichrist - Forbidden World [2011]

Well, wouldn't you know, Sweden conquered again. Just when I was beginning to think thrash had completely lost all its relevance and vicious bite, components wearing painfully thin in this flock since its peak years in the late eighties, this upstart band Antichrist and their almost purposefully cliched moniker has unleashed this shocking abomination of evil known only as Forbidden World. One needs only to look at the (in my opinion) awesome cover art and the song titles to figure out what's in store for the listener here. No, don't call it revitalist thrash metal; this isn't the overly produced and formulaic material offered by Metallic/Exodus lite bands like Havok and Evile; this a forty-three minute torrent of utter musical chaos set to pulverize any poseurs who dare come too close and demolish any living thing foolish enough to get in its way--the greatest metal album of a great year that just kinda snuck in and took the crown while no one was looking.

As one might expect by the dark vibes of the lyrics, Antichrist is more firmly rooted in the scarier German side of all things thrash, and the violent, noisy nature of the actual music strongly reflects that. Hints of early Kreator are strong with this one, though the speed is often a tad less jarring and the album a great deal more melodic in turn. I would compare it to the controlled onslaught of Coma of Souls if Antichrist didn't sound so hostile here, as if they were wild, bloodthirsty hounds just a chain link away from breaking free and tearing their cruel human captors limb from limb. Just listen to the chilling vocals; are they the sound of a simple man's sinister screamed rasps, or the product of a demented soul tortured for all existence? I could hardly tell the difference, Steken presenting his panicked, frenzied phrasing like a speed demon freak from within the heart of Hades.

They don't screw around when it comes to delivering the riffs, either. There's admittedly little technically astounding about the guitar-playing, but I dare anyone to sit still when a full-on blitz like "Torment of Hell" engulfs your system. It's mostly delivered in a fast but intelligible manner, only slowing in truly epic numbers like eight minute tracks "Necropolis" and "Minotaur," the former bearing a verse rhythm to die for and latter being an instrumental anthem that never loses your attention even in its trying length. Every element of the sound is drenched in low-fi tones, mesmerizing in its commitment to being as 'pure' as possible in its relentless pursuit of capturing a bygone era without losing any of its own songwriting elegance. Oh, and these songs are about as memorable as they come. It'll only take a few listens before you start making yourself look like an idiot shouting along to its many unforgettable lines. Don't believe me? Try for yourself.

Yes, Antichrist is firmly rooted in the old school. There's no getting around that fact and it absolutely bleeds through into the music. They're not afraid to worship Kreator, Destruction, Assassin, of Morbid Saint any less than your next throwaway "retro" thrash band is. However, unlike most bands in this oversaturated genre today, this band's fearlessness doesn't stop at pummeling the listener into an insurmountable void of unconsciousness; and, although I respect what they do, that's not something I could say for similar groups like Vektor. This is an album that represents everything great about thrash in a nifty package suitable for the new century. Yep, Forbidden World really is that good. Doubters of grandiose statements better turn away now. It's the best thrash album of the millennium thusfar (by far) in this reviewer's not so humble opinion, and the most satisfying debut offering in years. You just don't know how much you need it.

P.S.: You might want to pick up some medications for the neck and back pain this album will inevitably cause. Phew, I'm dizzy; time for a break.

   Overall: 9.5/10 (Incredible - tormentor, torment me!)

The 20 Best Metal Releases of 2011

Metal pretty much dominated across the board in 2011, a year that continually left my jaw on the floor and little change in my pocket. Sure, not everything laid everything in its past to waste, and it didn't quite surpass the unbelievable year that was 2009, but I enjoyed the ride to the end. Some bands that I usually don't care for really knocked it out of the park this time. The lowest rated of the twenty is about an 8/10--not half bad. However, I must say that I didn't feel there was a '10' record released this year. Septicflesh's typically amazing release came close, but nothing really topped or even equaled Enslaved's 2010 masterpiece, Axioma Ethica Odini... but anyway, without further ado, here's my personal top 20 metal albums of the year:

01. Septicflesh - The Great Mass
02. Antichrist - Forbidden World
03. Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg
04. Anubis Gate - Anubis Gate
05. Riot - Immortal Soul
06. Oranssi Pazuzu - Kosmonument
07. Vader - Welcome to the Morbid Reich
08. Arch/Matheos - Sympathetic Resonance
09. Symphony X - Iconoclast
10. Eumeria - Rebel Mind
11. High Spirits - Another Night
12. Sabbat - Sabbatrinity
13. Enslaved - The Sleeping Gods EP
14. Portrait - Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae
15. Mastodon - The Hunter
16. Pagan's Mind - Heavenly Ecstasy
17. Myrath - Tales of the Sands
18. Heavenwood - Abyss Masterpiece
19. Cormorant - Dwellings 
20. Klabautamann - The Old Chamber


And I'm still digging up more 2011 treasure, so don't be surprised if this list is altered from time to time. I opened my mind to a lot more music recently and I'd say the first year of my blog's existence has been a decent one. I reviewed about sixty releases in 2011, from which there were approximately 32 albums from the past year. Of course, I would like to have written more reviews, but schoolwork and laziness were a constant deterrent. I hope to see an even more fruitful 2012! You can expect a more complete list after 2012 since I'll be attempting to listen to everything I possibly can. A special thanks goes to my (few) amount of readers out there. Good luck.