Looking back at 2011
I should have posted this a long time ago, but when you have a list of almost 100 releases and you manage to reduce it to a good 70 and still have difficulties going for a Top 10… plus, it might happen that you get to hear releases from 2011 weeks, months after that year has finished, so that might influence your list. But anyway, I’m finalizing the list to be done with it and focus on 2012. 
You’ll notice there are more than 10 releases in my “Best Of”, or what I consider the ones standing out in a positive way. I couldn’t reduce to 10, because I feel I could play with those 30 many times and each time have a different order, but I consider these the ones most standing out, in my humble opinion, of course. Yes, there were a lot more I like(d) very much, there always are. 
The best consist of only studio albums, not EPs, no re-releases, no live releases. For the other lists, I did add EPs, for example. Here goes…
Stood out:
- Ancient Bards – Soulless Child (review)
- Amon Amarth – Surtur Rising
- Symphony X – Iconoclast
- Devin Townsend Project – Decontruction / Ghost
- Onslaught – Sounds Of Violence (review)
- Beyond Creation – The Aura (review)
- Rhapsody Of Fire – From Chaos To Eternity
- Iron Mask – Black As Death (review)
- Draconian – A Rose For The Apocalypse (review)
- Esoteric – Paragon Of Dissonance
- Theocracy – As The World Bleeds
- Obscura – Omnivium
- Stratovarius – Elysium
- Insomnium – One For Sorrow
- Haken – Visions
- Ouroboros – Glorification Of A Myth (review)
- Vomitron – No NES For The Wicked (review)
- Isole – Born From Shadows (review)
- Marche Funèbre – To Drown (review)
- Thurisaz – The Cimmerian Years
- Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn Of Events
- Evile – Five Serpent’s Teeth
- Hell – Human Remains
- Meadows End – Ode To Quietus (review)
- Beyond The Labyrinth – Chapter III: Stories (review)
- Mournful Congregaton – The Book Of Kings
- Wolf – Legions Of Bastards
- Powerwolf – Blood Of The Saints
- Benedictum – Dominion
- Nervecell – Psychogenocide
Not outstanding, but still quite decent (alphabetical order):
- Alestorm – Back Through Time (review)
- Ancient Creation – Moonlight Monument (review)
- Arch Enemy – Khaos Legions
- Arkona – Slovo (review)
- Artas – Riotology (review)
- Brainstorm – On The Spur Of The Moment (review)
- Edguy – Age Of The Joker
- Ilium – Genetic Memory
- Manigance – Récidive
- No Gravity – Worlds In Collision
- Sinner – One Bullet Left (review)
- The New Black – II: Better In Black (review)
- U.D.O. – Rev-Raptor (review)
- Violent Eve – Eleven Reasons To Kill (review)
- Visions Of Atlantis – Delta (review)
- Vreid – V
- While Heaven Wept – Fear Of Infinity
Not (that) good (alphabetical order):
- Arkona – Stenka Na Stenku (EP) (review)
- Betzefer – Freedom To The Slave Makers (review)
- Buried In Black – Black Death (review)
- Destruction – Day Of Reckoning
- Grave Digger – The Ballad Of Mary (EP) (review)
- Infinity Overture – The Infinity Overture Pt. 1
- Lake Of Tears – Illwill (review)
- Mayan – Quarterpast
- Midnattsol – The Metamorphosis Melody (review)
- Misguided Aggression – Flood The Common Ground (review)
- REV 16:8 – Ashlands (review)
- U.D.O. – Leatherhead (EP) (review)
- Unleash The Archers – Demons Of The Astrowaste (review)
- Van Canto – Break The Silence (review)
More info at