This is it! The moment you’ve all been waiting for since I started this column 47 weeks ago, the top 5 metal albums of 2011 according to me:
5. Goes Cube: In Tides And Drifts
Missed having a new Converge record to spin in 2011? Then Goes Cube’s latest is perfect for you. Sonically it’s miles ahead of anything out there and I’ve got to admit that I love David Obuchowski’s voice a lot more than Jake Bannon’s. I don’t think anything went for the jugular quite as hard as In Tides And Drifts did. From the frenetic opening salvo of “Safety Coffin” and “Thunderheads” through to the quiet embrace of “The Ban Has Been Lifted”, Goes Cube destroyed all expectations.
4. Devin Townsend Project: Deconstruction
The hardest working man in metal completed his 4-album concept with the quiet Ghost and the epic Deconstruction which were both released in 2011. If 2009’s Addicted wasn’t Hevy Devy enough for you, then Deconstruction was sure to appease you and the legions. With guests and soundscapes galore, Deconstruction was the culmination of the heavy side of Devin Townsend…for now.
3. Crowbar: Sever The Wicked Hand
I was so happy to hear that Crowbar would be putting out a new record in 2011. They’ve always held a special place in my heart as they were the first band I ever saw live. Seeing them at The Middle East last December rekindled my passion for all things NOLA sludge and hearing a new song played live sealed the deal. Sever The Wicked Hand sounded as refreshed as ever and solidified the fact that Crowbar are living legends with a plethora of brutal riffs guaranteed to make your eardrums bleed and peel the paint off your walls.
2. Will Haven: Voir Dire
I feel like I have waited an eternity for this record to come out but it was so worth the wait. Ten years after the magnificent Carpe Diem was released and original vocalist Grady Avenell has returned to the vocal booth and produced one of the finest metal records of 2011. There’s not a bad note on here and with an added low end from Slipknot’s Chris Fehn on bass, Voir Dire upped the ante even more.
1. Times Of Grace: The Hymn Of A Broken Man
I have always been an early Killswitch Engage fan. Not that there’s anything wrong with Howard Jones but there’s just something about Jesse Leach and the passion he brings that added a little more to the ferocity of Adam D’s killer riffs. Times Of Grace took the passion and the ferocity to the next level. It was as if Leach and Dutkiewicz had never stopped making music together. If there’s one heavy album you should own in 2011, it’s this one.
Don’t forget to click here if you missed 6-11.