365 Days of Metal: 2011, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Well folks its time to start off this seasons look back at the year that was in the Metalverse. Part I of the look back focuses on some of the finer, funnier and down right disappointing points of 2011. Along with all of those randomly chosen 'honors' I'll be listing my choices for best albums by genre for the year, while trying to cover as many bases as possible.

So let's get this party started, but get the disappointment out of the way as quickly as possible:

The Dubious Honors 

Biggest Letdown:

Illud Divinum Insanus by Morbid Angel

There's really not much I can say as to why Illud Divinum Insanus is the biggest letdown of the year. The bands last record was released in 2003, and production on their latest began in 2006 and was originally slated for a 2007 release, getting pushed back by their touring schedule and work on new material.

While reviews of the album stretch between praise and absolute loathing, fact of the matter is Illud Divinum Insanus does an about face on the style that fans have come to know and love, and incorporates a more industrial that sounds both forced, and just doesn't sit well with most fans of their earlier work. I'll let you guess which side of the coin I find myself on.

Personal opinion? It feels like that over the near 10 year gap between recordings that they forgot what band they were in. 

Worst Production:

Divided By by Structures

You can read a bit more here when I covered this album on Day 71 of 365 Days of Metal, but the fact of the matter is this album is so insanely overproduced that it completely ruins what should be a quality album. I can't even listen to this album without making a completely unique downtrodden setting on the EQ - the breakdowns simply turn into a mesh of extreme static fuzz.

That True 'Kvlt' Shit

Best Production: 

Celestial Lineage by Wolves In The Throne Room 

Black Metal albums are rarely known for their emphasis on production quality, seeing as how the emphasis is on raw recording and distorted fast-paced tremolo picked guitar work. So it may be surprising for some that I would pick one such album for best production, but that's simply because the production work that WITTR uses on their records involves analog equipment and no effects. The result is a vintage feeling recording that is both as raw, crisp and clear as it can be - not to mention the quality of the music. 

Best Live Performance:

Devin Townsend Project

I've seen Hevy Devy a couple times prior to this year, once on tour with BTBAM, Cynic and Scale the Summit two years ago, and once with Strapping Young Lad when I was much younger. His stage presence is always insane, the variety of music he plays always reaches across all of his body of work, and there's enough Ziltoid involved to give you an aneurysm and a half - this was a no brainer. 

Best Unsigned Band:

Behold Oblivion

A group formed by friends from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, they released their debut full-length record this year after releasing a self-produced EP the year before under their original name Tight Rope. I've had my share to say about them when I covered Witness on 365 Days of Metal, and will have more to say in the days to come. 

Favorite Solo:

Chaos of Forms by Revocation

Revocation's latest album Chaos of Forms is a solo ridden paradise thanks in part to the shredding of front man and lead guitarist David Davidson. The title track features a soft leading intro into one of the finer solo's and instrumental sections on the record.

Favorite Breakdowns:

Until I Feel Nothing by Carnifex

Carnifex has not taken their foot off of the brutal pedal once since their first release. Until I Feel Nothing is one of their best records yet, one of the best Deathcore albums of the year, and features truly punishing breakdowns as is commonplace for the group. 
 
Most 'Metal As Fuck' Album Art:

Tie: Chaos of Forms by Revocation and Forever Abomination by Skeletonwitch

Kind of hard to decided between the two. On the one hand, Skeletonwitch always has metal as fuck album artwork. On the other hand, Revocation's latest boasts artwork that is both vintage, bad ass and absolutely 100% metal as fuck.

Head of Their Class

The following are what I consider to be my favorite, and the best records by genre for this past year. Though this should definitely not be taken into direct consideration when trying to imagine my Top 20 Metal Albums for 2011.

Death Metal: The Destroyers of All by Ulcerate

Progressive: Deconstruction by Devin Townsend Project

Instrumental: Weightless by Animals As Leaders

Melodic Death Metal & Deathcore: Ritual by The Black Dahlia Murder

Black Metal: Celestial Lineage by Wolves In The Throne Room

Groove Metal: The Age of Hell by Chimaera 

Sludge Metal: An Ache for the Distance - The Atlas Moth

Metalcore: Via by Volumes

Doom: Streams Inwards by Mar de Grises 

Folk Metal: Stench by Nekrogoblikon

Thrash: Forever Abomination by Skeletonwitch 

Djent: Februus by Uneven Structure 

Symphonic: The Great Mass by Septicflesh

Remember to stay tuned, as the final two parts of this little diddy should be coming soon, as I choose my 15 Favorite Jams for 2011, and list off my Top 20 Favorite Metal Albums for 2011.

- J