Best of 2011 - Favorite Albums

YOB - Atma (Profound Lore Records)
 

What can I say? One of the biggest & baddest stoner/ doom bands out there, they never cease to amaze me. This is YOB's most brutal & raw release yet. My no.1 favorite for 2011...




Blood Ceremony - Living With The Ancients (Metal Blade)

Blood Ceremony had me in 2008 with their magnificent s/t album. It was a refreshing old school take on vintage doom with a folkish occult side. Living With The Ancients builds forward on that formula, bringing updates to the songwriting, vocals, dynamics & overall heaviness. My hidden pleasure of 2011...


Elder - Dead Roots Stirring (MeteorCity) 
 
A psychedelic stoner/ doom classic, in every sense of the word. Heavy, melodic, immersive, trippy,.. One of the most talented young bands out there in the genre that exactly knows what it's doing. Another classic in the MeteorCity library.


Autopsy - Macabre Eternal (Peaceville Records)

These old school legends did it again with their comeback full-length "Macabre Eternal". A new era in the sound of Autopsy & a new rotten classic in the world of heavy music. A bulky masterpiece filled with one-of-a-kind thrashy, doomed death metal.


Disma - Towards The Megalith (Profound Lore Records)

When the first track kicks in, you know these guys mean business. The sound of Disma is absolutely stunning. It's heavy as a bulldozer factory while staying dynamic & interesting. Add a nostalgic touch + the perfect amount of tracks and you have a classic...


Tank 86 - Rise (Rising Magma Records)

Utterly heavy instrumental stoner rock/ metal from the Netherlands. From the first track to the last one: a behemoth of an album filled with killer riffs, epic melodies & hard hitting drumwork. Not for the faint-hearted.



Omega Massif - Karpatia (Denovali Records)

Mountainous post-metal, I'll take Omega Massif above everything else when it comes to this style of music. Their melancholic & oh so heavy approach makes me want to climb the Everest without any clothes on. Their sound is one big epic adventure, listen without distraction from start to finish.


Serpentcult - Raised By Wolves (Listenable Records)

Tough, but interesting times from Belgium's Serpentcult. With the departure of Michelle, the band was left in the dark without their lead vocalist. Hell, they even got a deal on Lee Dorrian's Rise Above Records with "Weight Of Light". 2011 marks the rebirth of the cult with a crushing, dark & moody instrumental album.


Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats - Blood Lust (Rise Above/ Killer Candy)

Sing along songs of death, torture, murder & the occult! Behold: a blast to the past with filthy 70's worshipping riffs, weird vocals & a warm crackling production. The band instantly gained a cult status that caused insane prices at online stores for their releases. Vinyl is still hard to get, just don't fool yourself to get a taste of Blood Lust.


Sigiriya - Return To Earth (The Church Within Records)

From the ashes of Acrimony, equally enjoyable grooves & more! My favorite rockin' album of 2011. Killer grooves, majestic riffs & powerful vocals. Fantastic from start to finish...




The Devil's Blood - The Thousandfold Epicentre (Ván Records)

Classic occult rock at it's finest. I kinda missed the right consistency on this one, since it's really lenghty & filled with experimental parts. But still, this release brings forth amazing new tracks with some of the best female vocals in the genre. Ván Records also did a really great job on the packaging: a pleasure for the eyes & ears.


Premonition 13 - Premonition 13 (Volcom Entertainment)

Wino's new project, and another winner for this legendary artist. The atmosphere is incredible, the songwriting is top notch & the grooves are deadly. Essential for any fan of his previous work and newcomers that need some kick ass rock!



Sahara Surfers - Sonar Pilot (Sound Zero)

Somewhere between Fu Manchu, Colour Haze & Kyuss with solid dreamy female vocals? Why not. This rising young band conquered a special place in the stoner/ fuzz rock rock genre with their distinct sound. The combination may sound weird at first, but it's so strangely addictive. Try it, love it.


Samsara Blues Experiment - Revelation & Mystery (World In Sound)

A fantastic album, but I guess I'm not really there with Revelation & Mystery. This is Samsara Blues Experiment, the guys that did Long Distance Trip. That album was one hell of a ride, damn. R&M is darker and more straightforward, but fails to capture the trippy excitement that the previous album had. Still, you can't go wrong with all the mighty jams on here!


Monkey3 - Beyond The Black Sky (Stickman Records)

A disappointment at first, Monkey3 is one of my favorites when it comes to heavy spaced out instrumental jams. Their first 2 albums are classics in my book. With this album the band kinda lost the epic energy I expected from them. After a few listens, tracks like Camhell & Motorcycle Broer saved the day for me. Not my favorite Monkey3 album, but still a good one.