2011 Year End “Best Of” List

Well, 2011 is finally coming to a close. For some it’s been amazing year while for others, it made them regret ever being born. But for people like me, it was a little bit of both and I can honestly say that it was one of the best years of my life. Consequently, it was also the same for the music world. We lost a few influential musicians, yet had some amazing tours and releases come our way. To celebrate the end of the end of the year, everyone at Blood or Love came together to make an amazing “Best Of..” list for you all. Hope you discover new bands while checking out the variety that our writers have to offer!

JC‘s list in alphabetical order by musician name:

“Evolving” by Absolution Project
“Weightless” by Animals As Leaders
“Aeon’s War” by As They Burn
“Not A Word About The World” by Elias
“Where Distant Spirits Remain” by Falloch
“Feuerengel” by Geist
“AlefBase” by Gevolt
“Until Fear No Longer Defines Us” by Ghost Brigade
“The Martyr” by Immortal Technique
“One For Sorrow” by Insomnium
“Beyond The Gates of Imagination, Part 1” by Leviathan
“Omnivium” by Obscura
“Conditions Of My Parole” by Puscifer
“Empros” by Russian Circles
“Stahlmann” by Stahlmann
“Schwarz In Schwarz” by Subway to Sally
“Book Of Dowth” by SuidAkrA
“Februus” by Uneven Structure
“Måsstaden” by Vildhjarta
“Kharnha” by WelicoRuss

Kaleb‘s list by degree of krieg-ness:

1. Dirge – Elysian Magnetic Fields
2. Fanu – Serendipity
3. Septic Flesh – The Great Mass
4. Shabazz Palaces – Black Up
5. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
6. Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact
7. SEN – Sensory Emotive Network
8. The Field – Looping State of Mind
9. KEN Mode – Venerable
10. Radiohead – The King of Limbs

Black Moor‘s list by degree of despair:

1. Wolves in the Throne Room – Celestial Lineage
2. Crowbar – Sever the Wicked Hand
3. Crom – Of Love and Death
4. Yob – Atma
5. Mournful Congregation – The Unspoken Hymns
6. Burzum – Fallen
7. Shining(Norway) – Live Blackjazz CD/DVD
8. Belphagor – Blood Magick Necromance
9. Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light Pt.1
10. Dark Castle – Surrender to All Life Beyond Form
Honorable mention:
Black Cobra (Interval)
Favorite Hidden Gem of the Year:
Fates of Uncertainty (Self-titled)

Robert‘s list of chaos and ruin:

Mitochondrion – Parasignosis
Autopsy – Macabre Eternal
Graveyard – Hisingen Blues
Ghoul – Transmission Zero
Disma – Towards the Megalith
Craft – Void
Avichi – The Devil’s Fractal
Mausoleum – Back From the Funeral
Wormrot – Dirge
Trap Them – A Darker Handcraft

Keith‘s list in descending order by degree of eccentricity:

10. Ulver – War of The Roses
9. Tyler, The Creator – Goblin
8. Graveyard – Hisingen Blues
7. Leprous – Bilateral
6. Lazarus A.D. – Black Rivers Flow
5. Cormorant – Dwellings
4. ICS Vortex – Storm Seeker
3. Erragal – Nin Hur Sag
2. Powerwolf – Blood of The Saints
1. In Solitude – The World, The Flesh, The Devil

My scatter-brained list just because I was beginning to feel left out:

Qafas – Kafkaesque Retribution
Ebonylake – In Swaths of Brooding Light
USX – The Valley Path
Undersmile/Caretaker split – Undertaker EP
Castle – In Witch Order
Casket Robbery – Casket Robbery
Sly Roosevelt – Old “P”
Iron Man – Dominance
Lifer – Cursing Them Out
Psycho – Pain Addicted Pigs
Wiht – The Harrowing of the North
Out of the Circle – Unfinished Samples from a Lo-fi Hell
Hull – Beyond The Lightless Sky
Pillip Roebuck – Monkey Fist/Can I Keep You (Ltd. Edition 7″)
Jason Webley – In This Light – Live at Bear Creek

Gimli‘s list of assorted psychedelia and others:

Leeches of Lore – Attack the Future
Dammerfarben – Im Abendrot
Terra Tenebrosa – The Tunnels
Lowkey – Soundtrack to the Struggle
The Flying Eyes – Done So Wrong
The Flight of Sleipnir – Essence of Nine
Shroud Eater – Thundernoise
Arkham Witch – On Croms Mountain
Wo Fat – Noche del Chupacabra
Darkestrah – Khagan (ep)