5# Machine Head - Unto The Locust
I am not a big Machine Head fan. They have made some songs I could enjoy but none of the albums grabbed my attention like "Unto The Locust". With this album they seem to have finally found a perfect balance of heaviness and melody. The songs are long and progressive but highly enjoyable and not boring. Many critics have said the album is hard to get into at first. I got hooked on the first listen but needless to say some songs grew on me even more with further listens. "Pearls Before The Swine" is probably the weakest song from the official albums tracks. The rest are all diamonds. From the bonus tracks the Judas Priest cover "Sentinel" is great. I have to say "Unto The Locust" is probably the best thrash metal album since Metallica's Master Of Puppets. It's just that good.
"Locust"
#4 Atari Teenage Riot - Is This Hyperreal?
Atari Teenage Riot create a combination of hardcore techno, punk and noise known as digital hardcore. The lyrics are more political, relevant and in your face than ever on their comeback album "Is This Hyperreal?". Criticizing government control, the elites illegal activities and talking about the freedom of the internet, the lyrics are more this day than anybody elses. The songs themselves might not be the best compositions of the year but "Is This Hyperreal?" is still easily one of the most important albums that came out in 2011. Hell, it is one of the most important albums of this century, so far.
Most of the songs on the album are enjoyable to listen to if you like your electronic music hard and noisy. One of the most energetic songs is the opening track "Activate". "Black Flags" gives a taste of their political lyrics. The rest of the albums tracks give similar food for thought. The only track I'm not so hot about is "The Only Slight Glimmer Of Hope". The rest is good stuff, making the album enjoyable if you like your music with a message. This is real riot music, not something pretending that.
"Black Flags"
"Activate (Live)"
#3 Turmion Kätilöt - Perstechnique
I don't know why the album of Turmion Kätilöt was so ignored on all the best albums of the year lists. I guess it's because of their image and that some of the lyrics are humorous. This industrial metal act shouldn't be ignored because in my opinion they are the best band of the scene. Besides industrial metal you could call them "dance metal" as the synthesizer melodies and beats are clearly rave and dance music inspired and very dominant element in their music.
Perstechnique is the bands 4th and best album. Their debut album was all killer and no filler but here their sound is clearly evolved with their skills. Many songs are easily the bands best work like "Suolainen Kapteeni", "Hanska" and especially "Vedetäänkö Vai Ei?" which is possibly the catchiest and best metal song of the year 2011. Turmion Kätilöt make the best party metal and their music works great also in my DJ sets. Truly metal you can dance to like I said before.
Turmion Kätilöt is also great in that sense that they can write serious lyrics and still combine amusing humor to them without sounding awkward or stupid. In that sense you could compare the lyrics a bit to Rammstein's lyrics. Though Kätilö lyrics work so much better for me as the best ones from them are of course in Finnish. There are few "not as mind blowing as the rest" tracks like "Hellbound Earth", "Verta Sataa" and the interlude "Herran Toinen Tuleminen" on the album but they are also solid songs and would be praised if the rest of the album wouldn't kick so much ass. The mentioned tracks are also a bit more traditional and familiar work from TK that we have already heard before.
All I can wonder is why no praise for this absolutely marvelous dance metal album. Great band that make Rammstein sometimes look like a bunch of sissies.
"IhmiSixSixSix" (Warning for male nudity in the video)
#2 Nightwish - Imaginaerum
One thing is for certain, "Imaginaerum" is easily the most epic and soundtrack like Nightwish album ever made. That in itself is worthy of praise in my opinion and I happen to think this album along with "Once" is the bands best work. It's hard for me to understand why some fans were confused or put off by this development of the band. It has been a clear path since "Once". Anyway "Imaginaerum" is where the new singer Anette Olzon and the band really shine.
Songs like "Scaretale" and especially "Song Of Myself" have very interesting structures and great depth.. Also the single "Storytime" is nothing more than the best Nightwish single ever made. You can disagree if you want. I still haven't managed to get myself bored with that song (Glad that I don't listen to much radio). "Ghost River" reminds me slightly of "Planet Hell" and manages to almost get to that songs level of awesomeness.
Sadly I can't hail the new album being easily the bands best work. The ballads and slow songs is where "Dark Passion Play" does so much better than this album. "Eva" and "The Islander" totally own "Turn Loose The Mermaids" and "The Crow, The Owl and The Dove". "Rest Calm" tries to be another great and epic track but sadly fails. Fortunately "I Want My Tears Back" and "Last Ride Of The Day" are successful power metal flavored songs. "Slow, Love, Slow" is jazz which confused a lot of fans, however the track works great and I love it when bands experiment a bit. Also it's a "theme album" accompanied by a full length movie out later this year, so you'd expect there to be different moods, styles and themes. The title track "Imaginaerum" ends the album with a enjoyable instrumental soundtrack piece.
I love it when bands try to better themselves and develop as musicians and that is the path Nightwish has walked since the beginning. Trying to improve and not repeat themselves. I'm happy to say they succeed in this. "Imaginaerum" is another great example of this.
#1 Emil Bulls - Oceanic
I love this band. Sadly many metal fans will be put off by the fact they play alternative metal or nu-metal. Whatever you want to call it. The softest songs get close to pop rock and heaviest ones are close to modern metalcore. Unlike most bands in this genre, these guys try new things on every album and develop their sound, in addition to being skilled musicians with unmistakeable sense for great pop hooks. Already on their second major label album "Porcelain" they showcased they could write incredibly catchy nu-metal with some electro samples thrown in for the flavor. Too bad it was when the nu-metal trend was already dying. Unlike hundreds of bands of that genre instead of giving up and disappearing these guys kept playing and started moving their sound towards more traditional heavy rock and metalcore.
I was in the beginning disappointed with "Oceanic". Unlike their previous albums this new gem took few listening sessions before opening up to it's full glory. "Oceanic" combines pretty much everything the band has done before with some new things. The intro track grows into the song "Epiphany" that rocks you with the band at their heaviest. The single "Jaws Of Oblivion" and "Lessons From Losses" showcase their pop rock talent. "Knight In Shining Armour" even adds some disco vibes and becomes one of the catchiest and best songs on the album. "I Bow To You" and "The Saddest Man In The World Is The Boy Who Never Weeps" are good ballads without being too sugary. "Not Tonight Josephine" is quite heavy and incredibly catchy at the same time. The cherry on top is a c-part to die for. "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" is mid-tempo metalcore song with some electro sounds thrown in. "Battle Royal" and "All Systems Go" are also five star gems in nu-metal or metalcore category. Where ever you want to put them they'd hold their own.
If anything "Oceanic" should prove Emil Bulls are not a one trick pony and although the album has so many different styles and genres in one package the band manages to make them work together in harmony. If that's not skill then what is? Sadly the last two songs of the album get nowhere near the level of greatness the other tracks showcase. The two bonus tracks of the album include the use of saxophones and vocoders which makes them much more interesting than these two mediocre rock songs. Surprised the bonus tracks weren't included instead.
"Epiphany"
"The Knight In Shining Armour"
