1. Arch/Matheos - Sympathetic Resonance ( 6 )
2. Autopsy - Macabre Eternal ( 22 )
3. Septic Flesh - The Great Mass ( 31 )
4. Vallenfyre - A Fragile King ( 82 )
5. Anthrax - Worship Music ( 1 )
6. November's Doom - Aphotic ( N/A )
7. Thulcandra - Under A Frozen Sun ( 91 )
8. Glorior Belli - The Great Southern Darkness ( N/A )
9. Shining - VII: Född Förlorare ( N/A )
10. A Pale Horse Named Death - And Hell Will Follow Me ( N/A )

I really thought Autopsy was going to be in the top 10, as Septic Flesh would be top 15. Can't believe that Nov. Doom didn't chart and Vallenfyre charted so low. Not having a US date was a blow for Shining.

Thanks for the hard work in putting this list together!

I can't believe that Novembers Doom didn't end up on that list either, and likely should have charted high. A fantastic album, but it takes alot of patience with this one and i can understand some not taking the time.
I remember when it came out and a post or 2 about it had like 1 or 2 replies, it was quite sad. Obviously, many people didn't even hear the album which is a headshaker.
Also surprised the Vallenfyre landed so low around here. When it was time for "year ends" to be put up, i would have guessed that would have placed in the top 20 with readers here. But what do i know? My list was way different than most here and i'm glad it was now

Glad to see MELIAH RAGE make the Bravewords list

I agree with what was already said. This years list is weird haha.

In Flames made it to the top 50? Fuck all of you people.

And it beat my favourite band by one. A fucking travesty.

So you explained to him that the cause of your distress was a top 10 list on a messageboard and he didn't call you retarded?

Really? Anthrax?

Lame.

This guy sounds like a massive twat.

I'm pretty surprised that Anthrax is number 1. Happy about Orchid finishing so high on the list though.

Machine Head at 19? Didn't think it would get so much love. I barely made it through one listen of the album.

Strange list.

2012s number 1 will be Cannibal Corpse. Book it.

Probably!

My number one may again be Nathrakh, since they finished writing their next already. Unless it's a turd, of course.

Nah, it'll probably be a bland Metallica album.

Who the fuck liked that album? I mean really?

Fortress and alterofcain definitely did--at least they were the most vocal about it. And all that's fine because there's never any accounting for taste (or lack thereof depending on one's perspective). After all, this year-end list that LOAF compiles every year is representative of the community as a whole--certainly not individually as lists differ drastically. It's pretty rare that my top 15 list shares more than 5 albums with anyone else in a given year (this year I think Anhur and I had 6 of the same albums in our lists).

The placement is what it is--I just hate the last decade and change of In Flames' output and am always mystified to a degree when one of their craptastic albums places higher than many that outstrip them on pretty much every level. But then again, that's how it works with crap that's popular.

And despite all the talk, the metal community is no different.

Of course not. There's plenty of examples.

1. Absu - Abzu - #3
2. Arch/Matheos - Sympathetic Resonance - #6
3. Insomnium - One For Sorrow - #23
4. Iced Earth - Dystopia - #4
5. Jag Panzer - Scourge of the Light - #53
6. Vader - Welcome to the Morbid Reich - #7
7. Onslaught - Sounds of Violence - #88
8. Havok - Time Is Up - #25
9. Symphony X - Iconoclast - #9
10. Portrait - Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae - #94
11. Symfonia - In Paradisum
12. Autopsy - Macabre Eternal - #22
13. Stratovarius - Elysium
14. Týr - The Lay Of Thrym - #75
15. Power Quest - Blood Alliance

A bit of a recurring theme here with some of my selections upon seeing the chart results......

Anthrax Worship Music #1
Megadeth Th1rt3en #57
Black Country Communion II DNC
DC4 Electric Ministry DNC
Killinger s/t DNC
Joe Thrasher Cries Of War DNC
Doll The Ragdoll Diaries DNC
Saxon Call To Arms #43
Riot Immortal Soul DNC
Steel Panther Balls Out! #28
Alice Cooper Welcome 2 My Nightmare #70
Arch/Matheos Sympathetic Resonance #6
Mastodon The Hunter #11
Opeth Heritage #2
Whitesnake Forevermore DNC
Evil United s/t DNC
Fuck The Facts Die Miserable DNC
Machine Head Unto The Locust #19
Decapitated Carnival Is Forever #17
Krisiun The Great Execution #37
Iced Earth Dystopia #4

Even with that said, I also managed to overlook other gems from the past year according to some folks' lists though at the risk of shutting out a few local bands' CD's in the process. Cauldron, Symphony X and Unexpect come to mind here.



But how did Th1rt3en and Welcome 2 My Nightmare rank so low in the charts?

Because they suck.

Maybe his question was sarcastic

Doubtful since they were both in his top 15

In that case, I'll get the gas chamber ready...

Heavy Metal/Blunt Shovel: My rankings aren't binding by any means. One day I'll feel like listening to any of the other albums on my list in a more consecutive manner than Th1rt3en or Nightmare depending on my mood. But given the amount of coverage both those albums got here on Brave Words I was surprised that they ranked as low as they did on that chart. To each their own, I guess.

I only bought about 14 albums in 2011, but here's the list:

1. Symphony X - Iconoclast
2. Anthrax - Worship Music
3. Megadeth - Thirteen
4. Crowbar - Sever the Wicked Hand
5. Jag Panzer - The Scourge of the Light
6. Steel Panther - Balls Out
7. Lake of Tears - Illwill
8. Anvil - Juggernaut of Justice
9. Disturbed - The Lost Children
10. Alice Cooper - Welcome 2 My Nightmare (not really metal though...and divisive as fuck)

Not sure if this was re-released in 2011 or 2012 but the Death - Human re-issue probably got the most play. I forgot how much I loved that album, my cassette was worn out! Suicide Machine