2012 Top 30 Albums

I was a bit worried until October, but 2012 has turned out to be at least as good as 2011 from a musical perspective and I was able to find 30 more albums that I'm excited to write about. Once again, I've included genre approximations to help you decide what to listen to as well as, of course, hundreds of links to recommended songs. New feature: country of origin! If I've previously reviewed an album separately, the title links to the review.

30. Pallbearer - Sorrow and Extinction (Doom/post metal; United States)

Pallbearer's first album Sorrow and Extinction shows that metal can be slow without being dull. It is beautiful and pensieve, yet desolate and morbid, with perhaps a less dark, more melodic atmosphere than other doom metal that perfectly nails the balance between melancholy and hope without venturing into over-the-top or cheesy territory. (See "The Legend") The overall aesthetic and production sound like throwbacks from the '70s, or even a bit like vintage Black Sabbath. The vocals are good, but low-key and always complement the music, never stealing the spotlight. See also the epic final song, "Given to the Grave".



29. Burial - Kindred (Electronic/Ambient/Dubstep; United Kingdom)

A 3-song EP by the "interesting" British electronic artist known as Burial. Advertised by my electronic-loving friend as great for nighttime listening. Its use of dance, atmospheric synths and sparse, often-bizarre samples is almost spooky and kind of magical. The only vocals also appear to be samples, which echo distantly and indistinctly in the haunted soundscape. Not exactly my preferred style of music, but it's pretty cool and interesting. See either of the two 11+-minute songs, "Kindred" and "Ashtray Wasp".





28. Miseration - Tragedy Has Spoken (Technical death metal; Sweden)

Miseration is the current band of former Scar Symmetry frontman Christian Älvestam. But unlike SS's increasingly-melodic approach, Miseration has been unwaveringly heavy and aggressive since their second album. Tragedy Has Spoken is more insanely-fast, super-precise metal goodness that occasionally toys with Christian's melodeath metal origins with some interesting flourishes here and there. Not the most interesting of albums, but very cathartic if you like extreme metal. Recommended if you love blindingly fast blast beats and atonal distorted guitar riffs. Sample tracks: "Stepping Stone Agenda" and "On Wings of Brimstone".



27. Sigur Rós - Valtari (Post rock/Ambient; Iceland)

The latest release from Icelandic band Sigur Rós is delightful, but hardly surprising. More atmospheric and ambient than previous albums, it weaves entrancing, ethereal dreamscapes of sound punctuated by Jónsi's falsetto vocals in the beautiful, nonsensical language of "Hopelandic" as heard on "Ekki múkk". Sigur Rós reminds me of Explosions in the Sky with its masterful use of dynamic range to powerful emotional impact. Compared to older albums like Takk, Valtari is lower-key with fewer "highs" in this spectrum, though "Varúð" has an excellent climax. Don't listen to it when tired, or it might put you to sleep. (But not from boredom)



26. Linkin Park - Living Things (Alternative rock/Electronic/Rap; United States)

Wisely deciding that they couldn't possibly get any more experimental or multi-genre than A Thousand Suns, Linkin Park focuses more on the rap and electronic parts of their sound for Living Things. The result is, as usual, highly eclectic and nothing like any of their previous albums, even farther from their metal origins than A Thousand Suns though incorporating more of the fury of Hybrid Theory. Where its predecessor had conceptual ambition and unbridled musical exploration, this album seems much more focused on a particular "sound" and back-to-basics attitude. At times it feels more like a collection of singles than a cohesive album, like a bunch of musical ideas put into a blender. Not that "Lost in the Echo" with its well-layered synths and vocals or the slowly-building climax of "Castle of Glass" aren't excellent musical touches, but there are fewer standout moments and more of a run-together mood created by the succession of often-short songs. Overall, while this album still has the same energy of previous ones, Linkin Park is showing its age and the result has more of a restrained, weathered exterior.

25. Agalloch - Faustian Echoes (Post/Black metal; United States)

Faustian Echoes is an epic 21-minute EP/song that retells the story of Goethe's Faust, the man who makes the archetypal "deal with the devil". It has some of Agalloch's finest material yet interspersed with samples from the play spoken by actors, like a radio drama with metal interludes. Despite the sheer length of the piece, it never runs out of musical ideas, toying with both the black metal turn they took in Marrow of the Spirit and the more melodic post metal of Ashes Against the Grain. But this is far from an exhaustive list; the constantly evolving masterpiece meanders through many diverse subgenres of metal and can be considered a succinct summary of Agalloch as they are now.

24. Becoming the Archetype - I Am (Death metal; United States)

And the award for "biggest changeup" in 2012 goes to...Becoming the Archetype! Following the departure of three band members after Celestial Completion, including the last two founding members, BtA apparently decided to completely change their style from the super-brainy progressive sound of their previous albums to no-holds-barred brutal death metal. The result sounds like a totally different band. The songs on I Am are considerably shorter, on average, than on previous albums, and even less complex. This isn't all bad, however, and the result is tremendous fun to headbang to. Though the new vocalist isn't as intelligible as Jason Wisdom, the lyrics are about as awesome and Christianity-inspired as ever, consisting mostly of badass boasts God could make, as seen in the song titles ("The Ocean Walker", "The Time Bender", "The War Ender", "The Weapon Breaker"...). Not nearly as deep as previous release, but still a good deal of fun.

23. Varg - Guten Tag (Pagan/Folk/Extreme metal; Germany)

"Varg" means "wolf" in German, their vocalist taught us as they were opening for Wintersun and Eluveitie. They specialize in loud, in-your-face metal mostly screamed in German that is "pagan" in its savagery (similar to Eluveitie) and presumptive lyrics rather than in its use of folk instruments. Guten Tag actually sounds a little like "Norwegian party metal" band Kvelertak in its ability to be loud and heavy without taking itself too seriously. Though not especially brilliant or creative, and the songs kind of run together, it's great to headbang to (I may be a bit biased from having heard them live).  See "Guten Tag", "Blut und Feuer", or "Angriff" for outstanding examples. The big exception is "A Thousand Eyes", which I can't believe isn't a cover or by another band. Featuring clean vocals, English lyrics, and folk instrumentation (jaw harp!) while retaining Varg's usual fury, it represents a direction I'd love to see Varg take in the future. This album could use a few more surprises like "A Thousand Eyes", but overall pretty solid as a metal album.

22. Elvenking - Era (Symphonic/Folk/Power metal; Italy)
Honestly, I was hoping to rate this album higher. Era retains some of the symphonic trappings of Red Silent Tides, but less of Elvenking's wonderful folk metal roots than I'd have liked. I could tell from the aggressive, almost punk-like first track "The Loser" that they were taking this album in a different direction. To an extent, they combine the two styles, as on "Midnight Skies, Winter Sighs" and the epic "Chronicle of a Frozen Era", but except for "Chronicles", none of these efforts are terribly impressive. There is more exploration and less focus than in previous albums--"Through Wolf's Eyes" is a whimsical retelling of the story of Little Red Riding Hood, "Walking Dead" works surprisingly well as straight-up metal, and "I Am the Monster" benefits considerably from Jon Oliva's guest presence. Overall, Era sounds like the band trying, with limited success, to reinvent themselves, but it mostly makes me miss the way they were.

21. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! (Instrumental post rock; Canada)

Godspeed You! Black Emperor is known for their sprawling, polyinstrumental post rock compositions that bear more structural resemblence to avant-garde classical music than rock, so for fans of the band, 'Allelujah!--their first album after an eight-year hiatus--shouldn't represent anything terribly new. Consisting of two six-and-a-half-minute songs and two twenty-minute songs that seem to grow and evolve like living creatures, it covers a wide range of emotions and is an intriguing listen for the patient music lover. Trilling guitars, swelling strings, and a variety of stranger instruments interweave in ways dramatic, mysterious, and strangely relaxing. GY!BE has a talent for taking some truly bizarre musical concepts and somehow making them able to attract and draw in listeners, without selling out. Either of the two epics, "Mladic" and "We Drift Like Worried Fire", are worth checking out.

20. Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage (Progressive Death/Groove metal; France)

Gojira is one of the most interesting death metal bands to come out of Europe lately, taking a very different more riff and "groove"-focused approach to the genre than bands from farther north. L'Enfant Sauvage in particular tones down the death metal side of their sound in order to toy with more riffs and melodies. This progress is easily seen (and listened to) on songs like "L'Enfant Sauvage", "Liquid Fire", and "Mouth of Kala" that threaten to sweep you up in the elaborate, catchy riff/groove structures they set up. The songs, while not truly "progressive" in their structuring, do have several sections they like to alternate between to keep things from getting boring. "The Gift of Guilt", which has more of a focus on vocals than most of the tracks, has two faster riffs during the verses and a very interesting slow, somber trill during the chorus. Also of note, "Born in Winter" is mostly a quieter, acoustic version of the other riff-focused songs. the production on this album is also fantastic; the guitars either crash and crush or sing beautifully to suit Gojira's designs, every thump of the bass drum or tap of the cymbals has just the right amount of force and makes the technically precise drumming sound even better; the vocals are all at the perfect level, and the "robotic" backing vocals sound especially good. Possibly Gojira's best work yet and one of the best progressive metal albums of the year.

19. Be'lakor - Of Breath and Bone (Progressive/Melodic death metal; Australia)

Australian Be'lakor, similar to Ulcerate in 2011, is a rather unique metal band I've gotten into in the past year.  They play an interesting mix of progressive and melodic death metal that resembles a cross between Opeth and Amon Amarth, resulting in rather long songs on the slow side (for melodeath) that are as much about melody and atmosphere as they are about composition and structure. It's a nice balance that works very well. Except for the death growled vocals (which, while fairly intelligible, sound humorously like Yoda at times), they're actually pretty accessible. The lyrics are also quite interesting and good if you listen for them; "In Parting", for example, tells an abstract, somewhat surreal story of two brothers separated from each other and their tragic reunion. There isn't a huge amount of differentiation between the songs, but some other good examples of this album's style are the opening track "Abeyance" and "Absit Omen".

18. Primal Fear - Unbreakable (Power metal; Germany)

Primal fear may be power metal at almost its most formulaic, they may be German Judas Priest wannabes (literally, for their vocalist), their new album may be almost entirely predictable, but boy, does it rock. Arguably harder than its predecessor 16.6. They also ditch many of the grandiose, symphonic pretenses of previous work like Seven Seals and New Religion (except, notably, on the epic "Where Angels Die"). What is left is some seriously hard-hitting power/classic metal reminiscent of their first albums with the feel of a refurbished, well-oiled machine built for one purpose: metal. At least, this is the conclusion that the one-two punch of the mid-tempo opening tracks "Strike" and "Give 'Em Hell" brings me to. "And There Was Silence" and "Marching Again" are two other very strong tracks, somewhat more melodic than the first two. "Bad Guys Wear Black" and "Metal Nation" are classic examples of the "metal is awesome" song that would make Manowar proud. Nothing terribly ground-breaking here for Primal Fear, but still a pretty solid release worth checking out for all fearless warriors of power metal.

17. Anberlin - Vital  (Alternative Rock; United States)

As the name suggests, Anberlin's new album is possibly their most energetic one yet, as well as one of their strongest. Though it doesn't tread much new ground for the band, it feels tightly focused and well-executed, like the distilled essence of an Anberlin album. Each song seems to know what it's supposed to do for the album and does it exquisitely. It's much less on the quiet and introspective side than previous albums--expect more songs in the vein of "Godspeed" ("Little Tyrants", "Someone Anyone", "Desires") than, say, "Retrace". They also continue to team up guitars and synths in interesting ways--as on "Self-Starter" or "Intentions". overall, nothing terribly ground-breaking for Anberlin, but it feels like a culmination of their practiced style of extremely listenable, synth-driven alt rock worth checking out.

16. Thousand Foot Krutch - The End Is Where We Begin (Alternative/Rap metal; United States)

The End Is Where We Begin is TFK's first independent album in fifteen years, after nine with Tooth and Nail records. Perhaps because of the lack of label pressure, this album is a big return to their rap metal origins, as seen on "Light Up the Sky", "Let the Sparks Fly", "I Get Wicked", and "Down". There are still plenty of songs that will resonate with fans of their last two albums: some explosive anthems ("We Are", "War of Change"), some quiet devotional-esque songs ("Be Somebody", "So Far Gone", "All I Need to Know"), and a title track that strikes a balance between melodic accessibility and sheer force. Yes, it's formulaic, but the formula works about as well as ever. The string-driven song "Fly on the Wall" gets a nod for being the most interesting song on the album, both musically and lyrically. Unless you really like rap metal, there aren't any particularly new reasons in The End to get into TFK if you weren't already, but still a decent release.

15. Sonata Arctica - Stones Grow Her Name (Progressive/Power/Folk metal; Finland)
The Days of Grays has been one of my favorite albums for years. In 2012, the increasingly-eccentric Finnish rockers move from the more symphonic style of their last album to one more influenced by folk music of all kinds, up to and including bluegrass ("Cinderblox"). Unfortunately the album continues several trends fans of classic SA detest, like the move from straight-up power metal to what might be considered "weaker" music, even more introspective, "emo" lyrics ("Don't Be Mean", "Tonight I Dance Alone"), and some just plain questionable songs ("Shitload of Money"...yes, that is its real name, and it's actually kind of hilarious). Nonetheless, there are some really strong (or just enjoyable) songs, like, surprisingly, the aforementioned "Cinderblox", "Losing My Insanity", "Somewhere Close to You", and parts II and III of the epic "Wildfire" saga started three albums ago on Reckoning Night. Stones Grow Her Name is distinctive, but really hard to summarize; it has definite highs and lows and ultimately doesn't live up to my expectations from The Days of Grays or their earlier work, but is still a pretty decent album and introduces some interesting musical ideas that I hope they use to better effect on their next album.

14. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball (Rock; United States)

From the title and artwork, you could almost think Wrecking Ball was a punk album, and lyrically is almost is. Springsteen has been writing songs about the toils and everyday drama of working-class Americans for decades (seen here on songs like "Jack of All Trades" and "Shackled and Drawn"), but this album focuses on current evens more than any since The Rising--in this case, the recession. So Springsteen's usual songs about the working class take a new angle of not only glorifying the trials and sufferings of people struggling to make ends meet, but contrasting them with the wealthy and powerful who live at ease and keep getting richer at the everyman's expense. Sometimes this contrast is only made offhand; at other times, like the passionate anthem "Death to My Hometown", it is front and center to channel the frustration of a nation that feels it has been wronged and somehow stolen from. While politically this message--almost like the Occupy movement's stance of class warfare--makes me a bit nervous, it makes for some of his best songs since The Rising, so who am I to complain? Besides the troubles and frustrations of the recession, which are the centerpoint of this album, it also has a gloriously reworked gospel version of the old classic "Land of Hope and Dreams" which, along with the title track, has the last saxophone work of the late, great Clarence Clemons.

13. Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion (Progressive/Psychedelic/Symhonic rock/Ambient; United Kingdom/Sweden)

As you might expect from a collaboration between Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree and Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth, Storm Corrosion sounds absolutely nothing like either band, though it bears a slight resemblance to early-90s Porcupine Tree. This album is highly experimental, even "artsy", but generally stays on the more atmospheric, ambient side of things--except with more of an acoustic, string-powered sound than, say, Up the Downstair. Wilson and Åkerfeldt share vocal duties, both doing offering unsurprisingly excellent performances. (Just don't expect any death growls from Åkerfeldt) And, of course, Steven Wilson also handled the production, which is top-notch as well. "Drag Ropes" shows off the album's eerie use of strings and "Storm Corrosion" features more plucked guitars and light percussion. Perhaps a little slow-paced at times, like on the final, ten-minute song "Ljudet Innan", but otherwise it's hard to find faults with this album. Mysterious, entrancing, tense, and always defying expectations, it is one of my highest-recommended for non-metal fans. If only they could get Mike Portnoy for their next collaboration, they could make the greatest progressive rock album ever...

12. Meshuggah - Koloss (Technical/Experimental/Extreme metal; Sweden)

Meshuggah definitely knows how to build and meet expectations. The band's brand of heavily distorted, highly technical, palm-muted, polyrhythmic experimental metal helped spawn the whole subgenre of "djent" in recent years. But Meshuggah isn't content to simply reign as king of the djent hill and continues to relentlessly innovate on Koloss, seeming to pursue a different angle or possibility in every masrerfully-crafted track. It definitely isn't just about playing the fastest, loudest, most complicated riffs; the first track "I Am Colossus" has a slow, lumbering pace that seems to savor every guitar chug to the fullest. Then "The Demon's Name Is Surveillance" instantly accelerates to machine gun speed, with their legendary drummer Tomas Haake showing off his considerable rhythmic skill. On the rest of the album,  super-slow "Behind the Sun" flirts with doom metal, "Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion" somewhat resembles post metal, and the rolling, pounding triplets in "Demiurge" offer glimpses at what djent could be like without the insane speed. The whole album is full of songs like these that are as viscerally enjoyable as heavy extreme metal songs as they are intellectually fascinating to dissect over repeated listens.

11. Alcest - Les Voyages de l'Âme / Les Discrets - Ariettes oubliées (Post metal/Ambient/Shoegaze; France)
It's a tie! Two bands in the surprisingly specific French shoegaze-dream-metal scene released two strong, extremely similar albums this year and I thought taking up two spots on this list with them would be unmerited. First, Alcest, whose last album I mistakenly included in my 2010 list, actually released a new album early this year, Les Voyages de l'Âme (The Journeys of the Heart). It definitely has less of a black metal influence or abrasive sound than Écailles de Lune, tending to stick more to the ambient, meandering, metallic dreamscapes of the previous album's softer side. Neige's ethereal vocals seem to float over melodic guitar lines and slow, deliberate drumming; the result is almost impossible not to fall in love with. ("Les Voyages de l'Âme", "Summer's Glory") There are a few harsh vocals and blast beats, such as on "Là Où Naissent Les Couleurs Nouvelles", which seem increasingly out of place in the context of the rest of their sound. The related band Les Discrets was never black metal to begin with and has no clash of influence in their new album, Ariettes oubliées (Forgotten arias). Though they do throw in some extreme drumming from time to time. It's a bit more earthy-sounding than Alcest, with a deeper-voiced vocalist and a somewhat darker atmosphere, more like a cloudy day than a picturesque sunlight-dappled landscape. "Le Mouvement perpétuel" has a hauntingly beautiful descending guitar refrain and "Les Regrets" is a fantastic, undulating closer, but there are also some more "normal"-sounding songs like "La Nuit muette". Both bands are at the frontier of their chosen niche of metal (with how small it is, it's hard not to be) and both are quite worthy of your attention.

10. Muse - The 2nd Law (Alternative/Progressive rock/Electronic; United Kingdom)

The 2nd Law sees Muse somehow simultaneously growing more eccentrically bombastic, immediate and personal, and synthetic and artificial. The huge opening track "Supremacy" is a good example of the first sound, loaded with orchestral theatrics and Matt Bellamy's distinctive falsetto vocals; the next song, "Madness", is heavily electronic, with a slow electronic beat and sampled vocal refrain throughout. The whole album is like a lesson in creating and cultivating these contrasts, and somehow working them together into a great, catchy album. And all of this is leading up to the two-part title track to close the album; the first part, "Unsustainable" alternates between being extremely symphonic and extremely electronic, and the second, "Isolated System" is quieter, almost reflective; sampled vocals are used heavily throughout both parts. Touches like the ridiculous backing choirs in "Survival", falsetto vocal echoes in "Big Freeze", or the haunting beauty of neoprog gem "Save Me", all with Muse's talent for crafting catchy songs with attitude, make this one of their best albums yet.

9. Mumford & Sons - Babel (Indie folk rock; United Kingdom)
Mumford & Sons! Indie rock! Hipsters! Mandolins! (Sorry) Their second full album sees the English folk rockers' sound growing and blossoming from the seeds planted by Sigh No More. It sounds a bit less sparse and intimate than their debut album, with more of a sense of scale and grandiose beauty ("Lover of the Light", "Hopeless Wanderer", and "Whispers in the Dark" are the best examples). The strings-and-horns arrangements are lusher than ever the lyrics are worth hours of pondering, and in general the band does pretty much everything they did on Sigh No More better. Still, there isn't much on Babel that you didn't hear in some form on its predecessor, and some songs, strong as they are, could have been bonus tracks on it. ("Holland Road", "Ghosts That We Knew"). There's even the one song with questionably-necessary profanity ("Broken Crown")! Still, if you weren't already interested in M&S, this album makes them worthy of a second look.

8. Demon Hunter - True Defiance (Alternative metal/Metalcore; United States)
I'm not the biggest fan of metalcore--I tend to see it as America's attempt at melodic death metal--but Demon Hunter surprised me with their latest album. True Defiance strikes a good balance between the various disparate elements composing it: vocal-centric production, intelligent lyrics exploring aspects of the Christian faith, and good old metallic heaviness. The vocals are surprisingly good, with Ryan Clark utilizing fairly intelligible death grunts and distinctively deep-pitched singing both to great effect. The band never seems to let the harsh elements of their sound get to their heads or become the main point; this album seems to know what it's doing without being progressive and how to carefully throw its weight around. The result is an album that, while not initially that striking, you can keep finding more reasons to enjoy with each listen. As the title suggests, conflict is a central theme, as prominently seen in the dissonant, distressed-sounding "Someone to Hate". Some other strong tracks include plodding "God Forsaken", soaring "My Destiny", and anthemic "This I Know". It also has a few ballads ("Tomorrow Never Comes", "Dead Flowers") which, while they stick out like sore thumbs, are enjoyable as guilty pleasures of sorts.

7. Kamelot - Silverthorn (Symphonic/Progressive/Power metal; United States)
On Silverthorn, Kamelot does the impossible--they find a good replacement for Khan. Tommy Karevik's vocal abilities are similar to Khan and he retains that delicate balance of power and subtlety that characterized the vocals on previous albums; at times you can almost forget Khan ever left. Vocalist aside, the concept album Silverthorn sees Kamelot moving from the progressive, quasi-gothic style of Poetry for the Poisoned to take a more symphonic angle not unlike that of Nightwish. "Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)" kicks off the action with bombastic flourish and is one of the band's best songs ever. After this it has plenty of treats for fans of the band, particularly "My Confession", "Solitaire", and the closing epic "Prodigal Son". It's a very diverse album, still less prog-power metal than pre-Ghost Opera, with some memorable songs, but it's definitely no Epica or The Black Halo. Still a solid release, and I hope their next one is better as they learn work better with their new vocalist as Nightwish did.

6. Coheed and Cambria - The Afterman: Ascension (Progressive rock; United States)
To give an idea of how this album has been growing on me, it was only slated for an honorable mention when I first made the final rankings. Coheed and Cambria's two most distinctive features are their unusually high-pitched (but awesome for it) vocalist Claudio Sanchez and their extremely eclectic, yet catchy style I would describe as "progressive hardcore pop punk". The Afterman: Ascension, the first part of a planned double album, is another tantalizing look at the world whose story C&C tell in their music. Like most of their work, this album is very difficult to summarize; the four-part epic "Key Entity Extraction" is the best example of this. The super-progressive first part, "Domino the Destitute", is one of their best and most multifaceted works to date; "Holly Wood the Cracked" is somewhat dark and slinky-sounding but still more on the pop side; the raucous "Vic the Butcher" is one of their more intense songs to date; "Evagria the Faithful" is a lush, slower-tempo song with more alt-rock influences. Also of note, "The Afterman" is considerably gentler with soft vocals and some very cool staccato guitarwork before coming to resemble Muse in the climax. Really, there isn't a single weak song on this album (I'm even kind of attached to the short intro track). With even more distinction between songs than previous albums but an overall sense of planned cohesion, Ascension keeps you on the edge of your seat, not knowing what's going to happen next but knowing it's going to be good. Sadly because of its status as the first half of a double album it clocks in at under 40 minutes, leaving me eager to get to part two. Alternately beautiful and raging, this album is as intellectually fascinating as it is emotionally turbulent, and demonstrates why C&C is one of the leaders of the "neo prog" scene.

5. Eluveitie - Helvetios (Melodic death/Folk metal; Switzerland)
Along with Korpiklaani, Moonsorrow, and a few others, Eluveitie pretty much sets the gold standard of folk metal. Some folk metal bands tone down their metal side to provide a more "folky" atmosphere or play regular metal interspersed with folk interludes. Eluveitie, on the other hand, is brilliant at combining the two simultaneously, with the uillean pipes, bodhrán, whistles, bagpipes, and others perfectly matching and complementing the savagery coming from the guitars. As both folk music and as melodic death metal, Helvetios is spot-on; in particular, see "Helvetios", "Meet the Enemy", "Havoc", and "Uxellodunon" as evidence of how well Eluveitie's formula works. This album is a tribute to the struggles and triumphs of the Swiss band's ancestors that successfully channels pride in the band's heritage into awesome metal, with many lyrics authentically written in the dead language of Gaulish. They manage to avoid much of the cheesiness associated with other folk metal acts by sticking rigidly to the male death growls/female singing pattern, which gets a bit repetitive over seventeen songs (three of them narration) but is broken up by two songs sung entirely by the female vocalist, "A Rose for Epona" and "Alesia". This is definitely a band with spirit (also the name of their first album); highly recommended for anyone with a stomach (and ears) for extreme metal.

4. DragonForce - The Power Within (Power metal; United Kingdom)
The Power Within is probably the biggest surprise yet from a band that has jealously guarded its reputation for never swerving from its chosen path of extreme power metal ridiculousness. It is their first album without their original vocalist ZP Theart; his replacement Marc Hudson sounds little like ZP, but has similar power, range, and ability to unironically belt out lyrics about eternally reincarnated warriors joining together as one to fight for the fate of the universe, and the quality of the album is affected surprisingly little by the switch. The bigger change is that the songs have been considerably condensed from previous albums where they would average 7+ minutes, which isn't my preference but could make DragonForce just a bit more accessible without diluting their essential nature of awesomeness. Lyrically, the band branches out just a bit more on this album, with songs about addiction ("Give Me The Night"), heartache ("Seasons"), and a salute to heroes of all kinds ("Last Man Stands"). Some standouts are the hyperfast "Fallen World" and the grandiose epic "Wings of Liberty", which I think is destined to become a classic in the vein of "Valley of the Damned" and "Through the Fire and Flames". Overall, just a bit of a disappointment (largely due to the condensed songs) coming from my favorite metal band, but still more than deserving of the #4 spot.

3. Sabaton - Carolus Rex (Power metal; Sweden)
Sabaton is well-known in the power metal scene for their lyrics about historical wars, but none of their songs before Carolus Rex had really strayed outside the 20th century, or to their native land of Sweden. Like Helvetios, Carolus Rex is a tribute to the band's national history--in this case, a concept album about the Swedish Empire, the height of Sweden's political and military dominance over Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Except for the short introduction, there is hardly a weak song to be found on Carolus Rex. From power metal classics-to-be like "Lion from the North" and "God With Us" to the triumphant and defeated marches "The Carolean's Prayer" and "Long Live the King" to epic, tragic ballad "A Lifetime of War" to the almost-industrial "Poltava", this album sees Sabaton's musical expertise expanding as broadly and invincibly as seventeenth-century Sweden. Every song is memorable, perfectly paced, perfectly distinguished from the others, and there is a strong sense of nationalistic pride behind the whole endeavor which previous albums lacked. (Particularly on the alternate Swedish-language version) The bonus version has some great cover songs, including an amazing rendition of Amon Amarth's "Twilight of the Thunder God" (with added vocal melodies) worth checking out. This album got me to take a second look at Sabaton's back catalog and helped me to enjoy them anew. Gott mitt uns!

2. Wintersun - Time I (Symphonic/Progressive/Power/Folk/Melodic death metal; Finland)
The first part of Wintersun's second album, six years in the making and very aptly named Time, was one of the biggest successes and smallest surprises of the year. It turns out a band can grow a lot when eight years pass between their albums. On Time I Wintersun has honed their unique multigenre blend of extreme metal to glorious perfection, with a full band, even longer and more complex compositions, amazing production (with songs containing so many tracks that Jari was delayed by the need for more computing power), better vocals, and, if it's even possible, even more of a sense of desolate winter night atmosphere than their debut album. Combine that with some surprises, like a blend of Japanese folk influences and a vastly increased use of symphonic elements (to excellent effect) to get a jaw-droppingly awesome album. Any of the album's three full-length songs is leaps and bounds beyond Wintersun; in particular, "Sons of Winter and Stars" is one of the best songs of any genre I have ever heard, and the title track "Time" is also very strong. The only problem with such a quality album is its lack of quantity, and so I eagerly await Time II next year.

1. David Crowder Band - Give Us Rest (Or a Requiem Mass in C [The Happiest of All Keys]) (Christian contemporary/Worship; United States)
After all my drifting away from the CCM scene and all the metal on this list, my top album of the year is a worship album. Like Time I, this album (sadly DCB's last) sees the band virtually reinventing themselves and massively improving on all fronts. Unlike Time I, it is the very opposite of short and incomplete, clocking in at 34 songs and 100 minutes of music vastly exceeding the breadth of any of the band's previous work but all suffused with the agony and ecstasy of the gospel. Tracks like "God Have Mercy (Kyrie Eleison)" and "Fall on Your Knees" continue the electronic trend of Church Music, and there are also some great acoustic songs ("Oh My God" and "I Am a Seed"), traditional hymns ("Leaning on the Everlasting Arms", "Because He Lives", and DCB's attempt at a hymn, "Jesus, Lead Me to Your Healing Waters"), and even a seven-part progressive suite, "Sequence". Even songs that are more in the vein of their previous work like "Come Find Me", "Sometimes", "Let Me Feel You Shine", and especially "Oh, Great Love of God" seem transformed and rejuvenated. I mourn the untimely passing of David Crowder Band, but they have left us with one of the greatest works of contemporary Christian music of all time. If you are a Christian, I cannot recommend this album highly enough; if you aren't, it might just give you a new perspective on what it means to be one.