The best CDs of 2011.

Yep, a bit early to think about your best CDs of 2011.
For most of us was 2011 not a very cool musical year.
At least I hope that the bands I was hoping they would release a CD will do that in 2012.
See how far you can come with your favorite top 10 or maybe more for this year.

At CHM it's allowed to put releases in your favorite top too.
Curious what will be your best CD and what CD has taken the last place and what CD(s) are not listed.

It is certainly a little too soon for me, I just got three new 2011 releases and haven't had a chance to listen to them well enough yet.

It did seem like a slow year this year, especially towards the middle. There have been some pretty good albums though, and a few that I was less than impressed with. I think in addition to make a top 10 (or maybe only top 5) this year I will also list a few of the albums I was a bit disappointed with.

I'll work on my list this week. I don't know of anything else coming this year that I would get. I could make my list if I look at my purchases for the year. It's not going to be a long list though as this year just did not have a lot of really outstanding projects other than remaster/reissues.

I have a feeling that at least one of my top albums is going to be a remaster/reissue.

My "BEST OF 2011" list as of mid-December ... I've divided it up into a couple of catagories (because God forbid it would just be a simple little list):

ALBUMS RELEASED BY BANDS THAT ARE INFORMED BY A CHRISTIAN WORLD-VIEW:
1. Iona - Another Realm [Celtic Progressive Rock]
2. Greylevel - Hypostatic Union [Alternative Progressive Rock]
3. Neal Morse - Testimony 2 [Symphonic Progressive Rock]
4. Times of Grace - The Hymn of a Broken Man [Metalcore]
5. Time Horizon - Living Water [Symphonic Progressive Rock]
6. Glass Hammer - Cor Cordium [Symphonic Progressive Rock]
7. Gungor - Ghosts Upon the Earth [Alt Worship]
8. Visual Cliff - Collective Spirit [Heavy Progressive Rock]
9. Theocracy - As the World Bleeds [Progressive Power Metal]
10. Becoming the Archetype - Celestial Completion [Progressive Death Metal] (?!)


HONORABLE MENTIONS [CHRISTIAN WORLD-VIEW] (Although I picked these up in 2011, they did not make the list because they were EPs or were not 2011 releases):
The Shakespeares - The Shakespeares (EP) [Some excellent Alt-Pop]
Slain - Here and Beyond (2010) [Prog Metal]
Phil Woodward - Ghosts and Spirits (2009) [Progressive Rock]


TOP ALBUMS RELEASED BY BANDS THAT DO NOT NECESSARILY HAVE A CHRISTIAN WORLD-VIEW:
1. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events [Progressive Rock]
2. Karmakanic - In a Perfect World [Symphonic Progressive Rock]
3. Agents of Mercy - The Black Forest [Symphonic Progressive Rock]
4. FreddeGredde - Thirteen Eight [Symphonic Progressive Rock]
5. Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning [Progressive Rock]
6. Steve Hackett - Beyond the Shrouded Horizon [Symphonic Progressive Rock]
7. Sanguine Hum - Diving Bell [Symphonic Progressive Rock]
8. Jakszyk, Fripp and Collins - A Scarcity of Miracles [Progressive Rock]
9. Yes - Fly from Here [Symphonic Progressive Rock]
10. Myrath - Tales of the Sands [Prog Metal]


BEST REISSUE:
Big Big Train - Goodbye to the Age of Steam (2011 Remixed/Remastered Version) [Symphonic Progressive Rock]
HERE ARE A COUPLE I LIKED BUT DISQUALIFIED BECAUSE I GOT TO WORK ON OR CONTRIBUTE TO THEM :
Paidarion - Behind the Curtains [Jazz Fusion from Finland]
Various Artists - A Flower Full of Stars [Progressive Rock of various kinds]

Boy, THAT turned out to be FAR more complicated than I thought it would ... !

Peace.

I can hardly think of any real 2011 first-time releases. The Seventh Power, Classic Petra, and soon Menchen are about it. When it comes to re-releases, there's Saint, Bride, and more where that came from.

Unlike the CMR, you can add those reissues to the list. Our individual lists won't be tallied like over there. We just want to see what your favorites for the year were.

One of my favs easily is HB's "The Battle of God".

I don't know if all these were 2011, but these are what I got this year that I consider the best ones:

Apologetix - Wise Up And Rock
Believer- Transhuman
Echoing Angels - Echoing Angels
FG - Battle For Souls
Grave Robber - You're all gonna die
HB - The Battle of God
Jerusalem - She
ReinXeed -1912
Sarepta - Smokin Vineyard
Seventh Day Slumber - The Anthem Of Angels
Stryper - The Covering
Theocracy - As The World Bleeds

My CD purchases this year have been few and far between, but I know that the top two will easily be...

1 - Theocracy - As The World Bleeds
2 - Sarepta - Smokin' Vineyard.

(HB's Battle Of God and Golden Resurrections Man On A Mission I will be getting around Christmas time, but based on the samples, they are good/great but not as great as the above two).

Also I'm getting WASP's Babylon CD which was released in 2009, but the stuff I heard sounds great!

Fundy

So my reissues were, alphabetically:

Broken Silence - Discerning The Times
Deliverance - What A Joke
Rex Carroll & The Bleed - Take Back A Life (Ouch!)
Saint - The Originals… all three of 'em

New releases, alphabetically:

DTS - DTS
Menchen - In The Light
Classic Petra - Back To The Rock
The Seventh Power - Power and Glory

Not much eh?



edit: were the Bride Originals from 2010 or 2011?

As long as it rocks it's ok DBF.

ProgPariah77 wrote:

ALBUMS RELEASED BY BANDS THAT ARE INFORMED BY A CHRISTIAN WORLD-VIEW:

I love that, it sounds like a disclaimer.

ProgPariah77 wrote:

Boy, THAT turned out to be FAR more complicated than I thought it would ... !

Well you are a prog fan/musician. Complex is what it's all about.

danielbandfan wrote:

edit: were the Bride Originals from 2010 or 2011?

I had thought they were 2011 (but I could be wrong). The Saint "originals" were 2011.

Staybrite wrote:

ProgPariah77 wrote:

ALBUMS RELEASED BY BANDS THAT ARE INFORMED BY A CHRISTIAN WORLD-VIEW:

I love that, it sounds like a disclaimer.

More like a "claimer" - no "dis" intended!

Since this is a Christian music forum, I thought that it might be a helpful distinction to draw. Most of the time in my listening, I don't get too hung up on the lyrical side of things, but there are those times when I just want to be encouraged by songs that "get" where I'm coming from, spiritually speaking.

Staybrite wrote:

ProgPariah77 wrote:

Boy, THAT turned out to be FAR more complicated than I thought it would ... !

Well you are a prog fan/musician. Complex is what it's all about.

That's a perfectly plausible explanation!

Staybrite wrote:

danielbandfan wrote:

edit: were the Bride Originals from 2010 or 2011?

I had thought they were 2011 (but I could be wrong). The Saint "originals" were 2011.

If it really is 2011, then include those on my list. I think it was 2010-2011 really. But still…

Alright, I think I'm ready to share my first draft. I'm sure I probably left albums out, but here goes:

Metal (includes hardcore, classic, and progressive)

1.Phinehas - thegodmachine
2.August Burns Red - Leveler
3.Theocracy - As the World Bleeds
4.Oh, Sleeper - Children of Fire
5.Hands - Give Me Rest (hardcore/worship...bonechilling stuff)
Honorable Mention: Close Your Eyes - With Empty Hands and Heavy Hearts

Modern Rock

1.Blindside - With Shivering Hearts We Wait
2.Red - Until We Have Faces
3.Icon For Hire - Scripted
4.Worth Dying For - Love Riot
5.7eventh Time Down - s/t
Honorable Mention: Ashes Remain - What I've Become

Other rock (includes soft rock, folk, electronic, pop, etc.)

1.Switchfoot - Vice Verses (could have been included in modern rock, but I thought it was too different from the other stuff I included in that category.)
2.Needtobreathe - The Reckoning
3.Mutemath - Odd Soul
4.Royal Tailor - Black & White
5.Downhere - On the Altar of Love
Honorable Mention: None (I didn't buy any others to fit this category)

Rap/Hip-hop (no particular order)

Tedashii - Blacklight
Heath McNease - Straight Outta' Console (entirely about Nintendo games lol)
D.A. T.R.U.T.H. - The Whole Truth
Canon - Blind World
Andy Mineo - Formerly Known Mixtape
Shai Lynne - The Attributes of God
Lecrae - Rehab: The Overdose

Dang ST, I think you have more albums on your list then I even bought from this year.

Gary, silentthunder's list of new CDs in 2011 is impressive.
Mine is a bit shorter.

Staybrite wrote:

Dang ST, I think you have more albums on your list then I even bought from this year.

Yep, I've certainly been busy this year lol. I have to admit that most of the albums I've bought this year have been of the hardcore variety. It's been a pretty plentiful year for hardcore. I haven't bought a whole lot of anything outside of what's actually on my list and a few of those are just albums I listen to heavily on Spotify. Also, several of those rap albums are free downloadable mix tapes. I gotta buy as much as I can now while I don't have student loans to pay. I feel like once I start my big-boy job next year I won't be able to buy anywhere NEAR as much. Haha!

silentthunder89 wrote:

I don't have student loans to pay. I feel like once I start my big-boy job next year I won't be able to buy anywhere NEAR as much. Haha!

I hear you, nothing like having to pay those pesky bills, they really interfere with the more important things in life....like buying new music.

I'm working on my list with favorite CDs of 2011.

I wish I could list bands I just found out about in 2011 lol!!!

But here goes

Sarepta-Smokin Vineyard

FG- Battle of Souls

Time Horizon- Living waters

Saint-The Revelation

Sacred Warrior- Rebellion reissue

i bought quite a bit this year when I go back and look at it. However, there just are not that many titles that I was really super excited about. This is the list that I bought this year and from which my favorites list will stem from:

Quote :

HB - Jesus Metal Explosion

Flyleaf - Remember To Live EP

The Seventh Power - Power & Glory EP

Red - Until We Have Faces

Stryper - The Covering

Echoing Angels - Echoing Angels

Decemberadio - Southern Attic Sessions EP

Rebecca St. James - I Will Praise You

Sarepta - Smokin' Vineyard

Building 429 - Listen To The Sound

Liberty N Justice - Chasing A Cure

Eowyn - Beautiful Ashes

Crucible Divine - Commitment

Hawk Nelson - Crazy Love

Broken Silence - Discerning The Times

HB - The Battle Of God

Ashes Remain - What I've Become

Icon For Hire - Scripted

I Am Empire - Kings

Crossforce - Rockin' "Til The Final Day

7eventh Time Down - Alive In You

Hyland - Weights & Measures

Casting Crowns - Come To The Well

Golden Resurrection - Man With A Mission

Apologetix - Wise Up And Rock

Seventh Day Slumber - The Anthem Of Angels

Newsboys - God's Not Dead

Menchen - In The Light

DTS - DTS

FG- Battle For Souls

Guardian - 3 To Get Ready EP

alldatndensum wrote:

i bought quite a bit this year when I go back and look at it. ...

Quote :

Flyleaf - Remember To Live EP

I have that one on my list as a 2010 release (not that it would matter, it wouldn't make my top 10 for either year).