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15
Scar Symmetry
The Unseen Empire
Scar Symmetry is one of the bands most responsible for the growth and expansion of melodic death metal in recent years, and on its second album with vocalists Roberth Karlsson and Lars Palmqvist, the group has taken its place as the new leader of Sweden’s melodic death metal scene. Going beyond the Gothenburg style into uncharted realms of beauty and brutality, The Unseen Empire demonstrates just how impressive melodic death metal can be when it’s not confined to a particular established sound. No album since Slaughter of the Soul or Colony has changed the genre as much as this one has. 
Chris Colgan
14
Krallice
Diotima
Diotima, the third album from Krallice, once again mystified those for whom kvltness is the only measure for “good” black metal. Musically, it’s a sonic banquet for anyone seeking blurring riffs, blastbeats, and tremolo highs. The band’s refusal to adhere to a nefarious aesthetic has seen its worked debated in regards to its—shock, horror—transcendental nature. Who cares about such irrelevancies? Krallice simply produced some of the grandest, albeit progressively minded, black metal in ‘11, and, with a who’s-who line-up of incredibly talented musicians, long may they continue to do so. An astonishing example of sophisticated black metal. Craig Hayes
13
Amon Amarth
Surtur Rising
Amon Amarth has never rested on the laurels of success. The veteran group has always sought broader musical horizons and loftier heights of metal excellence, never compromising its stringent, high-quality standards. Surtur Rising is just the latest step of Amon Amarth’s quest for legendary status, and it’s a big step in the right direction, too. Packed with technical riffs, mind-blowing solos, and enough Viking imagery to burn a small village, Surtur Rising raises the bar once again for all others wishing to refer to themselves as a Viking metal band. Chris Colgan
12
Blut Aus Nord
777: Sects
In April, enigmatic and idiosyncratic French black metal visionaries Blut Aus Nord delivered 777:Sect(s), the first album in a projected trilogy. Coming from a band that is consistently experimental—thematically and musically—it’s an apocalyptic narrative envisioning the destruction of humanity’s belief systems, and the nullifying void that follows. It’s an ambitious tale, reinforced by some of the band’s most mesmerizing material yet. Melodies are buried in a corrosive and intensely sinister mire, with atmospheric passages battling against gurgling, scoured vocals and industrial strength riffs. Confrontational and punishing, 777:Sect(s) is a malevolently creative indulgence and a wonderfully disturbing prophecy. Craig Hayes
11
Russian Circles
Empros
It’s an amazing thing to watch a band reach its peak. Over the course of three brilliant recordings, 2008’s Station being the best of the three, Russian Circles increasingly demonstrated their skill at making a genre that has become increasingly worn sound entirely fresh. Empros is a bold step forward, one that takes all of the band’s requisite skills—hammered on-and-off guitar riffs, looping, and perhaps one of the most outstanding rhythm sections currently working—and magnifies them, even taking the time to throw in some new elements. The greatest of these is “Praise Be Man”, best described as something of a post-metal hymn, beginning with a faint vocal atop delicate acoustic guitar, only to be shaken from its dreamlike reverie by a jarring, powerful bass. The only worry to have with Empros is that it’s hard to imagine how the band could top something as good as this. Brice Ezell
