Yes, it's finally here! BravePicks 2011. Why so late? Cuz we're cutting to the chase. Normally we countdown throughout December, but this year we've filtered out the mediocre to give all the BraveWords.com faithful the cream of the crop - releases you may actually want to play more than once! So 'tis the season for BravePicks 2011 - The 12 Days Of Metal. We will be counting down until New Year's some of the finest slabs of metal this past year had to offer, voted by the devout scribes here at BraveWords.com! What does "slab" actually mean? We're talking studio albums. No compilations, rerecordings, live albums etc… Just pure metal, all killer no filler!

So let's rock … we've hit the Top Ten!

2011 … The 12 Days Of Metal

8) DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT - Deconstruction (InsideOut)

Ya gotta have balls to release not one, but TWO albums coincidentally these daze, but Devin Townsend is that unique breed, leading the charge. And he's been doing so since his STRAPPING YOUNG LAD days. Deconstruction and Ghost - which are the third and fourth in a series of albums to be made available under The Devin Townsend Project banner - were released in June. And the one on our list featured a long list of guests including:

- Mikael Åkerfeldt (OPETH, BLOODBATH)
- Ihsahn (EMPEROR)
- Tommy Rogers (BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME)
- Joe Duplantier (GOJIRA)
- Greg Puciato (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN)
- Floor Jansen (AFTER FOREVER, REVAMP)
- Oderus Urungus (GWAR)
- Paul Masvidal (CYNIC)
- Fredrik Thordendal (MESHUGGAH)

According to Townsend, Deconstruction is "brutal in a lot of parts, but pretty glorious in others. It rides the fence of negativity but ultimately ends supremely positive."

BravePicks 2011 … The 12 Days Of Metal

12) VALLENFYRE – A Fragile King (Century Media)

11) MEGADETH – Th1rt3en (Roadrunner)

10) MELIAH RAGE - Dead To The World (Metal On Metal)

9) WORLD UNDER BLOOD – Tactical (Nuclear Blast)

8) DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT - Deconstruction (InsideOut)

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