After photographing and attending over 50 concerts this past year, along with touring on the Vans Warped Tour, it was very difficult to finalize a list of the top albums of the year.  But after much deliberation I have narrowed down the list (in no particular order) of what I believe are the overall best albums of 2011.  With genres ranging from metal to pop, you won’t find another list like this one.

1) Understanding What We’ve Grown to Be – We Came as Romans
Starting off the list is the sophomore release from the post-hardcore band We Came as Romans.  This album, along with their first record To Plant A Seed, share the same positive and uplifting message in the lyrics.  It seems that every song lacks a definite structure, which adds to the overall complexity of the album.  The angelic tone of the clean vocalist, paired with the harsh screams, gives the album good equality and balance.  The guitars are very technical, with riffs showing their skills and chugs that sound almost like a drum hit.  The drums sound clearer on this record and add depth to every song.  The song suggestion for this album would be the closing and title track, Understanding What We’ve Grown to Be, due to the use of synthesizer and string sections that give it an airy-atmosphere sound.  Overall, this was a great second release for a band quickly becoming a top icon in the genre.

2) Love: Part 2 – Angels & Airwaves
Coming in at number two is the fourth studio album from alternative rock band Angels & Airwaves.  In a genre known as “space rock”, this album soars above all others.  There are songs that make you want to sing along as loud as you can, and others that make you just want to sit back and let it sink in.  This release explores topics such as love and hope, while also conveying those feelings as you listen.  Song suggestion for this album, without a doubt, would be track number 3, Anxiety.  The intro includes a bell-sounding rhythm with echoing vocals and delayed guitar that builds into an amazingly composed song, summing up the sound of the whole album.

3) The Flood – Of Mice & Men
From the first clean vocal chorus of the opening track to the last held scream of the closing song, this album has the perfect balance of scream and clean vocals.  The structure of the album is organized very well, including songs with just screams and even a song solely composed of clean vocals.  I have seen this band live a few times and  can testify that the scream vocalist, Austin Carlile, has an amazing range from growls to high screams, and the clean vocalist and bassist, Shayley Bourget, has some of the best vocals in the post-hardcore genre, whether it be live or recorded.  With Bourget on bass guitar, the bass is definitely more noticeable on this album, compared to their first release.  The guitar riffs and drum fills make this album very intricate, yet simple.  A song suggestion on this album would be the opening track, O.G. Loko. The last bridge into the outro has an eerie, raw yell and growl that builds into a perfect riff to end the song.

4) Mylo Xyloto – Coldplay
For a band that has been around for 16 years, Coldplay’s fifth studio album continues their tradition of albums that are amazingly pleasing.  Every release seems to match with the current trends of the pop music world, yet they constantly become more innovative each album.  Personally not listening to much pop music, this is still an album I can enjoy from start to finish.  The first sounds on this album include a distant, echoing electric guitar with bells and acoustic guitar strumming that breaks into the song, Hurts Like Heaven, with a beat that you can’t help but tap your foot to.  The vocals are outstanding as always, with Chris Martin’s smooth, dulcet voice adding the perfect tone and culture to the album.  I had a tough time choosing a song suggestion on this album, but I would have to choose track three, Paradise.  The blend of piano, drums, and orchestral strings make this song a perfect example of how Coldplay as a band and their sound have evolved.

5) Identity on Fire – A Skylit Drive
The third full length from post-hardcore band A Skylit Drive, titled Identity on Fire, shows perfectly how innovative and maturely their sound has progressed.  Unlike prior albums, this release showcases the clean vocalist Michael “Jag” Jagmin’s range without him straining to reach the unbelievably high notes.  Bassist Brian White’s agonizing screams and drummer Cory La Quay’s deep growls give the album a great balance of vocals.  Each song has a unique sound and adds a sense of freshness, helping the diversity and composition of the record.  The song suggestion off this album would be the closing track, If You Lived Here You’d Be Home.  The opening keyboards start off with a false sense of calmness to the song for a few seconds until the rest of the band joins and changes it into a flawless post-hardcore ballad.

6) My Devil in Your Eyes – The Color Morale
The Color Morale is unique from the other post-hardcore bands on this list in that they have one vocalist, Garret Rapp, who deserves major props.  His screams change between a deep angry growl to more of a yell of agony which one can feel in the emotions of wrath and rage, while his clean vocals are not as high pitched as most other bands, yet still very melodic and calming.  The drummer, Steve Carey, is one of the most skilled and technically advanced drummers in the genre of post-hardcore, and it clearly shows on every song, ranging from perfectly timed double bass to the crazy beats and fills he throws around.  Song suggestion for this album would be track 2, Human(s) Being.  The song showcases every perfect aspect of this album, from the raw vocals to the crazy drums and guitars.

7) Let’s Cheers to This – Sleeping With Sirens
Getting top reviews across the board is the sophomore release from post-hardcore band Sleeping With Sirens, Let’s Cheers to This.  While their first album had painfully high vocals and a typical post-hardcore sound, this new record sounds more poppy and rock-like in many aspects.  The vocalist, Kellin Quinn, stays in a lower, ear soothing range with catchy hooks, while guitarist Jesse Lawson balances the heavy side of the album with well-placed screams.  The record even features an acoustic song, titled All My Heart, that incorporates a calming blend of acoustic guitar and bells.  Every song has features unique to it, but my listening suggestion would have to be the closing and title track, Let’s Cheers to This, that encompasses every aspect talked about above into a solid three and a half minutes.

8 ) The Hymn of a Broken Man – Times of Grace
This next release is very unique, having only two people taking on all music duties of recording.  Times of Grace features members of Killswitch Engage which clearly shows in the sound of their debut release, The Hymn of a Broken Man.  Adam Dutkiewicz took on the duties of vocals, bass, guitar, and drums in the studio, while Jesse Leach provided the backbone and majority of the vocals as well.  This album is full of melodic metal guitar riffs, while also having a deep crunch to their sound.  My song suggestion for this album would be track ten, Hope Remains, due to its showcasing of multi-instrumental talents provided by Adam Dutkiewicz and the powerful pipes of Jesse Leach.  This record encompasses the perfect qualities of a metalcore/hard rock album: harsh and raspy vocals, heavy guitars, double-bass drums and even slow, acoustic guitar parts.

9) Leveler – August Burns Red
The heaviest album and band on this list, the fourth release from metalcore band August Burns Red, Leveler, is full of crazy, riff filled guitars and unbelievably fast paced drums. The drummer, Matt Greiner, is often hailed as one of the top drummers in both metal and metalcore.  Every aspect of the drums, from the breathtaking double bass to the hi-hat and snare patterns, is truly amazing.  My song suggestion for this album would be the opening track, Empire.  The song features powerful drumming, heavy chugs and mind-blowing guitar riffs and speed.  The vocalist, Jake Luhrs, comes in more powerful than ever before, sending feelings of rage and passion right through you from the opening lyric.

10) Deus Ex Machina – Greek Fire
Last, but certainly not least on this list, is locally-based space rock band Greek Fire with their debut album, Deus Ex Machina.  With members from Story of the Year and Maybe Today, this band experiments with progressive rock sounds and catchy melodies.  In every song, you can feel the heart and soul from these artists passed through their music.  Powerful drumming combined with killer guitar riffs, make these 80’s arena rock-sounding songs stick in your head with ease.  This band has grown from a small local band with a tight fan base, to opening for bands like Good Charlotte and Incubus, and quickly moving into the national scene.  My song suggestion on this album would be the opening track, Doesn’t Matter Anyway.  The song begins with a space-like synth, pounding drums and powerful guitar that breaks into frontman Moon’s rich, soaring vocals.