Year-End Report: Top 50 Albums of 2011 20-11

The Top 20 has finally arrived after a short intermission. I know that you have probably been dying with anticipation. These ten records include many psychedelic rock bands and singer/songwriters. Although 2011 wasn't a particularly good year for heavy music, some hardcore/metal bands did manage to stake a claim in the Top 20. Also, everyone's favorite band that set the bar too high for themselves. Read all about it and listen to some fantastic tunes after the jump.

Cave In Strip Down at Great Scott

Keeping with the theme of seeing my all-time favorite bands performing special sets, I had the extremely rare opportunity to watch Cave In play a stripped down set at Great Scott on February 10. They were a last minute, surprise addition to the Wino / Scott Kelly show but they definitely stole the spotlight for me. This was quite the treat since they played "The Calypso" and "Everest" from the Tides of Tomorrow EP. These are songs that I never thought I would see live since the band returned to their metal roots and never play material from that era, which is much more accessible. The delicate versions of the aforementioned songs sounded incredible and the group did an excellent job of creating a full and captivating sound with the minimal approach. The set was preceded by a short, three song set by frontman Steve Brodsky. He began with an impressive cover of Still Life's "Sometimes". He then played an excellent new song called "Muddy Jar" and a Willie Nelson cover before bringing the band on stage. Videos of the event are below.

Boris Invades The Middle East

If you are a fan of progressive metal of any kind, I hope you were at the show on August 7, 2010 at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA. The lineup consisting of Russian Circles, Cave In, and Boris covered much of the metal landscape. Russian Circles impressed with their mathy post-rock onslaught; Cave In mesmerized everyone with their mix of space rock and technical metal; and Boris brought their distinctive noise rock and sludge from Japan.

The Middle East Experiences Cave In

I took the image above in 2003 when Cave In played the second stage of the Lollapalooza tour in support of their RCA major label debut Antenna. Since then, the band had been dropped from RCA, denounced Antenna, and went on hiatus. Fortunately for those of us who are familiar with the band, they have returned in prime form releasing the Planets of Old EP and performing a few shows for lucky audiences. In my previous post, I mentions how psyched I was to see the band on their November 22, 2009 date at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA. Now that my ears have finally recovered, I can recall the glorious return of one of my favorite bands of all time.

Planets of Old Cave In

Cave In is easily one of my favorite bands ever and I was devastated that I missed their performance at Great Scott on July 19, 2009 since it sold out instantly. As luck would have it, I am getting another chance to see the band live and so are their other fans in the greater Boston area. This will be the first time I've seen them since their 2003 Lollapalooza appearance at The Tweeter Center in Camden, NJ. Cave In, Trap Them, and Narrows have announced the following mini-tour for November: