Trapped Under Ice - Big Kiss Goodnight
Loaded with the type of riffs that could turn a queue at Nationwide into a remorseless circle pit, this album sent Baltimore's TUI in a completely new musical direction.
Previously regarded as a competent, yet predictable hardcore band, Big Kiss Goodnight smashed all preconceptions and integrated catchiness into their sound - without lowering the ante of its predecessor.
'Born To Die' boasts a truly anthemic chorus, while 'Outcast' represents a thunderous throwback to old school hardcore such as Madball and Sick Of It All. With a 2012 UK tour scheduled alongside Your Demise, Trapped Under Ice are perched on the precipice of widespread recognition.
City And Colour - Little Hell
All in all, it's been a turbulent year for Dallas Green. The split of Alexisonfire was met with apathy from many in the UK but, while their demise was tough for many to internalise, their guitarist has an ace up his sleeve in the shape of City And Colour.
Since it was previously deemed a side-project, it's strange to consider that 'Little Hell' is Dallas' third solo album, and is objectively his best.
Smattered with moments of unequivocal beauty, the album flows in captivating fashion, with the beatifically mellow 'We Found Each Other In The Dark' seamlessly making way for the folk-rock verve of 'Natural Disaster'.
While past records suffered from minor inconsistencies, 'Little Hell' is impossible to turn off, exhibiting Mr Green's exceptional vocal abilities in startling new ways.
Transit - Listen And Forgive
2011 has seen a glut of pop-punk bands saturate the airwaves, so , if there's any time for groups to peddle cliches in an effort to generate fast success, now is the most appropriate period.
However, Transit clearly wanted to reinvent themselves from their conventional pop-punk beginnings and, in doing so, have crafted a sublime pop-rock record.
Recapturing the lyrical sincerity and unadulterated infectiousness of The Academy Is' landmark album 'Almost Here', the Boston troop have blown many of their counterparts out of the water.
The release's title track is simply a joy to behold and sparks comparisons to The Get Up Kids, whereas 'Over Your Head' channels the energy of early Taking Back Sunday, before coupling it with delightful guitar work.
Yellowcard - When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes
This year marked the renaissance of Yellowcard, which can only be perceived as a positive development. Still, with this mind, several fans would be content with an 'Ocean Avenue' show, rather than facing the risk of seeing Ryan Key and company stain their past in the way that Blink 182 and numerous other influential acts have done.
Thankfully, these cynics needn't worry because Yellowcard released their best album to date, rendering 'Ocean Avenue' an afterthought.
The band have not lost any of their distinguished energy, as 'For You and Your Denial' attests but, more importantly, they have redefined the word "maturity".
Fans often hear the dreaded "M word" and fear concept albums and self-indulgency that makes Russian oil goliaths seem working class, yet Yellowcard have retained features of their past sound and embellished them with more advanced songwriting.
'Be The Young' represents a defiant rallying cry to the elder statesmen of the pop-punk scene, exploding with a chorus that commands crowd interaction. To emphasise the band's consistency, even, 'Hang You Up', the album's token ballad, sounds meaningful and only consolidates the fact that Yellowcard are back and better than ever.
Mastodon - The Hunter
Mastodon are metal royalty. If the metal scene was a university classroom, the Atlantan heavyweights would be the star student, who classmates strive to copy.
It's incredibly challenging to level any inadequacies at 'The Hunter'. Many critics in the past have held reservations regarding the band's propensity for allegedly pretentious prog-rock tracks, but none of those are present here.
'Blasteroid' sees the group hark back to their formative years with a astronomically heavy track, firing riffs, screams and pulsating drums at the listener that could trigger small earthquakes on tour.
Meanwhile, 'Curl of The Burl' offers a more accessible musical approach, illustrating their continued development at a stage in their career where they could easily afford to recycle past concepts.
Simply put, 2011 is the year that Mastodon took the metal scene back to school.
Thrice - Major/Minor
Despite their musical differences, Thrice and Mastodon share some parallels: both have always sought to innovate and evolve, even when complying with a tested formula was an easier option.
Once viewed as one of the key figureheads in the post-hardcore scene, Thrice have now solidified themselves as specialists in melodic rock.
Unsurprisingly, such a major transition led to uproar in their fan base, particularly when 2009's 'Beggars' was judged by many as a Radiohead B-sides collection, but Major/Minor is the result of the American stalwarts finding their forte.
'Yellow Belly' opens the album with a raw, aggressive attitude that has been seldom heard in the Thrice's output for many years.
On the other hand, 'Anthology' is easily comparable to Manchester Orchestra's melodious sound, though Thrice's sound changes with each track here. Therefore, even though they recently announced a hiatus, attempting to find reference points for this release may cause you to miss out on their next offering.
New Found Glory - Radiosurgery
New Found Glory are a pop-punk institution. Admittedly, Blink 182 reaped the plaudits and the dollars, but while they were hit by internal struggles, New Found Glory were penning the next musical style to be near-ubiquitously borrowed by the scene.
It's been over ten years since NFG's coveted self-titled album saturated the mainstream conscience, so could they still maintain their throne as pop-punk kings?
The answer is simple: just buy the record.
There are not enough superlatives to sufficiently praise 'Radiosurgery', yet for those sceptical of the release, I'll answer a few questions.
Is it conventional? Yes. Do NFG attempt any new musical formulas? No.
Can I stop listening to it? No.
Protest The Hero - Scurrilous
With remarkable instrumentation, diverse vocals and a tremendous sense of humour, Protest The Hero are an anomaly in the metal genre.
'Kezia' and 'Fortress' incorporated enough metal idiosyncrasies for the Canadians to be categorised alongside less imaginative acts, leading to tours with some of the world's most generic bands. As a result of this, you can envisage that they would be frustrated, and Scurillous appears to be a declaration of independence.
Gone are the screams, breakdowns and conceptual lyrics; in are comedic lines, catchy sections and astonishing tempo changes.
'C'est Le Vie' is reliably indicative of Protest The Hero's new musical mindset, opening with an invigorating riff juxtaposed with Rody Walker's staggeringly experimental vocal assault. Walker can switch from high to low pitch in an instant, triumphantly putting other front men to shame.
Nonetheless, a palpable sense of aggression is still apparent with Scurrilous, especially in 'Dunsel', which represents a scathing commentary on the music industry.
As a consequence of the album's varied nature, it has the potential to appeal to the punk, metal and rock crowds, which is a true testament of its undoubted greatness.
The Wonder Years - Suburbia I've Given You All And Now I'm Nothing
Branded as 'realist pop-punk', The Wonder Years have an uncanny way of connecting with their fans, as evidenced in last year's sensational release 'The Upsides'.
That record elevated the six-piece to previously incomprehensible heights, propelling them from pop-punk also-rans to newly found heroes. Consequently, 'Suburbia I've Given You All And Now I'm Nothing' had a lot riding on it, and they certainly delivered the goods.
The Pennsylvania men even managed to do so without regurgitating the themes of youth and everyday life that were prominent throughout the CD's predecessor, demonstrating Dan 'Soupy' Campbell's adeptness as a writer.
Instead, their new album harboured a more matured, philosophical vibe, with 'I Won't Say The Lord's Prayer' covering the topic of organised religion, while 'Summers In PA' focused on the sentimentality of home.
In summary, 'Suburbia I've Given You All And Now I'm Nothing' saw the band merge purposeful topics with unbridled catchiness yet again, cementing The Wonder Years as one of the world's premier producers of pop-punk.
Funeral For A Friend - Welcome Home Armageddon
Rewind to 2003 and Funeral For A Friend are on the brink of releasing 'Casually Dressed and Deep In Conversation', a creative milestone that inspired thousands and went on to reach gold status.
Now, fast forward to 2010 and the Welshmen have just announced the departure of long-time guitarist Darran Smith, after playing the aforementioned record in its entirety.
It could have either been the beginning of the end, or a new beginning; FFAF opted for the latter.
'Welcome Home Armageddon' marked a complete rebirth for a group who many dismissed as past their prime. 'Old Hymns' rocks with the same guile that made 'Rookie Of The Year' so savoured in 2003, before 'Spinning Over The Island' and 'Broken Foundation' unveiled a vivaciously heavy new musical motif.
From front to back, the record shows a new lease of life for one of Britain's most successful alternative bands and promises a gargantuan smile on the faces of their partisan fan base.
