The metal year with monster horns upon the head, 2011 or better type 20\m/ is gone now, a year full of the good, bad and the sad news about the Heavy Metal world, many great albums were released, and some new stars appeared. But the important thing is that the METAL music was played loud throughout the world, from Japan to the Middle East from the Middle East to America and from the icy land, south, to the heart of the cold north, Metalheads and Metallers were united as ONE!

I asked the 3 most interesting questions about 2011 from some Artists, metal musicians and colleagues.You may like to know their opinions. You can read my questions and their answers below:

1. What was the most important news in the whole of the metal world in 2011 that impressed you the most?

2. Which metal band do you feel was the most successful in 2011?

3. Which are your top 3 albums’?

Tarja Virmakari  (Chief Editor,  METAL SHOCK FINLAND):

1) To pick up only one news, it’s nearly impossible… but maybe all these great artists that have passed this year, have been the news that have left me without words… it’s been a sad year in metal world in that way.

2) The most successful band… well, there are plenty of them, but I guess my reply just have to be Metallica… already for their 30 years’ of carrier. But then again IF you’d ask what is to my opionion the worst album of the year, I’d reply Lulu of Metallica and Lou Reed… but you didn’t ask it, so…

3)

In Flames – Sounds of a Playground Fading
The-Haunted – Unseen
Hypocrisy – “Hell Over Sofia”

Exo (lead Guitarist , Noctem)

1) Nergal finally recovering from Leukemia

2) Not talking about metal, just my fav. genre, extreme metal:
Fleshgod Apocalypse and Obscura, I choose both.

3)

Obscura: Omnivium
Decapitated: Carniva, is forever
Fleshgod Apocalypse: Agony

Rob Mancini

(Rob was in studio when i asked him to answer to my questions, so he answered them short. But i want to thank him here for giving me his time.)

1) That EMI sold its recorded music operations to Sony and Universal.

2) Hard to say, prob nickelback

3)  Rob Moratti – Victory
Angeline – Disconnected
Sixx AM – This is gonna hurt

Axel Wiesenauer (Owner at Rock N Growl Promotion)

1) Reunion of “BLACK SABBATH”! I hope they doin the right. I’m curious to hear new songs and see them live in 2012.

2) Nightwish

3) Mystic Prophecy – Raven Lord

Andrea Rodella (Journalist, METAL SHOCK FINLAND)

1) Definitely the announcement of the Italian MetalFest bill: a new heavy metal festival!

2) Talkin’ about international charts position, probably Nightwish and Metallica (with Lou Reed), but in my heart there’s the place for Mastodon only.

3) The three most interesting albums in 2011, imho, are:
3-Opeth – Heritage
2-Hypocrisy – Hell Over Sofia
1-Mastodon – The Hunter

Joe Matera 

1) I’m sure there were lots of different news items that impressed me throughout 2011, but one that stands out was the news of a new Accept album to come in 2012.
Their last album Blood Of The Nations blew me away and I was lucky enough to see them live twice and meet them in 2011, so I really can’t wait to see what the next one will bring!

2) This is a hard question to answer as there were so many successful bands who released great albums and toured too.
I would say personally two for me, the first being Saxon as they released yet another album that will become a classic and it’s great to see them still going strong with no sign of stopping!
Also Wolf with their hard work as always, touring, including an awesome BOA show and delivering the best as always with their awesome album!

3)

1. Wolf – Legions of Bastards
2. Saxon – Call To Arms
3. Turisas – Stand Up and Fight

Joey Severance (Vocal, Tornado)

1) The most important news for me personally was when listenable got in touch and said they wanted to sign us!

2) Most successful metal band of 2011 had to be metallica. headlining the big 4, 30 year celebration in SF……yes, they are still metal and they still kick ass!!

3) my top 3 favorite albums of 2011 are:

* You read some answers up to now but before I give you the last one from an awesome Metaller and Vocalist, I’d like to give you mine as well.

My name is Mohsen Fayyazi and i’m the first booking and promotion manager and also the first Metal music journalist from Iran.I believe the news about the reunion of Black Sabbath was the most impressive of 2011 and the successful metal bands are all Metal bands around the world who kept Metal alive.

The top 3 albums that i enjoyed listening to are:

3. Turisas – Stand Up and Fight

2. Symfonia – In Paradisum

1. WOLF – Legions of bastards

2) Ghost and Graveyard has been very successful, at least here in Sweden. Especially Graveyard. I think that’s great, because for once it’s a band that I actually like that gets the success.

3) Graveyard. The first two would be Arch / Matheos and Ghos. When come to think of it, I don’t remember if Graveyard and Ghost released in 2010… They probably did, and I don’t read the metal magazines as I said earlier, ha ha! I have no clue! I just stay focused on Wolf.

* I also asked Nik  if he and WOLF have any message for their fans, here you can read a message from WOLF:

“We want to thank our fans all over the world, for keeping the true metal alive! You are the best!”

Written by Mohsen Fayyazi