When I found out that the mighty Mastodon was set to do a club gig in Oslo, I lept into action immediately and got hold of a ticket. I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing the band in a smaller venue as they’ve preferred bigger gigs when they’ve visited these shores; festivals like Roskilde, Hove, Norwegian Wood, and support slots on tours like Unholy Alliance.

Straight from Oslo into YOUR FACE, Mats Johansen reveals the fifteen Metal albums (and three non-Metal albums) that caught his eyes and ears in 2011.

Roadburn has evolved into a mighty four-day event, with the earlier years’ Afterburner Party now mushroomed into a full day of destruction, and the impressive result is 70+ groups gathered with thousands of dedicated fans for the best bender of the year.

Rating: 4.5/5
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Shining’s “Live Blackjazz” showcases expert live fusion of the two genres Norwegians are best at—free jazz & black metal—and is a brilliant look at what music can do in this next decade.

I’ve always felt the Norwegian Wood festival has been a venue for “dad rock” and its ilk. … On Sunday they allowed three of the icons in contemporary metal onto the stage: Gojira, Enslaved, and Mastodon. It turned out to be a blast!

One of Norway’s best festivals is being arranged for the twelfth, and last, time in Bergen on August 24-27, 2011. After twelve years as Oslo’s Inferno festival’s strongest rivals, they’ve decided to go out on a high note. The line-up is a truly amazing collection of blackened metal and devilish doom.

Rating: 4/5
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“Intrepid Skronk” is the best record in the “Roadworks” series so far, displaying the primal force Motorpsycho manifests on stage.

Rating: 4.5/5
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This fusion keeps the album growing after several listens and it’s taking its rightful place among my most cherished records. If you like blackened metal with a twist, do yourself a favour and buy “Paracletus”. It’s a classic!

The Norwegians icons play to a sold-out crowd in Oslo, with over two-and-a-half hours of rocking rapture!

Rating: 4/5
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“Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will” is a record that shows Mogwai are eager to explore new territory. It’s not perfect, and some of these songs feels like B-side throwaways to me, but as always, it’s a thrill to follow them into the unknown.