Here are 5 amazing albums from this year that were just shy of making our top ten. They all deserve your full attention as the honorable mentions of 2012.
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GOJIRA – L’ENFANT SAUVAGE
 
There’s no doubt that Gojira’s “L’enfant Sauvage” (French for “The Wild Child”) is an amazing album. To put it simply, one of the best things about Gojira is that they always manage to sound like Gojira. This is a band which proves that musicians don’t need to be complex to be musically efficient. Not to say there isn’t depth and complexity here. Gojira pummels the listeners eardrums with blasting heaviness and musically creative force. There are so many awesome tracks on this record. The title track, “The Axe”, “Explosia”, and “Mouth of Kala” are just a few examples of the greatness you can expect from “L’enfant Sauvage”. It’s a wild ride.
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THE OMEGA EXPERIMENT – SELF TITLED 
 
This is the kind of record that will catch you off guard. You go into it expecting one thing and experiencing something entirely different. The Omega Experiment’s self-titled debut strikes as a powerful cross between Supertramp and The Devin Townsend Project with a pinch of Meshuggah… Yeah, go ahead and read that again. All of this while bringing a sound of their very own which is hard to describe. When you add it all up, it makes for a mind blowing, unique musical experience. Tracks such as “Stimulus”, “Terminus”, “Gift”, and “Furor” are guaranteed to leave you wanting more goods from The Omega Experiment.
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VEIL OF MAYA – ECLIPSE
 
Veil of Maya’s fourth full-length record really stood apart from the rest while simultaneously staying rooted. For example, the intro “20/200” sounds like a throwback to “Common Man’s Collapse” while the title track is easily the most melodic, open song the band has ever written. “Eclipse” really opened up a whole new dimension of Veil of Maya with an increased focus on musicality. This may have been in part to Misha Mansoor’s production and influence, but the fact is this record provides phenomenal music through and through. Stand outs include “Divide Paths”, “The Glass Slide”, “Vicious Circles”, and “Punisher” among others. 
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THE TONY DANZA TAPDANCE EXTRAVAGANZA – DANZA IIII
 
Not only does The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza have the best band name ever, they always manage to produce devastating, awesome metal. The bands fourth and sadly final album, “Danza IIII: The Alpha – The Omega” is no exception. It’s also too cool for Roman numerals. This is an earth-shattering venture into chaotic, technical heaviness. There are many greats on this record like “You Won’t”, “Canadian Bacon”, “Paul Bunyan and the Blue Ox”, “Rudy X3”, and you can’t forget the semi-title track, “The Alpha, The Omega”. “Danza IIII” is a worthy end to this band’s insane career. R.I.P. Tony Danza… talking about the band, not the actor.
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ELITIST – RESHAPE | REASON
 
Elitist have been emerging as one of the best Metalcore bands around. Actually, their debut full-length “Reshape | Reason” is easily the best Metalcore record released in 2012. Even with various key line-up changes over recent years, Julian Rodriguez’s compositional ability has remained true, even improved in some ways. There is a progressive, creative take on how this band approaches the core, yielding amazing results. With a serious focus on driving melodies and musical execution, Elitist produced a monster of a debut record here. “Square And Compass”, “Equinox”, and “Unto The Sun” make an aural impact among others.
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