I am sure I have missed a few good ones out but this was starting to do my head in. Top Ten are my faves others in a sort of order but prone to change with mood. Please note no Anathama (pale copy of previous) or Dream Theater (same old, same old) Steven Wilson (need further listens for it to be more than a collection of songs to these ears) and Yes (No).

There were in excess of 1000 Prog or Progish albums released this year and with researching my show I spend half my time listening to old (in some cases very old) bands and albums and so therefore hardly ever give albums the quality listening and re-listening they deserve.

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My apologies to anyone that I have missed off due to simple time constraints and not being able to give their music the listening time that it deserves. I even bloody forgot Lazuli, Arena and even Steve Hackett! I have also put a 'need time to listen' list at the bottom for albums that I hope to fully give the listening time they deserve.

All in all it has been a BLOODY FANTASTIC year for Prog so let's just hope for a great 2012.

And if I could just add one really important message...

GET YOUR LAZY FUCKING ARSES OFF YOUR COMFY SOFA AND GO TO LIVE GIGS BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T THERE WILL NOT BE ANY DECENT MUSIC FOR THE FUTURE. BELIEVE IT OR NOT THERE IS PROG OUTSIDE OF YES, GENESIS, PINK FLOYD AND ELP AND ALL IT NEEDS IS YOUR SUPPORT.

The List

Pallas: 'XXV'
Von Hertzen Brothers: 'Stars Aligned'
The Tangent: 'Comm'
Airbag: 'All Rights Removed'
Touchstone: 'The City Sleeps'
Sean Filkins: 'War And Peace And Other Short Stories'
Also Eden: 'Think Of The Children'
Maybeshewill: 'I Was There For A Moment And Then I Was Gone'
Alta Via: 'Girt Dog'
Mars: 'Hollow World In Front Of Me'
Lazuli: '4063 Battements'
DeExpus: 'King Of Number 33'
Haken: 'Visions'
Pendragon: 'Passion'
Discipline: 'To Shatter All Accord'
And So I Watch You From Afar: 'Gangs'
Cosmograf: 'When Age Has Done It's Duty'
Wobbler: 'Rites At Dawn'
Credo: 'Against Reason'
Amplifier: 'The Octopus'
Verbal Delirium: 'So Close And So Far Away'
Steve Hackett: 'Beyond The Shrouded Horizon'
Arena: 'The Seventh Degree of Seperation'
Caligula's Horse: 'Moments From Ephemeral City'
Leprous: 'Bilateral'
Opeth: 'Heritage'
The D Project: 'Big Face'
Hostsonaten: 'Summerseve'
Levin Torn: 'White Levin Torn White'
Glass Hammer: 'Cor Cordium'
Wolverine: 'Communication Lost'
Beardfish: 'Mammoth'
From .uz: 'Quartus Artifactus'
Le Orme: 'La Vila Della Seta'
Guy Manning: 'Margaret's Children' (only had it a few days)
Matt Stevens: 'Relic'

Albums to give more listening to...

Mastadon: 'The Hunter'
Devin Townsend: 'Deconstraction'
Steven Wilson: 'Grace For Drowning'
Presto: 'Ballet'

OK, yes I do work with Pallas but have loved them and their music since seeing them in Glasgow in 1982 and 'XXV' IS the Best Prog album of 2011 in EVERY way, so there...

Wishing everyone a FAB, GROOVY and Fantastic 2012!

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