“One of the best rock bands we still have left ... Favorite Track: ‘Monster.'” “This album is packed with great songs,” Degraw says. “I’ve had the opportunity to be in the writing ...

3. Whitesnake, Forevermore — Heavy, blues-soaked rock from Coverdale & Co. Their best album since the 1987 classic (maybe better). 2. Saxon, Call To Arms — One of my favorite bands of all time still ...

With that in mind, we’ve assembled a crew of Ampersand contributors to list their favourite albums of 2011 thus far, and which albums from the year’s second half they’re looking forward to most.

There was a lot to sift through when compiling The BoomBox's Best Albums of 2011 list, and it seemed at times that the genre had multiplied at the speed of a gremlin in water. In ...