Adace's Top 50 Albums

[Zantera]

Some nice albums here. Shogun and Wavering Radiant are great picks!

[ariich]

Interesting choice... AAL is a cool album but the production is pretty meh, so I find it hard to enjoy it much. They were incredible live though!

[adace]

19. Katatonia - Night is the New Day (2009)

This album is the perfect illustration of music that is both dark and beautiful. It’s heavy, melodic, doomy, and very melancholic with a bit of a progressive flair. Jonas Renske’s voice is intoxicating as always and the riffs and melodies are all top-notch. One of my favorite tracks on the album, “Forsaker,” features a brutal, Meshuggah-esque intro and then shifts into an Opethian interlude before bringing back the heaviness in the chorus. Another one of my favorites, “Idle Blood,” rivals anything on Opeth’s Damnation. No matter which song on the album you listen to, it is going to be dark and moody. At the same time, it will often be headbangable and enjoyable. That is the allure of Katatonia. They manage to encapsulate the dark emotions they have into 4 or 5 minute songs that are very catchy and all fit within a very specific genre despite each song’s uniqueness. This is a very subtle album that requires many listens to fully appreciate. Those who are new to the band should start with this album or their previous one A Great Cold Distance as they are probably the most accessible ones in the band’s catalog.

Recommended songs: Idle Blood, Forsaker, Day and Then the Shade, The Longest Year

[Elite]

I've had that on my to-listen list for ages. Time to have it removed by listening to it.

[wolfking]

Best Katatonia album IMO.  Absolutely amazing, and an intense atmosphere throughout.

[adace]

18. Rush - Moving Pictures (1981)

Another album that needs no introduction, Rush’s Moving Pictures cemented their status as prog-rock icons and produced some of their biggest hits including “Tom Sawyer” and “Limelight.” What I like most about the album is the technicality and freshness of it. It’s a very modern sounding record as opposed to their earlier works which had a distinctly 70’s production style on them. I love all those albums but Moving Pictures is what first turned me on to Rush and it is the album that speaks to me the most. Perhaps it is the intelligent and fitting use of synths or Neil Peart’s vivid lyrical imagery or simply the incredibly tight playing and songwriting on Moving Pictures that attracted me to it in the first place. I’d like to think it is a combination of those factors plus the overall excellent quality of the songs. As a prog-rock record, it is relatively short but it packs an incredible punch that launches Rush into legendary status along with their British peers Pink Floyd, Yes, King Crimson and Genesis. Additionally, as you all know, Rush directly inspired Dream Theater in countless ways and were largely responsible for prog-metal. Moving Pictures is a seminal prog record and a classic in every sense of the word. Those looking to enjoy progressive music while still rocking out need search no further than this album. If you are new to Rush (which I highly doubt), start with this album and then work backwards through the fantastic catalog of one of the world’s greatest rock bands.

Recommended tracks: YYZ, The Camera Eye, Limelight, Red Barchetta

[Nekov]

This album is a couple spots up in my top 50. So good

[jingle.boy]

Great album.  Top 10 material for me.  It has to be a staple for any prog-rock fan.

[senecadawg2]

Great album, just wish I had been alive at the time.

[adace]

17. Rammstein - Reise, Reise (2004)

When it comes to bombasticity, controversy and theatricality, not many bands rival the mighty Rammstein. I first heard about the band in a movie trailer for Hellboy but Reise, Reise is the album that properly introduced me to this industrial powerhouse of a band and is the one that continues to impress me the most out of their catalog. Though I was initially repelled by their Germanic gruffness and allegations of fascism (unwarranted as it turns out), Rammstein’s music proved to be far too compelling and headbangable to keep me from being a fan for very long. Of course, not every song on this album is a metal behemoth trampling everything in its path. For example, the acoustic stomper “Los” proves that it is possible to write a song without electric guitars yet still retain a metal attitude. Also, there are some soft parts in the lovely ballad “Ohne Dich” and in the haunting track “Amour.” Like any good industrial band, metal or not, Rammstein incorporates excellent synth work courtesy of Flake as found on the beautiful, yet crushingly heavy “Stein um Stein” and on the iconic title track. Also like many other industrial bands, the lyrical content is quite controversial ranging from the anti-globalization message of “Amerika” to “Mein Teil” which tells the story of a real life Hannibal Lecter. However, this band is still far less controversial than, say, Cannibal Corpse who go out of their way on every song to tell as gruesome a tale possible. That said, this is still a fun band to listen to and their penchant towards controversy and unfounded accusations of fascism should not deter you from at least exploring their music, if not become a fan. Overall, this is a highly memorable album with catchy, diverse songs and a high replayability value. It may well qualify as “shock rock” but at the same time it is a thoroughly enjoyable album with a surprising degree of subtlety and musical brilliance throughout.

Recommended tracks: Morgenstern, Reise Reise, Stein Um Stein, Amerika

[crazyaga]

rammstein are great 

[Mladen]

Moving pictures and Reise reise are awesome. 

[senecadawg2]

I've never been able to get into Rammstein. It's a bit much for my taste...

[Scorpion]

Rammstein! 
Great stuff.

[adace]

16. Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)

A perennial classic, Paranoid was one of metal’s defining moments and perhaps Black Sabbath’s greatest achievement. Tony Iommi is a veritable riffmaster on this album as proved by the iconic licks in songs such as “Iron Man” and “Electric Funeral.” Ozzy’s vocals are phenomenal and both Geezer and Bill add generous amounts of jazz-influenced subtlety to what is a well-crafted and well-rounded piece of musical art. Lyrically, this is a very dark album and an almost departure from the love-centric songs of Black Sabbath’s piers in bands such as Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. Death, insanity, depression, and war are all prominent themes but while the band is acknowledging these stark realities, it is also promoting its vision of a better future as in the transcendental song “Planet Caravan.” While some of the album’s references might a bit outdated (i.e. the Vietnam War), the themes are nonetheless quite relevant to our day and age. With their heavy, psychedelic sound, Black Sabbath established themselves as musical pioneers and have become influential to countless bands both within and outside of doom metal. In my view, Paranoid was the pinnacle of this innovation and stands as one of my all-time favorite metal albums.

Recommended tracks: all except Rat Salad

[wolfking]

MUSIC WIN!!! 

[crazyaga]

paranoid is great, but i think Sabbath bloody Sabbath is better

[wolfking]

Really, you can't go wrong with any of the first 5 albums.

[Nekov]

MUSIC WIN!!! 

[Mladen]

That's one fine album. 

[bundy]

That's one fine album. 

That's an understatement.
More than truly great album this is a pioneering album that set the template for an entire genre. The very noticeable blues influences on much of the debut are almost non-existant and what we have is everything that the title track (Black sabbath) of the debut hinted at and more.

A landmark of modern music as much as Sgt Peppers was.

[adace]

That's one fine album. 

That's an understatement.
More than truly great album this is a pioneering album that set the template for an entire genre. The very noticeable blues influences on much of the debut are almost non-existant and what we have is everything that the title track (Black sabbath) of the debut hinted at and more.

A landmark of modern music as much as Sgt Peppers was.

I agree 100% with all of that. You hit it right on the mark!

[Jirpo]

MUSIC WIN!!! 

[Ħ]

Listening to it now. It's pretty good. Definitely has that classic feel.

[adace]

15. U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)

One of the most iconic albums of the 1980’s and U2’s magnum opus, The Joshua Tree is a breathtaking adventure into the wilderness of the American desert and the depths of the human soul. There is a sort of raw emotionality in U2’s sound and particularly on this album. However, the emotions are filtered, restrained and bubbling to the surface rather than exploding in white-hot fury. An example of this is on one of my all-time favorite U2 songs, “Bullet the Blue Sky” which features a certain seediness and dark undercurrent as it explores political hypocrisy, militarism, and the horrors of war all laced with biblical metaphors. Bono’s vocal delivery here is mesmerizing and his songwriting ability, generally a criminally underrated thing, shines brilliantly. From that song to “Running to Stand Still,” the perspective shifts from the political to the personal. This song, written with Dylan-esque simplicity and highly evocative visuals, talks about misery, loss but offers the possibility of redemption at the same time. If there is one thing I really admire about U2’s 1980’s period, it is Bono’s spiritual and comforting lyrics not to mention the the excellent quality of the songs themselves. As on every album, the Edge’s trademark delays are used to create a textural landscape that really tantalizes the imagination. This album also sees the band moving away somewhat from their post-punk roots and experimenting with other genres, particularly American and Irish folk. This gives the album a strong sense of well-roundedness and complements the folksy, visual lyrics to great effect. This is an album that has and will continue to stand the test of time both for me personally and for rock fans everywhere. It is a monolith in the rock genre and is U2’s finest moment.

Recommended tracks: Bullet the Blue Sky, Where the Street Have No Name, Running to Stand Still

Btw, sorry for the slow updating. Been busy lately. I'll try to pick up the pace     

[senecadawg2]

U2!

Great pick

[Nekov]

This is probably the only U2 album I can listen as a whole and enjoy it all the way. Great choice

[adace]

14. Dream Theater - Images and Words (1992)

An extraordinary feat of musicianship, Images and Words set the standard for progressive metal and made Dream Theater into a household name. They proved here that they have an incredible knack for balancing technicality and emotionality in perfect proportions. The band are eager to display their technical prowess as on “Learning to Live” but they also know when to hold back as on “Another Day” and “Wait For Sleep.”  As compared to their genre-mates in Opeth and Tool, the lyrics and mood of the album are not nearly as dark nor are the guitars as heavy, but it packs a huge punch nonetheless. Each song features innumerable catchy parts right down from the beautiful sax melodies on “Another Day” to the unforgettable intro to “Under a Glass Moon.” The mood ranges from fantastical and playful to reflective and sorrowful. In that regard, this is very much a theatrical album that some may call pretentious but that me and my fellow Dream Theater fans (you guys) would call ambitious, captivating and enjoyable. Dream Theater’s sound on this album (not so much on SDOIT and beyond) is a satisfying mixture of power metal (a la Helloween), Rush (a genre unto itself), and traditional heavy metal (a la Iron Maiden). No matter what the genre or combination of genres that influence the band’s sound, Dream Theater were able to influence the course of progressive metal single-handedly with this monumental album. If you want to immerse your friends and family in the wide world of progressive metal, then this album is a must-listen for them. Although Dream Theater were not the first progressive metal band I truly enjoyed, this album not only opened me up to them as a band but also opened me up to a unique sub-genre that includes other ‘traditional’ prog metal bands such as Symphony X and Haken. Images and Words was, is and will remain a metal classic.

Recommended tracks: Pull Me Under, Another Day, Take the Time, Under a Glass Moon

[senecadawg2]

Sorry, but recommended tracks doesn't include Metropolis and LtL?

You've chosen 4 of the weaker tracks as 'recommended', IMO. Of course, being I&W, every song should be recommended. Plus, this is one album that definitely doesn't need any additional recommendation here on DTF.

[adace]

Sorry, but recommended tracks doesn't include Metropolis and LtL?

Plus, this is one album that definitely doesn't need any additional recommendation here on DTF.

I know, but it's on my list so I figured what the hey.

[pain of occupation]

obviously, a great pick (thats making all the lists).

dont tell anyone, but your Images & Words was one of the better writeups. 

[adace]

Thanks for the compliment. 

[Scorpion]

I've never heard of this album. I think I need to check it out sometime.

[adace]

I've never heard of this album. I think I need to check it out sometime.

Yeah, I've found that most people on DTF haven't heard of it. It's really a shame. I think it's pretty good 

[crazyaga]

you update your list reallly slow