Author Topic: Adace's Top 50 Albums  (Read 24894 times)

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Online TAC

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #175 on: June 19, 2012, 10:14:04 AM »
Adace, nice list, though I don't know half of it! :lol

Took a quick look through it today. I liked your I&W writeup and the fact that you picked up on the Helloween vibe. I heard it immedeately as well.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #176 on: June 20, 2012, 12:12:03 AM »
7. Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986)

Not to complain, but reviewing these classic albums is becoming a rather tedious task. I tend to see this album as rather straightforward and therefore not privy to the same kind of multifaceted analysis that, say, prog rock albums are. Nonetheless, as Metallica’s legendary thrashterpiece “Master of Puppets” is indeed on my top 50 list, I will try my best to do justice, in my own limited way, to one of the most celebrated metal albums of all time. I’ll try a track-by-track approach this time.

“Battery”: Not only is this song a expertly crafted piece of musicianship from the flamenco intro to the sonic assault that constitutes the rest of the song, but its lyrics also mirror the music in philosophizing on the predilection of people to fall into dangerous and abusive habits. The “battery” in the lyrics could either refer to an electrical battery which stores up negative emotions and then violently discharges them, or to an unstoppable wall of force obliterating all in its path. These speculations aside, “Battery” is undoubtedly one of the best (and most famous) thrash songs ever written. As the first track, it sets the mood for the rest of the album and keeps the listener on edge waiting for what’s to come.

Title track: This is metal’s anthem. Just as much a classic track as “Smoke on the Water” or “Stairway to Heaven,” “Master of Puppets” features one of the most recognizable riffs and choruses in all of metaldom. This is the song that every metalhead worth their salt can sing along to or even air guitar/air drum along to. The intricacy of the song’s composition and the fact a song so popular could be 8.5 minutes long are testaments to Metallica’s ability to not only display their technical prowess, but also to captivate the listener with the overall cohesiveness and recognizability of the music. (At least these observations held sway for pre-Black Album Metallica.) As for the lyrics, MoP is a thematic continuation of “Battery.” It speaks of the loss of rationality and control over one’s life at the hands of drugs, alcohol, or whatever addictive force/Edenic serpent may be exerting its influence over oneself. Overall, this piece is an unforgettable thrill-ride and is one Metallica’s finest moments.

“The Thing That Should Not Be”: An underrated masterpiece, this song plunges the listener into the depths of Hades. It is a heavy, dark behemoth that is certainly one of Metallica’s most intense and downright creepy songs. From the menacing riffs to the tortured solo, this song qualifies as a stunning example of what I like to call “horror metal.” The twisted, Lovecraftian lyrics reflect the demonic music. While those familiar with the Cthulhu mythos can readily perceive the lyrical references to Lovecraft’s work, these lyrics also represent a continuation of the same themes of the previous songs. At this stage, the person has been completely consumed by the dark forces within him/herself and is responsible for breeding an evil monster of unimaginable terror. Thus, Cthulhu, both in this song and in the original literature, symbolizes humanity’s inner dark side and potential for destruction. Both lyrically and musically, this is an absolute beast of a song that is certainly one of my all time favorites from the band.

“Welcome Home (Sanitarium)”: Having ascended from the depths of hell and regaining some measure of dominance over his/her personal demons, “Sanitarium” represents the stage of Purgatory. The unnamed protagonist has resolved to strive for a better life but is torn by self-doubt. Fully self-conscious, the protagonist finally conquers his/her internal foes through some sort of violent act(s). This is not violence in the physical sense, but rather in the metaphorical sense of erasing one’s past life and starting afresh. And so ends the mini story arc that constitutes the first four songs of the album. Musically speaking, “Sanitarium” follows the same dynamic that the songs “One” and “Fade to Black” do. It starts off with a beautiful clean intro and then morphs into a display of headbangable technicality. It may not quite rival those two other songs, but it is certainly one of my all-time favorite “metal ballads.”

“Disposable Heroes”: Here we have Metallica’s war-themed masterpiece. It’s chock full of tasty riffs, and has that aggressive tone that me and other Metallica fans love so much about the band’s old stuff. I can’t say much else about this song other than talk about the brilliant lyrics which speak of young, innocent men being sent off to war and experiencing the horrors therein. It very much reminds me of All Quiet On the Western Front and World War I in general.

“Leper Messiah”: This is the song that took the most time for me to really appreciate and though I still think it’s the weakest track on the album, it’s still quite good. While the previous song addressed the corrosive effects of nationalism and war on the human spirit, this song aims its sights at corruption in the Church (or organized religion in general) and denounces blind adherence to dogma. Despite the considerably weakened position of the Catholic Church since the Reformation and Enlightenment, the message of this song still remains relevant as evidenced by the proliferation of both New Age and Christian cults in recent years. Just last year we had the failed prediction of Harold Camping and the financial ruin of many of his followers who had invested their life savings into his ad campaign. Clearly, Camping and his ilk are perfect examples of “leper messiahs” or, simply put, con-men who manipulate religion for personal gain. While this song is far from my top-tier of Metallica songs, it makes a very important and compelling statement as a cautionary tale.

“Orion”: Well, there’s not too much to say here other than the fact that this is my favorite metal instrumental. It is perfectly crafted from start to finish and features some of late bassist Cliff Burton’s best work. In fact, the whole band is firing on all cylinders in this song and it is definitely one that should be played more often.

“Damage Inc.”: Rounding out the album is another thrashterpiece. Like “Battery,” this song is one of the finest thrash songs ever made and is also one of Metallica’s most intense musical adventures. The lyrics speak of standing up for one’s beliefs and refusing to conform to society’s standards. Besides that, all I can say is that this is a perfect closer to a spectacular album and is sure to leave the listener with a feeling that Metallica have created something legendary with this album and created a lasting musical legacy.

Offline Scorpion

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #177 on: June 20, 2012, 12:34:27 AM »
Very good write-up to a very good album, Adace. I love MoP and would rank it around the same spot, actually.
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Online ariich

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #178 on: June 20, 2012, 04:13:03 PM »
Great album!

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Offline Nekov

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #179 on: June 20, 2012, 05:25:43 PM »
:2metal:
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Offline Elite

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #180 on: June 20, 2012, 06:15:19 PM »
My second favourite Metallica album. I always preferred Ride the Lightning, but a very good album nonetheless. Nice :metalol:
Hey dude slow the fuck down so we can finish together at the same time.  :biggrin:
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Offline Heretic

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #181 on: June 20, 2012, 08:05:18 PM »
Never been a huge Metallica fan but I can recognize the greatness of this album. Nice pick!

Offline senecadawg2

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #182 on: June 22, 2012, 07:06:29 AM »
Your list is, in one word: solid.
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Offline Mladen

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #183 on: June 22, 2012, 09:26:08 AM »
That's one fine album, obviously. Nice track by track review, Leper messiah is my least favorite on MOP as well.

Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #184 on: June 25, 2012, 07:13:18 PM »
6. Muse - Absolution (2003)

Too lazy to write a track-by-track review this time so I’ll go back to the traditional format. Here we have the album that made me a Muse fan. For those who don’t know, Muse is a band that mixes experimental/progressive tendencies with alt rock in a satisfying and innovative way. They are often compared to Radiohead which makes sense in some ways, but mostly doesn’t. For one thing, Muse are a very theatrical band. They experiment quite a lot, but they develop that experimentation into something more accessible and grandiose. Radiohead, on the other hand, put experimentation at the forefront of their music; they focus on the specific sound they want rather than the structure of the song. At least that’s how I see the difference between the two bands. Anyways, this is an amazing album from an amazing band to say the least. The amount of diversity on this record, and from the band in general, is truly staggering. From the heavenly, Sinatra-esque crooning of “Blackout” to the raw metal of “Stockholm Syndrome” to the creepy, sinister “Ruled By Secrecy,” this is an album sure to have something for everyone (except maybe for rap fans). As on every album, Absolution shows the band throwing the kitchen sink into their creative process and crafting a set of truly unique songs. Of course, Muse still fit, albeit quite loosely, in the alt-rock category and, as I mentioned, their music is very theatrical so there is a sort of vague pattern tying their music together. At the same time though, you’ll be left almost completely in the dark trying to figure out what the next song will sound like. Essentially, Absolution is the anti-concept album. To be a bit cliched, each song is like a snowflake unique unto itself rather than undifferentiated raindrops. Though my tastes have developed considerably since I first heard this album six years ago, it will always be an integral part of my musical identity and I cannot recommend it enough.

Recommended songs: Stockholm Syndrome, Ruled by Secrecy, Hysteria, Blackout, Endlessly
« Last Edit: June 26, 2012, 04:00:01 AM by adace »

Offline Nekov

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #185 on: June 25, 2012, 07:28:40 PM »
I will save my opinion about muse for myself.
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Offline senecadawg2

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #186 on: June 25, 2012, 09:21:58 PM »
Knights of Cydonia and Starlight are about as far as I have gotten into Muse. Both very good songs, and kind of odd that those are the only 2 I've tried.
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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #187 on: June 26, 2012, 12:05:31 AM »
Amazing album, definitely Muse's best!

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Offline Scorpion

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #188 on: June 26, 2012, 02:44:17 AM »
Never really got into Muse. May have to give it another go.
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Offline crazyaga

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #189 on: June 26, 2012, 03:18:40 AM »
never really loved muse... but i love their song Blackout alot
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Offline Mladen

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #190 on: June 26, 2012, 04:10:41 AM »
Great album once again.  :tup

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #191 on: June 26, 2012, 04:16:43 AM »
I'll be the asshat here; my favourite Muse album is Black Holes & Revelations.
And I don't think that deserves to be in a top 50.

Anyway, surprising choice, still a pretty good album though, but it wouldn't touch mine.
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Offline jsem

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #192 on: June 26, 2012, 04:17:23 AM »
Just read through the list, hadn't followed.

Solid picks throughout.

Offline Silver Tears

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #193 on: June 26, 2012, 11:21:57 AM »
Hurrah for Muse!

Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #194 on: June 29, 2012, 12:24:50 PM »
5. Muse - Black Holes and Revelations (2006)

Whereas Absolution is amazing and innovative in its own way, its successor further refines the Muse formula to a musical science. The epicness level is ramped up a few more notches and Muse show their most brilliant and captivating songwriting to date. The diversity on this album is truly staggering from the disco-inspired single “Supermassive Black Hole” to the metallic “Assassin” to the gentle but poignant acoustic track “Soldier’s Poem.” The lyrical content deals with conspiracy theories and sci-fi topics which only adds to my fascination with this wonderful piece of art. I can’t say that the band have reinvented their sound since, as I mentioned before, their sound is at best loosely defined. However, they have made another truly unique record and a bunch of fantastic songs. If Absolution was the album that sold me on Muse, Black Holes and Revelations is the one that endeared me to them and made them one of my favorite bands. While the quality of the band’s output underwent a fairly significant decline on The Resistance, BHaR will continue to serve as their musical legacy in that it represents one of the most innovative bands at their creative peak.

Recommended tracks: all of them

Offline Scorpion

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #195 on: June 29, 2012, 12:35:30 PM »
Never really got into Muse. Even after I gave it another go recently.

Good that you're back. I had thought that list was abandoned as well.  :tup
« Last Edit: June 30, 2012, 04:36:10 AM by Scorpion »
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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #196 on: June 29, 2012, 02:12:15 PM »
FUCK YEAH. Like my comment came true  :lol
Hey dude slow the fuck down so we can finish together at the same time.  :biggrin:
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Offline Mladen

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #197 on: June 30, 2012, 04:31:45 AM »
My least favorite Muse album, but still pretty solid.

Offline senecadawg2

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #198 on: June 30, 2012, 08:45:34 AM »
2 Muse albums in a row... hmmm

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Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #199 on: July 03, 2012, 02:16:06 AM »
4. Coldplay - X&Y (2005)

Among Coldplay fans, the band’s third album isn’t usually rated all that highly, but I am happy to stand with the minority of fans who think this is a brilliant and beautiful slice of art-pop goodness. I’ll admit I’m biased since this is the album that got me into the band, but of course there’s no such thing as objective standards when it comes to music. There’s just something so magical and spellbinding about this album from the crisp production to Chris Martin’s soothing vocals to the use of positively enrapturing soundscapes. For a mainstream band this is a very ambitious affair, but it is also quite accessible. This balance between experimentation and accessibility features throughout the album, but is perhaps found most prominently in the song “Square One” which shifts from upbeat rock to a stripped-down, breathtaking ending. At the same time, it would be a mistake to say that that one song is vastly different from the others on the album. There is definitely a consistent mood that runs throughout and it has a much more coherent feeling than Viva la Vida and Mylo Xyloto (as much as I like those albums). While I’d probably recommend ARoBTTH for the Coldplay newcomer, X&Y to me represents the culmination of a certain sound the band had been perfecting and one that they would not repeat later. Thus, as with other albums on this list, it holds a very special place for me even though I don’t listen to it very much these days.

Recommended tracks: all of them

Offline Scorpion

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #200 on: July 03, 2012, 03:09:23 AM »
I must say, the poppiness of your Top 10 surprises me, especially with what you had posted earlier. As with Muse, I don't really like Coldplay all that much - pretty forgettable, imho.

Also, get this fucking done. Some of us are waiting (no offense!).  :lol
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Offline Mladen

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #201 on: July 03, 2012, 04:16:33 AM »
there’s no such thing as objective standards when it comes to music.
Well done.

And that's one fine album, I tell ya.  :tup

Offline Ravenheart

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #202 on: July 03, 2012, 08:10:53 AM »
there’s no such thing as objective standards when it comes to music.

But how else am I supposed to feel superior?!

Unexpected turns like that Coldplay album make your list all the more interesting to follow.  :tup

Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #203 on: July 03, 2012, 09:48:22 AM »
I must say, the poppiness of your Top 10 surprises me, especially with what you had posted earlier. As with Muse, I don't really like Coldplay all that much - pretty forgettable, imho.

Also, get this fucking done. Some of us are waiting (no offense!).  :lol
I'll definitely have one more done today (hopefully two). I'm planning on wrapping this up before the weekend.

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #204 on: July 03, 2012, 03:40:13 PM »
No!

X&Y  :sadpanda:
Hey dude slow the fuck down so we can finish together at the same time.  :biggrin:
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Offline Nekov

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #205 on: July 03, 2012, 05:04:21 PM »
there’s no such thing as objective standards when it comes to music.

But how else am I supposed to feel superior?!

Unexpected turns like that Coldplay album make your list all the more interesting to follow.  :tup

You already know your musical taste is superior. Stop bragging about it please
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Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #206 on: July 03, 2012, 11:15:32 PM »
3. Radiohead - The Bends (1995)

One of the most acclaimed albums of the 1990’s, The Bends propelled Radiohead into stardom and, along with its successor, established them as one of the biggest bands of all time. As is commonly agreed upon, this album is a massive improvement over Pablo Honey and though it’s not nearly as diverse or ambitious as Radiohead’s later works, it is still a masterpiece and a joy to listen to. Songs like “Planet Telex” and “Just” have a distinct 90’s, grungy feel to them and are perennial fan favorites (especially among those fans who favor their older work). On the other hand, songs like “Street Spirit” and “Bullet Proof” suggest some experimental leanings with the latter being soothing and melodic and the former being haunting and cathartic. If there is any comparison to be made between Radiohead and Coldplay (as is frequently done), this is definitely the album that comes closest to Coldplay’s balance between accessible and artsy. On this album, Radiohead show their growing dissatisfaction with MTV culture and their determination not to be labelled a one-hit wonder. The amount of maturity shown on this record in terms of musical sophistication, as well as in the band itself (no more party-hardy, blonde Thom Yorke) represents an incredible turnaround only to be exceeded by what the band did in the following years. Die-hard Radiohead fans will most likely focus on their later albums, but those new to the band would do well to start with this album. Not every song is amazing, but most of them are and they are truly unforgettable gems.

Recommended tracks: Just, Bulletproof, Fake Plastic Trees, Planet Telex, My Iron Lung

Offline Zook

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #207 on: July 04, 2012, 12:02:10 AM »
there’s no such thing as objective standards when it comes to music.

But how else am I supposed to feel superior?!

Unexpected turns like that Coldplay album make your list all the more interesting to follow.  :tup

You already know your musical taste is superior. Stop bragging about it please

You may be joking, but I still want to point out that this doesn't make a bit of sense.

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #208 on: July 04, 2012, 12:21:38 AM »
I love your avatar.
Hey dude slow the fuck down so we can finish together at the same time.  :biggrin:
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Offline crazyaga

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #209 on: July 04, 2012, 12:34:50 AM »
The Bends is awesome. but Kid A is radiohead's best album, imo
I love beautiful things.