Scorpion's Top 50 Albums v. Honourable Mentions, I AM THE LAAAAAAAAAAST!

[Lowdz]

Two beauties there Scorp.

[Jirpo]

Murder Ballads is a great album, good to see on someones list!

[Scorpion]

Update time!

28. Placebo – Meds (2006)



Here we have the second Placebo album on this list, and while Without You I’m Nothing was a masterpiece in its own right already, this album takes it even further to create an album of 13 tracks, all ranging from great to perfect, combined into the most cohesive and well-rounded album that the band has ever created.

From Without You I’m Nothing to this album, the musical diversity of Placebo has steadily increased – while their first and second albums were focused on guitar sounds, they have been adding more and more electronic elements to their music as a counterpart, and this is something that works very well, though nowhere as good as on Meds. In many songs (Meds, Drag, Follow the Cops Back Home) the guitar is still the central element, but songs like Infra-Red, Space Monkey, Post Blue, Blind and Pierrot the Clown take notably different musical routes, and this heightened diversity is what manages to elevate this record above Without You I’m Nothing.

The song writing is very concise and to the point, with this album featuring no song longer than five minutes, and the production is crisp and clear, making this a very enjoyable. Also, this album features two guest vocalists, which are both used to the betterment, not the detriment of the songs – Broken Promise, featuring Michael Stipe, is actually one of my favourite songs from this album.

The lyrical themes remain dark, as they were in the previous albums, though in this album, Placebo also manage to meld such lyrics with almost happy music, a dichotomy that works surprisingly well (Drag is the perfect example, with upbeat and lively music being accompanied by vocals about the fear of failure and not being able to keep up with other people and their expectations).

All in all, this is a fantastic album, and also a fantastic starting point for Placebo, with enough accessible songs that still convey what the band is all about – if you are, at any point in time, looking for an introduction to this amazing band, then look no further than this album.

Recommended tracks:  Infra-Red, Drag, Space Monkey, Post Blue, Broken Promise, In the Cold Light of Morning, Song to Say Goodbye

27. Stratovarius – Polaris (2009)



In 2009, the only remaining founding member, long time songwriter and guitar virtuoso who had helped to define the Stratovarius sound had just left the band, leaving many people in doubt about the follow-up album, and many (myself including) were somewhat sceptical if newcomers Matias Kupianen (guitars) and Lauri Porra (bass) would be able to adequately fill the void that their predecessors had left.

By the first time that I had listened to this album (which was about a week after its release or so), I knew that they had not only been able to fill these voids, but to also bring fresh energy into the band, making every member of the Finnish quintet seem revitalised. Additionally, both new members contributed to the song writing on this album and showed that they are no slouches in that regard either, though especially Lauri Porra shines in that regard, penning four songs on the album, with Emancipation Suite being my second favourite Stratovarius song ever, blowing every comparable Tolkki-era epic completely out of the water.

From blisteringly fast power metal attacks (Blind, Forever Is Today) over mid-tempo rockers (Falling Star, King of Nothing, Somehow Precious) to tasteful ballads (Winter Skies), this album encompasses every aspect of the Stratovarius sound, and it does so in a manner that shows everyone that Tolkki’s departure had by no means even the smallest bit a problem for Stratovarius.

Polaris, to me, is, as of now, the peak of Stratovarius’ musical career, with no song being anything less than very good. If you are in any shape or form a fan of good power metal, then this album is a perfect example of what this genre is capable of producing.

Recommended tracks: King of Nothing, Winter Skies, Somehow Precious, Emancipation Suite

[Lowdz]

Polaris is another solid addition.

[Mladen]

Polaris is another solid addition.

[Elite]

Polaris is good, but no top 50 material for me. It's definitely better than the other Stratovarius album you put in though.

[Scorpion]

26. Iron Maiden – A Matter of Life and Death (2006)



Everyone who knows anything about my musical tastes also had to know that Maiden would inevitably pop up at some point on this list, but I’m sure that the choice of the album surprised a lot of people, and it surprised me as well when I did the ranking, but looking at it, I can say that this album deserved this place, and that it is also one of the best Maiden albums ever recorded.
As probably everyone could guess from the cover, this album is fucking dark. While not a concept album, war and religion are recurring themes, especially in cases where they become linked, which results in a picture that isn’t very nice to look at, but is also, ultimately, a rather honest depiction of the circumstances.

Both the lyrics and the music aren’t really that different from many other Maiden albums, but on this album they complement each other perfectly and succeed in creating a dark and haunting atmosphere in a way that no other Maiden album has as of now succeeded. The music does become a little formulaic at certain points, with more than half of the songs following the structure of a calm beginning, then the song picking up, a few solos thrown in and a calm ending again – but Maiden manage to make this work in a way that this album is never boring, but an interesting listen at all times.

A special word has to, at this point, go out to The Legacy, which is one of my favourite Maiden songs of all time and features a stunning use of the acoustic guitar, as well as some of the best lyrics that I have ever heard on a Maiden album.
This album is easily the best post-reunion album and one that manages to dwarf most of Maiden’s catalogue, while standing as an equal next to the very best albums that this band has ever released.

Recommended tracks: These Colours Don’t Run, Brighter Than A Thousand Suns, The Pilgrim, For the Greater Good of God, The Legacy

25. Praying Mantis – Forever in Time (1998)



Like Iron Maiden, Praying Mantis are a band that can be classified as New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and even though they popped up around the same time like Iron Maiden and many other successful bands of this genre. They even had close ties to Iron Maiden, with Praying Mantis featuring many ex-members of Iron Maiden, like Dennis Stratton, Paul Di’Anno and Clive Burr, and yet the band never gained any global, or even any local notoriety – why?

The main reason for this is that even though Praying Mantis delivered a very successful album in 1981, whose lead single even gained quite some radio airplay back in the day, they were never able to follow up on this success, due to line-up difficulties, and their next album was only released in 1991, when no-one cared about the genre anymore, and the only place that Praying Mantis could build up any kind of fan base was Japan, which still has the biggest amount of Praying Mantis fans today.

Like many other Praying Mantis albums, Forever in Time features a new line-up in comparison to the previous album, with two new members debuting for the band on this album (Praying Mantis had never been really good at maintaining steady line-ups and there are only two albums in the history of the band that were released with the same line-up): drummer Bruce Bisland and vocalist Tony O’Hora. Guitarist Dennis Stratton, who had been a member of the band since 1990 and the two founders of the band, Tino (guitar) and Chris Troy (bass) complete the line-up for what would be one of the best melodic rock albums that have, in my humble opinion, ever been released.

Forever in Time is a departure from the band’s previous, very straight-forward and guitar-dominated melodic rock, with much more focus being on the keyboards (don’t ask me who played them – I don’t have the album here at school and information on the band is hard to find – according to Wikipedia, the band never had a keyboard player) than on previous released. Sure, the guitars are still present, but the keyboards take over nearly as much of the atmosphere as the guitars do.

The musicianship is top notch on this album, with every member of the band showing that they are no slouches, especially vocalist Tony O’Hora, who is a massive improvement over previous vocalist Gary Barden, whose voice had a very off-putting timbre to it. As typical in melodic rock, this album is full of catchy melodies and hooks, coupled with gorgeous melodies and great soloing, which isn’t the fastest that I have ever heard, but it always fits the song.

There is also the obligatory power ballad on this album, and while it is an awesome track, it is the weakest on the album, because it is a little too cheesy. The rest of the material, however, is melodic rock at its finest, and an album that every fan of the genre is certain to adore.

Recommended tracks: The Messiah, Blood of an Angel, Changes, Man Behind the Mask, The Day The Sun Turned Cold
 

[Elite]

A Matter of Life and Death.. interesting. A very strong album and one of Maiden's best, but not one I would pick if I could only choose 2 of the band. As for Praying Mantis, I've heard you talk about it a lot, so I suppose I should check it out.

[TAC]

Now we're talking, Scorp!
AMOLAD is a masterpiece as far as I am concerned.

[Mladen]

Always great to see love for A Matter of life and death, it truly is incredible. 

[Lowdz]

AMOLAD is the best of the post 80s Maiden for me- great songs.

Not heard the Praying Mantis album. Will track it down.

[Dr. DTVT]

If the Praying Mantis album is half as cool as it's cover, it will be awesome.

[MoraWintersoul]

I prefer Brave New World, but I honestly always enjoyed AMOLAD.

[adace]

AMOLAD is an amazing and underrated album. Nice pick

[Scorpion]

If the Praying Mantis album is half as cool as it's cover, it will be awesome.

It is. Believe me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9BhLUzx1e4

[jjrock88]

Now we're talking, Scorp!
AMOLAD is a masterpiece as far as I am concerned.

[Jaq]

Glad to see some Praying Mantis love around these parts...Forever in Time (the song) is my favorite Praying Mantis song, but they're a really rock solid band with a ton of great AOR tracks. Might dig this album out later and give it a spin.

[wolfking]

Some killer choices here.  Just discovered PM's latest album so will check this one too. 

[Ruba]

AMOLAD is my least favourite Maiden album.

But it's still Maiden  .

[Jirpo]

AMOLAD is my least favourite Maiden album.

But it's still Maiden  .

Its my favourite Maiden album!

[wolfking]

If the Praying Mantis album is half as cool as it's cover, it will be awesome.

It is. Believe me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9BhLUzx1e4

Hell yeah, Tony O Hora on vocals, sweet.

[Scorpion]

24. Avantasia – The Scarecrow (2008)



When Avantasia debuted with The Metal Opera Pt. 1 in 2001 (closely followed by Pt. 2 only a year later), everyone knew that this band, or to be more precise, this project, would be a force to be reckoned with in the future of power metal. Headed by Avantasia’s Tobias Sammet, and featuring more guest musicians than most bands do in their career, The Metal Opera was a very well-executed concept album, telling the story about a young monk during the Middle Ages and the quests and perils that he faces. At the centre of this album, however, was the thing that Sammet’s main band Edguy seemed to be unable to at the moment – good songs.

Many people thought that such a one-two punch of albums would be impossible to follow up, but Tobias Sammet had no problems proving them wrong, because the next Avantasia album, released in 2008 and entitled The Scarecrow would blow everything that Sammet had ever done out of the water.

The Scarecrow is the first of three connected albums, entitled The Scarecrow Saga, though they do not follow such a strict concept like The Metal Opera did, but rather share similar conceptual ideas throughout, which is something that works very well for Avantasia, because it helps the songs avoid becoming cheesy to an extreme (this is power metal, so of course there’s going to be some cheese, but The Metal Opera was really close to what was bearable, so I was pleasantly surprised that Avantasia had decided to tone it down a bit on this album).

The song writing on this record is very good, featuring lots of different styles, be it traditional power metal (Twisted Mind, Shelter from the Rain, Another Angel Down), straight-out rockers (Carry Me Over, I Don’t Believe In Your Love), ballads (What A Kind Of Love, Cry Just A Little), grandiose epics (The Scarecrow) and even near pop songs (Lost in Space), and each style is brilliantly executed on this album, both in terms of song writing and performance of the band members.

Of course, it is impossible to review an Avantasia album without mentioning the guest vocalists, with many of them having established a name for themselves in the metal scene already, such as Michael Kiske, Jørn Lande or Alice Cooper. However, even though there are so many guest vocalists here, it never feels as though they are out of place or simply there for the sake of being there – they add something unique to the songs in every case, with Alice Cooper on The Toy Master probably being the best example for it: nobody would be able to deliver the grittiness of the song in the same way, which is why it loses a lot in live performances, sadly.

If you like power metal in any shape or form, chances are that you have already heard this album. If you haven’t, do it now.

Recommended tracks: The Scarecrow, Shelter from the Rain, Another Angel Down, The Toy Master

23. Devin Townsend – Ocean Machine: Biomech (1997)



Ocean Machine: Biomech is the first glimpse that the world caught of Devin Townsend other than the side that he displayed in Strapping Young Lad, and what a side it was. Since Devin is a musician who’s diversity I have never seen another musician come close to or surpass, you can’t really talk about a typical Devin sound, but the one thing that most of his records have in common is that they feel huge, all around you – something that is most commonly referred to “wall of sound”. Ocean Machine offers the first glimpse of this, though I wouldn’t call it a wall of sound, I’d call it an ocean.

That’s also why the name of this record is so very fitting: listening to this album is like floating adrift in an ocean of music, the music is everywhere at once, completely enveloping, yet never feeling crushing or uncomfortable, like it does on Deconstruction, for example. Some people bitch about this albums production, but it suits the album perfectly, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

And yet, make no mistake, this is no happy album – this album has a dark feel throughout that is only heightened by the ocean of sound that it is, and it feels very dreary and overwhelming at points – even Life, which is a rather poppy track, has an ultimately dark feel to it.

This album features many of Devin’s best songs, with no song being any less than very good. It may not be instantly accessible for everyone, but then the majority of Devin’s albums are not, and it worked brilliantly for me as a starting point, after many other Devin albums had disappointed me. This album may not be for everyone, but when this album clicks, then it is an amazing experience.

Recommended tracks: Seventh Wave, Regulator, Funeral, Bastard, The Death of Music

[wolfking]

I think Scarecrow is the best collection of songs for Avantasia.  The debut is my fav but as a whole, Scarecrow is probably the one you would direct people with who were interested in the band.  I would have been happier though if Henjo did most of the solos, I'm not really a fan of Sascha's style.

[Scorpion]

Really? I guess I'm total opposite, I really love Sascha's style on the solo, I think they are far more varied than Henjo's are, though he's not a bad guitarist by any means. I always preferred his playing in Gamma Ray to that in Avantasia, anyway.

[Lowdz]

I think Scarecrow is the best collection of songs for Avantasia.  The debut is my fav but as a whole, Scarecrow is probably the one you would direct people with who were interested in the band.  I would have been happier though if Henjo did most of the solos, I'm not really a fan of Sascha's style.

I agree wholeheartedly with my Aussie friend. Love the first album but play Scarecrow more. Not sure why...

I'll give Devy one more try as I am loving the new one.

[wolfking]

Cheers bro.  I would take the dbut over it, but really saying that you can't really knock the Scarecrow, amazing collection of songs.

Waiting on new Devy too.

[Kwyjibo]

OCEAN FUCKING MACHINE 

[Elite]

Well, what can I say sbout these two? Two amazing albums. The Scarecrow was in mine as well and Ocean Machine just missed the cut, because I sort of set the limit to 3 albums per artist. Great picks, both of them.

[Buddyhunter1]

Life, which is a rather poppy track, has an ultimately dark feel to it.

Wait, what?

[TAC]

Any album that has Michael Kiske AND Alice Cooper on it is all win to me!

[Scorpion]

Life, which is a rather poppy track, has an ultimately dark feel to it.

Wait, what?

I probably shouldn't write these things when I'm dead tired. I have no idea what I was even meaning to say there.

[Buddyhunter1]

Life, which is a rather poppy track, has an ultimately dark feel to it.

Wait, what?

I probably shouldn't write these things when I'm dead tired. I have no idea what I was even meaning to say there.

  That's like saying Epicloud is somber and depressing.

[Scorpion]

Yeah, I wrote the whole thing yesterday evening, and only copy-pasted it today. Life is most assuredly not dark or anything.

[Scorpion]

Just noticed this:

Glad to see some Praying Mantis love around these parts...Forever in Time (the song) is my favorite Praying Mantis song, but they're a really rock solid band with a ton of great AOR tracks. Might dig this album out later and give it a spin.

and I wanted to say that you are now officially one of my favourite guys around here. I always thought that I was the only one that was a fan of Praying Mantis. Out of curiousity, what is your favourite album of theirs?

[Ultimetalhead]

Ocean Machine