Sacul's top cheesy albums v. #1 ...to find the answers inside our illusive mind!

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Dead Can Dance are great.

[adace]

Phenomenal album. I may be in the minority but that's actually my favorite DCD album. So beautiful and haunting.

[Sacul]

Phenomenal album. I may be in the minority but that's actually my favorite DCD album. So beautiful and haunting.

I've been digging through their discography and it still is my favorite - I just prefer their more straightforward approach on Anastasis.

And now, we enter the top 40!

40
Systematic Chaos
Dream Theater


The cover of the special edition is way better

Who are these?
I don’t know, but they seem to be really popular here.

How does it sound like?
I’m sure most of you here are/were DT fans at some point. But if you haven’t listened this album, either ‘cause you’re new to the band/genre or just like to wander by here, let me talk a bit of what Systematic Chaos has to offer.

It’s a bit of a dark album, but not as dark as the previous records on the list — It’s just a bit darker than their average stuff. As most DT albums, it has an epic (split in two parts), a catchy single, a ballad, the proggy song, the power ballad and the badass tune. And it's one of their heaviest albums, but no as heavy as TOT or the following.

Even the production is something amazing, because not so many DT albums sound as good as this, specially LaBrie, who makes his last great performance. And thanks that his voice doesn’t have annoying effects like DT12 or BC&SL.

Recommended songs: In the Presence of Enemies (both parts), Repentance, Constant Motion

Something personal
I know it’s not one of DT’s most loved efforts, but what the hell, this album kicks so many asses. Every song is memorable and have great moments, even The Dark Eternal Night (which I used to dislike). In the Presence of Enemies is definitely one of their best songs, either structural-wise, songwriting-wise, performance-wise or any other -wise. The reprise of the main riff on the second part is amazing and give the whole song a strong sense of unity.

I’d like to say a few more things about this album, but since we are on DreamTheaterForums, and we have discussed DT’s discography till death, I’ll leave it there. Oh, and this won’t be their last album on the list. Not even close.

Edit: I'm doing the writeups on a draft on Medium, so if you prefer, you can take a look and leave some comments here.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

DT!!








The worst DT album

[Onno]

SC was one of my first DT albums, and I still love it. The intro to ITPOE Pt. 1 is one of their best album openers ever IMO. I also agree with you that this album holds JLB's last great studio performance. DT12 has some quite good performances by him too, but I don't like the vocal effects on that album at all.

[Zydar]

SC was the first DT album released since I became a fan earlier in 2007. I liked it instantly, but as I discovered their other albums this one quickly fell on the album ranking. Now it's near the bottom, but still a pretty good album. It has two of my very least favourite DT songs though, in Repentance and TMOLS.

[Accelerando]

SC was released a year after I seriously got into Dream Theater. I remember playing the hell out of that record. Now it's not one of my top DT albums, but I do love some of the tracks, like ITPOE.

In fact i'll probably revisit this album because of this list

[Zantera]

I used to be huge on SC and I got into DT after SC was released (so much of it was because of that album), but apart from ITPOE1 (which I love), not much of the album does it for me anymore, sadly.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

To me it's definitely inconsistent, mostly by DT standards. I still enjoy it though. ITPOE (both parts), TMOLS, and TDEN are great songs, and while there's nothing really wrong with the rest of them, it's not really my go-to DT album.

[Sacul]

Nice to see some love/hate for SC . And now, continuing with the prog metal vein...

39
The Mountain
Haken


This is how to make decent prog metal, you Fates Warning.

Who are these?
Haken are probably the most innovative and refreshing prog metal band of the decade so far. Their debut Aquarius surprised the whole scene back in 2010, because of it’s brilliant, innovative take. Even with such tremendous hype around the release of Visions in 2011, it managed to succeed, or at least live, to the expectations. So now you may imagine our faces when The Mountain was released, when we all believed they wouldn’t top their previous albums. And we were damn wrong.

How does it sound like?
These British guys make an interesting mix of classical prog and modern influences, such as Dream Theater, Opeth or Pain of Salvation . And while their albums remind me to those bands, I’ve never felt they were trying to copy what others have done — in fact, that was a common complain about their previous efforts, but now they have separated from their influences and taken their sound to a whole new level.

Haken already had some “heavy” songs and moments before, but their new take on metal was unexpected and, in my opinion, a complete improvement. While their previous albums have long song with lots of progressive masturbation, this one is more direct, with shorter tracks (shorts for prog standards, I mean); heavier, and let me say, more beautiful. Even the vocal lines are awesome now and way more memorable — something they were lacking until now.

So what we have here is an album that keeps the classic formula, popularized by Dream Theater — an “accessible” song, the proggy tune, the epic, the ballad, and the badass track, among others. Does that mean it lacks innovation? Yes and no. Yes because the formula is still present, but also no ‘cause the songwriting is damn brilliant, the choruses are catchy, the heavy sections make me want to headbang like crazy, and the ballads are not cheesy. Not at all — they give me chills. It doesn’t happen frequently.

Recommended songs: Cockroach King, In Memoriam, Pareidolia

Something personal
I like to think about this album as a preview of how prog will sound in the future, as it’s already been seen as one of the best metal albums of the decade. With The Mountain, Haken are called to be one of the main bands of the scene, and the best thing is, their journey has just began.

These guys are also a reason of why I prefer modern stuff and why I believe we’re witnessing humanity’s creative peak, in all senses, not just music. Although it’s kind of difficult to sound innovative nowadays, since almost everything in music has been invented, I still find lots of modern bands an albums that make me laugh at how cheesy music in general was during the mid of the last century. Oh yeah, I’m sure there are lots of great pieceworks from that era, revered as masterpieces. But that’s my problem with “classics” — lots of them don’t seem to have stood the test of time, therefore that’s why, while there are some exceptions on this list, most of it has music from the last 20 years.

[King Postwhore]

I'll cast my vote for liking this album a ton.

[Dr. DTVT]

For a frame of reference, how many albums do you own?

[Onno]

The Mountain is amazing and becomes better every single listen.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I realize I'm several albums back (but whatever I don't care), but the problem some people have with religious lyrics always struck me as odd. Admittedly, I'm coming at the issue from the other side, but then again, anti-religious lyrics don't really bother me either.

Not saying it's wrong, obviously people's tastes are their own business, it's just always been strange to me.


And in an attempt to be more up-to-date...

SC is great, though I probably wouldn't rank it so high. DCD have been on my "check out" list forever, I should probably get around to that soon. The Mountain is awesome, though I've only heard it a few times.

[Zydar]

The Mountain

It was Album Of The Year for me last year. These guys gets better with each release, can't wait for the EP that's coming later this year.

[Sacul]

For a frame of reference, how many albums do you own?

Real CDs? Just DT12 and Master of Puppets . My entire collection is just around the hundred, but there are lots I haven't heard in ages.

I realize I'm several albums back (but whatever I don't care), but the problem some people have with religious lyrics always struck me as odd.

I also don't get it, I think that's secondary when the music is superb.

[Sacul]

Ok, I forgot I made a few changes on the list order and I should have posted this instead of The Mountain, but what the hell. Have some fun.

38
Infinity
Devin townsend


Devin knows where you live...

Who is this?
Just head to my first update or to Devin’s discography thread, as Ultimetalhead’s describes precisely what this guy is about.

How does it sound like?

Starting off with Truth, we have one of the most epic opening tracks ever crafted. Largely instrumental, Truth tells you everything you need to know about this album. It’s going to be heavy, it’s going to be dense, and there’s going to be a little bit of silliness here and there. And you’re going to like it. A lot. As the album goes along, we have a few wonderfully catchy tunes in Christeen and Wild Colonial Boy. We have a few slow-burning epics in War and Soul Driven, two utterly batshit insane songs in Ants and Bad Devil, and one of the most epic finishing punches with Dynamics and Unity. Noisy Pink Bubbles tacks on the end as a bonus track…

Listening to this album for the first time, it may seem like Devin is fighting with a serious identity crisis. Like Ocean Machine, it changes moods on a dime, but it’s even more jarring. Ants is pretty much 2 minutes of circusy shredding and lunatic singing. Bad Devil predated the Swing-metal of Diablo Swing Orchestra by about 10 years, and sounds delightfully goofy. Really, the only times this album seems to take itself seriously are during the closing tracks. By that point, it becomes extremely spiritual… It might lead some to think “Gosh, those closing tracks are so insanely good, but the impact might have been more effective without the silliness of Ants, Bad Devil, and Wild Colonial Boy breaking it up.” 

-Ultimetalhead (also known as Devin’s alter ego)

Recommended songs: Bad Devil, Truth, Dynamics

Something personal
After being blown away by what Ocean Machine had to offer, I was expecting a lot from Infinity. While it didn’t disappoint me, it wasn’t so awesome as an entire album. But, as lot of music out there, it has grown on me. A lot. I don’t know how my life would be if it weren’t for Bad Devil and all it’s craziness. Ok no, but you get the idea . I really like this side of Devin’s music, but he didn’t do so much of this, sadly.

Before I forget, I want to thank UMH for making the discography thread and for showing me some amazing new music. Although Ocean Machine is still my fav Devin album, I’m proud of not giving up during the discussion of Synchestra and listening to all the albums. So, thanks for taking the time to make some really complete writeups, taking the time to lead the discussion and give us tips here and there.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Have only heard a few Devin Townsend albums. I need to go through and check this and the rest out.

[adace]

Systematic Chaos is an interesting choice. One of my least favorite DT albums but still very underrated.

Love The Mountain

Infinity is an ok album. The first three songs are great but after that the quality drops off a lot. Still not a bad pick though.

[Onno]

Have only heard a few Devin Townsend albums. I need to go through and check this and the rest out.

Check the Devin Discography thread, it's a good way to start!

Infinity is absolutely brilliant 

[senecadawg2]

I realize I'm several albums back (but whatever I don't care), but the problem some people have with religious lyrics always struck me as odd. Admittedly, I'm coming at the issue from the other side, but then again, anti-religious lyrics don't really bother me either.

Speaking from my own experience and nothing more, religious lyrics tend to be wayyy too preachy for my tastes. I don't like lyrics that try to point me in a certain direction, when the alternative is finding my own direction and relating to them on a more personal level. Unfortunately, religious lyrics also often strike me as lacking subtlety, which is something that I value a lot in my lyrics. And more often than not I can't enjoy the music, even if it's really good, when I'm constantly shaking my head at the lyrics. I know a lot of people can, and I think they may be probably better off for it, but I've never gotten over it myself. The same goes for things like Cannibal Corpse (even though I recognize that being really over the top is intentional for certain bands) and, like you mentioned, really clearly anti-religious lyrics as well.

[Sacul]

I don't like lyrics that try to point me in a certain direction, when the alternative is finding my own direction and relating to them on a more personal level.

Well, Legend Part I definitely doesn't have that kind of stuff — it feels more like the soundtrack for an epic movie about the Book of Revelations.

37
The Raven that Refused to Sing (and other stores)
Steven Wilson


I prefer this 70's prog — like, way more.

Who is this?
Steven never-smiling Wilson is one of the most prolific and constant artists out there. Because he doesn’t only make music  —  his work as producer, sound engineer, and remixer of classical albums are damn remarkable. It is also one of those few musicians who has became better with the years, releasing great album after great album, each one different from the other yet keeping the Wilson vibe. He has made rock, metal, prog, drone, post-rock/ambient, psychedelic, some pop rock and lots, lots of experimentation.

You can recognize his music for being quite eclectic, normally a bit dark/sad and with a perfect production. All his albums sound pristine clear and are full of small details that, somehow, don’t affect the general mix. You could even listen to Deadwing with a 128 kbps mp3 on a chinese music player, using some crappy Beats, and it would still sound awesome. It must be the reason why so many prog bands request Wilson to remix some of their classic albums. I won’t keep writing more about this guy because you all have to know who is he nowadays. So, in other words: everything he touches turns to gold.

How does it sound like?
For so many years, Wilson has neglected his prog influences, avoiding to put them into his music. And now, he has returned to his home. With the same band he performed for the Grace for Drowning tour, and engineered by the legendary Alan Parsons, we find Steven’s take on 70's prog, either the good or the bad — but mostly the good. 3 songs longer than 10 minutes, lots of jazz fusion and art rock, mellotrons everywhere, and exceptional musicianship — yeah, this album is definitely proggy. If you haven’t heard any Wilson record (shame on you), and you’re like a prog snob, I don’t have to tell you what you should do then.


Recommended songs: Luminol, The Raven that Refused to sing

Something personal
Although it was released early in 2013, for some reason I procrastinated it’s listen till November or so. I regret somehow now. When I listened to the self-titled song, thanks to the official video, I felt so sad and impressed at the same time that I checked the album on the moment. And for another odd reason, I disliked the beginning of Luminol. A lot. Now I love it, but it didn’t allow to enjoy the rest of the album. Weird thing.

And finally, something that happened me a few months ago. I was intrigued about the story the of album song, so while the video was playing, I read the lyrics. Oh boy, it crushed me so hard — such a simple yet powerful story gave me some freaking chills and almost got me in tears. One of the very few songs that have had that effect on me. Damn you, Wilson.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Great album, but I much prefer Grace   

[FlyingBIZKIT]

37
The Raven that Refused to Sing (and other stores)
Steven Wilson

Recommended songs: Bad Devil, Truth, Dynamics

I don't remember these songs from this album

[Onno]

My favourite album of 2013, and it's also one of my favourite albums of all time. The title track is just perfect 

[Tomislav95]

Great albums so far and some I didn't hear,got to check them. Following this
Raven is great album,would probably be in my Top 50 as well.

[King Postwhore]

Top 5 album of all time for me.  I was lucky enough to see this tour from the 2nd row.

[Sacul]

Thanks for the response guys! I couldn't post this yesterday because I had quite a busy day, so sorry if you were waiting the update and nothing happened. Anyways, back to the update. I wonder if you know this.

36
Untrue
Burial


This stuff is like an platypus — weird yet awesome.

Who is this?

William Emmanuel Bevan, better known by his stage name Burial, is an electronic recording artist from London. His music contains elements of dubstep, 2-step garage, ambient and house music. His eponymous debut album was released in 2006 to critical acclaim. The Wire magazine named it their album of the year, along with achieving fifth place in the Mixmag 2006 Album of the Year list, and eighteenth in the best of the year list of The Observer Music Monthly supplement. Burial’s second album, Untrue, was also released to critical acclaim and was the second-highest rated album of 2007, according to the review-collating website, Metacritic.

-Wikipedia

I’d also like to add the fact that Burial’s identity remained anonymous until 2008, after someone from his old school recognized him. His secret was such that even “only five people know I make tunes”. So basically this guy made hype around himself based on the lack of identity, and also the fact that his music is awesome.

How does it sound like?
When I read this was dubstep, I imagined it was something like Skrillex and another popular DJs. This is nothing like it. First of all, because I didn’t imagine electronic music mixed with ambient and samples. Yes, samples, mainly because there are no instruments on this — at least not the ones I know. And secondly, for I have a really limited knowledge about electronic music at all. That will be fixed soon.

Contrasting with other dubstep musicians, there’s a huge “lack” of emphasis on bass, and lots of ethereal elements. Kind of reminds me of GYBE! for it’s huge ethereal atmosphere, instrumental nature and sense of being far away, if that makes sense at all. But somehow it manages to create a structure, a chorus, drop some ideas, and still make sense. One could argue that it feels “incomplete”, mostly because the ideas are not fully developed and the songs are quite short, but I couldn’t care less.

Ok, I know I may be talking bullshit and my description may not have given you a clear idea of what is this about, so I found this great review, written in a poetic way that reflects exactly what I’m trying to say.

Recommended songs: Raver, Shell of Light, Near Dark

Something personal
While reading a review on a music site, I found a list with “the best electronic albums from the XXI century”. Since I was intrigued by what the genre had to offer, I checked the list. Needless to say that I only knew Daft Punk by their name and nothing more . But at the top, there were Burial’s self-titled and Untrue. For some reason I got the last one, and after some days of confusion, it finally clicked with me when I listened to it in the dark, before sleeping. It was such an amazing experience that made me realize I didn’t the beauty of this album — because this is really beautiful, specially on songs like Raver and Shell of Light. I need more stuff like this.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Love love love this album. Was actually just about to put this on too. Great choice.

[Sacul]

Love love love this album. Was actually just about to put this on too. Great choice.

Nice to see some love for Burial (I'm looking at you, Shadow Ninja ). It's not time for update, but I want to compensate ya with two albums today. Will post the other later.

35
( )
Sigur Rós


Iceland must be as beautiful as this ♥

Who is this?

Sigur Rós so unique apart from the already mentioned vocals, is the unique blend of genres like Post-Rock, Ambient and even Dream Pop. With the use of a few weird instruments (at least for its genre), Sigur Rós have created a very special sound for themselves, and I said “down to earth” before and I really feel like its the case. The band members feel like genuinely nice guys, they seem very in touch with their roots and there’s a certain innocence to it. While their popularity has exploded and they are now one of the biggest bands of their genre, playing sold out stadiums and selling loads of albums, their personalities seem unaffected. It’s like they live in their own bubble on Iceland, they make this beautiful music that isn’t affected by what’s going on in the rest of the world. Sigur Rós is truly one of those bands that transcend genres, and their music can’t be described as simply being one thing.

-Zantera, from his “Top 60 Bands/Artists” list.

How does it sound like?
Don’t let the shiny cover confused you, because this albums is quite dark and sad. And undoubtedly beautiful. It wasn’t until a few months ago that I realized how wonderful this record works as a hole piece — that might be the cause of being untitled, even the songs. But when music is so honest, words are irrelevant.

Compared with the only other post-rock band I know, GYBE!, I would say that these guys are more accessible, for their songs are shorter and not so abstract. And because they have a singer, but who doesn’t sing, at least not in a normal way. He mostly  uses his higher vocal range and even some falsettos here and there, not to sing choruses or lyrics but as another instrument, another part of the mix. The “lyrics” aren’t even in Icelandic, are just in a language the band invented, so they may not even make sense at all.

But then, again, their music is really tough to describe so I’d recommend just listening to it — put on your headphones and let yourself drift away to the beautiful soundscapes of Iceland.

Recommended songs: Untitled #8 (The Pop Song)

Something personal
I once was looking at the Top 50 albums thread, with all the cool info in the database. And this band I never heard before was in the top 25, but it was soon forgotten. Several weeks later, on one of my fav download pages, someone posted their entire discography, and after asking about what albums should I listen to, I went with this, the one I saw on the top. Although the music was superb, the voice was fucking annoying at the beginning. It seemed like a dying cat. After someone told me it was just another instrument else, it clicked on me. I won’t say I love the vocals now because that’s not true at all, but I can stand them.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Discovered this album after I made my top 50. What a beautiful masterpiece. I actually just bought it yesterday.

[Tomislav95]

I saw Sigur Ros and that particular album in many top albums lists but I never could got into them. Actually, something in me changed 2 months ago and I started to like some post-rock/metal artists so I should check Sigur Ros again

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I approve of this choice.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

I approve of this choice.

[Sacul]

Discovered this album after I made my top 50. What a beautiful masterpiece. I actually just bought it yesterday.

I hope to see it on your v2 next year

I started to like some post-rock/metal artists so I should check Sigur Ros again

Give it a thorough listen 

34
OK Computer
Radiohead


“And ladies and gentlemen,I present you the biggest grower ever recorded” -Lolzeez

Who are these?
Well, I think everybody know who these  are — a really popular alternative rock band that actually makes decent music. It is also the most “mainstream” choice of my list.

How does it sound like?
I don’t know anything that sounds like this, so I don’t know how to compare it with other artists. However, I will try just if you haven’t heard it. At first, the production may seem cheap, with some noise; the songwriting quite vanilla; the singer like a dying cat; and the cover a Photoshop collage. But with a deeper listen, you might realize the production is outstanding, without real noise; the songwriting quite clever; and the singer has a really emotive voice. The cover still doesn’t make sense to me though.

Hopefully, this sounds nothing like Coldplay or other popular alt. rock bands out there. It relies on acoustic and distorted guitars, a false sense of lo-fi production and an atmospheric soundscape. It also has a kind of chaotic nature, but a calm one, not like Devin Townsend’s Deconstruction madness. The choruses aren’t even that catchy — they are really memorable. The only influence I can identify is Pink Floyd, for it’s huge ambiance in some songs.

This isn’t music for the background, for parties — it’s meant to be listened.

Recommended songs: Paranoid Android, Karma Police

Something personal
This album kept appearing on lots of review sites as SputnikMusic and Rateyourmusic either as #1 or in the top 5. And it was featured on some tops here on DTF, so I gave it a try, just to see if it really was the “best album in history”. Well, when I was listening to it, my face was a poem. “Is really this crap so praised?”, I thought. “Will give it a few more listens to see if it grows, but I don’t think it will so much…”. A few weeks later, the album still didn’t convinced me. I was angry and just about to delete it from my music player — until I saw Lolzeez’s comments on the album and I understood that it was just a grower, a slow-burning album. While making this list, I listened through lots of records and reordered them. So I wasn’t sure OK Computer would make the list, but in one lonely night it just made click and all made sense. This is just something to enjoy while doing something else, but by your own — not to be listened with your friends and family.