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General => Archive => General Music Archives => Topic started by: Zantera on August 10, 2013, 05:40:48 PM
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Hello friends!
After being on the waiting list for a while, it's finally time for another top50-thread, and I believe the first one I did was 1 ½ year ago, and comparing the list there are many differences, though there are albums that will still be featured again, like they were last time. The list was much harder to make this time around, and there are several really good albums (and artists I'm a huge fan of) that didn't even make it to the top50 sadly. However, what's left is 50 different bands/artists that I love for different reasons. So hopefully you will follow the list and comment, and maybe you'll discover some new music. Let's get this one started! :hat
50. Eisley - The Valley (2011)
(https://cltampa.com/binary/5400/Eisley_The-Valley_cover-large-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Indie Rock/Pop
Eisley is a band that used to have a couple of fans on this forum, and while a couple of them are now gone, I know there are still some fans left. The band consists of three sisters (Sherri, Stacy and Chauntelle) who all sing, and also their brother and cousin is in the band. So a bit of a family-band, and you can really hear that the music is crafted with love. Catchy Indie Pop/Rock with great hooks and melodies, and there's a lot of focus on the three different voices, combined with acoustic guitars and piano for the most part. This album is their best in my opinion, as it has their best songwriting and a lot of really good songs. The strength of the album is that it doesn't really have any bad songs, and it keeps being good throughout, with a lot of songs that grows on you. A lot of catchy choruses to sing along to, and just a well-written album.
Favorite songs: Please, Oxygen Mask, Ambulance, Kind, The Valley
49. The Beatles - Abbey Road (1969)
(https://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/articles/beatles_-_abbey_road300x300.jpg?1266319661)
Genre: Rock
This is most likely an album that everyone here has heard of, being such an iconic album, and considered by many to be one of the best albums ever made. The Beatles doesn't need much of an introduction, but they were the biggest band in the 60's, and has continued selling albums since the end of the band. There are much bigger fans of The Beatles overall, and I know there are several on this forum, but I really love what they did on Abbey Road, Sgt Pepper, White Album and also Revolver. I don't care much for their earlier albums, but it was towards the end of their career when they started making really timeless music. What blew me away the most with Abbey Road was not only how good it was, but I could really hear sounds that I recognized from newer bands, bands that most likely are very influenced by The Beatles. The album has that "timeless"-vibe, and even though it was made 43 years ago (!), it still holds up incredible, and is just such a great album. The album has everything from more catchy pop-songs like "Here Comes the Sun", to a song like "I Want You (She's so heavy)", which is almost like a very early doom-song. The album really has something for everyone, and many of their best songs. I don't really have anything else to add, this is one of those albums you just have to hear at least once in your life. Even if it's not your cup of tea, it's such an important album.
Favorite songs: Golden Slumbers, Something, I Want You (She's so Heavy), Here Comes the Sun, You Never Give Me Your Money
48. Amplifier - Amplifier (2004)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/52/Amplifier_cover.jpg)
Genre: Progressive Rock/Space Rock
I've been pimping this band out for quite a long time now, and you probably have seen me mention them earlier on this forum. Amplifier is a trio from Manchester (same city as Oceansize!), and they have been making progressive music for almost 10 years now. This album is their debut, and it's just superb all the way through. The band has been getting more time in the spotlight lately after releasing the double-album "The Octopus" 2 years ago, they released "Echo Street" this year on Kscope, which was a glorious album. The band is finally starting to get some recognition they deserve, but their wild ride started with this album. It's mostly a Progressive/Space Rock album, but I've heard some people use both "alternative" and "grunge" when describing the album, so I guess you can classify it as different things. It has very nice melodies in both verses and choruses, but also a very interesting sound landscape, considering the band consists of only 3 members. There's also some guest-appearances by both Mike Vennart and Steve Durose from Oceansize on this album. Check it out if you like progressive music!
Favorite tracks: Motorhead, Airborne, Post-Acid Youth, UFO's, Old Movies
More updates to come! :angel:
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So this is a lust of 50 albums from 50 different artists? Will follow.
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So this is a lust of 50 albums from 50 different artists? Will follow.
Typos courtesy of my phone
lol :P
On topic, I've tried Eisley a few times and didn't think too much of it. Amplifier I haven't listened to, but they sound like something I'd like, so I'll probably check them out.
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Never heard of Eisley but they sound interesting.
Not much to say about Abbey Road - it's a classic album!
Amplifier is great (haven't heard the new album yet) and I really enjoy their debut. I also have The Octopus which is very good too!
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Only Amplifier I haven't heard yet. Loving the band though! :tup
Abbey Road is a classic. But I haven't heard Eisley yet. I guess I'll give it a try. :tup
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Zantera, for the purposes of the top 50 database I am keeping, should this list replace your earlier version?
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Sure, go ahead and replace the old version. :)
The list is indeed 50 different artists, so there won't be any duplicates anywhere. Will try to update the list at least twice a day, unless something comes up. It has gone pretty smooth updating wise in the past though, so there won't be any "goes away for a month without updates".
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Zantera, I have and will continue to thank you for the introduction to Amplifier and that album in particular. Just hits so many great spots for me throughout the album. :hefdaddy
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We have pretty similar tastes, so definitely following!
Love Eisley and Amplifier. Personally the only Beatles album I really like is Revolver, but I got no problems with Abbey Road.
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Abbey Road is probably my #1 of all time.
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Very nice start! Never listened to Eisley, but the other two albums are great.
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Nice to see some followers already! :angel: Gonna keep the momentum going by posting the next three on the list right now. Hopefully have time for another update later today as well.
47. Thrice - Vheissu (2005)
(https://a1-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/104/6c7a0892dbaa42c2aa9969cfdf373125/300x300.jpg)
Genre: Post-Hardcore/Experimental Rock
Thrice is another band that is fairly popular on this forum, and I would say it's their ability and willingness to experiment and try new unexplored territories that has gone home well with many DTF'ers, including myself. While the band started out as a fairly aggressive Post-Hardcore/Hardcore-Punk sound and harsher vocals, they evolved over the first couple of albums, and Vheissu is that perfect middle album which has the best from the early Thrice-sound, but also the best from the more melodic sound they evolved on future albums. This album has a great mix of faster songs with great guitars, to slower and more ballad-like songs with a heavy focus on piano and acoustic guitars. There are a couple of sections that sounds very much like the older Thrice, a song like "For Miles" (probably my favorite Thrice-song) which starts off as a beautiful ballad-type of song, but ends with heaviness and screams. I would also highly recommend The Alchemy Index, basically a concept of four EP's with one for each element, so there's Fire, Water, Air and Earth, with all of them being very different soundwise. The band has very high ambitions and the music reflects that, and they managed to create a couple of fantastic albums before taking a bit of a hiatus a year ago. Vheissu remains their best album for me personally, since it brings out the best of old Thrice, and the best of the more experimental side that they really started to show on this album, and then onwards.
Favorite songs: For Miles, Between the End and Where We Lie, Of Dust and Nations, Like Moths to the Flame, Stand and Feel Your Worth
46. Beach House - Bloom (2012)
(https://www.songoperated.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/beach-house-bloom-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Dream Pop/Indie Pop
Beach House is a lovely little duo I stumbled over last year, and they make music that is very dreamy and gorgeous. Lots of strong melodies and the combination of keyboards, guitars and the voice of Victoria Legrand results in a sound that feels a bit unique, at least compared to what many other current bands are doing. It has that Cocteau Twins-vibe, and feels a bit 80s/90s at times. There are a lot of people who say the previous album before this one (Teen Dream) is the best one, but I've always leaned slightly more towards Bloom. Maybe it is because this was my first experience of the band, but it just has my favorite songs by the band, and is such a strong album overall. The music is fairly simplistic (though not in a bad way) with keyboards, guitars and drums, but it's really the catchy and strong choruses/melodies that is the main strength of the band. If you give this album enough time, you'll be singing along with the choruses without a doubt. The album also has a really nice flow, and the songs just tend to flow together without much effort, and listening to the album, everything just kinda flies by.
Favorite songs: Other People, Irene, The Hours, Lazuli, Myth
45. Björk - Vespertine (2001)
(https://a2-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/154/6e93b273556e4f95a945a6c9f32d4a20/300x300.jpg)
Genre: Electronica/Trip-hop/Pop/Experimental/Art-Rock
Next entry on the list also has female vocals, and Björk is a name most people probably recognize, even if they aren't familiar with her music. She was very big in the 90's, and into the early 00's, and I guess she's still big. This album is the peak of her career in my opinion. While she released many fantastic albums (Debut, Post, Homogenic), it was on Vespertine that she really put out her best effort so far, a really strong electronic album with both catchy songs, and a couple of more experimental ones. Björk is not your average singer/songwriter or pop-artist, and she has a voice you will either love because it's so unique, or dislike because it's not like what you normally hear in this kind of music. This album in particular has a strong winter-vibe for some reason, it might be song-titles like "Aurora" and "Frosti", but there are a couple of sounds on the album that you relate to winter, so for me it will always be an album for that time of the year. Vespertine is an interesting sonic journey, and while Björk started her career with a more jazz-influenced sound, this album really brings out the best from her more experimental sound. Genre-wise it's hard to classify, but a mixture of electronic, art-rock and pop.
Favorite songs: Hidden Place, Harm of Will, Aurora, An Echo A Stain, Undo.
More updates to come!
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Love all 3. Vespertine is my favourite of Bjork's albums too.
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i only just finally ordered the new amplifier last week (though ive heard it a few times already on bandcamp).
indeed, the first album is glorious. though im a little surprised that its your entry...thought you were bigger on the octopus.
also, im glad to see natalie portman back. :)
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Not familiar with any of these albums, but Björk is someone who I've been meaning to check out. I'll give this album a listen as it sounds like a good starting place.
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@Jordan - That's cool! I know Vespertine is generally considered one of the best, though she has a few more that belong to that category.
@pain - It's actually Kimbra on the avatar and not Natalie this time, but I might go back to Natalie sometime in the future again. :angel: As for Amplifier, I still think Octopus is a really great accomplishment for a double album, but it has a few songs that are not as good as the best ones, so overall I would rank the debut and Echo Street as slightly more "solid" albums all in all. But Octopus is glorious for being a double album.
@ColdFireYYZ - If you enjoy electronic music, Vespertine is certainly a good starting point. If you want something more "natural", her debut album might be a good starting place, since it's a bit more jazz-sounding, and feels a bit more "natural" so to speak.
Anyhow, thought I would swing by with another update. :hat
44. Blackfield - Blackfield (2004)
(https://a1-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/83/c1c1580f06ec4d60983c486bbff70df3/300x300.jpg)
Genre: Art Rock
Blackfield should be familiar to many people around here, considering that it's one of the biggest side-projects of Steven Wilson, and together with Aviv Geffen he put out 3 albums under the Blackfield-name, before sort of dropping out. (Even though he will be involved on the new album, as a producer/mixer and also on a song or two) While Blackfield shares a couple of similarities with Porcupine Tree, such as beautiful and catchy melodies and strong hooks, the music is much more compressed into a pop-format with songs around 3-4 minutes in length, and the progressiveness that many other SW projects has is nowhere to be found. I would say this is one of the strongest points of Blackfield, and as much as I love what SW has done within progressive music, his biggest strength in my opinion has always been writing calmer songs, more focused on melody with emotional delivery. I think even within his other projects, I have often leaned more towards songs like Deform to Form a Star or Trains, where he takes a step back from making progressive music, to really focus on melodies. On the other hand, Blackfield has always been more of Aviv's project for me. The songs I tend to gravitate more towards are the ones Aviv has written, but I feel like SW's strength is taking something really good, and adding magic with his musicianship and creativity. The band has continued to put out great stuff, but their debut continues to be my most played album by them, and it's just such a heartfelt and honest album all the way through. It's an emotional album with a lot of feelings, haunting and beautiful choruses, and just overall a well-written art-rock/pop album.
Favorite songs: Summer, Scars, Lullaby, Hello, Blackfield.
43. Tool - Lateralus (2001)
(https://p.playserver1.com/ProductImages/6/3/3/8/4/1/148336_300x300_1.jpg)
Genre: Progressive Metal
This album was for a long time my favorite progressive album, and it continues to have a very special place in my heart. I sometimes change opinions over if Aenima or Lateralus is the better album, because I think they are both fantastic at what they are trying to do. Aenima, I would say is a bit more alternative, where Lateralus is a more progressive album, but I feel like Lateralus has a slightly better balance, and the album doesn't only have amazing songs, but good "filler"-songs, that gives some nice breathing space between the longer ones. The album is probably familiar to a lot of people here, but what makes Tool progressive is their amazing musicianship when it comes to rhythm. Their music is almost hypnotic at times, and a song like "Schism" is the perfect example of how Tool use their instruments to make a very mesmerizing sound, that will captivate you. The songs really take their time to build-up, and the payoff is really rewarding. The album might take time to grow on you, but the reward is amazing, and it's one of the best modern progressive albums for sure.
Favorite songs: Lateralus, The Patient, Parabol/Parabola, Schism, The Grudge
42. The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt (2010)
(https://www.ihopeyourearsbleed.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/The-Tallest-Man-on-Earth-The-Wild-Hunt-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Folk
Next up on the list we have Swedish singer/songwriter, Kristian Mattson who goes under the name "The Tallest Man on Earth". He has been compared to Bob Dylan a lot (mostly because of the voice), but I think the comparison is fairly surface-level, and when you really start exploring the music, apart from being similar kind of music (a man with a guitar) and the voice, there are differences in a lot of other places. I've never cared much for Dylan personally, but Tallest Man on Earth has really stuck with me. It took me a few listens to warm up to his voice, but once it clicked, it clicked big time. I consider all his three albums to be of excellent quality, but The Wild Hunt was the first one I heard, and I have a lot of personal memories related to first hearing the album and falling in love with it. If you enjoy a man with a guitar who sings his heart out, this music has the ability to wow you. He's also quite the guitarist and has some pretty neat fingerpicking moves. All in all just an excellent folk/singer-songwriter album, and a very stripped down sound.
Favorite songs: Love is All, Troubles Will Be Gone, Kids on the Run, Burden of Tomorrow, The Wild Hunt.
More updates to come!
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Lateralus absolutely rules! :tup
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@ColdFireYYZ - If you enjoy electronic music, Vespertine is certainly a good starting point. If you want something more "natural", her debut album might be a good starting place, since it's a bit more jazz-sounding, and feels a bit more "natural" so to speak.
I like what little electronic music that I've heard, but I think I'll go with the debut. Sounds like it's right up my alley.
Blackfield is great, and I love the more melodic "pop" side of SW. I think the second album may be my favorite, but the self-titled album is excellent as well.
Lateralus is a very good album, but I can't get into Tool. I like them when I listen to them, but they're not a band that I ever really feel like playing.
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Great list so far :tup
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The Wild Hunt is in my top 10. Awesome updates, though, love Bloom.
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Lateralus is probably a top 5 album all time for me, can't praise that one enough. The Wild Hunt would also probably make my top 50, and so would a Thrice album (TAI is my personal favorite). Blackfield might edge in too. Really great picks so far, and we have just begun!
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Thank you guys for the comments so far, and I'm glad you are finding picks that you enjoy! Gonna continue now with a couple of picks that are probably a bit more unique, in terms of not being talked about on this forum very much. So here are the next three numbers:
41. Tori Amos - From the Choirgirl Hotel (1998)
(https://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/300x300/88182283.png)
Genre: Electronica/Baroque Pop/Piano
Next up we have Tori Amos, one of my favorite female artists. She has been around for a little more than 20 years now, and has delivered many really good albums, even though she has experimented a bit with different sounds. "From the Choirgirl Hotel" is her fourth album, and while the first three were more traditional with 'a girl playing the piano and singing', this was the album where she started trying a lot of new things, and as a result this album is darker, and more electronic than previous albums. There are still a few songs similar to how she wrote the songs on previous albums, a song like "Black-Dove (January)" is a really good piano-ballad for example, but the album delivers many songs that are unique from what Tori did before this album. Really catchy and upbeat songs like "Raspberry Swirl" that is almost impossible not to dance to. Another song to highlight is "Hotel" which has some really creepy electronic stuff going on, and vocals that reminds you of opera-vocals during the chorus. In short summary, this album covers different genres and ideas, but manages to put them all in a context where they all make sense in relation to each other. Just a really good album if you are into female artists, and I highly recommend it. If you don't care much for electronic music but still enjoy a good female singer/songwriter, I highly recommend checking out "Under the Pink" or "Little Earthquakes", her two first albums that are more "girl with a piano", and a bit more 'straight forward'.
Favorite songs: Black-Dove (January), Raspberry Swirl, Spark, Pandora's Aquarium, Hotel.
40. Radiohead - Kid A (2000)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4012/4415866859_90b443bf5d.jpg)
Genre: Electronica/Alternative Rock
I had a phase a few years ago when I got into Radiohead, when I was really obsessed with the band. That initial fanboy period is long gone, but the band has a couple of albums so strong that it's impossible not to come back and listen to them again. I've changed my mind regarding their best album a couple of times. In Rainbows used to be a favorite, and at one point I ranked Amnesiac as their best, but now I would say Kid A has settled as my favorite, closely followed by Amnesiac as nr2 and In Rainbows as nr3. While Radiohead started out as an alternative rock band, their electronic albums was always the ones that appealed to me the most, because those were the albums where the band really stepped out of their comfort zone to make something truly unique, and explore ideas and territories they hadn't done before. Kid A was considered groundbreaking when it came out, and is still considered by many to be a modern day classic. For me, one of the things I admire the most about Radiohead, is that while there are bands who adjust to trends in order to become more popular, Radiohead did the opposite. After making the album OK Computer, which was an extremely successful rock album, instead of following that same formula (which would have been guaranteed success), they instead made an experimental electronic album, and that takes balls. Kid A has a very dreamlike atmosphere, and the song "In Limbo" is a perfect example of the dreamy Radiohead that I love so much. Thom Yorke singing about how he woke up sucking on a lemon is another highlight, as well as "Idioteque", which is possibly the best dance song the band has made. The album is not 100% electronic though, and songs like "Optimistic" and "The National Anthem" are small nods to what the band can do when they try something guitar/drums/bass-oriented. If you are into electronic music this is a must checkout. If you don't like electronic music but like rock music, I highly recommend checking out maybe OK Computer or The Bends, two of the band's rock albums.
Favorite songs: Everything in it's Right Place, Optimistic, In Limbo, Morning Bell, Idioteque.
39. Cap'n Jazz - Shmap'n Shmazz (1995)
(https://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly6ik7dNxI1qa6ix4o1_1327200673_cover.jpg)
Genre: Indie/Emo/Post-Hardcore/Punk
Cap'n Jazz was an emo/indie-band formed in 1989 by brothers Mike and Tim Kinsella, and they were active until 1995 when they disbanded, even though they reunited a few years ago to tour. During this time they only released one album, and I have no idea how it was received when it came out, but eventually it became this cult-album within the emo/indie-scene, where it gained a lot of fans. Mike Kinsella later went on to form American Football (who also released an album that became a cult-album), and since then he has made music under the name of "Owen", and just released a new album this year. But back to Cap'n Jazz, their music can be hard to classify, because even though it has elements of emo and indie rock, there are also parts you relate to punk and post-hardcore. The music is very raw and unpolished (in a good way), and my dad pointed out that it almost sounded like everything was demo-versions that they had decided to release, and I think that is part of the charm, in a good way. The album is only about 30 minutes long, and the band later released a "best of" spanning over two CDs with the album in it's entirety, and everything else they recorded during the period they were active. I have that collection on both CD and vinyl, and it covers their career pretty nicely. This album however is long out of print and pretty rare from what I know, so if you want to check them out, you'll find the collection much more easily (it's called Analphabetapolothology), or just find the music digitally. The music sounds like it was made by a bunch of teenagers finishing school, and that is the big charm of it for me. Quality-wise it holds up really well. It has an innocent feel to it, and I can definitely see why it has become such a classic album within the emo/indie-scene.
Favorite songs: Little League, Precious, The Sands Have Turned Purple, Bluegrass, Yes I am Talking to You.
More to come later tonight! :hat
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Lateralus is great :tup.
I like Tori Amos too, but I'm pretty new fan. The only albums I've heard yet are Little Earthquakes and Under the Pink. But I want to hear more. I like some electronic music, so I'll probably like From the Choirgirl Hotel too.
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I'm not too familiar with Cap'n Jazz. Radiohead on the other hand... :tup :tup
Though I'd probably rank In rainbows as my personal favorite.
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I actually just listened to From The Choirgirl Hotel for the first time a few days ago. I'd never listened to her before but I was really impressed with the album. Not what I was expecting (and that's a good thing!). Got to check out some of her other stuff too.
Kid A is really good too! :tup
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I'm a fan of every album posted so far, so you're on a good track. :tup
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Thought I would swoop by with the next three albums on the list. Some unique picks here too, but hopefully there are some fans around. I know Jordan will approve of at least one pick. ;)
38. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation (1988)
(https://blog.tunecore.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/DaydreamNationDeluxe-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Alternative Rock/Post-Punk
Sonic Youth is considered to be one of the pioneers of alternative rock, and they got their breakthrough around the same time as bands like The Smashing Pumpkins, Jane's Addiction and Pixies started a bit of an alternative-revolution. They all had very different ideas and backgrounds, but all of them ended up making music that we consider to be alternative rock. I would say the angle for Sonic Youth was a bit of a punk-sound, and I would say out of the bands in the bunch I mentioned, Sonic Youth is the band that was really down with getting their hands dirty. Some people would even classify some of their music as noise rock, and they have experimented a lot with guitar sounds. Daydream Nation is generally considered their best, and is the middle album in the classic trio of albums, with the other two being Sister and Goo. This one is in my opinion the album where they hit the nail on the head, and delivered a flawless and classic album. What I love about this album is that the post-punk vibe shines through, and a lot of the songs are just straight up rocking, heavily. Lots of sweet guitar-riffs that gets your body moving, and the shift between male and female vocals gives the band a unique attribute, since they can pick what kind of vocals will go with the song the best. The album is also quite ambitious with several songs clocking in at over 7 minutes, and the longest being 14 minutes, and closing the album off. So it's not your typical intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus-end structure.
Favorite songs: Teenage Riot, Silver Rocket, Cross the Breeze, Rain King, Trilogy: a) The Wonder b) Hyperstation z) Eliminator Jr.
37. American Football - American Football (1999)
(https://image.bayimg.com/jajdpaadn.jpg)
Genre: Math Rock/Emo/Indie Rock
I mentioned this band in the write-up for Cap'n Jazz, but I'll mention it here again. After the end of Cap'n Jazz, Mike Kinsella formed the band American Football, and while they were only active for 3 years, they released an album that has been considered a bit of a cult album within math rock/emo/indie circles. Now, you might want to lump this together with Cap'n Jazz, but trust me, they are very different. Where Cap'n Jazz is more abrasive and has a strong punk-vibe, American Football is beautiful like post-rock, with much cleaner and ear-friendly vocals. In fact, the music is pretty much what you would expect from a post-rock band today, except it's more towards the math rock-way, of using a lot of chords and notes to build the songs. The album has heartfelt and emotional lyrics, music that really moves you, and is just a very pleasant music experience overall. The opening-song "Never Meant" is one of the most emotional songs I know, and the first time I heard that song, it just clicked from the intro. The album takes you on a nice ride and is the perfect summer day-album, and it also has some nice use of brass-instruments like trumpets for example. "Stay Home" is another amazing song, clocking in at over 8 minutes, it just builds towards tears, and is one of my favorite long songs. A very mellow and melodic album, that you might enjoy if you like more depressive/emotional music. It's not incredibly sad or anything, just very emotional.
Favorite songs: Stay Home, Never Meant, The Summer Ends, Honestly?, You Know I Should Be Leaving Soon.
36. Talk Talk - Laughing Stock (1991)
(https://www.virginmedia.com/images/talk-talk-laughing-stock-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Post-Rock/Art-Rock/Jazz-Fusion/Experimental Rock
I'm not sure how well known this album (or band) is on the forum, but Talk Talk is generally considered to be part of the "first" phase of Post-Rock, together with bands like Slint and Bark Psychosis to give two examples. Before bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sigur Rós and Mogwai shaped what we would later classify as Post-Rock, bands like Talk Talk and Slint dove into that swimming pool a couple of years earlier by trying new and different things. Talk Talk was originally more of a synthpop band, and they had a fairly big hit with "Its My Life", which was later covered by the band No Doubt, and was really successful. For the two last albums in their career, Talk Talk left behind the synth-based pop-sound in favor of making experimental and minimalistic jazz-music. The first release, "Spirit of Eden" which is almost as good as Laughing Stock, was an amazing album. They moved forward even further into experimental territory with Laughing Stock, and made an album that didn't get nowhere near the amount of praise it deserved, until many years later. Everything from the music to how the music was created is fascinating. The whole album was pretty much improvised by a lot of guest musicians, and was described to be: "recorded by chance, accident, and hours of trying every possible overdub idea". The album might take some listens to fully grow on you, but it is a fascinating album with lots of layers, and incredible musicianship. As a sidenote, Storm Corrosion and especially the last song, "Ljudet Innan" has a really strong Talk Talk-influence, and if you enjoy that song, you might really enjoy Talk Talk. Mark Hollis (the singer) even reminds me of SW in a couple of songs, depending on what notes he hits.
Favorite songs: New Grass, After the Flood, Taphead.
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I have slowly been getting into post-punk, but haven't heard Sonic Youth yet. I'll check this album out for sure!
The only Talk Talk album I have is Spirit of Eden, which I really like. Been meaning to get Laughing Stock too. I really love Mark Hollis' vocals...he's incredible (I was actually just listening to his solo album yesterday for the first time).
So far, I have a bunch of albums from this list in my wishlist. My wallet is going to gradually shrink as this list continues. :lol
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Daydream Nation :heart :heart
Like I was saying the other day, Sister is my favourite but Daydream Nation is still a 5 star release for me. American Football is a band I'm pretty new to but I like that album a lot. Laughing Stock is another great one. Used to like Spirit of Eden more, but that's changed.
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I've never listened to Sonic Youth, I shall listen right now.
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I listened to that Sonic Youth album earlier and really loved it. If their other material is as good as this, then I can imagine them becoming one of my favorite bands.
Listening to Laughing Stock right now and I love it, as expected.
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Glad to see some love for both Sonic Youth and Talk Talk! :D
Time for another update!
35. Touche Amore - Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me (2011)
(https://popstache.com/wp-content/uploads/Touche-Amore-LP-Parting-the-Sea-Between-Brightness-and-Me-cover-300x300.png)
Genre: Post-Hardcore/Screamo
At number 35 we have the shortest album on my list, clocking in at just below 21 minutes long with 13 songs on it. There is only one song longer than 2 minutes on the album, and most songs are in the 1 to 1 ½ minute range. It's a short album, but it is packed with fantastic music and incredible lyrics. The songs have a natural flow to them, and many of the songs flow into each other without much effort, and at times it's more like listening to a long 21 minute song rather than 13 individual songs, but they are split up for convenience I suppose. The singer, Jeremy Bolm is one of the better lyricists I know, and he has an amazing ability of writing really honest and emotional lyrics. I would just like to point out a few of my favorite lines from this album: "if actions speak louder than words i'm the most deafening noise you've heard" & "This is my final act, so I'll need your full attention, and for my final trick, I’ll make everyone who loves me disappear".
The album really shines when it comes to the lyrics and the emotional delivery of them. A lot of very memorable lines that gets stuck in your memory, and remember for a while. This is the band's second album, and the first is equally as fantastic as this one I would say. They also have a new album coming out in September, which is one of my most anticipated albums of the year. Hopefully they will keep delivering music as good as they have in the past. :)
Favorite songs: Home Away From Here, ~, The Great Repetition, Sesame, Method Act.
34. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet (2007)
(https://stevenwilsonhq.com/sw/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/foabp-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Progressive Rock
I doubt the band or the album will be very surprising for people here, since I would say PT is the most discussed album on this board that isn't DT, and that FOABP is generally considered one of their better albums. There are many things I love about this album, but the one thing that makes it stick out as my favorite, is the incredible atmosphere in the music. It really feels like a well-crafted and cohesive album with a theme or an idea, rather than some of their other albums where it feels more like a collection of songs. The strengths of FOABP for me is that it shows the best of PT, and is a wonderful example of how progressive music today should, or can sound. The album has that amazing flow where the music feels like one 50 minute journey, but the songs are also fantastic enough to stand on their own legs, and that's what makes it so good. "Anesthetize" is such a fantastic 17 minute-song, and it really has all the best elements of PT in one song. I know some people are bothered by the lyrics on this album, but they don't bother me even slightly. I think I can relate to them, because I recognize a lot of the things brought up in the texts, things I have seen in other people for example. I think the album manages to criticize the modern society in a way that is warranted, and in that aspect it feels spot-on. This is the only PT album I would say is a 5/5-album, but it is such a brilliant one.
Favorite songs: Anesthetize, Sleep Together, Way out of Here.
33. Anathema - Judgement (1999)
(https://shadowsdance.com/anathema/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/judgement-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Atmospheric Rock/Progressive Rock
Another pretty big DTF-band, Anathema is up next with their classic album "Judgement". I remember getting into this band so well, it was 4-5 years ago or something. I heard "Fragile Dreams" and just LOVED it. I moved on with Judgement for my first album, but wasn't impressed. The music was not bad or anything like that, but I must have listened to it 5-6 times, and it just kinda flew by. I didn't pay much notice of it. Pleasant music I guess, but didn't click or anything. Then one night I remember being in a really emotional state after having the girl I loved tell me that there was no way for us ever being together, so I was pretty sad over that, and I put on Anathema and it just clicked. I think people might react over me putting this specific album up, and not We're Here Because We're Here or Weather Systems, but personally I think their older music had a very unique emotional core that is a bit lost today. They still make amazing music (WHBWH would be their second best for me), but Judgement has something very depressing and sad that I can connect with on a whole other level. The music is emotional and can almost bring tears to your eyes, and the lyrics are so well-written that they go right into your heart. There is quite a Pink Floyd-vibe on this album as well, which really comes out in a song like "Emotional Winter" for example, with a very Gilmour-sounding intro. This album is packed with atmosphere and has almost a gothic vibe to it. Just a fantastic album overall, and I love how the first couple of songs flow into each other perfectly.
Favorite songs: Emotional Winter, Forgotten Hopes, One Last Goodbye, Judgement, Don't Look Too Far.
:hat
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I've recently come to decide that Judgement may also be my favorite Anathema album as well. Not a single bad song, and a touch more consistent in its delivery than WHBWH and WS. Those two are great for some occasions, namely when looking for a pick me up, but otherwise this one takes the prize. I will say though, I'm surprised at how low you have it here. If I remember correctly you had it much higher the first go round.
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FOABP and Judgement! :tup As I've often said, I prefer Judgement to the latest 2 Anathema albums, although Alternative 4 is my #1.
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As great as FOABP is, I don't rank it as highly as most people do. It's incredible, but there are several other albums that I'd place ahead of it. Still, I always enjoy listening to it and Gavin's drumming is amazing.
While I prefer Anathema's recent stuff, I really like Judgement. One Last Goodbye and Emotional Winter are two of my favorite Anathema songs, and the rest of the album is very solid too.
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This list is freaking awesome.
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put FOABP and nil recurring together, and it would for sure be one of my favorite albums of all time.
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Thanks for the great feedback guys! As for Judgement being low, I don't think of it that way really. Making a top50 was incredibly hard, and I think just ending up on the list is an accomplishment in itself. It's gonna be small factors that decides it when it's your 50 favorite albums. Anyhow, time for some more albums. :)
32. The Dear Hunter - The Color Spectrum (2011)
(https://patrickshore.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/the-dear-hunter-the-color-spectrum-the-complete-collection-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Indie Rock (but with each EP having a different sound)
Does putting this one up count as cheating? Maybe, I don't think so myself. Despite loving all the three Act-albums, The Color Spectrum blew me away from the first time I heard it. Casey really managed to craft 2 ½ hours of music of incredible music. Not only that, but he did it with 9 EPs in mind, one having a different color, and each EP sounding drastically different than the previous one. It was a very ambitious project, and it's one of those situations with something that just shouldn't work, because it's trying too much or wanting too much, but it ends up pulling it off. My favorite EP changes from time to time, but I just love the diversity this box-set has. Everything from electronic/industrial in violet and black, to straight-up rock in red, folk in green, post-rock in blue to 70's classic rock in orange. There's just something to impress you, and there's new songs to be discovered all the time. What I love about The Color Spectrum the most is that I can put it on, and for 2 ½ hours I get a lot of different music. Some of the EPs are more calm, some are more experimental, and in the end they all compliment each other beautifully. It might be hard to get into though, being 36 songs and 2 ½ hours long. I suggest maybe listening to the EPs one and one. You don't have to listen to it all in once, even though that's how I do it.
Favorite Songs: Filth and Squalor, We've Got a Score to Settle, Echo, She's Always Singing, Things That Hide Away, The Collapse of the Great Tide Cliffs, Progress, Lillian, Lost But Not All Gone.
31. Opeth - Still Life (1999)
(https://copyofwhat.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/opeth-still-life.jpg)
Genre: Progressive Death Metal
Next up is another pretty big band here on DTF, Opeth. They don't need much of an introduction, but they are a Swedish metal-band that found a very unique sound by mixing the sounds of death metal with classic 70's progressive rock, and the result is progressive metal with a mixture of harsh and clean vocals, where a song can have both acoustic guitars and screams. They have released many incredible albums, but the one that has stood the test of time the best for me, and the one I keep returning to the most, is their classic album "Still Life". Generally considered one of their best, Still Life is a concept-album, and the concept/overall theme is one of the strengths of the album. Concepts doesn't mean that much to me in terms of my enjoyment of the music, but the songs feel cohesive and consistent, and there are small returning themes and things in the lyrics that you kinda figure out the more you listen to the album. You might need a tolerance to harsh vocals in order to fully appreciate Opeth, though you might also grow to learn to appreciate them with time. For me, harsh vocals has never been a problem, and luckily it didn't stop me from getting into Opeth. Overall just a classic album from one of the best progressive metal bands around.
Favorite songs: The Moor, Godhead's Lament, Face of Melinda, Serenity Painted Death.
30. Ulver - Perdition City (2000)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/64/Ullver_Perdition.jpg)
Genre: Trip-Hop/Jazz/Avant-Garde/Noir
Next up is an album I feel a bit sad having to put "only" at place 30, but there was just no way for me to put it higher, with the competition it has. Ulver is a bit of cult-band from Norway, and they started out as a Black Metal/Folk-band who did a couple of releases in that style, but soon started experimenting with different genres. I would say Ulver is the best example of a genre-bending band, since they have constantly made everything in their power to "shake off" their fans, but instead developed a very close fanbase that seems to appreciate whatever Ulver throws at them. It's really cool, because when a band has made albums in different styles like black metal, electronica and folk music, that's quite a range. Personally, I've always been more intrigued by their more experimental albums, and Perdition City has been my favorite since I first heard it. I'm a huge fan of Noir-stuff, games like Max Payne or LA Noire, or a movie like LA Confidential. I think you probably get what I mean, and this album has that "noir"-vibe going almost throughout the whole album. The album mixes genres like Jazz, trip-hop, electronica and weird noises to create a fascinating result. There's only vocals on two or three songs on the album (depending on if you count background vocals or not), so a lot of it is instrumental. However, it's a perfect "listen to in headphones at nighttime"-album, and I can't say enough positive things about it. It really creates an imaginary world and sucks you into it. Welcome to Perdition City. :hat
Favorite songs: Porn Piece or the Scars of Cold Kisses, Dead City Centres, Nowhere/Catastrophe, Lost in Moments, Hallways of Always.
More to come!
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Now these are some picks I can get behind. FOABP was my first taste of PT, definitely Top 50 worthy. Still Life also a classic. Never heard of Ulver or Touche Amore.
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I think your music tastes are the most similar to mine out of anyone on the board. I thoroughly enjoyed your first list, and found a couple of my now favorite albums. Seriously, thanks for sharing!
And here we have 3 more artists that I love. Shadows of the Sun is my favorite Ulver, but that one's definitely worthy of a top 30 pick too.
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Still Life is incredible and one of my favorites form Opeth.
The Color Spectrum sounds like a really interesting and ambitious concept. I have a few Dear Hunter albums so I think I'd like that one. Haven't heard Perdition City but I like what I've heard from the band (Shadow of the Sun & War of the Roses). Got to check out both of these at some point!
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Still like every album so far. :D Great stuff.
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Still Life is one of the best metal albums in existence :metal
Perdition City is awesome though Shadows of the Sun is still my favorite from Ulver.
The Color Spectrum is also awesome, just an incredible amount of diversity.
:tup :tup :tup
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Cool to see you people enjoying the list so far! Now that we've entered top30, these next three picks are pretty different from each other.
29. Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third (2006)
(https://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/300x300/73458656.png)
Genre: Progressive Rock
Next up we have the debut-album by the British progressive rock-band, Pure Reason Revolution. You might be surprised to see me rank this higher than both Anathema and Porcupine Tree for example, but as a single album, The Dark Third is marvelous. The band has said in interviews that they were very influenced by artists like Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree and Kraftwerk (to name a few), and their music takes the best of progressive music, and infuses it with small influences of electronic music. This was used in a very subtle way on this album, and then the following one (Amor Vincit Omnia) was a bit more electronic, and then the third and last one was even more to that way. This is one of those bands that ended way earlier than they should have, after only putting three albums out. The Dark Third is in my opinion a perfect debut album, and I would also argue that the following album (Amor Vincit Omnia) is pure class as well. The third one was not on the same level sadly, and maybe the band felt like the inspiration was disappearing. Anyhow, this album should have familiar traits for anyone into progressive rock. What makes this band stick out is both the electronic-influence, but mostly the harmony-vocals, since they have both a male and a female singer. The highlights of the album is easily the melodies where both these voices come together and forms beautiful harmony vocals. And for you prog-people who like long songs who takes their time, "The Bright Ambassadors of Morning" is a fantastic 12 minute song, and depending on what version of the album you have, there are also some songs over 7 minutes. Just really amazing music, and I highly recommend them if you are a fan of Pink Floyd and/or Porcupine Tree. Also, there are different versions of the album, one for US, one for UK and then a 2 disc version. The tracklist is slightly altered between the UK and US-version, but I highly recommend picking up the 2 disc version if you can find it, since it has all the songs. :hat
Favorite songs: The Bright Ambassadors of Morning, Bullitts Dominae, The Exact Colour, The Twyncyn/Trembling Willows, Goshen's Remains.
28. Have a Nice Life - Deathconsciousness (2008)
(https://www.thesirenssound.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/have-a-nice-life-deathconciousness-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Shoegaze/Post-Punk/Industrial/Post-Rock/Ambient/Drone
This is an album I consider to be one of my favorite "hidden treasures". Have a Nice Life is a band based in Connecticut, and they released this incredible double album back in 2008, and it has been pretty dead from the band since. There are rumors that the people in the band have been working on new material and that there will be a new album (their second) this year. However, to me it's almost like with Tool, and you kinda shake those news off until you see an album cover, the tracklisting and an official release date. Have a Nice Life is a band that mixes together several genres, and therefor has a very unique sound. There is a lot of shoegaze and post-punk, but there are also songs that are very industrial and have a drone-element to them. The vocals are more supporting the music than trying to lift it up, but I'm really happy that they have the vocals, because their lyrics are just phenomenal. Some really good lyrics on this album. The album overall I would say is more towards the depressing/sad side rather than positive/uplifting, but there are some moments on the album where through the music and lyrics, the band shows some light, and that there is something positive behind everything negative. It's a fascinating and haunting listen, and quite a challenge, being almost 90 minutes long. Still, if you feel open minded and like any of the genres I mentioned earlier, this might very well be something for you. It took some listens to click for me, but now I consider it one of those "I wish more people knew this band"-kind of albums, and it really deserves to end up this high on my list.
Favorite songs: Earthmover, Holy Fucking Shit: 40,000, Waiting For Black Metal Records To Come In The Mail, A Quick One Before the Eternal Worm Devours Connecticut, Hunter.
27. Dog Fashion Disco - Adultery (2006)
(https://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/300x300/90094149.png)
Genre: Avant-Garde Metal/Noir
This next album is a crazy and wild ride, and one of the most fun albums on my list. Basically if you want an album that covers a lot of ground, this album is amazing for that. There's really aggressive metal songs, a johnny cash-country ballad, elevator music, jazz and just about everything else this band can throw at you. Dog Fashion Disco are heavily influenced by Mr. Bungle, Faith No More and just Mike Patton in general. The singer, Todd Smith even has a bit of that Mike Patton-vibe going, with a pretty impressive range, and the ability to use his voice for different kind of songs. The band has a very fun approach to making their music, and that is one of the parts that really pays off on this album. They really use the fun and goofy aspects of what they do to their advantage, and a song like "Desert Grave" which is basically a country-ballad and should have no place on a mostly-metal album, manages to blend in without any effort at all. There's a dark sense of humour on the album, and there is a pretty strong noir-vibe going on as well. The songs move forward in a fairly quick pace, and shift between dynamics and sections in a way that is just beautiful, and the song "The Hitchhiker" is a great example of this. In just 4 ½ minutes, this song goes from a rocking metal-tune to elevator music, then into a short noise-part and then back to the original idea of the song, without the middle being out of place. Another highlight is the lyrics and how tongue-in-cheek they are, and just goofy and fun, once again. I highly recommend this one if you enjoy metal that incorporates other genres into the music.
Favorite songs: Adultery, Desert Grave, The Hitchhiker, 100 Suicides, Moonlight City Drive.
More to come! :corn
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Hnnnnnng Perdition City :tup I should totally listen to Have A Nice Life.
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Geez, I didn't realize you loved The Color Spectrum so much. It's hard for me to imagine a world where it is ranked before albums like Abbey Road, Lateralus, Verspertine and From the Choirgirl Hotel. But there it is!
But I'm enjoying your list, Jimmy! So far it's much more diverse than your first list and covers a much broader spectrum of music and artists.
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Have a Nice Life sounds like an interesting band, judging by your write-up and the song titles :D
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Despite being from Connecticut, I've never heard of Have a Nice Life! Sounds interesting, and I'll look into them.
Great pick with The Dark Third! :tup I love how they combine the electronic and prog influences with really catchy and memorable melodies.
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I probably should check out Ulver sometime soon.
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Yes, you should.
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Thanks for all the feedback, it's highly appreciated! :tup I hope you guys are ready for more.
@Joe - I'm almost surprised myself at how much I am indeed enjoying The Color Spectrum. With 36 songs and the ambitious concept, and the long running-time, it should be doomed to fail. However, I would say there are only 1 or 2 songs on the whole thing that are slightly below the quality of the rest, and that is mostly due to choruses being repeated a few times too much. And the songs are not really bad, just drawing back a bit on the repetition would have helped. But yeah, I really love it.
26. Pain of Salvation - BE (2004)
(https://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/284/cover_186212582004.jpg)
Genre: Progressive Metal
Time for another Swedish progressive metal-band that is pretty popular here on DTF, Pain of Salvation. While the band has made several really good albums, "BE" is the one that stands out to me, because it has a very ambitious concept and idea, and the the band pulls it off perfectly. I've never read up on all the details regarding the concept of the album (blasphemy!), but that is only because I'm pretty lazy with stuff like that. It's the same with a band like The Dear Hunter, where I love the music, but just haven't read up too much on the story behind the albums. Anyhow, let's not drift off too much. This album is a fascinating listen, and has in my opinion Daniel Gildenlöw's best vocal performances out of all the albums. People may shit on him from time to time (there was even a time when I did it), and you can say what you want about the parts the he is almost rapping, but there is a lot of range on this album. The song-titles are a bitch and the concept might take some time getting into, but I just focused on the music, and that's what clicked for me. I love everything from the longer songs, to a short song like "Vocari Dei" which has these phone messages/recorded messages, and some really beautiful music. That one is actually one of my favorite songs, because despite being a short one with just samples and music, the atmosphere and the messages are very moving. Basically people expressing their feelings towards god. It almost makes a manly man like me shed some tears. :'( But yeah, totally check this one out if you are into progressive metal, and enjoy concepts and themes on albums.
Favorite songs: Iter Impius, Lilium Cruentus, Vocari Dei, Diffidentia, Dea Pecuniae
25. Mr. Bungle - California (1999)
(https://a3-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/145/78913b725a0e444784eeb69afc4565f1/300x300.jpg)
Genre: Hawaiian music/Eastern music/Electro-funk/Doo-Wop/Folk music/Pop music/Surf rock/Circus music/Kecak/Heavy metal/Lounge music/Jazz rock/Avant-garde
This following album is quite possibly one of the hardest albums ever to categorize and put in a certain genre. Heck, Mr. Bungle as a whole is possibly the most difficult band to place in a certain genre. I guess most people settle with "Avant-Garde", which I guess works as a term, "Craziness" would be another word. Without a doubt in my mind, I would say that Mike Patton is the most talented singer out there, and he has a range that few people comes close to reaching. The only downside I would say is that he has spent a lot of his time in his career doing really experimental music, and that can be cool, but we're talking music even more "out there" than Mr. Bungle. Some of the stuff he has done makes this look like radio music. Still, I think he shines the most with Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. "California" was the last Mr. Bungle album released, and arguably their most accessible album to get into. Despite being more accessible and having some pretty catchy ballads, there are some of the most bizarre genres you could ever find summed up on one album. "Ars Moriendi" is an amazing example of a song that has polka, gypsy-music and thrash metal all thrown into one song, and is quite possibly my favorite Mr. Bungle song. This won't be easy for everyone to get into, but if you can do it, then it will reward you. I used to think of myself as open minded with music when I listened to progressive music, but it wasn't until I heard Mr. Bungle that I really felt like that statement was true. :lol
Favorite songs: Ars Moriendi, Goodbye Sober Day, None Of Them Knew They Were Robots, Pink Cigarette, Sweet Charity.
24. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs For the Deaf (2002)
(https://www.vandohalen.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/02-Queens-Of-The-Stone-Age-Songs-for-the-Deaf-2002-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Alternative Rock
Next up on the list is a band I have known about for a while, but gotten into big time lately. Queens of the Stone Age is a fairly known band, and probably one of the biggest alternative rock bands active today. While they have released a couple of amazing albums that I've all really liked, "Songs For the Deaf" is their best one in my opinion. The album has some of their most known songs, and from what I know, I think it's generally considered their best album. What makes them stick out to me is mainly the guitars, because I think they have a lot of interesting riffs and ideas for the guitars, as well as that stoner-vibe that separates them from many other contemporary bands. This album is also a bit of a concept-album, with a couple of segments where different radio DJ's talk in different languages and sort of introduce the songs. Like a radio-channel playing the album and introducing the different songs. I kinda enjoy that concept, and the "talking" between some songs gives a little nice time to breathe before the next song kicks in. Overall just a really well-written rock album, with both more rocking songs, and a couple of slower ones as well. Not really much more to say, the music is pretty rocking, but it still has those layers where you keep discovering things, even after you have heard the album 15 times or more. I can definitely see this one climbing even higher, because I love it more and more every time I hear it. Top15-potential for sure, maybe even higher. Frankly I feel sad that I had to put it at 24 for now, but certainly an album I recommend.
Favorite songs: The Sky is Fallin', A Song For the Deaf, No One Knows, Go With the Flow, Hangin' Tree.
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Deathconciousness is soooo good. I downloaded that album a while back entirely on a whim barely knowing anything about it and loved it to death. Every other album here is good too. Songs for the Deaf has a huge nostalgic value for me which especially contributes to my love of it. :)
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I'm not the biggest Pain of Salvation fan, but I do like BE.
I always see Mr. Bungle mentioned here and on other forums but I've never heard any of their stuff. I'll check out California this weekend.
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Adultery and California are two amazing, amazing albums. Adultery in particular still gets me every time.
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the messages to god from lorenzo followed by jan biel bring a salty moistness to the eye; i mostly blame the transition in the music, but i must say they took care to place the messages perfect in there.
i only got into that mr bungle album a few months ago after seeing it on another DTForums top 50 list...and ive spun the fuck out of it since. :hefdaddy none of them knew they were robots has definitely been my song of the summer. its probably unlawful how long ive considered myself an avante-garde fan sans ever giving bungle a proper shot.
speaking of avante-garde, i havent fully familiarized myself w/ dog fashion disco which also isnt 'right' as i spin me some polkadot cadaver on a regular basis.
still life is a weird one for me in that 3 of the tracks could easily be top 5 opeth songs for me, but i dont think i would give it the nod as my favorite.
color spectrum is far more hit/miss for me. i only like about half of it, but what i do, i like a lot. (could probably be said for the acts cds for me as well).
a couple other cds in here im not familiar with; guess i got something to check out, now.
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Glad to see you people enjoying the picks, and also being interested in checking them out! I was going to update this a few hours ago already, but some stuff came up and I've been busy up until now. But here are the next three! :)
23. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/68/Interpol_-_Turn_On_The_Bright_Lights.jpg)
Genre: Post-Punk
Next up we have a band that I discovered through Guitar Hero/Rock Band, so I had heard two songs before checking the album out. This is an album I had seen in a couple of places being mentioned as one of the very best albums in the 00's, and being interested in the music, and liking what I had heard, I just had to check it out. It's very rare that a band makes a perfect debut album that blows you off your feet, because normally it takes a couple of albums for the band to find their sound and identity, but Interpol is one of those exceptions where magic was made right away. I would say that the album falls under Post-Punk, but one could also argue that it has the kind of music you would also call Alternative or Indie Rock. The music is mostly focused on atmosphere and strong melodies rather than to be a rocking album, and the band creates an amazing dreamy atmosphere on this album. The opening-song "Untitled" and the song "NYC" both has these really dreamy guitars with some really haunting singing on top. Two of the better songs on the album without a doubt, and they both have a certain melodic aspect that I connect with Post-Rock actually. Paul Banks, the singer delivers some really great and memorable lines, and the way he sings: "It is up to me now, turn on the bright lights" just sends shivers down my spine. The album also has a couple of faster songs, and two excellent examples are "PDA", which has this really upbeat tempo and a chorus that is so incredibly catchy that it has been stuck in my head ever since I first heard it in Rock Band 2. The other example would be "Say Hello to the Angels" which really builds up from the intro, and explodes into a guitar riff that is almost impossible to not dance along to. The album has a great mix of slower and more melodic songs, but also a few faster ones. The best part of the album for me is without a doubt the atmosphere, which is just incredible throughout. It's a perfect nighttime-headphones album, when it's dark outside, and all you can see is darkness and bright lights.
Favorite songs: NYC, PDA, Untitled, Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down, Say Hello to the Angels, Leif Erikson.
22. Dir En Grey - Uroboros (2008)
(https://quietus_production.s3.amazonaws.com/images/articles/4593/direngrey_1278591698_crop_300x300.jpg)
Genre: Avant-Garde Metal/Progressive Death Metal/Experimental Metal
At number 22 we have the Japanese band, Dir En Grey. While they started out their career with a very different sound, the last two/three releases have been more towards Avant-Garde/Progressive Metal. One of the band's biggest strengths is having one of the most talented singers in the metal-scene, Kyo. He is basically a Japanese version of Mike Patton. He can sing normally, he can growl, scream, shriek and do weird grunts.. pretty much everything. I would best describe this album as a dark, experimental and pretty heavy album. It's not just metal, because there are a lot of other things going on. The song "Stuck Man" feels like a King Crimson song, but much darker, heavier and with harsh vocals thrown into the mix. "Vinushka" is one of their best songs, and clocks in at over 9 ½ minutes. It has acoustic guitars, haunting and melodic verses, a really catchy chorus and some heavy parts that will blow you away. Don't feel too worried if your Japanese isn't very good, because like listening to Sigur Rós or Alcest, the language is something you will get used to. The music behind it is phenomenal, and the band delivers a lot of incredible music. While all the musicians are talented, the vocals are without a doubt what adds the extra dimension for me. Whenever I listen to Dir En Grey, I tend to just listen to what Kyo is doing with his voice, and the range is just incredible. He has one of the darkest growls I've heard, and it almost sounds like when you have something stuck in your kitchen sink, you get it removed and the water drains through. :lol Highly recommended if you enjoy experimental metal.
Favorite songs: Vinushka, Ware, Yami Tote, Stuck Man, Reiketsu Nariseba, Red Soil.
21. Mew - And the Glass Handed Kites (2005)
(https://www.fensepost.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/mew-and_the_glass_handed_kites-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Dream Pop/Indie Rock/Shoegaze
In short, "And the Glass Handed Kites" is everything I hoped that "The Incident" would have been. AtGHK is an album that is almost like a song-cycle. The songs flow into each other, and the first few times I heard the album, I was like "Am I already on track 7?!", because the songs truly flow together in the best way. It's an achievement to write music that flows together so perfectly, and the band really hit it come on this album. While many people would hold "Frengers" as the band's best album, or maybe even "No More Stories", AtGHK is my personal favorite. I feel like the flow/atmosphere and how well crafted the album is, takes it to a whole new album. It has some incredible songs as well obviously, but the overall craftsmanship is just stunning. Musically it's mostly a combination of indie rock and dream pop, but with some shoegaze as well. I've also always felt a bit of a progressive-vibe in their music, maybe it's the approach to the album itself that feels progressive, or maybe it's just the shoegazy-parts. I think Mew's biggest strengths are melodies, and I think if you are a fan of bands like Porcupine Tree and Anathema for gorgeous and catchy choruses, Mew will be right up your alley. They have some of my all time favorite melodies, and a lot of strong choruses. Mew as a band are from Denmark, and while I have never cared much for Danish music before, I would put Mew in my top15 bands without a doubt. In fact, I would even rank them higher than Porcupine Tree or Anathema at this point. I highly recommend checking them out, not just this album, but also "Frengers" and "No More Stories" if you haven't. This band is just incredible, and I can't wait for them to put out their next album, which will probably come out this year.
Favorite songs: The Zookeeper's Boy, White Lips Kissed, Chinaberry Tree, Special, Apocalypso, Louise Louisa.
Since we're entering the top20 from the next update, I will probably only go 2 albums per update. But still 2 each update, so it won't change that much. :hat
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I heard one song by Mew years ago, but I don't remember what it was like, so I think I'll check them out when I have time.
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I've had Uroboros for a while, but I'm having trouble getting into it at the moment. I'll keep trying, because nearly all of my favorite albums have taken a while to grow on me and this could be the same. I do know for sure that Kyo has a wild voice(s) that kind of terrifies me.
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Only Mew album I've heard is Frengers so that's the first one on the list I haven't listened to!
Didn't know you loved Turn On the Bright Lights so much though. Amazing album. :)
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I've had Uroboros for a while, but I'm having trouble getting into it at the moment. I'll keep trying, because nearly all of my favorite albums have taken a while to grow on me and this could be the same. I do know for sure that Kyo has a wild voice(s) that kind of terrifies me.
Yeah Kyo is one of my favourite vocalists. He's a maniac. He's pretty much what sold me on the band.
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Listening to that Mew album on Spotify right now and I love it. I'm not too crazy about the vocals, but they'll probably grow on me. the melodies are very strong and I definitely get the PT/Anathema comparisons.
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Yeah, I can't say enough positive things about Turn on the Bright Lights. And I highly recommend checking out And the Glass Handed Kites, Jordan. :) As promised, let's start getting into top20.
20. Slint - Spiderland (1991)
(https://manzarock.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Slint-Spiderland-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Post-Rock/Math Rock
While many people has pointed out Bark Psychosis and their album "Hex" as the start of Post-Rock, I want to give that credit to Talk Talk and Slint instead. Slint is a band from Kentucky who made two albums, the first called "Tweez" was released in 1989, and their highly praised follow-up, "Spiderland" came out in 1991. While the first album is more raw/unpolished and has another sound, "Spiderland" really feels like a post-rock albums. The vocals are interesting, because a lot of it is spoken word, but it works perfectly with the music. I feel like the album-cover fits the music perfectly, and it's the kind of album you put on during a grey and misty morning. Like some other albums I have featured on this list, Slint is a band that broke up, partially I would say because they were before their time, and there wasn't a big interest for their music at the time. But over the years, the album and the band has gained a cult following, and they even reunited a few years ago to tour again. Hopefully they'll make another album somewhere down the road, though I doubt they will top this one. What makes this album unique for me is the music itself which is very unique from what a lot of other post-rock bands sounds like, and that might be the math-rock vibe which is really strong. The vocals add a lot as well, and the way they are used is really cool. The spoken word over haunting music works really well. Not only one of the first "post-rock" albums, but also one of the very best imo. There's a lot of interesting technical abilities on this album, both in guitars, drums and the bass.
Favorite songs: Good Morning Captain, Breadcrumb Trail, Don Aman.
19. Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye (2003)
(https://www.thesirenssound.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/kayo-dot-choirs-of-the-eye.jpg)
Genre: Avant-Garde Metal/Jazz/Experimental
From one bleak album to another, "Choirs of the Eye" is the first album by the band Kayo Dot. Toby Driver is an incredible musician who I hold very high, but as much as I love his other band (maudlin of the Well), "Choirs of the Eye" remains his best album in my opinion. It's very hard to describe the music to someone who hasn't heard it, because this is one of the most ambitious albums I know. And it's not like with Mr. Bungle where you can say "they do whatever they want", Kayo Dot is experimental in another way. There's a lot of jazz and ambient parts, but there are also really heavy parts with screams and heavy guitars. But on the other hand it's not like Opeth or Between the Buried and Me either, it's more experimental jazz that occasionally builds up to heavy parts, a few on the whole album. Anyhow, the album has 5 songs, and most of them are over 10 minutes, and really takes their time to go places. "The Manifold Curiosity" is a great example as a song that takes you to different places. It starts off pretty mellow for the first half of the song, with a lot of strings and classical-instruments, but during the second half the song really builds up, like crazy. And the ending of the song is one of the heaviest, craziest and most evil sections in a song ever. The build-up is epic in itself, but when the song explodes towards the end is just beyond words. The credits has 11 people playing and performing instruments on this album, so it's almost more like an orchestra or musical collective than your normal band of 4-5 people. Almost like GYBE except they have vocals, are less post-rock and more jazz/metal, and the music just takes you places. It might take time getting into, because there's some experimental stuff, and there's not a lot of repetition (so you might need to hear the songs a few times before they click), but the album just rules. Hard.
Favorite songs: The Manifold Curiosity, Wayfarer, A Pitcher of Summer.
More to come.
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Great update. Both would make my top 20 too. :tup
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I have Coyote and Gamma Knife from Kayo Dot. They were good albums but I wasn't really blown away by either so I never bothered getting Choir of the Eyes. I know it's regarded as their best so I really should give it a listen.
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^^^ that's a good idea.
Choirs of the Eye is phenomenal. A top 5 album for me. I can't wait for their next album 'Hubardo', I expect it'll be one of my top albums of the year.
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I have Coyote and Gamma Knife from Kayo Dot. They were good albums but I wasn't really blown away by either so I never bothered getting Choir of the Eyes. I know it's regarded as their best so I really should give it a listen.
You really should. It's phenomenal. Made #2 on my last top 50.
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I have Coyote and Gamma Knife from Kayo Dot. They were good albums but I wasn't really blown away by either so I never bothered getting Choir of the Eyes. I know it's regarded as their best so I really should give it a listen.
You really should. It's phenomenal. Made #2 on my last top 50.
It's not on Spotify so I added to my Amazon wishlist. I'll buy it as soon as I can afford it.
Listening to that Mr. Bungle album right now... crazy stuff!!! It's incredibly diverse and insane. Love it!! :biggrin:
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I have Coyote and Gamma Knife from Kayo Dot. They were good albums but I wasn't really blown away by either so I never bothered getting Choir of the Eyes. I know it's regarded as their best so I really should give it a listen.
Give it a listen. I listened to both Gamma Knife and Coyote first (which are overall pretty meh) and almost wrote off Kayo Dot but Choirs is in a whole different league.
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I've had Uroboros for a while, but I'm having trouble getting into it at the moment. I'll keep trying, because nearly all of my favorite albums have taken a while to grow on me and this could be the same. I do know for sure that Kyo has a wild voice(s) that kind of terrifies me.
My personal favorite Dir en Grey song is Different Sense off of Dum Spiro Spero. It's got a ridiculously catchy chorus, an EXCELLENT guitar solo section (one of the only real solos they've ever attempted), and every single one of Kyo's vocal styles is displayed perfectly. I wouldn't recommend the rest of that album right off the bat though, as it's very abrasive. Uroboros has a ton more variety and is an easier listen overall.
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I've had Uroboros for a while, but I'm having trouble getting into it at the moment. I'll keep trying, because nearly all of my favorite albums have taken a while to grow on me and this could be the same. I do know for sure that Kyo has a wild voice(s) that kind of terrifies me.
My personal favorite Dir en Grey song is Different Sense off of Dum Spiro Spero. It's got a ridiculously catchy chorus, an EXCELLENT guitar solo section (one of the only real solos they've ever attempted), and every single one of Kyo's vocal styles is displayed perfectly. I wouldn't recommend the rest of that album right off the bat though, as it's very abrasive. Uroboros has a ton more variety and is an easier listen overall.
Yeah, this. That song has one of my favourite vocal performances in anything ever. Holy shit it's nuts.
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With Dir En Grey I also highly recommend their album "Dum Spiro Spero". It's heavier than Uroboros, but also amazing. Anyhow, thought I would swing by with an update. Time for two double albums!
18. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile (1999)
(https://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/5427/cover_3940203132010.jpg)
Genre: Industrial
While many fans consider "The Downward Spiral" to be the best NiN-album, I've always gravitated a bit more towards The Fragile. They are both incredible, so I totally see both sides of the spectrum, in fact, The Downward Spiral would be my second favorite NiN-album. I would say that the difference, is that The Downward Spiral is a very industrial album, and the album that followed Fragile, "With Teeth" was a more melodic album with focus on melodies and hooks. The Fragile is the middle album, and I feel like it has the best aspects of both those sounds, as it is both industrial but also has some more catchy songs. Trent Reznor is one of my favorite musicians, and what I love about him is his incredible attention to details. The songs normally has the typical components (guitars, drums, bass, synthesizers), but he finds ways of using them in a non-traditional way. In many songs, the guitar might work on something in the background instead of being in the front of the sound, and he always founds interesting ways of constructing his songs. Like "The Downward Spiral", this is a concept album, though it's not as structured conceptually. Basically the album deals with personal issues, and many of the songs feels very personal in that sense. This album has something for everyone, and you can compare a song like "Starfuckers" which focuses on a heavy groove and drive, with "Into the Void" which is this fantastic electronic song, with a beat you just can't avoid dancing along to. Like I mentioned before, one of Trent's biggest strengths is his ability to make a song interesting sound-wise, and how he forms a song is truly interesting. There's a lot of layers to most these songs, and even after many listens I can still hear a new little melody here or there, deep down in the song. Trent also has a great ear for making the music versatile, since many of the songs sound different to each other, yet feels like they belong together. This album like many other double albums is just such a journey, and it takes me places. It's about 1 hour 40 minutes long though, so might take some time getting into.
Favorite songs: Please, Into the Void, Even Deeper, We're In This Together, The Day the World Went Away, The Wretched, The Fragile.
17. Swans - Soundtracks For the Blind (1996)
(https://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/300x300/90612495.jpg)
Genre: Post-Rock/Ambient
Swans has without a doubt become one of my favorite bands since I first heard them in early 2012. It's a band I've been trying to save as much as possible with, so I've given each album a really long time and many listens to fully absorb it, before moving on with the next album. While their album last year, "The Seer" was a 5/5 album for me, right now I'm leaning just slightly towards another album of theirs, "Soundtracks for the Blind". It's a double album clocking in at 2 hours and 20 minutes, so very long, and it took me several listens because of that. Swans is a band that I have a huge admiration for, because of their ability to constantly evolve as musicians and push themselves forward. Over their career which is spanning roughly 30 years, they have explored many different genres, and have a couple of albums that sounds very different from each other as the result. This album features a calmer side of the band, being a very experimental post-rock/ambient album with hints of drone as well. Considering how much variety the album has, how long it is, and how experimental it is, it feels like one of those albums that just should not work, because the ambition is too high, and/or the execution is too difficult. But it just really works, and as a result it has become one of my favorite "headphones"-albums, because it has a lot of things going on. While it might not share a lot of traits with their last album "The Seer", you can still hear that this is Swans. Some of the longer songs like "Helpless Child" has that repetition-build up that feels very typical for the band. The band has an incredible way of creating atmosphere in their songs, and repetition is a big part of that, especially in the longer songs. The main riff/idea can get repeated for a few minutes, but with other things happening in the background. For example, the guitar-riff might be repeating, but the stuff going on behind it gets more intense for every time. This is really an album that needs time, and it's almost like a fancy dinner in the sense that you fully need to taste every little piece, and not just cram it in like if it was McDonalds. Poor analogy, I know. But fact remains that you might find this weird or hard to get into at first, but if you give it time, it has the potential to blow you away. This is one of the band's more calmer albums overall (apart from a few more rockier songs), but I also highly recommend "The Seer" which is more of a Post-Punk/Noise/Experimental/Drone album.
Favorite songs: Helpless Child, The Sound, The Final Sacrifice, Animus, YRP, The Beautiful Days, Empathy, I Love You This Much.
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The Fragile is also my favorite NIN record. It's an absolute masterpiece. :metal
That Swans album is great, but my favorite of theirs is White Light from the Mouth of Infinity. Awesome choice nonetheless :tup
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Soundtracks for the Blind is one of the hardest albums to digest out there I find. It's really something great though. And I think I like The Fragile more than The Downward Spiral too now.
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super MEH update for me on that one, don't like either of those bands unfortunately. the previous update was pretty sweet, though.
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super MEH update for me on that one, don't like either of those bands unfortunately. the previous update was pretty sweet, though.
Tsk Tsk :police:
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I expected a little bit of that, because I know both Swans and NiN are not for everyone. :P Here are the next two:
16. Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning (2011)
(https://www.chartstats.com/images/temp/1317582170-thumb.jpg)
Genre: Progressive Rock
The next album might surprise some, even though I have expressed my huge love for this album on the forum before. I remember the time when this album came out so well. I was a bit on the fence, because FOABP and Insurgentes were two albums I just loved, but The Incident was a bit of a disappointment for me, and while it was good, it was nowhere near the quality I knew SW was capable of. So with Grace coming out, and it being a double album, I was a bit on the fence, thinking that it could be another incident. (that pun) I remember getting the album on my birthday (September 27), and just listening to it and looking through the lyrics. It was such an enjoyable experience, and I just found myself really interested in the album right away. A few weeks went by and the album continued to grow, and I had to order the big limited/deluxe version of the album. The album continued getting regular spins, and quickly became one of my favorite albums released in 2011. As 2012 began, I found out that SW would be coming to Malmö, which is a city 3 hours by car from where I live. I asked my dad if we could go (because it's his car and everything), and we got tickets for the show. The drive down was really cool, and I got to play Grace in the car, and I later picked it up at the concert. The concert was one of the best shows I have seen, and hearing/seeing these songs live gave me another level of appreciation for the music and album. I would say this is where the album went from "a really good album" to "one of my favorite albums". I have continued spinning it since, and I still hold it as his best album, all projects included. The songwriting is incredible, and I think "Deform to Form a Star" is possibly the best song he has ever done. That melody/chorus and the outro is just amazing, and that's just one of many great songs. "Raider II" and "Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eye" are two other favorites, with the first being the most epic 23 minute song, and when SW comes in with the: "IM RAIDER"-part, just gives me goosebumps. Like Dust is another favorite, the first half is just amazing, and the second half with the ambient-fadeout is just the perfect way to close the album off. I know the album has a polarizing effect among the SW-fans, some think it's his weakest solo effort, and call it "Grace For Fillers", others like me hold it really high. Both musically and lyrically I think this is his best effort so far. I also highly recommend the bonus disc which has "Home in Negative", which is just incredible as well.
Favorite songs: Deform to Form a Star, Raider II, Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eye, Index, Postcard, Home in Negative (bonus disc).
15. Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain (2006)
(https://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/300x300/38373929.png)
Genre: Black Metal/Neofolk/Post-Metal/Ambient/Noise/Drone
I remember the first time I heard Agalloch, I foolishly wrote them off as being a worse copy of Opeth. This was me being silly, and I had to eat everything up later on. While both bands share similarities like being metal bands with a big folk-influence, having both clean and harsh vocals, that's pretty much where the comparison ends. Opeth focuses more on traditional death metal and classic progressive rock, where Agalloch is more about atmospheric black metal, folk and a strong post-rock vibe. While some people consider "The Mantle" to be their best album, I have always leaned more towards Ashes Against the Grain. The main difference is that The Mantle is more post-rock/folk with a lot of instrumentals, where Ashes is darker, more bleak and has some drone/noise/ambient-vibes. Agalloch is also a band I've found myself getting into more and more in different stages, similar to how I mentioned getting into Grace For Drowning just above. I was a pretty big Agalloch-fan, and was lucky enough to see them here in Sweden back in 2012. Seeing them live gave me a whole new level of appreciation, and I was blown away by their performance. They came back this year, and I was lucky enough to see them again. Similar to the first time, they blew me away a second time, and it took their music to an even higher level. I can't really say enough positive things about Ashes Against the Grain, I've considered it one of my all time favorite metal-albums ever since I first heard it. It's such a fantastic listen, and few albums reach the level of greatness that this one does. It has some of the band's best songs like "Falling Snow", "Fire Above, Ice Below" and "Limbs", and I can't recommend it enough. Perfect for a cold winter day, just kick back and enjoy some metal. From the opening chords of Limbs that sounds like an alarm, to the guitar-feedback that becomes drone/noise in the last song "The Grain", the album just takes you on a crazy ride.
Favorite songs: Falling Snow, Fire Above Ice Below, Limbs, Our Fortress is Burning (all three parts).
More to come!
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Two of my all-time favorite albums. :hefdaddy :tup
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yeehaw at that update!
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Two phenomenal albums. The latter I discovered on your first list. Now I think you've placed it about 12-14 spots too low :D
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Oodles of grade-A material here: The Fragile, Still Life, Choirgirl, Perdition City, Turn the Bright Lights On. I think I can predict a few that will be creeping up here soon that also have my utmost approval. ;)
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Grace for Drowning is either my favorite or second favorite SW-related album. I can't decide if I like it or The Raven more but regardless, it's a masterpiece to me.
I don't have Ashes Against the Grain but it's been under my radar for a while now as I love The Mantle.
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Grace for Drowning is either my favorite or second favorite SW-related album. I can't decide if I like it or The Raven more but regardless, it's a masterpiece to me.
I don't have Ashes Against the Grain but it's been under my radar for a while now as I love The Mantle.
AAtG>>The Mantle :tup :tup
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Going to be a bit busy today, but I have time to update so no problems there. Hopefully can get that update later tonight when I get home, though I won't know until later! But let's move on with 14 and 13! :corn
14. Pink Floyd - The Wall (1979)
(https://sarahandthegoonsquad.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/PinkFloyd-TheWall-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Progressive Rock
Another album that might surprise people, the final of the classic 4 PF-album, "The Wall". While WYWH and Dark Side are generally the two albums most people seem to love, I would hold The Wall and Animals slightly higher. The Wall especially has clicked big time with me over the last couple of months, and is just an amazing double album. The Wall is a perfect example for me where every song might not be 5/5, but there is a bigger picture, and the album has a whole is just incredible. The album as a whole is better than the individual songs, if that makes sense. If I made a list over my favorite PF-songs, there would probably be more songs from Animals, WYWH and Dark Side in the top10. Still, that doesn't change my love for The Wall as an album, and I think it's incredibly well crafted, and is the most enjoyable listening experience out of the four albums. Again, I'm a person who is very intrigued and interested by concepts and themes, but very bad at knowing all the details, so watching the movie of The Wall really helped for me, because I got visuals over what the album is about. I know there are people who think it has a lot of filler and is the weakest of the classic PF-albums, but I don't look at those short songs as filler, but rather room for transportation. Like, the shorter songs are what gets you forward in the album, and while some of them might be considered filler, I think they all have a purpose in the overall story. Surely you can point out songs like "Comfortably Numb", "Run Like Hell", "Another Brick in the Wall" and even "Hey You" as being some of PF's best songs, but again, to me the strengths of The Wall is how incredibly well crafted it is as an album. It has several highlights, but what I enjoy the most are the small recurring themes and sounds that you will hear, and how the whole concept is executed. My first listen of The Wall summed it up pretty well for me, because even though I wasn't blown away by everything in the music, I still felt very sure about the album being a 5 out of 5 album. With that said, the music does really grow on you, and that's one of the reasons why it still is my favorite PF-album, because the competition from the other three is pretty tough. On a sidenote: I'm seeing Roger Waters performing this album live tonight, and I couldn't be more excited. And I guess the timing for the list, and posting this today must be a sign. :P
Favorite songs: Comfortably Numb, The Trial, Run Like Hell, Young Lust, Mother, Hey You, Run Like Hell, Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2).
13. Brand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (2006)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-exJUdM8JJyA/TfgdPL9PwbI/AAAAAAAAFM0/LDAzCnCIHlc/s1600/516b9ZSKsZL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Genre: Post-Hardcore/Alternative/Indie/Emo
The next album is a very emotional album, possibly the most emotional album on this entire list. I remember when I was recommended the album by a few other people who used to be here on DTF, and they said all kinds of positive things about it, so I had to check it out. This was at a time where I was feeling a bit depressed because of some family turbulence at home, and this album became sort of a vessel for me, because it made me feel better, and I would say that I found some sort of comfort in this album. Musically it's a combination of post-hardcore and indie/alternative rock, but with a huge focus on emotional lyrics. Jesse Lacey is an incredible lyricist, and is able to put certain things in words that really gets to you. Some of my favorite lyrics are on this album, and in some cases they might be a metaphor to something where you can relate to it, even if the idea behind it was not what you think it is, and in some cases it's just how the lyrics are phrased or worded, that really gets to you. The song "Handcuffs" is a song that really got to me, because even though I don't know what the lyrics are about, lines like: "It's hard to be the better man, when you forget you're trying. It's hard to be the better man, when you're still lying" just really gets to me. There are several songs like Handcuffs where I don't know the original meaning behind the lyrics, but they just hit me in a way, where I can relate them to something that's going on in my life, and get that emotional connection with the song. I think the lyrics being as open to interpretation as they are is a good thing, because that means you can find something to relate with. It's all about the phrasing and how you put it down in text, because many singers write about their own problems, which can be interesting, but maybe very unique problems for them, that is hard for the rest of us listeners to fully understand or sympathize with. Jesse Lacey on the other hand really puts down his thoughts and emotions in a way where we don't have to understand what his angle or experience is, the lyrics is just something we can apply on our own situations in life. It's an incredible album overall, packed with emotions, and just such a great listening experience. Without a doubt one of the best albums released in the last 10 years, and a modern day classic because of how incredible it is.
Favorite songs: Luca, Handcuffs, Welcome to Bangkok, Limousine (MS Rebridge), Sowing Season.
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I agree with you on The Wall, although I like Animals and Wish You Were Here more :tup
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Everybody sucks that Brand New album's dick. I should maybe listen to it.
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The Wall is pretty good, but Animals is definitely my favourite PF album.
Devil and God tho :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
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Devil and God is REALLY good, but it's like not even their best record in my opinion (not even second best, actually). Still love it, though.
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The Wall is pretty good, but Animals is definitely my favourite PF album.
Me too. The Wall has some great songs on it, but other sections are just plain weird. Still a good pick though.
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It's always amazing to see the diversity of DT fans, that being said, I think I've heard 5 of the albums you have listed so far :lol
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Okay! Back from my Roger Waters concert now, and ready with the next update. This will be 12 and 11, and for the top10 I will go 1 and 1 with the albums, since we're getting close to the top. :)
12. Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998)
(https://beatsperminute.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/In-The-Aeroplane-Over-The-Sea-300x300.jpeg)
Genre: Indie Rock/Lo-fi
At number 12, we have the album that has been called "the mother of all indie albums" by some people. Those people are now so indie that they stopped existing so that they could remain underground and unknown. Anyhow, this is one of those albums that has gained a huge following since it came out, and while the band stopped after this album, it's considered this cult album by now. It's the Dark Side of the Moon of Indie albums, and while other bands might have done a similar things before Neutral Milk Hotel did it, it was their incredible effort with "ItAOtS" which became the big album that affected people. During the 00's and forward, the indie rock scene has been steadily growing, and you could probably find a connection with this album coming out and being influential, and then people making more indie rock music. But let's leave that topic for now. The music itself is fairly traditional indie rock with acoustic guitars, brass-instruments and a voice that is personal, though some who have never heard the band before might find them atrocious. The first time I heard the vocals it took some time for them to grow on me, but now it's one of those really unique voices, that I like because it is so unique. I guess some people would argue that the album was groundbreaking or a masterpiece for the time it was created, but the main reason why I love it is because it's a damn fantastic album. Superb music, and I consider it to be the best indie rock album ever made. The vocals and lyrics are personal, the songs and melodies themselves are really good and strong, and that's all there is to it really. Just an album I hold very close to my heart. It's pretty lo-fi and stripped down, some songs have drums, bass and so on, but a lot of it is very easy with guitar, vocals and maybe some brass-instruments as well. Some cool use of trumpets for example.
Favorite songs: King of Carrot Flowers Part 1, Oh Comely, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Two-Headed Boy.
11. Deftones - White Pony (2000)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UodzzIC5Qco/S_0JgOTZpCI/AAAAAAAABNA/d3XpIaES3HI/s320/600px-Deftones_-_White_Pony-greycoverart.jpg)
Genre: Alternative Metal
At number 11, just outside of the top 10, here's "White Pony" by Deftones. This one stung in my heart to leave out of my top10, because I consider it to be just as deserving to be up there as the following 10 albums. In the end it's at nr11 which is not bad at all, and no shame, but I just wanted to point out that I love this album a lot. Deftones is an experimental alternative metal-band that started in the 90's, and sadly has been lumped together with bands like Slipknot, Linkin Park and System of a Down as being "nu-metal". I feel like that generalization is wrong and pretty lame, because a) Deftones are much better than any of those three other bands, and b) Deftones have continued to evolve their sound, and nu-metal is just a demeaning term. While they fall under "alternative metal", White Pony is arguably their most experimental release. The previous album, "Around the Fur" was more straight-forward metal, but White Pony took the experimentation to a whole new level, with Chino trying new effects on vocals, the band trying new things in general. The album has a nice mix of heavy and soft tunes, and Chino is one of my favorite vocalists because he can both sing the mellow and melodic stuff like a champion, and scream his lungs out for the heavier songs. A good example of his range are the two back-to-back songs "Digital Bath" and "Elite". The first is a pretty melodic and beautiful song, that is pretty calm throughout, with the exception of Chino singing the chorus very passionately. "Elite" on the other hand is fierce, chaotic, heavy and extreme, and is one of the band's heaviest songs in my opinion. It has always been one of my favorites, and it has Chino singing through a vocoder, but also has some kickass guitar riffs. The song "Passenger" features a guest apperance by Maynard James Keenan from Tool, and feels like it could have been a Tool-song almost. The album opens up with fast-paced "Feiticeira", and ends with "Pink Maggit" which fades out slowly into oblivion. The ~50 minutes that make this album is just pure brilliance, and this is without a doubt one of my favorite metal albums. It is flawless, and hadn't it been for a little bit of bad luck and 10 other brilliant albums on the list, this could just as well have been top5. It's that good, and I love it that much.
Favorite songs: Elite, Change (In the House of Flies), Korea, Teenager, Pink Maggit, Digital Bath.
Top10 inc! :hat
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I like The Wall but I don't really consider it one of their best. I'm sure I'd appreciate it much more if I saw the live show.
Heard of Deftones and NMH but never listened to either. I may be going to a record store tomorrow, so I'll look for both and get them if they're reasonably priced.
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13. Brand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (2006)
Fuck yeah.
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Both fantastic. ItAotS was in my top 5 somewhere in my list. Amazing album.
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Are you ready for top10? :angel:
10. Kimbra - Vows (2011)
(https://www.yourmusicradar.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/kimbra-vows-artwork-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Indie Pop/Jazz/Soul
At number 10, we have the girl from my avatar, and also one of my biggest obsessions for the last year, Kimbra. She is from New Zealand, and released her first album "Vows" just 2 years ago, and it was later re-released last year in the US with a different tracklist. To be honest I don't really know which version I prefer, because both versions have songs that are just amazing, and I tend to just put on a playlist on my computer that has the songs from both versions. I would say my affection for Kimbra started out as a small guilty pleasure, but as time went by (and I matured), I realized there was nothing "guilty" about me loving it so much, it's just incredible well made music. While "Pop" is the general term to sum up how the music sounds, there's several songs that has very strong jazz and/or soul vibes going on. Kimbra likes to do things her way rather than follow a certain trend, and I think that is part of the reason why this album was so successful when it came out. She has a really great voice with a neat range, that she perfectly displays in the opening song, "Settle Down". However, it was the second song, "Cameo Lover" that really clicked big time for me. That song has one of the catchiest choruses ever, and it's just such a fun and upbeat song. Impossible not to sing along to it, and one of the big highlights for sure. The album changes between upbeat and slower songs, and there are a few ballads like "Plain Gold Ring" and "Old Flame", where the music is more subdued and Kimbra's voice takes the lead. I highly recommend both the original version and the US-rerelease, and both has incredible songs that are exclusive to their respective version. In a world where most pop-music you hear on the radio is flat, with no creativity or genuine interest from the artist in what they are doing, it's incredibly refreshing with someone who loves what she does, puts a lot of effort into it, and goes for something slightly different, even if the basics are still there. She is also working on her second album which will probably come out next year, and I could not be more excited for it. Hopefully she will continue trying new things and doing what she wants, and that can take her pretty far.
Favorite songs: Cameo Lover, Call Me, Posse, Warrior, The Build Up, Settle Down. (songs from both versions)
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White Pony is superb, probably my 2nd favorite Deftones album next to Diamond Eyes.
I've only listened to that NMH album a few times but it's quite good. I'll have to give it another listen at some point.
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NMH is so fucking good.
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Extremely late to the party, but so many fantastic albums on the list so far. :tup
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Have been a couple of days off and the list has moved with 9 picks. You're fast :lol.
The Fragile :scio:. Hard to say, if I prefer The Downward Spiral or it, but a majestic album.
The Wall is great too, although I prefer WYWH and Animals.
I recieved songs from Agalloch and Brand New in my roulette, and especially the latter struck me. I just need to find the time to check "The Devil and God..." out.
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Popping in a few hours earlier with the update for tonight, since I'm not sure how much time I will have to write it later. But anyhow, here it is! Also, cool to see some love for NMH. :)
9. Faith No More - Angel Dust (1992)
(https://noticias.r7.com/blogs/andre-forastieri/files/2009/10/angel_dust-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Alternative Metal
Next up we have the classic Faith No More album "Angel Dust", which came out in 1992, and was the band's third album. While I am a huge fan of the band overall, and also have a huge love for "King For a Day..." and "The Real Thing", Angel Dust remains my favorite album by FNM, and even my favorite Mike Patton album overall. It might be a cliché or something that has been said before, but Mike Patton truly is one of the main reasons why I love Faith No More so much, and his voice, or should I say incredible range is perfectly suited for the band. They have a fun approach to making music, with a lot of influences and ideas, and while the general sound is mostly alternative metal, there are softer songs where he can fit his voice, and there are heavier songs where he can scream his lungs out. I would probably go as far as saying he is my favorite singer overall. He has an incredible range, and when he brings it, he brings it. I do feel like it's a shame that there aren't more FNM or Bungle albums, as those are his projects I love the most. Angel Dust is one of those examples where Patton brings it, and the vocals on the whole album are incredible. A great example of his incredible vocal talent is "Malpractice" which sounds almost border on death-metal at parts, but has this experimental and dark sound. It has a lot of variety in 4 minutes with Mike Patton both singing over a slow and calm melody towards the end, and screaming his lungs out during the heavy part. As far as range goes, there is nobody better. He can do different musical styles so well, and this album has a big variety on the vocals with him singing normally, rapping, screaming, crooning, and a lot of other vocal styles. But how is the album apart from the vocals? Just phenomenal really. Lots of variety, and while some songs have a "funk"-edge, some are heavier and has that metal-vibe, others are melodic and has lots of piano. The album does never feel repetitive or like old ideas are being rehashed, there's constantly new angles or sounds to keep the listener engaged in the music. There's often a lot of variety in the songs themselves, a song like "j-izzlobber" for example is mostly really heavy and has Patton screaming his lungs out, but the last minute or so of the song is a big organ-solo part, that is really epic and feels like it ends the song in a majestic way. "Malpractice" which I mentioned earlier also has some nice changes in the structure. I often consider the 90's to be my favorite decade of music, and this is easily a top3 album for me on that front. Such an amazing listen, and such a classic album. I also highly recommend the version that has "Easy" as a bonus-track, since it's a really good cover.
Favorite songs: Everything's Ruined, Malpractice, Midlife Crisis, Caffeine, Midnight Cowboy, J-izzlobber.
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I really can't get into this album. I've never heard any other album from FNM though. Should I listen to some other album first?
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AMAZING album, easily my favourite from Faith No More. The first time I heard Land of Sunshine, I was hooked.
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Vows and Angel Dust are both great. :tup I actually haven't listened to Vows in quite a while though, hm.
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@Lolzeez, I can also recommend both King For a Day and The Real Thing, both are incredible albums. However, if you have trouble getting into Angel Dust, I'm not sure how much will change. Might be worth a try though. :tup
Time for number eight.
8. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)
(https://www.radioutd.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/Loveless-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Shoegaze
My Bloody Valentine is a band similar to Neutral Milk Hotel in the sense that they released only two albums, where the second became a huge classic and considered this pioneering album for it's respective genre. MBV had a pretty good debut-album, but it was this album, the follow-up, "Loveless" that really hit the head of the nail. I consider this album to be just one of the best albums ever made, and ranking it at just spot 8 might seem low after that statement, but to be honest I think it's mostly because I overplayed it slightly during a period, and have now given the album some rest. I listened to it a few days ago for the first time in several months and was again blown away by how incredible it is. Shoegaze is a genre that I love a lot, but I find it hard to find really good bands within that genre. There are a couple outside of MBV, but overall a lot of bands that feels like cheap clones. This can be frustrating since I love the genre so much, but apart from a few bands like Lush and Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine is my main fix when I need shoegaze. They returned this year after 22 years of silence, with their third album "MBV", which was just glorious. One of the best albums so far this year, and while it wasn't AS good as Loveless, it brings hope. Loveless feels like a combination of musical talent, creativity, experimentation and doing the 'right' thing at the right time, plus a lot of luck. The album is like a red mist of guitar sounds, and the cover feels very appropriate in that sense, because it really fits the sound of the album. The vocals are clean and almost childish, and Kevin Shields has a very unique voice that fits MBV's music perfectly. The guitar-sound is thick, layered and at times very experimental. In some songs it's hard to decide if you're hearing a vacuum cleaner, an airplane engine or guitars. The album overall is pretty melodic with a lot of 'simple' melody lines, and the effective use of the vocals and guitars makes the songs so much more interesting. It could have been a simple pop-song, but it becomes this really layered shoegaze-song with a lot of interesting things going on sound-wise. This album is just marvelous, and one of my all time favorites for sure, hence the 8th spot on the list.
Favorite songs: Only Shallow, Soon, I Only Said, When You Sleep, What You Want.
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I love the shit out of Loveless. It took me a year but I get it now.
PS:Found it on Vinyl just yesterday. :metal
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:heart :heart :heart :heart :heart :heart :heart :heart :heart :heart :heart :heart :heart :heart :heart :heart :heart :heart :heart :heart
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Love that album :heart :tup
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7. Jane's Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual (1990)
(https://www.kevchino.com/graffix/releases/janes-addiction_ritual.jpg)
Genre: Alternative Rock/Progressive Rock (second half of the album)
Jane's Addiction has been one of my biggest addictions lately, and the band has skyrocketed from a band I really liked, to one of my very favorite bands. I tend to change my mind very often about their best album, because Ritual De Lo Habitual and Nothing's Shocking are both pretty flawless albums in my book, and I love them both. I'm gravitating a bit more towards the former though, because it takes the best aspects of Nothing's Shocking and keeps building on it. Jane's Addiction was one of the biggest alternative bands of the late 80's/early 90's, but sadly they have gotten a lot of their career ruined by break-ups, drugs and douchebaggery as a result of the drugs. As a result, the band has only put out 4 albums after being a band for roughly 25 years, so it's a shame they had a lot time go to waste, when they could have made more awesome music. Anyhow, the album starts off pretty rocking, with the first half being more straight forward alternative rock-songs, and the second half of the album being longer, more epic and progressive. One of the main reasons why I love the band so much is Dave Navarro's guitar playing. I would rank him as one of my favorite guitarists, and he puts that in the brightest lights on this album.
The opener, "Stop!" is a classic Jane-song that features some of the grooviest guitars on the album. Just a really good guitarline that drives the song, and some funk thrown into the mix. "Ain't No Right" is another stand out early on, and it has a really awesome bassline, followed by some great guitars and a catchy chorus. "Obvious" is another very underrated song in my opinion, and it has a bit of a middle eastern vibe going on, and is just a really fun song. But the most famous song without a doubt has to be "Been Caught Stealing". If you haven't heard this song before, you probably spent the 90's hiding in your basement, because this song is not only their biggest hit, but also such a classic that used to get a lot of radio-time. It's also in many video games, GTA: San Andreas comes to mind, as well as Rock Band 3. Again, it's a song that has really awesome guitars, and a chorus that is just incredibly catchy. But the best song on the album, and the best song that Jane ever did is "Three Days". Clocking in at almost 11 minutes, I would say this is one of my all time favorite songs without a doubt in my mind. It's a very emotional song that Perry Farrell wrote about a close friend who came out to hang with him, and they spent three days together, and she died from an overdose. The lyrics are haunting and beautiful, and the chorus is one of the most beautiful things I know. "We saw shadows of the morning light, the shadows of the evening sun, till the shadows and the light were one."
The first few minutes of the songs are packed with emotions and really gets your attention, but the ride has just begun. The Dave Navarro-show is about to begin, and he delivers one of my all time favorite guitar-solos. The song goes into progressive/instrumental-land in the middle, and has both incredible guitars, and a really great drum-part that gets you moving. The song ends with a huge guitar-climax once again, and Dave Navarro just brings it. This is not the only brilliant song, as the following song, "Then She Did" is another progressive song that kicks all kind of ass. It's more mellow and melodic, but has some beautiful guitars and just really strong hooks overall. I can't say enough positive things about this album or Jane's Addiction, in my opinion they are a truly unique rock band that are above most other bands. I would want to place this album even higher on my list, and I think if I come back in 6 months, this will most likely be top5. Incredible song-writing, incredible musicians, highly recommend them.
Favorite songs: Three Days, Then She Did, Stop!, Been Caught Stealing, Ain't No Right, Obvious, Of Course.
Wow, that was pretty long. But I love this one. Anyhow, only 6 more to go now. :hat
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Great album. Really fun.
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I've never listened to this band,but you just got me interested,will check out later. Which album is the best for me to start out with?
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I've also never listened to this band but I always see their albums at Goodwill/thrift shops. Got to check them out.
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@Lolzeez - I would say Ritual De Lo Habitual might be your best album to start with. And the second half of the album is more progressive, so you might really like that. :tup
Moving on...
6. Between the Buried and Me - Colors (2007)
(https://www.mp3crank.com/cover-album/Between-The-Buried-And-Me-Colors-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Progressive Death Metal
Next up we have a modern day classic within progressive metal, and an album that can be a bit polarizing. I know there are a lot of people who just love BTBAM to death (myself included), but also several people who have tried and tried, without getting into them. I remember the first time I heard the band, and I actually started with this album. It was a lot to take in, and at the same I didn't listen to much music with harsh vocals (with the exception of Opeth), so having a band with mostly harsh parts and few melodic parts made it difficult for me to get into BTBAM. I kept spinning Colors though, because there was something fascinating about the album that I liked, even though the music didn't click. I must have listened to it 4-5 times (once every day) for a few days, but I remember that I had to go away for a week with my family. I'm not sure if the songs "grew" in my subconscious when I was gone, but when I got back home and listened to it again, it just clicked. A big "wow"-moment, because I was finally able to appreciate the album as much as a lot of other people did.
I believe this album stands above all other progressive metal albums, because it's just such a well crafted work of art. The amount of details and how well the album flows together is incredible. The album is basically like a 65 minute song, but divided into 8 songs for convenience. The album starts off very calm and peaceful with "The Backtrack" (one of my favorite intro-songs), but soon explodes into heavy territory with "Decade of Statues". While the album is incredibly strong as a whole, the middle-section is the biggest highlight for me personally. "Sun of Nothing" and "Ants of the Sky" are two incredible 10+ minute songs that both have heaviness, creative and fun instrumental changes and lots of weird things. "White Walls" is another majestic song that ends the album with a big bang, and manages to be as epic as a closing song should be. When the album finally is over, it's like you've been crushed by a tidal wave. I highly recommend this album if you like progressive metal, and I also highly recommend you to give it more than a few listens, if it doesn't click. There is so much to appreciate on this album.
Favorite songs: Ants of the Sky, Sun of Nothing, White Walls, The Backtrack.
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:hefdaddy
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Loveless wouldn't be nearly that high on my list (spoiler!), but it's an interesting album and worth hearing.
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had been awaiting the BTBAM entry. :hefdaddy
at this point,i think i can only guess one of the top 5 (something from 1995, me thinks). maybe if i tried harder, i could come up with a 2nd prediction.
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Loveless wouldn't be nearly that high on my list (spoiler!), but it's an interesting album and worth hearing.
It was 7 spots higher on mine. :biggrin:
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@Zantera Will be listening right after I'm done posting this. :biggrin:
Nice choice by the way! I just finished writing my own write up for this yesterday. (SPOILERS!!!!)
Anyways I was gonna make some pretictions and check out your last.fm page and saw that you took your top 50 out your description. :rollin
Well I still am predicting F***** from *******z* :biggrin: (Censored cause nobody likes spoilers. And yes Zantera,I looked at your Last.Fm at times to decide which bands to get into. :rollin)
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Colors is fantastic. I really should listen to it more often.
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Colors is fantastic. I believe it was #6 on my list as well, but I could be misremembering.
Edit: Nevermind, more like 14. It would definitely be way higher now. That albums sounds fresh every time I hear it.
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Glad to see the love! :D And lolzeez, obviously I had to take the list off! haha
Entering the top 5 now!
5. Sigur Rós - ( ) (2002)
(https://www.patrickcatanzariti.com/musicvacancy/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/sigurroscover.jpg)
Genre: Post-Rock/Ambient
( ), also known as "Untitled" or "Parentheses", is the third album by Icelandic post-rock gods, Sigur Rós. While some people prefer Agaetis Byrjun or even Takk (those are both amazing albums), I've always levitated more towards ( ). It was the album that truly blew me away, and it has become one of my all time favorite albums, hence the fifth spot. The concept or idea of having 8 untitled songs on an untitled album, with the lyrics being in hopelandic (a made up language that is jibberish), might be really pretentious or off putting to some people, but I've always loved that approach. Basically the music has to speak for itself, and you have no words or lyrics to go by, even though hopelandic doesn't feel very different to icelandic for someone who doesn't speak the latter. This album works perfectly for both speakers and headphones, but I tend to listen to it in headphones during winter days when it's really snowy and dreary outside. There is something about the atmosphere in the music that captures your attention, and their creative ways of making music combined with the unique voice of Jonsi, makes Sigur Rós one of the most unique bands around in this day and age. I think either you will "get" the band, and love the beautiful music they do, or you have no soul. :biggrin:
The album has 8 songs, and I guess you could say the first half and second half are different. The first half is a bit lighter and the second half is darker and feels more like a deserted wasteland or something. It's hard to explain this by pointing at the songs, but it's very obvious in the sound and atmosphere of the songs, and you will probably heard it right away. When I first heard the album, I noted on the fifth track that the sound was different from the four previous songs. The pacing of the album is pretty slow, and Sigur Rós really loves to take their time to set up the songs, so that they will ultimately pay off big time in the end. A song like "Untitled III" is instrumental, and has this pretty basic piano-line as the foundation. The whole song almost revolves around this piano-line, but not only is it one of the most beautiful piano-lines you will hear, but how they alter it and the things they do around it is just magical. One of my all time favorite instrumentals without a doubt. "Untitled VII" is possibly my favorite Sigur Rós song, and it's very dark, bleak and gives you images of deserted wastelands. It really takes it's time to build up, but the ending is really intense, and the last big climax of the song is just a work of art. "Untitled VIII" is another fan-favorite and another amazing song, that closes the album in the most epic way possible. The song builds up to the biggest climax on the album, and again, another really intense moment.
( ) is a truly unique and wonderful album, and Sigur Rós has managed to create something classic with this album. It's one of those albums I hope everyone gets to hear in their life, because they have something very "down to earth" in their sound, and that is what I love the most about them. I feel like they are these friendly and nice people from Iceland who have almost been isolated from the rest of the world, so they have been doing things their own way, and even when they became a huge success internationally, it wasn't like they started to see what other bands did to rip that off. Instead they continued doing their thing, and that charm is still there. Going to see them live for the first time in November, and I am so excited about it. I feel blessed in a way. :angel:
Favorite songs: Untitled VII, Untitled III, Untitled VIII, Untitled II, Untitled VI.
4 more to go!
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Amazing album. But I slightly prefer Agaetis Byrjun. Svenf-g-englar is the biggest reason why. :biggrin:
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Amazing album. But I slightly prefer Agaetis Byrjun. Svenf-g-englar is the biggest reason why. :biggrin:
This.
Edit: Oh and Colors is awesome too :tup
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Hell yeah Colors! :metal
Also hell yeah for ( )! :hefdaddy
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Oh and Untitled III is Top 5 Sigur Ros for me. Love that song.
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Amazing album. But I slightly prefer Agaetis Byrjun. Svenf-g-englar is the biggest reason why. :biggrin:
I agree with this. I think I may also prefer Takk over it too.
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I probably prefer Agaetis, but Agaetis and ( ) are by far their two best for me.
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Spread the love. :heart Love leads to fear, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate.
4. Converge - Jane Doe (2001)
(https://www.invisibleoranges.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/converge-janedoe-cover-300x300.jpg)
Genre: Hardcore Punk/Metalcore
"These floods of you are unforgiving
Pushing passed me spilling through the banks
And I fall"
"Jane Doe" is the fourth album by the American hardcore punk/metalcore band Converge. The album is a journey into anger, hate, fury and rage, the album explores a ton of different emotions with an impact as strong as getting hit in the face with a brick. I would argue that Converge is the heaviest and most extreme band I listen to. I would say that there are probably bands who are heavier (from an objective view), but the pacing, the heaviness and the vocals of Jacob Bannon results in a very unique sound, where Converge sounds constantly pissed off. It's like if you just had your worst day off your life, and the rage-level is maxed out, and you just take all your anger out on the world. The album is like a bulldozer of anger and other emotions that destroys walls and completely knocks you back. It's such a sonic experience, and one of the most powerful albums I've had the joy of hearing. It's intense, heavy, fast and at times almost disturbing, but it has so much passion and emotions, and it truly deserves it's spot so high on this list. In fact, it could just as easily have been nr1 or 2, or 3.
The album starts off with one of the band's shorter songs, "Concubine" clocking in at 1:19. The song has become a Converge-classic despite the short length, and it features a great intro, some crazy screaming from Jacob Bannon and another guitar-riff that has the sickest groove ever. The song almost ends before it started, but sets up the following song "Fault and Fracture" in a perfect way. Fault and Fracture is actually my current alarm-song on my phone, so I wake up to that intro every morning. Nothing like waking up to the disturbing chaos of Converge. The first three songs are very fast, angry and heavy, but the fourth song, "Hell to Pay" slows the tempo down a bit, and is more experimental and has a different vibe. But if this shit is too calm for you, don't worry. We soon get back on track with more heavy songs that will make you want to kill puppies and hurl objects around the room. (Luckily you wont) The biggest stand-out for me is the title-track, "Jane Doe" which is the last song on the album, and clocks in at over 11 ½ minutes. It's packed with emotions, very heartfelt but also really heavy at the same time. The main riff/part that kicks off right from the intro is just one of my favorite music sections in any song ever, and the chorus is clean, melodic and beautiful. Over these 11 ½ minutes, the song keeps building and gets more and more intense, and the final climax leaves you emotionally drained and exhausted. My dad compared this whole album with someone having a tantrum and taking out all their anger and hate on the world, and the last minutes of the title-track being that moment when they "come to peace" with themselves again, and everything goes back to normal.
It's funny to have this album after Sigur Rós posted before, since they are pretty much polar-opposites. Where Sigur Rós is beautiful, slow, calm and melodic, Converge is dark, angry, filthy and chaotic. Two great albums to listen to back-to-back for some diversity, haha. Anyhow, this album started out as an album that was perfect to listen to when I was angry, but now I can listen to it at any time. I wouldn't just say it's my favorite metal-album of all time, but I hold it very close to my heart as you can see. It's incredibly heavy and might even be off putting in how abrasive it is, and if you (like me) go into the album without much experience in really extreme metal (not talking Opeth or that kind of stuff), then you might almost be chocked at first. But give it time, it might really grow on you. Some of my all time favorite riffs are on this album, and it's just a really intense listen.
Favorite songs: Jane Doe, Concubine, Fault and Fracture, Thaw, Homewrecker, Distance and Meaning.
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I love Angel dust, but I'm not familiar with the last couple of choices.
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Jane Doe is amazingly brutal. I love it.
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Great pick! Converge are one of my favorite hardcore bands.
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I can see what people like in Converge. I just find it too extreme for myself. (I liked the new Dillinger though...)
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So I took a listen to Amplifier and it was awesome, loved the record.
Then I listened to Vheissu and I didn't like it, it's the only album of Thrice's that I haven't heard and to me it's the weakest, nothing seemed to pull me in. Red Sky is a godly song though.
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yessssss :heart :heart
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Cool to see some love. Too bad you didn't like Vheissu, Reaper.
Entering the top3!
3. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (2000)
(https://rymimg.com/lk/f/l/121c0276d111c183412565f573abc580/3923128.jpg)
Genre: Post-Rock
GYBE is a music collective from Canada, and are generally considered the best or biggest band within the post-rock scene. Their music is instrumental, has very long song lengths (on this album all songs are over 18 minutes, though there are only 4 of them) and often use samples to creative atmosphere. The band is very unique because they have a lot of members, 9 or 10 on this album I believe. They like to take their time with their music, and they are masters at knowing exactly how long a certain melody or riff should go on, to squeeze out 100% of it. While some people have F#A# Infinity as their favorite GYBE-album, me and others have Lift Your Skinny Fists. While both albums are 5 out of 5 albums for me, I just prefer this one by small margins. Hard to put my fingers on them, but it has a few songs I just love slightly more, and my favorite GYBE-song, "Storm".
Storm is the first song on the album and clocks in at just over 22 minutes. The first 6 or 7 minutes are some of my favorite minutes in music ever, and the melody line and how it builds up just blows my mind every time I hear it. One of the best ways of opening an album, and it just gets me into the album straight away. The song calms down after that, but slowly builds up towards the second climax, which is also brilliant. The song ends with a long ambient/noise/drone-ish part that is pretty calm and flows into the next song, "Static" perfectly. The third song, "Sleep" is another big standout on the album. "They don't sleep anymore on the beach" a man says, as the song slowly starts. The main riff of Sleep is the big highlight for me, and how the band manages to utilize it 100% before they move on is perfect. GYBE structures their songs in very interesting ways, and there are usually two or three climaxes within each song. There are often quiet parts between these climaxes, so the songs have a really nice flow to them. The music gets really intense and climatic, and then goes down again to a calmer state.
Lift Your Skinny Fists and GYBE in general is a top3 band for me, and this is one of my most played albums ever. I just can't get enough of the band, and I was lucky enough to get to see them live just two weeks ago. One of the best shows I have attended, and the band was incredible live. Not much more to say, I highly recommend this album.
Favorite songs: Storm, Sleep, Static, Antennas to Heaven (that's all of them!)
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Good album, but I prefer Yanqui and F#A#Infinity by a fair margin. While I really like Storm and Sleep, the other two tracks feel a little weaker to me, whereas those two are perfect start to finish.
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Perfect album. My favourite Godspeed changes between that and F#A# a lot but it's been that one for a while. Sleep is definitely one of their top 3.
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My favorite GBYE album and one of my all time favorite post rock albums. :hefdaddy
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My favorite GBYE album and one of my all time favorite post rock albums. :hefdaddy
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Everyone seems to rave about Sleep. Storm is where it's at.
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"Storm" is awesome, but "Static" fights it for the top spot.
I could never really get into "Antennas to Heaven" like the other tracks though. Still, fantastic album and probably my favorite from Godspeed.
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I appreciate the pacing of this thread :tup
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Well, other people have lists they want to do as well, and there's no reason for me to drag it out. :) I can spare 30 minutes per day on write-ups and so on. This ends tonight!
2. The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/619NQ9UGBLL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Genre: Alternative Rock
At number two, here is "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" by The Smashing Pumpkins. It's not easy to make an incredible double album, but there are some who pull it off magnificently, and there have been a few others already on my list, and Mellon Collie is another one. The album feels very fresh because it has a lot of variety in the songwriting, and there are a few songs that are almost progressive, there's also shorter songs that are really heavy, but also a lot of calmer songs as well. The album has many of the band's biggest hit-songs, such as: "Tonight Tonight", "Zero", "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" and "1979", but apart from those obvious hit-songs, I've always appreciated the more 'underrated' songs in a band's category, no matter the band. The hit-songs are often very straight forward in how good they are, and while all these songs I mentioned are fantastic songs, I feel like the true highlights on the album are some of the other songs. The Smashing Pumpkins is mainly alternative rock, though Billy Corgan as a songwriter likes to try out new things, and as a result, you get a two hour album that spans across many genres.
The album starts off with the classic album-theme of Mellon Collie, which leads into "Tonight Tonight" perfectly. With the beautiful use of strings, that song is one of their best hits without a doubt. It's catchy, has great melodies and is just a strong song overall. "Zero" is another classic that has one of the heavier riffs in the band's discography, and it will rock you. While the first half/two thirds of the first disc is really good, I feel like the last third is the big highlight for me. "Cupid De Locke" is a beautiful short little tune with dreamy guitars and melodies, and the kind of song that makes me dream of an island out at sea, somewhere in the pacific. "Porcelina of the Vast Oceans" is my biggest highlight of the first disc. It clocks in at almost 9 ½ minutes and is one of the more progressive songs on the album. With an amazing main riff and chorus "Without a care in this whole world" the song has a really solid foundation. Overall it's a fairly calm song that escalates towards the chorus, but it's just a fantastic and well crafted song, and one of my favorite Pumpkins-songs.
The second disc however is my favorite. It opens with "Where Boys Fear to Tread" which has one of the grooviest riffs in their discography. While they might have riffs that are technically heavier, the groove of this "main"-riff results in that it sounds so heavy. An amazing way of opening the second disc for sure. "1979" is another hit song from the first half of the disc, and I can see why it's such a classic, it's a really amazing song. We soon get to one of my favorite songs on the album, and one of their best songs overall: "Thru the Eyes of a Ruby". The song is over 7 ½ minutes, starts off with a calm piano melody, but soon builds up to the main melody of the song. It's an incredible song, and again, has a little bit of progressive ideas going on. Amazing strong chorus, great melodies and strong verses. "X.Y.U" is another favorite that clocks in at over 7 minutes. I would say this is their heaviest song. It's so groovy, and the main-riff (and the way it is repeated is just amazing), and how it builds up during the song is incredible. Very intense, heavy and how Billy's vocals change during the song is interesting as well. He starts off singing it pretty normally, but by the end when it goes into crazy-mode, he just screams his lungs out. The ending takes it down in tempo but becomes even heavier, and that bass is thick enough to break down walls with. The last song, "Farewell and Goodnight" is probably my favorite song on the album though. It's very easy and simple, with an acoustic guitar and vocals being almost the only thing going on. The whole band sings a few lines each, and it gives you that image of the band sitting around a campfire and just playing the song. While James Iha sings on a few songs in the band's catalog, it's really nice to get to hear D'arcy and Jimmy sing some vocals as well. It's a really emotional, beautiful and sweet ballad, and the simplicity of the song works in it's favor. The song ends with the same piano-theme that opened the album up.
Overall I must say that this is very very close to actually being my number 1. I would consider Smashing Pumpkins to be my favorite -active- band, and this album is their biggest masterpiece for me. If you are into rock music, I highly recommend this album. Even if alternative rock is not your main genre you're interested in, this album has something for everyone musically.
Favorite songs: Thru the Eyes of a Ruby, Farewell and Goodnight, X.Y.U, Where Boys Fear to Tread, 1979, Porcelina and the Vast Oceans, Tonight Tonight, Cupid De Locke, Muzzle, Love.
Number 1 will be posted tonight!
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Best Smashing Pumpkins album. No contest.
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Everyone seems to rave about Sleep. Storm is where it's at.
Sleep and Storm seem to be the two runaway favourites. Storm was mine at first, but Sleep slowly overtook it.
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Can't get too into this band for some reason. I should give them another chance sometime.
Everyone seems to rave about Sleep. Storm is where it's at.
Sleep and Storm seem to be the two runaway favourites. Storm was mine at first, but Sleep slowly overtook it.
Same for me.
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F#A#Inf > Lift Yr. But seriously, both are absolutely fantastic. I like the diversity in your list and especially in the top 10, though I can't really say I enjoy every single album in there. Also, everyone knows what #1 is going to be :biggrin:
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Well I still am predicting F***** from *******z* :biggrin: (Censored cause nobody likes spoilers. And yes Zantera,I looked at your Last.Fm at times to decide which bands to get into. :rollin)
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Mellon Collie to me is one of the weakest Smashing Pumpkins release. It had maybe one disc's worth of memorable songs.
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Siamese Dream is my favourite. Mellon Collie is good too though.
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I'm trying Converge once again and while a couple of songs is alright, a whole album full of that stuff is too much for me.
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Try listening to it when you're pissed right off. It helps imo. :lol
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I'm trying Converge once again and while a couple of songs is alright, a whole album full of that stuff is too much for me.
Same for me. It's incredibly overwhelming.
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I think Jane Doe can be a tricky album to start with as it is pretty extreme, but you might have more luck with any of their other albums, like All We Love We Leave Behind, Axe to Fall or You Fail Me. Overall I consider them to be one of my favorite bands, and they have many really strong albums, so might be worth checking out the others.
Also, I would like to thank everyone for following the list and posting comments. Hopefully someone will find some new music they like through the list. I won't drag this out too long, most of you probably already knew it, but here it is:
1. Oceansize - Frames (2007)
(https://www.soundofviolence.net/Reviews/originals/Oceansize%20-%20Frames.jpg)
Genre: Progressive Rock/Post-Rock/Art Rock
I remember the first time I heard this album, and Oceansize in general. This was back when I was a prog snob and quite a douche, and I quickly dismissed the band as being a "poor man's porcupine tree". Oh boy, if anyone ever invents a way to travel back in time, I would punch my younger self in the face. :lol This was back in 2008 I believe. But 2 years later the band released a new album, "Self Preserved..." which I checked out, and fell in love with. I checked out the previous albums but left Frames until last, because I remembered not being too crazy about it from the earlier experience, and I was afraid that if I went back, I would still dislike it. After slowly giving the other albums time and falling in love with everything the band had made, it was obviously inevitable to avoid Frames for much longer. I loved the other three albums so much, and maybe this would be that one album that just wasn't as good as the rest. I finally sat down to listen to it again, and boy oh boy was I blown away by it. It was like a final piece of a puzzle, and everything just sort of made sense all of a sudden.
I think what makes Oceansize my favorite band is their unique sound, and how well they balance certain elements from genres. They have progressive elements in their music, they have post-rock elements in their music, and everything from alternative rock to metal thrown into the mix. Their balance of these genres is just a perfect hit for me, and the music appeals to me on many different levels. Some songs are rocking, others are beautifully constructed with some of my favorite music sound landscapes ever made. It's the diversity and the ability to make songs that sounds very different to each other, but in the whole picture they make sense. Frames for me is the band's best album, because it has all the best elements of the band, and even though the other three albums (and the EPs) are incredible as well, this one just stands above them.
The opening-song, "Commemorative 9/11 T-Shirt" is possibly the most progressive song on the album. The rhythm of the intro/main-riff is really sweet, and the song opens up the album in a fantastic way. An incredible song, and it fades into the second song, "Unfamiliar" in a perfect way. This one is a bit shorter, but has a lot of changes and different ideas for a 6 ½ minute song, and it keeps you interested throughout. The third song, "Trail of Fire" is one of the big highlights on the album. With a piano-line that is incredibly beautiful, the song also goes through many different phases and changes, and has a very "natural" way of progressing as a song. The fourth song is another favorite of mine, "Savant". It's a beautiful song filled with emotions, and has an amazing string arrangement towards the end. One song that some people tend to like less than the others is "Sleeping Dogs and Dead Lions", but I love that song to bits. It's the heaviest song on the album and has an almost Meshuggah-sounding riff and a pretty intense chorus/heavy part. To me, it's a song that works perfectly on the place it has on the album, and the way it leads into the last song, "The Frame" is awesome. The Frame is another favorite of mine, and has some incredible lyrics, and is just an emotional journey overall. A lot of really memorable lines like "I am not the picture now, I am the frame" and "Time won't change a thing when I'm gone".
Overall just an incredible album, and every song has it's own special place in my heart. But I guess you already knew that. :hat
Favorite songs: The Frame, Savant, Trail of Fire, Unfamiliar, Commemorative 9/11 T-Shirt, Only Twin, An Old Friend of the Christy's, Sleeping Dogs and Dead Lions and Voorhees if you have the special edition. (that's all of them!)
So yeah, thanks for following. Was fun.
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Great album. Only song that I don't like is the Nu-Metal song.
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Well, other people have lists they want to do as well, and there's no reason for me to drag it out. :) I can spare 30 minutes per day on write-ups and so on. This ends tonight!
2. The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/619NQ9UGBLL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Genre: Alternative Rock
At number two, here is "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" by The Smashing Pumpkins. It's not easy to make an incredible double album, but there are some who pull it off magnificently, and there have been a few others already on my list, and Mellon Collie is another one. The album feels very fresh because it has a lot of variety in the songwriting, and there are a few songs that are almost progressive, there's also shorter songs that are really heavy, but also a lot of calmer songs as well. The album has many of the band's biggest hit-songs, such as: "Tonight Tonight", "Zero", "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" and "1979", but apart from those obvious hit-songs, I've always appreciated the more 'underrated' songs in a band's category, no matter the band. The hit-songs are often very straight forward in how good they are, and while all these songs I mentioned are fantastic songs, I feel like the true highlights on the album are some of the other songs. The Smashing Pumpkins is mainly alternative rock, though Billy Corgan as a songwriter likes to try out new things, and as a result, you get a two hour album that spans across many genres.
The album starts off with the classic album-theme of Mellon Collie, which leads into "Tonight Tonight" perfectly. With the beautiful use of strings, that song is one of their best hits without a doubt. It's catchy, has great melodies and is just a strong song overall. "Zero" is another classic that has one of the heavier riffs in the band's discography, and it will rock you. While the first half/two thirds of the first disc is really good, I feel like the last third is the big highlight for me. "Cupid De Locke" is a beautiful short little tune with dreamy guitars and melodies, and the kind of song that makes me dream of an island out at sea, somewhere in the pacific. "Porcelina of the Vast Oceans" is my biggest highlight of the first disc. It clocks in at almost 9 ½ minutes and is one of the more progressive songs on the album. With an amazing main riff and chorus "Without a care in this whole world" the song has a really solid foundation. Overall it's a fairly calm song that escalates towards the chorus, but it's just a fantastic and well crafted song, and one of my favorite Pumpkins-songs.
The second disc however is my favorite. It opens with "Where Boys Fear to Tread" which has one of the grooviest riffs in their discography. While they might have riffs that are technically heavier, the groove of this "main"-riff results in that it sounds so heavy. An amazing way of opening the second disc for sure. "1979" is another hit song from the first half of the disc, and I can see why it's such a classic, it's a really amazing song. We soon get to one of my favorite songs on the album, and one of their best songs overall: "Thru the Eyes of a Ruby". The song is over 7 ½ minutes, starts off with a calm piano melody, but soon builds up to the main melody of the song. It's an incredible song, and again, has a little bit of progressive ideas going on. Amazing strong chorus, great melodies and strong verses. "X.Y.U" is another favorite that clocks in at over 7 minutes. I would say this is their heaviest song. It's so groovy, and the main-riff (and the way it is repeated is just amazing), and how it builds up during the song is incredible. Very intense, heavy and how Billy's vocals change during the song is interesting as well. He starts off singing it pretty normally, but by the end when it goes into crazy-mode, he just screams his lungs out. The ending takes it down in tempo but becomes even heavier, and that bass is thick enough to break down walls with. The last song, "Farewell and Goodnight" is probably my favorite song on the album though. It's very easy and simple, with an acoustic guitar and vocals being almost the only thing going on. The whole band sings a few lines each, and it gives you that image of the band sitting around a campfire and just playing the song. While James Iha sings on a few songs in the band's catalog, it's really nice to get to hear D'arcy and Jimmy sing some vocals as well. It's a really emotional, beautiful and sweet ballad, and the simplicity of the song works in it's favor. The song ends with the same piano-theme that opened the album up.
Overall I must say that this is very very close to actually being my number 1. I would consider Smashing Pumpkins to be my favorite -active- band, and this album is their biggest masterpiece for me. If you are into rock music, I highly recommend this album. Even if alternative rock is not your main genre you're interested in, this album has something for everyone musically.
Favorite songs: Thru the Eyes of a Ruby, Farewell and Goodnight, X.Y.U, Where Boys Fear to Tread, 1979, Porcelina and the Vast Oceans, Tonight Tonight, Cupid De Locke, Muzzle, Love.
Number 1 will be posted tonight!
Zantera, your list rocks of course! I love so much in your top 50. You did a much better job of describing the awesomeness of Mellon Collie than I did (I had to give in and find someone else's words because the album is so overwhlemingly wonderful to me). Great stuff! :hefdaddy
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Great finish to your list! I really enjoyed reading it. :tup
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Awesome list, sir.
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Great list! Working my way through listening to anything I haven't heard already.
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Zantera, has the direct (and indirect?) influence of Friday the 13th the motion picture ever meant much to your appreciation for Frames? I seem to always think about that movie and the whole F13 movie series (originals, not the remakes) seem to come into my head when I listen to Frames.
I remember when Frames was released, there were a few people on the Oceansize fans forum who were tracing not only An Old Friend of the Christie's and Voorhees (the bonus track), but the whole record being based on Friday the 13th. I often imagine a scene from F13 Part 2, with that cop running through the woods while listening to the "Sleeping Dogs with Dead Lions" specifically that Meshuggah-like riff.
I dunno, I have always got some kind of cinematic element when listening to Frames. It may seem a bit obsessive/too-much-time-on-my-hands, but I've actually been curious to try watching Friday the 13th with the sound off/subtitles-on and Frames just to see if anything syncs up. I wouldn't be surprised.
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Have you heard the vinyl playlist of Mellon Collie? It makes the album miles ahead of the CD release since the songs are grouped in a very specific order.
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Really enjoyed this list. I discovered a bunch of new artists and it inspired me to listen to others whose names were familair to me. I've been super busy but I plan on listening to a handful of the albums that are unfamiliar to me sometime soon.
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@SoundscapeMN - I have actually only seen the original (a long time ago) and the remake that came out a few years ago, and Freddy vs Jason if that one counts. But after reading your post I should probably watch the other Friday the 13th movies as well, and see if I notice any connections. :P
@orcus116 - I haven't actually. I do own Mellon Collie on vinyl, but it's the newly released one that came out recently, and that one has the same tracklisting as the CD I believe. Should probably check the alternative track listing out though.
To everyone else, great that you enjoyed the list, and hopefully found something cool. :)