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General => Archive => General Music Archives => Topic started by: Orthogonal on September 04, 2013, 11:19:50 PM
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Howdy folks. I don't know how many people will follow or care about this list, but it will be fun to lay it all out so here goes. A quick bio for anyone that cares. I grew up in a family that didn't care much for music so it was a pretty musically sheltered upbringing. My parent's really only listened to adult contemporary. If it wasn't something like Neil Diamond, Amy Grant or Michael Bolton, I probably wasn't aware of its existence. You could probably count on one hand the number of album's my dad has ever purchased and my mom has done little better. It wasn't until middle school that I really discovered there was more music out there, although even when I did hear it, I wasn't particularly interested so I figured music wasn't my thing.
I distinctly remember in 7th grade going to a school "dance" where they corral the whole student body into a gymnasium and blast the latest pop tunes with a DJ-for-hire for a few hours. That was also my first exposure to Metal, specifically Metallica. I couldn't tell you what song was played since I don't remember, but I do remember my impression of it. Loud, intense and barely listenable. I didn't think much of it at the time and I slowly picked up on the pop and grunge scene over the next few years, but it was a teacher in High School that really turned me on to music. Wish I could remember his name, but it was class in a very large classroom with desks on one side and lab equipment on the other. He had a large speaker system wired throughout the room and on Lab days we would rock out to Mindcrime or Empire (only those two albums for a whole semester). It clicked, and I loved it. I gained a big appreciation for Queensryche and ended up picking up all their albums. It was shortly there after that I discovered the likes of DT, Fates Warning, Savatage and even Metallica. That was about 16 years ago and I've managed to continue expanding in primarily a prog metal direction since.
Even though Prog Metal is my bread-and-butter, I have recently managed to start expanding in two musically divergent area's in the last few years. Specifically, I've gained a tolerance and appreciation for harsh/growling vocals and secondly, I started to enjoy non-metal prog rock. Both tendencies have opened me up to huge new vista's of music experiences. I know I have far to go, but it has been a great ride so far.
I've decided to limit myself 3 album's per artist to keep things interesting. My current catalog is roughly 350 albums and growing rapidly with about 150 of those purchases occurring in the last 18 months thanks to this forum (several even make this list.). The list may be a bit 1 dimensional, but there should be some surprises.
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weird your teacher played only them two albums. not sure how many labs a kid has to do in a semester; i wonder how many kids he drove nuts playin that stuff.
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Following.
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Before I start with the list proper, need to start with some honorable mentions that just missed the cut.
60. Devin Townsend - Deconstruction
Track Picks: Juular, The Mighty Masturbator, Deconstruction
59. Avantasia - The Mystery of Time
Track Picks: Spectres, Savior in the Clockwork, The Great Mystery
58. Spock's Beard - Snow
Track Picks: Made Alive/Overture, Open Wide the Flood Gates, Wind at My Back, 4th of July
57. Fates Warning - Parallels
Track Picks: Eye to Eye, Point of View, We Only Say Goodbye
56. Threshold - March of Progress
Track Picks: Ashes, Staring at the Sun, The Rubicon
55. Ayreon - 01011001
Track Picks: Age of Shadows, Liquid Eternity, Newborn Race, Unnatural Selection, The Sixth Extinction
54. Anathema - Weather Systems
Track Picks: Untouchable Part 1, Untouchable Part 2, Lightning Song, The Storm Before the Calm
53. Savatage - Edge of Thorns
Track Picks: Edge of Thorns, He Carves His Stone, All That I Bleed
52. Sonata Arctica - Reckoning Night
Track Picks: Don't Say A Word, Wildfire, White Pearl Black Oceans, Shamandalie
51. Muse - Black Holes and Revelations
Track Picks: Starlight, Map of the Problematique, Assassin, City of Delusion, Knights of Cydonia
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Will be following. Some nice honorable mentions you put there so this list better be good.
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yay, can't wait for this list.
I have 6 of your HM's (#'s 58 - 53) and they are all awesome.
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I have all ten of those. Of course we won't agree on order and all that, but those are all solid or better albums. Parallels is a top 10 album for me, it never gets old.
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Cool, look forward to following. Too bad Weather Systems didn't make the top 50!
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Following. :tup
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Let's get it on
50. Live - Throwing Copper [1994]
(https://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k249/MagnificentX/live-throwing-copper-420x420.jpg)
Track Picks: Selling the Drama, I Alone, Iris, Lightning Crashes, All Over You
This album has the distinction of being the first CD I ever bought. Picked it up off a friend for $5 in middle school. When I brought it home I hid it in my room because I wasn't sure what my parents would think of it (both the music and the cover art). I didn't even own a CD player at the time. I already heard several of the songs on the radio, but I eventually got around to listening to it on my parents stereo system. It was the only CD I had for many months, but I listened to it a lot. Had I discovered it now, I probably wouldn't appreciate it as much, but it holds a special place in my heart. It's a solid Alternative Rock album with several hit singles. I still remember being taken aback by the heaviness of the lyrics and emotion in the beautiful Lightning Crashes. It was a great new experience to have. The album has a lot of great tracks that still hold up well today.
Why it should be ranked lower: This album is riding on a lot of nostalgia.
Why it should be ranked higher: It shouldn't. This is a good place to start things off.
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49. Kamelot - The Black Halo [2005]
(https://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr250/Ancellot/kamelot-blackhalo.jpg)
Track Picks: March of Mephisto, When the Lights Are Down, Moonlight, Momento Mori, Serenade
A great album that was a natural progression and story continuation over the previous couple of efforts. Opening with a slow building and powerful rocker March of Mephisto, it is off to a great start. Featured guest Shagrath adds an extra vocal dimension (harsh) with his portrayal of Mephisto. The album weaves through the soft and melodious to all out metal treating the listener to a sonic treat. It all builds to the centerpiece track Momento Mori which is both the story and musical climax. A great track that starts with Roy Khan singing over a classical piano, then the full band comes in with a thematic instrumental section before turning into a prog rocker. There's even some great vocal interplays between the harsh vocals of Shagrath and Mari Younglblood. Overall, I was really impressed with Roy Khan. This is arguably his best work behind the mic.
Why it should be ranked lower: The story/concept could have been stronger with more interaction between characters and guest vocalists.
Why it should be ranked higher: It's a solid album all the way through, there are no weak tracks
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WOAH DUDE WEATHER SYSTEMS IS LIKE THE BEST THING WHY SO LOW
no but seriously good start thus far, I've always enjoyed Live.
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WOAH DUDE WEATHER SYSTEMS IS LIKE THE BEST THING WHY SO LOW
no but seriously good start thus far, I've always enjoyed Live.
I think if I did this list in another year or two it could rank much higher. Anathema is a fairly recent discovery of mine. I really enjoy about 2/3's of Weather Systems and think the rest is just ok so it wasn't quite enough to make the cut.
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Following. Funny, for some reason I thought you were a teenager??? This is gonna be my kinda list. Live wasn't quite my thing in the 90s. I'm 6/12 so far.
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Throwing Copper is one of the greatest albums ever, it's incredible. Your honorable mentions are amazing too. I'm 10/12.
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Following. Funny, for some reason I thought you were a teenager???
Some good albums listed already. Like these:
59. Avantasia - The Mystery of Time
Track Picks: Spectres, Savior in the Clockwork, The Great Mystery
57. Fates Warning - Parallels
Track Picks: Eye to Eye, Point of View, We Only Say Goodbye
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Throwing Copper is an intense album. It is on my list if I ever get to do it. It might get some flack for being so mainstream popular, but there's a reason it's so popular.
Stage has one of the all-time mindblowingly-cathartic moments going from the bridge into the solo. But the average level of the songs is so high and it's such a consistent album. Nothing to be ashamed of at all.
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48. Queensryche - Promised Land [1994]
(https://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc313/Queen_of_the_Reich/general%20interest/641.jpg)
Track Picks: I Am I, Bridge, Promised Land, One More Time
A great album by the boys of the 'Ryche. It was the most dramatic departure in terms of style and song-writing to date. Being much darker and less overtly commercial than previous outings it was fairly polarizing among fans upon release. It was a criminally underrated album for a long time, but in hindsight with respect to their output over the next going-on 20 years, it has, for the most part, received its just due recognition from the fanbase. The whole album has an air of "experimental" flowing through it, but is focused enough to not feel like a disjointed conglomeration of disparate songs. "I Am I" is the first real song and stands out as a very heavy and unique track that really sets the tone for the rest of the album. The title track is an epic (in QR terms) that is a must listen for anyone. "Someone Else?" and "Out of Mind" are great ballads and softer tracks to balance out the rest of the album.
Why it should be ranked lower: The album is consistently good, but seems to be missing a stand out track that the band is "known for"...
Why it should be ranked higher: but that doesn't matter, this is a gem that is worth more than the sum of its parts.
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47. Cloudscape - Global Drama [2008]
(https://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g17/KoRnFreak87/Music/Album_Covers/globaldrama500.jpg)
Track Picks: Mind Diary, Darkest Legacy, Alogoas, Static
Here is a solid Prog Metal band in top form as they released their 3rd LP "Global Drama". This is a band that is underrated in most circles and should receive a serious look from all prog metal fans. Musically they share a lot of similarities with band's like Pagan's Mind and Suspyre, but manage to forge their own sonic signature. The most identifiable and enjoyable aspect of their songs is lies on the strength of vocalist Micael Andersson. His rich and almost raspy style is an identifiable and critical component of their sound. The songs are generally more straightforward in their structure and presentation, but the whole band has plenty of chops to keep things interesting. Having said that, it is the brooding and more serious track Alogoas that steals the show. A song about a woman from Africa who is enslaved and has to deal with the physical and psychological ramifications of being in bondage and dreaming of the day, if and when, her children will be freed. Very emotional and a real treat.
Why it should be ranked lower: Doesn't break a lot of new ground
Why it should be ranked higher: Will keep you interested from beginning to end and deserves more praise than its received.
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Promised Land! :hefdaddy
No way it's missing "standout track", I mean, the title track might be their best song, to my mind.
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Promised Land is outstanding!
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What they said ^^
Haven't heard any Cloudscape yet, but they're on the radar. Someday I'm sure I will.
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Solid start, if I ever did a top songs list, Lightning Crashes would rank very, very high.
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You forgot to number 48 & 47.
I Am I is a great song. that moment when the panes of glass circle is unequaled anywhere. I find the album a little too inconsistent, but there is lots of great stuff including Damaged, which you didn't mention, and One More Time is one of the most effective heavy emotional songs I've ever heard. That solo is an object lesson on how to get emotion out of music.
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Good start. I'm 10/14
Interesting thing with the 'why it should be ranked higher/lower' thing
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You forgot to number 48 & 47.
Good catch, fixed.
Interesting thing with the 'why it should be ranked higher/lower' thing
I thought it would be a fun exercise, and it also shows how there's always a bit of a blurry line when comparing favorites.
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Interesting to see Global Drama here. I have it, but I always found it to be a bit boring.
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Another 2 classics here. I think the debut is my fav Cloudscape album, but Global Drama is pretty close behind. Solid metal.
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Another 2 classics here. I think the debut is my fav Cloudscape album, but Global Drama is pretty close behind. Solid metal.
I like the Cloudscape s/t too, but I only picked it up a couple of weeks ago so it is still too fresh in my mind for a top 50, but it could end up there eventually.
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Interesting thing with the 'why it should be ranked higher/lower' thing
I thought it would be a fun exercise, and it also shows how there's always a bit of a blurry line when comparing favorites.
That's indeed the problem with these types of lists. You can't really say which album you like more, especially in the low end of the list. The top 10, for me at least, was pretty easy to establish, but everything apart from that is a bit semi-random.
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46. Our Lady Peace - Clumsy [1997]
(https://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x32/anthony_noy/ourladypeace-clumsy-1997.jpg)
Track Picks: Superman's Dead, Carnival, Big Dumb Rocket, Shaking, Clumsy, The Story of 100 Aisles
This album is just a lot of fun. I had the fortune of seeing them play live once when they opened for Creed (yeah, I know) and they killed it. It was a lot of fun. For the most part the lyrical content is serious but is generally presented in silly way and not to be taken too seriously. The song-writing is more mature than previous album's and manages to carve out a unique signature style for the band. The first track is the single Superman's Dead which is one of the few serious topics which deals with kids and bullying or standing out among your peers. It gets the album off to a good start. The title track Clumsy lives up to its billing and shows real maturity in a "I'm here for you" kind of way. 4 AM is the only ballad on the album and sticks out as a great emotional piece. Carnival is a cool and quirky song with very contrasting verse/chorus changes that keeps you on your toes. Overall, an album everyone owes themselves to check out.
Why it should be ranked lower: In many ways it could be described as a typical 90's alternative rock album.
Why it should be ranked higher: It's just a pleasure to listen too with catchy hook after catchy hook.
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45. Rush - Moving Pictures [1981]
(https://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l101/kreeths/rush_moving.jpg)
Track Picks: Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta, YYZ, Limelight, Vital Signs
Don't really need to say much about this album that isn't already said much better elsewhere. This is a classic album by one of the great prog rock band's of all time. Stand out tracks like Tom Sawyer and Limelight still enjoy regular radio play today. In many ways this is arguably the quintessential Rush album showing a maturity and progression over the course of their careers and peaking to lay this masterpiece on us.
Why it should be ranked lower: For whatever reason, Rush is a band that took me much longer to get into than you'd expect, I feel like I may have shoe-horned it in here a bit.
Why it should be ranked higher: Then again, its sustained critical and commercial success over the last 30+ years probably warrants more. It's not like I don't love the songs here.
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It's a great album. Really hard for me to decide on my favorite Rush album, but Moving Pictures always comes in near the top.
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Being from Canada, I've heard an astronomical amount of both Our Lady Peace and Rush on the radio. I thought OLP had a pretty solid release with their first album, Starseed. IMO, Our Lady Peace and fellow alt rockers Moist, I Mother Earth and Tea Party all released a solid first album. But I think all of those bands seemed to lose abit of their hard rock edge with their subsequent release/s. Clumsy was very much overplayed especially Supermans Dead; which is still to this day shoved down our throats on the radio.
Rush on the other hand rules the world and Moving Pictures is one of the greatest albums of all time.
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i was thinking about Queensryche's Promised Land just this morning, and more specifically, about how its the only queensryche album i know, pretty much at all. considering how much i liked it, i really should have given their other material more of a chance.
Being from Canada, I've heard an astronomical amount of both Our Lady Peace and Rush on the radio. I thought OLP had a pretty solid release with their first album, StarseedNaveed...
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JJ nailed it.
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I wore the crap out of Throwing Copper and Clumsy. Both great albums and they both kicked ass live.
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I was actually really disappointed by Clumsy after their first album. I think Hello Oskar (iirc) is the only track I thoroughly enjoy on that cd. Several others are ok, but not like the debut where I loved every song. One Man Army is an awesome song off their follow-up to this, but I stopped following them after that.
What can you say about Moving Pictures that hasn't been said? Well, I don't like Vital Signs (or any of their other reggae-beat songs). There, I said it. And the live version of Witch Hunt makes the studio version seem lame. Other than that it's awesome.
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Moving Pictures is very good, but nowhere near to be my favourite Rush album.
Our Lady Peace sounds interesting. Can't promise to check them out in a near future though, I have loads of other bands to check out too.
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I prefer Hemispheres a little bit more than Moving Pictures.
Cygnus part 2, The Trees and Villa Strangiatto in just one album (https://www.welpfolks.net/forum/images/smilies/wonder.gif)
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44. U2 - Joshua Tree [1987]
(https://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/33/c6/1372c0a398a051d64240c110.L.jpg)
Track Picks: Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, With or Without You, In God's Country
Chances are you've heard this one, considering it is one of the greatest selling album's of all time with over 25 Million sold to date. This is a bona-fide Hall-of-Fame-5-Star-Best-in-Class pop rock album. It has been played and over-played for years, but for good reason, it is a timeless classic in the pop rock world. I still have fond memories of slow dancing to "With or Without You" at school dances and other times just kicking back on the couch and chilling to "Where the Streets Have No Name".
Why it should be ranked lower: It shouldn't, it's a classic
Why it should be ranked higher: My bias for prog is keeping it down
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43. Savatage - Poets & Madmen [2003]
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61P%2Ba8e3tAL.jpg)
Track Picks: Stay With Me Awhile, Commisar, Morphine Child, Surrender
When I first heard this album I didn't like it, in fact, I hated it. I didn't even make it through the first spin before ejecting the cd, tossing it in the corner and forgetting about it. I don't remember why exactly. Maybe I couldn't deal with Zak moving on or maybe I had Taco Bell for lunch that day, but fast forward a couple of years and I come across it again and decided to give it another chance. This time, I pop it in and was blown away. Wow, now I'm kicking myself for depriving myself of it's awesomeness. Savatage has always been a bit of an acqcuired taste with Jon Oliva's signature talk-singing style, but that was something I was more than accustomed too. At the time, it was clear that this was going to be a transition album with Jon now taking over primary vocal duties and Al Pitrelli's departure for Megadeth (he had some contributions to this record). It's too bad this would be the last we hear from them in 10 years now. The liner notes painted a fairly positive picture of the outlook of the band after signing with Nuclear Blast. Of course, they haven't disappeared, but pushing on with the more commercially successful Trans-Siberian Orchestra brand (which also plays a bit of Savatage now and then), and who can blame them. I wish them the best and am glad they found success but I digress. What about this album? With one fewer guitar player, the song writing is a bit tighter and composed, yet still manages to be a fairly heavy album. Most songs are fairly straight forward rockers, but still fresh and new for a band that has already traversed such a long and winding road. "Morphine Child" is a clear stand out as the most proggy blending numerous different musical styles and influences into an Epic piece. "Man in the Mirror" seems to harken back to the old days as a more classic Savatage tune. The closer "Back to Reason" is a great ballad that ends on a nice note. If you missed Zak behind the mic, like I did, you'll be pleased to hear the bonus track "Shotgun Innocence" for a nice trip down memory lane.
Why it should be ranked lower: There must be some reason why I didn't like it at first.
Why it should be ranked higher: Whether you like it or not, this is the Savatage swan song* and for that it's something special.
*Rumor has it in the Savatage thread they might get back together for one last hurrah and release an EP to formally close this chapter.
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Joshua Tree's first 3 songs stand up there with any album, but it falls off a lot for me after that. It's still a good listen but doesn't make my top 50. WTSHNN is one of the great album openers of all time.
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Excellent description of Joshua Tree.
Savatage has been hit and miss... still trying to totally click with them. I just bought their entire discography within the last couple of years, so it's a lot to digest. But as I said recently in my Oliva vs Stevens poll, "why the hell don't I listen to more Savatage?"
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Like I said in my description, Savatage can be a bit of an acquired taste, and they also changed A LOT over the years as they moved through a few different era's so it's understandable if several album's don't quite stick with you, but for the ones that do, it's addicting.
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Love Savatage and enjoy all of their discs. This one is on the lower end but its still great.
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Red Hill Mining Town :heart
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42. Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape [1997]
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41W9yoCHcjL.jpg)
Track Picks: Monkey Wrench, My Hero, February Stars, Everlong, Walking After You
I was never a big fan of Nirvana, even though I listened to them a fair amount back in the day. However, Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters managed to hit me in a way Nirvana never could. It may feature standard post-grunge tendencies, but this album is composed and memorable. The mid-tempo rockers "My Hero" and "Everlong" may have received some of the most radio play over the years, but it is the gentler "February Stars" and "Walking After You" which provide the necessary balance to the album and allow them to really stand out. "Monkey Wrench" is a fan favorite and very likable in an endearing kind of way. Overall, the album features great production and consistently good hooks to keep anyone entertained.
Why it should be ranked lower: Kind of a trendy pick from back in the day
Why it should be ranked higher: Beats the pants off anything Grohl did in Nirvana
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41. Serenity - Fallen Sanctuary [2008]
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71TrkoYXgxL.jpg)
Track Picks: All Lights Reversed, Rust of Coming Ages, Fairytales, Velatum, Sheltered (By the Obscure)
Here is a very underrated and under-talked-about (I made that up) prog/power metal band that deserves much more attention than it receives. Think the chops of Kamelot with the vocal delivery of Sonata Arctica. Serenity is a band with a very big sound. They have two trademark song-writing tendencies that make them a lot of fun to listen too. First, is the towering melodies and impressive vocals George Nuehauser delivers who can sing circles around Kahn and Kakko (I'd get into too much trouble if I suggested he'd outdo new Kamelot lead Karevik, but I personally think he gives him a run for his money). The 2nd is their penchant for opening songs with Monster intro's, not necessarily on every track, but enough to consistently blow you away. Fallen Sanctuary is their sophomore release which is very similar stylistically to their debut Words Untold & Dreams Unlived, but with a much more mature and focused writing style. The opening track "All Lights Reversed" is a stunning and in-your-face rocker and a very memorable chorus melody. "Fairytales" is a beautiful and enchanting ballad about the heartache of losing someone and seeing them moving on with someone else. The power ballad/rocker "Velatum" is a highlight of the album and an exemplary display of the towering vocals and wall-of-sound sonic assault for which they are known for.
Note: There is some scattered use of harsh vocal's on a few tracks, but it's not featured prominently and is usually lower in the mix for contrast/background.
Check out Velatum (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxt9iv1fyRI&noredirect=1) here.
Why it should be ranked lower: Not the most original music.
Why it should be ranked higher: Hella fun to listen too. I never tire of those killer intro's.
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Serenity is f'n amazing. Nick hooked me on to them, and it was an instant purchase of their discography. All four albums are spectacular!
Foo Fighters... not so much of a fan.
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I like about half of every Foo Fighters album, and this one is no exception. Dave Grohl >>>>>> Kurt Cobain in my book. Plus he's an unabashed Rush fan.
I still have yet to find a power metal band that I can stand though. It's just not my thing I guess.
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The last few updates haven't elicited as much discussion as I would have thought, but that's ok, I'm pretty sure the next few will be a little more exciting.
Here's the rundown so far.
50. Live - Throwing Copper
49. Kamelot - The Black Halo
48. Queensryche - Promised Land
47. Cloudscape - Global Drama
46. Our Lady Peace - Clumsy
45. Rush - Moving Pictures
44. U2 - Joshua Tree
43. Savatage - Poets & Madmen
42. Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
41. Serenity - Fallen Sanctuary
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Haven't gotten into Serenity yet. Heard a few songs on Nick's show, but I'm not convinced.
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Your list is off to a good start. I like you have some albums considered more commercial on my list, so it's good to see people appreciating good music and not being too elitist about it.
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40. Angra - Rebirth [2001]
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ob3uaS9CL.jpg)
Track Picks: Nova Era, Millenium Sun, Acid Rain, Heroes of Sand, Unholy Wars
Angra is a great prog/power metal band hailing from Brazil. Rebirth is a transition album for the band and hints at the turmoil that went on behind the scenes as they nearly disbanded and in some ways did as this album features a lot of new folks in the line-up, most significantly after the departure of lead singer Andre Matos, we have Edu Falaschi taking over behind the mic. This is also perhaps the greatest evolution in the band's sound from inception and shows them diverging a bit more towards a symphonically driven sound. Starting off with the "In Excelsis" prelude it jumps into the most excellent "Nova Era" which really displays the power Edu can bring to the band. "Millenium Sun" is my personal favorite, a softer song with vocals over piano and eventually cello with the rest of the band and helps display the bands diversity. The album weaves through many different styles and themes including the "Unholy Wars" complete with a tribal chanting and harmonic melodies.
Why it should be ranked lower: A little more prog could have done it well
Why it should be ranked higher: A brilliant comeback from the brink, hits all the right notes.
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39. Beyond the Bridge - The Old Man and the Spirit [2012]
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81luHxSnemL.png)
Track Picks: The Call, Triumph of Irreality, A World of Wonders, Doorway to Salvation, Where the Earth and Sky Meet, All a Man Can Do
Recently I've developed a thing for bands featuring tandem male/female lead vocals. What better way to indulge on this new fetish than with the outstanding debut album from Beyond the Bridge. I could do a write-up for this, but I think the full review from our very own Lonestar is probably a better way to put it, so I'll just link that here. (https://www.ladyobscure.com/albums/beyond-the-bridge-the-old-man-and-the-spirit/)
Why it should be ranked lower: Can an album released just last year really be qualified for Top 50?
Why it should be ranked higher: You bet your ass it can. I see this album creeping up the ranks over the years.
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Two fabulous albums. Old Man was my AOTY for '12. Flawless, absolutely flawless.
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I actually haven't heard Beyond the Bridge before, so I'm listening to it now. It seems really good. Absolutely great musicianship and writing. I think it would have a hard time cracking my top 50 because of the occasional/subtle power metal leanings. Those "faults" are much less present than with other bands though, and given enough time I might be able to embrace it. This is exactly why I like following these top 50 lists; I am bound to find great stuff I've somehow missed.
Thanks!
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:tup I've found lots of good stuff from other folks here too.
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Great last update, and good call on Poets and Madmen - it's my favourite Savatage album, easily. I can understand that after Zak's vox Jon's way of "singing" takes a while to get used to - maybe I love it so much because it was my first Savatage album as well.
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38. Between the Buried and Me - Colors [2007]
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/516WhEi9VEL.jpg)
Track Picks: Foam Born (A) The Backtrack, Foam Born (B) The Decade of Statues, Ants of the Sky, Prequel to the Sequal, White Walls
WHIIIIITE WAAAAALLLLLS!!!! Killer album from Between the Buried and Me. It was my first exposure to them and it was also around the time I was just beginning to enjoy harsh vocals. Their brand of adult contemporary death metal is the kind of music folks get into when just starting down the more extreme path. Mixing lots of proggy and melodic sections interspersed with gutteral and brutal growling over roaring guitars and drums. Colors is more proggy than previous albums and slightly more mainstream in its approach. The album starts by lulling the listener into a false sense of security with its simple beauty in "Foam Born (A)" and then coming out of no where with bone crunching riffs and growls in "Foam Born (B)" to smack you back into reality. The the album is filled with lots of twists and turns and some incredible displays of musicianship and song-writing. "Prequel to the Sequal" opens with a brilliant proggy and thematic opening before ramping into a more standard rocker. "White Walls" is an epic closer that brings everything to a satisfying conclusion.
Why it should be ranked lower: Did they sell out to be more trendy and accessible?
Why it should be ranked higher: Who are we kidding, this will never mainstream. It's still an awesome experience.
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37. Mastodon - Blood Mountain [2006]
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WN1RAaviL.jpg)
Track Picks: The Wolf is Loose, Sleeping Giant, Capillarian Crest, Colony of Birchmen, Siberian Divide
It took me a while to get into Mastodon's brand of proggy/sludge metal, but even more so is their history of mixing things up and changing their sound considerably over the years from one album to the next. However, once you give it time to digest, it opens up and becomes an amazing band to listen too. Blood Mountain was perhaps the most radical change in their sound from the previous and more extreme metal album "Leviathan" (but this is no less intense). It also routinely gets overlooked by the more proggy "Crack the Skye", but the underrated Blood Mountain deserves some love and praise too. Lots of solid tracks and rarely a moment to catch your breath as it's filled with aggressive, thundering passages. I'll spare you more detailed track-by-track analysis since it's music you should really hear for yourself to judge, but if you can handle the heat, give this a shot.
Why it should be ranked lower: Feels a bit like a transition album and a preview to something more.
Why it should be ranked higher: It shouldn't be sold short for what it is, top-notch metal.
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Not a fan of either. "sludge" to describe anything just doesn't appeal to me. And I'm just not a growlie/harsh vocal kinda guy
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It's all good, although, I seem to recall you like several albums that do have some growls in them. Come over to the darkside, it's better over here. :hat
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A LOT of great albums there. Props to you for giving credit to Beyond the Bridge. That album is stellar.
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I came for rororo. I was not disappointed.
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Not a fan of either. "sludge" to describe anything just doesn't appeal to me. And I'm just not a growlie/harsh vocal kinda guy
This is me too. I've tried and tried to give the vocals a chance, and it just turns me off too much. I don't get it. Why are you growling? Might as well do a chipmunks version, it's just as silly. I certainly recognize the musical talent these guys have though, I've given both of these bands a chance.
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Colors is great but not my favorite BTBAM album. Ditto for Blood Mountain.
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It's all good, although, I seem to recall you like several albums that do have some growls in them. Come over to the darkside, it's better over here. :hat
Growls have their place, and when done tastefully and fittingly in the context of the song or album, I can handle them. Flaming Row, The Human Equation and others... it works. When they are the dominant vocal style, like nicmos said, I have tried, but I just can't.
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still following, just rarely visiting. props on BTBAM, Mastodon, and Angra.
not my favorite BTBAM, and my least favorite Edu-era Angra, but blood Mountain has been scientifically proven as the best album by Mastodon, so you nailed that one.
hadnt heard Beyond the Bridge before. checked out some samples and enjoyed.
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36. Pathosray - Pathosray [2007]
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51niXmsK%2BNL.jpg)
Track Picks: Faded Crystals, Scent of Snow, The Sad Game, Strange Kind of Energy
Pathosray is a band hailing from Italy and in 2007 made their mark with their eponymous debut. It has been fairly overlooked and underrated for the most part, but is special album that deserves a look by any true prog metal fan. The best way to describe their sound is Bone Crushing. This album is heavy, but also incredibly melodic and proggy. The vocals give it a strong retro 80's vibe but the music is both fresh and modern. "Faded Crystals" kicks in after the brief piano lead instrumental prelude "Free of Dount" into an all out balls-to-the-wall riffing and aggressive vocals before transitioning to a proggy and soaring melodic chorus and bridge. "Scent of Snow" is a very commercial and accessible tune and also has the strongest old-school feel. "Strange Kind of Energy" is probably the most straightforward track, but stands out with a great chorus and melody.
Why it should be ranked lower: Can be a bit "samey"
Why it should be ranked higher: This is a good spot, the competition is heating up.
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35. Redemption - Snowfall on Judgement Day [2009]
(https://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g17/KoRnFreak87/Music/Album_Covers/Snowfall_on_Jedgment_Day.jpg)
Track Picks: Peel, Walls, Black and White World, Love Kills Us All / Life in One Day
I enjoy Redemption, but they have always seemed like they were just a good band, not a great band, but with "Snowfall on Judgement Day" they knocked it out of the park. Ray Alder delivers an outstanding vocal performance that is arguably his best. "Peel" is an excellent opener that starts out innocent enough before kicking into high gear with corrosive riffing. The album peaks early with the brilliant "Black and White World" delivering a stunning and atmospheric song topped with an excellent concluding outro/chorus. James Labrie makes a brief guest appearance in "Another Day Dies". It's a decent enough song, but as much as I love James, his inclusion is seemingly random and kind of disrupts the flow of the album to that point. The closer and dual song "Love Kills Us All / Life in One Day" is an epic and enjoyable conclusion to 70 minutes of fantastic prog metal.
Why it should be ranked lower: Would have preferred Ray Alder exclusively behind the mic
Why it should be ranked higher: Always sounds fresh, even after repeated listens.
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with "Snowfall on Judgement Day" they knocked it out of the park.
yes. yes they did.
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Somehow I knew Snowfall would show up on this list. It is a great album. A bit relentless at times. I think Alder sounds a bit on the whiny side to be honest, and a little too political in a few places. When I need an dose of Vitamin Chug though, this album does the trick.
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I love James on that song.
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Two great picks there. Unreal how many great power metal bands come out of Italy. Scent of Snow is a killer tune indeed.
Love Snowfall, but it's not my fave Redemption album.
Excellent additions to the list.
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Thanks for all the feedback, it's fun to hear how everyone else responds to these threads.
34. Circus Maximus - Nine [2012]
(https://jimcueva.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/nine.jpg)
Track Picks: Architect of Fortune, Namaste, Reach Within, I Am, Burn After Reading, Last Goodbye
One of the many Dream Theater clone bands making a name for themselves is the plucky Circus Maximus. I shouldn't sell them short by calling them simply a "clone" or wannabe band, because they are brilliant musicians at the top of their craft. "Nine" is the third album by the Norwegian quintet. When I first heard it I wasn't quite sure what to think of it since it is a shift from earlier heavier works into a more commercially accessible approach filled with numerous 4-5 minute songs. It wasn't the album I wanted from them. Once I got over the silly pretense of me thinking what was best for them to do and accepted it for what it is, I loved it. Despite it's more mainstream feel, there are still plenty of progressive elements to keep long time fans happy. After a brief ambient prelude track, it opens with the main event in one of the few longer tracks in the excellent "Architect of Fortune" which begins with a thematic guitar solo taking cues from the eventual chorus melody. "I Am" is a memorable and straightforward rocker featuring some of the best guitar work on the album with a fantastic solo to boot. "Burn After Reading" has an incredible grandiose atmosphere that builds to become the highlight of the album.
Why it should be ranked lower: Some folks may not like the commercial prog approach
Why it should be ranked higher: Very catchy and melodic album that shows true progression in their careers
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33, 32. Big Big Train - English Electric Part 1 [2012], English Electric Part 2 [2013]
(https://www.bigbigtrain.com/pics/covers/ee1.jpg)(https://progcast.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BBTrain.jpg)
Track Picks Part 1: The First Rebreather, Winchester From St. Giles Hill, Judas Unrepentant, A Boy In Darkness, Hedgerow
Track Picks Part 2: East Coast Racer, Worked Out, Keeper of Abbeys, The Permanent Way
*For ranking purposes I considered these one album, but they take up two slots on the list*
One word: Gorgeous. I could probably end the review right there, but I think I should talk about this amazing gem a little bit more. Big Big Train have been around for a while but it was late in their careers that they managed to put everything together and create some magic. Their sound could be described as a modern Genesis, hell, even lead singer David Longden is a dead ringer for Peter Gabriel. This is a pair of album's that just exude quality craftmenship. From the moment "The First Rebreather" plays on your speakers you are delighted to a gorgeous melodically driven piece that will sweep you up in all its glory. It is pretty much a futile effort to pick a favorite track here because I could just as easily say my favorite is whatever is playing at the time. "Judas Unrepentant" has a groovy organ opening that distingushes it from the rest of the album. If I were to pick a favorite of Part 1 then "A Boy in Darkness" would be a contender with it's dark and melancholy opening that eventually transitions into a fun and energetic jazz instrumental bridge. Part 2 kicks things off with an epic 15 minute opener with "East Coast Racer" that lives up to the consistent quality set in part 1. "Keeper of Abbeys" is a very accessible and fun tune that anyone would enjoy. Overall, this a must listen album. It has yet to leave my regular rotation since release and I see it staying there for a long time.
Why it should be ranked lower: Still pretty new to be here right, lots of 2012 albums for some reason.
Why it should be ranked higher: It's an instant classic. This will be moving up the rankings quickly.
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31. Symphony X - The Odyssey [2002]
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61gfRhXPxUL.jpg)
Track Picks: Inferno(Unleash the Fire), Accolade II, King of Terrors, Awakenings, The Odyssey
No Top 50 list featuring progressive metal would be complete without a little Symphony X. "The Odyssey" is great addition to their ever growing discography. Romeo slays on this album and kicks things off with "Inferno" with some wicked and relentless riffing. We're also treated, for better or worse, to vocalist Russel Allen beginning to more commonly use a slightly harsher or raspy vocal delivery. "Accolade II" is a sequel to one of their greatest hits "Accolade" from The Divine Wings of Tragedy that successfully recaptures the magic of the original but expands on some new themes. The album has a solid balance between heavy riffing and thrash oriented songs and the more proggy and melodic that SymX is renowned for. It all builds to a fever pitch near the close of the album with the epic 24 Minute multi-part title track. "The Odyssey" based on Homer's Illiad is a great re-imagining of the tale with top-notch production and professional presentation. It begins with a full orchestra as the rest of the band slowly integrates in a kind of Metallica S&M way. The orchestra is more than just filler, but an extension of the band that helps bring the track to life. It then transitions to acoustic guitar and vocals before moving through many different themes both heavy, soft, bombastic and magnificent.
Why it should be ranked lower: It's the album that starts the transition to more chugga-chugga dominant albums.
Why it should be ranked higher: The title track alone puts it on the Top 50 list, the rest is just gravy.
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30. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I [2012]
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Fqh4W-zZL.jpg)
Track Picks: Tapestry of the Starless Abstract, Forget Not, And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope, As Icicles Fall
This is an amazing debut album by a progressive black metal group. "Portal of I" was a labor of love that was fraught with delay's and nearly breaking up the band, but 5 years after the initial demo's, the world was given this amazing gem. The band is fairly comparable to Opeth in style, but they are unique by way of the inclusion of a Violin as a primary instrument in the band. Similar to Opeth, songs are fairly non-standard structurally and generally travel ample musical territory as they move from one section to the next and largely ignoring the verse/chorus paradigm. Most songs will have a mix of pummeling guitars, blast beats and harsh vocals contrasted with acoustic, folk playing laced with clean vocals. However, I would be remiss to simply label them an Opeth clone because they do some really incredible things with the Violin that elevates the music to a new level. Violin's are not unheard of in the metal world, but their scant use can be fairly gimmicky. In the case of NeO, they use it perfection and carve out a unique signature sound. The album opens with "Tapestry of the Starless Abstract" that immediately grabs your attention and quickly introduces you to their unique brand of black metal prog. It moves from aggressive, to ambient and back and keeps you on your toes till the end. "Forget Not" is a fantastic and creative song that is the most impressive use of Violin on the album, the first 6 1/2 minutes is entirely instrumental before adding clean over harsh vocals and then taking a wild left turn near the end in an intense finale.
The last several minutes of this song may not be for the faint of heart, but at least check out the first half to see how awesome this is. It takes a couple minutes to really get going.
Ne Obliviscaris - Forget Not (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsh9xzTCFRk)
Why it should be ranked lower: Last one from 2012, I promise.
Why it should be ranked higher: My AOTY, this is how a band should make a debut.
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31. Symphony X - The Odyssey [2002]
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61gfRhXPxUL.jpg)
Track Picks: Inferno(Unleash the Fire), Accolade II, King of Terrors, Awakenings, The Odyssey
No Top 50 list featuring progressive metal would be complete without a little Symphony X. "The Odyssey" is great addition to their ever growing discography. Romeo slays on this album and kicks things off with "Inferno" with some wicked and relentless riffing. We're also treated, for better or worse, to vocalist Russel Allen beginning to more commonly use a slightly harsher or raspy vocal delivery. "Accolade II" is a sequel to one of their greatest hits "Accolade" from The Divine Wings of Tragedy that successfully recaptures the magic of the original but expands on some new themes. The album has a solid balance between heavy riffing and thrash oriented songs and the more proggy and melodic that SymX is renowned for. It all builds to a fever pitch near the close of the album with the epic 24 Minute multi-part title track. "The Odyssey" based on Homer's Illiad is a great re-imagining of the tale with top-notch production and professional presentation. It begins with a full orchestra as the rest of the band slowly integrates in a kind of Metallica S&M way. The orchestra is more than just filler, but an extension of the band that helps bring the track to life. It then transitions to acoustic guitar and vocals before moving through many different themes both heavy, soft, bombastic and magnificent.
Why it should be ranked lower: It's the album that starts the transition to more chugga-chugga dominant albums.
Why it should be ranked higher: The title track alone puts it on the Top 50 list, the rest is just gravy.
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30. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I [2012]
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Fqh4W-zZL.jpg)
Track Picks: Tapestry of the Starless Abstract, Forget Not, And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope, As Icicles Fall
This is an amazing debut album by a progressive black metal group. "Portal of I" was a labor of love that was fraught with delay's and nearly breaking up the band, but 5 years after the initial demo's, the world was given this amazing gem. The band is fairly comparable to Opeth in style, but they are unique by way of the inclusion of a Violin as a primary instrument in the band. Similar to Opeth, songs are fairly non-standard structurally and generally travel ample musical territory as they move from one section to the next and largely ignoring the verse/chorus paradigm. Most songs will have a mix of pummeling guitars, blast beats and harsh vocals contrasted with acoustic, folk playing laced with clean vocals. However, I would be remiss to simply label them an Opeth clone because they do some really incredible things with the Violin that elevates the music to a new level. Violin's are not unheard of in the metal world, but their scant use can be fairly gimmicky. In the case of NeO, they use it perfection and carve out a unique signature sound. The album opens with "Tapestry of the Starless Abstract" that immediately grabs your attention and quickly introduces you to their unique brand of black metal prog. It moves from aggressive, to ambient and back and keeps you on your toes till the end. "Forget Not" is a fantastic and creative song that is the most impressive use of Violin on the album, the first 6 1/2 minutes is entirely instrumental before adding clean over harsh vocals and then taking a wild left turn near the end in an intense finale.
The last several minutes of this song may not be for the faint of heart, but at least check out the first half to see how awesome this is. It takes a couple minutes to really get going.
Ne Obliviscaris - Forget Not (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsh9xzTCFRk)
Why it should be ranked lower: Last one from 2012, I promise.
Why it should be ranked higher: My AOTY, this is how a band should make a debut.
Big thumbs up for the English Electrics, amazing records. Haven't heard any of the others, but I think all of them are on my to-buy list.
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The title track to Odyssey is one of the best things I've ever heard
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The title track to Odyssey is one of the best things I've ever heard
Agreed. It's absolutely flawless.
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NeO rulz, brutha.
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Ne Obliviscaris :metal
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Bump.
"Forget Not" is an incredible song. The rest of the album is pretty damn good too.
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Sorry for the delay in updates, I was caught up in listening to DT12 ;D
29. Queensryche - Empire [1990]
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41a6AIzyNcL.jpg)
Track Picks: Best I Can, Jet City Woman, Another Rainy Night (Without You), Empire, Silent Lucidity, Hand on Heart
Follow-up to the groundbreaking "Operation: Mindcrime", Queensryche would release another compelling and successful album in "Empire". More energetic and melodic than it's predecessor, but still pushing forward with an evolution of their trademark style and a sound that is decidedly more mainstream. "Best I Can" kicks things off with the band firing on all cylinders and Tate delivering a powerful performance. "Jet City Woman" is a radio hit with a catchy and sing-a-long chorus. "Silent Lucidity" is their trademark ballad and a fan favorite. The album is incredibly balanced with many different styles and emotions and will leave you satisfied.
Why it should be ranked lower: Maybe a little overly commercial
Why it should be ranked higher: This was a landmark album, pushing their critical and commercial success to its peak.
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28. Circus Maximus - The 1st Chapter [2005]
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DZFQS301L.jpg)
Track Picks: Sin, Alive, Glory of the Empire, The 1st Chapter
The debut album by Circus Maximus is everything you could hope for in a debut and one of the best of 2005. Fans of Dream Theater and Symphony X will be right at home with this beauty. "The 1st Chapter" opens with the up tempo and riff "Sin" before transitioning into the mid-tempo rocker "Alive", both have great melodies and get the listener into a groove before unleashing the incredible "Glory of the Empire". It starts off with a slow acoustic guitar passage with vocals before building into an amazing symphonic prog metal display. The rest of the album stays true to the bar set from the beginning, but the clear standout is the 20 minute title track that will leave you breathless. Very much in the vein of a Symphony X epic track, it transitions from many different themes, both soft and plodding to heavy and aggressive. A track every prog metal fan would enjoy.
Why it should be ranked lower: Some people may not like the religious lyrical content.
Why it should be ranked higher: This is more than just a Dream Theater clone band, these guys have some chops.
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Yes and Yes.
Amazingly, I too had Empire and First Chapter back-to-back (but ranked the other way) on my list... had them slightly higher at spots 25 and 24.
Excellent additions.
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Cool. I vaguely remember that from your list. Great minds think alike. :tup
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I haven't gotten into Empire just yet, I'm afraid. Love seeing the love for Another Rainy Night (Without You) anyways.
Circus Maximus are definately copying DT. I mean, they stole that unicyclist!
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I haven't gotten into Empire just yet, I'm afraid. Love seeing the love for Another Rainy Night (Without You) anyways.
Circus Maximus are definately copying DT. I mean, they stole that unicyclist!
Lol, those plagiarists.
I forgot to say much about Another Rainy Night in my review, but it was one of the songs the initially stuck out to me. This was back before I had any inclination to listen to rock or metal, so it was a catalyst for me picking it up.
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I've never really cared for The 1st Chapter. I think Isolate is about a million times better
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Empire walks that fine line between being commercial, but still not losing their hard rock/metal edge. Smart move, it sold millions and made QR, for a brief moment, a household name.
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I loved seeing the quote in the thread topic, I knew immediately what it was. (shouldn't it be "Like a 10 Ton, um, Heavy Thing?" ;D )
I can't believe you didn't mention Anybody Listening, that song is amazing. The album is commercial-y, yeah, but it doesn't make it less awesome. I have a feeling no one would be calling it commercial if Silent Lucidity hadn't broken through to the MTV crowd, even if all the other songs were the same. This is how to write engaging rock music without sacrificing quality. The production is great too, way better than Mindcrime.
Circus Maximus is always something I want to like and it seems like I should, but just can't get over the hump.
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27. Nightwish - Oceanborn [1998]
(https://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/1d/95/89b6c0a398a0a338de870210.L.jpg)
Track Picks: Stargazers, Gethsemene, Passion and the Opera, The Riddler, The Pharoah Sails to Orion
When I first heard about Nightwish I was intrigued and very skeptical. I wasn't too keen on Female vocalists in rock groups at the time and I was even less interested in an Operatic style vocalist, but I figured I should give this a chance. I picked up "Oceanborn" on a blind purchase to give it a shot and was pleasantly surprised. "Stargazers" comes out of the gates and completely surprises you with symphonic intensity and a powerful, energetic and mesmerizing voice from Targa Turunen. It wastes no time introducing you to what their signature sound would be. "Passion and the Opera" is a fantastic re-imagining of the classic "Phantom of the Opera" which seems like a natural choice. "Oceanborn" manages to have a lot of diversity in the sound space they carve for themselves. The album has several ballads and softer songs which are lovely but don't manage to have the same impact as the harder hitting symphonic metal songs.
Why it should be ranked lower: Seems like they could be just a gimmick
Why it should be ranked higher: Could have been a disaster, but this was executed flawlessly.
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26. Royal Hunt - Paradox [1996]
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41YY5YZF21L.jpg)
Track Picks: River of Pain, Tearing Down the World, Message to God, Long Way Home, It's Over
I don't remember how I came across Royal Hunt, but their 1996 release "Paradox" is a cut above and one of the best of the year. Their coming of age album is also arguably their best. "Paradox" has a grand and cinematic sound that was impressive for an album in the mid 90's. After beginning with a brief prelude "The Awakening" it kicks into high gear with the melodicly driven "River of Pain" and displays the bands signature symphonic prog metal sound that would define them over the years. Vocalist DC Cooper shows impressive range and restraint. The third track "Tearing Down the World" was the track that sold me on them with the high tempo drumming and strong vocals with harmonic backups. It concludes with the Orchestral and grand "It's Over" in an album that seems to end so soon. Bonus tracks "Martial Arts" and "The Final Lullaby" are a nice addition to pad things out.
Why it should be ranked lower: Could have been a little more proggy to take it to the next level.
Why it should be ranked higher: Solid album from top to bottom, every song is a winner.
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26. Royal Hunt - Paradox
Nick and I approve :tup :tup :tup
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Half way point summary:
50. Live - Throwing Copper
49. Kamelot - The Black Halo
48. Queensryche - Promised Land
47. Cloudscape - Global Drama
46. Our Lady Peace - Clumsy
45. Rush - Moving Pictures
44. U2 - Joshua Tree
43. Savatage - Poets & Madmen
42. Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
41. Serenity - Fallen Sanctuary
40. Angra - Rebirth
39. Beyond the Bridge - The Old Man and the Spirit
38. Between the Buried and Me - Colors
37. Mastodon - Blood Mountain
36. Pathosray - Pathosray
35. Redemption - Snowfall on Judgement Day
34. Circus Maximus - Nine
33. Big Big Train - English Electric Part 2
32. Big Big Train - English Electric Part 1
31. Symphony X - The Odyssey
30. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
29. Queensryche - Empire
28. Circus Maximus - The 1st Chapter
27. Nightwish - Oceanborn
26. Royal Hunt - Paradox
How is everyone doing so far?
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17/25, and 10/10 on HM
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16/25
Oceanborn is still part of Nightwish's musical adolescence for me. Tarja is (to some extent) too one-dimensional. Century Child and Once are where it's at.
Paradox... AAA material right there.
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I think the music of Nightwish is really(!) good, but I don't really like the vocals sad to say.
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I own seven of the albums listed, and have heard three or four others.
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4/10 for the HM and 12/25 for the real list.
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Keep 'em coming! Great list so far :hat
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Oceanborn :metal. The first four NW albums are all great.
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To segue into the last half of the list I decided it's a good time to list some bands not featured in this Top 50, but are under-appreciated around these parts and deserve a good look. So, without further ado:
Darkwater - Calling the Earth to Witness Darkwater - Where Stories End
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51U83stND5L.jpg) (https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/611CCpI7prL.jpg)
Songs to Try: All Eyes on Me, Habit, The Play Part 1, The Play Part 2, Tallest Trees, Breathe, Why I Bleed, Fool's Utopia, Without a Sound
Darkwater is a Swedish prog-metal band with influences from Dream Theater, Symphony X and Shadow Gallery. Though not as technical as the aforementioned bands, the debut "Calling the Earth to Witness" is solid prog-metal. Epics like "Habit" and "Tallest Trees" display the most impressive prog attributes with layered and more complex song structures and great catchy melodies. The follow up album "Where Stories End" is a slightly more commercially driven sound, but still remains true to their roots. "Breathe" starts things off with synths before kicking into an uptempo and melodically driven rocker. "Fool's Utopia" is a stand out track that hits on all the right notes.
This is a band that any prog-metal fan would enjoy
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Spheric Universe Experience - Mental Torments Spheric Universe Experience - Anima
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/517STnMpHLL.jpg) (https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51SDu91mljL.jpg)
Songs to Try: So Cold, Now or Never, Mental Torments, Echos of the Stars, Sceptic, The Inner Quest, The Key
Spheric Universe Experience is a prog-metal band from France with blatantly obvious Dream Theater influences. Were it not for vocalist Frank Garcia you'd be forgiven if you didn't think these were Dream Theater records. Having said that, these album's are still very good and worthy of a listen. The debut "Mental Torments" is outstanding with a heavy and rich sound. "So Cold" opens with a memorable synth and vocals section before picking up steam into heavier territory. The title track "Mental Torments" is a 15 minute epic with all the twists and turns you'd come to expect. The follow-up album "Anima" evolves the sound to be slightly more their own, but still continues with the very technical approach and DT inspiration. "Sceptic" opens by showing their heavier side. "The Key" is a longer track that displays their maturity in song writing.
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Those are a couple of excellent albums from Darkwater. I tried SUE once (can't remember which album), but was underwhelmed.
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This is like having someone read back my music library to me :lol
But I'm definitely enjoying it :tup
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I own Calling The Earth To Witness but I've never gotten Where Stories End.
I actually tried to purchase Mental Torments a while back, but Amazon went of stock, and I haven't tried since then.
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I figured there would be a few folks that have a lot of overlap with my lists so no surprises there. Glad to be in good company. Hopefully there are a few new ones that people will check out. Here's my last update for under appreciated band and then back to the grind.
Anubis Gate - Andromeda Unchained Anubis Gate - Anubis Gate
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Songs to Try: Snowbound, Waking Hour, Resurrection Time, The Final Overture, The End of Millenium Road, Hold Back Tomorrow, Re-Formation Show, World in a Dome, Golden Days
Anubis Gate is a fairly recent discovery of mine and a band that I'm surprised doesn't get as much discussion on DTF as I thought they would warrant. They've gone through several line-up changes over the years, particularly at vocals, but they've managed to put out some great work. "Andromeda Unchained" is exceedingly rare on physical CD's these days so head on over to iTunes to get a copy. There's nothing overly technical and many songs follow standard song writing conventions, but they are all tight compositions and have a great heavy and sometimes sci-fi themes. "Snowbound" is immediately accessible and a winner. "The Final Overture" is a clear standout that highlights their best work. The band's most recent album is their self titled work. Still fairly straightforward in style, but consistently strong and enjoyable. Check out "Golden Days" for some great hooks.
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Therion - Vovin
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Songs to Try: The Rise of Sodom and Gomorrah, The Wild Hunt, Black Sun Draconian Theory, Raven of Dispersion
Therion - Lemuria / Sirius B
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Songs to Try: Typhon, Three Ships of Berik Part1 and Part 2, The Dreams of Swedenborg, Son of the Sun, The Wonderous World of Punt
Therion is a very peculiar and awesome band. I wasn't sure what to think of them when I first discovered them, but after giving them some serious time I saw some real brilliance. They are an operatic symphonic metal band. Both male and female operatic style leads dominate the music and on some albums harsh male vocals make an appearance. It's difficult to explain what they sound like, so you'll just have to try them yourself, but many songs feature orchestras playing along with the band. Huge variation in styles from soft and beautiful to aggressive and fast. "Vovin" is the album that kind of broke them onto the music scene and received relatively high critical praise. "Lemuria /Sirius B" is a double album that was released in two parts over a year and feature some of their best moments. They are certainly an acquired taste, but give them a chance and hear something unique and wonderful.
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I have Anubis Gate's self-titled album, but the rest are impossible to get ahold of. I was talking to one of the band members on FaceBook, and he said they were trying to get a box set together, so there is hope.
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So, as of now I am 16/25
And I have quite a few of those honorable mention albums you just put up too :corn
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Anubis Gate ++. Coming out with a new album this fall/winter, but I don't see a release date right now. I think before I saw November or December.
https://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=95403
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25. Flaming Row - Ellinoire [2011]
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Track Picks: Initiation Fugato, Overture, Do You Like Country Grandpa?, Elinoire, Rage of Despair, Unearth the Truth, A Place to Revive Your Soul
"Ellinoire" is a concept album from a sort of super group called Flaming Row in the vein of Ayreon. It has a strong story and one that isn't entirely clear cut, but still a very enjoyable aspect to it. Starring an ensemble cast of both male and female vocalists to play the different characters, it plays out like a drama. As interesting and important as that is to the album, it's the music where things really shine. Featuring musicians from Shadow Gallery, Spock's Beard and Santana among others, we are treated to a diverse array of musical styles. One common thread among the music is the strong guitar presence and many thematic solo's and passages, particularly in the intro's of songs. The song-writing is flawless and every song makes an impact. Everything from the grand opening in "Initiation Fugato" to the thoughtful and emotional outro to "A Place to Revive Your Soul" is written and executed at a high level. Highly Recommended.
Why it should be ranked lower: Can't think of a reason.
Why it should be ranked higher: This one is flying up the rankings.
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24. Haken - Visions [2011]
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Track Picks: Premonition, Nocturnal Conspiracy, The Mind's Eye, Portals, Visions
The sophomore album "Visions" by Haken is step up from the debut "Aquarius" and shows a maturity not common in bands so young. Musically it is similar to the debut, but is more focused and better executed. From the opening instrumental track "Premonition" you get a sense that they are taking things very seriously with it's heavy and moody atmosphere. "Nocturnal Conspiracy" is a highlight from the album and best exhibits the bands full diversity in a mid-tempo brooding and emotional piece with a hauntingly beautiful melody. The title track closes things out with an epic clocking in over 22 minutes and features everything you would expect from a song like this, monster riffs, numerous transitions and changes in theme and tempo will please the prog metal fan inside.
Why it should be ranked lower: Haken's signature brand of "Circus" ragtime elements may be off putting to some.
Why it should be ranked higher: This is an album that clearly puts them head and shoulders above all the other new bands in the last several years.
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23. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet [2007]
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Track Picks: Fear of a Blank Planet, My Ashes, Anesthetize, Way Out of Here
This album was my introduction to Porcupine Tree and what a way to get things started. "Fear of a Blank Planet" deals with some heavy topics and makes some statements about modern society. The title track deals with people (specifically kids) and the over prescription of drugs or addicted to technology and the effects it has on society. It holds up incredibly well with a strong melody and its mid-tempo semi-heavy rock. "My Ashes" is a great ballad with a lot of emotion and a big payoff at the end. The 17 minute epic "Anesthetize" is a multi-movement track with lots of different themes and some of the best moments on the album.
Why it should be ranked lower: It's too short, I need more than 50 minutes ;)
Why it should be ranked higher: Quality over quantity here, this is some of Steven Wilson's best work.
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22. Sonata Arctica - Unia [2007]
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Track Picks: In Black and White, Paid in Full, Caleb, The Vice, My Dreams but a Drop of Fuel for a Nightmare, The Harvest
What an interesting album this is. After developing and evolving their signature sound of progressive/power metal over a great 4 album run Tony Kakko threw a monkey wrench into the formula and created something entirely new. When "Unia" first came out I didn't think I liked it, just because it was so different than anything they had done before, but after taking the time to digest it, its brilliance eventually shown threw to become something special. Gone are the up-tempo power metal double-bass driven songs and we see a transition to mid-tempo rockers with lots of experimentation and unique style changes. Right out of the gate "In Black and White" shows you something new and complex with an interesting dark and heavy approach. "Paid in Full" is probably the most accessible and commercial track that was a single and made into a music video. The lyrics still maintain their cheesy and awkward approach that has become an endearing quality of the band with some fun and quirky moments in "The Vice" and "The Harvest". If you do check it out, be sure to pick it up with the bonus track "Out in the Fields" which is to me a better closer than the simplistic, but still good, "Good Enough is Good Enough".
Why it should be ranked lower: This is definitely an acquired taste
Why it should be ranked higher: But it's a delicacy that should be indulged.
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Anubis Gate ++. Coming out with a new album this fall/winter, but I don't see a release date right now. I think before I saw November or December.
https://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=95403
That's great news, I thought 2012 was a steller year for music (you can tell from this list), but 2013 is shaping up to potentially be better. So many great releases.
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OK. Time out.
Now, I got nothing wrong with you liking Unia. I'm not in the "it sucks donkey balls" crowd. BUT...putting it above Haken, Flaming Row, and several other albums you have listed here just seems very wrong. Like giving Hitler a gold star wrong.
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Lol, thanks for the feedback.
Hitler did have some good idea's... like the Autobahn, which kicks ass... and that's about it, so Gold Star is earned.
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2 amazing albums :hefdaddy
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UNIA, ONE OF MY FAVORITE ALBUMS EVER I CAN'T TYPE THIS WITHOUT CAPS I WAS FIFTEEN WHEN IT GOT OUT AND IT STEERED MY TASTE FOR WEIRD FOREVER
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OK. Time out.
Now, I got nothing wrong with you liking Unia. I'm not in the "it sucks donkey balls" crowd. BUT...putting it above Haken, Flaming Row, and several other albums you have listed here just seems very wrong. Like giving Hitler a gold star wrong.
There is a bit of a method to the madness. When I was doing my rankings I figured I would also take into account the age of the albums as well as their content. I was surprised at how many 2011-12 albums made it on the list, so I kind of put a hard cap at 30 for the '12 albums and let the '11 albums slip into the 20's if they warranted it. So I anticipate Haken and Flaming Row to move up considerably over the years. As for other albums, I guess just deal with it, it's my list and Unia deserves its spot ;D.
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21. Sieges Even - Paramount [2007]
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Track Picks: When Alpha and Omega Collide, Tidal, Iconic, Duende, Bridge to the Divine
"Paramount" is an underrated and fantastic album from a very underrated band. It would unfortunately be their last before breaking up and moving onto other projects, but they at least gave us this gem before doing so. They are very much a Christian rock group with progressive tendencies, so keep that in mind if that matters to you. Musically, this is top-notch material with lots great hooks and complexity. The first track "When Alpha and Omega Collide" immediately grabs you with impressive drum work under synth and guitars. There is some great snare work the pre-chorus. Things settle in around the fourth track "Iconic" and hit a really emotional high with some gorgeous vocals before taking off in a brilliant and up beat bridge section. "Duende" and "Bridge to the Divine" are other stand out tracks with strong melodies and catchy hooks. There's an interesting track that takes a slow and atmospheric piece played over a Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech in "Mounting Castles in the Blood Red Sky". A similar effect is employed in the title track over a JFK speech in the title track closer.
Why it should be ranked lower: Songs are generally straight forward structurally and not as layered as they could be.
Why it should be ranked higher: It just feels like something special is going on here. Lots of diversity among the tracks and some amazing highs.
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20. Mastodon - Crack the Skye [2009]
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Track Picks: Divinations, Quintessence, The Czar, The Last Baron
Mastodon can't sit still or stay the course, they always seem to change it up from one album to the next and "Crack the Skye" is no different. In perhaps their boldest album yet, they set out to make their proggiest and most complex work to date. This is not an album that can be soaked up in one listen, but takes repeated sittings to really appreciate. The opening track "Oblivion" is the only song that gained any amount of radio airplay with it being perhaps the closest thing to a standard or commercially acceptable track. "Divinations" changes gears with a mind melting and layered dual guitar opening and features the greatest chorus on the album. "Crack the Skye" never lets up and keep the intensity going throughout and leads to an epic, heavy, layered and proggy closer with "The Last Baron". It's a song that you can just sit back, close your eyes and get caught up in.
Why it should be ranked lower: Could have been a little more balanced, it's relentless.
Why it should be ranked higher: Top 20 is high enough, the competition is way too strong from here on out.
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probably only my fourth favorite Mastodon album, yet it contains possibly my favorite song of theirs, TLB.
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19. Porcupine Tree - In Absentia [2002]
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Track Picks: Blackest Eyes, Trains, Wedding Nails, Heartattack in a Layby, Strip the Soul, Collapse the Light into Earth
orcupine Tree and Steven Wilson have made a career out of pushing themselves to new heights and shattering expectations. With "In Absentia" they release perhaps Ptheir heaviest work in a long and distinguished career. "Blackest Eyes" is a fantastic opener that will catch you off guard with a heavy opening riff. The lyrics are a little on the creepy side, but you just have to roll with it. The 2nd track transitions into the beautiful and stellar "Trains" which is easily the albums best. "The Sound of Musak" is an interesting piece that is critical of the current state of the Music industry and how no one seems to care about its fall from grace. The back half of the album tones things down considerably with several moody and atmospheric songs like "Heartattack in a Layby" and "Collapse the Light into Earth". Generally, this would seem to be like a bad thing as an album crawls across the finish line, but the brilliant song writing and charm will keep you hooked to the end.
Why it should be ranked lower: It shouldn't, this is Top 20 material
Why it should be ranked higher: Incredible musical diversity among the tracks, it's as if every track re-invents the bands sound.
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18. Opeth - Still Life [1999]
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Track Picks: The Moor, Godhead's Lament, Face of Melinda, Serenity Painted Death
Opeth is now a household name among the prog community and it was due in large part to the monumental release of "Still Life" in 1999. Not that their previous three releases were bad, since they are actually quite good and underrated, its just that they were a little more standard death metal at the time. It wasn't until the release of "My Arms Your Hears" that we begin to hear exploration and development of the signature Opeth sound. "Still Life" is the realization of that direction and combined with an increase in production value we are treated to this exceptional release. Opeth songs are quite complicated and difficult to digest in one listen, which is now a hallmark of the band. Non-standard structures and changes is tempo, atmosphere and theme rule the day. "The Moor" starts slowly and ominously before changing dramatically into a fury. Things don't let up by the 2nd track which begin's with a heavy and relentless riff under harsh vocals. The song twists and turns before changing into a melodically beautiful and grooving tone. The most accessible track is "Face of Melinda" which features only clean vocals and stays fairly soft through out. "Serenity Painted Death" shows Mikael Akerfeldt's true song writing skills and genius with one crazy track.
Why it should be ranked lower: Harsh vocal's may turn off many, but you should give it a chance.
Why it should be ranked higher: This is the album that ushers in a golden age for Opeth and sets a very high bar for others to meet.
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In Absentia is a really great album, although I don't like it as much as some people seem to. It doesn't feel particularly coherent to me. But again, really enjoyable music. I think it probably has the broadest appeal potential out of PT's post-psych albums so if I were going to introduce PT to a friend I think I'd choose this album.
Opeth is the band that perhaps more than any other I am sad that I don't enjoy because of the harsh vocals. So much of their music oozes talent, and I like a lot (although far from all) of their instrumental passages. So yeah, I recognize how great they are if you don't mind the vocals. I do.
Maybe someone can explain to me what the point of the harsh vocals is. Then maybe I could appreciate it more. It just sounds so superfluous to me, in addition to being primarily grating.
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The point of harsh vocals? I think you're looking at it the wrong way. What's the point of clean vocals? Or guitars? Or drums? Or a saxophone? Some people just enjoy it.
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17. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence [2002]
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Track Picks: The Glass Prison, Blind Faith, The Great Debate, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
I don't think I need to do much of a review about this album around here, so it's story time. For years, I've tried to get the Mrs. into Prog music. It's just not happening. She's into country/pop/dance etc. and generally refers to my music as "weird", but that hasn't stopped me from trying. Once when I was watching Score, I had her sit down for 6DOIT to check it out since it is at least stylistically a little easier to take in, and considering she has a degree in Psychology, I figured it would be right up her alley. So, the song is going and it starts well enough, but as soon as the lyrics kick in, she's shaking her head and laughing. Uh oh, now, instead of just being weird, the music is pretentious and stupid. She starts mocking me and walks out of the room :(. Oh well, at least we got other things in common.
Why it should be ranked lower: I'm looking at you "Misunderstood" outro
Why it should be ranked higher: It's a Tsunami of creativity and a double album going 96:13 minutes. What could be better than that.
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16. Seventh Wonder - The Great Escape [2010]
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Track Picks: Alley Cat, The Angelmaker, King of Whitewater, Long Way Home, The Great Escape
Do you believe in love at first site? Well, at least love at first listen? I do, and that's exactly what Seventh Wonder was for me. Usually, a band takes time to build to Top Tier status, even if you love what you hear initially, it doesn't happen overnight but there was something special about these guys. The song writing in "The Great Escape" is outstanding. There is not a single weak track or moment anywhere on the disc. I'm most impressed with their ability to write interesting and hooky sections throughout the song, particularly in the verse sections instead of just a big chorus. It's an element that elevates the songs to a new level and becomes even more impressive due to how consistent it is. "Alley Cat" is a big standout with an incredibly fun and tight composition. "The Angelmaker" is a great example of keeping the verse section as interesting or better than the chorus. The album is wrapped up nicely with an outstanding 30 minute epic title track which is a great first attempt at a piece this long.
Why it should be ranked lower: Having a hard time thinking of a reason, this has flown up my list very quickly.
Why it should be ranked higher: Great performances by all members. This is an instant classic and an essential album for all prog fans.
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4 pickst that would probably all appear in my top 50. Though, I might swap Still Life with Ghost Reveries, and leave Still Life lower in the list.
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I couldn't be with someone that doesn't essentially love all the same music I do.
I mean, what do people that are into different music listen to during sex?!
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Somehow it makes me optimistic that, given your different taste in music from your wife, that you can still manage to be in a (hopefully) happy marriage.
I'm not surprised that your wife likes different music, but that someone who likes prog can love someone who likes country... mind blown. (I like some country myself, but I see it as sort of asymmetrical, where someone who likes prog primarily can also like country, but someone who likes country primarily wouldn't be likely to appreciate prog.)
well, I'm happy for your marriage. if it didn't work so well, you might experience... six degrees of marital turbulence. (sorry, I couldn't resist.)
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I mean, what do people that are into different music listen to during sex?!
For me, prog is work music. If it was also sex music, I wouldn't get anything done during the rest of the day :lol
Somehow it makes me optimistic that, given your different taste in music from your wife, that you can still manage to be in a (hopefully) happy marriage.
I'm not surprised that your wife likes different music, but that someone who likes prog can love someone who likes country... mind blown. (I like some country myself, but I see it as sort of asymmetrical, where someone who likes prog primarily can also like country, but someone who likes country primarily wouldn't be likely to appreciate prog.)
well, I'm happy for your marriage. if it didn't work so well, you might experience... six degrees of marital turbulence. (sorry, I couldn't resist.)
Music wasn't exactly a big part of the courtship and I can tolerate other genres well enough so it doesn't really matter. I do give her a hard time about Country though. I've heard enough of it to know there are only like 3 songs that are just re-written ad nauseum.
1. Feel good family song. i.e. Loving your kids or spouse etc, living the good life.
2. Patriotic USA!!! with cornbread and fried chicken.
3. Honky Tonk. Get drunk, be silly, have fun
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Do Mercy Falls next :D
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14,15. Shadow Gallery - Tyranny [1998], Shadow Gallery - Room V [2005]
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Track Picks Tyranny: War for Sale, Out of Nowhere, I Believe, New World Order, Ghost of a Chance, Christmas Day
Track Picks Room V: The Andromeda Strain, Vow, The Archer of Ben Salem, Room V, Rain
So they were released 7 years apart and they are even separated by another LP (Legacy), so why do I attach them at the hip? Because I don't think there is any way to listen to them other than back-to-back. It's like a double album across time since "Room V" is a sequel to the story begun in "Tyranny". It's a progressive rock/metal masterpiece. Technical virtuosity, blistering solos, towering melodies and top-notch chorus after chorus. The first album "Tyranny" has numerous moods and themes broken across 2 Acts. "War For Sale" is an exciting instrumental to set the tone for the first Act. Emotions build and questions are asked in "Hope For Us?". It builds into the emotional and compelling "I Believe" to kick off Act 2 with James Labrie providing backing vocals. DC Cooper makes an appearance in the dark and looming "New World Order". The final track "Christmas Day" ends things on a beautiful note and leaves you wanting more. "Room V" shares a lot of similarities with "Tyranny", but changes the tone and feels more serious. It's also filled with a lot more shorter segue tracks to push things along. "The Andromeda Strain" is one of the few that is accessible enough to be a commercial track. The title track "Room V" is epic and touches all the right notes. "Rain" is a beautiful and emotional closer which takes on a more serious tone when realizing that this would be Michael Baker's swan song before tragically passing RIP.
Why it should be ranked lower: Feels a bit "samey" throughout.
Why it should be ranked higher: The concept and story is brilliantly told. The next Mindcrime.
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13. Symphony X - V: The New Mythology [2000]
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Track Picks Evolution (The Grand Design), Fallen, Communion and the Oracle, Egypt, Rediscovery Part 1 & 2
This is the album where Symphony X peaks in creativity. The album flows from one song to the next with each track featuring segues to tie them all together. It adds a thread that ties the album together and keeps it tight and compelling. The arrangements are big with choirs, classical influences and doses of thrash. "Evolution" is a dark power-metal masterpiece, the track that jumps out and grabs your attention. "Communion and the Oracle" is mellower and has the trademark Symphony X melody driven effect. There is an interesting eastern flair to the heavy and mid-tempo rocker "Egypt". The closing track "Rediscovery" may not reach the heights of "The Odyssey" or "The Divine Wings of Tragedy", but it holds its own as a solid addition to the pantheon of epic tracks.
Why it should be ranked lower: It's a fanciful concept album that doesn't always make sense
Why it should be ranked higher: Album of 2000 and a preamble to prog-metal for the Millenium.
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James Labrie makes an appearance in the dark and looming "New World Order".
No, he doesn't. That's DC Cooper on New World Order. James LaBrie is on I Believe though.
Fantastic picks, though I prefer Legacy over any other Shadow Gallery album. Can't wait to see them live again in just a week's time :)
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Great pick from Symphony X
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James Labrie makes an appearance in the dark and looming "New World Order".
No, he doesn't. That's DC Cooper on New World Order. James LaBrie is on I Believe though.
Fantastic picks, though I prefer Legacy over any other Shadow Gallery album. Can't wait to see them live again in just a week's time :)
Good catch, I don't know why I thought that since I knew DC Cooper was vocals on there. For some reason I thought both were. Must be a brain fart.
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SX best release, no doubt.
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Two great entries. I don't go to Shadow Gallery enough. Fantastic discography overall. I wasn't aware of the connection between the two albums. Like I said, I don't go to them enough.... love all their work, but never really taken the time to 'know' the ins and outs of their albums.
Rich.... super envious!
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Two great entries. I don't go to Shadow Gallery enough. Fantastic discography overall.
Yes, yes you should. You have some homework to complete. :police:
I also understand where you're coming from. When you come across a band with a lengthy catalog, it's difficult to digest it all at once and get the same impact as a fan who has been following them for years. You also don't pick up on the nuances and evolution of their career as much. I was fortunate enough to find SG in the late 90's shortly after the release of Tyranny and follow them through their amazing career.
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also been listening since Tyranny; probably still regard it as my favorite. was never quite a keen on Room V; would likely rank it as their 4th best.
and I cant argue with The New Mythology Suite as Symphony X's magnum opus.
and excellent choices for DT, PT, and Opeth as well. haven't heard Sieges Even or Seventh Wonder. will have to check em out.
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12. Ayreon - The Human Equation [2004]
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Track Picks: Day Three: Pain, Day Six: Childhood, Day Eight: School, Day Ten: Memories, Day Twelve: Trauma, Day Sixteen: Loser, Day Twenty: Confrontation
What do you get when you combine the musical genius of Arjen Lucassen and combine it with an all-star cast of vocalists, premiere musicians and top notch production? A Fucking Masterpiece is what. "The Human Equation" is a concept album from the mastermind Arjen Lucassen himself as he collaborates with a revolving door of guest musicians to create an incredible story and musical experience. James Labrie takes the lead role as a man who finds himself in a coma and must deal with his past and inner thoughts as well as solve the mystery surrounding his circumstance and confront it to break out. Arjen and Marcela Bovio play "Friend" and "Wife" as the only other real characters in the story who are at "Me"'s (James Labrie) side at the hospital and are themselves trying to piece the events together and make sense of the situation. The rest of the cast play the emotions of "Me" with Mikael Akerfeldt as "Fear" and Devon Graves as "Agony" among many others. The music is spacy and fanciful with everything from slow jams to all out hard rock and everything in between. The performances of all vocalists are top notch and really help sell and elevate the story to a new level. The performance of Devin Townsend as "Rage" is notable and adds an new dimension to the sound by imparting his trademark wall-of-sound and unique arrangements to the few songs he's involved in. Michael Baker has a brief cameo as "Father" in a memorable and pivotal point in the story, the only complaint is that his role wasn't larger. The story plays out well enough before coming to an exciting, plot twisting conclusion which is sure to please. A MUST LISTEN!
Why it should be ranked lower: This album isn't going lower, the only reason it's this low is because of its relative newness to me.
Why it should be ranked higher: This is a legitimate Top 10 pick, I seem to have more Top 10 Album's than slots available.
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11. Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls [2008]
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Track Picks: Welcome to Mercy Falls, Tears for a Father, Fall in Line, Break the Silence, Hide and Seek, Destiny Calls
I love Seventh Wonder. Did I mention that I really love Seventh Wonder?! This album was picked up more or less on a whimsy and I don't remember how it got on my radar, but when I first heard it, it kicked me in the face and it took me days to recover. Not since I first heard Dream Theater did I hear a band that connected with me so quickly. Musically this is an amazing experience. The mix is outstanding, there is so much space and room to breath and every instrument can be heard clearly with a signature bass rhythm style that permeates their sound. "Mercy Falls" was released on the backs of their breakout sophomore album "Waiting in the Wings". Everyone sounds good, but vocalist Tommy Karevik steals the show. The album is a concept album (of course it is) dealing with the story of a man in a coma after getting into an accident (where have I heard that before) except this plays out considerably different. There are a handful of spoken dialogue portions in the album that are important pieces of the story, but are unfortunately performed quite badly, but this is a flaw that can be overlooked since who cares about people talking, this is about the music dammit. After a brief setup with the plot, there is an Overture of sorts with "There and Back" which transitions through all the major musical themes visited in later songs before hitting the main act "Welcome to Mercy Falls". Karevik shines in the vocally driven and melodically interesting "Tears for a Father". The prog-metal run from "Fall in Line", "Break the Silence","Hide and Seek" and "Destiny Calls" are four perfect tracks that encapsulate everything that is right with Seventh Wonder. If there is one criticism I would level at the bands performance is that the lyrics can be very literal, perhaps overly literal which can take some getting used to.
Why it should be ranked lower: The spoken dialogue portions are, lets just say it, cringe-inducingly bad.
Why it should be ranked higher: Who cares about that, this is pure musical bliss. I could listen to this album on repeat all day long.
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Two more excellent choices. THE is #2 for me all time. Mercy Falls made my 2nd list, and is one of the great finds I have to thank DTF for. You're right, the spoken parts are cringe-worthy, and nearly unbearable.
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Wooo, two of my favourites right there!!
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I don't think I commented on Sieges Even - they are indeed fantastic, but I don't see much Christian content in their lyrics on their last two albums. Some very limited use of religious imagery on some songs (besides Iconic and Duende), but their stuff (and Markus Steffen's lyrics in Subsignal later on) is about humanity more than anything, although of course they could be interpreted in any other way. :)
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Two top quality albums. You have good taste :)
I have to say though, I was expecting to see Mindcrime based on the subject line. I mean, really. Are you deliberately trying to mislead us? ;D
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Two top quality albums. You have good taste :)
I have to say though, I was expecting to see Mindcrime based on the subject line. I mean, really. Are you deliberately trying to mislead us? ;D
Close, there is a very similar line or easter egg said at the end of T.H.E.: emotions, I remember..., from the Dream Sequencer which ties it in with the rest of the Ayreon universe to that point.
I don't think I commented on Sieges Even - they are indeed fantastic, but I don't see much Christian content in their lyrics on their last two albums. Some very limited use of religious imagery on some songs (besides Iconic and Duende), but their stuff (and Markus Steffen's lyrics in Subsignal later on) is about humanity more than anything, although of course they could be interpreted in any other way. :)
I guess I just picked out more religious imagery than you I suppose. Songs like Bridge to the Divine, Eyes Wide Open and Stigmata evoke lots of religious imagery. Nothing wrong with any of this, just thought it was noteworthy to point out. I still need to check out Subsignal, they are on my radar, just haven't gotten around to it yet.
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We're down to the Top 10. Summary so far:
50. Live - Throwing Copper
49. Kamelot - The Black Halo
48. Queensryche - Promised Land
47. Cloudscape - Global Drama
46. Our Lady Peace - Clumsy
45. Rush - Moving Pictures
44. U2 - Joshua Tree
43. Savatage - Poets & Madmen
42. Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
41. Serenity - Fallen Sanctuary
40. Angra - Rebirth
39. Beyond the Bridge - The Old Man and the Spirit
38. Between the Buried and Me - Colors
37. Mastodon - Blood Mountain
36. Pathosray - Pathosray
35. Redemption - Snowfall on Judgement Day
34. Circus Maximus - Nine
33. Big Big Train - English Electric Part 2
32. Big Big Train - English Electric Part 1
31. Symphony X - The Odyssey
30. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
29. Queensryche - Empire
28. Circus Maximus - The 1st Chapter
27. Nightwish - Oceanborn
26. Royal Hunt - Paradox
25. Flaming Row - Ellinoire
24. Haken - Visions
23. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
22. Sonata Arctica - Unia
21. Sieges Even - Paramount
20. Mastodon - Crack the Skye
19. Porcupine Tree- In Absentia
18. Opeth - Still Life
17. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
16. Seventh Wonder- The Great Escape
15. Shadow Gallery - Room V
14. Shadow Gallery - Tyranny
13. Symphony X - V: The New Mythology
12. Ayreon - The Human Equation
11. Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls
It's been a lot of fun so far and I'm excited for the final leg. Thanks for all the feedback and comments, it's made it worth it.
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Great picks with these last two. Though I rank The Great Escape higher than Mercy Falls.
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Yeah, I get that. I talked about it in another thread around here. If I were to do a song by song comparison I would probably give the edge to songs from The Great Escape in most cases, but there's something about Mercy Falls as an album that gels together to make it better than the sum of its parts.
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10. Savatage - Dead Winter Dead [1995]
(https://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/11/9b/6671124128a01ef35a7c6010.L.jpg)
Track Picks: This is the Time (1990), I Am, Starlight, Mozart and Madness, Dead Winter Dead, One Child, Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24), Not What You See
Here it is, the Top 10 and what better way to kick it off than with the Quintessential Savatage album "Dead Winter Dead" (Many will disagree with that). This was also my first taste of their wonderful and diverse catalog. I was introduced to them by a friend in High School who carried all their CD's around with him in his backpack. We became acquainted in the same class that the teacher played Queensryche incessantly (reference from the OP). Considering most of their album's were relatively cheap and available at my local Circuit City, I took the plunge and grabbed this "Dead Winter Dead" as my first taste of the 'Tage. I wasn't ready for it and was completely blown away by the song writing, creative melodies and arrangements. It took many listens to digest it, but in time I quickly learned to love it. It is a concept album about a Serbian boy and a Muslim girl that fall in love during the Bosnian war and the struggles they face. After a brief intro and overture, we get into the meat of it and hear the heavy mid-tempo rocker "This is the Time" complete with the rich vocals of Zak Stevens. Things change up in "I Am" which is a dark and heavy track now sung by the legendary Jon Oliva. Then, after thinking you have this band figured out, they jump in with a re-imagining of some Mozart in "Mozart and Madness" and continue to plant the seeds of the future Trans Siberian Orchestra project with another re-imagining of "Carol of the Bells" in "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" which would eventually become their greatest commercially successful song that still gets regular radio play every Christmas but is ironically not associated with Savatage. As great as those tracks are, it was the cool arrangements in "One Child" and "Not What You See" where they have multiple vocal tracks playing over one another in an alternating cadence that eventually merge back together that really elevate this into something special.
Why it should be ranked lower: Some may say it is all over the place and lacks focus
Why it should be ranked higher: I say it is executed to perfection and will expand your mind with possibilities
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9. Angra - Temple of Shadows [2005]
(https://www.freecodesource.com/album-cover/511Q3uyLkFL/Angra-Temple-of-Shadows.jpg)
Track Picks: Spread Your Fire, Wishing Well, The Shadow Hunter, Winds of Destination, Sprouts of Time, Morning Star
If you haven't caught on by now, I'm a sucker for concept albums, and Angra's "Temple of Shadows" is no different. It follows the life and journey of a Crusader in the 11th century who becomes disillusioned by the Catholic Church and the atrocities commited during that time. Some may feel this is an anti-christrian message, but I think it's more of a condemnation of the Crusade and the motives behind it but I digress. This album demonstrates Angra's most mature writing to date and not just because of the subject matter, but the song compositions are by far the best in their careers. "Spread Your Fire" is the standard up-tempo track to get the listener in the mood for the rest of the album. In the "Wishing Well" we get Angra's best ballad they've ever written. The real standout and highlight comes in the middle with "The Shadow Hunter" which has epic written all over it despite its 8 minute track length. There are some very cool and memorable melodies in "Sprouts of Time" with a bit of a Brazilian flair. "Morning Star" works as a closer even though there is one more instrumental track to end things, but it is another epic style track in a 7 minute timespan. It may not be an album that blows you away on first listen, but it's a grower that will keep you coming back and slowly reveal itself to you over repeat listens.
Why it should be ranked lower: The subject matter can be weighty.
Why it should be ranked higher: I think this is a good spot, there's just too much competition to get any higher.
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Two more excellent albums. I too love me my concept albums. I discovered Angra with Fireworks and this one a few years ago. Liked them ok, but they didn't stick with me... until just about a year ago and it was like ... BAM! This is another album I didn't know all the details of - again, another band that I love, I just don't "know" (btw... listened to Tyranny and Room V on my flight home yesterday). Just made the leap a few months ago with the rest of their discog.
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Have you tried reading the lyrics and the liner notes, it is usually all there ::) ;D
Unless you typically get digital versions in which case its very easy to miss this kind of stuff.
Also, glad you completed your homework. Shadow Gallery is a treat best to indulge.
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Yeah, I love Room V and I can't Say enough about Sieges Even
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Have you tried reading the lyrics and the liner notes, it is usually all there ::) ;D
Smart-ass! :Debra:
Unless you typically get digital versions in which case its very easy to miss this kind of stuff.
Also, glad you completed your homework. Shadow Gallery is a treat best to indulge.
That. I rarely buy physical copies.
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8. Metallica - Master of Puppets [1986]
(https://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/71388652/Master+of+Puppets+PNG.png)
Track Picks: Battery, Master of Puppets, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Disposable Heroes, Orion
No Top 50 Album list could be complete without something from Metallica. One of the four horses of Thrash metal and the standard bearer for the rise of Metal in the 80's. Is there any Metallica song that hasn't been played on the radio? Every one of their albums has something special (I refuse to acknowledge the existence of a release in 2003) but they are also a little hit-or-miss with me with the lone exception of "Master of Puppets" where they not only broke out in the Metal world, but released a genre defining album that would set the bar for years to come. It is intense, powerful and epic in ways that were unprecedented at the time of release. In some ways it's just an evolution of the direction started in "Ride the Lightning", but it takes that formula and blows it up to the next level. "Battery" is a peculiar and exhilarating track that is rather unique in the Metallica catalog. The title track is a masterpiece, and arguably the best and most creative track they ever wrote. Great rhythm, cool solo and even some progressive elements. "Welcome Home" is the closest thing to a ballad or mellow song that is also quite twisted. The assault continues later with songs like "Disposable Heroes" that deliver a great punch. "Orion" is an instrumental, and while nothing like a prog-metal affair, it has some notable moments that add a new wrinkle to an already great album.
Why it should be ranked lower: Like many other Metallica album's, it will wear you down. Not for the faint of heart.
Why it should be ranked higher: This is a Five Star Hall of Fame Album
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7. Symphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy [1997]
(https://www.metal-archives.com/images/3/2/0/5/3205.jpg)
Track Picks: Of Sins and Shadows, Sea of Lies, Out of the Ashes, The Accolade, Pharaoh, The Eyes of Medusa, The Divine Wings of Tragedy, Candlelight Fantasia
You may be surprised to see this here after the heap of praise I laid upon "V: The New Mythology", but yes, "The Divine Wings of Tragedy" manages to outclass that stellar release. It is chock full of many of the best songs Allen and Romeo and company ever set out to create. With a heavy thrash bend under a power metal shell, the boys from New Jersey unleashed an instant classic in 1997. "Of Sins and Shadows" is a great opener that is as heavy and chugging as you would imagine and features a blend of Allens metal vocals and a chorus with a more choir like effect. The opening to "Sea of Lies" has a killer bass groove that is rarely matched elsewhere. A song in the running for best Sym X song ever is the amazing "The Accolade" which is a more melodically driven power song that the band is known for. The title track is the first of many Sym X epics. It must be heard to be believed and is the highlight of the album with some intense metal fury and would you expect any less of a song inspired by John Milton's books "Paradise Lost" and "Paradise Regained" about the fallen angel Satan.
Why it should be ranked lower: "The Witching Hour" is ok, but boring by comparison to the rest of this album.
Why it should be ranked higher: It is the greatest power metal album ever created.
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Two major winners there
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Master of Puppets is awesome :hefdaddy :hefdaddy :hefdaddy.
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No Top 50 Album list could be complete without something from Metallica.
I beg to differ. MoP just doesn't click for me. I don't get it.
TDWOT on the other hand is brilliant. I too rank it higher than V, but not over The Odyssey.
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I don't think I commented on Sieges Even - they are indeed fantastic, but I don't see much Christian content in their lyrics on their last two albums. Some very limited use of religious imagery on some songs (besides Iconic and Duende), but their stuff (and Markus Steffen's lyrics in Subsignal later on) is about humanity more than anything, although of course they could be interpreted in any other way. :)
I guess I just picked out more religious imagery than you I suppose. Songs like Bridge to the Divine, Eyes Wide Open and Stigmata evoke lots of religious imagery. Nothing wrong with any of this, just thought it was noteworthy to point out. I still need to check out Subsignal, they are on my radar, just haven't gotten around to it yet.
Yeah, I don't think it's wrong either :)
A little trivia: Markus and Arno (the guitarist and the singer) actually founded Subsignal before Sieges Even broke up, and Eyes Wide Open was the first song written for the band, but it ended up on Paramount instead. It was written upon the birth of Markus' daughter, the lyrics are dedicated to her and, DAMN, THAT'S SO BEAUTIFUL :'( :blush
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Glad to see you mentioned Disposable Heroes. I think that might be the best song on the album, but as much as the album is praised I think that song is overlooked. It is killer.
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I would like to slow things down for the Top 10 with individual entries, but by the end of next week I'll be unavailable for an extended period of time so I'm going to power through this and make sure it gets done rather than leave things on a cliffhanger. Speaking of cliffhanger...
6. Shadow Gallery - Carved in Stone [1995]
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3cu98xDdxjc/UWvoOdDD6BI/AAAAAAAAL6E/u69-S5yhRY4/s1600/Shadow-Gallery-1995.jpg)
Track Picks: Cliffhanger, Crystalline Dream, Don't Ever Cry Just Remember, Celtic Princess, Deeper Than Life, Alaska
The sophomore release from Shadow Gallery is an exceptional album with an incredible display of prog-metal prowess. I was fortunate enough to discover this amazing band early in my prog-metal exploration days. Long before DTF, spotify, pandora and all other resources for finding music that match your tastes, it was a bit of a lucky chance that I ran into this album somewhere on an obscure website praising its name. It was essentially a blind purchase with nothing but hopes for something interesting. From the moment "Cliffhanger" kicks in with its dark and mysterious piano and ambience followed by acoustic guitar and then a towering and chilling guitar solo leading into the first verse, I knew I was in love, and I knew that I was way out in left field for musical tastes and would probably never relate to anyone again. "Crystalline Dream" is a slick and icy cool track with a great melody. By the time "Don't Ever Cry, Just Remember" starts up you realize how cool this band is. Flutes aren't exactly foreign to prog, but they aren't common either and the addition here adds a nice element to separate them from from the pack. The short instrumental "Celtic Princess" is a great moment that rises up among all the other brief segues on the album. "Deeper than Life" is perhaps a more standard mid-tempo rocker, but it's one of the most memorable songs here. "Alaska" is a great ballad and adds to the diversity and balance this album showcases. The final song "Ghostship" is an epic broken up into 8 separate tracks. It may not reach the highs of most prog-metal epic masterpieces, but it is still a great ending to a special album.
Why it should be ranked lower: It's not quite as refined as later albums
Why it should be ranked higher: Tons of creativity, they carve out their own unique sound and execute to perfection.
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5. Opeth - Ghost Reveries [2005]
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511Jcay-0pL.jpg)
Track Picks: Ghost of Perdition, The Baying of the Hounds, Reverie/Harlequin Forest, Hours of Wealth, The Grand Conjuration, Isolation Years
What is it about Opeth and Mikael Akerfeldt that makes this music so damn good. I first thought it was due to the non-standard song structures that travel ample musical territory with numerous themes and contrasting dark/light elements, but that's not exactly unique in the prog world and has been done as well by many others. It finally hit me with "Ghost Reveries", Opeth has mastered the art of transitions. In what could be a recipe for disaster by changing things up so often throughout a song, Opeth fuses disparate elements together brilliantly. One moment a song is aggressive, monster riffing with gutteral growls and the next, acoustic guitar with icy smooth clean vocals and often times this transition can occur over just a few metres. The ability to add and peel off layers like this and create a moment that feels so natural is mind boggling. Perhaps no song exemplifies this better than the opener "Ghost of Perdition". Not only is it the best track on the album, but arguably the best in their catalog. It twists and weaves through incredibly dark and ominous moments to the flighty and ethereal and back again in a song that will no doubt impress. "The Baying of the Hounds" has some cool experimental moments. "Reverie/Harelquin Forest" does feel like two separate songs, but the opening is just killer. I could listen to the main verse over and over again with it's clean vocals over heavy riffing. "The Grand Conjuration" for as aggressive and heavy as it is, has a tinge of commercial appeal to it. Not that it will be played on the radio any time soon, but it feels a little more accessible than most tracks. Be sure to pick up the special edition which contains the Deep Purple cover "Soldier of Fortune".
Why it should be ranked lower: There's nothing below this album that should be higher, so it can't go any lower.
Why it should be ranked higher: It is the climax and conclusion to the signature sound Opeth had crafted, defined and redefined over the last 5 albums.
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Ghost Reveries! My favourite Opeth album :tup
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I still need to give Shadow Gallery a more thorough listen.
Ghost Reveries, on the other hand :hefdaddy :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
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Definitely give SG a chance. If you enjoy prog-metal, it should be a home run.
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4. Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime [1988]
(https://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/e5/5d/7539c060ada07efff5889110.L.jpg)
Track Picks: Revolution Calling, Operation: Mindcrime, Speak, Spreading the Disease, Suite Sister Mary, The Needle Lies, I Don't Believe in Love, Eyes of a Stranger
Concept album's had been done before, but few had been as ambitious as Queensryches "Operation: Mindcrime" about a druggie named Nikki who becomes a hit-man for a clandestine group focused on revolution. A puppet for the mysterious Dr. X, he does his dirty work. The story revolves around his affection with a nun-turned-prostitute named Mary who works for a corrupt Priest Father William. Dr. X orders Nikki to take them both out and things get real. Musically, this is a great album that re-inforces the story brilliantly. Mostly it's a mix of arena rock with some progressive elements. After the first couple tracks that just set up some back story, "Revolution Calling" kicks things off with signature Queensryche chops and some heavy political lyrical content. "Speak" continues the political rhetoric with some great riffing and melody. The longer "Suite Sister Mary" is an epic with a dark atmosphere complete with backing choir vocals. The more standard rockers like "I Don't Believe in Love" and "Eyes of a Stranger" are perhaps the most popular and played songs in their catalog and for good reason. Tate gives a performance for the ages and the rest of the band is at the top of their game.
Why it should be ranked lower: ummmm
Why it should be ranked higher: A landmark album that took concept album's to the next level.
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3. Dream Theater - Metropolis PT2: Scenes From a Memory [1999]
(https://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/09/c3/a948810ae7a05e55115fa110.L.jpg)
Track Picks: Overture 1928, Strange Deja Vu, Fatal Tragedy, Beyond This Life, Home, The Dance of Eternity, One Last Time, The Spirit Carries On, Finally Free
Dream Theater, concept album, no brainer. I debated and flip flopped on swapping the ranking of this and Mindcrime several times. Ultimately it doesn't matter because they are both fantastic, but I gave the edge to SFAM because the story's payoff is just so damn good. DT pulls out all the stop to craft an all-timer of an album and one that is musically some of the most brilliant and complex ever written. "Overture 1928/Strange Deja Vu" is the best opening combo on any DT album. "Beyond This Life" is brilliantly contrived as a newspaper article that serves to advance a critical point in the plot on top of being an outstanding prog metal song. The instrumental piece "The Dance of Eternity" has some mixed reception by the fans, but it is by far my favorite instrumental song in their catalog and it is mind-bogglingly complex with 108 time signature changes and the technical chops rarely matched in the industry. The penultimate "The Spirit Carries On" is a gorgeous ballad with a touching message that has become a fan favorite. The closer "Finally Free" is an awkward song on its own, but in the context of the full album is a masterfully crafted song that builds to the climactic conclusion. The section with the lyrics "Spirits rise through the air, all their fears disappear" is perhaps the best moment on not just this album, but of DT's whole career *chills*.
Why it should be ranked lower: It's almost too good...
Why it should be ranked higher: The best concept album ever written!
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Both are good albums, but I wouldn't rank either as high.
Also, Scenes From A Memory can never be the best concept album in a world where The Towers Of Avarice exists.
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Zero Hour is on my list. Towers of Avarice is one of the 100 or so album's on my Amazon wishlist... I'll get to it eventually.
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2 phenomenal albums. :tup
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2 phenomenal albums. :tup
That right there. But O:M > SFAM.
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2 phenomenal albums. :tup
That right there. But O:M > SFAM.
bingo.
I don't see how you can possibly call O:M arena rock though. Maybe Breaking the Silence and I Don't Believe in Love (it's still a stretch), but the others are far from that.
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I don't dislike SFAM, but I really think it gets overrated excessively here. I burned out on it, and I haven't burned out on albums I've listened to many more times, O:M included
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2 phenomenal albums. :tup
That right there. But O:M > SFAM.
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I love you for placing Carved in Stone so high :heart
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The title made me think of O:M II :lol.
I find these two albums overrated, but pretty good anyway. I prefer Mindcrime.
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2. Opeth - Blackwater Park [2001]
(https://technicaldeathmetal.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Cover34.jpg)
Track Picks: The Leper Affinity, Bleak, Harvest, The Drapery Falls, Dirge For November, The Funeral Portrait, Patterns in the Ivy, Blackwater Park
Take the musical Genius of Mikael Akerfeldt and now add the watchful eye and ear of Steven Wilson and we now have a recipe for something very special. 2001 saw the release of "Blackwater Park" to become the quentessential Opeth album and one that would launch their careers to a worldwide audience. I used to rank Ghost Reveries higher, but it hasn't aged quite as well as BWP. It takes everything that was great about "Still Life" and takes it to new heights. "Bleak" is an all-timer of a track and is arguably the best they've written. It was the song that sold me on Opeth when I felt growls were still a bit distasteful. After a few minutes of an eastern tinged death metal opening it transitions to clean vocals and deconstructs down to acoustic guitars and eventually coming to a full stop. After the short silence it builds into one of the best psychedelic metal instrumental sections ever. With "The Drapery Falls" we get another great psychedelic metal opening, but then a dark and folksy acoustic section very reminiscent of Matt Uelmen's score to Diablo the video game. TDF is full of great contrasting heavy and soft moments with some sudden transitions. For all the death metal fury, there is still some balance and moments of respite in "Harvest" and "Patterns in the Ivy" as gorgeous ballad and instrumental. The title track is a great closer and the only song to feature exclusively harsh vocals. Pick up the special edition for Patterns in the Ivy II (hard to find now), or get the Legacy edition for a behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the album.
Why it should be ranked lower: Some may say it's just Still Life pt 2. Which is not a bad thing.
Why it should be ranked higher: It can't, because this album, like all others on this list are outclassed by #1.
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I can't say enough good things about your list. It really has been fun to follow!
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BLACKWATER PARK FO LYFE!!!!!!!!!!!! :millahhhh
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Prediction: a certain Dream Theater album from the 90s at #1.
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Prediction: a certain Dream Theater album from the 90s at #1.
Yup. Falling Into Infinity. Calling it.
:neverusethis:
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Blackwater Park is the only Opeth album I own. It's pretty good, but not really my kind of music. Three first songs are amazing, however.
The intro riff on The Funeral Portrait sounds quite similar to one on Another Day (after James sings "Than surrender to the secret" and before "wooooaaaaaah").
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My personal #4. Fucking amazing album.
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One last plug for some other band's before the final #1.
There have been a lot of bands that I've gotten into fairly recently and are good enough to flirt with a Top 50 ranking, but are just too new for me to feel good enough about squeezing them in. Some have already been highlighted in my initial Honorable Mentions like Anathema, Avantasia, Devin Townsend, Spock's Beard etc. All fantastic band's with really good stuff. A few others worth mentioning but still have too much of a new car smell to fully get a handle on are:
Blind Guardian
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9d/Blind_Guardian_At_the_Edge_of_Time.jpg)(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41M3QJMFPVL.jpg)
Great Power Metal band. "At the Edge of Time" is kicking my ass. The opener "Sacred Worlds" is a killer track with a really cool full orchestra opening and buildup. Don't mind the cheesy settings, it's all in good fun.
Pagan's Mind
(https://o.scdn.co/300/14e30e350b186ed64a8eefad5f6dd880329281cd)(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61wELj1%2BTSL._SY300_.jpg)(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BOF6dKY3L._SY300_.jpg)
My favorite new band. Thanks to Jingle's and Dr. DTVT's Top 50's. I heard of them many years ago and for whatever reason they didn't click. I decided to give them a 2nd chance and BAM!, everything clicked and it's awesome. I could probably squeeze Celestial Entrance or Enigmatic Calling into my Top 50 now without too much of a fuss. They've been in my regular rotation for a few months now.
Riverside
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41x-tPp2eCL._SY300_.jpg)(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/617TIdB2qfL._SY300_.jpg)
Another band on my radar for many years that I couldn't get into, but I decided to take a 2nd look after Anno Domini High Definition was listed on a few folks Top 50's. Excellent band, lots of similarities to Porcupine Tree.
Katatonia
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e1/LastFairDealGoneDown.jpg)(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61FuHZf8LDL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
A band that has gone through a lot of changes, originally a death metal metal band but have more or less eschewed the harsh vocals now and writing much more melodic and down to earth pieces. Some progressive and doom elements are present. Song writing is very tight. Check them out.
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all good bands. Katatonia is a bit depressing though. Pagan's Mind probably my favorite out of these.
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Too bad there was no room for any Katatonia or Riverside albums in your list, but I'm happy to see them get honorable mentions.
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Great list so far and I was really glad to see Sieges Even listed, though personally I think The Art of Navigating by the Stars is a masterpiece. :D
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all good bands. Katatonia is a bit depressing though. Pagan's Mind probably my favorite out of these.
You like Blind Guardian? Cool, I thought power metal wasn't your thing, or I'm confusing that with someone else.
Too bad there was no room for any Katatonia or Riverside albums in your list, but I'm happy to see them get honorable mentions.
If I ever do a V2, I can see them making it on there. I just don't have enough time with these bands yet and for these 2 in particular, I have less than half their album's, so I still need to get familiar with that.
Great list so far and I was really glad to see Sieges Even listed, though personally I think The Art of Navigating by the Stars is a masterpiece. :D
TAONBTS is a very good album, didn't grab me the same way paramount did for some reason.
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Ortho, I started following but I lost touch. Not an Opeth fan, though I do like Ghost Reveries, but everything on this page is an absolute winner. Barely a Sym X fan, but Divine Wings is great, and easily better than V.
Gonna go back through the thread.
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1. Dream Theater - Images & Words [1992]
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/id/3/35/Dream_theater_iaw.jpg)
Track Picks: Pull Me Under, Another Day, Take The Time, Surrounded, Metroplis PT.1, Under A Glass Moon, Wait For Sleep, Learning To Live
Here it is, the greatest album of all time. Could it have been anything else? It was my first Dream Theater album and my first real prog metal album (Does Queensryche count? kinda sorta, not really). You'll probably think it is with a heaping pile of nostalgia that I put my first real prog album ranked at number 1, but I like to think it was fate. When I got it home I opened the package and scanned the lyrics and liner notes and had a few thoughts. Calling the music "Images" and the lyrics "Words" was clever, if not a bit pretentious :D. What could they possibly go on about for so long with tracks clocking in at 9 - 11 minutes long and will I be bored to tears? Well, I didn't know what to expect, so I popped it in with a bit of apprehension and braced for it. Then it came. WOW! Never heard anything quite like this. I didn't know music like this was even possible. "Pull Me Under", the Greatest Hit and only real single is an impressive mid-tempo metal tune that still enjoys occasional radio play today. I was particularly enthralled with "Another Day" with the inclusion of a soprano saxophone since I was a saxophone player myself at the time. "Take the Time" was my first favorite song with it's winding and epic climactic buildup and release. Labrie has some of his best vocal moments here. "Surrounded", with its slow and melodic buildup before going into overdrive. Then there is "Metropolis PT.1", the quintessential DT song. It was by this track that I knew I was listening to something truly special, I mean, who does that. "Under A Glass Moon" didn't stick out to me much at all for a long time, but now it is one of my all time favorites and has one of Petrucci's most memorable solo's. "Wait For Sleep" is an unusual and very creative piano driven melodic song. They don't write music like this any more and it's a shame because it is so original. Probably due to the departure of Kevin Moore, but that's another topic. Concluding with "Learning To Live" and epic, grooving and jazzy song that leaves a lasting impression. All around, it's a glorious and marvelous work. In a word: Masterpiece.
Why it should be ranked lower: It can't, this is the greatest album of all time. If you disagree, you should take a good, long look in the mirror and figure out why it's not and readjust your life accordingly.
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:metal
:tup
:hefdaddy
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:iagree:
'Twas #1 for me as well. Everything you said is spot on.
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I can't complain with that one! :tup :tup
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Classic, don't even comes close of being the greatest album though :P
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^ I haven't heard every album yet, but I'm going to keep looking and nothing has topped it yet.
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Yeah, 2 years from now, your favorite might be a jazz album, a prog rock album, you know... everything is possible, much music that we not have heard yet.
2 or 3 years ago, i only cared for metal (prog metal most) and thought Scenes was the best thing ever and now, in the present, it totally changed and i hardly listen to metal anymore, something i would never have imagined.
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That's true. I am only just beginning to explore other genre's that are still related to prog in some way let alone others. I didn't place Images & Words at number one initially, it took several years to solidify there. Master of Puppets and Operation: Mindcrime traded places at #1 for me at some time 12-17 years ago and I may have even briefly had a Savatage album there. I even had Awake as my favorite DT album for a few years after discovering them and now that's slipped several spots.
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So, what is the next step?
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Next step?
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Orthogonal: "Specifically, I've gained a tolerance and appreciation for harsh/growling vocals and secondly, I started to enjoy non-metal prog rock."
What's comes next?
When i was in my "Prog Metal phase", my next step was checking Symphonic prog.
Liked some passages but not whole songs... then i checked some Canterbury Scene albums and it all clicked (70's prog in general).
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ic, as I explained in my OP, I have been on a tear discovering new bands in the last year with the purchase of some 150+ albums in a little over a year. My current gameplan (probably starting in 2014) is to stop trying new bands until I fill in the back catalog of the band's I'm already checking out and then making a big change. Specifically, going to late 60's and early 70's prog with bands like Yes, Genesis, King Crimson etc... bands that I have really no exposure too. We'll see how it goes from there.
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I recommend you checking this albums before going into Yes or Genesis:
Camel - Mirage
Caravan - In the Land of Grey and Pink
Khan - Space Shanty
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Thanks for the recs. I'll keep them in mind when I get to that point. I just need a ton of cash and a lot of time now :hat
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Fitting #1. The list feels a bit samey to me though, but you can't help the fact that these are the 50 albums you enjoy the most. Was a good read.
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:iagree:
'Twas #1 for me as well. Everything you said is spot on.
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My prediction was actually right. Funny about that.
Have enjoyed your write-ups. Good list, good write-ups. Can't ask for more than that.
Well, you could ask for the moderator to pronounce your username correctly when he's asking your question to Dream Theater, ha :)
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This was a good list. I didn't learn about anything new here, but enjoyed the thread. :biggrin:
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great number 1
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Fitting #1. The list feels a bit samey to me though, but you can't help the fact that these are the 50 albums you enjoy the most. Was a good read.
Yeah, and I kinda hinted at that a bit in the OP, but C'est la vie. Although, I think there is still a fair amount of variation here. It's pretty interesting how diverse and broad prog can be. The fact that you can loosely associate a band like Mastodon and Porcupine Tree under the wide net of Prog is pretty astounding and that's what makes this type of music so fun.
My prediction was actually right. Funny about that.
Have enjoyed your write-ups. Good list, good write-ups. Can't ask for more than that.
Well, you could ask for the moderator to pronounce your username correctly when he's asking your question to Dream Theater, ha :)
I guess I'm just too predictable ;). Thanks for following and I enjoyed your frequent comments. Also, few can pronounce my username correctly so I won't hold it against them, you have to be kind of a math geek to even know what it is, let alone pronounce it.
This was a good list. I didn't learn about anything new here, but enjoyed the thread. :biggrin:
Really, Nothing?!?! Wow, I guess I should check out your Top 50 then.
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ic, as I explained in my OP, I have been on a tear discovering new bands in the last year with the purchase of some 150+ albums in a little over a year. My current gameplan (probably starting in 2014) is to stop trying new bands until I fill in the back catalog of the band's I'm already checking out and then making a big change. Specifically, going to late 60's and early 70's prog with bands like Yes, Genesis, King Crimson etc... bands that I have really no exposure too. We'll see how it goes from there.
Let me know how that works out for you. I tried to make a 'new years resolution' back in Jan to do just that, and really get to KNOW all the bands/albums that DTF has exposed me to over the past couple of years. That lasted about 5 weeks.
I blame lonestar and obscure primarily. :lol Nick/WPAPU doesn't help the cause either. Joe's been pretty evil to me too.
And I'll be firing up another roulette in a few months.
:whatthehellamithinking:
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Lol, that's DTF for you.
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Let me know how that works out for you. I tried to make a 'new years resolution' back in Jan to do just that, and really get to KNOW all the bands/albums that DTF has exposed me to over the past couple of years. That lasted about 5 weeks.
I'm sure I'll be setting myself up for failure by sticking around here, but I'm going to give it a shot. Definitely won't be doing a roulette any time soon, got way too many things to check out on my own before subjecting myself to that kind of onslaught. My wallet couldn't handle it.
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Final list, the Top 50:
50. Live - Throwing Copper
49. Kamelot - The Black Halo
48. Queensryche - Promised Land
47. Cloudscape - Global Drama
46. Our Lady Peace - Clumsy
45. Rush - Moving Pictures
44. U2 - Joshua Tree
43. Savatage - Poets & Madmen
42. Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
41. Serenity - Fallen Sanctuary
40. Angra - Rebirth
39. Beyond the Bridge - The Old Man and the Spirit
38. Between the Buried and Me - Colors
37. Mastodon - Blood Mountain
36. Pathosray - Pathosray
35. Redemption - Snowfall on Judgement Day
34. Circus Maximus - Nine
33. Big Big Train - English Electric Part 2
32. Big Big Train - English Electric Part 1
31. Symphony X - The Odyssey
30. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
29. Queensryche - Empire
28. Circus Maximus - The 1st Chapter
27. Nightwish - Oceanborn
26. Royal Hunt - Paradox
25. Flaming Row - Ellinoire
24. Haken - Visions
23. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
22. Sonata Arctica - Unia
21. Sieges Even - Paramount
20. Mastodon - Crack the Skye
19. Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
18. Opeth - Still Life
17. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
16. Seventh Wonder - The Great Escape
15. Shadow Gallery - Room V
14. Shadow Gallery - Tyranny
13. Symphony X - V: The New Mythology
12. Ayreon - The Human Equation
11. Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls
10. Savatage - Dead Winter Dead
9. Angra - Temple of Shadows
8. Metallica - Master of Puppets
7. Symphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy
6. Shadow Gallery - Carved in Stone
5. Opeth - Ghost Reveries
4. Queensryche - Operation: Mincrime
3. Dream Theater - Metropolis PT2: Scenes From a Memory
2. Opeth - Blackwater Park
1. Dream Theater - Images & Words
There it is!
Thanks for following, it was a lot of fun to do and there was a lot of good discussions. For those playing at home, here's your last chance to say how you did. I imagine a few folks around here are in the high 30's, maybe even low 40's. I'm not sure what that says about me or you, but we have a lot of musical tastes in common which you would expect on a site like this.
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Let me know how that works out for you. I tried to make a 'new years resolution' back in Jan to do just that, and really get to KNOW all the bands/albums that DTF has exposed me to over the past couple of years. That lasted about 5 weeks.
I'm sure I'll be setting myself up for failure by sticking around here, but I'm going to give it a shot. Definitely won't be doing a roulette any time soon, got way too many things to check out on my own before subjecting myself to that kind of onslaught. My wallet couldn't handle it.
You don't have to buy EVERY album ever.
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If I hear it and I like it, I do. It's an addiction.
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Oh boy, that's wallet shrinking.
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33 for me.
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Horrible album.
Cool list. :tup
I like buying albums too, but I don't have too much money. So it's safer to listen online or get some albums from the library.