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Welcome to my second Top 50 albums thread! Apparently there's quite a bit of interest in this thing, according to the Tracker thread, so here we go.
I ran one of those nearly four years ago (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=43039.0), and while my tastes have changed a bit since then, I’m not simply doing another definitive Top 50 albums of all time—if I did, there would’ve been a lot of repeats, as I still love Kamelot, Ayreon, Avantasia, Beyond the Bridge and other artists I included in my list back then. So, long story short, that first list is still somewhat representative of my overall preferences in music.
For this list, I’d like to include only albums I discovered via DTF, so it’s basically going to be a list of albums you guys introduced me to. You know how it goes, perhaps someone sent me a song in my roulettes, and I liked it so much I ended up checking out the album or the whole artist’s discography, or perhaps the band has been discussed on DTF a lot and I decided to check it out. I won’t include any bands I’ve already featured in my previous Top 50—I don’t want any repeats, and, besides, if I did that, Beyond the Bridge would’ve been Top 1 here. There are going to be very well-known bands on this list, and there will be some bands that aren’t widely discussed—though you probably saw me sending them in roulettes once or twice.
I’m planning to run a roulette next year, with the intention to start in January or February, depending on how soon my turn comes. This list is a fair representation of my current tastes, so if you’re planning on participating, it might be useful to check this thread out.
For each album in the list, I’ll try to mention the person responsible for getting me into the album. So if anyone’s interested, you can tally these up and determine who has introduced me to the biggest amount of music I enjoy. I will also include two or three favourite songs from each album, so you would be able to check them out and perhaps discover some awesome music along the way. I’m also prone to ramble. Which means, well, some write-ups won’t even talk about the music at all. And the more I love the album—so the higher we go in the actual Top 50—the more I will have to say about it… or, well, perhaps not really about it, but instead tell you a stupid story of how I discovered this band, what it really reminds me of, you know.
With that, I’m going to reserve the next post for the actual list (well done, me), and then fire up some honourable mentions. The whole thing is pre-written, so I should be able to finish this by Christmas. One or two updates a day, one album per one update. Like the artist and the album? Let everyone know in the thread! Like the artist, but think I picked a shitty album? There will be almost no repeats on the list, so chances are, your favourite album by that band isn't going to appear at all, so pour all your frustration into your post! Have an interesting story regarding your own experience with the album or the artist, be that a live show, how you ran into the artist in your local grocery store, or whatever? Share it!
Ready? Let's make it fun. Honorable mentions are coming up in a few hours, and the actual #50 will be posted tomorrow.
I forgot to reserve the next post, so I guess I'll just update this very post!
1. Vanden Plas - Chronicles of the Immortals: Netherworld (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2506156#msg2506156)
2. Haken - Aquarius (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2505985#msg2505985)
3. Headspace - I Am Anonymous (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2505823#msg2505823)
4. Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2505469#msg2505469)
5. Redemption - Snowfall on Judgment Day (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2505316#msg2505316)
6. Galahad - Empires Never Last (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2505220#msg2505220)
7. Primal Fear - Delivering the Black (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2505108#msg2505108)
8. Fates Warning - Theories of Flight (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2504969#msg2504969)
9. Phideaux - Number Seven (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2504840#msg2504840)
10. Evergrey - Hymns for the Broken (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2504656#msg2504656)
11. Árstíðir - Árstíðir (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2504449#msg2504449)
12. Leprous - Bilateral (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2504202#msg2504202)
13. Leprous - The Congregation (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2504202#msg2504202)
14. Dimension Act - Manifestation of Progress (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2504142#msg2504142)
15. Haken - The Mountain (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2503946#msg2503946)
16. Karmakanic - Who's the Boss in the Factory? (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2503830#msg2503830)
17. W.A.S.P. - The Crimson Idol (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2503495#msg2503495)
18. Sieges Even - The Art of Navigating by the Stars (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2503284#msg2503284)
19. Anathema - Alternative 4 (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2503267#msg2503267)
20. Anathema - Weather Systems (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2503267#msg2503267)
21. Need - Orvam: A Song for Home (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2503146#msg2503146)
22. Arion - Last of Us (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2502998#msg2502998)
23. Insomnium - Shadows of the Dying Sun (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2502889#msg2502889)
24. Flaming Row - Mirage: A Portrayal of Figures (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2502647#msg2502647)
25. Wolverine - Communication Lost (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2502610#msg2502610)
26. Amadeus Awad - Death Is Just a Feeling (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2502283#msg2502283)
27. Riverside - Love, Fear and the Time Machine (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2502033#msg2502033)
28. Mystery - The World Is a Game (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2501940#msg2501940)
29. Amorphis - Skyforger (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2501540#msg2501540)
30. While Heaven Wept - Vast Oceans Lachrymose (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2501314#msg2501314)
31. Jørn Lande / Trond Holter - Dracula: Swing of Death (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2501182#msg2501182)
32. Katatonia - Dead End Kings (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2501045#msg2501045)
33. Trail of Murder - Shades of Art (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2500985#msg2500985)
34. Soen - Lykaia (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2500536#msg2500536)
35. Circus Maximus - Nine (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2500085#msg2500085)
36. Echoes - Nature | Existence (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2499676#msg2499676)
37. Phantasma - The Deviant Hearts (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2499633#msg2499633)
38. The Dear Hunter - Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2499279#msg2499279)
39. Myrath - Tales of the Sands (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2499227#msg2499227)
40. Wintersun - Time I (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2498719#msg2498719)
41. Big Big Train - Grimspound (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2498498#msg2498498)
42. Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2498433#msg2498433)
43. Be'lakor - Stone's Reach (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2498381#msg2498381)
44. Artificial Language - The Observer (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2498259#msg2498259)
45. Markéta Irglová - Muna (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2497910#msg2497910)
46. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2497611#msg2497611)
47. Bent Knee - Shiny Eyed Babies (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2497280#msg2497280)
48. Sunburst - Fragments of Creation (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2497069#msg2497069)
49. Thrice - The Alchemy Index, Vol. 3 & 4: Air & Earth (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2496885#msg2496885)
50. Devin Townsend - Terria (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2496471#msg2496471)
Honourable mentions (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53133.msg2496126#msg2496126)
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Following this thread like nobody's business. Can't wait to see you gush over some Paramacore. :metal
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SECOND!
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#1: Beyond the Bridge - The Old Man and the Spirit
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Following :metal
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#1: Beyond the Bridge - The Old Man and the Spirit
No band repeats from my previous list to make this more interesting. :P
Scorp, Chad and Sacul, glad to have you guys on board!
Let's do the honourable mentions then, to keep the discussion going.
Honourable mentions:
April Rain
Delain
Genre: symphonic metal
2009
Recommended to me by: DTF band thread
(https://img.discogs.com/ZIfraD4MUuoPUPIAjtxWD6UB6HM=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-2236109-1309791541.jpeg.jpg)
A somewhat unpopular pick from Delain, I’m sure, this album was the first one I checked out from this band, and so it holds a special place in my heart. While it could be argued The Human Contradiction is more polished and has better songwriting, I still enjoy April Rain more than anything else the band has done. Not every song on this record is brilliant, but most of them are of simple verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus structure, with the choruses that end up in your head for weeks after you’ve listened to this record. Charlotte’s voice is pleasant as usual, and there’s also Marco Hietala singing on two tracks, which is never a bad thing.
I checked Delain out after seeing the activity in the official band thread during the Moonbathers promo cycle. I’ve heard good things about the band, but never actually bothered to listen to their material, even though female-fronted symphonic metal is something I tend to enjoy. That was a good decision, and even though I ended up missing them on tour for Moonbathers, I’ll try to catch them next time they’re in my city.
Favourite songs: Stay Forever (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OweScG30hXU), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/35uYcpPJhgaNuHdd1nuW3d)), Control the Storm (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wGdw4ZuXf0), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/46oovSPI68kVjUaPyildQZ))
A Certain Feeling
Bodies of Water
Genre: indie rock
2008
Recommended to me by: Parama
(https://www.amoeba.com/sized-images/max/500/500/uploads/buystuff_items/656605017723.jpeg)
This is one of the few “happy” non-metal albums thrown at me during my time on DTF that managed to stick with me. I don’t think I have another album in my audio library like this one. Full of memorable melodies that are so difficult not to sing along to, this record exudes joy and triumph. For every slow or mysterious song on it, like Only You or Even in a Cave, there is a fabulous uplifting song that just oozes fun, like Gold, Tan, Peach and Gray or If I Were a Bell.
As far as I remember, Parama sent me this in my first roulette, and now that four years have passed, this album is still in my rotation. An enjoyable listen, and an excellent album to cheer you up during the bleak autumn days.
Favourite songs: Gold, Tan, Peach and Gray (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlZDXwAsc5o) / Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7tyJSU8B70p5lXDLugyUmZ)), Under the Pines (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyxZd1L6P20), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/3BOZLdjZ8XHijCEZ98Fi2X))
Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
Coheed and Cambria
Genre: progressive metal
2005
Recommended to me by: 425
(https://lastfm-img2.akamaized.net/i/u/ar0/e926d981bf0640e0885b9d0736a49524)
This album with the title that’s nearly impossible to remember if you’re not a huge fan of the band—if you wake me up at 2 A.M. and ask what it’s called, I’ll tell you either to fuck off, or that it’s Sons of Apollo I’m Burning Eyes of Madness 4. Well, it’s a concept album, as are pretty much all albums by these guys, so that would explain the title. However, I asked around on DTF and no one could actually explain the concept to me. Still, the album contains a hefty amount of exquisite musicianship, with adventurous rhythms, skillful guitar solos and well-painted musical landscapes. The only huge drawback for me here—and yes, I know that fans of this band heard this complaint literally hundreds of times by now—is Claudio’s voice, which is about as annoying as it gets. Vocal melodies are fantastic here, and the instrumentation is excellent, but I just can’t get past the singer’s voice. Otherwise, this would’ve been somewhere in the Top 30.
There is another potential drawback in the lyrics, which doesn’t bother me—I think it’s actually kind of hilarious. The music on the album has a mostly positive vibe, but the lyrics are angry as heck, some good examples of that being “So cry on, bitch, why aren't you laughing, now?” or “Jesse, bad boy, just come look at what your brother did to that girl's precious little whore of a body”. This, actually, makes me wonder even more about this album’s story—from what I’ve been able to gather, I guess the protagonist just hates everyone.
425 is a big fan of Coheed—he sent me something from them in my second roulette—so one day I saw this album in store and bought it on a whim. It’s not something I come back often, but it’s always a fun ride when I do.
Favourite songs: Welcome Home (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJJ27NxYamY), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/42GP0xKtkolBnmqQRvSllO)), The Willing Well III: Apollo II: The Telling Truth (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj1eQBbKLvs), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7DGNF1tKY6XqjJcMSUY73N))
Arktis.
Ihsahn
Genre: progressive black metal
2016
Recommended to me by: Train of Naught or Tomislav
(https://www.nuclearblast.de/static/articles/247/247285.jpg/1000x1000.jpg)
A rare appearance of an album full of growls on my list—well, not exactly on my list, but close enough—by Ihsahn. I found this album, like a lot of Ihsahn work, to be quite inconsistent in quality. There are excellent songs, there are good songs, and then there are songs that I’m itching to skip. There is no denying this album has a lot of potential, and were I bigger fan of black metal, I might’ve enjoyed this more. Still, this albums has enough variety to stay interesting, drawing influences from a lot of genres, including 80s happy metal in Until I Too Dissolve, and features Einar Solberg from Leprous on one of the tracks.
I was curious about Ihsahn when I learned he’s coming to my country on Arktis tour, and as far as I remember, either Train or Tomislav helped me get into his music. I ended up going to the show and enjoying it a lot, I think I’ve posted a small review in his official thread here.
Favourite songs: Until I Too Dissolve (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-xDvO755Mk), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/2TtSOg0rHS6zkGQ2mqXffH)), Celestial Violence (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg-2jJRFLxo), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/1qXXsm5HOx6lssCY9Sct2E))
As Daylight Breaks
Serious Black
Genre: hard rock / power metal
2015
Recommended to me by: Hard rock / Classic metal thread in GMD
(https://www.nuclearblast.de/static/articles/237/237444.jpg/1000x1000.jpg)
While the straightforward albums like this are more likely to be a miss than a hit for me these days, there is something about songwriting on this particular record that stands out for me. Despite the music being your usual run of the mill hard rock and power metal, somehow the band managed to capture the spark of metal in the songs here, and while they didn’t introduce anything new here, the album is just an easy and very solid listen. While the band continued to release records after this one—I think they have three albums out now—they didn’t top this one so far.
2015 was a good year for metal, and also a good year for discovering music on my end—if this had come out now, I most likely would’ve missed it—and perhaps next year will be equally good.
Favourite songs: I Seek No Other Life (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnO-uRsdIgg), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/0rdbZHmwG2eRWn4reWeEvm)), Akhenaton (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmmrUSf2MG4), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4pBpcFYx4p9Zm7n81Mq16c))
Avatarium
Avatarium
Genre: doom metal
2013
Recommended to me by: Big Hath
(https://t2.genius.com/unsafe/863x0/https%3A%2F%2Fimages.genius.com%2F6a425212bf4918089503e110cd07d491.952x1000x1.jpg)
I’ve never heard a doom metal album before, and this one was a welcome surprise for me. Sludgy riffs combined with a lovely female voice, this record featured exactly what I wanted from a doom metal record, and while it gets too heavy for my tastes sometimes, the calm moments easily make the whole experience worthwhile. There are a few tracks I don’t really care about, such as the title track, but then there are songs I absolutely adore, like Moonhorse—which prompted me to buy the actual album—and the gorgeous Lady in the Lamp.
Jon sent this to me in my second roulette for a round which had a “female-fronted song” theme, and while I don’t remember if he won that round in question, he definitely scored big with this song. I’m glad I discovered this.
Favourite songs: Moonhorse (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWuGTYiQs8U), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4KsJ37jLEK5wkjcGxEwyAm)), Lady in the Lamp (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFF-6NWTNx0), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/5pewp8yOxN6YL8TPkubIqf))
Discuss away, and the actual list starts tomorrow!
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All up in this :hat
I'll be surprised if there is anything in here that I specifically introduced you to, unless I, Vigilante has left such an impact it's crept in here (I know it hasn't :lol )
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I only know the Ihsahn album (I thought I had sent you Celestial Violence sometime? Apparently not.) and that Avatarium album (to which you introduced me, via Moonhorse on Plug).
The Ihsahn album is great. One of my favourites in his discography, might even take the top spot on a couple of days (After and Das Seelenbrechen are other contenders, but I find them very hard to compare so my Top 3 changes quite a bit from day to day). Until I Too Dissolve is an awesome tune, and Celestial Violence is just sublime. Good choice on the recommended songs as well.
The Avatarium album I have not listened to in a long time. I should do something about that. I think it's getting a spin tonight. Thanks for reminding me of how great that disc is. :tup
Out of the others, only the Bodies of Water sounds really interesting. I don't have a lot of happy music, but when I next feel like listening to some, I'll definitely give it a spin.
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Fuck yes! I mean I consider Coheed and Cambria my number one band of all time at this point (they've surpassed Metallica). I would like to see Good Apollo I higher up but I can appreciate your gripes with it. As to the concept, I can try to explain it but it's pretty weird and hard to follow. Also, yes, the protagonist hates everyone. The protagonist is basically Claudio and he wrote this album when his girlfriend (now wife) broke up with him. He was in a pretty messed up place and this was his hate letter to Chondra. Damn.
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Bodies of :metal
i will say, that's only like my 4th or 5th favorite coheed album at best, as much as i love welcome home and the willing well suite :lol
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Following this. 30% for the music, 70% because I'm a fan of your focking excellent writing. :tup
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As Daylight Breaks is a fantastic album. Love Urban breed's voice. I'm so-so with Delain. I mostly enjoy their music, but it doesn't wow me.
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Following. I feel like you can open me up to new bands!
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Definitely following. I'm always looking for new music, even while running a roulette. :lol
Some great honorable mentions so far :tup
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I'll be surprised if there is anything in here that I specifically introduced you to, unless I, Vigilante has left such an impact it's crept in here (I know it hasn't :lol )
I don't think so, yeah. We didn't interact that much, which I hope we'll rectify when 2019 rolls around.
I only know the Ihsahn album (I thought I had sent you Celestial Violence sometime? Apparently not.) and that Avatarium album (to which you introduced me, via Moonhorse on Plug).
I don't think it was you introduced me to Ihsahn, but I could be misremembering that. In any case, it's a great album indeed. Bodies of Water is a lot of fun, too, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on it.
As Daylight Breaks is a fantastic album. Love Urban breed's voice. I'm so-so with Delain. I mostly enjoy their music, but it doesn't wow me.
I wish the next two albums were as good as As Daylight Breaks. I had an opportunity to see them last year, but I would have had to extend my vacation for two days—Serious Black somewhere near Koln at the end of September, I think—but the following albums weren't as exciting as that one, and my friends and I decided to pass on that.
I also thought you liked Delain, because you liked Phantasma, but apparently I was wrong!
Bodies of :metal
i will say, that's only like my 4th or 5th favorite coheed album at best, as much as i love welcome home and the willing well suite :lol
As I said, that's the only one I have from them. :biggrin:
Following this. 30% for the music, 70% because I'm a fan of your focking excellent writing. :tup
I wrote most of these after work, so there are some derp-infused write-ups coming soon enough.
Following. I feel like you can open me up to new bands!
I always thought you were more like a prog-rock guy, sending Karmakanic and Enchant and all, and sure, there are some prog rock releases on the list.
Definitely following. I'm always looking for new music, even while running a roulette. :lol
Some great honorable mentions so far :tup
Your banned list is so extensive, I think there are only a few albums on the list that you haven't heard. I could be wrong though, I couldn't be bothered to search for them all on your RYM page.
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hey ev go get the afterman you'd probably like that one the most out of all their albums
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Following.
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That first Serious Black is pretty good.
Following. I feel like you can open me up to new bands!
Quit being so close minded! :P
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That first Serious Black is pretty good.
It's actually really excellent IMO. I can't believe how shit everything since has been. Obviously Roland was the brains behind the first one.
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I probably didn't directly show you the album but I played and showed the shit out of Celestial Violence when it came out as a single, I could have been the one that showed that song to you in plug or something.
Ihsahns latest album really disappointed me, I don't like this overly proggy and sappy direction. This one was still great but I would put it behind After and probably Seelenbrechen as well.
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i listened to the new ihsahn twice and found it reeeeally boring, tbh
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Following this for sure. Let's see where it goes. :metal
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That first Serious Black is pretty good.
It's actually really excellent IMO. I can't believe how shit everything since has been. Obviously Roland was the brains behind the first one.
That's something I read quite often in the Frontiers thread.
I probably didn't directly show you the album but I played and showed the shit out of Celestial Violence when it came out as a single, I could have been the one that showed that song to you in plug or something.
I think that was it, yes.
Ihsahns latest album really disappointed me, I don't like this overly proggy and sappy direction. This one was still great but I would put it behind After and probably Seelenbrechen as well.
i listened to the new ihsahn twice and found it reeeeally boring, tbh
I think I quit after the first track. I intended to come back to it, but I guess I'll pass now.
Remember when I said there will be some well-known artists? This is the update for tonight, only one because it's Monday and I'm not quite fond of those.
#50
Terria
Devin Townsend
Genre: progressive metal
2001
Recommended to me by: DTF band thread
(https://img.discogs.com/t8gkNIVHuTTvHLwJ3IVyYT960jw=/fit-in/600x597/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-420251-1195268754.jpeg.jpg)
One of the most prolific and popular artists on DTF, Devin Townsend was on my radar even before I created an account here. Along with Rush, Steven Wilson and Haken, Devin Townsend is the musician that’s always being discussed on this board. While I don’t religiously buy everything he does, and while some of the material he releases falls flat for me, I can certainly say the attention he gets around these parts is well-deserved.
One of the biggest turnoffs in Devin’s music for me is his signature wall-of-sound approach to the songs. Even if you only heard a few songs by Devin, you can recognize most of his material whenever it comes up in your playlist by how massive it sounds. Which is great, otherwise you probably wouldn’t be able to recognize it at all, given how diverse his output is, from Ghost to Deconstruction. I tried to get into his music several times during my five years on DTF, and I discovered that I tend to enjoy his softer side way more—I seriously considered Casualties of Cool for this list, for example. Songs like Ih-Ah or Deep Peace are the ones that I kept coming back to, and while I enjoyed an occasional heavy number—Failure and Stormbending from the latest album instantly come to mind—my opinion was that albums like Ki and Ghost are where it’s at.
Until one day I saw Terria in the record store, and thought, hey, I already like Deep Peace, so why don’t I buy this record and see if I can get into it.
Well, don’t get me wrong, I know that Terria is still pretty chill by Devin’s standards. However, for me, it has just the right balance between calm, introspective sections and balls to the wall metal parts. The contrast is there, and the way these elements are interwoven with each other is tasteful and never excessive. Terria became a gateway into the rest of Devin’s music for me, and while I still haven’t fully come to terms with Devin’s signature sound, I’ve become way more tolerant towards it. I saw him on tour for Transcendence and got that record signed. For some reason, it never occurred to me to bring Terria booklet for him to sign instead. Well, maybe next time I’ll bring it, as this is the album that made me appreciate Devin’s music on a different level.
Favourite songs: Earth Day (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZF3qmGfDws), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/6XqAcUkzeoa73aWoW5TT9b)), Deep Peace (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq-S9FzmcyI), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/3u7TghtZRpducFZJyITANF))
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Casualties of Cool is his best album so you should've stuck with that tbh
Terria is great though yeah
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Best Devin album. Maybe my favourite album of all time.
Needless to say, much to low, but I'm glad that it made the list at all. :P
Deep Peace is stunning. Nothing else that I know is quite like the way that guitar solo builds up into the full band coming in and Devin singing "It's all going away now". No matter how often I hear it, it always gives me goosebumps. If I could only listen to one Devin song for the rest of my life, this would be it, no questions asked.
Tiny Tears is a song that I love nearly as much though, and I find that it is often overlooked among Deep Peace and Earth Day. Especially the guitar solo into the Kyrie eleison section is some of the best music Devin has ever recorded.
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Not a massive Devin fan, but that's a great album.
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Can't argue with Terria, it's easily in my top 5 Devy albums. I can agree with what Scorpion says about Deep Peace as well, I would choose that song if I could only pick one to listen to for the rest of my life. It's just otherworldly!
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Wow, I made the honorable mentions section! And that's as high as I'll go! :lol
Glad to see that GAIBSIV:FFTtEoM at least made it his high. As Parama said, the Afterman albums may be the way to go, though In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3 is probably their proggiest release.
Definitely following the rest. I keep meaning to check this Townsend album out.
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Devin Townsend is a very mixed bag for me. I first heard of him on Steve Vai's Sex & Religion and the subsequent tour. He was great on vocals and guitar but moved on stage like a lunatic.
Then I bought Ocean Machine and was completely hooked. That, for me, is one of the best records of all times, although the song everyone raves about - The Death Of Music - is not really my cup of tea. Since then I'm waiting for him to come close to Ocean Machine, but he never did so, imo.
There are a few other great records by Devin, but stuff like Ghost or Casualties Of Cool is just too laid back (not to say boring) for me. And his wall of sound can be tiresome.
But Terria is definitely one of his better achievements.
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Terria is Devin’s best, and would be a top 10 ever album for me.
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To everyone who's saying Terria is too low: I'm not the biggest fan of Devin, admittedly, so yes, from your perspective some of the upcoming albums are going to be wtf-choices; but the fact that Devin even is in this Top 50 shows how much I warmed up to his music. There's not a single album in this list that I don't love or at least like a lot.
Sorry for not delivering two updates today, I had some health issues and ended up coming home way later then I intended. Hopefully nothing serious will come out of it, we'll see. With that, let's move ahead to the next record. I did this writeup before Indiscipline kicked me out of his roulette, so there's no mention of that, unfortunately.
#49
The Alchemy Index, Vol. 3 & 4: Air & Earth
Thrice
Genre: alternative rock, art rock
2008
Recommended to me by: senecadawg2
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61XdPaPadlL.jpg)
I’ve never considered myself to be a fan of any music genre with the word “alternative” included in the name, but this beautiful gem of an album changed my views pretty quickly. And honestly, this side of The Alchemy Index is way more into “art” aspect of rock than into “alternative” one, and while sometimes it gets heavy and erupts into screams, like on Broken Lungs or Daedalus, it never gets annoyingly heavy to the point where it simply devolves into noise.
As should be obvious from the title, this album is a part of concept the band decided to put together, recording songs related to each of the four elements: fire, water, air and earth. While initially the band intended to release one album with four CDs, eventually they decided to split it into two separate releases. The record titled The Alchemy Index, Vol. 1 & 2: Fire & Water was released a year before this one, and, understandably, featured some heavy goodness on the Fire CD; and while the songs there are decent, I rarely come back to that one. Perhaps I’m just not too fond of how Thrice approach the heavy aspects of their songs, or perhaps I’m just sentimental—my introduction to Thrice was two songs off this very album sent by Nelson in a brilliant EP he created for me.
I discovered a lot of metal albums here on DTF of different sub-genres, be that power metal, progressive metal, black metal or some classic heavy metal, and I’m glad for those, as they constitute the main bulk of my listening to music on my commute. However, every once in a while someone introduces me to a unique album that avoids a lot of the rock and metal tropes, and does its own thing instead with a flourish. This album is one of those rare, beautiful discoveries. Be that the cozy atmosphere in Come All You Weary, the heartbreaking story of Daedalus, or the grim fatalistic mood of Child of Dust, this album shines with its spectacular range of emotions. I’ll be hard-pressed to name another record like this one.
Favourite songs: Daedalus (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyYNHK6ZUlY), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/42lZpbV1P8KbzDl1duWT25)), Come All You Weary (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovI4wfZiaSU), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/15A3EYVU834quKHqAKd7kD))
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The Alchemy Index is prob only my third favorite thrice album (a bit inconsistent and I probably prefer Fire/Water to these two overall even if Daedalus and Child of Dust are the two best tracks by far)
But heck yeah thrice
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Word from the kicker: Daedalus and Child of Dust are amazing.
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Actually I guess The Flame Deluge is awesome too but neither of you would like that one :P
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Excellent album. I'd find it hard to decide between Fire/Water and Air/Earth as my favourite part of The Alchemy Index, so my solution is to just listen to them all together all the time. :P Yes, Fire is a little more one-dimensional than the other three, but Water is probably my favourite of the four elements and Air/Earth has The Earth Isn't Humming, which I'm don't like much. But that's complaining on a very high level - it's still a fabulous concept double album/quadruple EP. Definitely among my favourite DTF discoveries as well.
I have to say, I absolutely love the final tracks on each disc. Those four tracks really nail the respective elements from a musical point of view and considering that they are structured very similar and even share a melody in the final part, it's very interesting different they are from each other. I know very few songs that are as punishingly and unrelentingly heavy while still being superb as The Flame Deluge. :hefdaddy
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Liked Vheissu quite a bit, need to get into The Alchemy Index one day :corn .
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Sorry for not delivering two updates today, I had some health issues and ended up coming home way later then I intended. Hopefully nothing serious will come out of it, we'll see.
This stopped me dead in my tracks. Hope all is well, comrade.
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Sorry for not delivering two updates today, I had some health issues and ended up coming home way later then I intended. Hopefully nothing serious will come out of it, we'll see.
This stopped me dead in my tracks. Hope all is well, comrade.
Oh yeah. Completely missed that. Hope you're alright dude.
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It's not my favourite Thrice album, personally, but it's up there and a worthy addition to any top 50 :corn
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Thoughts and prayers to you Ruslan.
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Sorry for not delivering two updates today, I had some health issues and ended up coming home way later then I intended. Hopefully nothing serious will come out of it, we'll see.
This stopped me dead in my tracks. Hope all is well, comrade.
Yikes, yeah. I really hope everything is okay, Ev!
Actually I guess The Flame Deluge is awesome too but neither of you would like that one :P
I really like The Flame Deluge.
Didn't expect that, did you?
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Thank you for your concern, folks, it means a great deal, seriously. The issue is nothing too serious, although I was so tired yesterday that I just posted that and went to sleep, and it ended up sounding pretty grave. :) Should've probably explained that right away. I've been sick with hell of a tonsillitis for the previous two weeks, and it still hasn't passed. Yesterday I felt like shit so they drove me to a hospital and ran a couple of tests to see if there are any complications because of the sickness, and to determine if they should let me go home or admit me in. It took quite a long time, and apparently they didn't find anything too concerning—yet—so I'm told to stay home this week and see if my condition gets any better or worse.
Which means I have some time to answer the rest of this and post a new album!
Fire/Water is a tough one, because I really like Water, yet I'm not into the heavier aspect of Fire. I sent Firebreather to Indiscipline only because the requirement was to send different songs, although I admit, that riff in the beginning is badass.
I was intending to go and explore Thrice more, but whenever I was tempted to check out their latest album, I think I've always found a post or two about how their new material wasn't very good, so I never got to that. So as far as this band goes, I only know Alchemy Index and Beggars. One day I'll listen to some other albums. This is also one of the patterns with this list, the deeper we go, the more I'm familiar with the bands' output.
With this next update, it's important to remember that I love Roy Khan's era of Kamelot, and bands like Delain and Serious Black made it as far in the honourable mentions. On a somewhat related note, I just found out today that Delain is playing here next February. I'll need to grab the tickets as soon as I get well. Anyway...
#48
Fragments of Creation
Sunburst
Genre: progressive power metal
2016
Recommended to me by: Big Hath
(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a1507589857_10.jpg)
As I gradually discovered more and more bands in progressive metal genre, it became more and more obvious to me that while the band’s songwriting might be of the highest quality, if their singer’s voice doesn’t appeal to me, there’s almost no chance I will dig deeper into the band’s discography. Coheed and Cambria is a prime example of that: I have one album, which I mentioned earlier here, and I have no intention to get any more records from them—well, maybe now that I've got some recommendations here in this thread, I'll reconsider that. Of course, the band could have a Ronnie James Dio reborn and yet fail to deliver in the songwriting department, and then my interest wouldn’t be piqued, either. Solo works by Jorn Lande are the prime example of that scenario. However, if your band excels in either of these departments, then some flaws in the opposite department could be forgiven, like on Fragments of Creation.
Is the songwriting here exceptional? No, not at all, but it’s just good enough to make it work. It’s the singer’s voice that makes the album for me, and between all the projects he’s on—Sunburst, Black Fate, The Chronicles Project—this one is the one that appeals to me the most. It’s not even that unique of a voice, but it strongly reminds me of Roy Khan on his peak, singing his heart out on three Kamelot albums that appeared on my first Top 50 list. And man, apparently I’m a sucker for a voice like that.
That isn’t to say that the Vasilis’ voice is the only positive thing on Fragments of Creation, it’s just the thing that stands out the most for me. But no, there are enough of fantastic ideas to fill the album, and while some songs might seem formulaic, and some ideas perhaps not fully developed, and while the album closer, Remedy of My Heart, may heavily remind you of Kamelot’s Memento Mori, it’s still a fabulous listen, as far as I’m concerned.
Favourite songs: Lullaby (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn4C1x2QSxw), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/22efslOLau8ASVGtbgL537)), Remedy of My Heart (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loJ-7sxEy10), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/6EiyGY4EAe7lB0QCsZvfNy))
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It's funny... I absolutely adore Vasilis' voice, but ironically, it's the instrumental track (Beyond the Darkest Sun) that I enjoy most on the album.
Good pick Ruslan.
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I only know Remedy of My Heart, but that's an amazing song. I might give the whole album a spin.
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I only know Remedy of My Heart, but that's an amazing song. I might give the whole album a spin.
Do it.... I think it's up your alley. Some heavy-af guitar riffing.
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Glad to hear it's nothing too serious with your health dude :tup
I downloaded this album after you played Remedy of My Heart in a plug.dj session. It's not an album I revisit that often but it is definitely a keeper :metal
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It's funny... I absolutely adore Vasilis' voice, but ironically, it's the instrumental track (Beyond the Darkest Sun) that I enjoy most on the album.
I'm not a big fan of instrumentals these days, it seems.
I only know Remedy of My Heart, but that's an amazing song. I might give the whole album a spin.
Do it.... I think it's up your alley. Some heavy-af guitar riffing.
It's definitely pretty heavy in that department. If I remember correctly, that was what turned me off at first when I've heard Out of the World (the opening track).
With the next update we're hitting a string of albums that don't have a lot to do with power or progressive metal, but don't worry, there's plenty of that as we go deeper into the list. For now, though, here's the second update for the day.
#47
Shiny Eyed Babies
Bent Knee
Genre: indie rock, art rock
2014
Recommended to me by: Tyrias
(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3063306332_16.jpg)
This album must be one of the biggest growers in my list, together with the records occupying the 12th and 35th place in this Top 50. And it’s not that I didn’t like the album from the first listen—I did like some of it, but overall, I was underwhelmed. For all the praise this album seemed to receive on DTF, this seemed like a pretty mediocre effort.
Come the next day, I wanted to spin this album agaim.
I don’t know what was it about Shiny Eyed Babies that made this record so attractive for me, but on my second spin I discovered more interesting details in each song, and with subsequent listens more and more moments stood out, and the songs began to click with me. This album appears to be difficult to grasp from the first listen, which I suppose has something to do with the song structures. I don’t think even one song has a conventional verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure. Hell, half of the songs don’t even have a chorus. And yet, not counting some really crazy numbers, when you become familiar with most of the songs on this record, this album turns out to be a very rewarding experience.
Still, there are pretty much no similar songs on this record. Each song has its own identity, and shows it in a bold, brazen way, be that the plodding opening riff of Way Too Long, a chilling operatic final of I’m Still Here or all-out, intense chorus of Battle Creek, each song has its distinct moment you can recognize it by. Not every song here is up my alley, the main offender being a cover of Sunshine, which actually brings me to another point: why would you include a cover on such an album? Not only it doesn’t fit here at all, in my opinion, but you have an hour of material ranging from good to great with its unique flavour, and you decide to dilute it with a cover song? I honestly prefer to think it doesn’t exist.
That being said, the run of songs from In God We Trust to Battle Creek is spectacular.
Favourite songs: I’m Still Here (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8OLPeK8Zrs), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7s3FGGMLK2zYDlaHDzWnDt)), Battle Creek (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBszXDyMYhs), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/1qZto4AtTDYhkozb95mG7l))
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Another great album and easily my fave by Bent Knee! I'm 4/4 so far and three of these I discovered via DTF as well (I'd already heard Terria). Really, this album is just quirky and beautiful :heart
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The only bent knee album I've heard that I like, but then I love it :lol
It's definitely a grower, I found it kinda meh at first but I ended up liking or loving pretty much every song in the end
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Also, whilst we're talking Bent Knee, their cover of Since I've Been Loving You by Led Zep is just :hefdaddy
Since I've Been Loving You (https://youtu.be/AvLR3zOrnqI)
For all the fogeys that need a gateway into this band.
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I sometimes feel like I'm the only one to slightly prefer Say So.
Don't get me wrong, Shiny Eyed Babies is amazing, but I think Say So works better as a full album, has a better flow and is more consistent throughout. Yeah, nothing's as good as Battle Creek, but there's also nothing as bland as Sunshine. And it does have some killer tracks in Counselor, Nakami and Good Girl.
Anyway, not a band I expected to find on this list, but a damn good one. Glad to see you getting more into the non-prog stuff in recent times. :tup
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I really like Sunshine :lol prob cuz I didn't realise it was a cover until some time later. Great albums anyways :metal
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Hopefully the tonsillitis clears up mate.
The Sunburst is one that has all elements I like but it I thought it was just solid. Probably needs another listen.
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It's definitely a grower, I found it kinda meh at first but I ended up liking or loving pretty much every song in the end
The only ones I don't like are Dry and Sunshine.
I sometimes feel like I'm the only one to slightly prefer Say So.
Don't get me wrong, Shiny Eyed Babies is amazing, but I think Say So works better as a full album, has a better flow and is more consistent throughout. Yeah, nothing's as good as Battle Creek, but there's also nothing as bland as Sunshine. And it does have some killer tracks in Counselor, Nakami and Good Girl.
Anyway, not a band I expected to find on this list, but a damn good one. Glad to see you getting more into the non-prog stuff in recent times. :tup
I like the first three tracks on Say So, and then it loses me. Perhaps I should try again. Regarding the unexpected acts on this list, that was something that surprised me as well, but in the end I'm happy with how diverse it ended up being, at least with the first ~10 entries.
Hopefully the tonsillitis clears up mate.
The Sunburst is one that has all elements I like but it I thought it was just solid. Probably needs another listen.
:tup Should be right your alley actually, but you never know.
I really like Sunshine :lol prob cuz I didn't realise it was a cover until some time later. Great albums anyways :metal
Well it's such an abysmal cover, no wonder you didn't realize that. :neverusethis: Are there any songs this album you don't like?
Another great album and easily my fave by Bent Knee! I'm 4/4 so far and three of these I discovered via DTF as well (I'd already heard Terria). Really, this album is just quirky and beautiful :heart
This next update will probably make it 5/5. Speaking of which...
#46
Portal of I
Ne Obliviscaris
Genre: progressive black metal
2012
Recommended to me by: people sending Forget Not in roulettes
(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3732020658_10.jpg)
Well, if there is one thing that changed about my tastes compared to 2015, it’s that my tolerance for growls went way higher. Not only can I listen to the growl-fronted songs and albums with a straight face now and then not have a headache, but I’ve found that I actually like some of those albums. Crazy, right? The next roulette is going to be a fun ride.
What makes this particular album and band to stand out of the murky swamp of mediocre black metal bands that sound like they recorded their albums in a barn mouldering away deep in the woods with three woolen blankets thrown over the recording mic while their singer is recovering from a violent cold and two weeks of moonshine drinking? Well, first off, the production here is crystal clear, and second, they have a violin incorporated into their music, which, apparently, became their trademark sound now. Of course, you can instantly tell it’s an electric violin, and it doesn’t sound as authentic as your Stradivari violin—or even just a usual violin—but it sure as hell adds an authentic touch to their sound. The songs are written with violin melodies incorporated into it, instead of doing what a lot of bands are guilty of, namely writing a song and allocating some space for whatever alien instrument (read: flute, sax, violin, viola, whatever’s not a guitar, drums and keys) to perform a solo section.
Not only that, but the songs on this record are allowed to sprawl and breathe, and the transitions between sections mostly feel organic, not forced. With six songs over nine minutes long, this is something that helps the album tremendously, adding to the cohesiveness and drawing the listener in. Even the growls are only jarring during the first few minutes, and then, as you delve deeper into the album, they feel natural and expected, enhancing the music, not taking anything away from it. Whenever I feel like listening to black metal, this album is always on my list for consideration; and if this band will someday tour in my country, they’re high on my bucket list to see live.
Favourite songs: Forget Not (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsh9xzTCFRk), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/2G97FBhcVpFYbWR0H9zf0v)), And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMorAdnCixg), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/2TYPyMen3VrXo4bljRLQvo))
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This next update will probably make it 5/5. Speaking of which...
Yep, we're 5/5 :corn
Recommended to me by: people sending Forget Not in roulettes
So yea, I pretty much discovered this band, and album, through the amount of praise Forget Not was getting. I liked it enough to check out the album but to this day, I don't think the song is that great. I've listened to all their albums and although I dig Portal of I, Citadel is my favourite of the bunch. For the sake of this thread I'll go back and give this album a listen as it's been quite a while since I have.
I have been lucky enough to see Ne Obliviscaris live (with Oceans of Slumber in support :metal ) and although they were good they were a bit overshadowed by OoS on the night. Overall a good DTF discovery but one I found I have returned to less as I have discovered more bands that better suited my tastes.
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I've been casually following this but in response to what's been posted thus far:
Delain: A band obviously on my radar, they do okay stuff but I've never been amazed by them.
Bodies of Water: Got a song in my first roulette from this band, sent by Parama. I can't remember if I listened to the album or not though. :lol
Coheed and Cambria: Never been able to get into them outside maybe a song or two.
Ihsahn: Got this from Train I think, didn't mind it.
Serious Black: Very "solid".
Avatarium: Don't know it. Added on Spotify.
Devin: I like a bit of his stuff but most of his music just sounds too bland and similar to me. I do know that I have listened to Terria, but don't remember a single note of it.
Thrice: Got them in a roulette from Parama or Elite if I recall. Wasn't dreadful.
Sunburst: I don't think I've heard this but it might be in my wheelhouse. Added on Spotify.
Bent Knee: Really good album, got a song from Tyrias in a roulette once. I don't think they've ever made anything that lives up to it though (so far).
Ne Obliviscaris: I've tried to get into this album a few times but I remember it being quite repetitive and lacking variety for the mostpart. Forget Not is great though.
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Now we're talking. That Ne Obliviscarus is amazing.
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Thrice: Got them in a roulette from Parama or Elite if I recall. Wasn't dreadful.
No, it was me! I sent the song Beggars and remember very well because it (almost?) got me a black star. :lol
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citadel is better but forget not is their best song so yeah
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Evermind is getting nothing but some kind of blackened metal from me in his next roulette :)
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Evermind is getting nothing but some kind of blackened metal from me in his next roulette :)
Good idea - since these albums are all in the high 40s! I'll wait until I see what's in the Top 10. :biggrin:
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Forget Not is pretty cool but I'm not really big on this album as a whole, too many blast beats and growls :millahhhh
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I hope you feel better soon, my man. The list is off to a great start: Coheed, Serious Black, Devin Townsend, Thrice, Bent Knee, and Ne Obliviscaris are all great. Seems like I may enjoy Sunburst as well.
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Hell yeah Ne Obliviscaris. I think I also discovered them via DTF, haha. Great band, super consistent as well - Citadel is even better than Portal of I in my opinion, and Urn is at least PoI's equal. Forget Not is probably still their best song though. The way it builds is stunning.
I definitely recommend seeing them in person, they're tons of fun live - the outro of Blackholes might be my favourite concert moment ever, the way that bass riff just builds and builds is magical. I saw them an Oceans of Slumber open for Enslaved, and both of the openers ran circles around the main act.
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Me Obliviscaris
I'm crying
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oh fuck off auto-correct
Uh, I mean, what are you talking about?
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Me Obliviscaris
I'm crying
r/me_irl
Evermind is getting nothing but some kind of blackened metal from me in his next roulette :)
Good idea - since these albums are all in the high 40s! I'll wait until I see what's in the Top 10. :biggrin:
Good call! It's definitely getting more into the prog/power rock/metal territory as we delve deeper.
Dave and Nelson, good to see you in this thread!
Forget Not is pretty cool but I'm not really big on this album as a whole, too many blast beats and growls :millahhhh
I bet you're going to like this next one though.
#45
Muna
Markéta Irglová
Genre: singer-songwriter music
2014
Recommended to me by: Sacul
(https://www.anti.com/media/releases/0045778724567.png)
I realize you guys are probably thinking something along the lines of “holy shit, Sacul actually managed to score one album on that list”, and you won’t be wrong. Sacul and I are usually on the opposite sides of musical spectrum, but once in a blue moon our interests and tastes in music align somehow, and this is one of those rare occasions where he brought this beautiful little jewel into my life. Now that I’m remembering it, he still ended up being eliminated.
Singer-songwriter genre is weird for me, because two of my favourite musicians in the world, David Gilmour and Mark Knopfler are doing extraordinary job in their solo career so far—check out the latest Knopfler’s album, Down the Road Wherever. And their high quality albums—and in the case of Mark Knopfler, consistently released every two or three years—make me a little jaded. I expect every singer-songwriter project to live up to these two giants of the rock scene.
But, you know, not everyone can be Gilmour and Knopfler. And somehow it took me significantly more time than I care to admit to realize that. And while some singer-songwriter acts are still difficult for me to get into—musicians like David Gray or Kevin Gilbert, which were popular while Nelson still played roulettes—some of the stuff out there is perplexingly gorgeous. And I say perplexingly because, you know, it’s baffling to me how could I ignore that particular musical scene for so long.
Now, having written all that, I’m not even sure if this Markéta Irglová album is singer-songwriter project, or perhaps I should’ve classified it as something like chamber progressive pop-rock, like iamthemorning, a.k.a. the Russian band I recommend to everyone. Still, Muna is one of those albums that I often tend to overlook, only to return to it and marvel at its beauty as if I’m hearing it for the first time all over again. Like the Thrice album up above, it falls in the category “I love this, and I wish I knew more albums like this”.
And on a slightly related note, let me just say how much I adore the artwork for this record.
Favourite songs: The Leading Bird (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaTsGAtT_sw), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7socMqtsbtDoyKU5rsaM9b)), Without a Map (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dFp4SIMlbs), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7tL3wmZiDnInanppHPK3ts))
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Sweet—listening now.
I really like the work Markéta does with Glen Hansard.
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I listened to this a few times and it's nice enough but this kinda music rarely has much relisten value to me so I've never picked it up :(
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Not an album I listen to much these days, since I've kinda burned it, but it's still a wonderful listen when I do. I'm glad you love it, and I agree about the artwork. By the way, her first album Anar is not as consistent and delicate as Muna but still a nice listen if you haven't given it a chance :D
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it falls in the category “I love this, and I wish I knew more albums like this”.
This album immediately reminds me of Loreena McKennit's album The Mask and Mirror. Have you ever heard her before?
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Thrice: Got them in a roulette from Parama or Elite if I recall. Wasn't dreadful.
No, it was me! I sent the song Beggars and remember very well because it (almost?) got me a black star. :lol
I went back and checked, you did get that star. :lol I was only half wrong though, I did get Thrice from Elite as well (Daedalus) in my first roulette.
Muna
(https://www.anti.com/media/releases/0045778724567.png)
:metal
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Not an album I listen to much these days, since I've kinda burned it, but it's still a wonderful listen when I do. I'm glad you love it, and I agree about the artwork. By the way, her first album Anar is not as consistent and delicate as Muna but still a nice listen if you haven't given it a chance :D
I'll keep that in mind. :tup
This album immediately reminds me of Loreena McKennit's album The Mask and Mirror. Have you ever heard her before?
I've heard the name before, but I don't think I've heard any of her music. I think I'll check this out pretty soon, perhaps even tomorrow.
Time for the next update! Only one today, unfortunately, but I'll try and pick up the pace for the next few days.
#44
The Observer
Artificial Language
Genre: progressive metal
2017
Recommended to me by: Train of Naught
(https://www.deadpress.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Artificial-Language-The-Observer.jpg)
I think—and I don’t remember exactly without looking up the whole list, which I won’t do now—this must be the most recent album on the whole list. And pretty much anyone who have heard this album can probably remember its reception on DTF a year ago, which was pretty polarizing, with some folks (looking at Mr. ‘Dead side-villain in my D&D campaign’ Esteban a.k.a. Train of Naught) thinking it’s the best thing since sliced bread, and some folks (looking at Mr. ‘Hey, I sent some shit in this roulette and I’ll probably lose, oh look, I won’ Parama) thought it was the worst thing since people who don’t put their cart back in the corral.
I’m in neither of these camps, but I’m leaning towards people who thought this album was pretty good if not great. See, for its considerably short length, it sure does pack a lot of action into eleven songs, most of which aren’t even over four minutes with one notable exception of the album closer, Turn Off the Pictures. Every song on this album has so much going on both in the instrumental department and in the vocal melodies department, and while the craziness of vocal melodies doesn’t reach Tommy Karevik on Seventh Wonder, I just have to appreciate their impressive (for me as a non-musician) structure. You can see the guitar player has a lot of fun throughout the album with all the stuff he does, and the unconventional song structures are prevailing here, with different sections sticking out here and there, surprising the listener all the while. At times this album feels like power metal, at times it takes the progressive mantle on, and sometimes you can hear the death metal influences in the instrumentation, like on Dirty Hands.
The only thing that keeps this album climbing even higher in my list is the noticeable dip in quality in the middle, from The Silver Cord to Playing the River. It’s not that this particular run of songs is not good, it’s just it doesn’t quite stand up to the tremendous quality of the rest of the material. But even with that inconsistency, the whole record is so adventurous, lively and chaotic. I can’t help but admire the sheer energy emanating from the songs—when The Grand Skeptic kicks in, I feel energized enough for the whole working day.
Favourite songs: These Aren’t Mirages (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnSQwY50qr8), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7gOAs0BtW6xeOLjXtkcKfN)), Fortune Teller (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr9iHPI2_hA), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/5OFHkXUl93R589H3ArHL0Y))
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5.5/10
I dunno, just not at all into that style of prog :lol I listened to it through a few times and there were some solid tracks but it mostly bored or annoyed me
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5.5/10
I dunno, just not at all into that style of prog :lol I listened to it through a few times and there were some solid tracks but it mostly bored or annoyed me
That's the reason you've got a shoutout in the actual writeup. :lol
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I mean I've heard plenty worse too :lol
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Color me intrigued. I'll give it a shot.
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I mean I've heard plenty worse too :lol
I love to exaggerate facts in my writeups, makes them sound more dramatic.
Color me intrigued. I'll give it a shot.
I thought it might be up Kade's alley, especially since he's a guitar player and there's a lot of fun stuff in the guitar department. I think I sent him The Grand Skeptic in his roulette. Nope, that song tanked. :lol
I'd say maybe check out the two recommended tracks, it's a pretty good representation of what this album is about.
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Best Song of the Roulette!!! 3/10
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Yea I think this album is pretty great and is up there with Native Construct when it comes to 'impressive debuts that DTF go gaga over'
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On that note, I expect native construct to show up in the top 10 here :corn :corn :corn
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On that note, I expect native construct to show up in the top 10 here :corn :corn :corn
Plot twist.
Native Construct IS the top 10 :corn :corn :corn
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Yea I think this album is pretty great and is up there with Native Construct when it comes to 'impressive debuts that DTF go gaga over'
Except Native Construct sucks, in my opinion. :biggrin:
Let's get another growls-filled album out of the way, shall we? Classic metal crowd, don't worry, good stuff is coming in a few updates too.
#43
Stone’s Reach
Be’lakor
Genre: melodic death metal
2009
Recommended to me by: death metal DTF crowd, probably Luoto
(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3187907299_10.jpg)
When I realized that I am, in fact, able to like growls, it was like I stepped on a crooked path which required a serious amount of introspection and evaluation of my musical tastes. Obviously, the basic requirements of the production not sounding like you’ve recorded the whole thing on your train commute to work and the singer not sounding like, you know, he was smoking six cigarettes at a time for the past few years were set in stone, but when you get that kind of records out of the way, there’s still so much variety on both death and black metal scenes. What did I actually like? A lot of growls sounded the same to me, so in the end, I suppose it came down to the instrumental aspect of the music.
I quickly discovered that I liked the acoustic, or at least, quiet sections with clean electric guitars, providing contrast to the all-out I’m-puckering-my-glands-out growl-infused moments. I’m sure if you asked my neighbours, they would tell you the same thing. And this album plays on this contrast a lot, just like Opeth did in their black metal days. There are a lot of guitar-driven and bass-driven passages, which, in turn, give way to the singer growling the shit out of his voice. The transitions are seamless and the songs feel cohesive, up to the point the whole album feels as a single piece of work.
The album is very consistent in its sound, never straying away too much from the mood it initially sets up, and while it could be a turn-off for some folks, I like how, for a lack of better word, stable it is. It’s the kind of death metal that appeals to me, and the whole package doesn’t suddenly go off the rails for the sake of progressiveness, but instead stays on the path laid down in the very first minutes. While sometimes it results in a stagnant and dull record, this album executes the chosen mood perfectly, and it’s always a pleasant listen for me whenever I’m ready for a journey down the death metal road.
Favourite songs: Venator (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTUMo2h0ysk), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4G6xwFPaMWZoTLcvi3vluc)), Sun’s Delusion (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBdRra2tYp8), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/3McGjL5qZ0nOHii6jzrlfZ))
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Let's get another growls-filled album out of the way, shall we?
(https://i.imgflip.com/2nwjgx.jpg)
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I've heard Vessels and I believe it wasn't bad. I need to revisit and go back through the discography some time.
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Let's get another growls-filled album out of the way, shall we?
(https://i.imgflip.com/2nwjgx.jpg)
It'll get into more familiar territory for you once we're past the first 10 or 12 entries I think. :tup
I've heard Vessels and I believe it wasn't bad. I need to revisit and go back through the discography some time.
Not a big fan of Vessels, but a big fan of this particular album. Of Breath and Bone is also pretty good.
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Let's get another growls-filled album out of the way, shall we?
(https://i.imgflip.com/2nwjgx.jpg)
:lol
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i've tried listening to this one several times and it's like the pinnacle of "sounds completely fine but bores the hell out of me" metal. not bad or anything & i totally get why people like it i just need something with more... flavor
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Nothing I'm too familiar with yet, though Bent Knee did impress me live, so I'll be checking them out, and Ne Obliviscaris has been on my list for a while.
The Artificial Language album sounds promising as well.
Now that I'm caught up, following...
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Nothing I'm too familiar with yet, though Bent Knee did impress me live, so I'll be checking them out, and Ne Obliviscaris has been on my list for a while.
The Artificial Language album sounds promising as well.
Now that I'm caught up, following...
In fact, Artificial Language might be up your alley, you've been known to enjoy different crazy prog metal groups. And there are a few albums you got me into on this list... they're just higher up. Glad to have you on board. :tup
i've tried listening to this one several times and it's like the pinnacle of "sounds completely fine but bores the hell out of me" metal. not bad or anything & i totally get why people like it i just need something with more... flavor
Apparently I'm into safe death metal if that makes sense. :lol
Let's do another one today, I've got to finish this before Christmas after all! We're getting to the end of this weird streak of albums, too.
#42
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
Genre: singer-songwriter music
2016
Recommended to me by: Tomislav
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ru/3/37/You_Want_It_Darker_%28%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%BC%29.jpg)
I suppose there is a debate somewhere around the Internet about how the singers should actually sing their lines in the songs—possibly related to the whole hip-hop genre and rap technique—not simply recite them while the music plays in the background. I suppose in some cases I would even agree with that, depending on what act we’re talking about. But in some cases, perhaps when you have a voice smooth as honey, like Mark Knopfler, or perhaps a voice that’s deliciously gritty and dark and fitting to the album’s theme of leaving this world, like Leonard Cohen has on this beautiful, beautiful record… well, you get a pass in these cases, as the result is usually a tremendous work of art.
There is no metal on this album. Hell, it’s barely even rock. It actually isn’t rock at all. It’s mostly a relaxing music with the haunting, rough voice half-singing and half-saying the lyrics over it. And yet, in this case, less is more. Somehow this record manages to convey a wide array of emotions with simple strokes of genius in each song. Somehow this record manages to get past the emotional barriers and speak directly to my soul, as pretentious as it sounds. Somehow it makes it just so easy to get lost in this music, stripped down to the bare bones. Somehow it became something I didn’t even know I needed.
Naturally, the last albums released by a famous person on the music scene get the boost in sales after their death. I readily admit that if it wasn’t for Mr. Cohen’s death, it’s highly unlikely I would’ve even heard about this record, or at least I probably wouldn’t have given it a chance. While Tomislav got me into this album by playing a title track from it on plug.dj, I probably wouldn’t have bought this record based on that song alone. Records like You Want It Darker or Blackstar got a lot of attention—and based on the strength of music, this attention is definitely well-deserved—yet still it makes me sad that if David and Leonard were still with us, I probably wouldn’t have even heard a single note from both of these fabulous albums. To be honest, I’m not sure what point I was making here. Appreciate your musical heroes and go see them performing live while you still got this chance, I guess. Don’t wait for them to pass away to start enjoying their music. Perhaps just make a cup of tea tonight or whatever your hot drink of choice for the winter evenings is, and just sit down for a few minutes, and play these two songs below, and see if this album is perhaps something you never knew you needed, too. And if not, well, put on something that you love, and just enjoy this beautiful evening.
You know what’s the one good thing that comes out of having your own thread about your favourite albums? You can ramble about whatever you want in here, and no one can forbid you to do it.
Favourite songs: Traveling Light (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okaqXB6Ns5s), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/53uNHnOKnhq1UL4NfBpl4c)), Steer Your Way (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM71N3TchfQ), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/53Em0dYoacDflMEROypSlD))
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No one? Well, that's your loss, this album is great, in my opinion.
Moving on!
#41
Grimspound
Big Big Train
Genre: progressive rock
2017
Recommended to me by: The Letter M, Fritzinger and RoeDent
(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3474635011_10.jpg)
You know that the band’s output is extremely consistent when you’re not sure which album to feature in your Top 50 list because you like everything you’ve heard from them, yet you don’t want to take up more than one spot in the list. English Electric, Folklore or Grimspound, Big Big Train deliver a sophisticated yet accessible progressive rock that makes me happy even on my worst days. Before the three gentlemen highlighted above start screaming at me for not checking out The Second Brightest Star and The Underfall Yard and whatnot, calm down folks, I only have so many hours I can dedicate to discovering new music.
Why have I picked Grimspound for this list, especially considering how recent it is? Well, this record started my journey into Big Big Train’s discography, and honestly, I think it may be my favourite record from them so far. I can’t believe these songs were leftovers from Folklore (the album they released in 2016)—half of them are better than anything on Folklore! With one exception of Experimental Gentlemen, this record has everything I love in progressive rock: longer songs with extended instrumental sections, laced with violins, cellos and flutes in addition to the usual musical instruments; shorter folk-inspired numbers, soaring vocal melodies, you name it. While I like the other album’s opening tracks, Brave Captain really showcases all the best sides of the band, and this song alone was enough to hook me in. As the album continued to unveil its details, I was just transfixed by how well-crafted it is.
With this and some other records I had the honor of discovering, like, you know, The Road of Bones by IQ, I’m honestly baffled by how I apparently don’t know anything about modern progressive rock. There are bands out there that consistently churn out the records full of fantastic songs, and only in the recent few years I began finding them. Remember how my first Top 50 was filled with metal records with almost no progressive rock there? Probably not, but still, this time it’s going to be a least a bit different.
Favourite songs: Brave Captain (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehm_bHR8c3M), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7CHSWHVWg9l3RcLUAocTmj)), The Ivy Gate (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSotmN7Rf2Y)), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/1vcvwQLYOf4QgpQUZQbuBl))
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I mean I've heard plenty worse too :lol
I love to exaggerate facts in my writeups, makes them sound more dramatic.
Color me intrigued. I'll give it a shot.
I thought it might be up Kade's alley, especially since he's a guitar player and there's a lot of fun stuff in the guitar department. I think I sent him The Grand Skeptic in his roulette. Nope, that song tanked. :lol
I'd say maybe check out the two recommended tracks, it's a pretty good representation of what this album is about.
Yeah, listening again now, the instrumentation is impressive but it has that modern Muse type feel which I don't care for. Didn't like the singer or the melodies.
Now Belakor are an amazing band. Everything they have done is incredible. I'd probably lean towards Vessels as my fav but that was the first album from them I discovered so that would have a lot to do with it. Stone's Reach is on par with Breath. I'm not sure which one I'd prefer but both are amazing. Countless Skies is one amazing song.
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I'm aware of the last three but never listened to them. They have been added to my huge Spotify playlist of albums to check out :metal
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Yeah, listening again now, the instrumentation is impressive but it has that modern Muse type feel which I don't care for. Didn't like the singer or the melodies.
Tastes! I shot and I missed, no hard feelings about this. I don't like Muse but somehow this album works for me.
Now Belakor are an amazing band. Everything they have done is incredible. I'd probably lean towards Vessels as my fav but that was the first album from them I discovered so that would have a lot to do with it. Stone's Reach is on par with Breath. I'm not sure which one I'd prefer but both are amazing. Countless Skies is one amazing song.
You know the song is amazing when there's an actual band named after it.
I'm aware of the last three but never listened to them. They have been added to my huge Spotify playlist of albums to check out :metal
I thought you, of all people, would know Be'lakor, but then I tend to confuse you and Luoto a lot, so there's that. I think you'll like it.
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I'm more partial to the English Electric albums myself, but all of Big Big Train's recent output is quality.
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I think someone gave me BBT in a roulette, and I really enjoyed the track. Upon checking out the album, iirc I was rather underwhelmed.
:dunno:
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That was me.
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I thought you, of all people, would know Be'lakor, but then I tend to confuse you and Luoto a lot, so there's that. I think you'll like it.
Should I be offended? I feel offended... :lol
But yea, I have been meaning to check out this band for at least the last year
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twosuitsluoto
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i got both english electric albums when they came out (they were pretty popular at the time iirc) and they're both... pretty solid. the style isn't one that super appeals much to me though & the other albums I've checked out from them didn't do much for me :lol
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Forgot to comment on that Leonard Cohen, looks cool, will eventually give it a listen :tup
I know some Big Big Train songs, and they've all been pretty nice, but nothing to prompt me to listen to the band more.
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Stone’s Reach(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3187907299_10.jpg)
Listening to Vessels for the second time and then this for the first afterwards, and I think you're right, Stone's Reach is the much stronger album.
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Stone’s Reach(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3187907299_10.jpg)
Listening to Vessels for the second time and then this for the first afterwards, and I think you're right, Stone's Reach is the much stronger album.
This gives me a good reason to listen to it again.
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Wait, late to the party but please let me give some love to that Cohen album, a beautiful swan song from the greatest artisan of poetry in music. Yes, even greater than the Nobel Prize winner imo.
Also, technically, harsh vocals I can dig :D
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I thought you, of all people, would know Be'lakor, but then I tend to confuse you and Luoto a lot, so there's that. I think you'll like it.
Should I be offended? I feel offended... :lol
You're welcome. :lol
Good to see some discussion going! Let's do the next one, where I again ramble about things unrelated to the music.
#40
Time I
Wintersun
Genre: melodic symphonic power viking death metal
2012
Recommended to me by: frequent mentions on DTF
(https://www.metalinjection.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Wintersun-Time-I.jpg)
Wintersun is the Patrick Rothfuss of the metal scene. For readers who either aren’t fans of fantasy or simply don’t follow what’s going on in fantasy publishing scene for the last, holy shit, almost 12 years now, Patrick Rothfuss is a bestselling author of The Kingkiller Chronicle, a complex and intricate would-be trilogy of books. The first book, The Name of the Wind, was released in 2007, and Patrick said the whole trilogy was already written, so the fans wouldn’t need to wait a long time for the rest of the trilogy to be released. The second book, The Wise Man’s Fear, was released in 2011. The third book, The Doors of Stone, is still in the making, and there are no news about it—Patrick released some of the short stories during that time, and participated in other projects—but the release date for The Doors of Stone is still unknown. And while there are lots of disappointment and vitriol over the Internet about it, if/when the third book comes out, a lot of people will still buy it without a second thought—because the general consensus is that the first two books are just so good. Well, I know I will buy it.
Fans of Wintersun, does that sound familiar somehow? Time goes way back to 2006, when it was first scheduled to be released, and with lots of delays, it was finally out in 2012, with the premise that they had to split the album in two halves—so was the Time I released. The information was that, well, the second half was already written, and will see the light of day later in 2013 or 2014.
We’re approaching 2019 now, and the band has released another record called The Forest Seasons, but the release date for Time II is still unknown. But Time I is just so freaking great, I’m sure whenever the second half comes out, most of the fans will rush to the stores, or to the pre-order sites, and will buy the hell out of that record. Well, I know I will buy it.
But let’s talk about the record itself for a bit. For its short length—the whole thing is around 40 minutes—it sure packs a lot of details into the songs. There is always a number of things going on at any given moment, and the amount of tracks mixed together here adds to the grandeur of this record. Every song here sounds so exuberant and grandiose, every riff is elevated by the orchestral sounds in the back ground, and the whole package is just epic beyond belief. The album basically features only three full-blown songs, but it’s still a magnificent experience.
Favourite songs: Sons of Winter and Stars (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMbFu457jGs), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/0PKTH6KQZdOHHLipvl46TA)), Land of Snow and Sorrow (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjOvmAJ6na0), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/2iGWNSJgNKBZ53ZS3OZsPR))
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Genre: melodic symphonic power viking death metal
That's quite the pot purri of genres!
Awesome cover, and if not for the 'death' mention, I might be interested. How prevalent are the harsh vox?
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Genre: melodic symphonic power viking death metal
That's quite the pot purri of genres!
Awesome cover, and if not for the 'death' mention, I might be interested. How prevalent are the harsh vox?
Very prevalent in the first half of Sons of Winter and Stars (I'd say about 75% of the vocals are harsh), about 10 or 20% on Land of Snow and Sorrow (it's mostly operatic gritty vocals on the song, but there is one harsh passage and perhaps more in the background, this album is quite layered), and I'd say about 50% on Time (title track), and the other two tracks are instrumental. As I said, this album has a lot of tracks mixed at the same time, there's often both harsh screaming and operatic singing going on at the same time. I'd say there's too much harsh vocals for you, but, well, you never know until you try.
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Genre: melodic symphonic power viking death metal
That's quite the pot purri of genres!
Awesome cover, and if not for the 'death' mention, I might be interested. How prevalent are the harsh vox?
Too much for your girly ears.
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Genre: melodic symphonic power viking death metal
That's quite the pot purri of genres!
Awesome cover, and if not for the 'death' mention, I might be interested. How prevalent are the harsh vox?
Too much for your girly ears.
Must be Memorex.
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Stupid work gets in the way of DTFing. I'll do two updates today in the space of basically two hours, I guess, otherwise we're falling behind the schedule.
Here goes the first one.
#39
Tales of the Sands
Myrath
Genre: oriental progressive metal
2011
Recommended to me by: Scorpion
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71cNedRh-8L._SL1500_.jpg)
One thing I’ve found out during my days on DTF is that I’m a big fan of metal music with Eastern touch on it. Over those years, I came to a conclusion that two biggest progressive metal bands featuring this oriental influence are Myrath and Orphaned Land—at least, those seem to be the most popular on DTF. When Scorpion introduced me to Myrath in my second roulette, they instantly clicked with me. Getting into Orphaned Land wasn’t that easy, I was sent Sapari once and pretty much didn’t like it at all. It took their latest album, Unsung Prophets and Dead Messiahs, to finally get me into that band.
I’m not a religious person, by any means, as I guess it's often the case with young people; however, my relatives by paternal line are mostly all Muslim, coming from a Tatar family line, and it doesn’t really have anything to do with this record, I suppose, but I’m just writing these thoughts as they come to me. I guess what I was getting at, is that the technique Zaher and Kobi both frequently use in their singing, sustaining the clean note and then changing it—I’m sure it has a name, anyone?—is quite familiar to me, and I honestly find it fascinating how effortlessly they make it work in tandem with the metal arrangements. It is easy to imagine them upon a minaret, singing the evening prayer out to the world, their voice ringing out in the dusty streets for everyone to hear. I had to go on a business trip to Cairo once, and that particular part of the everyday routine was almost exactly how I imagined it—and I’ll be damned if it didn’t send shivers down my spine. And I guess it’s not only me—take Ayreon’s latest album, The Source, where Myrath’s singer has a guest appearance as Prophet, doing almost exactly what I described above. I guess some stereotypes are difficult to overlook, even to people like Arjen Lucassen.
But while this vocal technique stands out, one shouldn’t disregard the use of instruments on this record. There are subtle oriental influences here and there carefully weaved into each song, every minute of this record exquisitely crafted into a remarkably well-made work of art. And while I haven’t been able to find even one album by these guys in our local record stores, not only I will be looking through the metal sections in European stores furiously next year I’m there, this band has a high-priority in my bucket list. Not as high as Haken, perhaps, for which I’m spending twice my monthly paycheck to see next year, but still pretty damn high. And meanwhile, I’ll be spinning this album whenever I feel like I need some Eastern-influenced music in my life.
Favourite songs: Tales of the Sands (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1g62x7qybA), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/39A4PBtQVULJomU9ojgfzH)), Beyond the Stars (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9V-AxS2kao), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/1MF4xLjBx9sKjbnmOkh86J))
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I grabbed all four Myrath albums at PPUSA a couple years back - all gems. Hard to say which one really stands out as the 'best'. I'll have a go back at this one soon.
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I have tried. I definitely do not like the Middle Eastern flare of it.
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I have tried. I definitely do not like the Middle Eastern flare of it.
Believer is the song that got me hooked on Myrath, which comes from the most recent album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM1d7C8aOWk
That keyboard melody is so catchy and Zahar is such a great singer. I love how they can write heavy, catchy songs and still incorporate the middle eastern vibe.
Also, Get Your Freedom Back dials down the middle eastern stuff and is more of a straight-forward tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvACYffv_tI
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Grappler, good to see you in this thread defending Myrath! I love them.
Tim, I know it's not your thing.
Chad, I know it's your thing. We're literally one update away from your kind of stuff.
I also know this is not the ideal pace (no updates for 22 hours and then 2 updates in 3 hours), but that's what I can do with my work getting in the way. Still better than one update though, right?
#38
Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading
The Dear Hunter
Genre: progressive rock, progressive metal, art rock
2007
Recommended to me by: Train of Naught
(https://t2.genius.com/unsafe/863x0/https%3A%2F%2Fimages.genius.com%2F183a38c8186d751baf67c0dc5f2e750f.640x640x1.jpg)
My relationship with The Dear Hunter is quite weird. I knew they were around the progressive scene for years, and when Train sent me The Bitter Suite IV and V: The Congregation and the Sermon in a Silt—see, 425, sometimes I can remember those long-ass names; if Coheed’s music was great enough to make the Top 40 of this list, I would’ve remembered their album name too—uh, what was I talking about?
Oh, so when Train cockblocked me on getting Act III and IV from Mr. Luke a.k.a. FlyingBIZKIT, I was quite irate. Luke was selling his CDs on DTF, and he had a lot of good stuff, like the original Haken – Aquarius CD, which Train has also cockblocked me on. I was able to get Act I and II though, and Act I came with that wonderful typo on the spine, The Lkae South, The River North. The deal was still great, Luke—both Visions and The Mountain look great in my collection, and so do the Porcupine Tree records, and that Entropia bonus was awesome. I hope you’re also doing great.
You know, I really shouldn’t do these write-ups on Monday. I can’t concentrate for the life of me.
So, right, The Dear Hunter. The song Train sent me was incredible, and still remains one of my favourite songs from the band. But, you know, if you have this huge-ass concept with five (or, at that time, four) Acts of music, I’m obviously going to listen to them in chronological order. And while there’s no shortage of incredible material on each of the records, there is also some filler present here and there. Acts IV and, later, V are guilty of that—there are lots of orchestral, Disney-sounding like interludes, and especially Act V felt like Casey was just writing it on an autopilot, save for some brilliance shining through on The Flame (Is Gone) or Mr. Usher (On His Way to Town). Act III has some of the strongest songs this band has done, yet the whole picture doesn’t look so bright for me there—I always tend to skip some songs there. Act I is alright, but the band was obviously trying to find their ground at the time.
And that leaves me with Act II, and curiously, whenever I go for The Dear Hunter on my commute, in nine cases out of ten, I pick Act II. I feel like it offers the whole package of what’s this band capable of, while staying cohesive and concise. Maybe not exactly concise with the 77 minutes of music, but the album feels quite short to me. It’s never a chore to sit through these songs. It’s always a pleasure to hear the rocking chorus of The Procession followed by a journey that is The Lake and the River. You would think the quality drops after these two songs, yet it doesn’t. The album goes on with its own pace, doing its own thing with The Dear Hunter flavour which none of the bands I’ve heard were able to achieve so far. This record has its own distinctive style. So, you know, Train might’ve bought the rarest Act of the lot—I can’t find a cheap copy of Act III anywhere—but I’ve bought the best of them.
Favourite songs: The Lake and the River (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MHd28VJo_M), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/059CXpVfKGd3G1Ml2ca95n)), Red Hands (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFX08ssSsLI), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/3ho676UrO1qCIY0gKHs8kN))
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I mean you can get discs of act i-iii in that collection pack but it doesn't come with the original art or lyrics booklets so yeah
Act II is my favorite for sure, the entire run from Evicted to Black Sandy Beaches is pretty much perfect though I think the last three tracks on Act III is a better run overall (but shorter so w/e)
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I mean you can get discs of act i-iii in that collection pack but it doesn't come with the original art or lyrics booklets so yeah
I already have Acts I and II from that deal so that would be a no.
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Fair :P
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My relationship with TDH is really odd... I only listen to them once or twice a year at most, and EVERY SINGLE TIME, I think "I should listen to them more often". I always enjoy it, but yeah... it's a lot to digest. I too am a bit of a completionist, so I always want to listen to all 5 start-to-finish... or at least in a short span of time (eg, same week). I couldn't tell you a TDH song name of the top of my head, or identify which songs are on which albums, but I always have a good time when I spin them.
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I knew what this album was from the tag-line. This album is brilliant, I love it dearly and I would place it about 20 spots higher myself. I also completely agree with you that Acts IV and V are rather bland compared to the others.
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I don't like V at all and never got it but IV is pretty good. Not as good as II or III for me though
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Haven't been able to get into them. Haven't tried real hard either. :D
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I've been sent a bunch of TDH songs, and I must say they're among the best things I've heard this year.
Love, love, love their sense of orchestration.
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I friggin' LOVE The Dear Hunter, trust me. They are hands down, 100%, far and away, without a shadow of a doubt, indisputably my greatest DTF discovery. I love all their albums and they each hold a special place in my heart but I genuinely can't understand why people prefer Act II over any of the later Acts. I know, I know, tastes, and yes I actually DO understand but Act IV was such a monumental album for me. Act II is amazing and has some of my favourite TDH songs on it but Act IV........Act IV is just on a whole different level for me :hefdaddy :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
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I friggin' LOVE The Dear Hunter, trust me. They are hands down, 100%, far and away, without a shadow of a doubt, indisputably my greatest DTF discovery. I love all their albums and they each hold a special place in my heart but I genuinely can't understand why people prefer Act II over any of the later Acts. I know, I know, tastes, and yes I actually DO understand but Act IV was such a monumental album for me. Act II is amazing and has some of my favourite TDH songs on it but Act IV........Act IV is just on a whole different level for me :hefdaddy :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
I agree with all of this. I'd only add that Act V is right up there with Act IV for me.
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I friggin' LOVE The Dear Hunter, trust me. They are hands down, 100%, far and away, without a shadow of a doubt, indisputably my greatest DTF discovery. I love all their albums and they each hold a special place in my heart but I genuinely can't understand why people prefer Act II over any of the later Acts. I know, I know, tastes, and yes I actually DO understand but Act IV was such a monumental album for me. Act II is amazing and has some of my favourite TDH songs on it but Act IV........Act IV is just on a whole different level for me :hefdaddy :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
I agree with all of this. I'd only add that Act V is right up there with Act IV for me.
Yea, I mean Act V is my #2 TDH album and I love it almost as much as Act IV. Although it is great I just don't think it's quite as consistent as Act IV. Plus Act IV was the album that made me fall head over heels so I'll always love it more :heart
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My relationship with TDH is really odd... I only listen to them once or twice a year at most, and EVERY SINGLE TIME, I think "I should listen to them more often". I always enjoy it, but yeah... it's a lot to digest. I too am a bit of a completionist, so I always want to listen to all 5 start-to-finish... or at least in a short span of time (eg, same week). I couldn't tell you a TDH song name of the top of my head, or identify which songs are on which albums, but I always have a good time when I spin them.
I have a few bands like that too, nothing wrong with that approach.
Haven't been able to get into them. Haven't tried real hard either. :D
Probably not metal enough for you!
To everyone discussing Acts IV and V vs II and III: it's totally subjective, so whatever you prefer here. It's refreshing to talk about a band where everyone disagrees on their favourite album!
Just got home from work, let's have another update!
#37
The Deviant Hearts
Phantasma
Genre: symphonic power metal
2015
Recommended to me by: jingle.boy
(https://manofmuchmetal.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/phantasma-cover.jpg)
Remember when I said that 2015 was a great year for music, as far as I was concerned? Well, this particular gem was a huge contribution to it.
I’ve always said—well, technically, I suppose I never said this, but it was on my mind for a long time—that we need more symphonic metal bands fronted by both female and male vocals not relying on the ‘beauty and the beast’ approach. Actually, scratch that, you can even use that approach in some moments, but be sure to use different vocal techniques on the record. Don’t belt out all your notes in a high operatic voice, and don’t growl your guts out on every line. Screams or just regular melodic singing—whatever it’s called—will add diversity to the music. It doesn’t even have to do anything with the fact I wasn’t into growls until lately, although you certainly should make certain that your growls sound good, earlier Epica works come to mind. Regardless, the bands like Nightwish, if you exclude their first three albums from the equation, are good example of what I’m talking about. Utilizing both female and male voice, this is the kind of symphonic metal I can get behind.
Of course, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the aforementioned ‘beauty and the beast’ model, too. Delain uses it, and they made honourable mentions. Epica uses it, and I’m excited for their upcoming Design Your Universe 10th Anniversary show next year. But Epica and Delain didn’t make this Top 50 list, while Phantasma—featuring the same singer from Delain, Charlotte Wessels—did.
Of course, it’s not only Charlotte on the vocal duties. On the same album, you have the voice of Serenity frontman (Georg Neuhauser), Everon main singer (Oliver Philipps), Evergrey—and now Redemption—unstoppable singer, and more people of different tracks. I guess this is what you might call a supergroup of sorts, if you look at the lineup of singers. A lot of music and lyrics here are written by Charlotte and Oliver, too. And the album indeed feels fresh in terms of vocals. Naturally, a lot of thought must’ve gone into the vocal lines, and it shows here. If you’re into this kind of music, most of the choruses will end up in your head after your first listen. The mood of songs is also quite different. While they all have a fairly conventional structure, you have some straightforward symphonic metal tracks here, some power ballads, a ballad in the vein of Where the Wild Roses Grow and a track with some swing rhythms on it. This definitely helps when you consider that The Deviant Hearts clocks around 60 minutes.
I have had Enter Dreamscape on my phone ringtone for a few years now, and the beautiful acoustic intro earned some positive responses from my co-workers and friends who are not into metal. I’ve been very careful with this so far, but one day I will forget my phone on my desk, and somebody who is quite patient will call me, and the melody will finally get to that metal part at 0:22—oh, and before you ask, voicemail isn’t that popular in Russia—and then we shall see what they all think.
And yes, every time this song comes up, I inevitably reach for my phone.
Favourite songs: Runaway Grey (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrMyWdjoFTU), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/5VI0KWpysBTHSHdTJkIZUb)), Enter Dreamscape (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC3MIbs36IY), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/1FmGDY5I30804B6Pu8Uw3J))
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Wahooo!!! I made the list.
Though... I find this album to be a tad inconsistent. The highs are VERY high, but there are more than a couple of mediocre tracks. Think I might just click play now. Yup... I am.
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Wahooo!!! I made the list.
Though... I find this album to be a tad inconsistent. The highs are VERY high, but there are more than a couple of mediocre tracks. Think I might just click play now. Yup... I am.
I thought so too, but recently I've developed a lot of appreciation for the second half of the album—which, at first, I thought was a weak part. I can honestly say I enjoy every song now.
Have another one before I venture to sleep. It's a double dose of Chad albums today apparently.
#36
Nature | Existence
Echoes
Genre: progressive metal
2010
Recommended to me by: jingle.boy
(https://img.discogs.com/4CZ1n8eQw4gPBUAweEzuYiYCmms=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7090015-1444843319-4894.jpeg.jpg)
How many instrumental albums are in your audio library that you can with all the conviction say you love? My previous Top 50 list had Jon Lord’s Sarabande in the Top 10, and now that I ask this, I must confess that’s about it. For some reason, music without vocals doesn’t interest me that much anymore, especially in the full album form. Even on the albums with vocals, there are instrumental songs I tend to skip. It happened with Enigma Machine or Nil by Mouth on Haken’s latest album, although given that it will probably be featured on their European tour, I should try and get into it once more. Sacul recommended a Snarky Puppy album in the Weekly Album thread recently, and while it was good, my attention kept wandering away during the songs.
Now you probably think ‘oh well, another unrelated paragraph of bullshit’, but did you know Nature | Existence was supposed to be a fully instrumental album in the beginning? Probably not, and that’s probably because you don’t really care about the facts on the album that you’ve learned about literally a minute ago. But curiously enough, yes, the vocals were written into the songs later, and the band had to ask guest singers to perform on a few tracks. It’s up for people to decide if that made album stronger or weaker, but I can definitely say it wouldn’t have been here without the vocals. Instrumental tracks, while featuring some of the best melodies on the record, are still working as a batch of interludes and transitions between album movements to me. The real highlights, though, are the tracks with vocals (and Farewell, an incredibly beautiful piece at the end of the record). And the way they did those, you would never know this was once supposed to be a fully instrumental album.
I’ve been fortunate enough to buy a physical copy of this record—and indeed, even discover its existence—due to Chad’s e-mail to me more than three years ago, after my first roulette. I was very impressed with the epic he sent me post-roulette, Drawing the Lines of Mortal Existence by Dimension Act, and he suggested a website where I could buy it. It was a progressive music label which, apparently, was closing down, and they were selling their stocks out, offering new CDs for $5. Chad’s recommendation had a few albums on it, and so I ordered the Dimension Act and also blindly bought some of those on his list—it included Amaran’s Plight, Roswell Six, Frameshift and, finally, Echoes. You can probably find a physical copy even now without much fuss, but I prefer to think they’re nowhere to be found now. This way I feel I’m incredibly lucky to buy this one when I had the chance.
By the way, have you seen those black metal albums where the band name looks like a bunch of tree roots and branches thrown together? Well, this is a progressive metal version of that. You can’t tell how this album is supposed to be named unless you look on the CD spine. Somehow, this one drives me nuts, even though the cover itself looks fitting. Is it Echoes? Is it Elite? Is it 3|IlI|E?
What are your versions?
Favourite songs: Leaf Motif (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAs1BmBbtgk), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/0mRoTjQMslTijXW7Uq6J3s)), Unfair (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-ENvYA8Ugk), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/75PHnKQ94ZSLCtXcgpqcVe))
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Yeah instrumental albums are very hit or miss but then the ones that are hits are like ooouuggghhh that's some good stuff
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Dimension Act and Echoes were absolute blind purchases for me back then. Not Spotify, limited/no YT vids. Just a random purchase from The Record Label. Two best ones of the bunch for me there. Glad to see this one still stuck for you. :tup Just a wonderfully smooth flowing album. I still use tracks from it in regular roulette rotation.
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The only instrumental albums I LOVE (off the top of my head) are computer game soundtracks that have either been given the metal treatment or the orchestral treatment :lol
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That's fair, that's why I'm glad this album isn't an instrumental one.
Possibly only one update today because I have to prepare for an upcoming D&D session, or possibly two depending on how early we'll call it a night.
#35
Nine
Circus Maximus
Genre: progressive metal
2012
Recommended to me by: ErHaO
(https://www.circusmaximussite.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Cover_Nine-960x960.jpg)
If we were talking about how long it took me to get into a certain band since it was first introduced to me, Circus Maximus would’ve been up there with a whopping three and a half years. I’ve heard the name before, of course, but my first experience with them was Glory of the Empire in my first roulette. I think I’ve got it in one of the later rounds. The song itself is quite a long one, and from the few listens I was able to dedicate to it, I think I came away with the impression that the song was decent with some great ideas.
A few months later, after the roulette was finished, I checked out The First Chapter, and for some reason it felt just so generic. And that was it. I thought, hey, this band probably isn’t for me.
Sometimes it just so happens that the band releases the album of such a high quality that even though your previous experience with them wasn’t up to par, you fall in love with it, work your way back into the band’s discography, and end up being a huge fan in the end. You know how it happens. And so Circus Maximus released Havoc, and boy, was I excited to try and get into them again. In retrospect, there are some great songs on Havoc, like, say, After the Fire; but back then I began listening from the beginning, and I was even more dumbfounded this band was well-liked on DTF. I don’t remember if I even managed to get through Havoc on my first attempt. Obviously, later I saw the messages in their official thread, indicating that Havoc wasn’t well-received on DTF at all, but at the time, I was done with Circus Maximus.
The third time I decided to try and get into them was after Ayreon’s The Source came out. While the album ended up being quite average as far as Ayreon albums fare, in my opinion, Michael Erikson’s voice was one of the things I instantly fell in love with. And for my third foray into this band, I decided to listen to Nine.
There’s nothing extremely audacious or mindblowing about Nine, but compared to my previous experience with Circus Maximus, this record was, and I suppose still is, a bliss to my ears. Remarkably easy to listen to, despite featuring three songs near the 10-minute range, Nine finds a good balance between being too intricate to digest and too generic to enjoy. It uses already existing progressive metal ideas and spins them in its own way. Honestly, it’s just a well-crafted progressive metal music with a touch of additional accessibility to the songs. I found it to be a bridge of sorts, connecting the first two albums’ progressive influences with the simpler songwriting approach used on Havoc. For me, Nine takes the best from both sides and merges it into one fantastic record—a payoff for the time I spent getting into Circus Maximus.
Favourite songs: Architect of Fortune (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__rm908F9MI), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/43sEUVUpEbulVOLwcuJ9fE)), Burn After Reading (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX6aSU6ckV4), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/1hSPWWmMzzjBQhBAovoUbZ))
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I probably would own this album if I had more album sites than just Amazon in 2015 when I was sent them in my roulette
Instead, I don't even remember what architect of fortune sounds like anymore. Oops
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Love me some Circus Maximus. Although I prefer The First Chapter.
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Love Circus Maximus start to finish (except the three song run of Highest Bitter-Havoc-Pages). Otherwise, 5* band from beginning to end. It's weird, because Havoc (the song) was fun-as-shit live at PPUSA. But otherwise, I truly despise those three tracks.
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Nine would be my fav album from CM.
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Love Circus Maximus start to finish (except the three song run of Highest Bitter-Havoc-Pages). Otherwise, 5* band from beginning to end. It's weird, because Havoc (the song) was fun-as-shit live at PPUSA. But otherwise, I truly despise those three tracks.
I do remember that Highest Bitter sucks big time.
Love me some Circus Maximus. Although I prefer The First Chapter.
I may have to revisit this one in the future.
Have an update before I head out to the bar.
#34
Lykaia
Soen
Genre: progressive metal
2017
Recommended to me by: Train of Naught
(https://www.nuclearblast.de/static/articles/257/257927.jpg/1000x1000.jpg)
As it turns out, Artificial Language’s The Observer wasn’t the only album from 2017 on my list—I entirely forgot about this dark opal of brooding beauty. I’m not sure if this album made my Top 10 albums list of 2017, but I’ve been spinning it this whole year, and I’m not even remotely close to be tired of it.
2018 was a year of getting into the death and black metal, for me. Half of the reason for this was my willingness to participate in latest Parama’s roulette, where I promised to send only black and death metal albums, and, actually, fared pretty damn well, once again making it to the Top 3. Another half was, I suppose, the fact that lately I was more into the dark and brooding music. Guitar-driven progressive metal with singers not going for the high notes and staying in their comfortable register where they can pour most of the emotions into their voice became my most valued genre. Somehow, this has led me to discover more growl-oriented bands, too, because of the music similarities, if I had to guess. I’ll write about growls when the time comes, but for this record, I’ll say that it just checked all my boxes regarding the aspects of progressive metal that appeal to me now. Somber mood, heavy guitars, delicate mix of slow melodies and rhythmic, groovy sections, soulful and passionate vocals, it’s just a perfect mix. That’s why, in just over a year, Lykaia managed to climb this high in my list.
There will be more albums like this on my list, as this kind of dark, bleak progressive metal—either with clean vocals or growls—began to take over power metal in the neverending battle for my favourite genre. It’s still a contest, but a contest power metal is losing right now, not only to the albums like Lykaia, but also to, how Kattelox/Firewings once put it in his roulette, ‘the intelligent progressive rock’, which will also be heavily featured in the rest of this Top 50.
For all the talk about being dark, bleak and emotional, the album doesn’t have to be plodding or dull. You can have galloping riffs and hook your listener with a great bass line, like Soen does on the opening track, Sectarian, or in Opal, or in the first part of Orison. Still, on the scale of bleakness, this Soen album would’ve probably scored an 8, compared to some of the albums down the list. Songs like Lucidity, God’s Acre (I have Lykaia Revisited, and it’s not a bonus track on that one) and the second part of Orison are either quite minimalistic or borderline grey and hopeless. While it may not be everyone’s thing, it appears to be Soen’s thing from this album hereafter, if the track called Rival they’ve released from the upcoming record is any indication.
Before I jump to my favourite songs from this album (and as we’re roughly at one third of this list, the amount of favourite songs will grow to three now), if there are any Soen fans, let me know: how do the first two albums compare to Lykaia?
Favourite songs: Orison (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OfwG3Z0Jsc), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/1L50WwEI8G4xGnlnErEwLL)), Jinn (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSgWb_gvChs), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/0aSz3JGp7wfJyKw1wNiN4u)), God’s Acre (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvwifEBSjTw), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/5hFdUWO2MRo0EZzVpYjKwd))
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And another one, this one should appeal to classic metal crowd.
#33
Shades of Art
Trail of Murder
Genre: hard rock / classic metal
2012
Recommended to me by: bl5150
(https://t2.genius.com/unsafe/863x0/https%3A%2F%2Fimages.genius.com%2Fff34bb94a8b92a53c5d3f08cc421366b.1000x992x1.jpg)
For all the dark and heavy progressive metal and intricate progressive rock I have on this list, sometimes staying straightforward and simple is the answer. I mean, give me a well-written hard rock / classic metal album with Urban Breed on vocals, and apparently I won’t be able to resist. It’s basically impossible to sit still while this record is blasting through the speakers. Full of blistering guitar riffs and earworm melodies, Shades of Art stays true to the genre and results in the excellent 52 minutes of metal onslaught.
This album, along with Hunter by Absolute Priority—which, unfortunately, didn’t quite make this list, despite featuring magnificent Fear of the Night—holds a special place in my heart, as these were the first two albums I checked after my first roulette. I’ve got both of these in my first round, from Brent and RJ respectively, and both songs were outstanding—I was already happy with how my first roulette turned out based on one round. I’ve got a lot of excellent music in the next rounds, too, both from RJ and Brent and other participants, and a lot of albums higher in this list I discovered because of my two roulettes, yet this particular one is special for me.
I’ve never had a lot of success with this album in roulettes, although I tried to use it a few times, usually sending either a title track, which is more on a hard rock side, or Carnivore, which is more in a straightforward metal department. After a few failures, I stopped using it, and recently, when I began to compile this list, I remember how great this album is. I think I will probably use it in someone’s roulette soon, especially now that the album roulettes are becoming a trend of sorts.
Also, you may remember that Serious Black made an appearance in the honourable mentions, and you may ask, why Shades of Art made the list, while As Daylight Breaks was left out? That would be a fair question—it’s the same singer, after all. I guess the songwriting here appeals to me much more. Serious Black first album featured a lot of fast-paced songs like I Seek No Other Life, while this album is a bit more reserved when it comes to beats per minute, while still staying excellent and captivating.
All of the denizens of hard rock / classic metal thread are already familiar with this one, but if you like that genre and haven’t heard this album yet, do yourself a favor and at least check out the songs below.
Favourite songs: Shades of Art (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIU2rkhibZo)), Carnivore (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDoeKx9_ETo)), Your Silence (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNimW2q1yRU)) [the album is not on Spotify]
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:metal
if there are any Soen fans, let me know: how do the first two albums compare to Lykaia?
Cognitive is my favourite, Tellurian is my least favourite. I have no idea if this is typical of Soen fans or not.
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I like Tellurian a decent bit though I haven't gone back to it much lately.
No clue on Cognitive. I'm not even sure if I've ever listened to it.
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Very nice album, but when I'm in a mood for Urban breed, this for some reason isn't what I turn to. Think I'll have to give it a spin to refresh my stance.
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Chad, do it. This album is so fucking impressive.
I'll be giving both Cognitive and Tellurian a shot.
Let's keep going, then.
#32
Dead End Kings
Katatonia
Genre: progressive metal
2012
Recommended to me by: Tomislav
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ru/0/0b/Dead_End_Kings_album_cover.jpg)
After you saw Soen appear on this list, who didn’t think that Katatonia will appear here? Man, I don’t know where to begin with this.
Katatonia was on my radar for a long time now. While I knew what their music was about, somehow I never dove into their discography. I checked some songs here and there, and I loved Jonas’ contribution on 01011001 for Ayreon, and I have no idea why I haven’t got into them earlier. But one day, during a plug.dj listening session in 2017, I think, I asked Tomislav—who was the biggest Katatonia fan on the board before Lethean from the Mike Portnoy forums migrated here—to recommend me a Katatonia album to dig into. Here comes the plot twist: when I asked him that, I was already pretty drunk, so I don’t exactly remember what album he picked for me. I think it was Dead End Kings. If not, well, I’m glad I checked out Dead End Kings anyway. Thanks Tomislav!
(now that I think about it, it might’ve been Dethroned and Uncrowned, which is basically an acoustic version of Dead End Kings)
Here comes the second plot twist: I couldn’t find Dead End Kings in our local music store, so I bought The Fall of Hearts, which I enjoyed immensely and then began to work my way backwards into the band’s discography. While every album has some good material—admittedly, I didn’t get past Last Fair Deal Gone Down as of now, there’s simply too much music for me to check out—it’s Dead End Kings that I found myself eventually returning to.
There are some albums that I tend to strongly associate with a particular season, a particular time of the year. The Mystery of Time and Imaginaerum are winter albums, as far as I’m concerned; Muna and Weather Systems are undoubtedly spring records; and so it goes. It’s no secret that winter is my favourite season of the year. In fact, I suspect it might be somehow related to when you were born for some folks. It probably isn’t, but it’s late, and I’m tired, and I suspect that it’s how it works for me, at least—born in winter, love winter since I was a child. Of course, it would depend on a place you live in. Place me in a city where there’s no snow in winter, and it would suck big time, as I love snow so much. How does Katatonia relate to all this? Good question.
Seriously though, in case of Katatonia, the whole band’s output—at least on the last few albums—has a distinct feeling of winter all over it, as far as I’m concerned. You know, the time when living things struggle to survive, dying from the cold, sleeping in slumber, awaiting the first hints of spring to come back to life. The silent white landscapes, peacefully staring into grey skies, no sounds of birdsong anywhere for miles and miles around. I used to live near a huge national park before I moved closer to our city’s center, and we went skiing every other weekend, and when you went about 15km into the forest, there were a lot of incredible sights—that is, if you knew the roads as well as my grandpa did. He began to teach me skiing when I wasn’t even in school—I think when I was 4 or 5 years old—and I’m forever grateful for that gift. Those trips deep into the forest were otherworldly. Frozen rivers and huge fields of clearest snow without a sign of life save for an occasional stag or a fox on this brilliant while blanket—damn, those were great times. Nature is so beautiful.
Now that my favourite season is coming again, my favourite three months of the year are coming in just a few weeks finally here, Katatonia is going to be heavily featured in my rotation again—and I won’t lie, this makes me giddy with excitement. Man, I love winter so much.
Perhaps I should rename this thread to ‘Life stories from Evermind’, as I didn’t really write anything about Katatonia’s music here. Oh well, that’s the perks of your own thread—write whatever you want!
Favourite songs: The Racing Heart (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1WzJXp6p48), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/3qVSqmrEt15Ng8L9tRPOPl)), Leech (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0qECuMCzkM), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/3bnijm0FCEjXkrzZP6FaWO)), Lethean (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz7E_BsKrVI), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/63pCzgY2ygC8K1VsXunD1p))
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I'm slow on this thread here.
I never listen to Circus Maximus. They have just never stuck. I don't think I even bothered with their last album. I have everything up through Nine. Maybe I should go back and spin them.
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I'm slow on this thread here.
I never listen to Circus Maximus. They have just never stuck. I don't think I even bothered with their last album. I have everything up through Nine. Maybe I should go back and spin them.
Don't bother with Havoc, but perhaps revisit Nine. As it should be obvious, I really like that one.
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Finally something I can comment on. :laugh:
Katatonia is great. I still don't know their whole discography and I think The Great Cold Distance is even better, but Dead End Kings is nonetheless a great record.
Never really associated winter with it. For me Katatonia is more like music for a rainy and stormy autumn day.
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Haven't listened to Nine in years but I recall being quite into it back in the day :metal
Not a big fan of Soen tbh, feel like a weaker Tool for the most part.
Haven't listened to much Katatonia, should probably give this album a try.
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Katatonia :) :) :)
Probably should be ranked #1 though... ;)
Also, this is the first time I've checked out this thread since it started - I'd just been busy and was only keeping up with Puppies roulette for a while. So now that I had time to start reading it, the band most recently reviewed is Katatonia. Coincidence? (Well, yes of course it is but I can pretend otherwise).
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Also - it's cool that you chose Dead End Kings. It's been my favorite Katatonia album too, although I think The Fall of Hearts has probably worked it's way into a tie. And then there is Night is the New Day, which seems to be less popular with the fans, but those fans are just wrong... I've been listening to that one a bit lately and it is sooooo good.
Winter is not my favorite season at all, but Katatonia makes it better. :)
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Just dropping in to say that's a pretty good album ;) I have a fond memory of it as it came out when I was in high school. I really liked listening to it as I was going home from school. Nothing special, it just worked perfectly in those rainy autumn days and clicked with me. But to be honest, it needed some time, I thought it was samey all the way through at first.
When it comes to their other releases, I like older ones more, especially Discouraged Ones - Viva Emptiness run.
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I think Jonas was still finding his voice on albums like Discouraged Ones and Tonight's Decision. There are some great songs on those albums but also some where the song is good, but his voice isn't so great. I think this lends a certain amount of charm to those albums, and I really like having that whole history to hear how they developed. But I prefer the later ones overall.
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I dislike autumn a lot (and god I hate rain, it's the worst thing), so I usually associate shitty albums with it. :lol
Have a night update now, which, considering the album in question, is only natural and fitting. It's like I'm committed to this thread or something!
#31
Dracula: Swing of Death
Jørn Lande / Trond Holter
Genre: hard rock / classic metal
2015
Recommended to me by: Hard rock / Classic metal thread in GMD
(https://avatars.yandex.net/get-music-content/42108/3851f3f0.a.2396990-1/m1000x1000)
You can adore his voice or hate it with passion, but there’s no denying that Jørn Lande is one of the most prominent heavy metal voices nowadays. Not only the sheer power and grit of his voice are incredible, but the amount of projects he does—to the point where it seems he’s everywhere, but not to the point of oversaturation, in my opinion, although you can argue this point—makes sure his roaring is heard on the metal scene. Ark, Masterplan, ongoing gig with Avantasia, the appearance on Ayreon’s 01011001, Allen/Lande (can we get Magnus back please?) solo career, singing for League of Legends even! Jørn sure does lend his voice to many projects, although perhaps not as many as Anneke van Giersbergen. And then there is this little gem of an album. A collaboration between Jørn, a perfect voice for Count Dracula, and a Norwegian guitarist Trond Holter, whose songwriting and guitar skills left me in awe after the first listen to this record.
I mean, there’s nothing mindblowing per se. It’s not genre-changing like Images and Words, and it’s not Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force. But that’s not what I was trying to say. What I was trying to say, is that Jørn is a fantastic singer—his sheer power and presence on stage is undeniable. While I only saw him once with Avantasia on the latest Ghostlights tour (he wasn’t there for The Mystery of Time, but I hope to witness him again on the upcoming Moonglow tour), seeing The Scarecrow performed with him live was an unforgettable experience. However, his outstanding skills in singing department do not make a good songwriter. I could never get into his solo albums, and while Chad recommended Life on Death Road to me, I didn’t enjoy that as much as, well, pretty much anything else with Jørn behind the mic. Avantasia and Ayreon and first three of Allen/Lande albums, that’s where Jørn shines. By now I’m convinced that he needs another songwriter to provide him the material to sing the hell out of it, and in case of Dracula: Swing of Death he got the right material indeed, and that’s why this album works so well on many levels.
I remember a commotion about this record in the classic metal thread, the surprise of how good it was, and I checked it out right away, I think. This record might’ve not made any of my lists for 2015 because, as I said, that year was freaking surreal in terms of new music, the sheer amount of the albums I discovered that year is still stunning to me. But then, come spring of 2016, I went to aforementioned Avantasia concert, and they had a lot of the CDs from the singers’ side-projects, which was a brilliant move, by the way. I’ve got the second Kiske/Somerville there, I’ve got this record, I might’ve bought other stuff too, and while City of Heroes was fairly meh (salvation, I can’t resist your temptation, damn, last time I’ve listened to this track was about two years ago and I still can’t get over how cheesy this line is, and that’s coming from me of all people), Dracula stood the test of time and is still in my rotation.
It might come as a surprise to you if you’re not familiar with this record, but there are also female vocals on it! And while the core of the record is still mostly guitar-driven heavy metal, there are some welcome deviations from the usual formula. For example, there is a swing-driven song (a title track, duh), there is an instrumental track, there’s some tracks with unconventional structures too, and I guess this diversity plays a big role in how this album still manages to sound fresh almost four years after its release.
So don’t let the label fool you, despite it being released by Frontiers Records, this album is worth your time if you’re a straightforward metal fan.
Favourite songs: Walking on Water (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9Gme_E8ZWk), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/36q6MQQjL77WM8NYlzYlbh)), Masquerade Ball (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj0sbaG_maY), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/0tzP34yBcQfQzH4EmZR9lF)), Queen of the Dead (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccl1yN-dKQ8), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4vKaYOvXuQHOc8b4ePWH4o))
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engless
i dunno the album at all though :P
except you sent me a song off it one time
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engless
i dunno the album at all though :P
except you sent me a song off it one time
It's like 2 A.M. here and I can't see the keyboard. :lol
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(https://avatars.yandex.net/get-music-content/42108/3851f3f0.a.2396990-1/m1000x1000)
:2metal:
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The Trail of Murder is amazing, Brent is an absolute legend for bringing that album to light here.
Also, the Dracula is very impressive. Love Trond's guitar work too.
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and while Chad recommended Life on Death Road to me, I didn’t enjoy that as much
That's cause it's sucks. Check Out to Every Nation and Worldchanger. His old solo stuff is excellent.
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and while Chad recommended Life on Death Road to me, I didn’t enjoy that as much
That's cause it's sucks. Check Out to Every Nation and Worldchanger. His old solo stuff is excellent.
Both of you can bite me :biggrin:. It's not Traveller or Bring Heavy Rock to the Land level of suck. What I said about it was that it was his best since Out to Every Nation. Give that one a spin, Ruslan. If it doesn't click with you, then you definitely should take a complete 'pass' on his solo material.
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and while Chad recommended Life on Death Road to me, I didn’t enjoy that as much
That's cause it's sucks. Check Out to Every Nation and Worldchanger. His old solo stuff is excellent.
Both of you can bite me :biggrin:. It's not Traveller or Bring Heavy Rock to the Land level of suck. What I said about it was that it was his best since Out to Every Nation. Give that one a spin, Ruslan. If it doesn't click with you, then you definitely should take a complete 'pass' on his solo material.
I don't know, I'd probably take both of those albums over it to be honest. Death Road was just the Frontiers Factory chewing the Jorn name up and spewing out the same crap. I know they were trying to somewhat 'help' Jorn but IMO they went the other way. At least the albums before were what Jorn wanted to do, not what Frontiers thought he should be doing.
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Apparently I missed both along the way.
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and while Chad recommended Life on Death Road to me, I didn’t enjoy that as much
That's cause it's sucks. Check Out to Every Nation and Worldchanger. His old solo stuff is excellent.
Alright then, those are on my list now!
20 albums posted, 30 more to go, let's get to it.
#30
Vast Oceans Lachrymose
While Heaven Wept
Genre: classic metal / progressive metal
2009
Recommended to me by: Shadow Ninja 2.0
(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2476773384_10.jpg)
Monday write-up alert! Probably not much sense will be featured in it. Be careful.
What I love about DTF—I mean, not counting drunk-posting and making fun of the older folk—is that while our tastes may be far and wide apart, still there are some overlap between them with almost each and every one of you fine gentlemen I continuously interact on GMD board. I’m interested in classic metal and hard rock, and while I’m not the biggest fan of the genre itself, you metalheads have recommended me great albums over these years. I’m interested in progressive rock, but I think that a lot of albums in the genre feature clichéd not-so-well-made long songs for the sake of being long, and yet some of you keep introducing me to great progressive rock music. I don’t give two shits about most Zantera / Sacul music, yet there are albums they’ve got me into, and I’m grateful for that.
And that goes for my roulettes, too. For example, yes, Tyrias sent me music that I don’t care about, and yet he introduced me to Bent Knee and other great things. And because of the difference in tastes, it’s no wonder sometimes people receive 3/10 in my roulette, all the while holding onto an album like Vast Oceans Lachrymose. Shadow Ninja did exactly that, sending me Keldian in my first roulette which I didn’t enjoy at all, and then one night in plug.dj he played Vessel, a song from that very album, and a song which captivated me so much I saved it for the further listening.
It would be fair—and quite fitting, as we’re now down to the Top 30, and there’s only fantastic stuff left in this list—to say that I was honestly blown away with this record the first time I’ve heard it. A lot of classic metal influences, including a singer with a powerful voice, enhanced with the touches of progressive metal and sometimes even doom metal in the instrumental department—a reminder that the band used to play a full-on doom metal once—it honestly baffles me how this album isn’t way more popular among the metal crowd of DTF. It’s quite short—about 45 minutes, I believe—yet it manages to do a lot in that allocated time. For instance, it manages to astound me every time with its impeccable quality.
That should be a lesson all by itself: don’t be discouraged if you didn’t do too well in my roulette, or anyone’s, for that matter. Perhaps you did get eliminated halfway through the competition, or perhaps you didn’t win, or perhaps you sent me Native Construct—it doesn’t mean we’re incompatible in music. In most cases, it mostly means you picked wrong songs for the wrong audience. In most cases, you have something good right up your sleeve, and you simply don’t know it. And if you keep interacting with your roulette host after the show’s over and the thread is gone into the archive oblivion, perhaps one day, either on purpose on unknowingly, you will find the song that will win over this particular person’s heart, causing him to waste some of his precious funds on the band’s—pretty fucking difficult to find in Russia—discography. Shadow Ninja did it, and I see no reason why it couldn’t be true for everyone.
Now, let me link about 75% of the album in the next section, because for some reason, the division of album’s tracks on Spotify is… interesting.
Favourite songs: The Furthest Shore (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDRQ3WrhSOM), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/5FyEXtHaNzSOg7g4Pvvl2m)), To Wander the Void (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfUmhX7I4Xg), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/2vojepDtpMMUoVB3zpVK0o)), Vessel (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qd80yegMpc), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/22bRUgPsDNU6P3zAgY6u0L))
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I dislike autumn a lot (and god I hate rain, it's the worst thing)
:sadpanda:
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While Heaven Wept did well in my roulettes, haven't checked them out yet though.
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While Heaven Wept did well in my roulettes, haven't checked them out yet though.
Yeah, I think I sent them last time.
It's Monday, so only one update today, but no worries, we're still on schedule.
#29
Skyforger
Amorphis
Genre: progressive metal
2009
Recommended to me by: Scorpion, I think? Not exactly sure about this one
(https://avatars.yandex.net/get-music-content/49707/e171b244.a.161941-1/m1000x1000)
Amorphis! One of those growly bands that I enjoyed even before the huge breakthrough in my tastes after which I deemed that growls were acceptable. I’m not even sure it was Scorpion who pitched it to me—I might’ve accidentally just bought it in that Finnish online metal music shop which had Nightwish and Sonata Arctica items—but this album had been an excellent purchase on my part. A particularly tasty blend of growls and melodic vocals with delicious choruses, Skyforger was my first foray into Amorphis, and, obviously, a successful one.
Amorphis seems to be unable to do anything wrong lately, with their audacious 2015’s Under the Red Cloud and equally fascinating Queen of Time, both featuring some of my favourite Amorphis songs to date. That being kept in mind, I still have to give the edge to Skyforger. While the last two albums are, without any slightest doubt, are Amorphis at their best, Skyforger managed to capture a spark that I didn’t feel in any of the band’s work up until 2015, and therefore it’s quite special to me. One of the first records that made me believe the growls aren’t always evil and unnecessary, Skyforger has cemented its place in my heart as a fantastic and inspired record.
I have actually seen Amorphis on tour in, I think, 2015, except it wasn’t for Under the Red Cloud—it was just your usual, run of the mill festival in summer, except it wasn’t, because we never get metal festivals in Russia, and that was the last decent one which actually stopped existing after that year for some reason. We had Helloween headlining, Dark Tranquility, Primal Fear and Amorphis on the roster as well as Arkona (a well-known Russian band), and it was a blast. Helloween and Primal Fear put on a fantastic show, but I wasn’t too big on Amorphis show—too heavy and I think the songs were from the older material. I skipped further Amorphis shows—I think they had one here in support of Under the Red Cloud. I also skipped the Primal Fear show in 2017 because I was at Ayreon Universe. But now I’m ready to see Primal Fear if they ever come back here, and I hope they do. Speaking of Amorphis, they have a gig scheduled in Moscow next spring, and I’m already a happy owner of a ticket—I bet I will enjoy them this time.
I know you probably expected me to write something about the actual music, but as it’s often the case with the well-known bands, I think you all are already familiar with their work. Anyway, I think it’s way more entertaining to write about your personal experience with the band, devolving the writeup into some unrelated tangents, instead of following the tried and true approach, describing every song. That’s just boring.
Just kidding, folks. I know no one reads those anyway.
Favourite songs: Sampo (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wRUMjy8p_M), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4uxRvoqyroo0n6IDnQulYz)), Silver Bride (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVfoET8fLvg), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7sHGxzaWViGHxW7RnQ2ENu)), Skyforger (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4NM4bQ3WVM), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/3MJJRIdU7Mrpn1liWkoB99))
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I'M READING !!!!
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Yes, I am reading to, but not commenting much because I do not recognize the bands you listed to date, but plan to listen. Amorphis has been a recent listen for me and I need to go back to Skyforger and Under the Red Cloud. My favorite is Elegy, probably for the guitar tones and it is a bit different.
You mentioned the festivals and since my wife is from England and I plan to retire in a couple of years, I told her my dream is to go to England and drop her off in Darby with her relatives and hit the festivals in England and possibly other countries depending on funds and being able to communicate enough to get by.
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I'd describe Skyforger as an old favorite that has lost some of it's appeal over the years. Sampo and the title track are certainly my favorite songs as well, and I could throw From Earth I Rose in the mix too.
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Amorphis seems to be unable to do anything wrong lately, with their audacious 2015’s Under the Red Cloud and equally fascinating Queen of Time, both featuring some of my favourite Amorphis songs to date. That being kept in mind, I still have to give the edge to Skyforger. While the last two albums are, without any slightest doubt, are Amorphis at their best, Skyforger managed to capture a spark that I didn’t feel in any of the band’s work up until 2015, and therefore it’s quite special to me. One of the first records that made me believe the growls aren’t always evil and unnecessary, Skyforger has cemented its place in my heart as a fantastic and inspired record.
This is identical to my thoughts on the band and these albums.
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Great, great album. We named our cat Sampo.
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Yes, this album is cool. It’s been years since I heard this one. Maybe I should revisit it soon.
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Amorphis rocks :metal :metal :metal
This band is incredible in putting out quality albums after a little slump with Am Universum and Far From The Sun.
My favorite is still Under The Red Cloud but Skyforger is definitely up there.
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I'M READING !!!!
This Amorphis album is amazing, get your nuts around it Chad. Probably still my fav from them.
Great, great album. We named our cat Sampo.
Jon, this is the coolest thing I've read for a long time. You turned your cat into the most badass fucking cat ever!!
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You mentioned the festivals and since my wife is from England and I plan to retire in a couple of years, I told her my dream is to go to England and drop her off in Darby with her relatives and hit the festivals in England and possibly other countries depending on funds and being able to communicate enough to get by.
I've read this as "since my wife is from England, I plan to retire in a couple of years", and thought I need to find one of those England wives somewhere.
Great, great album. We named our cat Sampo.
What a name. As a huge fan of cats, is there any chance to see a photo of him/her?
I'M READING !!!!
This Amorphis album is amazing, get your nuts around it Chad. Probably still my fav from them.
I don't even think it's than offensive to non-growl folk. It's certainly less growl-oriented than Wintersun, at least it feels that way.
#28
The World Is a Game
Mystery
Genre: progressive rock
2012
Recommended to me by: jingle.boy
(https://img.discogs.com/fMhDDuVzBeE2wm4Z23sXgfn-HEU=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4050833-1399328395-3050.jpeg.jpg)
Just when I thought I was done with discovering progressive rock after a lot of incredible albums I’ve received in my roulette, I decided to play in another one of those—the host’s nickname was Kattelox, or Firewings. I didn’t know shit about his tastes, except that he apparently felt like he had “grown out” of power metal and became extremely picky about it. Well, I thought, it would never hurt to introduce him to IQ’s The Road of Bones, as this album is one of my favourite DTF discovers, and were it not for my rule of no-repeats-from-the-first-list, that one would’ve been sitting comfortably (pun!) in the Top 5. And those who played in that roulette, you guys might remember that IQ did pretty good, sharing the top round score with some stupid record by a band called Mystery, sent by Chad.
For some reason, I simply decided to check it out immediately. Which record could compare with that fabulous IQ album? In no imaginable way was it possible.
I’m so glad I did that.
As I mentioned before, as far as the neo-progressive rock bands and albums were concerned, I lived in a cave. I knew and listened to some of the older prog rock bands, namely Jethro Tull and Marillion and perhaps something else I’m failing to think of, and then my experience ended there. I’m not a big fan of Rush, or Yes, or Genesis, or King Crimson. Metal and hard rock is where it was for me all these years, starting with the older classics like Deep Purple, Rainbow, Scorpions, and then going into Helloween, Gamma Ray and whatnot. Even my discovery of Dream Theater was by accident, but that’s the story for another day, I guess.
I started getting into progressive rock bit by bit as my days and months of residing at DTF stacked up, and by this point I couldn’t deny the genre was beautiful as long as the band knew what they were doing. IQ did, and so did a bunch of other bands which are higher in this list—and yet I don’t think any of the records I’ve heard made as big of impact on me as The World Is a Game. I couldn’t stop spinning it for a whole month, spinning the hell out of those eight tracks, perfectly lined up on this CD. I might’ve ended being burned out of the album, and that might be a reason it’s only at the 28th place; or perhaps it’s just too early for me to say. All I know is that this record gave me a blissful month of progressive rock goodness, and while I’m not sure if this record will climb up in my rankings even higher, I can definitely say I’m grateful for its existence based solely on that month I spent with it. A flabbergastingly great effort from a band I’ve never heard of before.
I’ll omit Another Day—the album’s epic—in that section below just to save you guys the time. Spoiler: it’s also amazing.
Favourite songs: Pride (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH9bgfpY0so), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4KMqTwYobafMMYsUzh9aIL)), Dear Someone (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln9wsZBnzvI), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/0kFeOf8y73OT7P08Ed04cR)), Time Goes By (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqjKcQchO50), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4Ld9MZMwxT61l6ECBfkPmz))
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It was only earlier this year that you discovered them!?!? Oy Vey! Man, please tell me you've grabbed Lies and Butterflies. That's my AOTY so far.
But, The World is A Game is the grand-daddy of Mystery albums. I'll throw out an assist to Doc DTVT and cheffy-poo on this one, as they were the ones that pushed Mystery on me when The World was released. Top shelf album for sure. I'm most partial to Pride and Dear Someone
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I have still not given Mystery a dedicated listen.
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It was only earlier this year that you discovered them!?!? Oy Vey! Man, please tell me you've grabbed Lies and Butterflies. That's my AOTY so far.
You did send me something by them earlier via e-mail, and I was so thorougly unimpressed with it I didn't check them out at all. I looked it up and the song was called As I Am.
Also I did not grab the latest, but I have them saved on the streaming platform I use. I will buy it if I see it in our record store.
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it is a mystery (https://youtu.be/fq3abPnEEGE)
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You did send me something by them earlier via e-mail, and I was so thorougly unimpressed with it I didn't check them out at all. I looked it up and the song was called As I Am.
Oh... right. That's a middle-of-the-road song. I assume I sent it to you as part of my 'almost DT' playlist or something? A bunch of songs with the same title as a DT song? That's the only reason I can think of as to why I would share that song.
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You did send me something by them earlier via e-mail, and I was so thorougly unimpressed with it I didn't check them out at all. I looked it up and the song was called As I Am.
Oh... right. That's a middle-of-the-road song. I assume I sent it to you as part of my 'almost DT' playlist or something? A bunch of songs with the same title as a DT song? That's the only reason I can think of as to why I would share that song.
I think that was it, yes. I just listened to that song again and boy does it suck.
#27
Love, Fear and the Time Machine
Riverside
Genre: progressive rock
2015
Recommended to me by: DTF band thread
(https://i2.wp.com/www.metalinjection.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Press_Cover_01.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Riverside is one of those DTF bands which if you’re not familiar with any of their material, you’re going to get roasted pretty quickly—if you’re not a fogey person, that is. Older folks get a pass on this one.
Not all of bands can boast about having their own sound. There are bound to be some comparisons going on whenever a relatively new band enters a progressive metal scene. Don’t believe me? Go and read the comments about the following acts. Circus Maximus or Haken? They’re channeling DT, can’t you hear those obvious DT influences in their music? You can’t? You must be deaf, it’s so obvious. Soen? They’re now doing (and before they were channeling Tool, but they get a pass because Tool is awesome) what Opeth was doing, except now Opeth is shit, Mikael is a pussy for stopping doing growls (I can’t even express how much bullshit is packed into this small message), so while Soen doesn’t do growls, they do Opeth better than Opeth (what in the world?).
On a somewhat unrelated note, I admire Dream Theater, and I absolutely, absolutely fucking agree they were the inspiration for a lot of bands that are relevant today. Dream Theater is great. And you know, whenever any band tries to do something that reminds you of DT material, it perhaps would benefit everyone that you won’t point it out, or at least do it respectfully. Like, okay, Haken has some DT influences in their music. You don’t have to go around DTF and mention it in each and every thread, sometimes demeaningly. And it works the other way around, let’s say DT unknowingly used something that was already used before? Just let it go, folks. There’s no point of waging a war all over the Internet over this. The thing is, it doesn’t really happen on DTF often, but the other social media is full of it—but since I don’t post on the other social media a lot, I get to rant about that on DTF.
That went on an unrelated tangent long enough, and what I was saying is that Riverside is somehow unique on the progressive rock and metal scene right now. Be that enchanting voice of Mr. Duda or unbelievable guitar playing of the late Piotr Grudziński, these guys managed to establish their own sound, varying it from album to album, and build their own fanbase in just a few records. Off top of my head, I can’t name one band that sounds exactly like Riverside.
So, disregarding my DT rant… how lucky were we to get those several Riverside albums to grace the Earth before Piotr left us? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve bought Wasteland and I enjoy it, but there is a certain magic contained in the previous records, and while I don’t quite care about ADHD or Shrines, records like Out of Myself and this one are equivalent to a gut-punch for me, because the emotions hidden and written behind those are of the highest quality. ”What a pile of bullshit”, you’re thinking now, and you’re probably right if this album doesn’t do anything for you—but whenever Time Travellers is up on my speakers, I either can’t hold the tears back or have the shivers down by spine. It’s the stupidest thing… and yet it’s one of the most powerful songs I’ve ever heard.
It also might be the worst analogy I’ve ever written. Shivers from a gut-punch? Let’s move on.
Favourite songs: Caterpillar and the Barbed Wire (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYU_AqiwwNE), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4pIKiomulnc8uvf7UXqkuT)), Discard Your Fear (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc4MSBVLF2c), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/2RTZo39j5ior0hY1GNExXK)), Time Travellers (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_QZzb9WONg), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7rATwDI20BnBcDTvkfvkNo))
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Riverside :) :) :)
I agree, except I do love Shrines and ADHD (as well as all of the others).
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I have heard every riverside album and either this one or maybe REM (which is, for the record, the only one I don't own so it's unfair to say) is my least favorite, great pick :tup
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I've given Riverside more than a fair amount of effort to click.
They just aren't for me it would seem.
And it works the other way around, let’s say DT unknowingly used something that was already used before? Just let it go, folks.
You mean like a manhwa comic or something?
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I think he means like a single cover
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Anno Domini High Definition completely blows this one away, but hey, this one is good too :tup
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I have still not given Mystery a dedicated listen.
Yeah, can't say the name rings a bell at all to me.
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I thought that Mystery album was okay. I liked it but nothing really made it stand out, and their new one was the same.
I'm glad you chose to feature the best Riverside album.
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My least favorite Riverside album. It's still ok though. :corn
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Prob my third favorite riverside album, still cool :metal
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And it works the other way around, let’s say DT unknowingly used something that was already used before? Just let it go, folks.
You mean like a manhwa comic or something?
I think he means like a single cover
I'll let this stay... a mystery. :biggrin:
Good to see all the variation of your rankings. Always curious to see the fanbase divided on what's the band's favourite album is.
#26
Death is Just a Feeling
Amadeus Awad
Genre: progressive rock / progressive metal
2015
Recommended to me by: lonestar
(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a1386465395_10.jpg)
Amadeus Awad is one of musicians that are relatively unknown on the progressive rock and metal scene, yet quite well-known on DTF because a few regulars were using them in the roulettes, which is how I was introduced to his music. RJ sent me a song from one of the earlier EPs, and I don’t believe Death is Just a Feeling was out by that time. The song was quite good, and the fact that it featured Russell Allen and someone else which I really don’t remember, and it’s quite late—maybe Amanda Somerville? I hope I’m not wrong—added to the song’s charm, and I suppose to Amadeus’ popularity.
2015 saw the release of his first full-length album, and we received a digital promo copy via Lady Obscure, and RJ pushed for me to review it, considering that not only I liked previous work of this Lebanese musician, but I also was a big fan of Arjen Lucassen and Anneke van Giersbergen, both lending their voices on the record. You also have a regular Amadeus’ vocals contributor Elia Monsef (you might know him from Ostura recent release, too), and then people like Marco Minnemann and Jimmy Keegan on drums. I did a review for this album, I think I gave it 4.5/5, and it’s safe to say those were the most honest 4.5 I gave out—I loved the record, and I listened to it a lot of times.
Anneke is present on three tracks, the opener, Sleep Paralysis and Lonesome Clown, which make about half of the album as it’s quite short, I’m not sure if it’s even over 40 minutes. There’s one Elia Monsef track, and then one track with Arjen singing on it, and perhaps surprisingly for Arjen, the track ended up being pretty good, in singing department too. The album is also filled with spoken word bits which, while may be a bit overdone, do a good job contributing to the concept, and are actually pretty well-written.
I saw people comparing this album with Steven Wilson’s Hand. Cannot. Erase. (the last two songs, especially), which could’ve brought me to my previous rant in Riverside’s writeup, but I honestly haven’t seen any comment where it was done in a negative way. Amadeus is an amazing songwriter, and this album is a spectacular achievement, but if I were to guess, I’d say he has a small, but dedicated fanbase. And I guess it when the band’s get bigger, then you can find a lot of vitriol and hate in the comments for their output. This, I suppose, is an interesting and somewhat obvious point I’m raising here. It’s incredible how thick-skinned you have to be as an artist, be that a writer, musician or anyone. The critique to the work you put out for the entire world to see, sometimes pouring your heart and soul into it—the thought of it makes me shudder. I would say that’s why I don’t make music or write books, but in fact I’m probably just a lazy ass. Props to the people like Amadeus, though, who manage to pull it off with such a extraordinary results as Death is Just a Feeling.
Favourite songs: Sleep Paralysis (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT5x3j73LUU), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/1Yzuy0NAtIYik48kb9zO5v)), Tomorrow Lies (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWjYwT01NnE), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/089CQFeU7owX6hOVkhAfc1)), Lonesome Clown (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq7n4HHrCmg), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/0dSToDG0uT4NgF5qjckJtA))
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yeah this one is good
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You are correct... Book of Gates featured both Allen and Somerville. Good memory. I prefer that EP.... actually, I prefer the re-release that combines both Book of Gates and Schizanimus. None-the-less, this is an excellent album as well. And yeah... he definitely poured his heart and soul (about as literally as one can) into this album.
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Just catching up with this thread.
I love Lykaia, I've got the other albums as well and Tellurian is my #2 but it's nowhere near as good Lykaia. I've listened to the two new singles and the new album will hopefully be a good one.
Katatonia, I've tried quite a few of their albums over the last few years but none of them have ever interested me enough to download them. I should probably revisit some time.
Amorphis, their latest is in my top 10 of the year and the previous album is obviously also great. I haven't dug any deeper into their back catalogue but I've added this one to my list :metal
Riverside, I have all their albums now and honestly struggle to pick my fave. Their style of prog rock is one that I enjoy but don't get rabid over. They were fucking great when I saw them last year though.
As to the others, I've heard you guys talk about Amadeus Awad but never listened, and the Mystery album also sounds interesting, so they're added to 'the list' as well :corn
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I've got a few moments to spend in this thread today, so I thought I'd punch in that Riverside album. :omg: Time Travellers is gorgeous! Gonna listen to some more stuff. Thanks Ev. I owe you a couple of books :)
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Hey I'm pretty late, but I wanted to say I'm glad you ended up liking While Heaven Wept so Much! I am surprised they don't get a ton of attention here since they seem like the perfect DTF band, but it's good to know some folks are enjoying them.
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yeah this one is good
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Great, great album. We named our cat Sampo.
Jon, this is the coolest thing I've read for a long time. You turned your cat into the most badass fucking cat ever!!
Great, great album. We named our cat Sampo.
What a name. As a huge fan of cats, is there any chance to see a photo of him/her?
:tup
Cheers, guys!
a few images of Sampo. He's a rescued stray that we found last year abandoned behind our local grocery store when he was a tiny kitten.
(https://i.imgur.com/ZDKOm1H.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/5xkvkIf.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/FEwqUnO.jpg)
With his coloring I guess we could just as well have called him The Smoke
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He looks fantastic, Jon! The first pic is especially awesome. Very fit and very good-looking fellow. :heart
I've got a few moments to spend in this thread today, so I thought I'd punch in that Riverside album. :omg: Time Travellers is gorgeous! Gonna listen to some more stuff. Thanks Ev. I owe you a couple of books :)
I'll take this deal, sure. Just started King of Thorns today because I finally caved in and bought both of the remaining books in that trilogy.
Oh, the irony. Just when I said our company cut our available OT hours last month, this week our boss approached some of us and told us we're free to put as many OT hours as we need to finish our project till the end of the year. :lol So that means I'll be working both remaining weekends, which kinda sucks—but as the posts for this thread are pre-written, I think we'll do just fine. I may be slacking in some of the roulettes though.
Two updates today, and due to some of the interesting albums down the list I'm confident I can wrap it up in 10 or 11 days.
Without further ado, here we go!
#25
Communication Lost
Wolverine
Genre: progressive metal
2011
Recommended to me by: Dr. DTVT
(https://avatars.yandex.net/get-music-content/34131/2075e89f.a.720382-1/m1000x1000)
A rare breed of dark progressive metal where you can hear every instrument in the mix clearly, this album takes the approach Soen did with Lykaia and turns it to eleven by writing even darker songs, losing some melancholy and adding a few power ballads with well thought out choruses. First sent me in my first roulette by Mason, this band took a few tries for me to get into it, and while I enjoy other albums somewhat, Communication Lost hit me in the feels harder than anything else by Wolverine. It’s a very long album, almost filling the 80 minutes of CD to the brim, and the thing is, the atmosphere doesn’t change much during the whole experience. Unfortunately, that means if this kind of music isn’t quite your cup of tea, you will find this album underwhelming. Fortunately, as this has been the kind of music I’ve been drifting to lately, I found this album, well, not the best thing, but the 25th best thing, I suppose.
There are albums where the album art works so perfectly with the album’s name and the album’s music, when you just have to wonder how much thought went into it, or if it was half-intentional, half-coincidence. Those stories can usually be found in interviews, and I haven’t read any Wolverine interviews at all, but I can safely say this is one of those cases where both the album title and the art are incredibly evocative and perfectly representative of what kind of music the album itself entails. Sometimes simple is the best, and for the bleak atmosphere they were going for, this album art fits remarkably well.
It’s also curious how, for me, Communication Lost features an unconventional album structure. In my head, I split it in two parts, each one building up to one big emotional climax with soaring vocals and epic, heavy guitars backing them up. The first run is from the track’s opener to Your Favourite War, which releases the energy from meaty Into the Great Nothing and acoustic Poison Ivy with a certain deadpan delivery, building up to a fantastic guitar solo and all-out ending. Then the second buildup begins, and this one is entirely on another scale, with emotional aspect of the album ebbing and flowing, resulting in some of the great choruses like In Memory of Me and then some quiet moments, before finally rolling into the ultimate song of the record: the title track.
When I began writing this, I was determined to mention that the title track is one of the best songs I discovered on DTF. Then I looked at my whole Top 50. Then I contemplated how many more awesome albums—and brilliant songs—didn’t make this list. I just can’t make statements like this, and even this album ranking is superficial—on any other day a lot of these albums could be easily swapped around. Therefore I’ll just say that the title track is great beyond belief—but so are another hundred songs or so you kind folks introduced me to.
Favourite songs: Your Favourite War (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBFkqa06KbQ), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/6HrRKMGXEqHtAHsDdi1IY8)), In Memory of Me (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yYLaM5VgkY), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/0rfPYkeCQdnXqcuwEEGDm9)), Communication Lost (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEBVo4malVI), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/5FvcB27sg2ISsiKxLoneOp))
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Wolverine was at ProgPower USA a while back and their regular set was awesome. Their singer was pretty much dead on and it was an intense set. Then the next day they did an acoustic set and it was incredible. Really incredible. They told some stories about some of the songs and it was a really cool experience. Communication Lost was the most recent album at the time. It's my favorite of theirs too.
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Gonna have to check out that Wolverine. I've never heard them before.
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I checked out the album after you submitted one of the tracks to me just this last roulette. Very enjoyable. It'll be a keeper (at least on Spotify). Not sure it is what I would call 'purchase-worthy'.
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I checked out the album after you submitted one of the tracks to me just this last roulette. Very enjoyable. It'll be a keeper (at least on Spotify). Not sure it is what I would call 'purchase-worthy'.
You really have to be in the mood for it. I'm glad you checked it out, that's all I can ask for!
Gonna have to check out that Wolverine. I've never heard them before.
Very curious about your opinion now.
Wolverine was at ProgPower USA a while back and their regular set was awesome. Their singer was pretty much dead on and it was an intense set. Then the next day they did an acoustic set and it was incredible. Really incredible. They told some stories about some of the songs and it was a really cool experience. Communication Lost was the most recent album at the time. It's my favorite of theirs too.
Would've loved to see them live, preferably performing this album in its entirety. :biggrin:
I'm going to just fire up the next update now. Got to keep the pace, and more discussion material is always good.
#24
Mirage: A Portrayal of Figures
Flaming Row
Genre: progressive metal
2014
Recommended to me by: jingle.boy or lonestar, who knows by now
(https://avatars.yandex.net/get-music-content/49876/4f384469.a.2030532-1/m1000x1000)
That’s right, not Elinoire, but this one. And yes, I easily admit the concept in Elinoire is miles and miles better and this one, but in terms of the music, this is what I came to think as the core Flaming Row sound.
At this point, it should be obvious I’m a big fan of this record, with how often I use it in roulettes. And, well, even if you don’t follow roulettes, knowing that I’m a huge fan of Ayreon could lead you to that conclusion. This is another project featuring a lot of musicians, both in the instrumental and vocal department, that involves sci-fi concepts, different characters, unusual instruments and complex plots in the albums. Oh, and also the main protagonist of this one is named John. You know, I'm going to feature it in the title when I get to post this one.
This album, along with Elinoire, is once again quite popular on DTF while I haven’t seen a lot of mentions of it elsewhere. There are even a few names of our fellow DTFers in the booklet—the first couple of people, I think perhaps a hundred or so, were mentioned there as a sign of gratitude and acknowledgement.
For me, this album easily could’ve been in the Top 10 here if it kept the same quality the first three tracks set. A brilliant and somewhat underappreciated epic followed by a beautiful celtic ballad followed by a bombastic progressive metal song, the opening three songs blew me away when I was listening to them the first time and still continue to impress me after these four years. Unfortunately, it loses a bit of steam after that, and while Pictures and the closing epic boost the quality back, this gap—and mind you, it simply degrades to “good” after “hell yes this is fantastic give me more”—is what stops me from praising this album for another thousand words.
Somehow I remember reading that this was supposed a trilogy of albums, with Mirage – A Portrayal of Figures being the first one. And, just like with Patrick Rothfuss, I remember reading that the whole trilogy was already written. And I actually think I mentioned this already on DTF, and either Chad or RJ responded with some reason why the second part hasn’t seen the light of day yet. I’ll be damned if I can remember what this reason was, though. Give me the Part 2 any day, and this time it’ll be my name in the booklet—I’m ready to pre-order the hell out of it.
Favourite songs: Mirage – A Portrayal of Figures, Part 1 (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrN-LTbFRe0), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/3hsQTvRF4pGv8qCLoXPJWj)), Aim L45 (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ke_PaLiXaY), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/1PqXwLEmfvh3X9EpaDdyAD)), Burning Sky (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt3koKn4Kqg), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/6VShdiFasYyN7ebAV4EkN3))
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hashtag john
pt. 2 is better than pt 1. though
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Elinoire is god tier for me, so there's that. It was #1 in my Top 50v2 - which held the same premise as this top 50 ... only albums introduced to me by/through DTF. Thanks to Nick for the recc'n to Flaming Row.
My problem with this album is that the story is even more cryptic than Elinoire, and that many of the singers play multiple characters, AND in a few instances, a single character is voiced by different singer. So it's like... Maggie... which character is she singing now? Or... why is it Kiri singing the role of Piper now? (I'm just making those examples up, because I forget the specific instances where these things occurred).
Regardless, Aim L-45 is brilliant, as is Pictures.
As for the lack of parts 2 and 3... I believe it has to do with a falling out between Martin Kiri (perhaps also connected to Martin and Melanie's relationship??). I think there was something between Martin and Kiri, and that fell apart. Since they were the guts of FR, no Kiri means no FR. I believe she was the primary lyricist too.
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I checked out the album after you submitted one of the tracks to me just this last roulette. Very enjoyable. It'll be a keeper (at least on Spotify). Not sure it is what I would call 'purchase-worthy'.
You really have to be in the mood for it. I'm glad you checked it out, that's all I can ask for!
Nah... he's just wrong if he doesn't consider it purchase worthy... :P
Wolverine was at ProgPower USA a while back and their regular set was awesome. Their singer was pretty much dead on and it was an intense set. Then the next day they did an acoustic set and it was incredible. Really incredible. They told some stories about some of the songs and it was a really cool experience. Communication Lost was the most recent album at the time. It's my favorite of theirs too.
Would've loved to see them live, preferably performing this album in its entirety. :biggrin:
They only did a couple from it on the electric set if I remember correctly, but maybe 5 or 6 at the acoustic set. It was a lively set too - that may sound weird, and it's hard to describe, but this set was pretty much perfect. It wasn't this group of dour people playing up there. There was a lot of energy despite how dark their music can be. They said that the promoter called it "slit your wrist metal." :lol So it was emotional, intense - someone brought a box of tissues even - but it was also positive and people were smiling too.
Just finished listening to Communication Lost for the first time in a while - I'm glad it came up in this thread. :) :metal
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That cat is beautiful.
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I liked that Wolverine album but agree with Chad that it isn't necessarily purchase-worthy. Flaming Row on the other hand was, but while I enjoy those albums I'm not head over heels about the band like some of you are, both albums are a bit of a mixed bag for me quality wise, and the second is definitely a couple of steps down overall from Elinoire.
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Elinoire is god tier for me, so there's that. It was #1 in my Top 50v2 - which held the same premise as this top 50 ... only albums introduced to me by/through DTF. Thanks to Nick for the recc'n to Flaming Row.
My problem with this album is that the story is even more cryptic than Elinoire, and that many of the singers play multiple characters, AND in a few instances, a single character is voiced by different singer. So it's like... Maggie... which character is she singing now? Or... why is it Kiri singing the role of Piper now? (I'm just making those examples up, because I forget the specific instances where these things occurred).
Regardless, Aim L-45 is brilliant, as is Pictures.
As for the lack of parts 2 and 3... I believe it has to do with a falling out between Martin Kiri (perhaps also connected to Martin and Melanie's relationship??). I think there was something between Martin and Kiri, and that fell apart. Since they were the guts of FR, no Kiri means no FR. I believe she was the primary lyricist too.
My name is in the liner notes on that album if memory serves correct and the CD is still around somewhere not even opened yet ::)
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As for the lack of parts 2 and 3... I believe it has to do with a falling out between Martin Kiri (perhaps also connected to Martin and Melanie's relationship??). I think there was something between Martin and Kiri, and that fell apart. Since they were the guts of FR, no Kiri means no FR. I believe she was the primary lyricist too.
There is a facebook quote that says that Flaming Row will continue, Kiri will be replaced by Melanie, and the 3rd record will be something new.
Here we are again after a longer time. Melli and I are a couple for nearly 5 years now. It is the greatest thing for me making music with her. For a few years we write songs together and we play about 80 concerts the year.
So why shouldn't this work in Flaming Row, too? I am very happy that she really enjoys working on the story and lyrics for the upcoming album. We decided to create something new, lyrically. We'll keep you informed about album number 3! So let us welcome Melanie in the Flaming Row Family.
That post is about half a year old, nothing new since then.
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#26
Death is Just a Feeling
Amadeus Awad
Genre: progressive rock / progressive metal
2015
Favourite songs: Sleep Paralysis (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT5x3j73LUU), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/1Yzuy0NAtIYik48kb9zO5v)), Tomorrow Lies (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWjYwT01NnE), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/089CQFeU7owX6hOVkhAfc1)), Lonesome Clown (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq7n4HHrCmg), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/0dSToDG0uT4NgF5qjckJtA))
Just wanted to say I know this album as well, and especially Lonesome Clown is wonderful. The soft part after the chorus is so hauntingly beautiful, I can almost remember it all by heart: "In your mind, I'm a beast too wild to tame and you cry when the wind calls out my name"... that section is sooo beautiful!
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Gonna have to check out that Wolverine. I've never heard them before.
Communication Lost is awesome and the title track is one of my favorite songs of all time. Also check out 'Window Purpose' from this band.
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Elinoire is god tier for me, so there's that. It was #1 in my Top 50v2 - which held the same premise as this top 50 ... only albums introduced to me by/through DTF. Thanks to Nick for the recc'n to Flaming Row.
My problem with this album is that the story is even more cryptic than Elinoire, and that many of the singers play multiple characters, AND in a few instances, a single character is voiced by different singer. So it's like... Maggie... which character is she singing now? Or... why is it Kiri singing the role of Piper now? (I'm just making those examples up, because I forget the specific instances where these things occurred).
Regardless, Aim L-45 is brilliant, as is Pictures.
As for the lack of parts 2 and 3... I believe it has to do with a falling out between Martin Kiri (perhaps also connected to Martin and Melanie's relationship??). I think there was something between Martin and Kiri, and that fell apart. Since they were the guts of FR, no Kiri means no FR. I believe she was the primary lyricist too.
My name is in the liner notes on that album if memory serves correct and the CD is still around somewhere not even opened yet ::)
What for? Just for being a badass?
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Elinoire is god tier for me, so there's that. It was #1 in my Top 50v2 - which held the same premise as this top 50 ... only albums introduced to me by/through DTF. Thanks to Nick for the recc'n to Flaming Row.
My problem with this album is that the story is even more cryptic than Elinoire, and that many of the singers play multiple characters, AND in a few instances, a single character is voiced by different singer. So it's like... Maggie... which character is she singing now? Or... why is it Kiri singing the role of Piper now? (I'm just making those examples up, because I forget the specific instances where these things occurred).
Regardless, Aim L-45 is brilliant, as is Pictures.
As for the lack of parts 2 and 3... I believe it has to do with a falling out between Martin Kiri (perhaps also connected to Martin and Melanie's relationship??). I think there was something between Martin and Kiri, and that fell apart. Since they were the guts of FR, no Kiri means no FR. I believe she was the primary lyricist too.
My name is in the liner notes on that album if memory serves correct and the CD is still around somewhere not even opened yet ::)
What for? Just for being a badass?
Pretty much. :)
I think I did a pre-purchase a fair way out from release or something so was sort of like a "pledger."
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Pretty much. :)
I think I did a pre-purchase a fair way out from release or something so was sort of like a "pledger."
As I said in the writeup, the first couple of people (I think 100? Don't remember) to pre-order/pledge got their names in. Chad is in there too.
Good to know about Flaming Row row :neverusethis: Never saw this info before, thanks guys.
#23
Shadows of the Dying Sun
Insomnium
Genre: melodic death metal
2014
Recommended to me by: Luoto
(https://img.discogs.com/a8rWiT_YZBrins0zdIY9FbkoZ9o=/fit-in/550x548/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-5869827-1405002520-4735.jpeg.jpg)
Growls might not have been my thing just a few years ago, but now that I’m increasingly tolerant to them, Insomnium climbed my ladder of favourite discoveries on DTF as quickly as the leopard with an ill throat, roaring all the way up. How’s that for a metaphor? Seriously though, what Insomnium does that positively distinguishes them from the countless death metal bands out there is that they nail “melodic” part. Bear with me, because the sentence after the next one is going to sound stupid. Ready? Not only the actual melodic—read “acoustic” and clean vocals—parts are melodic, somehow even the freaking growls are melodic! A lot of bands I’ve heard are only doing noise over the mic, sticking to two or three notes puking incomprehensible syllables along with their throats, glands, guts and whatnot. Insomnium, for a change, is nothing like that. Off top of my head, I can sing some of their choruses in clean vocals and they still sound good. There are melodies beneath the growls, not only in the instrumentation, and this is what draws me to them, or at least that’s one of the reasons.
Their growls also have pronounced rhythms. This is also wonderful, and sometimes they do a rhythm in accordance to the music supporting it, and sometimes they do it in a dissonant way, at least to my ears, and the way they weave two aspects of one art, the music and the vocals into one, was—and honestly is—mindblowing to me. From this album alone, I can probably hum you at least one melody from each song and fingerdrum (is that a word?) you one rhythm from each song. Melodic death metal has never been so memorable—or, at least, if it was, this band is one of the best examples of it.
Luoto once played me something from Insomnium in plug.dj, and I loved it a lot. Now, I have to say that while this list has those whooping fifty entries, not a lot of those albums led me to purchase the whole discography outright, or at least aim to do it. Some of those bands, like Trail of Murder or Echoes, have only one albums, so you could technically say I purchased the whole discography, but you get what I mean. What did I feature up there? Devin Townsend? Nope. Ne Obliviscaris? No. The Dear Hunter? Well, yes, but I still don’t have the full thing, thanks Train. Katatonia? Nah.
But when I’ve heard Insomnium and checked out both this record and Winter’s Gate, that was when I knew I want the whole band’s catalogue to gather dust on my shelves. Sadly, not everything was available, but I made a decent effort to grab what was on their official shop site, along with the all-over print Shadows of the Dying Sun t-shirt, which was only in XXL, and I only wear it at home (and I also wore it at Myrkur concert because I didn’t have any other t-shirt for the occasion) because it looks like a sack on me. The different in sizes between Europe and Russia is as idiotic as it gets.
I’m already at 500+ words and I haven’t even mentioned how the lyrics from the verses in Ephemeral sound like “I’ll go and drink my stout” in Russian instead of “Fight only with yourself”. Oh well!
Favourite songs: While We Sleep (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBZ5SLJmfdw), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/64VLqyvVCCAXyqKCqs40z8)), Black Heart Rebellion (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1S4_hGiti8), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/2KjFaojprJLYjODIJvwjru)), Ephemeral (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eR6dUQ90cc), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/6nHdD6ZWWkmGwH86ikQ7Wt))
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Geez, I WON Evermind's Roulette, and I haven't made the "Recommendations List". :lol
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Geez, I WON Evermind's Roulette, and I haven't made the "Recommendations List". :lol
...I actually think you haven't, yeah. Looking at the remaining list, I don't think any of it is your stuff. :lol In fact I forgot about Kiske's solo album, it would've probably made the list.
I'm not as big fan of power metal as I was before, and your stuff was mostly power metal I think. I do enjoy a lot of the stuff you sent though, Enbound, Dead Lord, UFO, Hibria (:biggrin:) just to name a few. And I still have to check out that female-fronted Helloween-like band you sent me, I forgot the name. Forgotten Skies? Broken Wings? Forgotten Hopes?
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And I still have to check out that female-fronted Helloween-like band you sent me, I forgot the name. Forgotten Skies? Broken Wings? Forgotten Hopes?
Forget About It??
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I've heard some Insomnium but I don't think it was this album.
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INSOMNIUM :metal :metal :metal :metal
A band I also discovered because of DTF and what a great discovery that was. :metal :metal :metal :metal
But (as always ;D) I have another favorite: Winter's Gate is just a little bit better than Shadows, but only a little bit.
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I'm not as big fan of power metal as I was before,
No, it doesn't seem that way.
(https://sayingimages.com/wp-content/uploads/the-crying-father-grow-up-meme.png)
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we've ruined evermind :metal
is anything i recommended on this list, anyways
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we've ruined evermind :metal
is anything i recommended on this list, anyways
I mean, Bodies of Water was close.
I'm not as big fan of power metal as I was before,
No, it doesn't seem that way.
(https://sayingimages.com/wp-content/uploads/the-crying-father-grow-up-meme.png)
Not so fast...
I'm so tired after this whole week and the alarm is already set at 4.45 A.M. next morning, fuck me. But enough whining, have a long overdue power metal update now.
#22
Last of Us
Arion
Genre: power fucking metal
2014
Recommended to me by: Big Hath / Bolsters
(https://images.genius.com/7305d36febca9127e43757b9b984ebf8.991x1000x1.jpg)
Progressive metal, progressive rock, stupid singer-songwriter stuff, the ghastly black and then death metal albums, growls everywhere, bleak and dark music with no hope… what the fuck, Evermind, some of you are bound to ask me. Thing is, my tastes shifted over the last three years, and some of you are going to have a difficult time in my roulette, I suppose. However, you know one good thing about power metal? If you do it really well, if you manage to capture that elusive spark that’s so difficult to find—that Sonata Arctica found on Ecliptica, that Helloween laid the foundation for on Keepers, that Kai Hansen kept channeling with Gamma Ray, that Kamelot caught so well on Karma, I can go on but you get the gist of it—it never gets old. You just need to somehow do it right.
And the problem is, a lot of bands nowadays can’t do it right. You can probably count the amount of power metal albums that really got me excited in the last few years by your fingers on your two hands provided you’re not an amputee of some sort—speaking of, Oceansize is not on this list—and they’re all on this list I think. When I hear an amazing power metal album, I latch on it and I will probably listen the hell out of it… which is exactly what happened with this Arion album even though I kept quiet about it, hoping to use it in roulettes. I’ll send it in Puppies’ if I manage to get past the EP round, I guess, he seems tolerant to this kind of stuff.
Now, what is it this album does so well? I have no fucking idea! All the vocal melodies are incredible and fresh, the songs don’t feel overstuffed with double bass, and after that I have no clue, but this album sounds like everything I want in power metal. Catchy songs? It has them. Ballads? You’re My Melody does a great job on that. The singer sounds great both in the lower and the higher register, and with the falsetto on Shadows, and holy shit those melodies are either just so well thought out or either completely spontaneous, but, well, see. You know how some of the vocal lines on the prog albums turn into a completely unexpected direction, and after like twenty listens you get used to it? Is it because the turn was so good and made so much sense, or is it just because you’re used to it now and that’s how you expect this song to go? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?
Arion, at least with this album—I haven’t checked their latest yet—does the exact opposite. Every note in the vocal lines is what you would expect, and more, it’s what you would want from a power metal song. As the singer quietly goes through a verse or a chorus, there’s a moment I think “oh, this could really use the high note scream now”, and lo and behold, he does it right where I want it. While perhaps this record isn’t for you if you’re not a fan of power metal, I urge everyone who ever liked a power metal song to dig into this one, and you’ll be rewarded with a full hour of excellence. Except if you plan to run a roulette soon, in which case you’ll be getting a taste of this fantastic record down the road.
Favourite songs: Out of the Ashes (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVJpD_ntNBw), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/3KMwDGtXtQn7lifjqZIJM0)), Shadows (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAqsrWIUfeE), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/74f0hZswsLbMEf9qrOovj2)), You’re My Melody (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhJ-P23lG3o), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7a2tCIX9fW8Cb1GVnTxl3H))
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arion as a band name has always just sounded like a bootleg ayreon to me
no comment on the album itself
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Great GREAT album. I had been planning to use this with Kattelox - so it might be a race to do so for this upcoming round! I never would have thought this would land in the 9 1/2 wheelhouse with Puppies, so kudos to you for that.
Life is Beautiful (this year's release) ... rather disappointing, imo.
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That Arion album is definitely incredible. :hefdaddy
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Listening to the Wolverine now. It's OK. Will hit the Arion next.
Arion is a click above generic. Can't believe it's getting such a big circle jerk.
Burn Your Ship and Watching You Fall are really the only things that stood out.
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Says the guy who gets a raging music hard-on from Theocracy.
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(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8e/88/5b/8e885bcfc5df5a54ca01c7057f26f738.jpg)
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Life is Beautiful (this year's release) ... rather disappointing, imo.
Definitely. :sad:
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That Insomnium album is really good. Great band. I prefer One for Sorrow over it though.
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Gonna hit that one tomorrow.
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I had heard of Riverside but did not check them out until now. The album you featured here is really good and quite an easy listen. So sorry to hear about the guitar player - too young.
I only own the winters gate from insomnium but will need to check the rest of the catalog.
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Life is Beautiful (this year's release) ... rather disappointing, imo.
Definitely. :sad:
I'll skip it then.
Probably one update today as I was at work, but possibly three updates tomorrow.
#21
Orvam: A Song for Home
Need
Genre: progressive metal
2014
Recommended to me by: lonestar
(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2172057524_10.jpg)
Finally here’s another band I saw live. Looking back my list, the latest update with the band I saw in person was Amorphis at #29, which is somewhat ridiculous, considering how well-known a few bands from the latest updates are, and how I apparently love their albums, but hey, that’s one of the many reasons why living in Russia sucks. Not that I saw Need in Russia, too.
Let’s get obvious stuff out of the way before I tell you this captivating tale of love and betrayal seeing them play in person: Need is a Greek band that does awesome progressive metal music. RJ introduced me to then via Lady Obscure, with this very album, and their latest, called Hegaiamas: A Song for Freedom is almost as delightful as this one. With a somewhat darker edge than your usual prog metal, this band is apparently rising in popularity ever slowly since Orvam, playing at ProgPower and touring Europe. Alright, back to the story.
I spoke a few times of how I saw them supporting Evergrey on their tour in support for The Storm Within in Siegburg, Germany, mostly in the Evergrey thread I think, but the truth is, well, first off, I was planning a vacation in Germany anyway, so it was kind of lucky to me to catch that tour, but second, I went as much for Need as for Evergrey. That was a perfect situation when you love both the opener and the headliner of the gig. The club was actually very small, there was maybe space for two hundred people, and Siegburg itself isn’t very huge town. I think it was in the basement of some nightclub or restaurant, but I don’t remember it too well—I remember the person who checked our tickets was in disbelief seeing where we came from (I think the country was listed on the ticket), saying “wow, you travelled a long way for this”.
I didn’t have Evergrey t-shirt, but I had one Need t-shirt as I bought the Orvam bundle from bandcamp, so I was sporting it, of course; first thing I see entering the venue are two merch stands for the band, and the guy at Need merch stand grinning at me and complimenting my t-shirt. I ended up getting another Need t-shirt, so now I have two and the Siamese God CD (their album before Orvam). I wanted to buy their ProgPower DVD, but the guy gave it to me for free, then asked if I already had a pick with the band’s name on it, gave me that, then gave me a bunch of stickers and told me to promote the band. Everyone go listen to Need.
Well, needless to say, my evening was already pretty great, and there were just a few minutes before Need was supposed to start playing, so I quickly grabbed some beers from an unassuming guy at the bar—I was amazed that he poured it into thick beer glasses and I was allowed to take them with me into the crowd, which is a huge no in my country—and when I say the crowd, I mean ten people that are standing there. No fighting for front row, nothing, just a few people standing randomly there as the guys from Need got on stage and began playing.
The setlist was mostly from Hegaiamas with one song from Orvam, and people began trickling in during the first two songs, but not too many, perhaps a whooping thirty people overall. None of them seemed to know this band, as I was the only one to expect the rocking moments, mouthing the words along. Well, so the gig was great, now it’s a half an hour wait for Evergrey, and I see there’s not a lot of people in the crowd, so I leave my spot and go back to the bar to get another beer.
This was right at the end of my vacation—I saw some of you folks at Ayreon Universe and then spent two weeks in Germany—and as I usually travel with a backpack and no other luggage, I don’t pack my razor as it’s not allowed to be brought on planes. So I’m sporting a two-week stubble now, and, this is important, all musicians from Need are bearded. By the sound of it, we’re also the only foreign people in this venue. So I ask for a beer, and I figure if it’s alright to bring the glass in the crowd, I may as well ask for the bottle so he won’t have to pour it and I won’t have to return the glass. This time it’s another guy at the bar, and when I ask him if I can have it in the bottle, he says with a thick accent:
Bar guy: You’ll have to ask the manager about this.
Me: Uh, what?
Bar guy: The manager, you have to ask the manager first.
Me: (thinking I’ve heard something wrong) Um, what manager? (I’m such an eloquent guy)
Bar guy: Alright, you know what, wait, I’ll go and ask the boss.
At this point I’m quite dumbfounded at the whole exchange. The guy goes to the unassuming fellow on the other side of the bar which poured me the beer for the first time, points at me and they have a quick dialogue, after which he returns and says:
Bar guy: Oh shit, you’re not from the band that just played then?
And that’s how I’ve got a beer and this story.
Favourite songs: Lifeknot (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dNiUMFpnoo), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/3e03kyOSyQ7LQWs5iDNngg)), Mother Madness (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouJ89fY6JFE), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/2mBgsJ19RZMil39dJxxbg8)), Orvam (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IlkcIxxLbo), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7AWowksdTmhBK0JrGUiY0C))
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Listening to this album now, it's good.
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i did listen to this one and their one last year a few times but, i dunno, the style just doesn't work super well for me, dunno
also i hated the speaky bit on the latest one a lot
the song i got in my roulette from these guys i remember being pretty solid tho
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Need rules. :) :metal :metal :metal
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Listening to this album now, it's good.
Insomnium was even better.
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i did listen to this one and their one last year a few times but, i dunno, the style just doesn't work super well for me, dunno
also i hated the speaky bit on the latest one a lot
the song i got in my roulette from these guys i remember being pretty solid tho
Listen to the speaky bit on this one (called Hotel Oniro), you'll hate it even more. :lol
Listening to this album now, it's good.
Insomnium was even better.
:metal
#20
Weather Systems
Anathema
Genre: progressive rock
2012
Recommended to me by: Sacul or DTF band thread, don’t remember
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ru/6/6a/Anathema_Weather_Systems.jpeg)
It took me a lot of time to get into Anathema, but as it usually happens with a lot of bands, when I did, the result was quite rewarding. The problem here might be that while they have a few albums of a fantastic quality, the rest of their discography still falls flat for me; and the other problem might be the many stylistic changes in their music over the years. There are two Anathema albums that especially stuck with me, and seeing how they represent different eras of the band, and are completely unlike in almost every sense, I think it makes sense to make an exception in the one album per band rule for this band.
As I said before, Weather Systems is the ultimate spring album for me. This album exudes life, and unlike the previous numerous installments of dark progressive metal, this album—while not being overly cheerful—seems like a complete opposite entity to those. Soaring melodies mixed with acoustic instrumentation with little sections of electric guitars added here and there make the songs sound delicate yet grandiose. And all the songs here are expertly crafted, to the point where I forget about my surroundings and find myself completely taken by the music.
There is a lot of discussion if We’re Here Because We’re Here is better than Weather Systems, and whether Weather Systems is a carbon copy of the former, and to each their own, but in my case, when I have to choose one of these to listen to, I always end up picking Weather Systems. There’s a certain magic about this album, magic that Anathema didn’t manage to quite capture in WHBWH or Distant Satellites, and, by the way, with another new direction taken in The Optimist, which I didn’t care about at all, Anathema is close to losing me again. I saw them live twice, and their show in support for The Optimist was one of the most boring gigs I’ve ever witnessed, in contrast to the Distant Satellites tour show, which I thought was pretty good.
We’ll see where they go from here.
Favourite songs: Untouchable, Part 1 (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-JlhNRcbXU), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7uMlAgdCGMnxaRfRlZZWDs)), Untouchable, Part 2 (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0tkGtYpKJ0), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/3w3hBA9IiyioNpvcxZSJQL)), The Beginning and the End (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVZBVhjWmbI), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/1RJgsYfpzJAE2RQ0x45Noh))
#19
Alternative 4
Anathema
Genre: alternative metal
1998
Recommended to me by: Sacul or DTF band thread, don’t remember
(https://img.discogs.com/hRN_27oqJwkhARxAgFdabmZZhjQ=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-2656682-1320684025.jpeg.jpg)
Absolutely unlike Weather Systems, this album is quite dark and has a raw feeling about it. Not in production or mix, though, those are crystal clear, but I suppose in the emotions behind the songs. There are still traces of doom metal they used to play in the early stages of the band’s development, but it takes a few steps into the alternative direction with gothic elements. I’m not exactly sure what genre this album is, to be honest.
Being finally hooked by Weather Systems, I didn’t expect to find such a gem that deep in the band’s discography. It helped that Fragile Dreams is one of the band’s hit which gets played live often, but there are a lot more to digest on this album, concise though it is. Despite all the material being close to excellent, two tracks stand out especially, and, like in that Wolverine album I wrote about before, those two are kind of like pillars that hold the whole record together, while the rest of the material is kind of like a build up to those two. Or perhaps a build down, I don’t know, as those two tracks aren’t exactly in the tension release department, as far as things go. I’m talking about Lost Control and Regret, which, along with the live version of A Natural Disaster, probably make my Top 3 Anathema songs.
It’s fascinating to see the bands evolve and change their directions over the years. Some artists constantly try to add something new to their records, try to reinvent themselves, while others have found a safe formula for their albums and continue to churn out the same style of music every two years. There’s no saying which approach is better for each person, as sometimes the new direction might be not what you expected, but also if you’re not changing things up, the music can get a little stale. Anathema clearly prefers the former approach, and while I can’t say I like all the things they’ve done and continue to do, it leads to interesting results. And it led to creation of these two albums, which I absolutely adore.
Favourite songs: Fragile Dreams (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsHYSvlsDWw), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/2dhYnn515dPZC4yCyXay83)), Lost Control (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-55ZYpTwu1g), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4HJGgHlHLegpEf8LP8d5r6)), Regret (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1Jddoh3-JE), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/2Ewi2XqgBgrARPMs0ppxWS))
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Never managed to go very deep into Anathema. I've gotten them 2x (maybe 3??) in my Roulette's, but something just doesn't gel with me and them. I enjoyed the hell out of them on the ProgNation cruise, but I can't say I've been overwhelmed by their studio albums.
:dunno:
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They are very hit or miss with me. I need to revisit the older albums, but of the newer stuff WHBWH and Weather Systems are by far my favourites.
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WHBWH is their absolute best to me, with probably A Fine Day to Exit as my second favourite.
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WHBWH is their absolute best to me, with probably A Fine Day to Exit as my second favourite.
I suppose it's about which album you discover first, WHBWH or WS. My first was WS, so I guess that's why I love it so much. A Fine Day to Exit does nothing to me, except Temporary is a great tune. Well, the first five minutes are.
Another update for you fine folks, probably the last one for today.
#18
The Art of Navigating by the Stars
Sieges Even
Genre: progressive rock
2005
Recommended to me by: Dr. DTVT
(https://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/696/cover_491914392016_r.jpg)
With all the love progressive and death metal has been getting in this thread so far, I think it’s only fair to switch the focus to another side of music I’ve been in love with lately: progressive rock. I listed Weather Systems as progressive rock, but in truth I don’t consider that album to be a progressive rock one. You know, I always associate progressive rock with long epics and intricate song structures—Mystery was a good example of what I would consider a fine fit for the genre. But you don’t have to always write a long-ass epic for your progressive rock album to be amazing, as Sieges Even proved with The Art of Navigating by the Stars.
Authentic, captivating, this album is one of a kind. Nothing else I’ve heard from this band came close to it, even though Paramount was pretty good. I remember that Mason mentioned to me that Subsignal was close to Sieges Even sound-wise, and then reinforced that, sending both bands in my roulette, which is how I discovered them both. Well, Subsignal is also pretty neat progressive rock band, and yet it fails to deliver on the same level this record does. The main similarity is that ringing acoustic guitar sound, which, as far as I know, is usually viewed either as a positive or a negative aspect of the band’s sound. This record, while staying consistent with its sound, still explores a wide range of emotions, jumping between exciting and forlorn moods easily, expressing wonder at the vastness of the sky and sea above and below. The album is also separated in two parts, in my opinion, with the acoustic Spanish-influenced guitar break in Blue Wide Open being the bridge between the two parts.
I think it’s a concept album, but this is one of those rare cases where I don’t care to learn what the actual story entails, and instead invent my own story and circumstances for each song. This record makes me think of flying serenely on some kind of zeppelin airship or hot air balloon during summer days a couple of years after the airships were invented, being one of the first persons on Earth to enjoy the breeze and the excellent aerial views below, to feel the exultation of being able to fly, to travel through the skies. That’s the general picture that the album is painting for me, and it’s an inspiring one. If anyone actually knows what this album is about, feel free to tell it in the thread, I’m curious.
Favourite songs: The Lonely View of Condors (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ums7ixW-WLc), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/5mB5WG0bpebiT8jJsRknCy)), Unbreakable (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt3zybpDfZ8), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/23OheSNNFERubwysjcXhJw)), Blue Wide Open (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWAq5RYUhF0), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/76xSaCZxilpMJnrgXx9B6M))
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I tried to get into Anathema but nothing I heard really clicked with me. I even bought Weather Systems, it's "nice" but not something I return to often.
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yeah We're Here is the best anathema album imo but weather systems is good too
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There's 3 masterpieces in a row :hefdaddy
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I don't think I've heard a single Anathema song.
That Sieges Even album is beautiful.
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Don't listen to as much Anathema as I used to, but they're definitely still one of my favorite bands, and those two albums are among the best. Also, since I missed it earlier, NEED :tup :tup
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Just listened to A Sort of Homecoming at work, man I love Anathema sometimes.
Now that we're past two thirds of the list, these albums are truly one of my favourites. I love everything from this point onwards.
I don't think I've heard a single Anathema song.
Well maybe you should listen to some! Or maybe not, your choice. Anyway, you're responsible for this next installment...
#17
The Crimson Idol
W.A.S.P.
Genre: heavy metal
1992
Recommended to me by: wolfking
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ru/b/b2/The_Crimson_Idol.jpg)
I’m fairly familiar with one side of the classic metal scene, the one branching out from Deep Purple. I’m familiar with Rainbow and Whitesnake, and then I’m familiar with Dio-fronted Sabbath and the Coverdale / Page album, and then I’m familiar with Led Zeppelin. I’m very familiar with some of the older rock acts like Scorpions or Jethro Tull. So, you know, I’m not completely uneducated in that regard. But a lot of the older metal scene is a blur for me. I think I might’ve unknowingly heard a few KISS songs, or a few Alice Cooper songs, or even a W.A.S.P. song once, but the thing is, I never actively sought out these bands’ music, and never gave them a proper chance. I have this ridiculous image of the musicians wearing masks or make-up, trying hard to be all rock’n’roll and shit, and as I wasn’t even alive during this times, I can only take it for what it is—perhaps cool at the time, but also a little ridiculous. Might be a bit hypocritical or just plain stupid of me, writing the bands off without even hearing their music, but what can you do, the stereotypes and the image of the band can both be a blessing and a curse, depending on the listener.
So when I’ve got The Idol in my roulette from Kade, in a fucking ballad round, no less, I think I just shook my head in disbelief. I know from experience that Kade doesn’t put much thought in the roulette submissions, and I won’t lie, the thought that crossed my mind was along the lines of “okay, here we go, WASP in the ballad round, probably also awful production, we’re looking at 4.5/10”.
The song got a perfect 10/10.
This one song I’ve got in my roulette made me realize I’ve been a fool discarding those bands so easily. Whatever their image is, I should let the music do the talking, so to speak, and in case of The Crimson Idol, the music is just so damn good. While yes, it does employ some of the elements I was expecting from the bands like KISS and W.A.S.P. (I’ve never heard KISS though, so I may be way off. Stadler, don’t kill me), it manages to hit all the right spots with this one. This album is ridiculously singalongable, which is probably not a word, but it’s the truth still. And I mean ridiculously. Every vocal melody is a keeper. It also has a ridiculous amount of acoustic stuff on it. I mean, it’s W.A.S.P., not B.U.M.B.L.E.B.E.E., right? The music should be balls to the wall all the time, and the band should be those rock star assholes with edgy lyrics? Double bass and guitars and no keyboards and no stupid acoustic guitars either, just true metal music, right? Well, no, not on this album, not at all. Thinking about this, I think it might be the reason this album is so high on the list. That, and the fact that there are no weak songs at all. Everything on this record is pure gold.
While yes, there are metal clichés like Doctor Rockter (or whatever the name is) or Chainsaw Charlie, they’re there for a reason, as the album tells the story of a young rock star. It sounds pretentious, but I actually thought the story was extremely well done, and the emotional climax in The Idol, the song that introduced me to this album and this band hits me, well, not like a ton of bricks, but like a small pile of bricks.
My only complaint about this whole thing is that my version of the album, probably remastered or whatever, has the 16-minutes spoken track named The Story of Jonathan in the end of the album, which is even more stupid than having an unrelated bonus track in the end of the concept record. I need to delete that from my phone.
Favourite songs: Arena of Pleasure (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk5cZMMXQmc), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/5xPwB1ZG5AQo2sPRohGc9e)), I Am One (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e95RJiUaANg), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4oiXY1WA0dpu87F4U2fdrE)), The Idol (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwOo9xyyDkg), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/5vkabrlrxDF9vYOgPvVZfz))
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Kade did the same for me with this album - though it was Arena of Pleasure. Funny, I too had a preconception of what W.A.S.P. would sound like - though different from yours, as I had always lumped them in with the late-80s more 'thrashy' bands - ie, too heavy for my tastes as a teenager.
And yeah... I always stop the album at The Great Misconceptions of Me.
I really need to dig thru their discog from '92 to '15... Golgatha was great, but there's a lot to sift thru in that 20-ish year period. Maybe I just need to find a best-of compilation?
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:metal :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal
And, I got my first mention at number 17!!!!
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Another fantastic album :2metal:
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Just catching up after a busy week, good to see myself mentioned a few times there, though there is one notable band I have yet to see, hoping they're coming up.
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:metal :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal
And, I got my first mention at number 17!!!!
https://youtu.be/GlN3oEjMpUQ?t=116
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Stupid works gets in the way of updates, which I can't do from my phone. Let's move on!
#16
Who’s the Boss in the Factory?
Karmakanic
Genre: progressive rock
2008
Recommended to me by: Dr. DTVT
(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/04/49/0886443684904_600.jpg)
What makes a good epic? You know, a lot of people non-familiar with progressive genre or just with rock or metal music in general think that songs that are over 10 minutes are ridiculous, and don’t get me started on the ones over 20 minutes. How do you write a song that keeps the audience engaged for all this huge timespan? Well, truth is, it’s an effort from both the band and the listener, because even the best epics out there could fall flat if you aren’t paying enough attention. But best epics require just a tiny bit of that, drawing the listener in, making the whole “paying attention” thing a willing one, not a chore where you have to maintain enough self-discipline to keep focusing on the song to keep track of what’s happening. If the epic keeps you engaged and interested during the whole duration, well, that’s the goal achieved. Often you would glance on your watch after listening to a song and see that 20+ minutes have passed, when in truth it felt like 4 or 5 minutes, that’s how captivated you were by that particular song. That’s also a mark of a good epic.
The opening track of Who’s the Boss in the Factory, called Send a Message from the Heart is one of the best progressive rock epics I know, a worthy rival to the best Dream Theater or Transatlantic work. A song with a wholesome, positive message to the world, it undergoes a lot of phases, intense, grim, sad and, most important of all for this song, hopeful. For all my affection towards the bleak metal music, this passage has got to be one of my favourite lyrics from the albums featured on this list:
When the world of colors turns different shades of grey
Send a message from the heart
When there is no justice anywhere to be found
Turn around and face the sun
If you look around you and everyone is blind
Send a message from the heart
Sometimes we're blind and cannot see
How beautiful the world could be
You know that I love the album when I start to quote lyrics not only in the thread title, but also in the actual writeup. Gets the word count higher too.
Now, even if the rest of the album was a steaming turd, this song alone would’ve probably be enough to elevate it at least to honourable mentions, because it’s just so good. Fortunately, not only the rest of Who’s the Boss in the Factory? lives up to the expectations, but the title track can give the opening epic a run for his money. Then you have two quirkier tracks, and the gorgeous album closer, Eternally, a bit jarring in comparison to the rest of the album, but very fitting. Every song here has its distinctive personality, and there are no similar songs on this album. It goes from classical approach to country, from jazz to noodly progressive rock to awesome progressive rock, from rhythmic heaven to melodic bliss. This album explores a lot of musical landscapes in its allotted time, and does it with a flourish and assurance, a cocky showcase of extremely good music when it seems that even the band knows how good they are—and they’re not afraid to show their songwriting chops. This is honestly an essential progressive rock album I would recommend to anyone who’s interested in the genre.
Favourite songs: Send a Message from the Heart (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lhyJVEtiN4), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/0DKeZVyEYHYPjfoafaMW7y)), Who’s the Boss in the Factory? (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1XpBLsNgHs), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4w9VMLoBMrXLsZbPHagbi9)), Eternally, Part 2 (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMgoFrSDAN4), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/1apbBBVjSxXcCwPmYW8jcO))
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Awesome album!
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Ev,
I just wanted you to know that I'm reading all your entries, and when time allows, selectively listening to the albums. Most of these I've never heard.
I'm listening to Crimson Idol right know and am completely surprised by my reaction to the music. Much like you, I've had a preconceived negative image of W.A.S.P.
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Ev,
I just wanted you to know that I'm reading all your entries, and when time allows, selectively listening to the albums. Most of these I've never heard.
I'm listening to Crimson Idol right know and am completely surprised by my reaction to the music. Much like you, I've had a preconceived negative image of W.A.S.P.
This is awesome to hear! I'm glad you're discovering some new music because of this little thread. :) W.A.S.P. ended up being one of the biggest surprises I've found here on DTF. I've never expected them to have such an emotional album like Crimson Idol in their discography.
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#15
The Mountain
Haken
Genre: progressive rock / progressive metal
2013
Recommended to me by: DTF
(https://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/5598/cover_26610972016_r.jpg)
You know, I have no idea about the rest of the social media, because I’m barely there, but when you’re on DTF, you encounter the mentions of Haken anywhere you go. Screw Devin Townsend (not in that way) and to hell with Opeth and Porcupine Tree / Steven Wilson (although SW might be a worthy rival here)—Haken is everywhere on DTF. And with that, there’s a lot of debate about Haken everywhere on DTF. Are they worthy contenders for the throne among the recent progressive metal bands? Are they carrying the prog metal torch now that DT supposedly dropped it? Does their last album sound like Leprous? How can you listen to Haken when they suck and their singer sucks even more? How can you not listen to Haken and call yourself a fan of progressive music? Is The Mountain the pinnacle of the genre? Is The Mountain not the pinnacle of the genre? How can Haken top The Mountain. Well didn’t they already do that with [insert Haken album name]? The possibilities for debate are endless!
I do think that the general DTF obsession with Haken is borderline ridiculous, and then again, I can overlook that because Haken became one of my favourite bands during my stay on DTF, so there must be something behind that. Now a proud owner of the whole discography save Restoration, I can safely say that Haken is one of my best discoveries from here. I went as far as organizing a little birthday vacation in Germany next February to go and see them live, since they don’t play Russia, or at least they didn’t as of yet, not counting the Shattered Fortress show with Mike Portnoy.
It’s hilarious how some of the band’s aspects are memorable and glorious for me and then annoying for other people. Here are some of the complaints I saw about Haken, just in case you missed them, and I’m probably misquoting these a fair bit, but still. “You know, you don’t need to hold each note for full four bars” (could be not four, I’m a total noob in musical theory) — vocal melodies are my main guilty pleasure about Haken, they’re always so good it’s ridiculous. “Their ballads are dull and the singer sounds lifeless and emotionless” — Sun, Deathless, Somebody, Host are among my favourite Haken songs. “They play generic prog copying DT” — hell, as I said, I love DT, but it’s been a while since ADTOE, and in that time Haken released three fantastic albums. Well, I just count myself lucky I’m able to enjoy this band.
The Mountain holds the title of the most polished album of theirs, I would say, with once again unconventional structure and brilliant pacing, showing off every side of the band and doing a spectacular job of presenting the record as a whole picture. Once again, I don’t think this album is such a genre-defining record, but you can tell there are strands of brilliance behind it. The whole album feels special. Even the most standard song, In Memoriam, does a great job pulling the listened on, and then you have Falling Back to Earth and Pareidolia which will send you on an ethereal journey. However, the fact this album is so polished down to perfection takes away some of the points, in my opinion—I sometimes love to see that sheer spark of energy and talent on the album unrestrained, and this album, while it doesn’t feel quite lifeless to my ears, definitely doesn’t have that. The musicianship here is top notch, the songwriting is heavenly, the execution is flawless, and the album is fantastic. But it is missing something to my ears, and if that “something” was there, it would’ve been up there in my Top 5.
Favourite songs: Falling Back to Earth (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XKPW0XVXe4), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7JytQiV4Mxh7mWPxqvjvWF)), Pareidolia (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr_gROZmTtA), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/5fUGUcxc6Ocn89pv60AKhr)), Somebody (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv-cCGfndqc), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/2LbMR2ALLfhUt4FA1gqLtq))
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I sympathize
With a cockroach
And a cockroach
And a cockroach
And a cockroach
And a cockroach
And a cockroach
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i cri everytim :'(
aoty 2014 i love it
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This album is pretty good
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When I saw that Evermind was doing a Top 50 V.2, I was excited, but man, I think I've only heard like two of these albums so far. :lol
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When I saw that Evermind was doing a Top 50 V.2, I was excited, but man, I think I've only heard like two of these albums so far. :lol
Evermind's honorary fogey status has been revoked.
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Yeah, a lot less for me than I expected too. :lol
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When I saw that Evermind was doing a Top 50 V.2, I was excited, but man, I think I've only heard like two of these albums so far. :lol
Evermind's honorary fogey status has been revoked.
Reading this thread, my fogey status renewed automatically.
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Always glad to see Anathema on these lists, and The Mountain is just :metal
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The Mountain.
I discovered Haken one month ago, via roulette. Got a bit into it and found a lot of marvellous things as well as a lot of irritating ones. Funny thing - thinking about a lot of opinions floating around - what I've found always constantly enjoyable is the singing.
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The Mountain is a straight up masterpiece.
Out before Chad shits on it.
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I was taught if I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
P.S. Haken sux. :biggrin:
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P.S. Haken sux. :biggrin:
Saw that coming a country mile away :biggrin:
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(https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/19884957/i-aim-to-please.jpg)
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Yeah, I've tried Haken but just don't get the appeal whatsoever.
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I've been ignoring this thread but I intend to start digging into some of these this weekend. Gonna try to follow people's favorite music a bit better in 2019.
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Not sure why everyone loves that album so much. Before Vector came out that was to me Haken's worst album. It has some good songs but I that's about it.
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Great choice. The Mountain is Haken's Images and Words.
Both are truly great albums that would be way up high on my list. Both are also totally distinct in a very good way, not only in their band's discography, but in all the music I'm at all familiar with, in terms of their style and especially their emotional tenor.
In both cases, I know that the band will never make another album like it (even though both bands have other stellar albums), and in both cases I'm coming to be okay with that.
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The Mountain is a modern classic, although now I am more partial to Affinity.
Why don't you have Restoration?
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The Mountain :metal :metal :metal
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The Mountain is a modern classic, although now I am more partial to Affinity.
Why don't you have Restoration?
Couldn't find it anywhere in local stores and forgot that I don't have it when ordering the Vector bundle. I bought Visions and The Mountain from FlyingBIZKIT here on DTF, Affinity and the 2CD reissue of Aquarius in a local store, but they don't have Restoration, and with rouble to $ conversion rates being shitty for the past few years I'm not ordering as many CDs from abroad I used to. Should've gotten it with Vector though.
Well perhaps they'll be selling it on their merch stand.
I've been ignoring this thread but I intend to start digging into some of these this weekend. Gonna try to follow people's favorite music a bit better in 2019.
Well, you joined in time for some good stuff.
When I saw that Evermind was doing a Top 50 V.2, I was excited, but man, I think I've only heard like two of these albums so far. :lol
:lol
#14
Manifestation of Progress
Dimension Act
Genre: progressive metal
2012
Recommended to me by: jingle.boy
(https://i2.wp.com/www.dimensionact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Dimension_Act_-_Manifestation_of_Progress_front_cover.jpg?resize=590%2C590)
Another obscure progressive metal act that was already mentioned in this list in Echoes – Nature | Existence writeup, this Dimension Act CD was my favourite purchase from that record label. Given how I was already familiar with the main bulk of the album—a brilliant sprawling 32-minutes long epic called Drawing the Lines of Mortal Existence—and that left only three songs on the disc that I didn’t know, this was an easy decision to go ahead and purchase that. In fact, this record was the main draw of the deal, and the fact it was only $5 helped, of course.
This album doesn’t do anything extraordinary: good mix, solid male vocals (and female in the main epic), sensible songwriting, memorable riffs. I honestly don’t know why I like it so much, but I guess sometimes simple music works best; and keep in mind that it’s not actually that simple—the epic is very well-structured, and even the instrumental intro that I seem to remember was just short of 10 minutes (don’t quote me on that) manages to stay engaging and interesting for all the duration. It’s just solid on all counts, and nothing stands out in a bad or even mediocre way, it’s great all the way through, and there are no clear “holy shit!” moments that are amazing. Given that, and how I already wrote the story of its purchase, and that it’s also Monday as I'm writing this, I don’t even have to say a lot about this one.
I think Chad missed the epic round in my first roulette, likely due to being eliminated or being absent from DTF that time around (I don’t remember if you sent me Slaughter in the first or the second one, Chad), and then he decided to just send me songs for Round 7 and 8 via e-mail. I don’t remember which band you used for the former, but I remember getting this song after the epic round, listening to it and being sure that it was actually better than any epic I’ve received in the actual roulette. Well, only slightly better than the Karmakanic song I quoted in the writeup above, but better. One of the few epics that I would rate 10/10, and always it’s always a pleasure to be taken on that progressive metal journey.
Unfortunately, I’ve never seen this album mentioned anywhere except DTF.
I’ll mention only two songs this time, as the whole album is just four songs. For the epic on Spotify, just start with Drawing the Lines of Mortal Existence and listen to the end of the album.
Favourite songs: Cosmic Chaos (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lWYXfVEk-c), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/76vcnKFReOpackuexYcUfx)), Drawing the Lines of Mortal Existence (YouTube (240p) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQx54IPxEjg), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/album/2ml0Sydk4rTyXge48aeh7N))
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iirc, your first roulette was during one of my hiatus', and I shared with you what I would have sent a few months later when I returned. Glad this showed up - I was worried it didn't make the cut when you referenced it earlier in the Echoes post.
Indiscipline .... see!?!?!!? :lol
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iirc, your first roulette was during one of my hiatus', and I shared with you what I would have sent a few months later when I returned. Glad this showed up - I was worried it didn't make the cut when you referenced it earlier in the Echoes post.
I think you're right. Also, I just realized after linking it on YouTube and looking at the booklet that the epic is actually called "Perspectives - Chapter 1" and then it says "Drawing the Lines of Mortal Existence". Did the band stop existing or are we getting a chapter 2 in the future?
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My 'rip' of the CD lists the epic as 6 parts (or chapters??). First part and track 4 of the album:
Drawing the Lines of Mortal Existence I - Pre-spective
Drawing the Lines of Mortal Existence II - Transparent Reality
etc...
Spotify really bunged up the song titles. I'm not aware that the epic is Chapter 1... I think Pre-spective is just PART 1 (of 6). Whether each track is a *part* or a *chapter* ... it's really semantics.
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My 'rip' of the CD lists the epic as 6 parts (or chapters??). First part and track 4 of the album:
Drawing the Lines of Mortal Existence I - Pre-spective
Drawing the Lines of Mortal Existence II - Transparent Reality
etc...
Spotify really bunged up the song titles. I'm not aware that the epic is Chapter 1... I think Pre-spective is just PART 1 (of 6). Whether each track is a *part* or a *chapter* ... it's really semantics.
No no, it's not "Pre-spective", it's literally Perspectives - Chapter 1. Here's a photo of it:
(https://www.picshare.ru/uploads/181219/LpBiZ36riw.jpg)
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Riiiiiiiiggghht.
I haven't looked at the booklet is eons. Never caught that.
As for any insights... I got nothing.
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And actually let me post the next one to keep the discussion going. Fogey followers, you may want to skip this installment, which would probably be a good call.
#13
The Congregation
Leprous
Genre: progressive metal
2015
Recommended to me by: Tomislav and DTF band thread
(https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Leprous-The-Congregation-01.jpg)
They say three is a magic number, and it certainly seems important enough at least when my enjoyment of a popular band on DTF is concerned. Like with Circus Maximus, I only managed to get into Leprous on a third try. The first one was with Forced Entry, which didn’t succeed, and I’ll get into the details a bit later for that; then I received The Price in my first roulette, which was indeed quite decent (BEEHIVE!), but I ended up half-heartedly checking out the album and turning it off during the first minute of Third Law with both the riff and the vocal line annoying the shit out of me. Third time was the charm, though, as I’ve got Bilateral the song from Tomislav in my second roulette—and still I didn’t delve into their discography until 2017, but at least they made my list of bands I intended to listen to.
I honestly don’t remember which album I tried first. I think I might’ve heard The Cloak randomly hitting recommended YouTube videos and seeing Leprous in there, and then autoplay pulled the official video of The Price which brought the memories of my first roulette back (BEEHIVE!), and I think I decided to give The Congregation a second chance then.
The Congregation is a very chorus-oriented and rhythms-oriented album. Most of Leprous music is, but it especially shows on this record. I love good choruses (BEEHIVE!), which will be obvious once the Top 10 hits—at least six albums there have godlike choruses on almost every song—and on this particular album, all songs are united by catchy as hell choruses. Now, the thing is, the rest of the songs is also well thought out, with complex guitar and drum rhythms, and while perhaps slightly less, but still a lot of attention to the structure and sound of verses. See, I feel this is where their latest album, Malina, suffered mostly: the choruses remained of the same quality, but the verses there are a bit underwhelming. The Congregation offers a good amount of variety between songs and while there are repetition, I seem to remember a particularly similar drum rhythm in both Red and Slave, the rest of the album has enough ideas for each song to stand out on its own. You have frantic verses in Third Law, which I warmed up to since 2015, slow and ominous pace of Slave, almost playful verses of Moon and tentative, quiet verses of The Flood or Lower. On Malina there is some variety, but the verses are blurred for me, and I won’t be able to tell the verse from Coma from the verse of The Weight of Disaster or the newly released Golden Prayers.
Even though this record is quite long, it’s always a pleasure to revisit it, and of course sing along to every song’s chorus. Seriously, they are that good.
Favourite songs: The Price (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G9Qd_84YZs), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/134I0qT6UrkDjhbI6bx0x3)), Slave (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GWPzBXNY2g), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/6RYWCMf5LvlUlgyYPTtplQ)), Lower (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aLMWQcpSmQ), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/3IJVVQUPhLMlrr1cQu2u3B))
#12
Bilateral
Leprous
Genre: progressive metal
2011
Recommended to me by: Tomislav and DTF band thread
(https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Press_Cover_01.jpg)
Bilateral is considered an essential album from Leprous, and after my first blunder with Forced Entry, I seriously struggled to understand how come this album is so loved among the community. When I started listening to other Leprous album than The Congregation, this was the one I was most eager to explore, and after the first listen, this was a huge disappointment. Almost gone were the majestic choruses, the sound was different, almost atonal in some places, the growls were used less sparingly and gracefully, the song structures were all over the place. But as I mentioned way back in the Bent Knee write up, this album ended up growing on me immensely to the point where I adore it.
While I’m still not that keen on Forced Entry, and by “not that keen” I mean “I don’t think that’s their best song, which seems to be a popular opinion among Leprous fans”, I do think this song has a lot of potential, a very tight instrumental section and one of the most beautiful moments on the album during the quiet second verse. But it’s not Forced Entry that makes this album so awesome, it’s the rest of the songs like incredibly fun Restless where you can just feel this growl in the chorus is coming—would be a blast to see this live, that’s for sure—the ever-building up Mediocrity Wins with its chorus ascending to the skies before delivering the final line, and the classic progressive Painful Detour, where Leprous almost seem to be playing it safe for the sake of their listeners after having just taken them on a wild ride.
And most of all, when you get into this album, it just sounds like a lot of fun. The band seems to have incredible chemistry, and this record has a lot in common with one of the records from my Top 3, it just gives off this vibe of pure inspiration and carelessness about the general reception it would receive—the band is just doing whatever the hell they want and shape it into the form of songs. While records like The Congregation and Malina seem more polished and less spontaneous, this sounds almost exactly like the album art looks: lots of different things are put together in one big picture and for some reason it works flawlessly once you manage to unravel it. Only the art doesn’t quite work, because it looks kind of ridiculous, but otherwise the comparison is quite apt.
Having seem Leprous live on their tour for Malina, it’s a shame Bilateral only gets one song in their current setlist, and worst of all, we got Forced Entry for the encore, which is literally my second least favourite song from this record (Waste of Air takes the cake here). But not counting that and almost a total lack of crowd interaction, the show was amazing as we’ve got both The Price (BEEHIVE!) and Slave, The Flood, The Valley and a lot of Malina stuff too. One of the few shows where I was incredibly entertained just from watching the drummer do his thing; would go see them again if I get the chance.
Favourite songs: Restless (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=986iAyQpr1U), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7rE5lzTZkoEvtlD7mmlB8Q)), Mediocrity Wins (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxUB7Ohv6dg), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4T3sPzmiFtTF2ERq5Cm820)), Painful Detour (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VxF5osKmxI), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/2nMq5OccGKSobG7FOYW83I))
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yeah, these are the best two leprous albums for sure :metal
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yeah, these are the best two leprous albums for sure :metal
Indeed
Bilateral is #2 of all time for me.
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I would throw Coal into the mix as well, but I'm happy to see two Leprous albums here. :)
Forced Entry is phenomenal though. :P
Also, Leprous' live show is better as it is now than it would be if there was more crowd interaction. They say "thank you so much" every so often, but otherwise keep the show moving, allowing for the most amount of music to be played and also not ruining the totally cool vibe that they have going on.
Anathema and Seiges Even were also great choices btw.
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I just adore Bilateral and Tall Poppy Syndrome. These two albums are so different from the rest of the Leprous records - so much prog and quirky. Painful Detour is my favorite off Bilateral and White is my favorite off of Tall Poppy Syndrome. By the way, I love Waste of Air - this one would be a great song for the concert crowd.
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Goddamit. I can't listen to these entries fast enough to keep up. Slow down so we can climax at the same time!
Karmakanic was very nice. I'll revisit this one for sure.
I won't say it "clicked", as the phrase goes, but I actually enjoyed my run through of The Mountain! This is probably the fifth time I gave it a chance so this is a giant step forward in my relationship with Haken.
On to Manifestation of Progress...
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I've tried Leprous. Didn't click.
:dunno:
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yes, we know you don't like modern prog metal bands :P
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I've tried Leprous. Didn't click.
:dunno:
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The Congregation and Bilateral... My favourites from Leprous and two nigh-perfect records! :metal I can't really say which one I'd prefer. Bilateral is more playful and experimental, but The Congregation has amazing songwriting and killer choruses on nearly every damn song.
Also, I fucking adore Forced Entry and I'm thankful I got to see it live. To my opinion it should be their Master of Puppets/Metropolis in a sense it should be played in every concert.
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yes, we know you don't like modern prog metal bands :P
I don't like the modern prog-metal bands that you like. There's LOTS of modern prog-metal bands that I like :-* :P
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Okay, just finished Manifestation of Progress. My overall impression: chock full of sumptuous and attention grabbing riffs! I really liked this a lot!
Since it was the third album I listened to today, my ears are a bit exhausted so I'll probably give it another go later tonight or tomorrow. My gut tells me that a second run through will be even more rewarding.
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Tried them, seen them live, they just aren't for me.
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I've tried Leprous. Didn't click.
:dunno:
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I got Drawing The Lines of Mortal Existence in a roulette from Chad and didn't think much of it. I thought it was a pretty standard, unoriginal prog epic that, outside of only a few sections, bored me. I stand with Indiscipline. :biggrin:
yeah, these are the best two leprous albums for sure :metal
Yes.
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Goddamit. I can't listen to these entries fast enough to keep up. Slow down so we can climax at the same time!
I originally wanted to finish by Christmas, but sure, I'll slow down a bit to finish around the New Year. You should check this new one and perhaps there will be some stuff for you in the Top 10 too!
To all the different opinions: I'm glad to see the discussion! Leprous is really hit or miss, glad it was a hit for me.
Next update is kind of weird, and I'll post only one today so we can crack the Top 10 separately. I'm not expecting a lot of feedback on this one, but I'm curious to read your predictions for Top 10. Also, this has to be the most off-the-rails writeup ever.
#11
Árstíðir
Árstíðir
Genre: campfire music
2009
Recommended to me by: Tyrias
(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2719642678_10.jpg)
When I was younger and still haven’t moved closer to the city’s center, as I mentioned in Dead End Kings writeup, we lived by that huge national park stretching out for miles and miles, just this endless forest with wild life, glides and lakes, valleys and hills, beautiful landscape all around. Even before I was born, my grandpa, his wife and my parents, young adults back then organized a little cozy place a few miles into the park right in the middle of the actual forest, with wooden benches, an isolated place for building a fire so it wouldn’t spread to the rest of the forest—and there was enough old dead pine trees to cut without damaging the actual living trees too. Sometimes a few strangers would stumble upon that place and leave some garbage there or steal a few things my family brought there, and then my folks would diligently clean it up and restock the supplies, only hide them better now. That was their private place in the forest, and sometimes they would head out there early in the morning and return back home deep in the night.
I was brought there when I was like 3 or 4, I guess, and since then we’ve been regularly visiting, and I’ve developed an affinity to that place. It held a lot of our family gatherings, the siblings from all around the town would drive or use public transportation to get to that subway station at the end of the line, and then walk about 20 minutes to our apartment, change into the forest clothes and then walk these few miles together to this place. A lot of fun was had, but one by one they had other concerns in life and stopped coming, and then it was only a few people, and then I moved out to another apartment. I haven’t stopped going there when everyone did, but getting up at 6 A.M. to go there with a 90 minutes commute to our older apartment where my grandparents lived and then spend another hour to just get to the place—it was a bit tedious. Still I went, until I found a job in 2012 and since then I had to get up at 5 A.M. every working day—and it was really not an option to keep doing it at weekends as often as we used to do it. I wanted my precious sleep, as I pretty much do every day now. You know how little children don’t want to sleep during the day? Oh how stupid we are at that age.
While we still gather there sometimes, usually at our grandparents’ birthdays, there were two times when I was there with my best friends who could make it there—some of them live in other cities, and some had another plans for that day—both times we’ve gathered there on the New Year’s Eve (not entirely sure the term is correct, it’s the night from Dec 31st to Jan 1st), spending the night there. No gadgets, no lights, just the darkness around us, softened by the white blanket of snow around us, and illuminated by the campfire, logs cracking in it, as we’re huddling around it for warmth, telling jokes and stories, singing together, out of tune, without guitars as it’s too cold to bring them, just enjoying the nature and this rare opportunity to sit together and talk, enjoy each other’s company. Enjoying the rare opportunity to throw caution to the wind, to throw our worries into the fire and just spend a night without having to worry about anything in the world. Even when no one is talking, the silence is comfortable. The logs in the fire fill it. And as everyone watches the flames, you don't need to be a clairvoyant of some sort to know that while yes, the life may throw a couple of curveballs in our way, but this night would be remembered and would cheer everyone up on their bad days during the next year. And sometimes a small memory like this is all you need.
This is what the self-titled album of this band, Árstíðir, reminds me of.
Favourite songs: Ages (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMycpTRoInE), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/23OUr48XTSEI9t9hjJRWSL)), Sunday Morning (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYy1uiPrSys), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/2XRy5NfFqoumuMscPZZl5X)), Síðasta Kveðjan (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0wg0F6sJ0A), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4CrNfdRksQK0sW5SnLAmxk))
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I'm a casual Arstidir fan, pretty sure it was Tyrias who got me onto them as well by sending them in a roulette. I don't think I have heard this particular album yet though.
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Just purchased ‘Who’s the Boss in the Factory’ on iTunes for 4.99. I really like ‘ Let in Hollywood’ and Eternally part 2.
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I'm a casual Arstidir fan, pretty sure it was Tyrias who got me onto them as well by sending them in a roulette. I don't think I have heard this particular album yet though.
I have their first three albums, haven't got their latest yet, and this one is my favourite by far.
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It looks like their latest and this one are the only two I haven't heard. :lol
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I was expecting to see this album, glad to see I was right. It's probably my favourite by them as well, so if you like their style you should check it out.
Also, I'm curious to see if there'll be a Susanne Sundfor album in the top ten, if I remember correctly you really loved the song "The Brothel" when I sent it to you a few years back.
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I was expecting to see this album, glad to see I was right. It's probably my favourite by them as well, so if you like their style you should check it out.
Also, I'm curious to see if there'll be a Susanne Sundfor album in the top ten, if I remember correctly you really loved the song "The Brothel" when I sent it to you a few years back.
Read and find out!
Gather round, folks, here we are, getting into the Top 10 and therefore into some really good stuff, although your opinions may differ, of course. Let's get to it!
#10
Hymns for the Broken
Evergrey
Genre: progressive metal
2014
Recommended to me by: DTF band thread
(https://images.genius.com/262038115874da6ea6a98a77818ae7b3.1000x1000x1.jpg)
I’m going to be honest with you, guys, this one is a little bit on a cheating side. I was familiar with Evergrey before I registered on DTF in 2013, and found the run from In Search of Truth to The Inner Circle to be quite enjoyable, however the three albums after that I couldn’t stomach, so after two listens to Glorious Collision I gave up on this band. Now that might come as a surprise to some, but it doesn’t help that I’m not a huge fan of Tom Englund’s voice (I know, right?)—I like it in small amounts, which is why I always made sure not to overspin the Evergrey albums I liked—and it also didn’t help that the albums weren’t quite up to par to that perfect run of three records. Then I saw all the praise King of Errors, the new single, was getting, clicked on it and loved the song so much I ended up buying the album. So DTF is responsible for this record gathering dust on my shelf, so perhaps it’s not quite cheating after all.
I may like Hymns for the Broken even better than any previous Evergrey material, because of a few factors. The mix and the production here is way better, and somehow, while I realize this is classic Englund type of singing and not at all different from the earlier records, somehow this album made me like Tom’s voice way more. Perhaps it’s also the mix, or the overall atmosphere of the songs, but it always used to irritate me how he did those wailing multiple changing of notes during one syllable, how he always draws out the “ty” (also changing notes during it) in words like “possibility”. Those are nitpicks, but they stood out to me. And they are on Hymns for the Broken too, only they don’t bother me here. I guess the songs themselves are responsible for that. And they made me more tolerant to Tom's voice overall, too.
After joining DTF, I found out that Tom also appears on a lot of different projects, like Phantasma and Epysode. I knew he was on Ayreon, but I actually have no clue which parts on 01011001 are his, because I honestly don’t remember his voice there. Probably a lot of The Fifth Extinction, if I had to guess. And now, of course, he’s also the lead singer of Redemption.
It looks like that the follow-ups to this album failed to reach the heights of this album, which raised the bar to impossibly high levels of quality. The Storm Within, while good, is nowhere as good as this one, although it’s art makes for a perfect t-shirt, which I bought when I saw them on tour (see Need writeup), and it’s one of my favourite shirts nowadays. I only had one listen to The Atlantic so far, as the website with the promo only allows streaming and not downloading, and I do most of my listens on the commute, but if that one listen is any indication, it looks like Hymns for the Broken will remain the crowning achievement of this band for me, as the whole album, and songs like the title track, the first single, and the one-two punch of awesomeness at the end of the record, just continue to blow me away with each and every listen.
Favourite songs: King of Errors (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmmh69G-pt0), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4H4VLLPVVsPvPb9H1gGR72)), Hymns for the Broken (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wtufLOJrJU), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/1PngYEj3tDO4gH0Ylzmz4L)), The Grand Collapse (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK0G74RcIBM), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7EN82wxYMHO7PduhnygjUz))
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Evergrey? More like........ Evermind :neverusethis:
i've somehow never listened to these guys besides the piano version of the title track here you sent me
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I’m going to be honest with you, guys, this one is a little bit on a cheating side. I was familiar with Evergrey before I registered on DTF in 2013, and found the run from In Search of Truth to The Inner Circle to be quite enjoyable, however the three albums after that I couldn’t stomach, so after two listens to Glorious Collision I gave up on this band. Now that might come as a surprise to some, but it doesn’t help that I’m not a huge fan of Tom Englund’s voice (I know, right?)—I like it in small amounts, which is why I always made sure not to overspin the Evergrey albums I liked—and it also didn’t help that the albums weren’t quite up to par to that perfect run of three records.
This pretty much sums up how I feel about Evergrey.
I knew he was on Ayreon, but I actually have no clue which parts on 01011001 are his, because I honestly don’t remember his voice there. Probably a lot of The Fifth Extinction, if I had to guess.
If I remember correctly he had vocal parts on the majority of the songs. I know he is on Age of Shadows, Liquid Eternity, Beneath the Waves, Newborn Race, The Fifth Extinction, Unnatural Selection, and The Sixth Extinction. Probably others I'm forgetting about.
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Hymns almost surpasses Recreation Day and In Search of Truth, but those two are God-tier. Hymns is just demi-god-tier. :lol
As for his (and everyone's) parts on 01011001 ... https://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/ayreon/01011001.html
I'm looking forward to The Atlantic - hoping it's more like Hymns than it is like The Storm Within - not that the latter isn't good, it's just not great
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You just gave me a lot of "wow, that's Tom Englund?" and "wow, that was also Tom Englund?" reactions. I even remember all these passages and still I'm not really sure it's Tom on these. I've got to listen to 01 again, I guess.
It's 11 P.M. and I'm working this weekend, I think I'll pass on posting the next update today and just do two of them tomorrow.
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An absolutely amazing album.
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Getting up at 5 A.M. on weekends sucks. I'm so knackered right now.
#9
Number Seven
Phideaux
Genre: progressive rock / art rock
2009
Recommended to me by: Dr. DTVT
(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a0195226021_16.jpg)
Every once in a while, someone on DTF recommends me an utterly obscure album by a similarly obscure band, and I happen to fall in love with it. You may argue that Phideaux isn’t even that obscure really, that he has nine or ten studio albums, that he was singing on Ayreon’s 01011001, but in all honesty, I’ve almost never seen Phideaux being discussed anywhere, and even on DTF it’s a rare occasion—maybe a bit less rare now that his long-awaited latest album called Infernal is out, but still. And that’s a shame, because at least three albums by this project are spectacular progressive rock releases, and if I didn’t set the rule of no repeats unless the albums are drastically different or unless I feel like cheating a bit, both Snowtorch and Doomsday Afternoon would’ve appeared somewhere in Top 40. As indicated by this album’s placement, however, not only I consider Number Seven to be a stellar release, I also consider Phideaux to be one of my best DTF discoveries, courtesy of Mason sending them in my second roulette. What’s ironic is that I don’t own any of his albums’ physical copies, which I probably should rectify soon with all those overtime hours I’m putting in these last two weeks.
And what is so alluring about this band and album? I guess it could be the use of different vocalists, but instead of doing it the way of Avantasia and Ayreon where each singer represents his and her own character, Phideaux seems to simply utilize the voices available to fit the songs and enhance them. It might be the general sparseness of electric guitars and a lot of piano and strings and woodwinds, which kind of makes his music similar to Big Big Train, only I happen to enjoy it more. It could be the incredible sense of melody Phideaux Xavier has, and while some would say he’s not gifted with great singing capabilities, he makes the best use of his own voice and employs some pretty much unknown, but fantastic singers—kind of like Steven Wilson does. It also might be that this band insists on doing the things their own way, because I haven’t heard another album like Number Seven, and while other albums by Phideaux aren’t quite on that level, I would say this band has certainly found their own identity, and has been maintaining it for a long time now.
While you may think of this as of hipster prog rock, judging by the questionable cover and by the fact the album is a concept record telling a story about the dormouse who is the main protagonist, I urge you guys to try it. This is certainly not the conventional progressive rock Neal Morse or Mystery or IQ are doing, but it doesn’t make it less valid or enjoyable. Unless I’ve sent you this in your roulette—and there are a few people that received it either from me or Mason, Chad and Parama included—and you didn’t like it, I invite you to give this album a spin. If by the 30 minutes mark you are still not convinced, then skip it and come back for the next installment, and if you are convinced, congratulations on discovering this band.
Favourite songs: Waiting for the Axe to Fall (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmmh69G-pt0), Spotify (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzUREKumN5M)), Gift of the Flame (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4Xm9RlijCE), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/0hZKXldH39MRhPfpoEMWA2)), Love Theme from Number Seven (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foFFKqZ--iE), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/6JsfgnMrWvOtH8kAiswxuV))
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Never heard this one. I might try it.
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I'm curious to read your predictions for Top 10.
I'm only going to look at things I sent in your roulette and speculate as to whether they might appear.
The Bonding was my highest scoring song, but it's an amazing song on a mediocre album. I think Edenbridge would only appear in this list if you listened to their best album as well, MyEarthDream. However I'm guessing you went no further than The Bonding, so they won't.
My next best scoring songs were from Arion and Pantommind, the latter having a decent chance to appear and the former having appeared already.
Thunderstone got a mixed review and average score (7.5) so no idea if you listened to that album. But I think it's a great album, if you did listen to it there's a good chance it could appear, but I'm going to guess that you didn't.
Circle of Illusion got the same score but no one I've sent them to liked them all that much. So even if you had listened to the album (going out on a limb and guessing that you didn't) I don't think it would make this list in any case.
I had two 8.5 songs (Burnclear and Pandora's Box). The Burnclear album is really only decent, not worthy of being in the top 10 here even if you listened to it. Pandora's Box is a strange album with some amazing songs but some weird filler tracks, I can't imagine you rating it as a whole this highly, but you likely haven't heard it anyway.
So after all that I predict that Pantommind's Searching For Eternity is the only other thing I might possibly have contributed to this list.
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Finished another exhausting day at work, only 6 working days left until the holidays. I think I'll be doing one update each day and finish this on 30th with this schedule. I won't take a break for Christmas, I figured if you guys are interested you'll just catch up afterwards.
Never heard this one. I might try it.
I think if I played in your roulette, I would've sent it. Looks like your kind of album.
So after all that I predict that Pantommind's Searching For Eternity is the only other thing I might possibly have contributed to this list.
Could be. Sometimes the recommendations aren't even that direct, I may see someone praising the shit out of the album and check it out just out of curiosity.
Regarding Edenbridge, I actually considered checking out MyEarthDream, but the album name looked silly so I didn't listen to it. :lol I'll rectify that.
#8
Theories of Flight
Fates Warning
Genre: progressive metal
2016
Recommended to me by: DTF band thread
(https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Press_Cover_01.jpg)
It should be expected for this Top 10, but I suppose this one will drive the point home: almost—with one or, depending on how you look at it, two exceptions—all remaining records and bands in this list are very well-known on DTF. Take Fates Warning, for example. I’ve heard of them before DTF, but didn’t enjoy much of what I’ve heard (parts of A Pleasant Shade of Gray and a few other songs I don’t quite remember not), and then Darkness in a Different Light came out. I decided to buy it on a whim, listened to it, and it did nothing to change my opinion. The mix was lifeless, the songs plodding and Ray Alder’s voice wasn’t doing any favours for that record.
With Theories of Flight, I noticed the new song posted in Fates Warning thread, and was hooked after one listen. This album does everything Darkness in a Different Light fails to do, and it does it on an entirely different level. The band sounds as energized as ever, as if they found that second wind. I’m not sure what’s the reason for their inspiration was, if there was any, but this album seems like it simply can’t do anything wrong. Only 50 minutes long with the same style throughout and two epic 10+ minutes songs, Theories of Flight never gets boring or mediocre. The mix improved significantly from the previous record, and Ray Alder sounds better than ever, reinvigorated and alive with passion. His performance on both Darkness in a Different Light and The Art of Loss had me worried about his voice, but this record, and the subsequent live release, Live Over Europe—which became one of my favourite live releases from this decade—proves the worries were unfounded. In fact, the songs from DiaDL sound way better on that release than they do on the studio version.
Almost all the songs have a certain fun groove to it, and the pace never slows down to be plodding. The closest it comes to the heavier, slower approach is in the second half with Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen, which, coincidentally, is probably my least favourite song here—and it’s still very good! The first half of this record is a gold mine of progressive metal, the run from the opener, From the Rooftops to White Flag is unbelievable. And it’s not only Ray Alder that shines here. I always used to say (well, in my head) that if I notice what the drummer is doing, then he must be doing either a great or a very poor job, because I usually don’t pay attention to drums at all. On Theories of Flight, every song makes me pay attention to them—Bobby Jarzombek’s playing is intense and fun, all the different beats and drums and toms (is that a thing?) and tomtoms (is that also a thing?) and cymbals (he even has one behind him, that’s the first time I saw something like that) and whatnot settings the groove for the songs. You may have noticed by now that I have no clue about drums and drumkits whatsoever.
I wish I could’ve caught Fates Warning on this tour in Europe, but the dates didn’t align and they didn’t come to Russia, but this record makes me hopeful that they have another one in them, and while they’ll have a mighty difficult time topping this—and the impressive thing is, it’s their twelfth studio album—I’m curious what they will come up with.
By the way, I’ve been trying to get into their back catalogue, deciding to revisit A Pleasant Shades of Gray first, and while I enjoyed it more than I remember, I’m not eager to spin it again except for a few movements (the final one is great, for example). I’ve heard a few songs from both Alder and Arch eras, but I’ve no recollection of them except for the ones featured on Live Over Europe. I’d welcome any suggestions!
Favourite songs: Seven Stars (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hguUU-VYug), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/6OynPnw40LFW7YpfYV54HI)), The Light and Shade of Things (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeF3IWLEeHE), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4Sdo2b20idN3yRZ1A4VhNk)), White Flag (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwtknUNsCx0), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/0hRBH4uBqtsUydZYfSpqoW))
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Great record in Theories of Flight. I tried going back thru the bands older material, but come back to this album.
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Theories is my one-and-only FW album that I own. DiaDL and Art of Loss were mediocre at best, imo. I'd asked for FW recc's from the Hard Rock/Classic Metal thread, and I remember being directed to Parallels and Disconnected, along with Inside out and FWX.
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I really like Art of Loss, but not because of Ray's performance, mostly because of the brilliant songwriting.
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One of their best albums. Pretty much album of the year.
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Yeah, one of the best FW record that I know. :metal
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Yay! An album I heard of! ;D Great album.
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Dammit Evermind, I cannot get the title track of the Karmakanic album you posted out of my head. ;)
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Fuck management and fuck the bosses at my job. Bright side, only five days left until the holidays.
Theories is my one-and-only FW album that I own. DiaDL and Art of Loss were mediocre at best, imo. I'd asked for FW recc's from the Hard Rock/Classic Metal thread, and I remember being directed to Parallels and Disconnected, along with Inside out and FWX.
I don't share your opinion for Art of Loss, but yeah, DiaDL was a weak effort, in my opinion.
Dammit Evermind, I cannot get the title track of the Karmakanic album you posted out of my head. ;)
Yeah, been there. It's even worse because I don't know the lyrics, so I randomly hum some of the stuff. Glad you enjoyed it!
To people praising Theories of Flight, I told you the good stuff is coming. Onwards to #7!
#7
Delivering the Black
Primal Fear
Genre: heavy metal
2014
Recommended to me by: wolfking praising this album a thousand times all over GMD
(https://images.genius.com/cb8815b7dfdefde262529bb952ea7e23.1000x990x1.jpg)
The directions and the ways my musical tastes changed and evolved since my first list are probably going to disappoint the older crowd, with a lot of stupid hipster metal and rock like Bent Knee, Leprous or Anathema, with mellow records from Arstidir and Marketa Irglova, and with those gothic dark “woe is me I’m so depressed” artists like Katatonia or Soen. You guys probably followed this list and ended up being disappointed at the selections, but the truth is, DTF broadened my musical horizons by a wide margin. I’m not that power metal fan I was five years ago, but I won’t ever be ashamed to say I was that fan—it was fun and exciting while it lasted—and while I’m no longer drawn to genres like power metal and classic metal, as I said before, if you do it extremely well, like this record does, you may reignite that old spark inside me. I knew of Primal Fear, of course, but I never bothered to check them out, thinking of generic German metal like Accept puts out.
However, Kade convinced me, not even directly. He just kept talking about this great Primal Fear album, how it kicks all kinds of ass, reiterating his one very simple point (that the album kicks all kinds of ass) across five or six threads at a time. I already knew his tastes were quite excellent, and they proved true—this record is a gem I would’ve probably never discovered without his help. I’ve been following Primal Fear since then, and also going back into their discography, and nothing from it managed to hit me like this. Like a ton of heavy metal bricks.
Ralf Scheepers does his best on this album, and it shows, with low and high notes everywhere, and what’s more impressive, when I saw them on the Moscow Metal Meeting festival in support for this record, he sounded even tighter live. They only performed two songs from this album, if I remember correctly, When Death Comes Knocking and Alive and on Fire, but for the 50 minutes slot they’ve got they were by far and away my favourite band I saw that day (competing against Helloween, Amorphis, Dark Tranquility and Arkona, as I wrote before). Missed them in 2017 due to the vacation in Germany, and while Apocalypse isn’t as exciting as this one, I’m going to see them live next time if the dates align.
I wish Magnus Karlsson stopped stretching himself thin between various projects and let his ideas stew for a while for Primal Fear, but then again I wish for him to return to Allen/Lande songwriting, and I also wish I were (how come it’s “were”? It should be “was”, but somehow I’m sure I saw those “wish I were” things somewhere) able to see about thirty bands that are on my bucket list live, but sometimes we’ve got to settle for whatever hand life gave us, and so I’ll live with it. Funny thing, I don’t even own a physical copy of this album anymore, I traded it away with a guy who doesn’t even appreciate Primal Fear. I should’ve given him Homo Erraticus by Ian Anderson or some equally shitty album I own, but my conscience wouldn’t let me. But that’s a story for another update and another day.
Favourite songs: When Death Comes Knocking (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji69bBD2lEs), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/2GmhFqFLObZG3qXxwDomJW)), One Night in December (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jqnq96NS4E), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4zpgnn9tt5dIcEZ9hDYvmL)), Born With a Broken Heart (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7yMc-LkVGs), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/0OmX44vj4MwrCyP4dafV1u))
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This was my first PF album release after I became a fan, and man is it all kinds of awesome. One Night in December is simply flawless. I too can thank Kade/Brent and the Hard Rock gang/thread for putting me on to PF. I didn't go back any further than Seven Seals, and the 'best of' compilation that came out right after that, but have everything from that point. Apocalypse was a good one, but they're starting to feel a little too samey - excellent music, but nothing horribly unique / innovative / fresh.
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Filling out my 2019 musical calendar atm, throwing lots of these artists into the mix for January. This will be fun! Surprised to see Primal Fear so high. Haven't heard that album but I clearly need to, I love Rulebreaker... EDIT: When I saw them live in 2016, Scheepers proved he's one of the best live metal singers out there. That dude is phenomenal live and so captivating to watch. I was right up front and heard him still screaming when he'd pull the mic away and I could still hear him clearly over the rest of the band. Monstrous singer.
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This album is still one of the best albums of the past 10-15 years or more. Primal Fear have always been a fav and their catalog IMO has been very consistent from start to finish, but this one was the stars aligning. I loved Devil's Ground, Black Sun and to that point my fav of Seven Seals, but this is my favourite now. When Magnus Karlsson was announced as a permanent guitarist for the band, I was a little aprehensive after New Religion. I thought that their styles would come together and turn PF into more of that Frontiers, melodic rock style, and 16.6 kind of went that way but was still very good, but DTB put those thoughts to bed for good. It took them an album but they nailed it. This is a wonderful and one of the most complete heavy metal albums of all time really, from a modern sense anyway.
The challenge was to see how the band would respond, and even though Rulebreaker and Apocalyse aren't DTB level, they never really were going to be and are still bloody excellent albums in their own right. The band is on a roll at the moment, and it's great to see.
Oh, and sorry if I carried on about it so much, every second post of mine back then must have been about this album. ;D I know j loves this one as much as I do too.
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Magnus can get a bit same-y with his songwriting but this album stands out and is definitely one of his best.
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I definitely need to listen to that Primal Fear album. I only know Rulebreaker and that record was :metal.
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Oh, and sorry if I carried on about it so much, every second post of mine back then must have been about this album. ;D I know j loves this one as much as I do too.
There's no need to apologize for carriying on about it so much when the album in question is that awesome. Everyone, especially you guys who are already into PF, seriously, give it a try.
Now, onward with a somewhat obscure one which I diligently tried to send in as many roulettes as I dared.
#6
Empires Never Last
Galahad
Genre: progressive rock / progressive metal
2007
Recommended to me by: ErHaO
(https://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/122/cover_4016102372016_r.jpg)
As we’re approaching the final entries in this list, I begin reflecting on all the choices for this one. When I sat to determine the order of the records’ appearance on this list, I sort of knew the Top 10 will feature a lot of highly regarded albums on DTF. And at the same time I knew that there will be Number Seven by Phideaux and this very gem.
This—and, well, four albums out of the remaining five after that one—is a perfect example of what kind of things I’m looking for while running a roulette. I’m too lazy to do a full-blown album roulette, and I don’t think the concept was introduced when I hosted my first two, anyway, but the ideal submission should be good enough for me to check out the album or the band and not be disappointed with the rest of the material on it. I know, I know, your best strategy is to send the best songs and to hell with it, and I do that myself too, but I’m just saying that it’s always a huge pleasure to discover that not only the song you gave me was excellent, but the whole album lives up to the hype and the expectations. With Empires Never Last it’s exactly like that; the title track had me hooked, and the album, from the starting chant of De-Fi-Ance to the last notes of fantastic This Life Could Be My Last, delivers the goods just as much as the title track does. While 9+ minutes long tracks can be tedious to listen to in roulettes, the song Empires Never Last seems to be a good introduction to Galahad for people, staying simple yet interesting enough to hold even the fogeys attention—I remember Chad and Kade liking it.
The album has two huge potential drawbacks I could see, not counting its general neo-progressive rock style with a singer which may not be up everyone’s alley. One of them is the fact that this album is pretty political, as far as I was able to discern—not sure if there’s anything directed at something in particular, but the lyrics for Sidewinder and Empires Never Last are, as expected, touching the political matters like discussing the forms of government and other aspects, I suppose. I don’t have an issue with that. In fact, I found the general vibe of lyrics on the album to be refreshing. Second, the album is a bit on a quirky side, especially with the singer’s unusual delivery of some lines, which becomes overly apparent on I Could Be God. However, every chorus here is infectious, the song structures are varied and inspired, and you can also hear the bass at all times.
Nothing else I’ve checked from these guys grabbed me, although their latest, called Seas of Change, was decent enough, but honestly, while, of course, it’s fantastic to discover the whole new excellent discography of a band, if I find at least one an album this fabulous, I consider my foray into the band’s work a staggering success. For someone who sent me a lot of mediocre stuff, ErHaO, you certainly introduced me to a lot of fantastic records, including When Time Fades by Suspyre, which narrowly missed the honourable mentions, Circus Maximus and this one, which is, as far as I’m concerned, your crowning achievement in my roulettes.
I’m going to spin this album again, I think.
Favourite songs: Termination (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgvC7fh2y6U), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/27ioxVXpiZgojRMJld0crn)), Empires Never Last (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2PWZxG3QJY), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/30Q9Nu3lhRgtQjwnHFf2to)), This Life Could Be My Last (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCbs5t-H7MI), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/33pFrcUAIvEbMdQxXMqOCs))
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I don’t even own a physical copy of this album anymore, I traded it away with a guy who doesn’t even appreciate Primal Fear. I should’ve given him Homo Erraticus by Ian Anderson or some equally shitty album I own, but my conscience wouldn’t let me. But that’s a story for another update and another day.
:lol
Hey, I haven't posted in a while but I happened to see this! If it's any consolation, I am currently checking out some 2018 albums I've been meaning to rate and one that I've seen you post about (Myles Kennedy) seems really promising so far. That Primal Fear album is collecting dust in Amsterdam now but I will visit NL in February so I'll be sure to pick it up and give it a spin then!
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You can go hang out with us before Ayreon show next year (but I saw you posted that you're staying in Berlin, so that's probably not an option) and give it back to me, I'll give you a properly shitty album this time!
It's a really great album though. :lol
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I did indeed love this track. I should go back and spin the album, because I don't really remember anything about it after I checked it out - though, that could be all the information I need. Assuming it's on Spotify, I'll try to remember to give 'er a go in the coming week(s).
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I did indeed love this track. I should go back and spin the album, because I don't really remember anything about it after I checked it out - though, that could be all the information I need. Assuming it's on Spotify, I'll try to remember to give 'er a go in the coming week(s).
I would assume you'd like Termination, then try to get past I Could Be God, I would say that'd be too quirky for you. The final run of four songs starting from Sidewinder is fantastic, I'd say you should definitely revisit that. Also it is on Spotify, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to provide Spotify links.
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Only five updates left!
#5
Snowfall on Judgment Day
Redemption
Genre: progressive metal
2009
Recommended to me by: Tomislav
(https://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/1937/cover_3621711102009.jpg)
This has always been a pet peeve of mine, and while DTF community proved to me on several different occasions this particular nitpick is a stupid prejudice on my end, but here goes: if I happen to dislike the band’s name or the album’s name, be that because it sounds too pretentious to my tastes (and knowing my tastes, you probably realize that there is a lot of leeway allowed here), or because it’s just weirdly written. Pain of Salvation is one band I didn’t check out for a long time, just because the name is ridiculous. Redemption, in retrospect, isn’t so bad, but I think I associated it with Pain of Salvation too—and this makes me wonder, is there a band named Pain of Redemption somewhere?—and therefore I haven’t heard a note from these guys before Tomislav pushed me face-first into Black and White World right in the first round of my Roulette v2. That led me to check out Snowfall on Judgment Day, which, in turn, led me to purchase the whole Redemption discography and discover The Origins of Ruin, which, if it wasn’t so similar stylistically to this one, would’ve also appeared in Top 10, The Art of Loss, which was met with a lot of lukewarm reviews here on DTF and yet I still love this record, and it would’ve been another candidate for this list, and others, which may be not that great, but still spectacularly good. The only thing I don’t own is the new one, but that’s because I somewhat burned out of discovering and buying new records. Once the holidays are over, I think I’ll order it and a bunch of other albums I kept my eyes on for a while now.
While I know that some of the readers find this type of progressive metal boring, this is probably the most appealing style in the genre to me right now. Evergrey, latest Fates Warning album, Redemption, Need, these bands write exactly the kind of progressive metal I’ve been lately drawn to, and while most of these bands I mentioned do it with fluctuating level of quality, I would say Redemption is that one band that upholds that quality on an extremely high level, probably because of the consistency of songwriting. While yes, you almost always know what to expect from this band, they keep it varied enough to sound fresh and not repetitive; and while the lyrics often deal with love and loss and human relationship, it never gets to the point where the lyrics become detrimental to the songs—in fact, it’s the opposite. With Memory and Black and White World, Nick van Dyk managed to write some of my favourite lyrics on that particular theme.
It’s been a few months since Long Night’s Journey Into Day was released, and while I’m still not quite sure how I feel about Tom Englund singing for Redemption now, I’m inclined to say I don’t mind the change. I would say I still prefer Ray Alder, but that could be because for these two and a half years I’ve become accustomed hearing Ray’s soulful vocals over Nick’s music. I will have to take some time to adjust to this, but even still—considering how drastically the bands’ music sometimes changes when they replace their original singer—the new album still sounds like Redemption all the way. And it’s quite good, no doubt about that, as were most of the previous records by this very talented group of people—but Snowfall on Judgment Day is the point where Redemption reached their peak, in my opinion.
Favourite songs: Peel (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJBBBT9uF4I), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4kf2hAEVq3fvXf7tYlBIpi)), Black and White World (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqmez3nJxag), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4lTRqZKq7ymfIwFjG8fntZ)), Love Kills Us All / Life in One Day (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyQs8lEkZ-c), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/6Hfkj8WLsLMXeCg3ihbR1b))
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As this is the only Redemption album that does something to me (I find all the others bland one way or another), I agree with this pick, though I would personally not put it as high (or even in a top 50).
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Still the best Redemption album. Again, one of the best metal albums in a long long time.
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Fullness of Time is the one that made my Top 50v2, but it was a close call between it and Snowfall. Still their best 2 albums, though Long Night's is a damn fine album. Quite possibly in my Top 5 for the year.
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Fullness of Time is the one that made my Top 50v2, but it was a close call between it and Snowfall. Still their best 2 albums, though Long Night's is a damn fine album. Quite possibly in my Top 5 for the year.
Fullness of Time would be my Redemption pick as well, but I still really love their first album. It has some really strong stuff on it. It's more adventurous, which doesn't always work, but still it's a fun listen.
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My favorite Redemption album is This Mortal Coil.
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There's a particularly odd fascination with this band amongst the ProgPower USA community especially. Like, outside of DTF and PP I've never heard of this band. Heard most of the albums... kind of embodies most of what I dislike about prog metal actually, yet I'm not surprised to see Snowfall so high. I do like the song Leviathan Rising a lot. I think this album is generally better than the rest that I've heard.
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i mean i wasn't gonna say anything but if katt's gonna say something then i might as well too
i have never enjoyed any redemption song i've ever heard, they are the epitome of generic prog metal
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i mean i wasn't gonna say anything but if katt's gonna say something then i might as well too
i have never enjoyed any redemption song i've ever heard, they are the epitome of generic prog metal
I only say that because the band is being discussed and like I said the isolated relatively small circle of fandom fascinates me given how I perceive the music, musical taste is so interesting. I agree with the second part of this post but wanted to be a bit more constructive, at least I'm not crazy ;)
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i have never enjoyed any redemption song i've ever heard, they are the epitome of generic prog metal
:tup
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Not being discussed outside of PP or DTF (or previously, MP.com) applies to many bands that I listen to. Probably all of the bands I sent 425 in his roulette, for example.
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Catching up with the thread.
Primal Fear - Delivering the Black: Good enjoyable metal album.
Galahad - Empires Never Last: Okay. Some very interesting moments but not enough of them. I suspect multiple listens would be necessary to really appreciate it.
Redemption - Snow Fall on Judgement Day: Excellent. The riffs are right in my sweet spot for metal. The melodies flow naturally and the vocals aren't cliche'. Fantastic piano work. I'll be buying this one.
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Regarding the Redemption love and hate: well, good thing that I sometimes really like generic progressive metal, right?
Galahad - Empires Never Last: Okay. Some very interesting moments but not enough of them. I suspect multiple listens would be necessary to really appreciate it.
Redemption - Snow Fall on Judgement Day: Excellent. The riffs are right in my sweet spot for metal. The melodies flow naturally and the vocals aren't cliche'. Fantastic piano work. I'll be buying this one.
I kinda think Galahad is somewhat of a guilty pleasure of mine. I don't know why I enjoy it so much. Good to see you enjoying that Redemption album though!
Here's the update everyone knew was coming.
#4
Ashes Against the Grain
Agalloch
Genre: death or black metal, I still can’t tell them apart
2006
Recommended to me by: senecadawg2
(https://www.hrrshop.de/bilder/produkte/gross/AGALLOCH-Ashes-Against-the-Grain-DLP-CLEAR.jpg)
It’s albums like this one that make me all giddy and excited about my next roulette. Not only I discovered a great band with fabulous discography—and of course, they disbanded right after that—but Ashes Against the Grain paved the crooked path to discovering, and subsequently liking or loving the albums I would have never dared to spin before: the ones with growls dominating the vocal sections. This album opened several new genres for me to discover, and while I didn’t delve deep in these, only scratched the surface in preparation for Parama roulette—and so I had to avoid a lot of well-known in the genres, too—I do think there is a lot of potential there. However, it often happens that I’m very fond of my first exposure to the genre, or the artist. Say, my first Brandon Sanderson book was Mistborn: The Final Empire (not counting the Wheel of Time series he finished after Robert Jordan’s death), and while I can tell his writing improved visibly nowadays, that one still holds a special place in my heart. It could be the same with Agalloch. I’ve even read on Wikipedia that one of the band members went as far as saying this could be the weakest album they’ve ever recorded, but for me it’s a pure musical bliss.
Nelson sent me the two songs from Our Fortress is Burning suite as the closer for his EP, which was already quite a risky one, featuring Thrice and Ludovico Einaudi, but he mostly didn’t have anything to lose after his Neil Young entries tanked in the penultimate round. I remember listening to this song, not even knowing what artist was it, and just simply being mesmerized by how beautiful the music is, and also wondering when the vocals will begin. Turns out, the vocals don’t begin until the very end on this particular suite of songs, and they definitely weren’t what I expected them to be—which shows my complete inexperience with black/death metal in general—and yet they fit the song in a way I never imagined. This was an eye-opening moment for me. It made me change my perspective on the growl-heavy genres of metal.
I’ve got this album under somewhat unusual circumstances, taking Dennis aka Train of Naught on the offer to give it to me in exchange to one of my own albums (I might’ve suggested the latter part), because we were both eyeing The Dear Hunter albums and Agalloch ones while Luke aka FlyingBIZKIT was selling them on DTF, and as Train got his PM earlier than me, he bought them. Apparently his conscience got better of him, so he offered to give me that Agalloch album during our DTF meetup for Ayreon Universe in Tilburg, saying he prefers The Mantle anyway. Well, my conscience got better of me too, because instead of giving away a shitty album, I gave him that Primal Fear record featured two updates above, the copy of which I scored at the merch stand on that festival Primal Fear played here. While I suspected Train won’t enjoy it, this list at least shows that I wasn’t trying to swindle him on the deal—I genuinely enjoy that PF album a lot.
I sometimes send my best friend some music recommendations, and sometimes he even asks for them, and sometimes I just put some music on during out board games sessions with friends (never something with growls though unless everyone’s alright with it—I think I might’ve used this record when we played Dead of Winter: Crossroads). I’ve got him into Ayreon and Steven Wilson and whatnot, and he honestly considers Agalloch one of his best discoveries through me. According to him, even his father, who’s more of a classic metal guy (he loved The Book of Souls and raved about it to me for 20 minutes straight), liked this album. I would’ve found it hard to believe, but considering that it’s sitting comfortably on my #4 spot of DTF discovers, I can see that being true.
I’m fairly sure a lot of anti-growls folks here are set in their ways, and I’m not trying to change that in any way. But man, this album is something else.
YouTube version for Our Fortress is Burning combines two songs into one.
Favourite songs: Falling Snow (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAaq0mpk9TE), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/73vyulFUPAla99D1wUtMQo)), Not Unlike the Waves (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdVobP7DegY), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/5rMmAix3Ub8VFDQv47LuP4)), Our Fortress is Burning: I (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOKcfyo3-xE), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/6Nro50IwynR6qwH2FB5Hcl)), Our Fortress is Burning: II - Bloodbirds (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOKcfyo3-xE), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/28CABpLEJEkN2xsbzrqRCY))
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agalloch are pretty good yeah
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Shame they disbanded though.
Also, post your Top 3 predictions if you want.
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#1: Native Construct - Quiet World
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Also, post your Top 3 predictions if you want.
I will have never heard of the band or the album. There's my prediction.
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I'll take The Mantle over Ashes Against the Grain, but they're both really good.
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Even if Agalloch say it's their worst album, I still think it's their best.
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Have only listened to The Mantle, and thought it was bland black metal paired with bland post-rock, but I'll give this one a try :corn
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Ashes Against the Grain is one of the few albums that literally changed my perception of music. It was the album that opened me up to harsh-style vocals, and I think I heard it right after it came out (September or October '06, so literally a number of weeks after release) thanks to a friend hyping it up to me.
I don't like Agalloch's early music, everything up to Ashes is not for me. But Ashes is a top 10 album of all time to me, might very well be top 5. It's magical, enthralling, it's incredible from start to finish and that includes the bonus track (Scars of the Shattered Sky). I didn't like The Grain much at first but these days I 'get' it and I love every second of it.
I enjoy the albums after Ashes but not nearly as much as this album. I consider very few albums 'perfect' but this is one of them. I enjoy seeing it so high on Evermind's list and I'm gonna go listen to it now for the billionth time. :biggrin:
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Not being discussed outside of PP or DTF (or previously, MP.com) applies to many bands that I listen to. Probably all of the bands I sent 425 in his roulette, for example.
I'd actually love to know which ones specifically you're talking about (I'll have to go look back at 425's roulette). I've thought the same thing when I've seen some bands you like, but I don't hear them talked about much anywhere, and I kind of want to check them out!
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Funnily enough, Ashes Against the Grain is at #4 on my top 50 list as well. Absolutely fantastic album. :metal
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Probably my favorite metal album of all time, from my favorite metal band of all time. And definitely a top 1 or 2 metal concert of all time too. Such a shame that they broke up, but their unique style survives them. They will hold a special place in my heart for a long time. Their final album doesnt quite hold up, in my view, but the rest are 5 star experiences.
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Not being discussed outside of PP or DTF (or previously, MP.com) applies to many bands that I listen to. Probably all of the bands I sent 425 in his roulette, for example.
I'd actually love to know which ones specifically you're talking about (I'll have to go look back at 425's roulette). I've thought the same thing when I've seen some bands you like, but I don't hear them talked about much anywhere, and I kind of want to check them out!
I don't think I sent 425 anything you haven't already heard, except maybe Kingcrow, who I know you've heard of but am not sure if you've listened to them much. Otherwise, Threshold, Need, Angra, Evergrey, Mystery. Katatonia is the only one I've really heard talked about away from ProgPower people or DT people, and even them, not so much.
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Probably my favorite metal album of all time, from my favorite metal band of all time. And definitely a top 1 or 2 metal concert of all time too. Such a shame that they broke up, but their unique style survives them. They will hold a special place in my heart for a long time. Their final album doesnt quite hold up, in my view, but the rest are 5 star experiences.
There are a few really noteworthy songs on that final album though. Birth and Death of the Pillars of Creation in particular is amazing and Plateau of the Ages is pretty close.
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Probably my favorite metal album of all time, from my favorite metal band of all time. And definitely a top 1 or 2 metal concert of all time too. Such a shame that they broke up, but their unique style survives them. They will hold a special place in my heart for a long time. Their final album doesnt quite hold up, in my view, but the rest are 5 star experiences.
There are a few really noteworthy songs on that final album though. Birth and Death of the Pillars of Creation in particular is amazing and Plateau of the Ages is pretty close.
Oh absolutely--there are some great songs on the album. Somehow, though, it feels like less than the sum of its parts. In many ways its the opposite of Pale Folklore, I think. More mature, tighter, and focused; and yet PF has a magic to it, a magic that's gone missing by tSatS, if that makes any sense.
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Probably my favorite metal album of all time, from my favorite metal band of all time. And definitely a top 1 or 2 metal concert of all time too. Such a shame that they broke up, but their unique style survives them. They will hold a special place in my heart for a long time. Their final album doesnt quite hold up, in my view, but the rest are 5 star experiences.
There are a few really noteworthy songs on that final album though. Birth and Death of the Pillars of Creation in particular is amazing and Plateau of the Ages is pretty close.
Oh absolutely--there are some great songs on the album. Somehow, though, it feels like less than the sum of its parts. In many ways its the opposite of Pale Folklore, I think. More mature, tighter, and focused; and yet PF has a magic to it, a magic that's gone missing by tSatS, if that makes any sense.
That definitely makes sense.
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Peel has the best riff ever.
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Yeah, Ashes Against The Grain is pretty awesome stuff. I'm about halfway through my second listen and really blown away by the compositions. This is my favorite from your list so far.
Hopefully I don't get kicked out of the fogey club...
:emo:
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Hopefully I don't get kicked out of the fogey club...
:emo:
We'll accept you in to the young cool kids club.
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We have punch and cake.
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the cake is a lie
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and the punch is spiked
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:tup Thanks for keeping the discussion alive, guys.
Sorry about the fact I missed an update yesterday, work came in the way and I got back home quite late. Now that I worked my ass for the last two and a half weeks and the project I worked on is finished and now is in production as of 2 P.M. today, I'm back home and getting ready to head out to my favourite local bar, and the winter holidays have officially begun for me, let us finish this list. Three days left in 2018, and I've got three albums to rave and ramble about.
#3
I Am Anonymous
Headspace
Genre: progressive metal
2012
Recommended to me by: lonestar
(https://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/5089/cover_29441016112017_r.jpg)
Damian Wilson is quite well-known in progressive circles, with his work in Threshold, this band and Arjen Lucassen-related projects; but when my turn to host my roulette came, I only knew him from Ayreon and Star One. While I really liked him on songs like And the Druids Turn to Stone and Intergalactic Space Crusaders, for some reason (because of how smooth his voice is, probably) I assumed both Headspace and Threshold were making some kind of mild progressive rock, and as I’m apparently an idiot, I didn’t bother to check them out. That was quickly rectified by RJ in, I think, Round 3—he sent me Die with a Bullet, keeping the 10 minutes limit in mind, and while I didn’t love it like I did, say, Agalloch songs, the tune was pretty interesting, and the song definitely packed a punch and wasn’t in any realm of mild progressive rock. Some time down the line, I listened to it and that was one of the most astounding musical experiences in my life.
First of all, I did not expect it to have that many metal moments, even after Die with a Bullet. I guess I assumed they had put all the metal in one song. Boy, was I wrong on that notion. But the beauty here is the blend of all-out metal and the delicate acoustic moments, of which there are also plenty. The contrast between them, and the way the transitions work on this album is nothing short of fascinating. Except for the short and one of the most touching ballads I know called Soldier, the song structures on this album are unpredictable in the best way. Songs are flowing from the verses to different kinds of verses and to occasional choruses, punctuated by riffs and melodies that’ll stuck in your head for days, and just when you think it can’t get more epic then that, the next song contradicts you.
This album didn’t become my gateway into other work by Damian, as I wasn’t that impressed with Threshold albums with him on vocals, and neither had I ended up checking his solo work, even though I think someone (ErHaO?) sent me one of his solo songs later; and even the second Headspace album was underwhelming at best, not only failing to live up to the greatness of this record and to the overall hype, but even failing to sustain at least half of the quality. I guess the spark of brilliance they captured on this album is quite elusive.
That being said, I did meet Damian last year before the Ayreon show, and by “meet”, I mean that Damian was at the venue entrance shaking everyone’s hands, and to be honest, that little bit was enough for me to appreciate him even more. Things like that—going out of your way to enrich the fans experience of the show—will probably never fail to elevate my opinion of the famous musicians. I don’t know about anyone else and I don’t remember discussing it with the other DTFers at the show, but I didn’t think I could’ve been more excited about the show, and yet that one brief handshake brought the excitement to eleven. And then watching him nail the aforementioned And the Druids Turn to Stone and Intergalactic Space Crusaders… well, I may not be a fan of everything Damian have put out during his musical career, but it’s clear he’s very passionate about his work, and I admire him for that.
I wonder if he’ll do this handshake thing again in 2019!
Favourite songs: Fall of America (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzeO0rtUP0c), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/0jkBrvSBs7c3vDIFxrRoF7)), Soldier (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig7rMly8xow), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/2op8OzvR8k2rBmz7vbvRqt)), In Hell’s Name (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwNw4XLYpKQ), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/1knfuFelhd6lPAuVdGQQXm)), The Big Day (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRZF_q_dqGg), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4gSi3VZAhd7HKWtC9Qy6pB))
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I heard guys here on DTF raving about this record so I gave it a try some time ago. I really like it, it's quite good. But it didn't blow me away like I thought/hoped it would.
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I haven't listened to that Headspace album in what seems like an eternity. I remember liking it and the music was great. But I think Damian's voice has really affected its replay value for me.
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I haven't listened to that Headspace album in what seems like an eternity. I remember liking it and the music was great. But I think Damian's voice has really affected its replay value for me.
Swap these opinions about Damian and the music, and that's how I am with this album.
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oh yeah this one is pretty good
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I just tried to send that album in Puppies' roulette. Great album.
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I just tried to send that album in Puppies' roulette. Great album.
Evermind did too :corn
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I just tried to send that album in Puppies' roulette. Great album.
Evermind did too :corn
Yeah, that was what made me drop out of that roulette. :lol
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Oh really? I guess my reaction wasn't quite appropriate then - I just sent a different album. :P Puppies was probably let down, expecting rage and fury. :)
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Btw, I get people's difficulties with Damian's voice, but once it clicked for me (with Threshold), it really clicked and I love his voice now.
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:metal
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This is an excellent album.
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Indeed it is.
#2
Aquarius
Haken
Genre: circus music
2010
Recommended to me by: DTF band thread
(https://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/5598/cover_14399972016_r.jpg)
This is the third and the last repeat on the list, and while I know I’ve already got a lot of love and hate for Haken in this thread, I simply couldn’t omit this album, because while there are similarities between this one and The Mountain, Aquarius is very different from the acclaimed Haken’s masterpiece of a third album. And just like with Anathema and Leprous, in case I think the albums are very different, I allow myself to repeat the band in this list, but while the difference in my appreciation of Anathema and Leprous albums was small enough to neglect and put them next to each other, my love for Aquarius is way bigger than my appreciation for The Mountain.
Now, The Mountain is a very polished and incredibly well thought-out album. From the first track, The Path, to the final note of Somebody, it’s obvious that a lot of thought went into the record, and it’s somehow obvious to me that most of the songs underwent a lot of finessing and polishing into perfection. Everything on The Mountain sounds incredibly smooth, to the point of where I’m pondering how much thought exactly went into the songwriting and how the hell did Haken pull that off. Whereas Aquarius is way more rough in every department, be that the experimentation Ross does with his voice, changing it from silky to gritty to growls—and his gritty style on, say, Drowning in the Flood, is something that’s been absent in Haken music since Aquarius or so—or the circus music related to the concept appearing here and there.
It is definitely interesting, the whole debute albums by progressive bands debacle. Most of the Haken fans I’ve met here on DTF prefer The Mountain, yet Aquarius has this adventurous spark of a band not clogged down with burdens of fame, of need to keep up appearances; it’s simply an album made by people who are passionate about their craft. And while it’s definitely raw and there are genuine missteps, you can feel that passion in the music, in every note they play, in every word Ross belts out, in every guitar riff and keyboard lick they do. And while it’s good for your music to be calculated and polished into perfection, sometimes the raw talent is enough, and there’s more—sometimes it’s what makes your work beyond attractive to your listeners.
Since Aquarius, Haken released four more albums and are now prominent on the progressive scene, with each album gaining them more fans and, inevitably, alienating some of their older fans. They’re now able to co-headline tours in NA and headline European tours, and one could argue they’re one of the most famous young progressive metal stars on the scene now. And while the band itself endured some lineup changes and doesn’t like to play songs from Aquarius now, focusing on the newer material; and while most of the fans agree on The Mountain being Haken’s crowning achievement, I will cherish this album as the best thing they’ve ever done so far. They might’ve been young and they might’ve been inexperienced, but I would take this over The Mountain in a heartbeat—something about this record just tugs at all of my heartstrings, never failing to leave me in awe of the sheer magnitude of this album after the last notes of Celestial Elixir fade.
Thank you for that, DTF.
Favourite songs: Aquarium (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQXfOiNwUrU), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/3yDup0pmF9LcelrA4ZXSeu)), Drowning in the Flood (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4sSh4M2SmM), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/58lMqEZ7S3mzJlDsMvlGHN)), Sun (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh72WegKTGw), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7DRAL8Y8jmURjdrMVd5MSk)), Celestial Elixir (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZTkBdIlAaU), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7BnKqNjGrXPtVmPkMNcsln))
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It is nice to see some love for this album. It's a really good one
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:clap:
My favourite Haken album. Well done including it here :)
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The Mountain is the best them but this one's really good too so whatevs
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Visions is the best them but this one's really good too so whatevs
Ftfm
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:corn
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Visions is the best them but this one's really good too so whatevs
Ftfm
visions is actually the weakest haken album but go off
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Visions is the best them but this one's really good too so whatevs
Ftfm
visions is actually the weakest haken album but go off
+1
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If Vector didn’t exist, sure.
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vector is the middle album it's #3
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vector is the middle album it's #3
Where does Affinity fall for you?
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i literally already gave my placement for all other haken albums in this thread so you can go figure it out. it's like a puzzle
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i literally already gave my placement for all other haken albums in this thread so you can go figure it out. it's like a puzzle
Nah
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The true puzzle is how much love Haken gets.
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The true puzzle is how much love Haken gets.
unable to solve this puzzle box
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The true puzzle is how much love Haken gets.
I've tried multiple times but I simply can't find a single thing about them that's appealing.
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#1
Chronicles of the Immortals: Netherworld
Vanden Plas
Genre: progressive metal
2015 / 2016
Recommended to me by: obscure via her music magazine
(https://www.cdvpodarok.ru/cdimg/01/71/39/51_big.jpg)
(https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Vanden-Plas_Chronicles-of-the-Immortals-Netherworld-Pt.-2a.jpg)
Now, some of you may say I’m cheating again including two albums here, but I really just consider this a big concept double album of music, despite both discs having been released separately with a one-year gap. Furthermore, I didn’t discover this directly from DTF, but rather from Lady Obscure Music Magazine where we had a promo for Part 1 before release date, and everyone seemed to be raving about it. But since I’ve become part of the LOMM team because of DTF, I figured this particular record should be eligible for this list.
Another aspect of including both albums here is that I genuinely have a difficult time to tell which one I like more. Both feature excellent progressive metal songs, and both are extremely consistent in quality, but that could be said about the whole Vanden Plas discography, really. If I had to use one word to describe Vanden Plas’ music, I’d say they’re consistent. Of course, the production quality evolved over the years, and I’d say Chronicles of the Immortals: Netherworld features the best mix and production compared to other VP albums, and that obviously helps; but production alone doesn’t make the album. Combined with exceptionally strong songwriting, though, it elevates this magnificent record straight to the top of my list.
The singer, Andy Kuntz, is easily recognizable because of his peculiar accent and singing style; among all the albums on this list, this is easily the one with the most misheard lyrics for me, and I avoided looking at the booklets on purpose (although I suppose I’ll have to do it when I’ll post this, to find a suitable lyric for the thread title), so that I can sing out loud gems like "with your breeches down in my land of no return". However, the fact that I’m unable to understand what exactly Andy is singing doesn’t take away anything from this record. In any case, I suspect that the album’s concept is much closer to Avantasia than to Ayreon: the protagonist is trespassing the Netherworld, there are monsters, vampires (be ready for a lot of fire / empire / vampire rhymes), a Godmaker, some children of the Lost World (which apparently go away somewhere in the second part?), and that’s about it.
There was a part of me that was worried if they would be able to match the quality of Part 1, but if I had any doubts, they all were dispelled after I started listening to the record. In My Universe is such a powerful and epic opener, and the whole run from Misery Affection to Where Have the Children Gone is fantastic, with maybe Godmaker’s Temptation being the only not-so-stellar song in it. There’s a lot of headbang-worthy material, there are slower, majestic songs, there are touching ballads and there are recurring motifs throughout the entire album, some subtle, some not quite. This record is an excellent example of how to do a long concept progressive metal album right.
Favourite songs from Part 1: Vision 6ix: New Vampyre (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyPqkOh2dpk), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/6bVD7e9YfdaOVdXQPbL8vz)), Vision 8ight: Misery Affection (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w-cGH8zVLo), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/55BJNimL7ACPkABlFACoKt)), Vision 9ine: Soul Alliance (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gitX0mvayjY), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/4sXBEPe0OWTBlRncGAQEYU)), Vision 10n: Inside (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1aAGFQ4ayw), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7fHDlL9FBaUOef3aqzwRUz))
Favourite songs from Part 2: Vision 11even: In My Universe (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeIdC2xWGPw), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/6Wn3oywOi6IaUDsNP2nCDk)), Vision 13teen: Stone Roses Edge (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usyk875uMBM), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7rAoS6q7HUdsdg3PuPYLW9)), Vision 15teen: Monster (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzvR5iQmcEE), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/3CPeducPP6psBGwSEpCRue)), Vision 17teen: Where Have the Children Gone (YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1jeWKBING0), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/3lnGTCLwhqhOz5MHZKpLpN))
And that’s it! Hope you enjoyed this and perhaps discovered a few albums from this list. After this I’m planning to do a third edition of my roulette, so be on lookout for that if you plan to participate.
Happy New Year everyone, and I’ll see you around DTF in 2019!
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That's easily my second favorite Vanden Plas album. Great album! And it really is just a double album. :hefdaddy
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For me, Part 1 is miles better than Part 2. I was actually a little disappointed with Part 2 but I think that's only because Part 1 is so amazing.
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For me, Part 1 is miles better than Part 2. I was actually a little disappointed with Part 2 but I think that's only because Part 1 is so amazing.
I'm kinda with Kade on this. Part 2 was just a mild letdown for me - mostly because expectations were so high after Part 1. Both of these were my AOTY for '14 and '15.
Wasn't there supposed to be a Part 3?
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Saw Vandenplas opening for DT some time ago and they left me totally cold. Maybe I should give them another try.
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Haven't heard this particular VP album. Gonna try to spin tonight.
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I didn't expect to see Vanden Plas at the top of the list
Very cool. :) I don't listen to the chronicles as often as some of the others - not sure why, because I really enjoy them when I do listen.
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i have part 1 and it's..... fine. never got part 2 'cause i didn't like part 1 enough for it :lol
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I need to give these two albums another listen. I purchased a few VP albums and Christ0 is my favorite
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Thanks for the list, Evermind! I really had a great time with this.
Those two Vanden Plas records are amazing! I'll be revisiting them frequently. Excellent choice for #1
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Don't know a lot about VP, though I do own a couple of their albums. So many great albums on this list. I Am Anonymous :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
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These are not bad albums but I don't get too excited by either of them.