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General => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: Samsara on September 20, 2022, 10:30:52 AM
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Someone asked me this, and thought it'd be a fun thread on here. It's meant to be short and sweet. Your top three bands, your top three albums from those bands, and your top three songs from those bands.
Mine:
Band: Queensryche (original lineup)
Albums: Operation: Mindcrime, The Warning (original track order), Promised Land
Songs: Anybody Listening?, NM 156, Screaming in Digital
Band: Alter Bridge
Albums: Blackbird, AB III, Fortress
Songs: Blackbird, Words Darker Than Their Wings, Fortress
Band: Fates Warning
Albums: Parallels, Theories of Flight, No Exit
Songs: Still Remains, One, Life in Still Water
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Without much thought, I'll go with:
Band: Rush
Albums: Hemispheres, Moving Pictures, A Farewell to Kings
Songs: Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres, Natural Science, Xanadu
Band: Dream Theater
Albums: Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory, Images and Words, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Songs: A Change of Seasons, Learning to Live, Metropolis—Part I: "The Miracle and the Sleeper"
Band: Yes (nosing out Fates Warning for purposes of this post only)
Albums: Close to the Edge, Tales from Topographic Oceans, The Yes Album
Songs: Close to the Edge, Awaken, Gates of Delirium
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#1
Band: Dream Theater
Albums: Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence / Black Clouds and Silver Linings / Metropolis Part 2
Songs: A Change of Seasons / Octavarium / The Best of Times
#2
Band: Haken
Albums: The Mountain / Vector / Affinity
Songs: Visions / Messiah Complex / The Architect
#3
Band: Porcupine Tree
Albums: Deadwing / The Incident / In Absentia
Songs: Heartattack in a Layby / Collapse the Light Into Earth / Glass Arm Shattering
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Band: Dream Theater
Albums: Images & Words, Scenes From A Memory, A Dramatic Turn Of Events
Songs: Learning To live, Octavarium, Scarred
Band: Iron Maiden
Albums: The Number Of The Beast, Piece Of Mind, The Final Frontier
Songs: Hallowed Be Thy Name, Fear Of The Dark, Caught Somewhere In Time
Band: UFO
Albums: No Heavy Petting, The Wild The Willing And The Innocent, Force It
Songs: Rock Bottom (Strangers version), I'm A Loser, Love To Love
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Seems fun! Bands 1 and 2 are pretty set in stone for me (as I was typing this, TAC came in with, of course, the same top two ;D), but there were a few options for band #3, and another day I might have chosen a different one.
Band: Dream Theater
Albums: Images and Words, Scenes from a Memory, Train of Thought
Songs: Learning to Live, Metropolis, Pt. 1, Breaking All Illusions
Band: Iron Maiden
Albums: The Final Frontier, A Matter of Life and Death, Senjutsu
Songs: Paschendale, The Talisman, Starblind
Band: Nightwish
Albums: Century Child, Imaginaerum, Dark Passion Play
Songs: Ghost Love Score, The Poet and the Pendulum, Beauty of the Beast
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Interesting, I got into all three of these bands in 2002, so I'm celebrating 20 years of them now.
Katatonia
Dead End Kings - The Great Cold Distance - Viva Emptiness
"The Parting", "Gone", "Heart Set To Divide"
This is really impossible. I'm thinking of creating a thread for this, but they're one of those bands where they have dozens of high points, but not really one or two that tower above all others.
Opeth
Blackwater Park - Deliverance - Ghost Reveries
"Still Day Beneath the Sun", "Patterns in the Ivy Pt. II", "Demon of the Fall"
Two of these are on the BWP special edition, but hardly ever get discussed. So much fun to play on guitar.
Nevermore
This Godless Endeavor - Dead Heart in a Dead World - Enemies of Reality
"This Godless Endeavor", "The Obsidian Conspiracy", "Enemies of Reality"
Weird, all title tracks. Never thought about it that way for some reason. "Dreaming Neon Black" is my favorite track on that album as well.
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Oh, this is fun!
Right now I'd say:
Band: Rush
Albums: Moving Pictures, Permanent Waves, Counterparts
Songs: Natural Science, Red Barchetta, La Villa Strangiato
Band: Dream Theater
Albums: Images and Words, Awake, When Dream and Day Unite
Songs: Learning to Live, A Change of Seasons, Take the Time
Band: Paradise Lost
Albums: Icon, Draconian Times, One Second
Songs: Hallowed Land, True Belief, Yearn for Change
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Dream Theater
Falling Into Infinity, Scenes From A Memory, Awake
Scarred, A Change of Seasons, Trial of Tears
Coheed & Cambria
In Keeping Secrets, Second Stage, Good Apollo 1
Faint of Hearts, Apollo II: The Telling Truth, A Disappearing Act
Rush
Hold Your Fire, Power Windows, Grace Under Pressure
The Enemy Within, Vital Signs, Subdivisions
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Katatonia
Dead End Kings - The Great Cold Distance - Viva Emptiness
"The Parting", "Gone", "Heart Set To Divide"
This is really impossible. I'm thinking of creating a thread for this, but they're one of those bands where they have dozens of high points, but not really one or two that tower above all others.
I need help with this band. Everyone I know says I'd love them. I listened to The Great Cold Distance last week, and I liked it, but found the record and the singer very...samey. I was waiting for some more dynamics within the songs and with the singer, and never got it. Is that just their thing? Kind of mid-tempo all the way around?
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Katatonia
Dead End Kings - The Great Cold Distance - Viva Emptiness
"The Parting", "Gone", "Heart Set To Divide"
This is really impossible. I'm thinking of creating a thread for this, but they're one of those bands where they have dozens of high points, but not really one or two that tower above all others.
I need help with this band.
We all need help with this band.. :lol
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Just going off the top of my head on these without trying to over-think things...
Rush
Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, and Power Windows
"La Villa Strangiato", "Jacob's Ladder", and "YYZ" (close contenders include "Subdivisions" and "Marathon")
Dream Theater
Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence, Octavarium, and Scenes From A Memory
"Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence", "Octavarium", and "A Change Of Seasons" (in Portnoy's words "Nothing but fucking epics!")
Big Big Train
English Electric Full Power, Folklore (vinyl tracklist), and Grand Tour
"A Mead Hall In Winter", "Kingmaker", and "Voyager" (close contenders include "Victorian Brickwork" and "Atlantic Cable" - this was tough to narrow down!)
Close 4th place band would've been Transatlantic, with possibly Spock's Beard right behind them.
-Marc.
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Katatonia
Dead End Kings - The Great Cold Distance - Viva Emptiness
"The Parting", "Gone", "Heart Set To Divide"
This is really impossible. I'm thinking of creating a thread for this, but they're one of those bands where they have dozens of high points, but not really one or two that tower above all others.
I need help with this band. Everyone I know says I'd love them. I listened to The Great Cold Distance last week, and I liked it, but found the record and the singer very...samey. I was waiting for some more dynamics within the songs and with the singer, and never got it. Is that just their thing? Kind of mid-tempo all the way around?
Well, their dynamics are mostly in terms of quiet/loud, arrangements, and texture. They have a few somewhat faster songs here and there (you've already heard several of them on TGCD, and their earliest ones are pretty radically different from most everything else that came after), but yeah, for the most part they rarely get above low-mid tempos. And Jonas is a relatively limited vocalist in terms of range and power. That's actually one of the things that appeals to me about them, the contrast of the heaviness of the music at times with the frailty of his voice. There's just a certain magic to them that you tend to either fall completely in love with or don't at all.
Awhile back for another forum I made a chronological playlist that I think came out quite well that demonstrates the range of their sound. I'd check these out and see if any of them appeal to you, since there are usually numerous more with a similar vibe depending upon the era. It's evolved quite a lot over the years, though there's certainly a few throughlines present. If the first few give you mood whiplash you could start from the end and work backwards.
"Shades of Emerald Fields", "Rainroom", "Scarlet Heavens", "Gone", "A Darkness Coming", "Don't Tell a Soul", "Omerta", "Consternation", "Unfurl", "The Longest Year", "The One You Are Looking For Is Not Here", "Dead Letters", "Serac", "Heart Set To Divide", "Behind the Blood"
Heck, here are links.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPUGRPd-jKs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfocmbPqSgU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb69dZHgqsQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Uoc3ll6xo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLBxENUil_w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKboIsHXiao
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mej0gh4SBo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64CScNlvGro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ9hUrTrgTc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8mAYjGsPn4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkCpmDT0iQ0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcsQIDsv5-U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyNrm457Pvw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyVtMcue1GU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQaN2elJ-dQ
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Fun thread...
Top 3 Bands/Artists "Today"
Band: Failure
Albums: Fantastic Planet, Wild Type Droid, In The Future...
Songs: "Daylight," "I Can See Houses," "Undecided"
Band: The Lumineers
Albums: III, Cleopatra, Self Titled
Songs: "The Salt & the Sea," "Angela," "The Dead Sea"
Band: Led Zeppelin
Albums: Physical Graffiti, Houses of the Holy, Presence
Songs: "Ten Years Gone," "In the Light," "Achilles Last Stand"
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Someone asked me this, and thought it'd be a fun thread on here. It's meant to be short and sweet. Your top three bands, your top three albums from those bands, and your top three songs from those bands.
Mine:
Band: Queensryche (original lineup)
Albums: Operation: Mindcrime, The Warning (original track order), Promised Land
Songs: Anybody Listening?, NM 156, Screaming in Digital
Band: Alter Bridge
Albums: Blackbird, AB III, Fortress
Songs: Blackbird, Words Darker Than Their Wings, Fortress
Band: Fates Warning
Albums: Parallels, Theories of Flight, No Exit
Songs: Still Remains, One, Life in Still Water
2 of your favorite songs are from Disconnected but it's not in your top 3? I guess you think the other 3 Albums are stronger overall.
I'm paralyzed by indecision. If I say Pink Floyd, Genesis and Yes I have to omit DT, Priest, Opeth, Katatonia, IQ, Rush....asrrgghhh. I can't do it. How about my 3 favorite songs:
Yes - Awaken
Floyd - Dogs
Zeppelin - No Quarter (Song Remains The Same version)
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Katatonia
Dead End Kings - The Great Cold Distance - Viva Emptiness
"The Parting", "Gone", "Heart Set To Divide"
This is really impossible. I'm thinking of creating a thread for this, but they're one of those bands where they have dozens of high points, but not really one or two that tower above all others.
I need help with this band. Everyone I know says I'd love them. I listened to The Great Cold Distance last week, and I liked it, but found the record and the singer very...samey. I was waiting for some more dynamics within the songs and with the singer, and never got it. Is that just their thing? Kind of mid-tempo all the way around?
Absolutely love Katatonia...they are kind of difficult to pin down, though, as they went through several phases over their (lengthy) discography...here's a quick rundown, with my own (very questionable ;)) studio full-lengths groupings:
Dance of December Souls/Brave Murder Day: that's their Death/Doom phase...although BMD was already pretty unique, setting a bit of a blueprint for that melancholic sound. It's mostly harsh vocals here (handled by none other than Mikael Åkerfeldt). Not sure how you feel about the genre, but that's a classic.
Discouraged Ones: that's somewhat of an oddity in their own discography. Very dark, with stripped down production and 100% clean vocals. I personally love it - it's very much recognizable as Katatonia, but it's a version of the band that was never quite revisited
Tonight's Decision/Last Fair Deal Gone Down: I'm putting these together, as they share some stylistic traits, even though the latter is, imo, far superior and focused. Songs start being a little more elaborate, and Renkse establishes himself more as a proper singer. Tonight's Decision has its charm but I feel the band was still dipping their toes in some new territory. Last Fair..., on the other hand, is one of my favorite Katatonia albums, and Teargas is one of my favorite songs of theirs
Viva Emptiness: Again, kind of its own beast. Some more "modern" influences start popping up. Another big favorite of mine, dark and heavy at the same time.
The Great Cold Distance/Night is the New Day: Well, you've heard TGCD. At first, when it came out, I liked it but I didn't love it. There was a Tool influence in certain songs that I didn't think fit Katatonia super-well and, like you said, the vocal lines don't have a ton of variation. The album has grown on me a ton over the years and, as a whole package, is one I would definitely recommend to someone wanting to explore "modern" Katatonia. Night is the New Day continues along those lines, although it sounds a little more, um, "nocturnal", with subtle electronic touches in some songs. Another one that grew on me over time.
Dead End Kings/The Fall of Hearts: Things become a tad "proggier" here, in terms of songs' length and structures (especially in the latter), although there are still some shorter, more immediate songs ("The Racing Heart" and "Lethean" in DEK, in particular, are fantastic). I like both albums, although I didn't connect with Fall of Hearts quite the same way.
City Burials: Their more recent album, and one of my favorites from 2020. Again, moody and subtly complex, but with the benefit (for me) of being more concise, which suits Katatonia better. I don't disagree that Renkse's singing tends to be a little "monotone" in general, but I think his performance on this is his career best.
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Litho - thanks for the details. Hmm. Maybe they aren't for me. But I'll check em out more.
emtee - yeah, weird, I know. I think those two songs are incredible, but yeah, the other records are stronger as complete bodies of work.
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Awhile back for another forum I made a chronological playlist that I think came out quite well that demonstrates the range of their sound. I'd check these out and see if any of them appeal to you, since there are usually numerous more with a similar vibe depending upon the era. It's evolved quite a lot over the years, though there's certainly a few throughlines present. If the first few give you mood whiplash you could start from the end and work backwards.
"Shades of Emerald Fields", "Rainroom", "Scarlet Heavens", "Gone", "A Darkness Coming", "Don't Tell a Soul", "Omerta", "Consternation", "Unfurl", "The Longest Year", "The One You Are Looking For Is Not Here", "Dead Letters", "Serac", "Heart Set To Divide"
Heck, here are links.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPUGRPd-jKs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfocmbPqSgU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb69dZHgqsQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Uoc3ll6xo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLBxENUil_w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKboIsHXiao
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mej0gh4SBo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64CScNlvGro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ9hUrTrgTc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8mAYjGsPn4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkCpmDT0iQ0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcsQIDsv5-U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyNrm457Pvw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyVtMcue1GU
That's an excellent sampling! I would add Teargas and Tonight's Music from Last Fair Deal Gone Down and Evidence from Viva Emptiness...
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Fun thread...
Top 3 Bands/Artists "Today"
Band: Failure
Albums: Fantastic Planet, Wild Type Droid, In The Future...
Songs: "Daylight," "I Can See Houses," "Undecided"
Band: The Lumineers
Albums: III, Cleopatra, Self Titled
Songs: "The Salt & the Sea," "Angela," "The Dead Sea"
Band: Led Zeppelin
Albums: Physical Graffiti, Houses of the Holy, Presence
Songs: "Ten Years Gone," "In the Light," "Achilles Last Stand"
Absolutely brilliant.
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Without too much thought and I didn't really read through everyone else's as not to be influenced (Letter M, we have the same 3 bands), here you go.
Band: Rush
Albums: Permanent Waves, Hemisphere's, Signals
Songs: Natural Science, Available Light, La Villa
Band: Dream Theater
Albums: Scene's from a Memory, Images and Words, Six Degrees
Songs: Octavarium, Learning to Live, At Wits End
Band: Big Big Train
Albums: English Electric Full Power, Grand Tour, The Underfall Yard
Songs: East Coast Racer, Victorian Brickwork, Voyager/Atlantic Cable (can't decide LOL)
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Oceansize
Frames, Effloresce, Everyone Into Position
"Music For a Nurse", "Trail of Fire", "Massive Bereavement"
Cardiacs
Sing to God, On Land & in the Sea, Heaven Born & Ever Bright
"Dirty Boy", "As Cold as Can Be in an English Sea", "The Everso Closely Guarded Line"
Phish
A Picture of Nectar, Rift, Lawn Boy
"Maze", "Tweezer", "Run Like an Antelope"
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Dance of December Souls/Brave Murder Day: that's their Death/Doom phase...although BMD was already pretty unique, setting a bit of a blueprint for that melancholic sound. It's mostly harsh vocals here (handled by none other than Mikael Åkerfeldt). Not sure how you feel about the genre, but that's a classic.
You probably know this, but in case it's not clear for others, Akerfeldt is only on BMD.
Discouraged Ones: that's somewhat of an oddity in their own discography. Very dark, with stripped down production and 100% clean vocals. I personally love it - it's very much recognizable as Katatonia, but it's a version of the band that was never quite revisited
It's really just more of BMD, but with clean rather than harsh vocals. Sort of shoegaze metal.
Viva Emptiness: Again, kind of its own beast. Some more "modern" influences start popping up. Another big favorite of mine, dark and heavy at the same time.
I always group it with TGCD. They're the most punishing they get overall in terms of riffing and speed, relatively speaking, and are significantly downtuned compared to the early albums.
I tend to group Night is the New Day and Dead End Kings together. They're a step backwards in sonic heaviness from the previous set, but a step forward in atmospherics and keyboard integration. DEK definitely has a boost of proginess, especially from Liljekvist's drumming.
The Fall of Hearts to me is more singular, with the increased complexity of structure. City Burials strips that back some again.
I don't disagree that Renkse's singing tends to be a little "monotone" in general, but I think his performance on this is his career best.
Yeah, "Laquer" might be his single best performance in terms of range. He hits a note in one part that I didn't think he was capable of.
I would add Teargas and Tonight's Music from Last Fair Deal Gone Down and Evidence from Viva Emptiness...
What do you think those three add to the list in terms of specific traits? Rather than "Evidence", though I love it, if I had to expand it a bit further I'd prefer "One Year From Now" because it's one of their most piano motif-driven tunes.
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I started a post but realized that I’m not totally sure about my 3 favorite bands anymore (I’ve long said Marillion, Genesis, and Rush, but honestly Big Big Train should be up there somewhere). And then within those, I think Rush is the only one where I feel relatively strongly about a top 3 songs.
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Dance of December Souls/Brave Murder Day: that's their Death/Doom phase...although BMD was already pretty unique, setting a bit of a blueprint for that melancholic sound. It's mostly harsh vocals here (handled by none other than Mikael Åkerfeldt). Not sure how you feel about the genre, but that's a classic.
You probably know this, but in case it's not clear for others, Akerfeldt is only on BMD.
Yep!
Discouraged Ones: that's somewhat of an oddity in their own discography. Very dark, with stripped down production and 100% clean vocals. I personally love it - it's very much recognizable as Katatonia, but it's a version of the band that was never quite revisited
It's really just more of BMD, but with clean rather than harsh vocals. Sort of shoegaze metal.
Yes, I don't disagree. The signature "cascading" riffs are there. It's just that the sound is so different...and the 100% clean vocals were quite a jarring shift from BMD.
Viva Emptiness: Again, kind of its own beast. Some more "modern" influences start popping up. Another big favorite of mine, dark and heavy at the same time.
I always group it with TGCD. They're the most punishing they get overall in terms of riffing and speed, relatively speaking, and are significantly downtuned compared to the early albums.
I tend to group Night is the New Day and Dead End Kings together. They're a step backwards in sonic heaviness from the previous set, but a step forward in atmospherics and keyboard integration. DEK definitely has a boost of proginess, especially from Liljekvist's drumming.
The Fall of Hearts to me is more singular, with the increased complexity of structure. City Burials strips that back some again.
I can totally get behind these alternative groupings. When Night...came out, I initially thought there wasn't much of a shift vs. TGCD, but in time I felt the added atmospheric did mark a change...
I don't disagree that Renkse's singing tends to be a little "monotone" in general, but I think his performance on this is his career best.
Yeah, "Laquer" might be his single best performance in terms of range. He hits a note in one part that I didn't think he was capable of.
Laquer is exactly what I was thinking about - and that part you refer to ("The house we lived in") surely grabbed my attention the first time I heard it. But in general it feels he is really into the material on that record (wasn't it rumored that the album was initially started as a solo project...?)
I would add Teargas and Tonight's Music from Last Fair Deal Gone Down and Evidence from Viva Emptiness...
What do you think those three add to the list in terms of specific traits? Rather than "Evidence", though I love it, if I had to expand it a bit further I'd prefer "One Year From Now" because it's one of their most piano motif-driven tunes.
They actually don't add much ;D They wouldn't be additions in the spirit of the list you put together (i.e. different facets of their sound)...I only mentioned them because they are among my favorite songs :) (although, arguably Teargas is one of the earlier examples of catchy/short songs, at least within their more modern approach)
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Rush:
Albums - Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, Power Windows
Songs - Hemispheres, Natural Science, La Villa Strangiato
Dream Theater:
Albums - Octavarium, Images and Words, Scenes from a Memory
Songs - A Change of Seasons, Learning to Live, Octavarium
Haken:
Albums - The Mountain, Affinity, Visions
Songs - Crystalized, Falling Back to Earth, Mind’s Eye Trilogy (kinda cheating there)
BONUS
IQ:
Albums - Ever, The Road of Bones, Frequency
Songs - The Province, Further Away, The Darkest Hour
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Without too much thought and I didn't really read through everyone else's as not to be influenced (Letter M, we have the same 3 bands), here you go.
Band: Rush
Albums: Permanent Waves, Hemisphere's, Signals
Songs: Natural Science, Available Light, La Villa
Band: Dream Theater
Albums: Scene's from a Memory, Images and Words, Six Degrees
Songs: Octavarium, Learning to Live, At Wits End
Band: Big Big Train
Albums: English Electric Full Power, Grand Tour, The Underfall Yard
Songs: East Coast Racer, Victorian Brickwork, Voyager/Atlantic Cable (can't decide LOL)
Hah, nice! I see we picked the same two same albums/one song each for each band as well! Very nice choices, especially for BBT!
-Marc.
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This is hard, narrowing down 8 bands to just three, but...
Band: Kiss
Albums: Hotter Than Hell; Rock And Roll Over; Creatures Of The Night
Songs: Deuce; Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll; Love 'Em Leave 'Em
Band: Genesis
Albums: Wind And Withering; Abacab; Duke
Songs: Evidence Of Autumn; Me And Sarah Jane; In The Cage Medley (Three Sides Live LP version)
Band: Neal Morse
Albums: Innocence and Danger; One; Testimony 2
Songs: Alive Again; Supernatural; Waterfall
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Artist: Kevin Gilbert
Albums: The Shaming of the True, Toy Matinee, Thud
Songs: Last Plane Out, Water Under the Bridge, Imagemaker (from The Shaming of the True)
Artist: Marillion
Albums: Brave, Clutching at Straws, Marbles
Songs: Grendel, The Invisible Man, The Great Escape
#3 I'm torn between:
The Dear Hunter
dredg
Fates Warning
Rush
So I let a Random Number Generator pick 1-4, and got 1, so I'm going with The Dear Hunter
Artist: The Dear Hunter
Albums: Act II, Act I, Act IV
Songs: His Hands Matched His Tongue, Mandala, Waves
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I know this is DTF but there are some wild Dream Theater choices for best albums/songs here.
Dream Theater don't come close to my top 3 and I feel stupid for being surprised they are making the top 3 for so many of you. Anyway...
1. Coheed and Cambria (no shit)
Albums:Good Apollo 1/Good Apollo 2/Afterman: Descension
Songs: The Road and the Damned/In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth/Gravity's Union
2. Metallica
Albums:Ride the Lightning/Garage Inc/S&M
Songs: Mercyful Fate/The Call of Ktulu (S&M version)/Creeping Death
3. NOFX
Albums: Wolves in Wolves Clothing/They've Actually Gotten Worse Live/So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes
Songs: The Decline/The Idiots are Taking Over/Dinosaurs Will Die
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(wasn't it rumored that the album was initially started as a solo project...?)
Yeah, and he essentially did all the songwriting for it. Probably part of why it sounds quite a bit different, though still pretty cohesive for their sound given that from Discouraged Ones-Fall of Hearts, he and Anders were the primary songwriting duo.
They actually don't add much ;D They wouldn't be additions in the spirit of the list you put together (i.e. different facets of their sound)...I only mentioned them because they are among my favorite songs :)
Yeah, I was trying to focus on each song representing at least one conspicuous element of their sound more so than my actual favorites of theirs, though that surely crept in a bit.
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Ah, what the heck, let’s give it a whirl.
1. Marillion
- Albums: Afraid of Sunlight, Brave, Marbles
- Songs: Gazpacho, Afraid of Sunlight, Fantastic Place
2. Big Big Train
- Albums: The Underfall Yard, English Electric: Full Power, English Boy Wonders
- Songs: Victorian Brickwork, East Coast Racer, Last Train
3. Rush
- Albums: Power Windows, Signals, Grace Under Pressure
- Songs: Available Light, Between the Wheels, Emotion Detector
Decided not to include Genesis because I have a much harder time picking favorite albums/songs with them.
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Anathema
Weather Systems, A Natural Disaster, We're Here Because We're Here
The Storm Before the Calm, Untouchable Pt. 1, Anathema
Steven Wilson / Porcupine Tree / Blackfield / No-Man / Storm Corrosion / etc
In Absentia, Grace for Drowning, Blackfield II
Trains, The Raven That Refused to Sing, Anesthetize
Nine Inch Nails
The Fragile, The Downward Spiral, Bad Witch
Hurt, The Wretched, The Day the World Went Away
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Without too much thought and I didn't really read through everyone else's as not to be influenced (Letter M, we have the same 3 bands), here you go.
Band: Rush
Albums: Permanent Waves, Hemisphere's, Signals
Songs: Natural Science, Available Light, La Villa
Band: Dream Theater
Albums: Scene's from a Memory, Images and Words, Six Degrees
Songs: Octavarium, Learning to Live, At Wits End
Band: Big Big Train
Albums: English Electric Full Power, Grand Tour, The Underfall Yard
Songs: East Coast Racer, Victorian Brickwork, Voyager/Atlantic Cable (can't decide LOL)
Hah, nice! I see we picked the same two same albums/one song each for each band as well! Very nice choices, especially for BBT!
-Marc.
It's tough picking for any of these bands, but I've been on such a BBT kick for over a year now, I could have picked so many songs that are my "favorite". It's truly amazing how consistenly great their catalog is.
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I'm kind of surprised I'm the only one with Opeth in my top three. I feel like if we'd done this 10-20 years ago they'd be much more common.
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This is hard. Just going by the gut:
Band: Dream Theater
Albums: Awake, Scenes, Images
Songs: Voices, Change of Seasons, Scarred
Band: Pain of Salvation
Albums: Perfect Element, Remedy Lane, Be
Songs: Undertow, Her Voices, Trace of Blood
Band: Opeth
Albums: Blackwater Park, Ghost Reveries, My Arms Your Hearse
Songs: Drapery Falls, Ghost of Perdition, All Things Will Pass
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I'm kind of surprised I'm the only one with Opeth in my top three. I feel like if we'd done this 10-20 years ago they'd be much more common.
They're top 10 for sure.
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Band: Dream Theater
Albums: Images And Words; Scenes; Awake
Songs: Voices; Cover My Eyes; Strange Deja Vu
Band: Marillion
Albums: Clutching At Straws; Misplaced Childhood; Season's End
Songs: Heart Of Lothian; Warm Wet Circles/That Time Of The Night; Neverland
Band: Iron Maiden
Albums: Powerslave; Killers; Senjutsu
Songs: Hallowed Be Thy Name; Total Eclipse; Another Life
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Band: Genesis
Albums: Selling England, The Lamb, 3 Sides Live
Songs: In the Cage Medley, Firth of Fifth, Los Endos
Band: Yes
Albums: CTTE, Relayer, GFTO
Songs: CTTE, The Gates of Delirium, Awaken
Band: Dream Theater
Albums: Awake, I&W, SDOIT
Songs: Met I, UAGM, Scarred
And because I'd feel really bad leaving these bands out:
Band: Porcupine Tree
Albums, In Absentia, Fear of a Blank Planet, Closure/Continuation
Songs: The Start of Something Beautiful, Way Out of Here, Dignity
Band: Meshuggah:
Albums: Chaosphere, The Violent Sleep of Reason, Destroy Erase Improve
Songs: Corridor of Chameleons, Clockworks, Future Breed Machine
Band: Rush
Albums: Moving Pictures, Permanent Waves, Power Windows
Songs: Tom Sawyer, Natural Science, Available Light
Band: Marillion
Albums: Afraid of Sunlight, Brave, Clutching at Straws
Songs: King, Warm Wet Circles/That Time of the Night, Fantastic Place
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I'm kind of surprised I'm the only one with Opeth in my top three. I feel like if we'd done this 10-20 years ago they'd be much more common.
Opeth, Neal Morse / NMB, Pain of Salvation and PT/Steven Wilson would have been my next picks - but Rush, DT and BBT beat them out for me. And yes, if Opeth's more recent output would have been on the same level as Still Life - Watershed, it might have been a different story.
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Band: Queen
Albums: Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, Night at the Opera
Songs: Tie Your Mother Down, Ogre Battle, Liar
Band: Elton John
Albums: GBYBR, Don't Shoot Me....., Captain Fantastic.....
Songs: Someone Saved My Life Tonight, Ticking, Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Band: Dream Theater
Albums: SFAM, I&W, Awake
Songs: Met pt. I, In the Name of God, Voices
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Band: Iron Maiden
Albums: The X Factor, Powerslave, Somewhere in Time
Songs: Sign of the Cross, The Parchment, The Talisman
Band: Judas Priest
Albums: Jugulator, Painkiller, Defenders of the Faith
Songs: Beyond the Realms of Death, One Shot At Glory, Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
Band: Dream Theater
Albums: Train of Thought, Awake, Images and Words
Songs: This Dying Soul, Octavarium, Learning to Live
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Opeth...All Things Will Pass
I waited one post too soon it seems. And an unusual choice, especially to have a song from the latest album that high, though I did it for one of my other bands myself. I presume this means you prefer the English version over the Swedish?
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Band: Judas Priest
Albums: Jugulator, Painkiller, Defenders of the Faith
Songs: Beyond the Realms of Death, One Shot At Glory, Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
Ha! This is an interesting choice! Is this your favorite JP? I wouldn't say it's among my favorites, but I do think it's underrated. There are some amazing songs, among others where it almost sounded like they were trying a bit too hard to be super-heavy.
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IQ
Seventh House, Subterrenea, Ever
Seventh House, Further Away, Closer
Dream Theater
I&W, 6DoIT, SFaM
Surrounded, 6DoIT, Count of Tuscany
The Who
Quadrophenia, Who's Next, Who Are You
Amazing Journey/Sparks, Dr Jimmy, Tea and Theater
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Band: Rush
Albums: Moving Pictures, Power Windows, Permanent Waves
Songs: 2112, Xanadu, La Villa Strangiato
Band: Porcupine Tree
Albums: Lightbulb Sun, Deadwing, Stupid Dream
Songs: Don't Hate Me, Lightbulb Sun, Arriving Somewhere But Not Here
Band: Dream Theater
Albums: Awake, Scenes from a Memory, Images and Words
Songs: Voices, Scarred, Learning to Live
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Band : DT
Albums : Images, Awake, When Dream and Day Unite
Songs: Learning to Live, Metropolis pt. 1, A Change of Seasons
Band: Iron Maiden
Albums: 7th Son, Somewhere in Time, Piece of Mind
Songs: To Tame A Land, Infinite Dreams, The Evil That Men Do
Band: Pink Floyd
Albums: Dark Side, Animals, Wish You Were Here
Songs: Echoes, Us And Them, High Hopes
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Band: Judas Priest
Albums: Jugulator, Painkiller, Defenders of the Faith
Songs: Beyond the Realms of Death, One Shot At Glory, Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
Ha! This is an interesting choice! Is this your favorite JP? I wouldn't say it's among my favorites, but I do think it's underrated. There are some amazing songs, among others where it almost sounded like they were trying a bit too hard to be super-heavy.
Made it top 5 in my top 50. Just something about it, always loved it and remember the day I purchased it and listened to it. It's not without its faults but just always really loved it.
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So I did a quick tally, and obviously DT is well in the lead, but it appears that the next favorite bands here are Rush, Iron Maiden, Porcupine Tree, Genesis, and Marillion.
Fascinating to only see a single mention for Metallica, especially given that potentially the easiest way to describe DT's sound is "Rush + Metallica". Maybe another band that would have been more popular to mention a decade or two ago?
It appears that Stadler submitted two different lists. Not sure if he just vibed with a totally different set on a different day, or if those were just 1-3 and then 4-6. Lol.
If I extended mine out to 7, I'd have:
Band: Autumn
Albums: Stacking Smoke, Altitude, Cold Comfort
Songs: "Altitude", "Old Fuel", "Stacked Smoke"
Band: All Ends
Albums: All Ends, A Road To Depression, Wasting Life EP
Songs: "A Road To Depression", "Still Believe", "I Know Who I Am"
Band: Nightingale
Albums: Nightfall Overture, Invisible, Alive Again
Songs: "Nightfall Overture", "Shadowman", "Atlantis Rising"
Band: Kingfisher Sky
Albums: Hallway of Dreams, Skin of the Earth, Arms of Morpheus
Songs: "Balance of Power", "Rise From the Ashes", no idea on the third, so I'll just say "All That Is Left", their most recent song I'm resonating most with.
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Fascinating to only see a single mention for Metallica, especially given that potentially the easiest way to describe DT's sound is "Rush + Metallica". Maybe another band that would have been more popular to mention a decade or two ago?
Metallica would have been on mine years ago, no doubt. They were a "first love", for sure (not uncommon, I presume). Master of Puppets, Ride the Lightning and Justice are a run that's (still) tough to beat in my book (I've put them in my order of preference, of course)
Other bands/albums coming right after my three (not doing songs here):
Iron Maiden (The Number of the Beast, Somewhere in Time, Seventh Son)
Amorphis (Tales from the Thousand Lakes, Elegy, Tuonela)
Queensryche (O:M, Promised Land, Rage for Order)
Fates Warning (Parallels, Inside Out, Perfect Symmetry)
Marillion (Misplaced Childhood, Clutching at Straws, Seasons End)
Katatonia (Last Fair Deal Gone Down, Viva Emptiness, Brave Murder Day)
...and, why not, let's add this too:
Blind Guardian (Imaginations from the Other Side, Tales from the Twilight World, Somewhere Far Beyond)
It appears that Stadler submitted two different lists. Not sure if he just vibed with a totally different set on a different day, or if those were just 1-3 and then 4-6. Lol.
Was noticing the same thing :) Stadler, which one is it?
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It appears that Stadler submitted two different lists. Not sure if he just vibed with a totally different set on a different day, or if those were just 1-3 and then 4-6. Lol.
Was noticing the same thing :) Stadler, which one is it?
The man loves to type out words. :lol
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This is hard, narrowing down 8 bands to just three, but...
Band: Kiss
Albums: Hotter Than Hell; Rock And Roll Over; Creatures Of The Night
Songs: Deuce; Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll; Love 'Em Leave 'Em
Band: Genesis
Albums: Wind And Withering; Abacab; Duke
Songs: Evidence Of Autumn; Me And Sarah Jane; In The Cage Medley (Three Sides Live LP version)
Band: Neal Morse
Albums: Innocence and Danger; One; Testimony 2
Songs: Alive Again; Supernatural; Waterfall
Damn, man! It's like you peeked at my list!
You ever want to start a Kiss cover band, I'm your guy!
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Band: Kiss
Albums: Hotter Than Hell; Rock And Roll Over; Creatures Of The Night
Songs: Deuce; Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll; Love 'Em Leave 'Em
Damn, man! It's like you peeked at my list!
You ever want to start a Kiss cover band, I'm your guy!
Hotter Than Hell and Let Me Go RnR are also both in my Top 3.
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Band: Kiss
Albums: Hotter Than Hell; Rock And Roll Over; Creatures Of The Night
Songs: Deuce; Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll; Love 'Em Leave 'Em
Damn, man! It's like you peeked at my list!
You ever want to start a Kiss cover band, I'm your guy!
Hotter Than Hell and Let Me Go RnR are also both in my Top 3.
As far as Kiss songs go - I gotta go with Black Diamond, Gold Gin and Shout it Out Loud. Not sure where I'd go for Kiss albums, but Kiss Alive and Kiss Alive II have got to be on there no? Or are live albums not allowed?
Edit - but Hotter Than Hell is a good one too!
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Band: Kiss
Albums: Hotter Than Hell; Rock And Roll Over; Creatures Of The Night
Songs: Deuce; Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll; Love 'Em Leave 'Em
Damn, man! It's like you peeked at my list!
You ever want to start a Kiss cover band, I'm your guy!
Hotter Than Hell and Let Me Go RnR are also both in my Top 3.
As far as Kiss songs go - I gotta go with Black Diamond, Gold Gin and Shout it Out Loud. Not sure where I'd go for Kiss albums, but Kiss Alive and Kiss Alive II have got to be on there no? Or are live albums not allowed?
Well, I guess they could be, but I'd list 3 studio albums. I mean, unless you count Alive and Alive II as studio albums, which they very well could be.. ;D
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Band: Kiss
Albums: Hotter Than Hell; Rock And Roll Over; Creatures Of The Night
Songs: Deuce; Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll; Love 'Em Leave 'Em
Damn, man! It's like you peeked at my list!
You ever want to start a Kiss cover band, I'm your guy!
Hotter Than Hell and Let Me Go RnR are also both in my Top 3.
As far as Kiss songs go - I gotta go with Black Diamond, Gold Gin and Shout it Out Loud. Not sure where I'd go for Kiss albums, but Kiss Alive and Kiss Alive II have got to be on there no? Or are live albums not allowed?
Well, I guess they could be, but I'd list 3 studio albums. I mean, unless you count Alive and Alive II as studio albums, which they very well could be.. ;D
I believe they pretty much were studio albums as far as what I've heard. Is that correct Stadler?
TAC - your next post will be 60,000!
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TAC - your next post will be 60,000!
(https://thumbs.gfycat.com/ChubbyJealousKusimanse-max-1mb.gif)
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So I did a quick tally, and obviously DT is well in the lead, but it appears that the next favorite bands here are Rush, Iron Maiden, Porcupine Tree, Genesis, and Marillion.
Fascinating to only see a single mention for Metallica, especially given that potentially the easiest way to describe DT's sound is "Rush + Metallica". Maybe another band that would have been more popular to mention a decade or two ago?
I suspect Metallica would still be in the top 10-15 range of most popular bands here if a list this were to be expanded. They wouldn't make my top 50 most likely, but I still like them.
But I disagree that Rush + Metallica = Dream Theater's sound. Metallica never uses keys (or if they did, you can likely count it on one hand) and Rush almost never used them the way DT always has, and keys are too important to DT's sound.
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Yeah, I imagine for some people some of the more popular bands get pushed down over time as they find others that speak to them more. And a top three really doesn't leave much wiggle room for anything. I'd even have DT on my own list if this was 15-20 years ago. Still like them, but certain things bug me and knock them lower than they'd otherwise be. Opeth has maintained their staying power much more for me, but apparently not for others.
To be a bit more accurate, DT is more closely Rush + Metallica + Yes, and that fulfills the comparison. I suppose you could chop out Rush and meet in the middle, but Rush is individually closer to DT than either of the other two, particularly late 70s-mid-80s. The Metallica facets are more important to DT's sound than Yes to me, but that might be because DT's heavier side comports with me better than their softer elements.
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Band: Queensryche
Albums: Empire, Mindcrime, Warning
Songs: Lady Wore Black, Empire, Eyes Of A Stranger
Band: Iron Maiden
Albums: Seventh Son, Somewhere In Time, Brave New World
Songs: Wasted Years, The Wickerman, Hell On Earth
Band: Huey Lewis And The News
Albums: Fore, Sports, Picture This
Songs: Walking On A Thin Line, I Know What I Like, The Only One
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Opeth...All Things Will Pass
I waited one post too soon it seems. And an unusual choice, especially to have a song from the latest album that high, though I did it for one of my other bands myself. I presume this means you prefer the English version over the Swedish?
Actually, I prefer Swedish version. Its "foreign" feel just excites my imagination more and might be the reason why I like In Cauda Veneum even better than Pale Communion (which I also rate very high). I just couldn't recall the song title in Swedish (it is difficult to remember exact spelling if you don't speak the language) and didn't feel like stopping typing and searching for it.
I put Allting tar slut in the top 3 pretty much just for its final three minutes - for me, this has to be one of the most magical and moving sections in Rock/Metal ever.
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This is a tough one for me. I know who my #1 and #2 are, they have been set in stone for many years now, but my #3 changes from week to week.
Just for the sake of it I guess I'll do DT as my #3, exclusively for this post. Although they are somewhere in my Top 15 these days.
Band: The Beatles (#1)
Albums: Abbey Road, Revolver, Rubber Soul
Songs: Penny Lane, Paperback Writer, Here Comes The Sun
Band: Beach Boys (#2)
Albums: Pet Sounds, Sunflower, SMiLE
Songs: God Only Knows, Cabinessence, Surf's Up
Band: Dream Theater (#3)
Albums: Images And Words, Scenes From A Memory, Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
Songs: Learning To Live, Finally Free, Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
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Choosing my top 2 and 3 (beside DT) was really hard as it depends on what I've been listening lately.
Dream Theater
Albums: Scenes, 6DOIT, Awake
Songs: A Change of Seasons, Trial of Tears, Finally Free
Mastodon
Albums: Crack the Skye, Emperor of Sand, Leviathan
Songs: The Czar, Crack the Skye, Teardrinker
Leprous
Albums: Bilateral, The Congregation, Aphelion
Songs: Acquired Taste, Echo, The Silent Revelation
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Yeah, I imagine for some people some of the more popular bands get pushed down over time as they find others that speak to them more. And a top three really doesn't leave much wiggle room for anything. I'd even have DT on my own list if this was 15-20 years ago. Still like them, but certain things bug me and knock them lower than they'd otherwise be. Opeth has maintained their staying power much more for me, but apparently not for others.
Agreed. Someone who doesn't know me could look at my top 3 of Rush, Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree and think, "OMG, all he likes is hard rock, prog and metal," but while it is not a contest, I am fairly pleased with how much variety I now have in my personal music collection. Certain styles and genres are certainly more dominant than others, but variety is the spice of life. :coolio :coolio
To be a bit more accurate, DT is more closely Rush + Metallica + Yes, and that fulfills the comparison. I suppose you could chop out Rush and meet in the middle, but Rush is individually closer to DT than either of the other two, particularly late 70s-mid-80s. The Metallica facets are more important to DT's sound than Yes to me, but that might be because DT's heavier side comports with me better than their softer elements.
I'd have to think about it a bit, but while Yes was a certain an influence on DT, and easily the most keyboard-heavy of the bands they have name checked the most over the years as influences, DT really doesn't sound like Yes at all. I think the unique thing about Dream Theater is that they are influenced by so many bands that you can hear a little bit of this one here and a little bit of that one there. I remember when Pull Me Under was getting played a ton on the radio and a few friends commenting how much the guitar playing sounded like Iron Maiden.
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Katatonia
Dead End Kings - The Great Cold Distance - Viva Emptiness
"The Parting", "Gone", "Heart Set To Divide"
This is really impossible. I'm thinking of creating a thread for this, but they're one of those bands where they have dozens of high points, but not really one or two that tower above all others.
I need help with this band.
We all need help with this band.. :lol
Are you running another roulette soon good sir? :angel:
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Kudos to Zydar for first mention of the Beatles - and great top 3 albums! I'll have to think about this some more. Besides DT, who do I include between Metallica, Priest, Maiden, Symphony X, etc.
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It appears that Stadler submitted two different lists. Not sure if he just vibed with a totally different set on a different day, or if those were just 1-3 and then 4-6. Lol.
Was noticing the same thing :) Stadler, which one is it?
The man loves to type out words. :lol
Well if Stadler's not following the rules...
Katatonia
Dead End Kings, City Burials, The Fall of Hearts, Night is the New Day (yeah that's 4, can't narrow it down more than that)
Lethean, Lacquer, Dispossession (done super quick and in 5 minutes that'll change, same with all the bands on this list really)
Leprous
Bilateral, Coal, Pitfalls (probably Aphelion too but too new so we'll give it more time)
Forced Entry, Nighttime Disguise, Chronic
Arcturus
Sideshow Symphonies, Arcturian, The Sham Mirrors
Shipwrecked Frontier Pioneer, The Chaos Path, Crashland
Angra
Holy Land, Temple of Shadows, Omni
Morning Star, Ego Painted Grey,, Upper Levels
Putting in the Hall of Fame category:
Dream Theater
Scenes from a Memory, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, The Astonishing
Learning to Live, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (cheating? eh...:) ), At Wit's End
Rush
This is impossible
Grace Under Pressure, Hemispheres, Counterparts
Available Light, Hemispheres, Between the Wheels
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Band: KISS
Albums: Dressed To Kill, Rock And Roll Over, Creatures Of The Night
Songs: Black Diamond, Detroit Rock City, I Stole Your Love
Band: Rush
Albums: Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Presto
Songs: Jacob's Ladder, Natural Science, The Camera Eye
Band: Dream Theater
Albums: Images And Words, Awake, 6DoIT
Songs: Metropolis Pt. 1, The Mirror, 6DoIT
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Yeah, I imagine for some people some of the more popular bands get pushed down over time as they find others that speak to them more. And a top three really doesn't leave much wiggle room for anything. I'd even have DT on my own list if this was 15-20 years ago. Still like them, but certain things bug me and knock them lower than they'd otherwise be. Opeth has maintained their staying power much more for me, but apparently not for others.
Agreed. Someone who doesn't know me could look at my top 3 of Rush, Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree and think, "OMG, all he likes is hard rock, prog and metal," but while it is not a contest, I am fairly pleased with how much variety I now have in my personal music collection. Certain styles and genres are certainly more dominant than others, but variety is the spice of life. :coolio :coolio
To be a bit more accurate, DT is more closely Rush + Metallica + Yes, and that fulfills the comparison. I suppose you could chop out Rush and meet in the middle, but Rush is individually closer to DT than either of the other two, particularly late 70s-mid-80s. The Metallica facets are more important to DT's sound than Yes to me, but that might be because DT's heavier side comports with me better than their softer elements.
I'd have to think about it a bit, but while Yes was a certain an influence on DT, and easily the most keyboard-heavy of the bands they have name checked the most over the years as influences, DT really doesn't sound like Yes at all. I think the unique thing about Dream Theater is that they are influenced by so many bands that you can hear a little bit of this one here and a little bit of that one there. I remember when Pull Me Under was getting played a ton on the radio and a few friends commenting how much the guitar playing sounded like Iron Maiden.
Well, there's guitar parts in 'Misunderstood' and 'Fatal Tragedy' that made me jump to attention, four songs that they've covered on official releases (the most of any band and always part of my preshow trivia contests), providing the perfect segue for:
QUEEN
Albums: Sheer Heart Attack, A Night At The Opera, A Day At The Races
Songs: Procession / Father To Son, Bohemian Rhapsody, and which one of two dozen? Uhm...for the charisma, and power over a crowd, I'll go with live versions of 'Somebody To Love' from Hammersmith '79, Montreal '81 or Milton Keynes '82.
The BEATLES
Albums: Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road, The Beatles
Songs: Hey Jude, She Loves You, A Day In The Life
ALICE COOPER
Albums: Love It To Death, Killer, Billion Dollar Babies
Songs: You Drive Me Nervous, School's Out, Elected
songs of my youth, Alice being ones that I never expected to enjoy decades +++ later. Not listing Led Zeppelin and DT was tough, but I always follow the rules ;)
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Ah, this is actually much easier if the albums and songs are specific to each of the bands, not 3 overall.
My top 3 bands have been pretty much set in stone for years. While I think each of them have probably passed their peak, their back catalogs make overtaking them pretty much impossible.
Devin Townsend (incl. Strapping Young Lad)
Albums: Addicted, Deconstruction, Alien
Songs: Addicted!, Funeral, Skeksis
Dream Theater
Albums: Octavarium, Train Of Thought, Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
Songs: Octavarium, In The Presence Of Enemies, Blind Faith
Porcupine Tree
Albums: Fear Of A Blank Planet, Deadwing, In Absentia
Songs: Trains, Hatesong, Russia On Ice
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Katatonia
Dead End Kings - The Great Cold Distance - Viva Emptiness
"The Parting", "Gone", "Heart Set To Divide"
This is really impossible. I'm thinking of creating a thread for this, but they're one of those bands where they have dozens of high points, but not really one or two that tower above all others.
I need help with this band. Everyone I know says I'd love them. I listened to The Great Cold Distance last week, and I liked it, but found the record and the singer very...samey. I was waiting for some more dynamics within the songs and with the singer, and never got it. Is that just their thing? Kind of mid-tempo all the way around?
Hey Samsara. I'm not as good with the analytical stuff as LithoJazzoSphere and he certainly gave you a great list of songs, and Nick added great songs too, regardless of their reason for the list (representing different aspects of their sound or just favorite songs). I can't really argue with either of their groupings - they both make sense to me and there's multiple ways you can do it. So I'll just speak to my own experience.
My first reaction to Katatonia was kind of similar, maybe just slightly more positive than yours. I liked it - "hey, this is good, I should probably check them out more." (That was Night is the New Day, the album after The Great Cold Distance.) But it was something I thought I'd enjoy here and there; something different from what I normally listened to, but didn't expect it to go beyond that. I didn't think "out loud" that the vocals would hold me back, but it was definitely something in my mind because I kind of put him in a category of singers like that; softer voice, not much range. I could like it, but probably not love it. Maybe that's all it'll ever be for you and even if it's just something you listen to on occasion when the mood strikes, that's cool; it's nice to have bands like that too. But I do think that if you're going to like them more, it'll be something that grows on you. That seems to be relatively common among other fans I've talked to, though I'm sure there are some who did love them right away as well.
For me, it was a few years and everything really clicked and I haven't been able to get enough of them since. I have such a strong emotional reaction to them and turn to Katatonia to get through really hard times or just a plain old bad day, but also to celebrate good times as well. Jonas Renkse has become one of my favorite two or three singers and my absolute favorite lyricist. People talk about Katatonia as dark, sad, depressing, bleak, etc. And they are... and yet, for me they are much more than that. A musician once said to me "you know how every Katatonia song is like the saddest thing ever but also incredibly uplifting?" And I was so excited because I was like "yes!!! I *do* know!" I can relate to Katatonia on a personal level but also on a level of imagery - the music and lyrics create really vivid imagery for me and I often feel like I am in the middle of something incredible.
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Band: Neal Morse (and Spock's Beard, NMB)
Albums: V, Snow, Testimony 2
Songs: So Many Roads, The Great Nothing, Alive Again
Band: Dream Theater
Albums: 6DOIT, Train of Thought, Octavarium
Songs: Octavarium, Glass Prison, Voices
Band: Shadow Gallery
Albums: Legacy, Room V, Tyranny
Songs: First Light, Rain, Andromeda Strain
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Band: Iced Earth
Albums: Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Dark Saga, Burnt Offerings
Songs: The Coming Curse, Burning Times, Dante's Inferno
Band: Queensryche
Albums: Operation: Mindcrime, Rage for Order, The Warning
Songs: Eyes of a Stranger, The Mission, NM156
Band: Iron Maiden
Albums: Powerslave, The Number of the Beast, Brave New World
Songs: Hallowed Be Thy Name, Aces High, The Trooper
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So glad you still consider IE your favorite band, despite the drama. Such a killer catalog. Hoping one day they can reform, without Jon Schaffer, and do that catalog justice.
Be nice if Barlow spearheaded it.
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So glad you still consider IE your favorite band, despite the drama. Such a killer catalog. Hoping one day they can reform, without Jon Schaffer, and do that catalog justice.
Be nice if Barlow spearheaded it.
I do - I don't listen to them as much since there's so much new music and other bands to revisit. I don't see them forming a lineup without Jon though, it's solely his band. Once his legal issues are behind him, we might see some more activity. I did get the sense that he was using Kickstarter in 2020 to see if he can create income from projects not involving music, so I don't know how much more music he has left in him. Especially after he goes to prison.
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Artist: Kevin Gilbert
Albums: The Shaming of the True, Toy Matinee, Thud
Songs: Last Plane Out, Water Under the Bridge, Imagemaker (from The Shaming of the True)
Artist: Marillion
Albums: Brave, Clutching at Straws, Marbles
Songs: Grendel, The Invisible Man, The Great Escape
#3 I'm torn between:
The Dear Hunter
dredg
Fates Warning
Rush
So I let a Random Number Generator pick 1-4, and got 1, so I'm going with The Dear Hunter
Artist: The Dear Hunter
Albums: Act II, Act I, Act IV
Songs: His Hands Matched His Tongue, Mandala, Waves
a coworker of mine suggested given the idea is Bands, not Artists,, and Kevin Gilbert was part of many Bands, he doesn't count.
So I'm adding a 3rd Band to my pick.
Band: dredg
Albums: El Cielo, Catch Without Arms, Pariah
Songs: The Canyon Behind Her, Gathering Pebbles, Hungover on a Tuesday
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So glad you still consider IE your favorite band, despite the drama. Such a killer catalog. Hoping one day they can reform, without Jon Schaffer, and do that catalog justice.
Be nice if Barlow spearheaded it.
I do - I don't listen to them as much since there's so much new music and other bands to revisit. I don't see them forming a lineup without Jon though, it's solely his band. Once his legal issues are behind him, we might see some more activity. I did get the sense that he was using Kickstarter in 2020 to see if he can create income from projects not involving music, so I don't know how much more music he has left in him. Especially after he goes to prison.
My thought is that a band that plays IE music under a new name. Not IE specifically. Spearheaded by Barlow, possibly authorized by Jon. Too much good music to lay dormant.
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a coworker of mine suggested given the idea is Bands, not Artists,, and Kevin Gilbert was part of many Bands, he doesn't count.
This is what kept me from considering Neal Morse to be in my list considering his participation in multiple bands that I like (Spock’s Beard, Transatlantic, Flying Colors, The Neal Morse Band).
-Marc.
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Opeth...All Things Will Pass
I waited one post too soon it seems. And an unusual choice, especially to have a song from the latest album that high, though I did it for one of my other bands myself. I presume this means you prefer the English version over the Swedish?
Actually, I prefer Swedish version. Its "foreign" feel just excites my imagination more and might be the reason why I like In Cauda Veneum even better than Pale Communion (which I also rate very high). I just couldn't recall the song title in Swedish (it is difficult to remember exact spelling if you don't speak the language) and didn't feel like stopping typing and searching for it.
I put Allting tar slut in the top 3 pretty much just for its final three minutes - for me, this has to be one of the most magical and moving sections in Rock/Metal ever.
I agree with you. I've mentioned before how the ending of this song resolves the entire album. Probably my favorite song of the "new Opeth". But I still prefer the material on Ghost Reveries, Blackwater Park, Watershed etc..
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My first reaction to Katatonia was kind of similar, maybe just slightly more positive than yours. I liked it - "hey, this is good, I should probably check them out more." (That was Night is the New Day, the album after The Great Cold Distance.) But it was something I thought I'd enjoy here and there; something different from what I normally listened to, but didn't expect it to go beyond that. I didn't think "out loud" that the vocals would hold me back, but it was definitely something in my mind because I kind of put him in a category of singers like that; softer voice, not much range. I could like it, but probably not love it. Maybe that's all it'll ever be for you and even if it's just something you listen to on occasion when the mood strikes, that's cool; it's nice to have bands like that too. But I do think that if you're going to like them more, it'll be something that grows on you. That seems to be relatively common among other fans I've talked to, though I'm sure there are some who did love them right away as well.
For me, it was a few years and everything really clicked and I haven't been able to get enough of them since.
Yeah, I started with just half a dozen MP3s I downloaded. I liked them, but they were just one of hundreds of other bands I liked a bit. Got into Viva Emptiness sometime after it came out, then a little after kind of went nuts and bought most of their discography to that point, but they still weren't one of my top-tier bands yet. Each album cycle I'd get into them a bit deeper, usually with major binges sometime before and/or after each new album, and it just kept snowballing. I don't think it was until '14 or so after I'd finally seen them live and I kept coming back over and over again to Dead End Kings that I started considering them arguably my favorite band.
My thought is that a band that plays IE music under a new name. Not IE specifically. Spearheaded by Barlow, possibly authorized by Jon. Too much good music to lay dormant.
I just don't think that'll happen. IE has always been Jon's baby, and Matt isn't going to run with it since he's Jon's brother-in-law.
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My first reaction to Katatonia was kind of similar, maybe just slightly more positive than yours. I liked it - "hey, this is good, I should probably check them out more." (That was Night is the New Day, the album after The Great Cold Distance.) But it was something I thought I'd enjoy here and there; something different from what I normally listened to, but didn't expect it to go beyond that. I didn't think "out loud" that the vocals would hold me back, but it was definitely something in my mind because I kind of put him in a category of singers like that; softer voice, not much range. I could like it, but probably not love it. Maybe that's all it'll ever be for you and even if it's just something you listen to on occasion when the mood strikes, that's cool; it's nice to have bands like that too. But I do think that if you're going to like them more, it'll be something that grows on you. That seems to be relatively common among other fans I've talked to, though I'm sure there are some who did love them right away as well.
For me, it was a few years and everything really clicked and I haven't been able to get enough of them since.
Yeah, I started with just half a dozen MP3s I downloaded. I liked them, but they were just one of hundreds of other bands I liked a bit. Got into Viva Emptiness sometime after it came out, then a little after kind of went nuts and bought most of their discography to that point, but they still weren't one of my top-tier bands yet. Each album cycle I'd get into them a bit deeper, usually with major binges sometime before and/or after each new album, and it just kept snowballing. I don't think it was until '14 or so after I'd finally seen them live and I kept coming back over and over again to Dead End Kings that I started considering them arguably my favorite band.
My experience was very much like this, except over a shorter time period - from Night is the New Day to after Dead End Kings had been out for a few months. And Dead End Kings is the one that did it for me. It probably could have been Night is the New Day had I started listening to them earlier; I think I needed that time for them to grow and maybe for me to be in the right headspace. I did see them open for Opeth and liked them better than Opeth and had intentions of following up, but it didn't happen until Dead End Kings. And I played Dead End Kings again and again and again and it wasn't that I loved the whole album at once; it was this song, and then that song, and then that song. And I remember where I was for many of the songs. Then I bought the discography and what a period of discovery that was. I really enjoyed hearing the evolution of the band and yet how that had that something from the beginning. And the evolution of Jonas' vocals; from harsh to very tentative clean, and improving with each album.
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Band: Pink Floyd
Albums: Animals, The Wall, Wish You Were Here
Songs: Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Dogs, Echoes
Band: Dire Straits
Albums: Making Movies, Love Over Gold, Dire Straits
Songs: Tunnel of Love, Telegraph Road, Sultans of Swing
Band: Genesis
Albums: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Foxtrot, Nursery Cryme
Songs: Supper's Ready, Driving The Last Spike, The Musical Box
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And because I have precisely 6 favourite bands/artists, divided into 3 'old' (i.e before I was old enough to see them live) and 3 new, here are the other 'newer' 3:
Band: Dream Theater
Albums: Scenes, Train of Thought, Awake
Songs: A Change of Seasons, Home, Misunderstood
Band: Elliott Smith (guy in my avatar)
Albums: Either/Or, X/O, From a Basement on the Hill
Songs: Between The Bars, King's Crossing, Say Yes
Band: Godspeed You Black Emperor
Albums: Lift Your Skinny Fists Likes Antennas to Heaven, F#A# Infinity, Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada
Songs: Storm, Sleep, Providence
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And I played Dead End Kings again and again and again and it wasn't that I loved the whole album at once; it was this song, and then that song, and then that song. And I remember where I was for many of the songs.
Yeah, pretty much the same. The weird thing is that I listened to it a ton in '12 when it came out ("The Parting", "Dead Letters" and "The One You Are Looking For Is Not Here" were the first standouts), some but not all that much in '13, but then in '14 in the fall I probably listened to it even more than I did in '12. "The Racing Heart" and "Hypnone" were the most played tracks during that period. It seems kind of rare to find fans who are really into that album, it's often considered the ugly duckling of their discography (lowest rating on Rate Your Music until City Burials came out, for example).
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Band: Iced Earth
Albums: Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Dark Saga, Burnt Offerings
Songs: The Coming Curse, Burning Times, Dante's Inferno
Band: Queensryche
Albums: Operation: Mindcrime, Rage for Order, The Warning
Songs: Eyes of a Stranger, The Mission, NM156
Band: Iron Maiden
Albums: Powerslave, The Number of the Beast, Brave New World
Songs: Hallowed Be Thy Name, Aces High, The Trooper
What's your take on Demons & Wizards then Grapp? As much as I loved the last Iced Earth I thought III was even better!?
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And I played Dead End Kings again and again and again and it wasn't that I loved the whole album at once; it was this song, and then that song, and then that song. And I remember where I was for many of the songs.
Yeah, pretty much the same. The weird thing is that I listened to it a ton in '12 when it came out ("The Parting", "Dead Letters" and "The One You Are Looking For Is Not Here" were the first standouts), some but not all that much in '13, but then in '14 in the fall I probably listened to it even more than I did in '12. "The Racing Heart" and "Hypnone" were the most played tracks during that period. It seems kind of rare to find fans who are really into that album, it's often considered the ugly duckling of their discography (lowest rating on Rate Your Music until City Burials came out, for example).
I took my reply to the Katatonia thread so as not to further derail Samsara's thread. :)
(But Samsara, if you want us to talk more about Katatonia here, I'm sure we won't mind... but at least - don't feel like not being that into them at first means that you'll never be.)
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What's your take on Demons & Wizards then Grapp? As much as I loved the last Iced Earth I thought III was even better!?
III felt like a letdown. The debut is one of my favorite albums and it always takes me back to when it came out. Full-on Iced Earth music with Hansi's vocals. On III, Jon and Hansi specifically pulled back from the power metal style to get more of a classic rock feel. So the album isn't as balls to the wall as I wanted after all those years. Hansi is always great, but I wanted a heavier record - a bunch of songs like Diabolic, which just rips. The true loss was that they were going to release the live Wacken show on DVD, but Jon's actions put that release on the shelf. They were on fire that night, with a cool stage and backup vocalists.
My thought is that a band that plays IE music under a new name. Not IE specifically. Spearheaded by Barlow, possibly authorized by Jon. Too much good music to lay dormant.
That's a fascinating idea, but I don't see Matt ever stepping on Jon's toes, even when he's in jail. I've resigned myself to believing that the band will be fairly dormant - an occasional release like the Bang Your Head live record and plenty of merch-slinging to raise money.
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The true loss was that they were going to release the live Wacken show on DVD, but Jon's actions put that release on the shelf. They were on fire that night, with a cool stage and backup vocalists.
Is that this show?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otoWZd64aB4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otoWZd64aB4&t=205s)
Funny you mention the backup vocalists, lots of firepower there, including a recent round one roulette winner. I like Hansi, but he's my fourth favorite vocalist of the five.
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I'm kind of surprised I'm the only one with Opeth in my top three. I feel like if we'd done this 10-20 years ago they'd be much more common.
Yeah 10 years ago they would be very high for me but I guess the combination of them really falling off with Heritage and forward (not terrible albums just a musical direction that I don't find very exciting at all) and me discovering other bands have made them fall down a bit. But Opeth from Orchid to Watershed is still something very close to my heart.
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Band: Dire Straits
Albums: Making Movies, Love Over Gold, Dire Straits
Songs: Tunnel of Love, Telegraph Road, Sultans of Swing
Great pick, Dire Straits don't get enough love around here.
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What's your take on Demons & Wizards then Grapp? As much as I loved the last Iced Earth I thought III was even better!?
III felt like a letdown. The debut is one of my favorite albums and it always takes me back to when it came out. Full-on Iced Earth music with Hansi's vocals. On III, Jon and Hansi specifically pulled back from the power metal style to get more of a classic rock feel. So the album isn't as balls to the wall as I wanted after all those years. Hansi is always great, but I wanted a heavier record - a bunch of songs like Diabolic, which just rips. The true loss was that they were going to release the live Wacken show on DVD, but Jon's actions put that release on the shelf. They were on fire that night, with a cool stage and backup vocalists.
My thought is that a band that plays IE music under a new name. Not IE specifically. Spearheaded by Barlow, possibly authorized by Jon. Too much good music to lay dormant.
That's a fascinating idea, but I don't see Matt ever stepping on Jon's toes, even when he's in jail. I've resigned myself to believing that the band will be fairly dormant - an occasional release like the Bang Your Head live record and plenty of merch-slinging to raise money.
Yep fair and I admit to not really investing in D&W properly until III probably why I loved it but since going back through the previous two records yep can appreciate your comments.
That said Ive tired somewhat of the fast as we can triplicate stuff over the years and do like the changes (for example the slower and out of the box tunes are the best on the latest Blind Guardian IMO) so do think there's plenty great stuff on III regardless, love it!
Cheers.
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The true loss was that they were going to release the live Wacken show on DVD, but Jon's actions put that release on the shelf. They were on fire that night, with a cool stage and backup vocalists.
Is that this show?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otoWZd64aB4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otoWZd64aB4&t=205s)
Funny you mention the backup vocalists, lots of firepower there, including a recent round one roulette winner. I like Hansi, but he's my fourth favorite vocalist of the five.
Yeah - Demons was contracted to put out 2 studio records and a live album/dvd. Those plans all went up in smoke, especially after Hansi left the band.
Yep fair and I admit to not really investing in D&W properly until III probably why I loved it but since going back through the previous two records yep can appreciate your comments.
That said Ive tired somewhat of the fast as we can triplicate stuff over the years and do like the changes (for example the slower and out of the box tunes are the best on the latest Blind Guardian IMO) so do think there's plenty great stuff on III regardless, love it!
Cheers.
I haven't listened for a while and should give it another spin - I like a few of the songs, but it just started sounding "samey" to me. Hansi did sound amazing on the album though it felt tainted to me after some initial disappointment and then watching Jon's ranting and raving on a few 2020 livestreams.
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1- Dream Theater
Albums: Awake, Images & Words, SDOIT
Songs: Learning To Live, Scarred, Octavarium
2- Enigma
Albums: Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi!, MCMXC a.D., The Cross of Changes
Songs: Principles of Lust, Return to Innocence, Mea Culpa!
3- Pink Floyd
Albums: Dark Side Of The Moon, The Wall, Wish You Were Here
Songs: Us and Them, Hey You, Learning To Fly