Author Topic: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums - Done!  (Read 31002 times)

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Offline Gorille85

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #35 on: December 07, 2011, 11:32:03 AM »
Super list so far! :tup Maybe Unexpect will be on the next update?? :D
I must admit, I've not quite fallen in love with Unexpect yet. I definitely like them quite a lot, but I wouldn't say they've clicked yet.

Have you tried their latest album?? Considering your list, I'm sure you'll like it! :tup

Offline Arch Benemy

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #36 on: December 07, 2011, 03:11:53 PM »
Super list so far! :tup Maybe Unexpect will be on the next update?? :D
I must admit, I've not quite fallen in love with Unexpect yet. I definitely like them quite a lot, but I wouldn't say they've clicked yet.

Have you tried their latest album?? Considering your list, I'm sure you'll like it! :tup
Haven't yet, although I hear it's probably a good starting place for the band (a bit less crazy.) I actually first discovered them about 5 years ago through someone on the SikTh forums, but I sort of forgot about them and since then my musical horizons have changed so much that it's like listening to a new band.

Offline ariich

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums v. No. 32!
« Reply #37 on: December 07, 2011, 04:06:00 PM »
Their newest is by far their best IMO, and the only one I can really listen to. The earlier stuff is just too much insanity for my brain to cope with.

Ariich is a freak, or somehow has more hours in the day than everyone else.
I be am boner inducing.

Offline Gorille85

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums v. No. 32!
« Reply #38 on: December 07, 2011, 04:42:15 PM »
Their newest is by far their best IMO, and the only one I can really listen to. The earlier stuff is just too much insanity for my brain to cope with.

WE, Invaders and Utopia are not THAT crazy though... But yeah Fables is the way to go! :tup

Offline WebRaider

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums v. No. 32!
« Reply #39 on: December 07, 2011, 04:54:45 PM »
Time for three albums I like slightly more than the last three, including the moment you've all been waiting for, following hot on the heels of No. 33

32. Devin Townsend - Ocean Machine



Listening to this album is like being enveloped in a big warm cloud. I find the ‘wall of sound’ production that Devin uses on many of his albums really comforting, the audio equivalent of a hug. This is just an album of great tracks, and ends with what could be my favourite Devin song of all. You could probably describe this record as being Devin’s ‘core’ sound, big, chunky heavy rock songs interspersed with moments of serenity, although the use of hardly any harsh vocals does set it apart from his other pre-DTP material. Seventh Wave is a great opener, building from the slow intro into the absolutely sumptuous chorus and progressing from there, and that sets the tone for the whole record. I could gush about almost all the songs here, but for me the undoubted highlight is The Death of Music. In the right frame of mind this song transcends music and becomes a life-affirming experience. It’s like nothing else he’s ever recorded. I once listened to this song on repeat for about four hours whilst dozing on a plane and had the most amazing lucid dreams, with visions of oceans and cityscapes and driving ranges in the sky. I can only wonder at the frame of mind he was in to write this, or how draining it was to record a vocal performance of this intensity and emotion. The juiciest of cherries on a delicious cake of an album.

https://grooveshark.com/#/s/The+Death+Of+Music/3IdqWO?src=5


31. Buckethead – Colma



An album which is quite a departure from Buckethead’s normal sound, Colma is a mellow, subtle and delicate collection of tracks which he wrote for his mother to enjoy when she was ill. Eschewing his usual virtuosity in favour of minimalism, the songs on Colma are nonetheless captivating. I love the way he will often take a single phrase or arpeggio and develop it into a full song; opener Whitewash is a great example of this. There are some albums which you have to be in the right frame of mood for, but I can throw this album on at any time and it will either help me relax after a tough day or inspire me to take a breath and reconstitute my thoughts during a difficult period. I particularly enjoy this record if I am out and about in a busy place, for example shopping. Turning the volume up so that every other sound is blocked out and drifting through the crowds in my own little world gives me a sense of detachment from the stresses of the world that I find incredibly valuable. Colma is sometimes happy, often melancholy, occasionally breath-taking and always beautiful.

https://grooveshark.com/#/s/Big+Sur+Moon/2zLABO?src=5


30. Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power



Although I would have been too young to appreciate or even understand this album when it was released, Pantera’s music has a timeless quality which makes the aggression contained as relevant today as it was 20 years ago. A lot of that is simply due to the quality of the material. Dimebag’s riffs are heavier and punchier than anything the ‘djent’ movement can create, and the chemistry and sense of groove he had with his brother Vinnie Paul is something no amount of practice can emulate. Of course ‘Walk’ is the song everybody talks about from this album, and it is a testament to the band that a song comprised of three notes can be considered one of the greatest metal tracks of all time. Aside from the instruments, I really like Phil Anselmo’s vocals. On ‘Fucking Hostile’ I love his ability to scream vocals at 100mph and still have them easily comprehensible, and whilst I think his clean singing on this record is neither as good nor as prevalent as it is on some other Pantera records he still utilises it well. If Colma is a record to wind me down then this is the opposite, the album to pump me up for challenges ahead.

https://grooveshark.com/#/s/This+Love/1Up6wr?src=5


Both the DT and Pantera selections are top notch! I have yet to delve into Buckethead. I like instrumental guitar stuff so I'm not sure what my hold up is... I'll have to check it out.


Offline Arch Benemy

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Lolbums
« Reply #40 on: December 08, 2011, 02:45:42 PM »
^You should definitely check out Colma. Much of his other material is too wacky or dissonant for anyone except the most devoted Bucket-heads, but even my Nan likes Colma.

I'm going to start doing these in batches of two now because:
a) I haven't quite finished the write-ups and I won't have enough free time to get them done at the rate I'm currently posting
b) Building up tension ooooohhhh
c) I'm the OP and I can do what I want

29. Mastodon – Leviathan



What I love about this album, aside from the amazing drumming, unusual guitar lines and complex yet memorable rhythms, is the atmosphere. Leviathan is a concept album based on the story of Moby Dick, and somehow Mastodon have recreated the sound of a turbulent ocean quest in their music, not through simply sampling ocean sounds, but through the clever use of notes to create moments of tension, panic, anger and peace. To me this album sounds like the ocean, but not a calm, soothing seascape, rather a harsh, violent and unforgiving battleground. Many listeners are instantly put off or Mastodon because of their vocals, especially on these earlier albums, and whilst there is no doubt that their singing has improved of late the pure intensity of the vocals from all four members, and the different textures that each one provides during the course of the album, fit the music perfectly. Picking standout tracks is hard for me here because each song complements the album so well, but the vocal melodies in Naked Burn and the outtro solo of the epic Hearts Alive are favourite moments of mine.

https://grooveshark.com/#/s/Seabeast/3CkJXj?src=5


28. Agalloch - The Mantle




The second Agalloch album on my list, and my favourite by them. Simply one of the most immersive and haunting albums I’ve ever heard. I love how Agalloch don’t rush their music – it’s five minutes into the album before you hear any vocals – but let the songs develop slowly and in doing so build up the desolate atmosphere which defines their sound. Even when they do speed up a bit during songs like ‘I Am the Wooden Doors,’ they still manage to keep the overall feel of the album intact. The use of acoustic guitars particularly impresses me, adding subtle harmonies in order to keep the pseudo-folk vibe alive during sections that could otherwise be considered black metal. This is not an album I would throw on during a summer’s day, but at moments when I’m feeling down or reflective this is perfect ‘thinking’ music. Agalloch certainly won’t be to everyone’s taste, but they have a style all their own, something which is becoming harder and harder to come by. And if nothing else, it’s fucking cool to have an album which features the sound of someone hitting the skull of a deer as an instrument.

https://grooveshark.com/#/s/You+Were+But+A+Ghost+In+My+Arms/2Bunr0?src=5

Goddamn those are two good albums.

Online Zantera

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Lolbums
« Reply #41 on: December 08, 2011, 03:22:04 PM »
Agalloch!  :heart

Online wolfking

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Lolbums
« Reply #42 on: December 08, 2011, 04:24:11 PM »
Agree with everything about Leviathan.  The atmosphere of the album is so powerful and every song is just perfect.  It would probably make it in my top 20 albums of all time, perfect record.
Everyone else, except Wolfking is wrong.

Offline Arch Benemy

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Lolbums
« Reply #43 on: December 09, 2011, 11:12:32 AM »
27. Tenacious D – Tenacious D



This album just plain rules. Everybody knows Tenacious D for the song Tribute with the comedy music video, and whilst that song is great it’s by no means the peak of this album. I love Jack Black’s voice throughout, distinctive and with a great range, and the acoustic guitars by Kyle Gass are clean and melodic, and suit the music to a T. In fact all of the instrumentation on the album is great, with some extremely talented musicians including Dave Grohl on drums. However, only about two thirds of the tracks are actual songs. The other tracks are skits and comedy sketches, something which would irritate me to death if they weren’t actually funny. But they are funny, and I find that they don’t get old. I guess it helps that I really like Jack Black as an actor, and I have no doubt that if someone didn’t like him then they wouldn’t get this album at all. His lyrics are of course ridiculous throughout, but that’s the point of the album, and they’re memorable and anthemic and songs like ‘Wonderboy’ and ‘Fuck Her Gently’ are sure to incite a sing-along even amongst people who don’t normally like rock music, such is their appeal. There are not many albums where I know every word to every song, but this is one of them.

https://grooveshark.com/#/s/Friendship/3Y2MN6?src=5


26. Dream Theater – Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence



The album featuring the song which first introduced me to Dream Theater. As my musical tastes were expanding and I was beginning to appreciate more complex music, my friend said to me “Ben, you should check out Dream Theater, you’d probably really like them.” So when I got home, I opened up Kazaa and entered Dream Theater. First song on the list, ‘The Glass Prison.’ When it was downloaded about 4 hours later, I hit play. What I heard over the next 14 minutes shaped my musical development for the rest of my life. I had no idea people could make music like this. When I got around to buying the whole album I revelled in the complexities of Blind Faith, absorbed the atmosphere of Misunderstood, was blown away by the intensity of The Great Debate, and wallowed in the sadness of Disappear. And as for the title track, I had all those reactions and more. I’m sure most of you know this album pretty well so I won’t go into more detail, save to say that I still love it, and that The Glass Prison is my second favourite DT song, behind Octavarium.

https://grooveshark.com/#/s/The+Glass+Prison/2jdFL2?src=5

Offline Sigz

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Lolbums
« Reply #44 on: December 09, 2011, 01:44:39 PM »
The Mantle  :heart
Quote
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Offline Jirpo

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Lolbums
« Reply #45 on: December 09, 2011, 03:57:15 PM »
Great to see Agalloch and DT!

Offline ReaperKK

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Lolbums
« Reply #46 on: December 10, 2011, 07:58:23 PM »
Both awesome albums, it sucks that PoD was such a let down :(

Six Degrees is my favorite DT album :heart

Offline Arch Benemy

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Lolbums
« Reply #47 on: December 11, 2011, 12:06:09 PM »
25. Vital Remains – Dechristianize



Dechristianize is probably the heaviest album on my list, but it is far from a run-of-the-mill death metal album. In my opinion this is Vital Remains’ most progressive record. Lead guitarist Dave Suzuki finds a way to incorporate neo-classical solos and leads into the music without it ever seeming forced or clichéd. There are even moments of acoustic classical and flamenco guitar, but these too seem to make perfect sense within the whirlwind of noise offered up by the rest of the instruments. The drums, also played by Suzuki, are phenomenal on this album. Sure, there’s the obligatory 100mph blasting synonymous with the genre, and the speed of some of his rolls and double-bass are breathtaking, but there are also moments of great groove where he plays *shock, horror* tastefully. The issue of taste may be an issue for some with regard to the vocals, as Glen Benson is definitely a character who divides opinion, and the lyrics (written by Suzuki) are not going to win over those of a religious disposition, but his guttural growl and Suzuki’s demonic screams are a perfect fit to the intensity of the music. My only qualm with this record is the lack of bass (played by guess who) but that doesn’t detract from the quality of the music. Full of epic moments and unexpected twists and turns, Dechristianize is a quality album from start to finish.

Apparantly VR are so heavy that Grooveshark cannot support the weight of their music, so no link.


24. Gojira – Terra Incognita



Another heavy album, from perhaps the heaviest band to ever exist. But Gojira are not just heavy for the sake of it, this is controlled, groove-laden music with much more intelligence that your ‘average’ metal album. As their first record, Terra Incognita does suffer from a less than crystal clear sound, but much like Agalloch that murkiness only succeeds in making the album more atmospheric. And there is great atmosphere here, helped by a surprising amount of variety in the music. The intro to Lizard Skin may be the heaviest moment of music in my entire library, whilst 1990 Quatrillions de Tonnes is a haunting instrumental layered with vocal samples which never fails to give me goosebumps. And the grooves, oh god the grooves. Mario Duplantier is an absolute beast of a drummer and his work on this album is often flabbergasting, but his most impressive moments are often not when he is playing all-out, but instead keeping to a simple beat and allowing those mammoth grooves to flow, as during Blow Me Away You (Niverse). Whilst I also love Gojira’s later albums, there is an intensity to this record that sets it apart as my favourite by them, and it is a must for fans of heavy music.

https://grooveshark.com/#/s/Lizard+Skin/rZTng?src=5

LOL THAT'S NOT MUSIC IT'S JUST NOISE YOU CAN'T EVEN HEAR WHAT HE'S SAYING HOW CAN I DANCE TO THAT

Offline WebRaider

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Lolbums
« Reply #48 on: December 11, 2011, 03:37:23 PM »
^You should definitely check out Colma. Much of his other material is too wacky or dissonant for anyone except the most devoted Bucket-heads, but even my Nan likes Colma.


I'll definitely give it a listen. I've heard a few other folks say good things about Colma.

Offline Gorille85

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Lolbums
« Reply #49 on: December 11, 2011, 03:41:04 PM »
Gojira :metal

Offline Jirpo

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Lolbums
« Reply #50 on: December 11, 2011, 06:30:05 PM »
Great picks! Cool to see some Vital Remains :)

Offline Dr. DTVT

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Lolbums
« Reply #51 on: December 11, 2011, 09:24:35 PM »
The Mantle  :heart

Very much this.  This album was a game changer for me.  You Were But A Ghost In My Arms / The Hawthorne Passage is about as close to a perfect 20 minutes as you can find in music.
     

Offline Arch Benemy

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Lolbums
« Reply #52 on: December 13, 2011, 12:40:50 PM »
Whoops two day bump, but what a pair I have for you today.

23. Strapping Young Lad – Alien



OK I lied about Dechristianize being the heaviest album on my list, but that’s because in my opinion Alien is the heaviest album of all time. Not heavy in the sense that it’s thrashy and noisy and impenetrable (although it does have its moments) but rather heavy in its intensity, anger and insanity. And insanity really is the word. For those not in the know about Devin Townsend he is quite severely bi-polar, although he is able to control it with medication. For Alien, afraid that Strapping’s music was losing its edge, he stopped taking that medication and allowed himself to regress. The panic, schizophrenia and paranoia that followed are chronicled via the devastating sound of the album. This is not easy listening. Shitstorm is the single angriest song I’ve ever heard, with Devin ranting and raving at himself, other people, and the world in general. I love the lyrics on this record, with other subjects including the problems of being human, dealing with materialism, and the complexities of love (dealt with with STL-era Devin’s trademark skepticism, of course.)

But it’s not just the lyrics and the vocal performance which are great on this album, the music more than matches Devin’s intensity. Gene Hoglan’s drums are the perfect battering ram with which to hammer home the emotional beating this record delivers, and between screaming his head off Devin and the rest of the band deliver some seriously great grooves. The main riff to Love? Is guaranteed to grab my attention and get me nodding my head no matter where I am or what I’m doing, and the moments of relative calm such as Thalamus have an ugly beauty which betrays the other side of Devin’s split personality, the man coming to terms with a world he struggles to understand. And topping it all off is Info Dump, Devin’s attempt at putting the feeling of relapsing into his disorder into a single track. Listened to loudly through good headphones it is a genuinely frightening experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw903mFTkcE


Things start to get less heavy from here on.

22. Miocene – A Perfect Life With A View Of The Swamp



Of all the albums on my list this is the one which I would recommend the most highly to those who haven’t heard it. Which I suspect is most people :lol Miocene are sadly not around anymore, having split in 2006, but their legacy includes an album of fantastic, original music from a band who were not afraid to push musical boundaries or try something new. ‘A Perfect Life…’ took over three years to write and it shows. It is difficult to label them as belonging to any particular genre because this is an album of such varied music, but you could probably describe them as being experimental progressive metal. When playing ‘as a band’ their sound is not dissimilar to Tool, both vocally and instrumentally, with the same tortured guitar tones, prominent bass, stunning drumming and frequent time signature and tempo changes employed by Maynard and co.

But that style of music doesn’t make up even half of this record. There are several fully electronic tracks, not just the interludes that many metal bands employ, but fully realized pieces in the vein of Aphex Twin and Venetian Snares. Other genres to be found include ambience, drum’n’bass, hip-hop, the closing track is acoustic, and there is even a spoken word piece. And these genres are by no means relegated to their own specific tracks, but incorporated smoothly into songs which were previously heading in a completely different direction. ‘The Fall,’ for example, is a prog-metal style song for five and a half minutes, before going off on a tangent and becoming a live drum’n’bass track, whilst ‘Sympathy For Gordon Comstock’ starts as an ambient synth piece before being layered with traditional instruments, and then finally breaking down into an electronic glitchcore mindfuck. I really really love this record, not just because of how Miocene pushed the boat out musically, but also because they clearly put everything they had into making it, and that labour of love has resulted in an album they can look back and be proud of.
Have a listen if you fancy something a bit different, or just want something to fill the gap until the next Tool album!

https://grooveshark.com/#/s/The+Fall/2zq2MF?src=5

https://grooveshark.com/#/s/Colloquial+Drug+Terminology/2zpZ1S?src=5

Offline Elite

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Lolbums
« Reply #53 on: December 13, 2011, 01:35:30 PM »
Alien is about the biggest musical sledgehammer to your face.
Hey dude slow the fuck down so we can finish together at the same time.  :biggrin:
Squ
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Offline Arch Benemy

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Lolbums
« Reply #54 on: December 14, 2011, 09:36:43 AM »
Alien is about the biggest musical sledgehammer to your face.
Agreed, it's just non-stop musical punishment. And i love it  :biggrin:

Offline Arch Benemy

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Lolbums
« Reply #55 on: December 15, 2011, 08:59:10 AM »
Onward.

21. Silversun Pickups – Carnavas



Silversun Pickups are a band I stumbled upon via Guitar Hero. Their music has the quality of being both uplifting and summery whilst also being melancholy and heartfelt. It’s impossible to ignore their similarity to Smashing Pumpkins, even down to both bands having a female bass player, but in my opinion Carnavas is a greater album than any that the Pumpkins released. Brian Aubert’s feminine Corgan-esque vocals range from breathy and intimate to aggressive and desperate, but they are always musical and his voice is always warm and soothing. There are a lot of great guitar parts on this record, with a great use of fuzzy, clean and spacey tones, and the bass lines are interesting and don’t just follow the guitars. The drumming is great too; whilst not particularly complicated Chris Guanlao always manages to find the right beat for a section, and comes up with some great grooves. I also really like his snare tone, triggered into a snappy clapping sound which occasionally gives an almost electro-rock vibe, something enhanced by the subtle use of synth and samples layered into the Pickup’s music.

I’m not a particularly big fan of Indie music, but what makes this album truly great is the number of ‘goosebump’ moments scattered throughout it. The crescendo during the guitar solo in Lazy Eye, the drums coming in during the second verse of Rusted Wheel, the snare fill into the verses of Well Thought Out Twinkies, the sudden reprise during Dream at Tempo 119, all these moments send chills down my spine and cause the hairs on my arms to stand up time after time after time. Today I did my Christmas shopping, and I listened to this album whilst I was out and about. The normally stressful experience was made smooth and easy by listening to this music, as it is a pleasure to listen to no matter the situation I find myself in.

https://grooveshark.com/#/s/Lazy+Eye/4jK8mS?src=5


20. Audioslave – Audioslave



I have a confession to make. I discovered Audioslave before I discovered Rage Against the Machine or Soundgarden. I was watching MTV2 with my Dad and the video for Cochise came on and both of us sat straight up in our seats. Who are these guys? Where did they come from? That intro! Those riffs! That voice! My Dad bought the album and I pinched it off him and listened to it over and over again. It’s just a fantastic album, heavy but with immense groove, every track a memorable one. Chris Cornell's voice is absolutely superb, whether he’s softly singing as during What You Are or screaming as on Cochise. He has such a range and he knows exactly how to utilise it to best effect depending on the style of song. His haunting, lilting, southern rock style crooning on The Last Remaining Light is a particular favourite moment for me. Tom Morello’s guitar playing is both restrained and also no-holds-barred on this album, in that he doesn’t go overboard with the dissonant guitar solos which he so often used in Rage, but what he does play he plays with a power that few can match, assisted by his unwaveringly excellent tone. The same goes for Tim Commerford. He’s notoriously secretive about what goes into making those heavy and warm bass sounds, but he has tone like no other, and an ability to create funky licks that don’t feel out of place on what is essentially a hard rock album. In my opinion this should go down as one of the greatest debut albums of all time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDMvN45sjo4

Offline WebRaider

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums v. Inaccessible nonsense
« Reply #56 on: December 15, 2011, 12:20:00 PM »
Both of these are pretty cool albums. I'd argue the Pumpkins thing but it's all opinion. Very surprised you got into Audioslave before Rage or Soundgarden, but I'm getting old so I have to be relative....  :-\

Offline AcidLameLTE

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums v. Inaccessible nonsense
« Reply #57 on: December 15, 2011, 12:23:39 PM »
I love that Audioslave album.

Pity the other two aren't as good :-\

Offline Arch Benemy

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums v. Inaccessible nonsense
« Reply #58 on: December 16, 2011, 09:10:41 AM »
I love that Audioslave album.

Pity the other two aren't as good :-\
Yeah it's too bad, Out of Exile had a couple of great moments but couldn't touch the original. I never even bothered listening to the third.

19. Metallica - …And Justice For All



Metallica get a bad rap from a lot of people, and for a lot of valid reasons. It’s certainly true that in recent years their songwriting hasn’t been all that fantastic, and albums such as St. Anger and Lulu aren’t helping matters. It could also be stated without too much argument that Lars Ulrich has become something of a lazy drummer. But back in their ‘glory’ days Metallica really were a force to be reckoned with, and for me Justice is the pinnacle of all they achieved. Every track is a winner here, with not a single weak point on the album. Structurally the songs here are much more progressive than their more recent output, often lengthy and comprising of many different sections, tempos and even time signatures. Opener Blackened is thrashy and exciting, whilst the title track is sprawling and varied and contains one of my favourite parts on the whole album, the reprise of the intro part during the melodic breakdown. Genius. The guitars are typical Metallica, thrashy riffs and speedy solos along with the occasional acoustic interlude, it’s just that on Justice they’re done better than usual, and whilst one could never accuse Ulrich of over-drumming even he is on top form here, playing to suit the music perfectly.

The most revered song from this album would have to be One, with its instantly recognizable intro refrain and iconic lyrics, but whilst I do love that song it is not the standout for me. That title falls to To Live Is To Die, the album’s instrumental track. From the harmonies of the acoustic guitar in the introduction, thru the heavy riffage of the verses and the tasteful guitar solo, into one of the most beautiful sections I’ve ever heard from any band, let alone Metallica. A hugely emotive track, made even more poignant by the knowledge that this was the last thing Cliff Burton wrote before he died. …And Justice For All is a fitting legacy for Burton, and whilst Metallica will always have their detractors albums such as this are the reason they have such a huge fanbase in the first place.

https://grooveshark.com/#/s/To+Live+Is+To+Die/35Evhj?src=5


18. Dream Theater – Images and Words




The album that (realistically) started it all for DT and is still regarded by many as their crowning achievement.  It’s not hard to see why, either. Some of the songs on this record are incredible, and whilst the sound of the album may have dated as the years have gone by the quality of the material hasn’t dwindled at all. Pull Me Under is probably my least favourite song from I&W but even that is a great piece of music with its catchy chorus and chugging verses. Dream Theater are a band known for their technical virtuosity, so it is testament to Images that even the relatively straightforward tracks such as Another Day and Under A Glass Moon are still fantastic songs and miles ahead of most others in the progressive metal genre.

But enough about simplicity, because the juiciest parts of this particular steak are the epics: Metropolis and Learning to Live. You would be hard-pressed to find a Dream Theater fan who doesn’t have one of or even both those songs in their top 5 DT tracks. They’re certainly in mine, Metropolis for its extreme technicality that even at its peak in the instrumental section never sounds excessive or out of place and Learning to Live for its melodies, including some of my favourite LaBrie vocals, and that absolutely immense and spine-tingling closing passage. This is such a strong album that half of the tracks on it would make my DT top 10, and considering the strength of Dream Theater’s back catalogue that is an indication of how highly I value this record.

https://grooveshark.com/#/s/Under+A+Glass+Moon/2yv2Yx?src=5

Offline Dr. DTVT

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #59 on: December 16, 2011, 09:15:47 AM »
I love Alien, and I have I&W 17 places higher than you :)
     

Offline jingle.boy

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #60 on: December 16, 2011, 09:29:04 AM »
Now there are a couple of albums I can agree with you on how great they are.  AJFA is my top Metallica disc, and you know how I feel about I&W.  As Mason said, 17 places higher for me too..
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Offline WebRaider

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #61 on: December 16, 2011, 12:25:15 PM »
:tup AJFA and I&W! :tup

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #62 on: December 16, 2011, 12:27:02 PM »
AJFA is a great album, and I&W is a Top 3 album for me :tup
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Offline Jirpo

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #63 on: December 16, 2011, 04:00:51 PM »
Great picks!

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #64 on: December 19, 2011, 09:22:12 AM »
A bit more love for those albums, they are classics. These next two are not classics, but I still love them.

17. Protest the Hero – Fortress



This album is just a fun ride from start to finish. The most immediately noticeable aspects of PTH’s sound are the vocals of Rody Walker. They’re definitely a case of love them or hate them, and I fall into the former category. His range is superb, everything from passionate singing, whispering and falsetto to high shrieks and guttural growls, it’s just his approach that puts some people off as he switches between these techniques swiftly and often. I feel it adds an extra dimension to their music, as he uses his voice as an additional instrument. He creates atmosphere too, from moments of grandiose epicness during Bone Marrow to urgent forcefulness as during Bloodmeat. But no matter what he does, it’s always with a sense of fun.

Whilst the vocals are great it’s the music which is the real star of the show here. Fortress is an album of supreme technical achievement on every instrument. The song structures allow the instruments pretty much free reign, as whilst the songs do often have choruses the ways in which they are reached are more often than not highly unconventional, with solos, breakdowns and instrumental sections popping up everywhere. The guitarists always find a way to surprise or astound, coming up with lick after lick more melodic than the last, or riffs which sound like they shouldn’t work, but do. The bassist too is exceptionally busy, often playing in a style more befitting to a lead instrument but still complementing everything else that’s going on. The drums are less standout but are still highly impressive, and more than complete Protest’s sound. This in an album to put a smile on my face, and I’d bet that Protest were also sporting pretty big grins when they recorded it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypCdGNe3Bvs


16. Avenged Sevenfold – Sounding The Seventh Trumpet




First things first, if I’m being completely objective this is not a fantastic album. Sevenfold wrote and recorded it when they were all still in high school, and there are moments of sloppiness from all members. This was also before Syn Gates joined the band so Zacky V played all the guitars on the record, and as such there are none of the harmonies or complex guitar lines that Sevenfold’s later albums feature. But none of those things matter to me, and I love this record. I’ve mentioned before that it was Avenged Sevenfold who got me listening to metal in the first place, and this album was also largely responsible for getting me started in playing guitar. I learnt to play this entire album (minus the intro solo) when I only had an acoustic guitar, and though I no doubt sounded terrible I would sit for hours and hours playing along to these tracks. I know ‘Sounding…’ back to front, inside out and upside down.

I’ve mentioned some of the negatives about this album but don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of merit here too. Most obvious are the drums. The Rev really was an outstanding drummer, and on this album he didn’t hold back at all. Every song has skilled, frantic and original drum work that would challenge musicians of twice his age and experience, and when you also take into account that 9 of the 13 drum tracks were recorded in one take, you begin to appreciate what a talent the music world lost with his passing. Shadows’ vocals are impressive too, though lacking the maturity of A7X’s later albums. On tracks such as ‘Streets’ and ‘Warmness on the Soul’ his clean voice is still controlled and melodic, and indicative of the talent that he would become, whilst his harsh vocals are tearing and feral. There are good songs here too, surprisingly progressive and often unconventionally structured, and even now some 9 years after I first heard it, and with my musical horizons considerably broadened, I still enjoy listening to STST. For all its cheesy lyrics, corny vocal harmonies, scuffed notes and immaturity, it’s more than nostalgia that keeps me coming back.

https://grooveshark.com/#/s/Thick+And+Thin/2zfRRv?src=5

Offline Elite

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #65 on: December 19, 2011, 10:06:16 AM »
16. Avenged Sevenfold – Sounding The Seventh Trumpet
First things first, if I’m being completely objective this is not a fantastic album.

Without that sentence there would have been no excuse to place it above Images & Words.
Hey dude slow the fuck down so we can finish together at the same time.  :biggrin:
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Offline Arch Benemy

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #66 on: December 19, 2011, 10:24:23 AM »
16. Avenged Sevenfold – Sounding The Seventh Trumpet
First things first, if I’m being completely objective this is not a fantastic album.

Without that sentence there would have been no excuse to place it above Images & Words.
But that's the thing. This is MY favourite 50 albums, not the 50 best albums ever written. That Sevenfold album means more to me than Images because of the context in which I first heard it. It was incredibly important to my musical delevopment, and whilst nobody, least of all me, would argue that it is better than I&W it is still closer to my heart.

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #67 on: December 19, 2011, 11:00:18 AM »
There isn't even such a thing as "being best objectively", it's all opinions.
Many people here on this forum might have Images & Words in their top5 albums, some other people may not have it in their top1000 albums.
Who is wrong? Nobody cause it's all opinions. :P

Offline Gorille85

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #68 on: December 19, 2011, 12:47:01 PM »
There isn't even such a thing as "being best objectively", it's all opinions.
Many people here on this forum might have Images & Words in their top5 albums, some other people may not have it in their top1000 albums.
Who is wrong? Nobody cause it's all opinions. :P

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Offline WebRaider

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Re: Arch Benemy's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #69 on: December 19, 2011, 05:13:29 PM »
Sequoia Throne is what initially really got me interested in Protest The Hero. I have a severe mental block on most growling rawr, rawr vocals but that dude can sing his ass off when he's not doing that and the band is obviously talented.

I know Fortress is supposed to be their best album but because of previously stated issues with the growls etc. someone suggested their new album and I'm growing into the vocals more and more. I think in time I'll come to really enjoy Fortress when I'm more prepared for it...lol