Author Topic: Adace's Top 50 Albums  (Read 24890 times)

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Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #70 on: May 17, 2012, 11:40:17 PM »
29. System of a Down - Toxicity (2001)

It’s chaotic, it’s quirky, it’s comedic, it’s serious, and it’s heavy. Like their (probable) influences in Frank Zappa and Primus, System of a Down infuse a lot of melodrama and tongue-in-cheek humor into their music. Yet, what sets them apart and establishes their uniqueness in the musical universe is the method in their madness; namely, to write heavy riffs and political lyrics. This album is a thrill ride from start to finish and it is one of the finest nu-metal/alt-metal releases in history. Serj Tankian’s over-the-top vocals combined with Daron Malakian’s chunky riffage make it irresistible to headbang with a bit of a smile on your face. While the subject matter of the songs is quite serious, Toxicity is nevertheless a very fun album to listen to and it has quite deservedly become a staple of modern metal.

Recommended songs: Aerials, ATWA, Psycho, Toxicity

28. The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)

A unique blend of Latin jazz-fusion, progressive rock, and hard rock, The Mars Volta’s debut album proved to be one of the most unique and well-respected releases in the modern prog-rock world. The singing is bombastic, the music volatile and the lyrics almost incomprehensible (one would have to read the liner notes or Wikipedia just to know that this is a concept album with a coherent story). Yet, that is what me and other TMV fans enjoy so much about the band. The intensity and energy of the album instantly sucks you into a strange world that sounds like a cross between Al di Meola/Santana and Led Zeppelin. The album’s epic piece, “Cicatriz ESP” is a perfect example of the combining of these two disparate styles. Hard rock intensity is pierced by extended psychedelic, jazzy sections that set up a great atmosphere. But really, all of the songs on the album more or less follow this formula and each one is a joy to listen to. More so than on any of their later albums, De-Loused finds the band putting accessibility and experimentation in a perfect balance as well as making some of the most memorable songs of their career. Though most of you guys have probably already heard this album and are familiar with this band, I highly suggest you check it out if you haven’t or listen to it again if you have.

Recommended tracks: Televators, Cicatriz ESP, Inertiatic ESP

27. Gojira - The Way of All Flesh (2008)

Like their American counterparts Lamb of God, Gojira play a sort of heavy, groovy metal but unlike LoG, Gojira also add a progressive twist with odd-time signatures and the like. That said, the progressive elements do not at all interfere with the sheer headbangability of the album and the absolutely legendary riffs such as in “Vacuity” and “Art of Dying.” In fact the ending on the latter track is so good as to be comparable to some of Opeth’s epic outros. This is hands-down one of the best death metal albums of all time. Not to mention that Mario Duplantier is one of the most talented metal drummers as is his brother Joe in the vocal and riffage departments. Add in the beautiful lyrics which deal with metaphysical and environmental themes and what you have is a piece of death metal art. In all, The Way of All Flesh might not be what most people consider a staple of death metal, but after repeated listens, I have come to the conclusion that it is indeed one of the best albums in the genre.

Recommended songs: Vacuity, Art of Dying, Toxic Garbage Island

Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #71 on: May 17, 2012, 11:45:15 PM »
The story so far:

50. Scar Symmetry - Holographic Universe
49. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
48. Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory
47. Devin Townsend - Ghost
46. Cynic - Traced in Air
45. The Sword - Age of Winters
44. Bjork - Homogenic
43. Iron Maiden - Powerslave
42. Kamelot - The Black Halo
41. Blackfield - Blackfield
40. Candlemass - Death Magic Doom
39. Wolfmother - Cosmic Egg
38. Alcest - Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde
37. Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
36. Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun
35. Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain/The Mantle
34. Within Temptation - The Unforgiving
33. Deftones - Diamond Eyes
32. Opeth - Damnation
31. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
30. Portishead - Dummy
29. System of a Down - Toxicity
28. The Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium
27. Gojira - The Way of All Flesh

Offline WebRaider

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #72 on: May 18, 2012, 01:08:22 AM »
Lots of goodness here.. love The Fragile and Deloused!

Been wanting to check out Wolfmother a little more and I keep hearing great things about Gojira. While I'm not huge into death metal I listened to Vacuity and really enjoyed the music and riffs a lot.

« Last Edit: May 18, 2012, 01:34:32 AM by WebRaider »

Offline PuffyPat

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #73 on: May 18, 2012, 01:47:52 AM »
Props for De-Loused. TMV are just something else.
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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #74 on: May 18, 2012, 02:10:44 AM »
Damnation, Deloused and The Wall of all Flesh. I like!
Hey dude slow the fuck down so we can finish together at the same time.  :biggrin:
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Offline Mladen

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #75 on: May 18, 2012, 02:25:01 AM »
I gotta get into Gojira as soon as possible...

Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #76 on: May 19, 2012, 11:57:23 PM »
I'm getting a little behind with my write-ups so I'm just gonna go one at a time from now on. Sorry, guys!
26. Metallica - Ride the Lightning (1984)

While it may seem rather pointless to review such an iconic and well-known album, I would like to anyways do it anyways just because it's on my list. This album was a landmark for the band who on their debut album sounded like little more than a heavier version of Motorhead. Ride the Lightning marked the introduction of intricate compositions, more sophisticated lyrical content and firmly established the band’s identity. The fact that the band refined their sound even further on their next album does not detract from Ride the Lightning’s greatness. The songs range from the blistering thrashiness of “Fight Fire With Fire” to the melancholic and anthemic ballad “Fade to Black.” In some respects, it is hard to believe that such a young band which was relatively inexperienced as far as making and recording songs/albums went could produce one of metal’s greatest masterpieces. But then again, it is often the case that a band’s best material is made during its formative years and/or when the members are relatively young. But aside from that matter, the songs on this album are all unforgettable and it stands as one of the most influential metal albums of all time even after 28 years. It is a supremely worthy addition to any metalhead’s collection.

Recommended songs: title track, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Fade to Black, Creeping Death

Offline Jirpo

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #77 on: May 20, 2012, 12:04:26 AM »
Great pick!

Offline Silver Tears

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #78 on: May 20, 2012, 02:27:49 AM »
Good list so far  :tup

Offline Nekov

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #79 on: May 20, 2012, 02:52:21 PM »
When Ginobili gets hot, I get hot in my pants. 

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Offline Ħ

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #81 on: May 20, 2012, 03:13:32 PM »
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #82 on: May 20, 2012, 04:14:25 PM »
25. Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder God (2008)

If I had to define death metal to someone, I wouldn’t need to use any words. I would just hand them a copy of this album and walk away. To me, this is what death metal is all about. Much more so than Cannibal Corpse’s use of guts and gore, Amon Amarth’s focus on vikings and Norse legends seems to capture the primal, otherwordly essence of death metal. The image of the mighty warrior standing proudly on the battlefield, fighting amongst his comrades symbolizes the band’s sense of brotherhood they feel with the metal community as well as their fierce individualism (as contradictory as that might seem). But enough about the ideology. The music itself is simply breathtaking. The melodies and riffs are some of the best I’ve heard in metal. Johan Hegg’s vocals are absolutely perfect and fit swimmingly with the music. The drumming is great and the solos are beautiful. And though this might not pertain to the album per se, the video for the title track is the definition of epic. I am so enthusiastic about this album because not only is the music amazing, but it also helped me get into death metal (along with Opeth’s Blackwater Park). Therefore, I admit I am a bit biased in regards to my sentimental attachment to this album, but I can wholeheartedly assure you that this is a killer, classic album. If mainstream metal has its Master of Puppets, Number of the Beast, Paranoid etc. then this is the equivalent of those albums for death metal. If you have not heard this album/band, please do so. You will NOT be disappointed.

Recommended tracks: title track, Guardians of Asgaard, Free Will Sacrifice, Embrace the Endless Ocean

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"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline Jirpo

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #84 on: May 20, 2012, 05:15:32 PM »
Another good pick! :)

Offline wolfking

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #85 on: May 20, 2012, 08:51:41 PM »
I like that Amon Amarth record.
Everyone else, except Wolfking is wrong.

Offline Zook

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #86 on: May 20, 2012, 08:54:49 PM »
OMG HE'S FIGHTING A HYDRA DATS SO CHEEZY!!!!!11


RIDE THE LIGHTNING :2metal:

Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #87 on: May 21, 2012, 12:29:13 PM »
24. Nightwish - Dark Passion Play (2007)

I’m a huge fan of this band so choosing my favorite album from them was pretty hard, but I eventually had to go with the one that got me started on them in the first place. This is just an immense piece of work that reads like a concept album, yet it isn’t. Per usual, the songs feature Tuomas Holopainen’s beautiful fantasy/literature-inspired lyrics as well rock-solid compositions/orchestrations. This time, they have Anette Olzon on vocals and not only does she do an amazing job singing, but she is a very nice person as well (having met her and the band at a signing event). The songs are incredibly strong and each one is quite unique even if most of them are stylistically similar. For example, the track “Sahara” features Middle Eastern melodies which is something the band had never done before, yet it is distinctively Nightwish because of the amazing riffs, singing etc. Other new twists include the spellbinding folk ballad “The Islander,” and the gorgeous “Eva.” This is the story of the band not only resolving the very difficult problem of replacing the phenomenal talent and persona of Tarja, but also of them maturing and finding new sources of inspiration. While Once, Century Child, Wishmaster and Oceanborn may all be amazing records in their own right, Dark Passion Play will always have special significance to me. I hope it does to you too.

Recommended songs: Amaranth, Eva, Sahara, The Islander, 7 Days to the Wolves

Offline Dr. DTVT

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #88 on: May 21, 2012, 12:37:54 PM »
Does this mean there are a lot of Nightwish albums coming up?  B/c DPP isn't one of the better ones.
     

Offline FlyingBIZKIT

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #89 on: May 21, 2012, 12:39:36 PM »
He said he's only picking one album per artist.

Offline ariich

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #90 on: May 21, 2012, 02:22:24 PM »
Also DPP is one of their best (although I think I still slightly prefer Once).

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Offline The King in Crimson

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #91 on: May 21, 2012, 07:31:29 PM »
That is a very... interesting pick.

Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #92 on: May 22, 2012, 12:44:11 AM »
23. Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way of Orwarrior

As the main representative for the growing “Oriental metal” movement, Orphaned Land have found worldwide appeal not only for their unique blend of death metal, prog-metal and Middle Eastern folk, but also for their appeal to common humanity and lyrics promoting religious understanding and tolerance. That said, while their previous effort Mabool follows this formula to a T, this album refines that formula into something even better. The band have truly outdone themselves in terms of creating an grandiose, beautiful political and religious statement that is at once intricate and catchy. The melodies, riffs and drumming are all fantastic but the best aspect of the album is the vocals which are simply perfect. Kobi Farhi is an a pro at both clean vocals and death growls, while Shlomit Levi is simply sublime in her Yemenite style of singing. From the instantly catchy “Sapari” (a reworked Yemenite folk song) to the highly technical “The Path Part 2,” this is a very well-rounded album that offers a good deal of diversity while staying within a very specific style. Steven Wilson handles production duties for the album and one can see resemblances to Porcupine Tree and Opeth in songs such as “Bereft in the Abyss” with its delicious mellotron and the vintage-sounding “M i?” which sounds like it could have been ripped straight from Damnation. Overall, this is a fantastic album and it is certainly one of the most unique ones in the progressive genre. Also check out Myrath if you enjoy Orphaned Land.

Recommended tracks: Sapari, M i?, Bereft in the Abyss, In Thy Never Ending Way

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #93 on: May 22, 2012, 07:21:17 AM »
I like DPP, but CC is the best them.  I can totally understand the love for the first album that got you into a band.  Some of my favorite bands are that way too - even when it's generally accepted it's not their best.
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Offline crazyaga

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #94 on: May 22, 2012, 07:35:52 AM »
Orphand Land are a huge band here in Israel.
I never loved them though
I love beautiful things.

Offline Ħ

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #95 on: May 22, 2012, 05:24:53 PM »
Awesome album art. They look cool. Will have to check out.
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #96 on: May 22, 2012, 06:18:22 PM »
22. Trivium - Shogun (2008)

Many metalheads may consider metalcore to be “not metal” or “emo” but they are the ones who likely haven’t listened to Trivium’s Shogun. This album is truly the one that sets the band apart from their peers in Killswitch Engage, Bullet for My Valentine etc. All the lyrics are about Japanese and Greek mythology which, in my opinion, is very metal and not at all emo. From a technical standpoint, the band are firing on all cylinders. The music takes a lot of influence from Metallica and Iron Maiden with complex arrangements, fantastic melodies and riffs and blistering solos. Oh and Travis Smith is a very underrated drummer. He really shines on this album. Yet insofar as there are screamed vocals, this is still a metalcore album and band. The most jarring facets of the album are the sheer amount of technical skill the band possesses and the degree to which they progressed their sound compared to The Crusade. Like many other band and albums on this list, Trivium have concocted a perfect marriage of technicality and catchiness. In fact, every song on Shogun is very catchy and memorable. Unlike their other efforts, there is not a single weak song on the album. I recommend this album to all metalheads, but especially to those who are adverse to metalcore as I once was. Perhaps you will not like every band in the genre or even most of them because of this album, but you will most likely gain a new appreciation for it and recognize its legitimacy within metal.

Recommended tracks: Down From the Sky, Throes of Perdition, Shogun, Like Callisto to a Star in Heaven
« Last Edit: May 23, 2012, 03:04:43 PM by adace »

Offline Ħ

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #97 on: May 23, 2012, 11:04:13 AM »
What is emo about Trivium?
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #98 on: May 23, 2012, 12:34:08 PM »
What is emo about Trivium?
Nothing. It's just a silly label some people like to pin on them.

Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #99 on: May 23, 2012, 03:04:22 PM »
21. Isis - Wavering Radiant (2009)

Wavering Radiant is the culmination of Isis’ career and stands as a richly imaginative piece of art-metal. It features dense, Pink Floyd-esque atmospherics, Tool-like riffs and harsh vocals somewhat reminiscent of hardcore punk. The music and poetic lyrics form a loose concept about life, death and rebirth. It is an album that explores the deepest recesses of the mind and the imaginative landscapes of our dreams. Vocalist Aaron Turner once referred to the post-metal genre and his own band as “thinking man’s metal.” As pretentious as such a statement may sound and despite the fact that there are many non-post metal bands with thought-provoking lyrics, there is nonetheless a big grain of truth in what he said. Certainly on this album, the music is reflective and introspective rather than aggressive and extroverted like the Slayers and Panteras of the world (not that those are bad bands). In fact, this album is downright beautiful. Some may be turned off by the seemingly arbitrary and unsettling admixture of winding melodies with abrasive sludge. However, there is a method in this madness. The goal is to portray the world as it is with both dark and light, life and death co-existing. To quote from “Hall of the Dead”: “Here we stand among the others, the living among the dead.” (Unfortunately, many metalheads don’t bother to read the lyrics of the bands they listen to, but those who are fans of Isis, Tool and Meshuggah certainly should. Those bands write some of the most poetic and interesting lyrics I’ve seen.) Where other post-metal bands such as Cult of Luna and The Ocean have made also made significant contributions to the genre, they have not rivalled the sheer beauty of Isis, especially on Wavering Radiant. This album is much more subdued than say, Celestial or Oceanic but it is also their most accomplished work and my favorite album in the entire genre. R.I.P. Isis.

Recommended tracks: 20 Minutes/40 Years, Ghost Key, Hall of the Dead

Offline wolfking

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #100 on: May 23, 2012, 03:35:14 PM »
Trivium deserve to be in any top 50.
Everyone else, except Wolfking is wrong.

Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #101 on: May 24, 2012, 09:03:22 PM »
20. Animals as Leaders - Animals as Leaders (2009)

Here we have some of the most complex and inspired instrumental metal around. It might not be as technical as say Blotted Science or Behold the Arctopus, but it is great music nonetheless. AAL’s guitarist and frontman Tosin Abasi experiments with jazz, djent metal and electronic to make for something truly unique in the metal world. The technical prowess displayed on this album is simply out of this world. There is a clear sense of musical development and one gets the sense the band is exploring entirely new musical frontiers. As much as I enjoy Scale the Summit’s and Canvas Solaris’ unique contributions to instrumental metal, Animals as Leaders’ music has such a fresh, futuristic sound that, for me, puts them ahead of their peers. There is no filler album, not even on the three shorter tracks. Everything is thoroughly enjoyable and quite beautiful too. This isn’t a band that is merely copying Dream Theater, Meshuggah or Mahavishnu Orchestra and the like. They are blending all these influences into something truly original and awe-inspiring. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and give a listen to one of the most unique and talented bands in the progressive world. The term ‘mind-blowing’ may be cliched, but it is not hard to see that it is quite appropriate in defining this music.

Recommended tracks: Tempting Time, CAFO, Soraya, On Impulse

Offline senecadawg2

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #102 on: May 24, 2012, 09:24:50 PM »
I gotta say, I'm really enjoying this list, and you are giving me a lot of stuff to check out. Per your choice for 20, I just recently saw AAL open for Thrice. They played 6 songs, and I was impressed, although also quite overwhelmed. Having never heard them before, I couldn't quite grasp the subtleties of the different tracks. CAFO was my favorite, and I am definitely going to delve a bit deeper into their work now.
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Offline adace

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #103 on: May 24, 2012, 09:53:39 PM »
Yeah, I understand where you're coming from. Even after listening to them so many times, I still can't quite wrap my head around it. It's music for musicians, but it's still awesome. I also recommend their second album, Weightless. For me, that one comes pretty close to rivaling their self-titled.

Offline Dr. DTVT

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Re: Adace's Top 50 Albums
« Reply #104 on: May 24, 2012, 10:03:42 PM »
Somehow I missed Orphaned Land.  Mabool > ORWarrior though.

Also Orphaned Land > Animals as Leaders and Trivium, even though both of those are solid bands.  Don't know Isis, so I can't speak for that one.