Alright, time to get this on the road. I'll be starting my Top 50 right now, as all the other people in front of me on the waiting list aren't ready yet and we should really bring some action back into the Top 50 threads. If anyone objects to this, please tell me.
This list will consist of my Top 50. I can't really say how much "all-time" this is, as it features a lot of music that I discovered on DTF, but when I read through the list again today, I can honestly say that this list is a pretty good representation of my tastes. I made some final adjustements and it is now complete, to be posted in small steps for you to enjoy/dissect/bemoan or whatever else you wish to do with it.
Each band on this list will have no more than two albums, simply to prevent this from becoming a five-band-affair (I'm exaggerating slightly, but not that much) - a few albums that I simply could not leave off will therefore be part of the honourable mentions at the end. I'll try to update twice a day, but at least one update a day shall be guaranteed.
My tastes are probably not what most people would call diverse, but I can safely say that they are far more diverse than they were a year ago and this list reflects that. Expect to see mainly metal, but there should be the odd surprising pick thrown in which should (hopefully) prevent this list from becoming boring and predictable.
So, without further ado, begin!
50. Transatlantic – Bridge Across Forever (2001)And off we go with a choice that will already have people moaning at its low placement, but I can’t help it. Yes, this album is the best album that Transatlantic have ever done, and each of the four pieces, save for Suite-Charlotte Pike (which has a distinct "jammy" character instead of the feeling of a composed song) are masterfully constructed and have their abundant share of atmospheric textures and great melodies, and yes, all the musicians are top-notch here, with Portnoy delivering some extremely tasteful and yet driving drumming instead of his in-your-face approach (Stranger in Your Soul comes to mind as a perfect example) and the vocal interplay between the different vocalists is nothing short of amazing – hell, even the fact that Bridge Across Forever is cheesier than a Pizza Margherita doesn’t bother me.
However, there is one thing that bothers me with this record and that is also the reason for this low placement, despite all of the positives listed: Transatlantic’s music lacks, for lack of a better word, a certain punch, a certain aggressiveness. Now, this doesn’t mean that music has to be 100% heavy-balls-out, or that there are no heavy parts on this album, but the music, while masterfully crafted and performed, is simply a little too tame. It is never really edgy, but instead meanders around a little, not really being boring, but not being that interesting either. When I force myself to really listen, I always appreciate it, but the bottom line is that because I have to force myself to listen to reach this effect, this otherwise amazing album sadly on gets the 50th spot on my list.
Recommended tracks: Duel With the Devil, Stranger in Your Soul
49. Led Zeppelin – IV (1971)Now, if the previous pick didn’t have the people ranting and raving, then this probably does, it being one of the most important albums of classic rock and heavy metal in general, with a legacy that few albums out there can ever hope to match. And rightly so – the musicianship is stellar, with both creative songwriting and great performances all over the place.
However, in the end, the problem with this album is that there are many stellar songs on this album, a few of them fall short of this and come close to ruining the experience of this album (mainly Misty Mountain Hop and Four Sticks) – also, Robert Plant’s vocals have, for a long time been something that I hated with a passion. I can stand them now and appreciate the majority of the album for what it is – a defining album in the history of rock – but unfortunately, the album, while good, isn’t really all that excellent as most people make it out to be.
Recommended tracks: Black Dog, Stairway to Heaven, Going to California, When the Levee Breaks