Jingle.boy's Top 50v2 - Stick a fork in this .... It's done!

[Unlegit]

So far, 4 albums I need to listen to, but they all look interesting.

[obscure]

 

[TAC]

Alder meets Dickinson?

Will have to check out M9!

[jingle.boy]

46) Prymary – The Enemy Inside (2009)


Tracks to Try – The Enemy Inside (parts 1 & 2), Trial and Tragedy,  (Promo video)

Therecordlabel.net.  Go there.  Get to know the bands.  Like the FB page. Subscribe to the mailing list. Buy something, and then also enjoy the twice a year blowout sale where you can stock up with an insanely good deal – I’ve bought more physical CDs from them in the last 12 months than I did probably in the 12 years before that.  This is the web-face of ProgRock Records.  There’s some premium acts there, and more to come on this list.  This album from Prymary kicks off with a 5-part, 18-minute title track.  You want to talk about a Redemption vibe, these guys give it off in spades (no surprise since Chris Quirarte handles the drums for both).  The 4.5 minute opening instrumental leads in to another 14 minutes of technical prowess, blazing axe-work, heavy rhythms, and (ironically) melodic chorus’s.  The closer – Trial and Tragedy – is a 20  minute prog-metal beauty which showcases a more diverse style and creative output from the band. 

45) Darwin’s Radio – Template for A Generation (2010)


Tracks to Try – Age of Broken Reason, The Illusion is Freedom, Breath It In

Many thanks to King for giving these guys to RJ in his first roulette.  I’ve always been a big lover of Frost*’s music, not knowing that Dec Burke handled the vocals for Experiments in Mass Appeal.  So, upon first listen of Darwin’s Radio, I was hooked.  This is one potent prog album with only 3 tracks – and it’s fantastic modern prog with really strong song and lyrical writing.  If you like Frost*, I guaran-damn-tee you’ll love this. Everything that is great about prog music is jam packed into these three tracks – emotional solo’s, great melodies, ridiculous drum fills... it’s all there in less than 45 minutes.  And Dec’s vocals are like pure magic.  I easily put him in my top 5 favorite (modern/active) vocalists.

Related Honorable Mention: Dec Burke’s solo album “Destroy All Monsters”.  That’s a monster too.

[lonestar]

Darwin's Radio, great stuff!!!

[wolfking]

Another 2 I need to check out.

[wkiml]

i got a feeling this thread is going to cost me a fortune in new music

[jingle.boy]

i got a feeling this thread is going to cost me a fortune in new music

That's what DTF is all about baby!  Hence the reason I quoted Cedar.  Ironically, Destroy All Monster's was also a ($2) haul from therecordlabel.net.  Their bi-annual sale's are on Thanksgiving, and (hopefully again this year) on April 1st.

[lonestar]

Hopefully I already own a good portion of them, I'm kinda broke at the moment.

[kirksnosehair]

I really, really LOVE that Prymary album 

I bought the Magnitude 9 album. It's certainly cool, but I just can't get into it.

Same here.

[TAC]

Prymary sounds very interesting. Will have to check out. Chris Quiarte is a beast!!

[King Postwhore]

Quite the few albums I need to check out!

I do love that Darwin's Radio album.

[kirksnosehair]

Prymary sounds very interesting. Will have to check out. Chris Quiarte is a beast!!

If you like Redemption you'll definitely enjoy that Prymary album.   

[Dr. DTVT]

I haven't been able to find that Darwin's Radio album.  I've looked.

Coincidentally, the Dec Burke solo album is also on ProgRock records.

[jingle.boy]

Is it again?  It wasn't there in Nov.

[Dr. DTVT]

It might have been out of stock, but that's where one could get it.

[jingle.boy]

44) Royal Hunt – Paradox (1997)


Tracks to Try – Tearing Down The World, River of Pain, Time Will Tell

I don’t remember my first Royal Hunt song, but I do remember it came on one of my first listens to WPaPU.  Instant love, and a couple of months later, it was a full discography purchase.  Paradox is a concept album with recurring themes of religion and divinity.  Royal Hunt has had a few changes in the lead singer slot, but DC Cooper fronts this one, and has such an ideal voice for the band, and the vocal melodies are so ... not sure what the word is.  Wholesome is the one that pops into my head.  His live versions of songs that he didn’t do in the studio are simply stellar, and make me wish he always fronted the band.  With a significant emphasis on the keyboards to lead the melodies, Royal Hunt spent the first half of their career closer to a melodic/AOR feel than anything metal or prog.  I’ll take flack from Nick for this being so low (if he's even following this thread), but that’s his fail, not mine.  At 8 tracks, and 49 minutes, it’s pretty short as far as concepts go, but as more of a thematic album, it suits just fine.

Related Honorable Mention: Moving Target.  Cooper’s first album with RH, and an immeasurable improvement over his predecessor ... what’s-his-fuckin-name.  ‘Nuff said.

43) Jørn – Out To Every Nation


Tracks to Try ... Young Forever, Out to Every Nation, Through Day and Night

Jorn Lande.  Where have you been all my musical life?  God, I would rape his voice if I could.  Once I discovered the music he adds his voice to (a story to come later), I went on an unending search for every and anything he leant his talent to.  Now, like I said in my intro, when I go in, I go hard.  So I grabbed his entire discog all at once, so it was a bit of a challenge to narrow it down to which I like best.  Some are really good, some are just ok.  This is one of the really good ones.  I love everything about his voice... powerful and graceful, with just the right amount of ‘edge’.  This album features contributions from musicians from Hammerfall and Pagan’s Mind, but manages not to go too deep into the power side of metal.  A good amount of truly metal-esque tracks (Young Forever, Through The Day and Night) along with some that are more melodic (Out to Every Nation, Something Else, Vision Eyes), and even a couple of ballads thrown in there (Behind the Clown, When Angel Wings Were White).  A nice rich guitar sound permeates throughout the album, with the odd hint of keyboards here and there.  Down and dirty rock album is what this is – led by one of my favorite vocal finds of the last 10 years.   

Related Honorable Mention: Lonely Are The Brave.  Like I said, there were plenty from his 7 album solo discography to chose from, and I guess these were my top two.

[kirksnosehair]

I love Jorn as a vocalist, but never could get into any of his music. 

[lonestar]

Too. Much. Music....

[Dr. DTVT]

That's the cover of Paradox II you have there jingle.  Paradox is far better, so correct your mistake please.  Don't want people starting at the wrong spot.

[jingle.boy]

That's the cover of Paradox II you have there jingle.  Paradox is far better, so correct your mistake please.  Don't want people starting at the wrong spot.

Right you are.  Stoopid Amazon.  Wasn't paying attention.  fix'd

[jingle.boy]

I love Jorn as a vocalist, but never could get into any of his music.

Yeah, he's got as many duds from his solo discography (especially the most recent release) as he does good ones.  This is one of the good ones though.

[jjrock88]

DC Cooper and Jorn are awesome vocalists!

[Lowdz]

Two great albums there. I've had that Royal Hunt album a long time. My 2nd favourite from them after Fear, but like ARP you know what you'll get with RH.
Jorn is hit and miss for me. I'm not the biggest fan of his voice- it's very one dimensional- but now and then he does something great.

[kirksnosehair]

I very much enjoy Jorn's contributions to the Allen/Lande series of albums.   

[wolfking]

Two incredible albums there.  Only aquired Paradox six months ago, but it's incredible.  Also, good pick with OTEN. That's was my first Jorn record and I never looked back.  Mature, well written songs with a great sound, really good pick.

[Orthogonal]

Paradox is fantastic, it was my first and only Royal Hunt album for many years. Never tried Jorn's solo material, I might give it a shot if you think that highly of it.

[jingle.boy]

Paradox is fantastic, it was my first and only Royal Hunt album for many years. Never tried Jorn's solo material, I might give it a shot if you think that highly of it.

Just don't have overly high expectations of all albums.  There are a few steamy turds in there.  The two I mention are the best of the bunch (IMO).  His Dio tribute is really good too.

[wolfking]

I think that's a little harsh Chad, IMO, his stuff has been quality all the way up until the last two.  Both have still been good but the quality has dipped.

I love Lonely, but took a long time to appreciate.  This is where I initially thought his stuff was on the decline, but I came back to the album and appreciate so much more now, it's terrific.  Anyone interested in Jorn should also definitely check Worldchanger and The Duke, they are just as good.

[ReaperKK]

A lot of stuff to check out in this thread.

[jingle.boy]

I think that's a little harsh

Perhaps, but by and large, I definitely prefer his work not under his own name.

[kirksnosehair]

I think that's a little harsh

Perhaps, but by and large, I definitely prefer his work not under his own name.

Same here. 

[wolfking]

I understand.  But I guess I just appreciate his solo work being totally different to his other projects, so we get lots of variety in all of his music.

[jingle.boy]

42) Amaran’s Plight – Voice in the Light (2007)


Tracks to try ... Viper, Coming of Age, Shattered Dreams
Now HERE is a super-group.  DC Cooper (Royal Hunt, Silent Force) on vocals, Gary Wehrkamp (Shadow Gallery) on gee-tar, Nick D’Virglio (Spock’s Beard) on the skins, and Kurt Barabas (nobody you know) on bass.  Wow, quite a heavy-weight collaboration.  Another beauty from ProgRock Records (go buy something from them, now), and another prog-metal concept album.  I know, shocking, right?! Pretty straight-forward concept, but the music is anything but.  This is largely a guitar led album – at least, all the big tracks are ... killer and complex guitar work from Wehrkamp – would you expect anything less?  These four put together some mind-blowing compositions that provide frantic finger picking, crazy tempo changes, and the usual incomprehensible time changes from stanza to stanza.  There are also a lot of piano melodies here, an atmospheric instrumental bridge right dead centre of the album, some appropriately placed slower ballad type songs, three 10+ minute opus’ and a plethora of hard-core prog-metal tracks.  I really like hearing Cooper singing true prog music – Royal Hunt and Silent Force are more melodic than progressive in my books.  He shows that he’s got quite a diverse range (stylistically) to give his fans.

41) Masterplan – Aeronautics (2005)


Tracks to Try ... Crimson Rider, Wounds, Falling Sparrow
Didn’t take long for the Norwegian to make another appearance.  Like I said, I had to check out everything of his – Beyond Twilight, Ark, Vagabond etc... and he makes almost back-to-back appearances with Masterplan - a melodic-metal act he led for 3 of their 4 existing albums, and the first two were absolute dynamite.  Deep and powerful, with a hint of raspy-ness just when it’s necessary and appropriate.  It only takes a couple of listens to some of his songs to realize his voice is the result of a holy union of Coverdale and Dio – and damned if he doesn’t know it.  This album is one of the beauty melodic-metal albums of the 00s, with a lot of power-metal passages as well.  Nothing too deep or complex, but everything fits nicely into place... all centered around Jorn’s voice.

Related Honorable Mention: 2003’s self titled.  I pretty much flipped a coin as to which one I did a writeup on.  Aeronautics gets a slight edge in my book – although I know I will get some to contend that.

[Lowdz]

Masterplan 2 is quality, probably my favourite of theirs. Heard AP a good while ago and don't remember much about it other than it was pretty typical prog metal. Stellar lineup though. Will have to listen again as I trust your judgement in these things Chad.