Adace's Top 50 Albums V2 - Finito!/Honorable Mentions

[adace]

So does anyone here care for Isis? Just curious.

[jingle.boy]

Just stopping in to profess much love for March of Progress.  Top 5 album from last year fo sho.

[adace]

2. Katatonia - Dead End Kings (2012)

Katatonia’s ninth album is a bit of a departure from their previous works, but still retains much of their iconic dark metal sound. While “Night is the New Day” is still my favorite Katatonia release, “Dead End Kings” is fantastic in its own right and innovates just enough to demonstrate the band’s continued creativity and diversity even at such a late stage in their career. For examples of this diversity I point to songs such as “Dead Letters” which might be the most complex, progressive song they’ve written to date and “”The One You Are Looking For Is Not Here” which marks the first time the band have incorporated female vocals. Additionally there’s “Undo You” which, though it vaguely reminds me of “Idle Blood” on the previous album, is still a very unique track in the band’s discography and sounds like it could have fit right on Opeth’s “Damnation.” Ditto for “The Act of Darkening.” While the other songs don’t innovate quite as much, they’re still very memorable in their own right -- especially ones like the gorgeous “The Racing Heart” and the very heavy “Buildings.” This is probably the most accessible Katatonia album to date with prog fans sure to find something they like it. This album’s melancholy grandeur blew me away when I first heard it, and it’s probably my favorite album of last year.

Recommended tracks: The Racing Heart, Dead Letters, Lethean, Buildings

1. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet (2007)

An album that needs no introduction, “Fear of a Blank Planet” is not only one of my all time favorite prog records, but also one of the records that, along with “In Absentia,” got me into prog in the first place. “Anesthetize” and the title track in particular endeared me to this band and are still some of my favorite songs in any genre. What appeals to me about this album as a whole though is the dark intensity of it and Wilson’s melancholy, almost cynical vocal style. This style matches the lyrics perfectly as he seems to be quite animated about issues escapism, mass culture, and information overload. That said, the lyrics are probably the weakest part of this album as they seem to be rather juvenile, but fortunately Wilson improved on that point when he started his solo career. But my issue about the lyrics is just a drop in the bucket compared to how awesome this album is. In fact, I would say that this album even more than its two predecessors helped put Porcupine Tree on the map as one of the most unique and talented prog bands around. Though “In Absentia” is still my favorite PT record, “Fear” is still a bona fide masterpiece and epic thrill ride of an album. I really don’t know what else to say about this album so I’ll let you guys fill in the rest.

Recommended tracks: Anesthetize, title track, Way Out of Here

Edit: Just realized this is my 800th post.

[adace]

Thanks for reading my thread, guys. Hope you enjoyed it. Lots of honorable mentions coming soon.

50. Rise Against - Appeal to Reason
49. Lustmord - Metavoid
48. Boards of Canada - The Campfire Headphase
47. Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed
46. Genesis - Selling England by the Pound
45. Astra - The Black Chord
44. Yes - Fragile
43. Moonsorrow - Verisakeet
42. Wolves in the Throne Room - Celestial Lineage
41. Enslaved - Vertebrae
40. Ahab - Call of the Wretched Sea
39. Electric Wizard - Dopethrone
38. Nile - Annihilation of the Wicked
37. Meshuggah - Nothing
36. Hammock - Raising Your Voice, Trying to Stop an Echo
35. Mono - Hymn to the Immortal Wind
34. Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain
33. Massive Attack - Mezzanine
32. Pelican - What We All Come to Need
31. Scale the Summit - The Collective
30. Children of Bodom - Are You Dead Yet
29. Judas Priest - Painkiller
28. Swallow the Sun - The Morning Never Came
27. Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley
26. Dimmu Borgir - Death Cult Armageddon
25. Testament - The Gathering
24. Camel - Moonmadness
23. Ulver - Shadows of the Sun
22. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
21. Dredg - Catch Without Arms
20. Death - The Sound of Perseverance
19. Megadeth - Rust in Peace
18. Dead Can Dance - Anastasis
17. Anathema - Weather Systems
16. Haken - Visions
15. Deep Purple - Machine Head
14. Depeche Mode - Violator
13. Periphery - Periphery II
12. Wintersun - Wintersun
11. Symphony X - The Odyssey
10. Mastodon - Leviathan
9. Mastodon - Crack the Skye
8. Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning
7. King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
6. Threshold - March of Progress
5. Riverside - Rapid Eye Movement
4. Iron Maiden - Brace New World
3. Isis - Panopticon
2. Katatonia - Dead End Kings
1. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet

[Buddyhunter1]

Glad to see someone else loves the awesomeness that is Dead End Kings.

[Big Hath]

Glad to see someone else loves the awesomeness that is Dead End Kings.

it's a really great album 

[adace]

Time for some honorable mentions:

1. Enslaved - Riitiir, Ruun
2. Isis - Oceanic
3. King Crimson - Lizard, Discipline
4. Fair to Midland - Fables from a Mayfly
5. Devin Townsend - Addicted!
6. Death - Symbolic, Human
7. The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute
8. Nightwish - Once, Century Child, Oceanborn
9. GYBE - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
10. Symphony X - Divine Wings of Tragedy, Paradise Lost
11. Coheed and Cambria - From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
12. Dredg - El Cielo
13. Meshuggah - Obzen
14. Obscura - Omnivium
15. Riverside - Second Life Syndrome
16. Bjork - Vespertine
17. Depeche Mode - Ultra
18. Steve Roach - Structures From Silence
19. Robert Rich/Lustmord - Stalker
20. Queen - A Night at the Opera
21. Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Master of Reality, self-titled
22. Epica - Design Your Universe
23. Ihsahn - After
24. Deftones - White Pony
25. Textures - Dualism
26. Witchcraft - Legend
27. Primordial - To the Nameless Dead
28. Quo Vadis - Defiant Imagination
29. Paysage d'Hiver - Winterkalte
30. High on Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis
31. Clutch - Blast Tyrant
32. Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time, self-titled, AMOLAD
33. Radiohead - Hail to the Thief, Amnesiac, King of Limbs
34. Rush - A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, 2112
35. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here, Animals
36. Alice in Chains - Dirt
37. Katatonia - The Great Cold Distance
38. Deep Purple - Fireball, In Rock
39. Yes - Close to the Edge
40. Dream Theater - Awake, Train of Thought, Scenes
41. Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings
42. Alcest - Les Voyages de L'Ame
43. Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters
44. Sigur Ros - (), Takk
45. Scar Symmetry - Pitch Black Progress
46. Iron and Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
47. Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
48. U2 - Achtung Baby
49. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
50. Nirvana - Nevermind
51. Metallica - And Justice for All
52. Protest the Hero - Fortress
53. Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here
54. Portishead - Portishead
55. Cynic - Focus
And of course:
56. Opeth - Still Life, Deliverance

[DebraKadabra]

Oh wow - that's a pretty bold choice for the top spot, but it's not undeserved IMO.  Also good to see an AiC album in your honorable mentions.

[?]

2 excellent choices, everyone should give those albums a listen! Although I've been a Katatonia fan for a couple of years already, I feel they honed their signature sound to perfection on DEK - there's not a single filler track and it has already become one of my all-time favorite records! FOABP is perfection as well, the flow and diversity is just awesome and seeing the Anesthetize DVD made me love it even more.

I realize that this post is a spoiler for my album list, but so what?

[Scorpion]

Great finish! I like FoaBP a fair bit, it's probably my favourite PT release (though I've never been a big PT fan). I should probably check out Dead End Kings, I've only seen it receive praise.

Sweet, it's on Spotify! Will listen today and post thoughts here.

[adace]

Oh wow - that's a pretty bold choice for the top spot, but it's not undeserved IMO.  Also good to see an AiC album in your honorable mentions.

I actually put Black Gives Way to Blue quite high in my top 10 in my first thread (link's on the first page of this one).

2 excellent choices, everyone should give those albums a listen! Although I've been a Katatonia fan for a couple of years already, I feel they honed their signature sound to perfection on DEK - there's not a single filler track and it has already become one of my all-time favorite records! FOABP is perfection as well, the flow and diversity is just awesome and seeing the Anesthetize DVD made me love it even more.

I realize that this post is a spoiler for my album list, but so what?

Good to see other people love DEP too! Also, I have that DVD as well. It's one of my favorites.

Great finish! I like FoaBP a fair bit, it's probably my favourite PT release (though I've never been a big PT fan). I should probably check out Dead End Kings, I've only seen it receive praise.

Sweet, it's on Spotify! Will listen today and post thoughts here.

Cool, are you already a Katatonia fan or will this be the first album of theirs you've listened to?

[DebraKadabra]

Oh wow - that's a pretty bold choice for the top spot, but it's not undeserved IMO.  Also good to see an AiC album in your honorable mentions.

I actually put Black Gives Way to Blue quite high in my top 10 in my first thread (link's on the first page of this one).

Long story, but... I'm a bit unfamiliar with that one.  Not to worry, though - I WILL be digging into it thanks to the AiC survivor.

[Scorpion]

Great finish! I like FoaBP a fair bit, it's probably my favourite PT release (though I've never been a big PT fan). I should probably check out Dead End Kings, I've only seen it receive praise.

Sweet, it's on Spotify! Will listen today and post thoughts here.

Cool, are you already a Katatonia fan or will this be the first album of theirs you've listened to?

Never heard a note of their music in my life.

Mmmmhhh... so far it's sounding pretty good, but not really special either. Very pleasant, but nothing I would actively put on.

[?]

Very pleasant, but nothing I would actively put on.

It may seem samey and uneventful on the first listen, but it will grow on you after you've heard it multiple times.

[adace]

Great finish! I like FoaBP a fair bit, it's probably my favourite PT release (though I've never been a big PT fan). I should probably check out Dead End Kings, I've only seen it receive praise.

Sweet, it's on Spotify! Will listen today and post thoughts here.

Cool, are you already a Katatonia fan or will this be the first album of theirs you've listened to?

Never heard a note of their music in my life.

Mmmmhhh... so far it's sounding pretty good, but not really special either. Very pleasant, but nothing I would actively put on.

Yeah, it took a while for them to grow on me. "My Twin" was pretty much the song that got me into them. It's their most popular song so you might want to try that as well.