Orthogonal's Top 50 Albums v Final Recap

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

31. Symphony X - The Odyssey [2002]


Track Picks: Inferno(Unleash the Fire), Accolade II, King of Terrors, Awakenings, The Odyssey

No Top 50 list featuring progressive metal would be complete without a little Symphony X. "The Odyssey" is great addition to their ever growing discography. Romeo slays on this album and kicks things off with "Inferno" with some wicked and relentless riffing. We're also treated, for better or worse, to vocalist Russel Allen beginning to more commonly use a slightly harsher or raspy vocal delivery. "Accolade II" is a sequel to one of their greatest hits "Accolade" from The Divine Wings of Tragedy that successfully recaptures the magic of the original but expands on some new themes. The album has a solid balance between heavy riffing and thrash oriented songs and the more proggy and melodic that SymX is renowned for. It all builds to a fever pitch near the close of the album with the epic 24 Minute multi-part title track. "The Odyssey" based on Homer's Illiad is a great re-imagining of the tale with top-notch production and professional presentation.  It begins with a full orchestra as the rest of the band slowly integrates in a kind of Metallica S&M way. The orchestra is more than just filler, but an extension of the band that helps bring the track to life. It then transitions to acoustic guitar and vocals before moving through many different themes both heavy, soft, bombastic and magnificent.

Why it should be ranked lower: It's the album that starts the transition to more chugga-chugga dominant albums.

Why it should be ranked higher: The title track alone puts it on the Top 50 list, the rest is just gravy.
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30. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I [2012]


Track Picks: Tapestry of the Starless Abstract, Forget Not, And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope, As Icicles Fall

This is an amazing debut album by a progressive black metal group. "Portal of I" was a labor of love that was fraught with delay's and nearly breaking up the band, but 5 years after the initial demo's, the world was given this amazing gem. The band is fairly comparable to Opeth in style, but they are unique by way of the inclusion of a Violin as a primary instrument in the band. Similar to Opeth, songs are fairly non-standard structurally and generally travel ample musical territory as they move from one section to the next and largely ignoring the verse/chorus paradigm. Most songs will have a mix of pummeling guitars, blast beats and harsh vocals contrasted with acoustic, folk playing laced with clean vocals. However, I would be remiss to simply label them an Opeth clone because they do some really incredible things with the Violin that elevates the music to a new level. Violin's are not unheard of in the metal world, but their scant use can be fairly gimmicky. In the case of NeO, they use it perfection and carve out a unique signature sound. The album opens with "Tapestry of the Starless Abstract" that immediately grabs your attention and quickly introduces you to their unique brand of black metal prog. It moves from aggressive, to ambient and back and keeps you on your toes till the end. "Forget Not" is a fantastic and creative song that is the most impressive use of Violin on the album, the first 6 1/2 minutes is entirely instrumental before adding clean over harsh vocals and then taking a wild left turn near the end in an intense finale.

The last several minutes of this song may not be for the faint of heart, but at least check out the first half to see how awesome this is. It takes a couple minutes to really get going.
Ne Obliviscaris - Forget Not

Why it should be ranked lower: Last one from 2012, I promise.

Why it should be ranked higher: My AOTY, this is how a band should make a debut.

Big thumbs up for the English Electrics, amazing records. Haven't heard any of the others, but I think all of them are on my to-buy list.

[jjrock88]

The title track to Odyssey is one of the best things I've ever heard

[jingle.boy]

The title track to Odyssey is one of the best things I've ever heard

Agreed.  It's absolutely flawless.

[MoraWintersoul]

NeO rulz, brutha.

[adace]

Ne Obliviscaris

[The King in Crimson]

Bump.

"Forget Not" is an incredible song. The rest of the album is pretty damn good too.

[Orthogonal]

Sorry for the delay in updates, I was caught up in listening to DT12 

29. Queensryche - Empire [1990]


Track Picks: Best I Can, Jet City Woman, Another Rainy Night (Without You), Empire, Silent Lucidity, Hand on Heart

Follow-up to the groundbreaking "Operation: Mindcrime", Queensryche would release another compelling and successful album in "Empire". More energetic and melodic than it's predecessor, but still pushing forward with an evolution of their trademark style and a sound that is decidedly more mainstream. "Best I Can" kicks things off with the band firing on all cylinders and Tate delivering a powerful performance. "Jet City Woman" is a radio hit with a catchy and sing-a-long chorus. "Silent Lucidity" is their trademark ballad and a fan favorite. The album is incredibly balanced with many different styles and emotions and will leave you satisfied.

Why it should be ranked lower: Maybe a little overly commercial

Why it should be ranked higher: This was a landmark album, pushing their critical and commercial success to its peak.
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28. Circus Maximus - The 1st Chapter [2005]


Track Picks: Sin, Alive, Glory of the Empire, The 1st Chapter

The debut album by Circus Maximus is everything you could hope for in a debut and one of the best of 2005. Fans of Dream Theater and Symphony X will be right at home with this beauty. "The 1st Chapter" opens with the up tempo and riff "Sin" before transitioning into the mid-tempo rocker "Alive", both have great melodies and get the listener into a groove before unleashing the incredible "Glory of the Empire". It starts off with a slow acoustic guitar passage with vocals before building into an amazing symphonic prog metal display. The rest of the album stays true to the bar set from the beginning, but the clear standout is the 20 minute title track that will leave you breathless. Very much in the vein of a Symphony X epic track, it transitions from many different themes, both soft and plodding to heavy and aggressive. A track every prog metal fan would enjoy.

Why it should be ranked lower: Some people may not like the religious lyrical content.

Why it should be ranked higher: This is more than just a Dream Theater clone band, these guys have some chops.

[jingle.boy]

Yes and Yes.

Amazingly, I too had Empire and First Chapter back-to-back (but ranked the other way) on my list... had them slightly higher at spots 25 and 24.

Excellent additions.

[Orthogonal]

Cool. I vaguely remember that from your list. Great minds think alike. 

[Ruba]

I haven't gotten into Empire just yet, I'm afraid. Love seeing the love for Another Rainy Night (Without You) anyways.

Circus Maximus are definately copying DT. I mean, they stole that unicyclist!

[Orthogonal]

I haven't gotten into Empire just yet, I'm afraid. Love seeing the love for Another Rainy Night (Without You) anyways.

Circus Maximus are definately copying DT. I mean, they stole that unicyclist!

Lol, those plagiarists.

I forgot to say much about Another Rainy Night in my review, but it was one of the songs the initially stuck out to me. This was back before I had any inclination to listen to rock or metal, so it was a catalyst for me picking it up.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I've never really cared for The 1st Chapter. I think Isolate is about a million times better

[jjrock88]

Empire walks that fine line between being commercial, but still not losing their hard rock/metal edge.  Smart move, it sold millions and made QR, for a brief moment, a household name.

[nicmos]

I loved seeing the quote in the thread topic, I knew immediately what it was. (shouldn't it be "Like a 10 Ton, um, Heavy Thing?"  )

I can't believe you didn't mention Anybody Listening, that song is amazing.  The album is commercial-y, yeah, but it doesn't make it less awesome.  I have a feeling no one would be calling it commercial if Silent Lucidity hadn't broken through to the MTV crowd, even if all the other songs were the same.  This is how to write engaging rock music without sacrificing quality.  The production is great too, way better than Mindcrime.

Circus Maximus is always something I want to like and it seems like I should, but just can't get over the hump. 

[Orthogonal]

27. Nightwish - Oceanborn [1998]


Track Picks: Stargazers, Gethsemene, Passion and the Opera, The Riddler, The Pharoah Sails to Orion

When I first heard about Nightwish I was intrigued and very skeptical. I wasn't too keen on Female vocalists in rock groups at the time and I was even less interested in an Operatic style vocalist, but I figured I should give this a chance. I picked up "Oceanborn" on a blind purchase to give it a shot and was pleasantly surprised.  "Stargazers" comes out of the gates and completely surprises you with symphonic intensity and a powerful, energetic and mesmerizing voice from Targa Turunen. It wastes no time introducing you to what their signature sound would be. "Passion and the Opera" is a fantastic re-imagining of the classic "Phantom of the Opera" which seems like a natural choice. "Oceanborn" manages to have a lot of diversity in the sound space they carve for themselves. The album has several ballads and softer songs which are lovely but don't manage to have the same impact as the harder hitting symphonic metal songs.

Why it should be ranked lower: Seems like they could be just a gimmick

Why it should be ranked higher: Could have been a disaster, but this was executed flawlessly.
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26. Royal Hunt - Paradox [1996]


Track Picks: River of Pain, Tearing Down the World, Message to God, Long Way Home, It's Over

I don't remember how I came across Royal Hunt, but their 1996 release "Paradox" is a cut above and one of the best of the year. Their coming of age album is also arguably their best. "Paradox" has a grand and cinematic sound that was impressive for an album in the mid 90's. After beginning with a brief prelude "The Awakening" it kicks into high gear with the melodicly driven "River of Pain" and displays the bands signature symphonic prog metal sound that would define them over the years. Vocalist DC Cooper shows impressive range and restraint. The third track "Tearing Down the World" was the track that sold me on them with the high tempo drumming and strong vocals with harmonic backups. It concludes with the Orchestral and grand "It's Over" in an album that seems to end so soon. Bonus tracks "Martial Arts" and "The Final Lullaby" are a nice addition to pad things out.

Why it should be ranked lower: Could have been a little more proggy to take it to the next level.

Why it should be ranked higher: Solid album from top to bottom, every song is a winner.

[Dr. DTVT]

26. Royal Hunt - Paradox

Nick and I approve 

[Orthogonal]

Half way point summary:

50. Live - Throwing Copper
49. Kamelot - The Black Halo
48. Queensryche - Promised Land
47. Cloudscape - Global Drama
46. Our Lady Peace - Clumsy
45. Rush - Moving Pictures
44. U2 - Joshua Tree
43. Savatage - Poets & Madmen
42. Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
41. Serenity - Fallen Sanctuary
40. Angra - Rebirth
39. Beyond the Bridge - The Old Man and the Spirit
38. Between the Buried and Me - Colors
37. Mastodon - Blood Mountain
36. Pathosray - Pathosray
35. Redemption - Snowfall on Judgement Day
34. Circus Maximus - Nine
33. Big Big Train - English Electric Part 2
32. Big Big Train - English Electric Part 1
31. Symphony X - The Odyssey
30. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
29. Queensryche - Empire
28. Circus Maximus - The 1st Chapter
27. Nightwish - Oceanborn
26. Royal Hunt - Paradox

How is everyone doing so far?

[Dr. DTVT]

17/25, and 10/10 on HM

[jingle.boy]

16/25

Oceanborn is still part of Nightwish's musical adolescence for me.  Tarja is (to some extent) too one-dimensional.  Century Child and Once are where it's at.

Paradox... AAA material right there.

[nicmos]

I think the music of Nightwish is really(!) good, but I don't really like the vocals sad to say.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I own seven of the albums listed, and have heard three or four others.

[The King in Crimson]

4/10 for the HM and 12/25 for the real list.

[CrimsonSunrise]

Keep 'em coming!  Great list so far   

[Ruba]

Oceanborn  . The first four NW albums are all great.

[Orthogonal]

To segue into the last half of the list I decided it's a good time to list some bands not featured in this Top 50, but are under-appreciated around these parts and deserve a good look. So, without further ado:

Darkwater - Calling the Earth to Witness                          Darkwater - Where Stories End
 

Songs to Try: All Eyes on Me, Habit, The Play Part 1, The Play Part 2, Tallest Trees, Breathe, Why I Bleed, Fool's Utopia, Without a Sound

Darkwater is a Swedish prog-metal band with influences from Dream Theater, Symphony X and Shadow Gallery. Though not as technical as the aforementioned bands, the debut "Calling the Earth to Witness" is solid prog-metal. Epics like "Habit" and "Tallest Trees" display the most impressive prog attributes with layered and more complex song structures and great catchy melodies. The follow up album "Where Stories End" is a slightly more commercially driven sound, but still remains true to their roots. "Breathe" starts things off with synths before kicking into an uptempo and melodically driven rocker. "Fool's Utopia" is a stand out track that hits on all the right notes.
This is a band that any prog-metal fan would enjoy
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Spheric Universe Experience - Mental Torments               Spheric Universe Experience - Anima
 

Songs to Try: So Cold, Now or Never, Mental Torments, Echos of the Stars, Sceptic, The Inner Quest, The Key

Spheric Universe Experience is a prog-metal band from France with blatantly obvious Dream Theater influences. Were it not for vocalist Frank Garcia you'd be forgiven if you didn't think these were Dream Theater records. Having said that, these album's are still very good and worthy of a listen. The debut "Mental Torments" is outstanding with a heavy and rich sound. "So Cold" opens with a memorable synth and vocals section before picking up steam into heavier territory. The title track "Mental Torments" is a 15 minute epic with all the twists and turns you'd come to expect. The follow-up album "Anima" evolves the sound to be slightly more their own, but still continues with the very technical approach and DT inspiration. "Sceptic" opens by showing their heavier side. "The Key" is a longer track that displays their maturity in song writing.

[jingle.boy]

Those are a couple of excellent albums from Darkwater.  I tried SUE once (can't remember which album), but was underwhelmed.

[kirksnosehair]

This is like having someone read back my music library to me 


But I'm definitely enjoying it 

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I own Calling The Earth To Witness but I've never gotten Where Stories End.

I actually tried to purchase Mental Torments a while back, but Amazon went of stock, and I haven't tried since then.

[Orthogonal]

I figured there would be a few folks that have a lot of overlap with my lists so no surprises there. Glad to be in good company. Hopefully there are a few new ones that people will check out. Here's my last update for under appreciated band and then back to the grind.

Anubis Gate - Andromeda Unchained                                     Anubis Gate - Anubis Gate
 

Songs to Try: Snowbound, Waking Hour, Resurrection Time, The Final Overture, The End of Millenium Road, Hold Back Tomorrow, Re-Formation Show, World in a Dome, Golden Days

Anubis Gate is a fairly recent discovery of mine and a band that I'm surprised doesn't get as much discussion on DTF as I thought they would warrant. They've gone through several line-up changes over the years, particularly at vocals, but they've managed to put out some great work. "Andromeda Unchained"  is exceedingly rare on physical CD's these days so head on over to iTunes to get a copy. There's nothing overly technical and many songs follow standard song writing conventions, but they are all tight compositions and have a great heavy and sometimes sci-fi themes. "Snowbound" is immediately accessible and a winner. "The Final Overture" is a clear standout that highlights their best work. The band's most recent album is their self titled work. Still fairly straightforward in style, but consistently strong and enjoyable. Check out "Golden Days" for some great hooks.



__________________________________






Therion - Vovin
 

Songs to Try: The Rise of Sodom and Gomorrah, The Wild Hunt, Black Sun Draconian Theory, Raven of Dispersion

Therion - Lemuria / Sirius B
 

Songs to Try: Typhon, Three Ships of Berik Part1 and Part 2, The Dreams of Swedenborg, Son of the Sun, The Wonderous World of Punt

Therion is a very peculiar and awesome band. I wasn't sure what to think of them when I first discovered them, but after giving them some serious time I saw some real brilliance. They are an operatic symphonic metal band. Both male and female operatic style leads dominate the music and on some albums harsh male vocals make an appearance. It's difficult to explain what they sound like, so you'll just have to try them yourself, but many songs feature orchestras playing along with the band. Huge variation in styles from soft and beautiful to aggressive and fast. "Vovin" is the album that kind of broke them onto the music scene and received relatively high critical praise. "Lemuria /Sirius B" is a double album that was released in two parts over a year and feature some of their best moments. They are certainly an acquired taste, but give them a chance and hear something unique and wonderful.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I have Anubis Gate's self-titled album, but the rest are impossible to get ahold of. I was talking to one of the band members on FaceBook, and he said they were trying to get a box set together, so there is hope.

[kirksnosehair]

So, as of now I am 16/25


And I have quite a few of those honorable mention albums you just put up too 

[nicmos]

Anubis Gate ++.  Coming out with a new album this fall/winter, but I don't see a release date right now.  I think before I saw November or December.

https://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=95403

[Orthogonal]

25. Flaming Row - Ellinoire [2011]


Track Picks: Initiation Fugato, Overture, Do You Like Country Grandpa?, Elinoire, Rage of Despair, Unearth the Truth, A Place to Revive Your Soul

"Ellinoire" is a concept album from a sort of super group called Flaming Row in the vein of Ayreon. It has a strong story and one that isn't entirely clear cut, but still a very enjoyable aspect to it. Starring an ensemble cast of both male and female vocalists to play the different characters, it plays out like a drama. As interesting and important as that is to the album, it's the music where things really shine. Featuring musicians from Shadow Gallery, Spock's Beard and Santana among others, we are treated to a diverse array of musical styles. One common thread among the music is the strong guitar presence and many thematic solo's and passages, particularly in the intro's of songs. The song-writing is flawless and every song makes an impact. Everything from the grand opening in "Initiation Fugato" to the thoughtful and emotional outro to "A Place to Revive Your Soul" is written and executed at a high level. Highly Recommended.

Why it should be ranked lower: Can't think of a reason.

Why it should be ranked higher: This one is flying up the rankings.
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24. Haken - Visions [2011]


Track Picks: Premonition, Nocturnal Conspiracy, The Mind's Eye, Portals, Visions

The sophomore album "Visions" by Haken is step up from the debut "Aquarius" and shows a maturity not common in bands so young. Musically it is similar to the debut, but is more focused and better executed. From the opening instrumental track "Premonition" you get a sense that they are taking things very seriously with it's heavy and moody atmosphere. "Nocturnal Conspiracy" is a highlight from the album and best exhibits the bands full diversity in a mid-tempo brooding and emotional piece with a hauntingly beautiful melody. The title track closes things out with an epic clocking in over 22 minutes and features everything you would expect from a song like this, monster riffs, numerous transitions and changes in theme and tempo will please the prog metal fan inside.

Why it should be ranked lower: Haken's signature brand of "Circus" ragtime elements may be off putting to some.

Why it should be ranked higher:  This is an album that clearly puts them head and shoulders above all the other new bands in the last several years.

[Orthogonal]

23. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet [2007]


Track Picks: Fear of a Blank Planet, My Ashes, Anesthetize, Way Out of Here

This album was my introduction to Porcupine Tree and what a way to get things started. "Fear of a Blank Planet" deals with some heavy topics and makes some statements about modern society. The title track deals with people (specifically kids) and the over prescription of drugs or addicted to technology and the effects it has on society. It holds up incredibly well with a strong melody and its mid-tempo semi-heavy rock. "My Ashes" is a great ballad with a lot of emotion and a big payoff at the end. The 17 minute epic "Anesthetize" is a multi-movement track with lots of different themes and some of the best moments on the album.

Why it should be ranked lower: It's too short, I need more than 50 minutes 

Why it should be ranked higher: Quality over quantity here, this is some of Steven Wilson's best work.
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22. Sonata Arctica - Unia [2007]


Track Picks: In Black and White, Paid in Full, Caleb, The Vice, My Dreams but a Drop of Fuel for a Nightmare, The Harvest

What an interesting album this is. After developing and evolving their signature sound of progressive/power metal over a great 4 album run Tony Kakko threw a monkey wrench into the formula and created something entirely new. When "Unia" first came out I didn't think I liked it, just because it was so different than anything they had done before, but after taking the time to digest it, its brilliance eventually shown threw to become something special. Gone are the up-tempo power metal double-bass driven songs and we see a transition to mid-tempo rockers with lots of experimentation and unique style changes. Right out of the gate "In Black and White" shows you something new and complex with an interesting dark and heavy approach. "Paid in Full" is probably the most accessible and commercial track that was a single and made into a music video. The lyrics still maintain their cheesy and awkward approach that has become an endearing quality of the band with some fun and quirky moments in "The Vice" and "The Harvest". If you do check it out, be sure to pick it up with the bonus track "Out in the Fields" which is to me a better closer than the simplistic, but still good, "Good Enough is Good Enough".

Why it should be ranked lower: This is definitely an acquired taste

Why it should be ranked higher: But it's a delicacy that should be indulged.

[Orthogonal]

Anubis Gate ++.  Coming out with a new album this fall/winter, but I don't see a release date right now.  I think before I saw November or December.

https://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=95403

That's great news, I thought 2012 was a steller year for music (you can tell from this list), but 2013 is shaping up to potentially be better. So many great releases.