MikeMangioy's top 50 albums v.2: v.2 - v. The top ten

[Cedar redaC]

Imma gonna follow this.

[Tomislav95]

I have to say I never listened to Grace For Drowning even though I love last two Steven's solo albums and Insurgentes is good, too. Nothing to say about Dream Theater's self-titled, it's probably my 6th favorite DT's (still great).

[Crow]

Grace for Drowning is an album I am very indifferent towards, and DT12 is one of my least favorite albums from the band, probably one of the least favorite that I own period too 

[Sacul]

Grace for Drowning took some time to click on me, but when it did... Damn, what a fantastic record.

[jakepriest]

I've never head anything from Steven Wilson, but that Index live video you posted was mindblowing. Definitely gonna have to check out that album.

As for DT12, it's one of my least favourite DT albums and I don't think it will ever grow on me.

[mikemangioy]

I've never head anything from Steven Wilson, but that Index live video you posted was mindblowing. Definitely gonna have to check out that album.

Yeah man, Steven's discography is just mindblowing. Check it out!


#48: Nirvana - In Utero
Grunge/Alternative rock - 1994

Out of all the famous rock bands out there, Nirvana has to be my favorite. Even though you see lots of people with Nirvana t-shirts around, and usually these people only know about Smells Like Teen Spirit (if they know about it) and that kind of pisses me off, because yeah, SLTS is great and all that but... they are truly missing out on a lot. Nevermind alone has tons of amazing songs other than that one, Bleach is filled with pure dirty grunge stuff, that might be not as appealing as Nevermind it is amazing nontheless. But I feel that In Utero is my favorite Nirvana record because it's the most varied one and the one I feel that represents the band better.

In these twelve tracks we have a wide variety of styles of Nirvana music. Pop-sounding hard rock pieces, like Rape Me, Pennyroyal Tea and Serve The Servants, moments of pure emotion in the ballads Heart Shaped Box, Dumb and All Apologies. The latter is one of my favorite ballads of all times, and one that never fails in delivering shivers, especially when you look at the lyrics and you see what happened to Kurt six months later. The other tracks are all unfairly underrated - we're talking about masterpieces like Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle, Radio Friendly Unit Shifter and my personal favorite Nirvana song, Very Ape. That piece is very short but has quite the energy. And I have always lots of fun listening to it, and playing it live too (I'm in a Nirvana tribute band). There are also three of the most batshit insane songs you'll ever hear, Milk It, tourette's and Scentless Apprentice. I'll just leave the link under here so you can feel free to check 'em out because.. it's quite a trip 

In Utero is always a pleasant listen and will forever remain in my heart as the testament for a band that was short-lived, but left a lot in the end.

Recommended songs: Serve The Servants Scentless Apprentice Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle
Very Ape Milk It tourette's
 

[Fluffy Lothario]

Milk It and Scentless Apprentice are awesome songs. I love Grohl's pre-chorus double bass beat (at least I think it's double bass, from memory) on SA.

[Train of Naught]

Great to see In Utero, pretty underrated to Nevermind..
As for DT12, took some time to grow on me, but in its entirety it now is probably one of my favorites, love every single song on it.

[mikemangioy]

I love Grohl's pre-chorus double bass beat (at least I think it's double bass, from memory) on SA.

They're eighth notes, so it sounds like double bass, but it isn't, Dave never used any.

[jakepriest]

I really dislike Nirvana, so I can't comment on this. I've never enjoyed listening to any other song other than Smells Like Teen Spirit from them.

[Sacul]

I really dislike Nirvana, so I can't comment on this. I've never enjoyed listening to any other song other than Smells Like Teen Spirit from them.

[sneakyblueberry]

I enjoy this record more than Nevermind, just for its rawness as opposed to that particular record.  It amazes me how you can really spot how the band is the love child of *insert punk band here* and The Beatles, it really shows in Kurts attention to melody, and the simpleness of some of the songs. 

What do you play in the tribute act, mikemangioy?

[Sacul]

Curious fact: Cobain's favorite album is King Crimson's Red.

[Fluffy Lothario]

Like most people, Cobain had different favourite albums at different times. I’ve read tons of apparent favourite albums of his over the years - albums by The Melvins and The Pixies, for example.

[mikemangioy]

What do you play in the tribute act, mikemangioy?

I am Dave Grohl. I wish. But I kinda look like him, so 

Speaking of which:


#47: Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways
Rock, 2014

This isn't necessarily my favorite FF record, but damn we all have to admit that they went above and beyond the "concept" record.

Sonic Highways is an album that narrates throughout 8 songs, the musical history of 8 cities in the USA. Now, the songs aren't that different from the usual Foo Fighters tunes, but there's just this thing about them. They sound very important, because they carry the weight of an entire history of musicians, songs, bands, records of their respective city. And when you look at the documentary that came with the record, you really understand how big of a thing this is. I really understood that in the end, music is the thing that unites us humans the most (well, more art in general, but still) and when each episode of the documentary ended, I just had this big grin on my face.
At the end of the last episode for the song I Am A River (it aired at New Year's Eve in Italy, so it was even more sappy for me) I think I cried a bit. Because it's just that overwhelming to me.

Eight cities, eight rock-as-hell tunes, the Foos even had some experimentation in structure and composition in songs as Something From Nothing, which starts off very quiet and builds throughout its 5 minutes up until Dave's scream which ignites a headbanging fest, Congregation with some devil pickin' provided by Zach Brown (a guest musician featured on this track), a two part song: What Did I Do?/God As My Witness but most of all, the two ending tracks which are just beautiful. Subterranean is about starting over after Nirvana for Dave (this was recorded in Seattle), and it has ambient patches, acoustic guitars, e-bows and all that ethereal stuff, and I Am A River, a very anthemic close to this album.

98% of the time, I always say that it's just about the music, in the end. This is not the case. It's about the whole thing.

Recommended tunes: Something From Nothing  Outside Subterranean

[Tomislav95]

Never cared too much to check some Nirvana or Foo Fighters albums but I should. Who knows, maybe I'll like it (but I'm not sure about Nirvana, don't like that style)

[sneakyblueberry]

don't dig what i know from this record.

[jakepriest]

Eeeeh. Same thing as Nirvana here. I just don't appreciate Grohl's music I guess.

[Sacul]

Unfollowing.

[Anguyen92]

I liked Sonic Highways, I almost consider putting it in my top 50 when I get the crack at it, but I feel like there are better albums from Foo Fighters for me to pick.  That stated, they still have some good songs in Sonic Highways.  Really enjoyed and can relate to Congregation.  Outside is solid and I Am A River, instrumentally, was really good.  The problem with I Am A River, though, was that Dave ran out of things to say and just stated "I Am A River" on and on for the last half of the song which dragged what could have been a big magnum opus for them to just merely good/great stuff.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

GFD is a great choice, no doubt.

While I probably liked DT12 more than some, I don't see it as being up on a top 50 list. Good album, but still a few other DT albums I'd put above it.

Never been too into Nirvana, and Foo Fighters is great but Sonic Highways felt really flat for me. Didn't really dig it at all.

[mikemangioy]

The problem with I Am A River, though, was that Dave ran out of things to say and just stated "I Am A River" on and on for the last half of the song which dragged what could have been a big magnum opus for them to just merely good/great stuff.

I agree on that one. They started it off so well, but then the infinite chorus kicked in. Oh well, the song is wonderful nevertheless.


#46: Devin Townsend - Ocean Machine: Biomech
Progressive rock/metal, 1997

This man is a genious. One of the two contemporary genius that made masterful music nonstop for 25 years never failing. I really look up to Devin and his work, but also as a person and his attitude towards life. The man is unstoppable, he's working on a symphony but he also wrote an entire album as well. And wrote a book. With an unplugged CD as a bonus. Jeez.

This is Dev's first solo record, after starting off with his career with Strapping Young Lad. It's very different from his work in that band because SYL was extremely heavy and hard-hitting and chaotic, whilst this is a very calm, dense and grand piece of music. The whole album is drenched in ambient patches which make it sound really full and almost "alive" in a sense. The title says it all - "Ocean Machine", and as somebody said on this forum, it really sounds like an ocean.

This record does a really good job in the tracklist, alternating easy-listening songs like "Life" or "Regulator", to atmospherice suites such as the Sister/3 A.M./Voices In The Fan succession or the epic fan favorite Funeral/Bastard. When I saw that he played those songs at the Royal Albert Hall show, I was so happy. The album closes with "The Death Of Music" which is this minimalistic electronic piece, with a few verses and one hell of a build up in the choruses. Devin is one of the most mind blowing vocalists today, and he was even back in the day, listen to this track and you'll know why. Shivers, shivers everywhere.

So yeah, the whole album feels like this big trip inside of the ocean, and it's pretty consistent and feels like one big thing. You gotta be in the mood though, in the mood for calm but still heavy,  grand but still simple.. until the final three tracks arrive, and then you have to be ready to get your mind blown.
One of the things I'm most arfraid of is deep sea, but if the ocean is like Ocean Machine, I think I'd live in it.

Recommended songs: Life Hide Nowhere Regulator Bastard The Death Of Music

[Crow]

>recommended songs
>no funeral

 

[mikemangioy]

Just for ya 

[jakepriest]

I think Ocean Machine is an overrated album. Don't get me wrong I still enjoy it a lot but I wouldn't put it anywhere Devin's top 3.
Life is like the worst track off it though. Why are Night, Things Beyond Things and Seventh Wave not in the recommended songs? 

[Sacul]

I think Ocean Machine is an overrated album. Don't get me wrong I still enjoy it a lot but I wouldn't put it anywhere Devin's top 3.
Life is like the worst track off it though. Why are Night, Things Beyond Things and Seventh Wave not in the recommended songs? 

Agree with the first paragraph - used to be my fav Devin album, but not since I listened to Ghost, Addicted, and Epicloud.

Really disagree with the last one tho. Life is bae <3 but Seventh Wave and Night are great too. Things beyond things is a meh bonus track. Also, he can only give so many recommendations per album

[jakepriest]

Things beyond things is a meh bonus track.

It's my favourite off the album. 

[Crow]

Things Beyond Things is #3 on the album for me (Funeral and Death of Music are #2 and #1, respectively)

[Sacul]

I don't think it's a bad track, but it doesn't really standout imo. Also, the scream at the end is ridiculous

[sneakyblueberry]

everyone is nuts about this guy on this forum, I really should have a listen sometime but I'm like do you even Kayo Dot? DO YOU EVEN MAUDLIN OF THE WELL?!

[mikemangioy]

everyone is nuts about this guy on this forum, I really should have a listen sometime

Also, guys, the recommended songs are just my favorites, simple as that!


#45: Beyond The Bridge - The Old Man And The Spirit
Progressive Metal, 2012

This is the debut (and so far, only) album for the german band Beyond The Bridge. The guys play some extremely well-produced classic prog metal, with callbacks from Dream Theater, Pain Of Salvation, Riverside and other good prog metal acts in the scene. It's nothing new, but it's done so well that you forget about that.
The thing that differs Beyond The Bridge from the rest of the bands though, is that they have two singers: a male (Herbie Langhans) and a female (Dilenya Mar). This opens up new ways of delivering melody and lyrics, and they had the perfect chance of doing a concept album, because each of them could play a character. And infact...

The Old Man And The Spirit is a story about this person, who is at the end of his life and is obsessed by basically the questions at the beginning of The Spirit Carries On (Where did we come from, why are we here, where do we go when we die, what lies beyond, and what lived before, is there anything certain in life - basically) and so he is desperately searching for answers (as we hear in the opening track The Call), until a spirit arrives in the song The Apparition, and she says that if the man wants to know these things she can show him, but she has to erase all his memories in order to do it. It's a good story, and you get lots of emotion in the vocal tracks. The songs are all great, from the openers, The Call and The Apparition, to the ballads, the best one is Where The Earth And Sky Meet, the sonic destruction of Doorway To Salvation and The Struggle (the vocal game in this one is strong), up until the emotional finale, in All A Man Can Do. Songwriting is great, concept is great, production is awesome, this makes for a great record to hear if you are a prog metal fan.

Recommended songs: The Call  Doorway To Salvation  The Struggle  Where The Earth And Sky Meet  All A Man Can Do

[WebRaider]

I think Ocean Machine is an overrated album. Don't get me wrong I still enjoy it a lot but I wouldn't put it anywhere Devin's top 3.
Life is like the worst track off it though. Why are Night, Things Beyond Things and Seventh Wave not in the recommended songs? 

Agree with the first paragraph - used to be my fav Devin album, but not since I listened to Ghost, Addicted, and Epicloud.

Really disagree with the last one tho. Life is bae <3 but Seventh Wave and Night are great too. Things beyond things is a meh bonus track. Also, he can only give so many recommendations per album

You guys are crazy (IMO  )... Ocean Machine is definitely one of his top albums. It's probably some of his best song writing on the whole as an album. All his material tends to go in different directions but this is one of the albums of his which somewhat incorporates all of Devin. 

[Elite]

everyone is nuts about this guy on this forum, I really should have a listen sometime but I'm like do you even Kayo Dot? DO YOU EVEN MAUDLIN OF THE WELL?!

Bath is brilliant. Have a listen sometime.

[jakepriest]

It's probably some of his best song writing on the whole as an album

Deconstruction says hello. 

[mikemangioy]

It's probably some of his best song writing on the whole as an album

Deconstruction says hello. 

Decon is kinda chaos and heaviness from the top to the end, really - Ocean Machine is more complete in that sense.

Pardon me while I'm being slightly controversial...


#44: Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos
Progressive Metal, 2007

Screw everybody, this album is fun. That's why I put it here. It's definitely not one of DT's best, but it's the one that I always come back to because of that. It's fun to play, fun to listen to and just outright heavy and balls-to-the wall. That's all there is to say about this.
Every song is memorable and when you have In The Presence Of Enemies in your album, you can't help but win. Every twist and turn, unnecessary or not, make me appreciate this record so much that it's not even fair to some other records such as Images And Words. Vastly superior to this product of the over-the-top-iness but doesn't put a smile on my face as much as this record does.

Recommended songs: Lol u joking right