ToN's Top 50 Albums! #1: Just Push Play

[Train of Naught]

#40: A.C.T – Circus Pandemonium (2014)


Genre: Progressive Rock/Metal

Hell yes, this should be a new entry, according to the spreadsheet, and for good reason, because this album is just so much fun! A.C.T has been around for longer than I could ever imagine, apparently they never stopped doing what they liked, and here they stand, in a new direction in their musical career with this 5th studio album of theirs. Really this distinct sound that they have reminds me of the kind of music you would hear in a musical, there’s a lot of 1-2 minute passages that give the story more shape, while in the end, they’re all songs describing different act’s that you’ll see in a circus. There’s Louis the tamer, a clown, an escape artist, etc.. While I don’t care that much for the story, these goofy lyrics just make the music more fun, and I rarely find myself in a situation where I skip anything on this album. I’ve had my doubts about this guy’s voice before, but definitely not anymore, he has such good energy that it fits perfectly with the music, and maybe their more serious sounding songs sound off to some, more than the goofy ones, but I beg to differ. In fact, that’s what keeps the album flow so good, from things like The Funniest Man Alive into A Failed Escape Attempt (that is if we don’t count the bonus track “Scared” inbetween). If you’re in for some prog/symphonic rock/metal with a happy touch to it, do try this shit out.

Favorite song:
A Failed Escape Attempt: There’s nothing too crazy going on in this song, but it’s such a good closer, ominous vibe in the beginning, with a very strong symphonic chorus that strangely reminds me a bit of Alter Bridge’s The End Is Here.

Other recommendations:
A Truly Gifted Man: Sort of has a Queen edge to it, a very uplifting song, with a lot of broadway musical style elements.

Everything’s Falling: Probably one of the more metal songs, still not really metal, but it has some heavy instrumentation going on, the prechorus is what I love most about this song (All alone in the dark…. etc.).

The Funniest Man Alive: Title pretty much says it all, this is a very funny song, in a good way.





#39: Linkin Park – Meteora (2003)


Genre: Nu-Metal/Alternative Rock/Metal

There’s quite some “firsts” I’m linking to some of my top 50 albums, this thing called Meteora, was the first album that pursued me to buy a live DVD, the ‘Linkin Park Live In Texas’, with one hell of a setlist (how could it not be, it was all Meteora and Hybrid Theory back then). But for now, let’s just focus on the second album, Meteora. It seems to be stressed a lot how Linkin Park switched to a different style after the first two albums, and that’s true, but even between the first two there are some great differences. You can already see some more radio-oriented stuff on this one, but there’s still definitely that nu-metal edge that actually made me love them in the first place. They also still stick to that very short song length that they had on the first album, never passing the 4th minute mark in either one of them. Oh well, I guess that’s why I had such a hard time getting into Dream Theater at first, growing up with 2-3 minute songs. Linkin Park was always that standard formula type of band, Mike rapping the verses, Chester usually singing the choruses (alternating between screaming and cleans) with Mike usually sharing one or two words, it worked just fine, though in Meteora, Mike started to be more laid-back when it came to vocals, focusing more on his guitar role. Some of the songs are even entirely sung by Chester on this album, though I can’t deny that the old style is the way I’ve always liked it, that’s why these Mike-heavy songs still appeal to me the most, that’s why songs like Numb, Easier to Run and Breaking the Habit don’t do nearly as much for me as the rest. Even though I don’t listen to Linkin Park as much as I used to when I was like.. 10-13 years old, they’re still one of my favorites, but I just don’t listen to them as regularly as before while still appreciating them to death, I think everyone knows that feeling here.

Favorite song:
Lying From You: A little bit more towards that Hybrid Theory style, but still very unique, this song never got old over the years.

Other recommendations:
From the Inside: This used to be my favorite song ever! Loved the video, loved the music, it was really something different from the classic Linkin Park, but in a good way.

Nobody’s Listening: Most rap-oriented track on the album, and probably in their whole discography, I can’t keep myself from singing along though. Also love the “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” soundtrack-alike sound.

Faint: One of the heavier songs, still some cool nu-metal edge to it, this one’s just a classic.

[Bolsters]

I've heard Circus Pandemonium before and I know I liked it, but I don't remember it at all. I should revisit it.

I don't mind Meteora but I definitely prefer Hybrid Theory, though they're both good. I never got into what Linkin Park made after those, though.

[jingle.boy]

I've heard Circus Pandemonium before and I know I liked it, but I don't remember it at all. I should revisit it.

Ditto... I think I checked them out due to a submission from Prog Snob in my last roulette.  Good album.

[Train of Naught]

I don't mind Meteora but I definitely prefer Hybrid Theory, though they're both good. I never got into what Linkin Park made after those, though.

I'm in the same boat regarding LP, and if it wasn't clear already Hybrid Theory WILL be on here.

[Train of Naught]

#38: Periphery – Periphery II: This Time It's Personal (2012)


Genre: Mathcore/Progressive Metal

How did I find out about Periphery? It’s pretty easily my brothers favorite band, and I used to laugh off those goddamn growls, but slowly delving into the world of Periphery, I secretly checked out some Periphery stuff, because I was embarrassed to admit I started liking it . Picking a favorite album wasn’t that hard, as it doesn’t only have my favorite song, it’s also in my eyes the most consistent. Periphery is basically like experimental prog metal, with heavy mathcore influences, something like that. So expect (for the most part) heavy verses with a clean chorus, layered with some very busy instrumentals, PtH is probably the closest they come to in terms of musical style, but they’re very distinctive. The way the tracklist is shaped up here makes it feel way more like a complete album than their previous effort, having some good intro and outro tracks on the second one. I’m also a fan of the little breather moments spread out throughout the album, like on the end of Facepalm Mute, makes for a great album experience, although I don’t think it flows all that perfectly into Ji . I never figured I would ever listen to this band like.. 5 years ago, but I'm glad I eventually tried.

Favorite song:
Ragnarok: It’s a fairly short track considering the last part is more of a transition, but for some reason I’ve loved this song for as long as I know Periphery, and I think the ending is just beautiful.

Other recommendations:
Scarlet: The most radio-friendly song on the album, and frankly, the catchiest. Still has some heavy elements to keep it “Periphery”, but it’s very accessible.

Erised: Alright DT fanboys, here’s the song with the John Petrucci guest solo, if you didn’t know, Jake Bowen is the nephew of JP, so they have teh connections (they also toured with Dream Theater). Anyway cool song as a whole, the solo is definitely not something to miss out on. But yea this song has catchy vocals, a cool not-over-the-top drum solo followed by the JP guest solo which ends the song.

The Gods Must Be Crazy!: Fun song with great melodies, also a little heavier than the two previous recommendations, although it’s kinda similar to Scarlet in some ways.





#37: Sum 41 – Chuck (2004)


Genre: Punk Rock/Hard Rock

Sum 41, hell yeah! One of those childhood bands for me, and this was the album that started it all. It didn’t yet have the heavy punk-y influence that Sum 41 became famous for (although some songs already have this style), this album was way more on the hard rock/metal side of things. Maybe from a guy with Three Days Grace and Shinedown in the honorable mentions this wasn’t as unexpected, and I think Chuck has been in top 50’s before, which is great. No doubt there’s some very heavy influences from other bands that are almost identical in some ways, tell me you’ve listened to The Bitter End and did not think of Metallica’s Battery, same goes for Some Say, those verses sound an awful lot like Oasis’ Wonderwall. Some people can’t stand when a band does this, I just see it as tributes, in the end they’ve given both songs their own twists and made it ‘them’. Musically this band is definitely not as diverse as some of the other bands on this list, and they don’t need to be, because they have their own style going for them, and it works pretty damn well. The heavy songs are energetic and powerful, the mellow songs are moving and melodic.

Favorite song:
We’re All To Blame: My first Sum 41 song, and still in my eyes their best. It’s like a mix of everything on this album, the heavy aspects return in the verses, the slow parts return in the chorus. Well, if you need a summary of this album, listen to this song.

Other recommendations:
The Bitter End: Fuck yeah, I love Battery, and this is like a shorter version of Battery, a little more in your face. Only thing missing is the wonderful acoustic intro.

Pieces: Easily the most popular song, if you’ve ever heard a song off this album it’s probably this radio hit.

88: Pretty similar style to that of Pieces, but this one’s a bit more uplifting, with the energetic chorus.





#36: Iron Maiden – A Matter Of Life And Death (2006)


Genre: Heavy Metal

No doubt the reunion era of Iron Maiden was a step down from their pre-reunion era time, but they still put out some of my favorite Maiden albums, this was by far their best album of the newer albums though! They developed a style that, while going back to their roots, sounds very fresh. Honestly I couldn’t be more happy when hearing Iron Maiden sounding this good once again. They have their smashingly heavy songs like Brighter Than a Thousand Suns, even some progressive elements in a few songs. And like always, they’re not afraid to tie together some ideas and create a few long songs. I’ve seen people say that Bruce did great on The Book of Souls, while I agree it’s impressive for his age, sadly I didn’t like his vocals on the new album at all, this one though, definitely my favorite Bruce performance of all the post-2k albums. I’ve always been returning to AMOLAD when I feel like listening to some heavy ass Iron Maiden mixed with cool melodies, and most of all, some of the best choruses in their career, even though they’re mostly the same repeating sentence. I’m glad I still had the chance to see them live, such a great experience, and a concert I’ll never forget, a bunch of songs played being from this album.
We've seen Seventh Son in the honorable mentions, and now this darker sounding album from the recent years, and prepare for some more Maiden in the near future!

Favorite song:
The Longest Day: This song just fits the mood of the album so perfectly, starts out very sinister, and has a very simple but catchy chorus.

Other recommendations:
The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg: Favorite overall song in terms of vocals on this album, and that guitar riff is simple, but just so good!

Brighter Than A Thousand Suns: Might very well be the heaviest IM song I know of, and for good reason.

The Pilgrim: A little simpler and shorter song than most on this album, and probably not as loved, but this was my introduction to the album and I still love it to death.

[mikemangioy]

I know some songs from Periphery II  and AMOLAD, they all kick ass.

[CharlesPL]

AMOLAD the worst Maiden album along VXI imho.

[Crow]

yeah Periphery II is easily their best though I will never get the obsession with Ragnarok

[Train of Naught]

Fair enough, don't even get my own obsession with it.

[jjrock88]

Love that Maiden album!!

[jakepriest]

Missed the last few updates. Periphery II is the weakest album of the bunch, but I still enjoy it. TOT was a good addition the list too. 

[425]

AMOLAD 

2nd best Maiden album IMO

[Train of Naught]

Missed the last few updates. Periphery II is the weakest album of the bunch, but I still enjoy it. TOT was a good addition the list too. 

Knew you'd like TOT 

And I knew AMOLAD would be a mixed bag, but I'll take it.

[Train of Naught]

#35: Tremonti – All I Was (2012)


Genre: Metal


Here we are, back with one of the two Alter Bridge members I can’t stop talking about, Mark Tremonti. After doing the Creed stuff and Some AB albums Tremonti decided to form a second group of people to express his more metal side of things with the band that is perhaps not known for its creative name, “Tremonti”. If you’re familiar with Alter Bridge you know Mark does backing vocals, and in very rare occasions lead vocals, we were already proven that he could sing. He’s not the most talented singer in the genre by a longshot, but he manages to make his voice work perfectly with the music in the sense that the songs don’t require mental vocal ranges, but remain very strong. I would say that compared to every album in short range of this one (say, #30-40), All I Was has the least outstanding songs of them all. I never go “wow, this Tremonti song is such a masterpiece”, this is a band you listen to for great, consistent music. The solo’s are rather quick, and less melodic than the Alter Bridge ones, which can be seen as a good or bad thing, for me it varies, but I’ll take the average AB solo over the average Tremonti solo any day.

Favorite song:
Wish You Well: Again, it’s a pretty consistent album, so this one doesn’t even sit that much above the others, but it’s just a very strong balance between heavy and melodic, both in the sung parts and the solo later on.

Other recommendations:
Brains: Has a more epic feel to it than the other songs, even though it’s only 4:30 long. I’m often not sure whether this or Wish You Well is my favorite.

You Waste Your Time: Parama doesn’t like this song, meaning it’s probably good, I rest my case.

So You’re Afraid: My first Tremonti song, was pretty damn impressed at the time, I still am though, the pre-chorus in particular, simple but awesome.





#34: The Mars Volta – De-loused In The Comatorium (2003)


Genre: Experimental Progressive Rock


If I hadn’t already stressed enough how much I like this band and respect them for being unique, it’s gonna be pretty fucking clear after this write-up. I hate to say it, but Bedlam in Goliath, while being pretty awesome, marked the end of an era for TMV, but not to be feared, there have been plenty of Mars Volta albums in that period of time. If we compare these two, you’ll see that De-Loused feels way more like a continuous piece than Bedlam, which really sounds more like a bunch of songs (good songs though), but definitely takes away from the whole “complete album” feeling. This album has both the good individual songs and the continuity going, making it a very cohesive piece of music. I’d take it over Bedlam any day.
So if we look at the concept of this album, it’s based on the short story that Cedric wrote, being about a man called Cerpin Taxt, who is in a coma for a week because he OD’d on some morphine shit or something. I’m usually not really paying attention to this story when listening to the album as much as I am with other concept albums, but regardless, I still think it’s a cool story. The musicianship on this one’s just amazing, I think I’ve already mentioned it, but especially this drummer is craaazy.

Favorite song:
Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt: What can I say, The Mars Volta knows how to close an album, whether it’d be in an atmospheric fasion, or like here, all over the place with a strong sense of closure.

Other recommendations:
Intertiatic ESP: A TMV song that works incredibly well as a standalone song, which doesn’t occur too often for me with them, but great if you don’t have the time for an hour long album because it’s a great showcase of what they’re capable of and what’s yet to come on this album.

Drunkship of Lanterns: What do you get when you mix Arctic Monkeys with Queen? Drunkship of Lanterns



Another 3 updates coming up tomorrow, of which every single one is an absolute classic that everyone here should (at the very least, by name,) know. Any guesses?

[Evermind]

Great to see you're updating the list quite often! However, out of the last three updates I know only AMOLAD and I'm not really fond of it either.

[jakepriest]

Not a fan of either of these bands to be honest. I got through the Tremonti tracks but I had to turn the song you listed as your favourite song off the Mars Volta album off after a minute or two. 

[CDrice]

Not the Mars Volta again. At least you didn't mention Cedric's name too much so it's not too bad 

Also I'm one update to late but here it goes...

TAKE EVERYTHING LEFT FROM ME
*danananananana* ALL
*danananananana* TO
*danananananana* BLAME
danana danana danana danana
pa pa pa pa

I love that song

[Train of Naught]

Cedric was a fucking beast throughout De-loused

[CDrice]

Cedric was a fucking beast throughout De-loused

[Sacul]

NNNOOOOOWW I'M LOOOOOOOSSTT

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Y'all are crazy, TMV is amazing.  De-Loused isn't just one of the best prog albums ever, it's one of the best albums period.

[Train of Naught]

Great to see you're updating the list quite often!

I've written all of this beforehand and will be done in exactly 30 days IIRC if I update daily, I originally wanted to do this before the roulette but got carried away, so now I'm just hoping to get it out there before I regret the top 50 because of new roulette entries.

Y'all are crazy, TMV is amazing.  De-Loused isn't just one of the best prog albums ever, it's one of the best albums period.

I wish I knew it earlier tbh, was such a quick grower, and it gets better on every extra listen.

[Evermind]

Great to see you're updating the list quite often!

I've written all of this beforehand and will be done in exactly 30 days IIRC if I update daily, I originally wanted to do this before the roulette but got carried away, so now I'm just hoping to get it out there before I regret the top 50 because of new roulette entries.

I can't stress enough how much I approve of this approach. I did the same myself (I was doing one album in one update though, because I wanted to have different thread title for each one) and it worked wonders. I hate following lists that aren't updated for days.

[Anguyen92]

All I Was was fine.  Was a solid outlet for Mark to get his ideas out that did not really fit with Alter Bridge and Creed and, with Myles committing more and more time working with Slash and his solo band, as well as Mark getting to working with good friends (Garrett Whitlock, Eric Friedman, Wolfgang Van Halen), it's a great outlet to fill his time waiting for Alter Bridge to be reformed.

[Crow]

de-loused is great

[mikemangioy]

NNNOOOOOWW I'M LOOOOOOOSSTT

[TAC]

No doubt the reunion era of Iron Maiden was a step down from their pre-reunion era time, 

I wouldn't say that. At all. Mainly led by the strength of AMOLAD, I actually feel that the Reunion Era is on par with the Classic Era.


And I lived through the Classic Era, as Maiden was my favorite band as a kid.

[Train of Naught]

No doubt the reunion era of Iron Maiden was a step down from their pre-reunion era time, 

I wouldn't say that. At all. Mainly led by the strength of AMOLAD, I actually feel that the Reunion Era is on par with the Classic Era.


And I lived through the Classic Era, as Maiden was my favorite band as a kid.

Yea true, it's highly debatable so I shouldn't just assume that.
Anyway I like the classic era better but I guess that was pretty obvious already

[TAC]

No doubt the reunion era of Iron Maiden was a step down from their pre-reunion era time, 

I wouldn't say that. At all. Mainly led by the strength of AMOLAD, I actually feel that the Reunion Era is on par with the Classic Era.


And I lived through the Classic Era, as Maiden was my favorite band as a kid.

Yea true, it's highly debatable so I shouldn't just assume that.
Anyway I like the classic era better but I guess that was pretty obvious already

Well, I was your age during the Classic era so I look forward to your thoughts on the subject!

[jjrock88]

Tim is an Iron Maiden expert, so he would know best

[TAC]

Tim is an Iron Maiden expert, so he would know best

 

I'm not the only one..but ..yes I am.

[Train of Naught]

#33: Megadeth – Rust in Peace (1990)


Genre: Thrashmetal

Well, Countdown to Extinction was my first Megadeth album, but this one apparently had always been closer than I thought, of course as the metal fanatic he was, my dad owned some Megadeth stuff. Rust In Peace was never a full album experience for me, I always listened to separate tracks because I got impatient at the time. A few years back I stumbled upon it on youtube as a recommendation, which reminded me of it. I honestly just forgot about the album, but now I’m more obsessed with it than ever. Mustaines vocals I feel are more of an acquired taste, but I don’t think anyone who even likes thrash metal the tiniest bit can deny that every single musician in this band has great talent. The thrash metal vibe is something Megadeth have maintained way longer than the likes of Metallica IMO, but I feel like Metallica probably wouldn’t grab my attention as much as a continuing thrash metal band as this band. Rust In Peace is an album that is packed with crazy riffs, every song is just all over the place with them and I feel like Megadeth have mastered the use of switching back and forth between the lead and rhythm guitars on this album, mainly referring to the end of Hangar 18. The endless debate of Peace Sells vs. RIP has never been a problem for me, RIP any day!

Favorite song:
Holy Wars… The Punishment Due: From the eastern guitar passages to the fast thrashy riffing, this song is a mix of everything Megadeth is capable of, and like most of those type of songs, they tend to be the best.

Other recommendations:
Hangar 18: I think my love for this song returned through guitar hero or something, but I’ve always liked it alright, that is, until the ending, when “alright” turns into excellent.

Tornado of Souls: That main riff used to be one of my all time favorites, and even though “all time favorite riffs” have reached a very high standard for me recently, it’s still up there. Oh and the rest of the song is great too, of course.

Take No Prisoners: More and more when listening to this song I keep thinking how much of this song I see back in PtH’s music, never thought of that connection ever before, but this song just stands out like that. (this is a good thing don’t worry)




#32: Queensrÿche – Operation: Mindcrime (1988)


Genre: Progressive Metal

I guess everyone’s perception of nostalgia is different, for some it may be the moment you spin an album you bought 30 years ago and recall playing on a daily basis, for me, going through some of my dad’s old CD’s and finding Operation: Mindcrime, immediately remembering the music only from seeing the artwork. This is not only my favorite Queensrÿche album (though Empire aint too far behind), this is the classic progressive metal record that is widely acclaimed among prog fans. Sure, the meaning of “progressive music” has taken quite a turn over the past few decades, but at the time this was such innovative music and to this day I’ve never really heard any Queensrÿche copies (if you have, please sharez). Most of the songs on O:M have a pretty similar structure, and it’s one I love very much.
The concept album is about Nikki, who lies in a hospital (goddamn how many concept albums are about someone suffering from an illness or some sort of injury), in the catatonic state he’s in, he recalls different elements from his past. I probably couldn’t care less what the story was about exactly, sure some good conceptual lyrics can complement a song, but the story as a whole never does this for me. Granted, it’s not the concept that makes this one of the best prog albums ever, it’s the music.

Favorite song:
Eyes of a Stranger: And I raise my head and stare, into the eyes of a STRANGEEEER.

Other recommendations:
I Don’t Believe In Love: Powerful near-perfect chorus, above par everything else.

Spreading the Disease: Very contagious chorus, it’s really what O:M does best as an album, although the verses have some pretty funky guitar/drums stuff going on too.





#31: Metallica – Master Of Puppets (1986)


Genre: (Heavy/Thrash) Metal

You knew this would get a spot in the top 50 eventually if you’ve followed actively, honestly I thought it would end up way higher when I started compiling the data for this top 50, but #31 of all time is still amazing. I’m trying to discuss three albums that coincidentally ended up next to each other and are all in the same update without beating a dead horse, but you’re gonna get the same answer like it or not: NOSTALGIA. Although this album has always been a go-to album whereas the other two were more like the “revisit every once in a while” kind of albums, and that’s probably why I’m giving MoP the edge here. Not only do I like Master of Puppets for the ridiculously good song-writing, I like the fact that they did this after Ride the Lightning, who woulda thought, 2 albums of such impact in a row, only 2 years apart. Let’s start with Kirk, I thought his DM solo’s were good, but the things he does on Sanitarium, Master of Puppets, Orion etc. is just incredible. Every single MoP guitar solo feels like it holds a childhood memory or something, they go back pretty far (11-13 years). Lars, no matter how much crap he gets, has the perfect role in this, the slower parts even appeal more to me than the quick parts (at least for the drums), look at Leper Messiah, Sanitarium, Disposable Heroes chorus and stuff. And lastly, pretty similar to my thoughts about Marks vocals on All I Was, I wouldn’t be the biggest fan of James’ vocals as a single instrument, but he just blends in with the music perfectly. Piece of history right here at #31.

Favorite song:
Welcome Home (Sanitarium): Metallica always gets it right with these semi-ballad songs that end up in an outburst of heaviness. The Day That Never Comes, Fade to Black, One, and this. One of the best songs ever, even compared to the upcoming 30 albums.

Other recommendations:
Battery: Man I wish they played the acoustic intro live, that’s one of my favorite parts of this song, the rest is awesome too though, my feelings for Sum 41’s “The Bitter End” mentioned above are similar, only this song is about 10 times as good.

Leper Messiah: Classic Metallica, very slow and heavy song along with powerful singing. BOW TO LEPER MESSIAH!

Master of Puppets: Everyone knows this one, this song finally got big after the famous Dream Theater covered it , but yeah great song.

[TAC]

That just might be the single best 3 album update in the history of Top 50 threads! 

[Evermind]

Now that's an update I can appreciate. Both Mindcrime and MoP are awesome.

[jingle.boy]

That just might be the single best 3 album update in the history of Top 50 threads! 

Perhaps... but if so, why are we only in 30s?