Ninjabait's Top 50 Albums (...and 10 other pretty cool albums)

[Sacul]

Finding decent sized artwork images for these is brutal.

Look for them on Fanart.tv or https://bendodson.com/projects/itunes-artwork-finder/

Huh, didn't care much about Pacifisticuffs for some reason, didn't find it as awesome as Pandora's Piñata but maybe I should revisit it.

About Janelle I'd highly recommend her album The ArchAndroid, lots of styles on it, but maybe you should wait until your roulette so I can send her

[Ninjabait]

25. Snarky Puppy & Metropole Orkest – Sylva

   This is an interesting album. It’s a jazz fusion album at its core, but it features the unique addition of an accompanying orchestra. Symphonic jazz fusion is not a style that pops up frequently, which is a darn shame considering how well it works on this album. One of the most unique albums period, this features some of their best works to date like The Curtain and The Clearing. Some of the shorter pieces don’t pack as much of a punch, but they are enjoyable in their own right. A great album that never has a dull moment.

24. Lorde – Melodrama

   Whaaa? A pop album in the top 25? I’ve spoken at length about how great this album is so I’ll just paste my thoughts on it: Without a doubt, the best pop album of the last decade (and probably even longer than that). A consistently great album from start to finish, that really illustrates what it's like to come of age in modern times. A huge step up from the already great Pure Heroine, this is a great display of maturity in both songwriting and composition. The album has an almost narrative like feel, but more in the sense of an emotional journey rather than an actual story. You really get taken on a rollercoaster with this album, and it's easy to latch on to the emotions being presented here. It peels back the layer of gold paint and shows just how empty a lot of the youth and party culture of today is and how empty it makes us youngins feel. Might be a bit of a controversial opinion, but Lorde feels like the Nirvana of this generation, essentially painting a perfect picture of what it feels like to grow up in this day and age. The melodies are consistently fantastic and catchy, and her singing has improved by miles since Pure Heroine (there's also a lot more Kate Bush influence here, which is something I thought I'd mention). The production is top notch and has gotten a lot better since Pure Heroine. Just an amazing and mature album.

23. Yes – Close to the Edge

   Seriously? Do I even need to say anything? It’s Close to the Edge. The only reason it’s this low is because it only has three songs.

22. iamthemorning – Belighted

   This used to be my favorite album by the band, but it hasn’t aged as well for me as the other two have. Still, it’s an amazing album. There’s a lot of killer songs on here, and the piano writing on this album is still phenomenal. Plus, it’s one of the only modern rock albums with a fugue. A fugue! Great string writing, a diverse blend of styles and instrumentation, and fantastic writing from start to finish. For me, this is a band that can do and has done no wrong.

21. Snarky Puppy – We Like it Here

   One of the best jazz albums period, We Like it Here features some of the band’s best tunes, solos, and moments. From the annoyingly catchy Latin infused Tio Macaco to the epic Lingus (which…in retrospect are right next to each other on the album, but you get the point) there is a wide blend of moods and styles and some of the band’s best numbers to date. Also, that keyboard solo on Lingus is one of the best solos period.

Finding decent sized artwork images for these is brutal.

Look for them on Fanart.tv or https://bendodson.com/projects/itunes-artwork-finder/

Huh, didn't care much about Pacifisticuffs for some reason, didn't find it as awesome as Pandora's Piñata but maybe I should revisit it.

About Janelle I'd highly recommend her album The ArchAndroid, lots of styles on it, but maybe you should wait until your roulette so I can send her

Yass, thank you. That website helps a lot.

Pacifisticuffs is definitely a grower. It takes a bit to really digest everything that's going on in those songs.

I'll be sure to check that out! I'm not planing on doing a roulette at the moment.

Interesting to see some very new releases on here. Pastifisticuffs is on my list to check out (never listened to DSO before). Nice calls with the Steven Wilson.

Pacifisticuffs and Pandora's Pinata are probably the best places to start. They sound really different, but in a way that you still know it's by the same band. There's definitely a switch in sound from the latter to the former. Definitely recommend all of their albums!

A bit late, I'll comment just on few of those:
FoaBP - one of my favorite albums ever and IMHO best album Steven ever did (Raven and HCE are good as well).
Aenima was on my list as well, my favorite of theirs, easily.
I never got into TDH's first three acts but IV and V are just great.
Never could get into Origin of Symmetry, both Absolution and Black Holes and Revelations are better in my ears.
The Gentle Storm is ok but nothing more.
Crack the Skye, obviously, too low I think it was my #2 when I did top 50 albums.
Ghost Reveries is my favorite Opeth.
for Carly, just listened it today, it's all kinds of awesome.

Absolution and Origin of Symmetry are the two fan favorites as far as I've seen. Absolution's probably my third favorite (followed by The Resistance, than Black Holes and Revelations, and then Drones), but there's a few songs on there that don't hit the spot for me. Like I said, the vocals are a bit tough to deal with on Origin of Symmetry. If they redid the vocals on it I think it'd be a lot easier to listen to.

I would also check out the Side-B of E-MO-TION and the Cut to the Feeling and Last Christmas singles. They're stylistically pretty similar to E-MO-TION and all are around the same quality.

Raven is probably SW's best solo song and HCE is his best solo album, so, sure
Train of Thought over I&W is... interesting
Wasn't too into the new DSO but I didn't give it that many spins really
Altered state is the one tesseract album I kinda get but I also haven't listened to it in ages so

I respect I&W and what it did for the genre, but it has NEVER been my favorite. I wasn't a fan when it came out (also I wasn't BORN when it came out), and it hasn't really aged well for me. Some of the songs feel a little overlong and structurally flimsy to me, the production sounds dated even for a 90s album, and I never cared for Kevin Moore's keyboard playing or synth choices. The only songs I really like to listen to it from it are Take the Time and Wait for Sleep, and sometimes UaGM, Metropolis, or MAYBE Surrounded. If I have a prog or DT itch, I'm usually gonna play something other than I&W.

Like I said earlier, Pacifisticuffs is a grower. You have to listen to it a lot to digest everything that's going on.

[Tomislav95]

Melodrama

[Crow]

I wasn't born when I&W came out either but sure
Melodrama is  kvlt as hell, dunno any of the rest

[The Walrus]

You youngins. I was a year and a half old when Images & Words came out!

[Crow]

Fogeyboy

[Ninjabait]

Hitting the home stretch here!

20. My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade

   I still have a few surprises waiting in store, even this late in the list. There’s not a bad song on this album and there’s barely even a bad moment on the album. Except the hidden track Blood, but that doesn’t count. A surprisingly mature musing on youth, death, grief, and the measure of one’s life, this album features some classic tunes and a stellar run. An instant classic that holds up today.

19. Opeth – Blackwater Park

   I don’t feel I need to say much about this album. It’s Opeth at their highest point, with a perfect balance of their heavier elements with their dark jazzy folk leanings. I’ve found myself coming back to this album less and less over the years (hence its lower ranking), but whenever I do it’s a great ride from start to finish.

18. Dir En Grey – Dum Spiro Spero

   This band (and album) has been my latest obsession over the past couple of months. One of the few metal bands where the vocalist is the reason to buy a ticket, I’m still amazed that there’s only ONE vocalist on this entire album. The band has enough interesting parts and great riffs to keep it from feeling like the vocalist is the only reason to buy a ticket. I always find something new and interesting to listen to and am continuously blown away whenever I play a track from this album. Definitely recommend!

17. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here

   This is, again, one of those albums I don’t feel I have to explain. It’s a classic and one of the best loved prog albums for a reason. Not a single bad song on this album.

16. iamthemorning – Lighthouse

   The third and most recent album from the Russian duo iamthemorning, this album features some of my favorite moments and songs from them. They’ve incorporated a more diverse blend of styles and instrumentation, while never fully deviating from their signature sound. Shorter than their other albums by a large margin, but it definitely still holds its own up against them.

[Crow]

Can't really argue with Blackwater Park or WYWH despite neither being among my absolute faves, they're both rad

I really should listen to that MCR album sometime, always liked welcome to the black parade

[TAC]

You youngins. I was a year and a half old when Images & Words came out!

I was 23. And saw them 4 times on that tour.

[Elite]

Wow, you're really speeding this up!

[The Walrus]

I know all of those except Dir en Grey. I haven't listened to The Black Parade since I dated an emo chick in high school, but I remember it actually had some good stuff on it - The Sharpest Lives is an awesome song and my favorite MCR song, from the little I know, at least. Good stuff.

You youngins. I was a year and a half old when Images & Words came out!

I was 23. And saw them 4 times on that tour.

Hold on - I'm going to have to consult oldpeoplejokes.txt and get back to you.

[Ninjabait]

15. Dream Theater – Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

   I haven’t really found myself spinning this album a lot as of late, but there’s no denying that this is one of the band’s best albums. All the individual movements of the epic titular song cycle still manage to hold their own when listened to separately, while achieving a greater meaning when heard together. This album is one of the most experimental in the band’s discography, which gives it its unique and incredible sound. Crossing from the brutally heavy The Glass Prison to the ethereal Disappear, the band covers every mood in between. This roller coaster is a must listen for a reason. This album also holds a special place in my heart, because it's big part of why I became a musician in the first place (even if personally I've almost totally left the progressive metal genre lol).

14. Juno Reactor – Labyrinth

   Like I said earlier, I still have a few surprises left in store this late in the game. After becoming a household name with The Matrix soundtracks, Juno Reactor released their 2004 masterpiece Labyrinth. This album features some of the songs used on The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions (including Navras and a more concise form of Mona Lisa Overdrive) mixed in with new material.  This band’s music was one of the few high points about the Matrix sequels, and their unique blend of bombastic and cinematic orchestrations, psytrance/goa trance, and Indian classical music produces a unique and wonderful sound. The album captures every feeling it portrays perfectly, from the epic Navras and Mona Lisa Overdrive, to the surprising symphonic metal leanings of War Dogs, to the dark electronic tracks Conquistador II and Giant, to the atmospheric leanings of Conquistador I and Angels & Men, to the tribal trance screaming freak out of Zwara. The only weak link on this epic album is Mutant Message, which is a good song in its own right and I never feel the desire to skip over it when it’s playing. Amazing from start to finish.

13. Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon

   C’mon.

12. Ayreon – The Theory of Everything

   While still fantastic, this is an album I’ve found myself coming back to less and less. And it’s a symptom of the biggest flaw of the album: almost none of the songs work out of context. It’s an amazing ride when you listen to the album as a whole, but none of the songs really stand on their own merit (in contrast to his other albums). That said, this album is still one of the best that Arjen has produced. It features a unique emphasis on the lighter elements of his musical style and some of my favorite synth moments in any album ever. Speaking of synths, the guest musicians are another reason to give this album a try, with guest solos by keyboard legends Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson, and Jordan Rudess. This album also features one of the strongest stories (and a totally unique one in Arjen’s discography) with an excellent tale of psychological drama with some slight sci-fi leanings. Fantastic guest performances throughout, and the album kicks off with one of the best riffs in prog history. Amazing.

11. Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn of Events

   I’m definitely not in the “no DT without Portnoy” camp, and A Dramatic Turn of Events has risen over the years to become one of my favorite albums by the band. Emotionally and stylistically diverse, even the weaker songs on the album have really grown on me over the years. This album feels like a complete emotional journey, and I feel it shows that the band is still strong without Portnoy. It’s unfortunate that everyone has to talk about what was happening with the band when discussing this album, because it definitely detracts from the amazing music on it. The album is probably the best representation of the band’s numerous facets and is a good sampling of all they offer. From the epic On the Backs of Angels and Outcry to the blisteringly heavy Bridges in the Sky and Build Me Up, Break Me Down, to the softer ballads, there is never a track that feels like it does not belong or fails to capture my attention.

Otherwise, cool list so far! A little disappointed you haven't included soundtracks tho

I know this is an older post, but I'm just gonna piggy back off of it to drop a very special episode of top soundtracks:

01. Howard Shore - The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring
02. John Williams - Schindler's List
03. John Williams - Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone
04. John Williams - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
05. Howard Shore - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
06. John Williams - Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
07. Howard Shore - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
08. John Williams - Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
09. Go Ichinose/Junichi Masuda - Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, & Emerald Music Super Complete
10. Michael Giacchino - The Incredibles & Henry Gregson-Williams - Kingdom of Heaven

Honorable mentions:
Henry Jackman - Wreck-It Ralph
Go Ichinose/Junichi Masuda - Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, & Platinum Music Super Complete
Koji Kondo - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Michael Giacchino - Up! and Ratatouille
Howard Shore - The Hobbit trilogy
John Williams - all the other Star Wars movies
Shogo Sakai - MOTHER 3

Can't really argue with Blackwater Park or WYWH despite neither being among my absolute faves, they're both rad

I really should listen to that MCR album sometime, always liked welcome to the black parade

I revisited it last year on a whim and I was like "Oh wow this is actually REALLY good". Definitely recommend that album. Their other stuff has some good songs, but they definitely peaked with that album.

Wow, you're really speeding this up!

I think one listing every 2 hours (minus that bit where I...y'know, had to sleep) has been my usual pace for this lol. idk how that compares to past Top 50s, but I had everything pre-written and made up before I started so I can get through it quickly haha.

I know all of those except Dir en Grey. I haven't listened to The Black Parade since I dated an emo chick in high school, but I remember it actually had some good stuff on it - The Sharpest Lives is an awesome song and my favorite MCR song, from the little I know, at least. Good stuff.

Dir en Grey is fantastic. Definitely one of my favorite discoveries of this year. They have such a unique sound which changes a lot but still retains its core sound. Dum Spiro Spero is definitely their best for me, but Arche and Uroboros are also really good. Harsh vocals out the wazoo, so if that's not your thing then you probably won't dig it. Definitely something you should check out!

And The Sharpest Lives is FANTASTIC but it's not the best by a large margin. This is How I Disappear, The End./Dead!, the title track, and Teenagers all rank above it for me.

[Crow]

I think the more albums you post the more meh I am on each subsequent DT album, 6DOIT has an entire disc I'm meh on and ADTOE has a good mix of some of the best and worst DT has ever done
Also one of my least favorite Ayreon albums 
Looking forward to your roulette now since I'm sure I'm gonna do awful

[Sacul]

Those two Snarky Puppy albums are great 

Props for WYWH, DSoTM, and Six Degrees 

09. Go Ichinose/Junichi Masuda - Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, & Emerald Music Super Complete
Shogo Sakai - MOTHER 3

Those are some awesome soundtracks, mostly the first one - it made me company throughout many summers.

[mike099]

I just listened to the Neal Morse album early in your list and what a great listen from start to finish.  You never know what you find when someone does one of these lists.

[Ninjabait]

As promised, before the Top 10 kicks off here's a few honorable mentions:

Submotion Orchestra – Finest Hour
Carly Rae Jepsen – E-MO-TION Side B
Neal Morse – Momentum
Tool – 10,000 Days
Ayreon – 1011001
Tesseract – One
Incubus – Trust Fall (Side A)
Diablo Swing Orchestra – The Butcher’s Ballroom
Haken – Affinity
The Anchoress – Confessions of a Romance Novelist
Opeth – Still Life

I think the more albums you post the more meh I am on each subsequent DT album, 6DOIT has an entire disc I'm meh on and ADTOE has a good mix of some of the best and worst DT has ever done
Also one of my least favorite Ayreon albums 
Looking forward to your roulette now since I'm sure I'm gonna do awful

idk man, I checked your rym and we do have some ratings that are pretty close-ish.

Also I don't know why everyone keeps thinking I'm doing a roulette???

Those two Snarky Puppy albums are great 

Props for WYWH, DSoTM, and Six Degrees 

09. Go Ichinose/Junichi Masuda - Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, & Emerald Music Super Complete
Shogo Sakai - MOTHER 3

Those are some awesome soundtracks, mostly the first one - it made me company throughout many summers.

The RSE soundtrack is criminally underrated. It just smashes all the other video game soundtracks, and it's much better than RSE and GSC which are the more popular soundtracks. #HoennTrumpets4Lyfe

I just listened to the Neal Morse album early in your list and what a great listen from start to finish.  You never know what you find when someone does one of these lists.

Oh, cool! I'd definitely recommend you check out his other stuff. Momentum, Testimony 2, the other one you didn't listen to from this list, and One are all really great albums. Which aren't on Spotify. For some reason.

Spock's Beard - Snow is another really great album in the same vein (and was also Neal Morse's last album with the band).

[Crow]

I only thought you were bcuz someone else said you were tbh 

[Sacul]

Submotion Orchestra – Finest Hour

Nice album 

Dunno why I thought I saw you posting in the roulette thread . You should run one tho, fresh blood is always welcomed

[Ninjabait]

Let's get the Top 10 started! Feel free to try and guess what's going to show up here. Who knows? You might even get some right.

10. Diablo Swing Orchestra – Pandora’s Piñata

   There’s never a dull moment with Diablo Swing Orchestra, and if there were, they wouldn’t be on this album. Featuring the band’s unique presentation of avant-garde swing metal at its strongest, the band has churned out some of their best songs to date for this great record. From the straight up swing in Honey Trap Aftermath, to the more “traditional” Voodoo Mon Amour, to the metal freak out of Exit Strategy of a Wreaking Ball, to the straight up opera in Aurora, there is never a moment gone awry or a style not done well. Also, this album features some of the best song titles in music history. Infuriatingly catchy, this album is a toe-tappin wild ride from start to finish. And then there’s the epic closer Justice for Saint Mary, which has to be heard to believed.

09. Ne Obliviscaris – Portal of I

   If anyone tried to say that metal is unemotional and can’t be beautiful, Ne Obliviscaris would be the band I would point them to. Probably one of the most beautiful and sophisticated sounding metal records out there (and just records period), this band’s unique take on metal has earned them a few high spots on this list. Every member of the band is at peak form on this album and everyone has their time to shine. From the amazing, melodic jazz-tinged basslines, to the killer riffs and harmonies from the guitars, to the violin which never seems out of place, to their unique vocals, and the extreme drumming which lends a curious sense of serenity and sweetness to the whole thing, nothing about this band doesn’t feel good. At times triumphant, epic, sad, and sweet, this album just hits all the right spots.

[Crow]

portal of I has forget not, their best song, but in general I prefer citadel, both are good tho

[Ninjabait]

08. Dream Theater – Octavarium

   It feels only fitting having this album at the #8 spot. This incredible album feels like something that the universe had to align to make. Everything, from the year of release to the total number of band members at that point, plays into the concept of the album. One of their most unified albums, and one that always provides some truffle for the listener to unearth from its fertile soil. Like A Dramatic Turn of Events, even the weaker songs on the album feel like they serve a purpose and they tend to grow on the listener even if they don’t leave a great first impression. This album is also responsible for bringing the title track, one of the best songs ever written and my favorite piece of music in the world into existence. I can’t fault it for that. This work of genius is criminally underrated if you ask me.

07. Ne Obliviscaris – Urn

   Like Melodrama earlier on this list, I’ve spoken about this album at length here. So, I’ll just repost my thoughts from that. Have you ever listened to an album that sounds amazing on the first listen, and then somehow manages to grow on you even more? That's this album for me. This album is quite honestly a masterwork. NeO has built upon every facet of their style introduced in the past two albums, and pushed their compositional abilities to the max. The album loosely (again, loosely) follow the scheme of a four-movement sonata: a weighty first movement (Libra), a more energetic second movement (Intra Venus), a slow third movement (Eyrie), and a finale (Urn). The band plays around with transforming a cyclic theme (heard most prominently in Libra Pt 2), and some reoccurring riffs and patterns (the introduction arpeggios to Intra Venus, for example) to give the album a more unified feel. And that's what the album feels like: a completely unified whole. Each song on the album stands strong on its own but takes on a whole new life in context. This is an album that is completely focused in artistic vision, and there's not a trace of fat to be found on it. Each moment perfectly flows from one to the next and shows (much like Portal of I and Citadel) how metal can be strangely beautiful. The playing is top notch, as always, and it feels like they've grown from already being great musicians. There's always something new to discover with each listen, and another layer of depth to be uncovered. An album that's both emotionally and musically complex, and quite honestly one of the finest albums ever made.

[Crow]

I like Urn fine enough but it just felt like Citadel 2 to me really, none of the songs really stuck with me strongly

[The Walrus]

Very happy for the Octavarium love. Amazing album.

[Ninjabait]

06. Beyond the Bridge – The Old Man & The Spirit

   Sometimes it’s difficult to talk about what makes a great album great without getting bogged down in the technics or just saying “go listen to it, you’ll see what I mean”. Each of the albums on this list I feel speak strongly for themselves, and The Old Man & The Spirit says a lot. Like NeO above, it captures that rare beautiful side of metal. Every song feels like it has its place, and there’s never a moment that you feel like you could do without. Wonderful, poetic lyrics make this album one of the best to read as well as to listen to. It feels like it actually has something to say, a wonderful story to tell in addition to its amazing music. And what great music it is. Epic choral moments, fantastic performances from both the singers, great tunes, beautiful ballads, and wonderful landscape of twists and turns always keep you wondering what comes next. I can’t wait to hear whatever comes out of this band next (whenever it comes out).

05. iamthemorning – iamthemorning

    Now we’re in the home stretch of this list. iamthemorning’s self-titled (or not self-titled, it isn’t really clear) debut album is a perfect way to round off the top 5. This album features the duo at their strongest, with some of the most beautiful music they’ve ever written. Not a single song or interlude feels like it doesn’t belong, that it doesn’t ensnare the listener with awe and wonder. This album covers a lot of ground, from atmospheric piano interludes to epic rock in Monsters to beautiful string and piano arrangements. After listening to this album, I felt like I had found a band that I never knew I was searching for and that a certain musical itch that I never knew was there was finally scratched. I’ve talked at length about this band, and I’d definitely recommend all three of their albums to anyone within earshot, especially this stunning debut. Simply beautiful.

[Crow]

The above post will make evermind really happy   

[Elite]

Wow, you're really speeding this up!

I think one listing every 2 hours (minus that bit where I...y'know, had to sleep) has been my usual pace for this lol. idk how that compares to past Top 50s, but I had everything pre-written and made up before I started so I can get through it quickly haha.

Well, it took me one month to complete my last Top 50, and I had some of the write-ups pre-written. That said, my write-ups were a fair bit longer than yours and I only posted one at a time, twice a day until the top 10.

[Ninjabait]

Wow, you're really speeding this up!

I think one listing every 2 hours (minus that bit where I...y'know, had to sleep) has been my usual pace for this lol. idk how that compares to past Top 50s, but I had everything pre-written and made up before I started so I can get through it quickly haha.

Well, it took me one month to complete my last Top 50, and I had some of the write-ups pre-written. That said, my write-ups were a fair bit longer than yours and I only posted one at a time, twice a day until the top 10.

Ah, gotcha. I kind of want to speed through this and get it done lol. Plus it's summer and I have a lot of spare time atm, so it's something to do.

[Sacul]

Yeah Pandora's Piñata is 

Couldn't get into Portal of I at all - I got sent Forget Not in a roulette, and while that track is very good for the most part, I couldn't bear a whole album filled with blast beats and crushing guitars, things got quite monotone fairly quick.

[Ninjabait]

04. Ayreon – The Human Equation

   The man, the myth, the legend. Arjen Lucassen has earned his place on a lot of the spots on this list with his catchy tunes, winding rock operas, diverse blend of styles, and fantastic arrangements and productions. Of course, something special has to be said about his magnum opus, The Human Equation. This album is Ayreon at its best, with one of the best stories of any concept album, fantastic vocal performances from his star-studded cast, and a unique blend of different styles that never feels schizophrenic or meandering. Every song on the album both stands on its own merits and feels perfect in the story of the album, and there’s never a dull moment throughout this musical journey. I’m never caught checking my watch with this album. Simply an amazing album from start to finish, with a great and unique story and the music to match.

03. Haken – The Mountain

   This album came as a surprise from Haken, who up to that point was regarded as simply one of the better DT-inspired prog metal bands. Here, the band came into their own sound and somehow managed to perfect it instantly. Every song on this album is amazing. The unique blend of 12 styles and moods produces a batch of musical fried chicken like no other. I don’t really know where I’m going with that metaphor. This album was an instant classic, and one of my go-to albums when I’m feeling in a proggy mood. Fantastic, meaningful lyrics pair excellently with the band’s unique approach to music in this album. Somehow, they manage to combine everything but the kitchen sink without ever feeling they’re throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. Killer riffs, great solos that never feel wanky, and enough kookiness to give the album a fun edge.

Yeah Pandora's Piñata is 

Couldn't get into Portal of I at all - I got sent Forget Not in a roulette, and while that track is very good for the most part, I couldn't bear a whole album filled with blast beats and crushing guitars, things got quite monotone fairly quick.

I wouldn't describe any NeO album as being filled with just blast beats and crushing guitars. There's just as many progressive moments as there are those extreme moments as there are acoustic and classical guitar sections. They're definitely a prog band first.

[Crow]

Citadel and Urn tone down the death metal a decent but tbh

Also can't argue with either of those picks, great albums

[Sacul]

I guess I just got really bored by the first song then
Agreed with you on The Mountain, they got a unique sound there and made a damn  album.

[Crow]

The first song on portal of I is one of the worst imo lol
It gets better at track 3 and everything thru track 6 is pretty good

[Ninjabait]

As far as NeO songs go:

01. Libera (Pts 1 & 2)
02. And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope
03. Eyrie
04. Forget Not
05. Devour Me Colossus, Pt 1 (Blackholes)
06. Painters of the Tempest, Pt 3 (Reveries of a Stained Glass Womb)
06. Intra Venus
07. Of the Leper Butterflies
08. Painters of the Tempest, Pt 2 (Triptych Lux)
09. Xenoflux
10. Of Petrichor Weaves Black Noise
11. Urn (Pts 1 & 2)
12. Tapestry of the Starless Abstract
13. Icicles Fall
14. Pyrrich
15. Painters of the Tempest, Pt 1 (Wyrmholes) & Devour Me Colossus, Pt 2 (Contortions)

1-11 are all really freaking great, and 12-14 are all decent. 15 is kind of uninteresting.

[Crow]

The first and last track on citadel are to die for imo but sure 

[Ninjabait]

imo they're good in the context of the album and a nice way to bookend, but I have literally 0 desire to listen to them outside of that. Citadel is probably my least favorite album of theirs by a large margin. It still got a 4.5/5 from me don't get me wrong, but it doesn't compare to Urn or Portal of I for me at all.