Top 10 Albums of 2019 (Preliminary DTF Top 20 of 2019)

[Dreammajesty]

Soen - Lotus
Dream Theater - Distance over Time
Rival Sons - Feral Roots
Lennon Claypool Delirium - South of Reality


these are the albums for now basically

[Bentower]

Arch/Matheos - Winter Ethereal
Big Big Train - The Grand Tour
The Claypool Lennon Delirium - South of Reality
Devin Townsend - Empath
Dream Theater - Distance Over Time
Flying Colors - Third Degree
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Fishing for Fishies
Magma - Zëss
Mgła - Age of Excuse
Opeth - In Cauda Venenum
Sunn O))) - Pyroclasts
Swans - Leaving Meaning
Tool - Fear Inoculum
Waste of Space Orchestra - Syntheosis

More listens needed:

Abigail Williams - Walk Beyond the Dark (first impressions are very good, but what's with the band name? If I hadn't come come across Lewandowski's album cover, I would've forever mistaken it for a female country artist, albeit a morose one.)
Carbomb - Mordial (I do love a good mindfuck and these fellas seem to be snatching the mantle away from Meshuggah.)

[Stadler]

Soen - Lotus
Dream Theater - Distance over Time
Rival Sons - Feral Roots
Lennon Claypool Delirium - South of Reality


these are the albums for now basically

Except for the Soen, that's my list exactly. 

[Samsara]

1. Arch/Matheos - Winter Ethereal
2. Dream Theater - Distance Over Time

I've listened to a bunch more new ones, but those two stick out.

[twosuitsluke]

Updated Top 10:

Devin Townsend - Empath
Dream Theater - Distance Over Time
The Wildhearts - Renaissance Men
Astronoid - Astronoid
Soen - Lotus
Evergrey - The Atlantic
Periphery IV: HAIL STAN
Valtari - Origin Enigma
East of the Wall - NP-Complete
Wheel - Moving Backwards

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Update time!

Top Albums of 2019

1. Laster - Het wassen oog (Atmospheric Avant Garde Black Metal)
2. Downfall of Gaia - Ethic of Radical Finitude (Atmospheric Post Black Metal)
3. Mostly Autumn - White Rainbow (Progressive Rock)
4. RPWL - Tales From Outer Space (Progressive Rock)
5. Devin Townsend - Empath (Progressive Metal)
6. The Neal Morse Band - The Great Adventure (Progressive Rock)
7. Saor - Forgotten Paths (Atmospheric Celtic Black Metal)
8. Inferi - The End of an Era | Rebirth (Technical Death Metal)
9. A Novelist - Folie (Progressive Metal)
10. Tũr - Hel (Folky Progressive Power Metal)

Top EPs of 2019

1. Dark Suns - Half Light Souvenirs (Progressive Rock)
2. The Great Discord - Afterbirth (Progressive Metal)
3. Jinjer - Micro (Proggy Alternative Metalcore)
4. Witherfall - Vintage (Acoustic with some Prog Metal)

Top Live Albums of 2019

1. Der Weg Einer Freiheit - Live in Berlin
2. Flight of the Conchords - Live in London

[Crow]

Can't wait for laster to arrive in the mail now haha

[The Walrus]

Bummed there's no electronica in your list, Puppies. Pretty sure it was you who had Solar Fields on their 2018 list, yeah? God that was a good album.

[Anguyen92]

All right, here's my top five so far.

1. Aimer - Sun Dance
2. Within Temptation - Resist
3. Dream Theater - Distance Over Time
4. Jordan Rudess - Wired for Madness
5. Switchfoot - Native Tounge

Honestly, with the exception of Sun Dance which I really enjoyed, this list mainly composes of bands that has new albums where they have alright new stuff, but not something I really enjoyed a lot compared to their other stuff.  Heck, it's been that way for the last few years since 2017 (although my top five albums in 2018, I really enjoyed front to back in comparison to those bands' catalogs). 

Oddly enough, three of those bands on this list I've seen in a two week span back in March/April at the same venue (Wiltern Theater in LA) and those new songs come off well live.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Bummed there's no electronica in your list, Puppies. Pretty sure it was you who had Solar Fields on their 2018 list, yeah? God that was a good album.

Yeah that Solar Fields album was great. Unfortunately the only Electronica based album I've heard so far this year is the new Tim Hecker album Anoyo, but I haven't listened to it enough to rate it yet. And that's the only Electronica on my 2019 playlist so far....

[nattmorker]

My top 10 so far:

1   Dream Theater - Distance over Time
2   Astronoid - Astronoid
3   The Neal Morse Band - The Great Adventure
4   Soen - Lotus
5   Soilwork - Verkligheten
6   Jordan Rudess - Wired for Madness
7   After the Burial - Evergreen
8   Avantasia - Moonglow
9   Periphery - Periphery IV: Hail Stan
10   Myrath - Shehili

I see the top 4 albums staying the same.

[Train of Naught]

I really haven't been listening to a lot of new releases this year for the first time in a string of years where listening to new albums was pretty much one of my main hobbies. I'm using this year more to listen to the back catalogue of artists I am already (vaguely) familiar with, inspired by twosuitsluke's incredibly extensive Spotify playlists!

1. Periphery - Periphery IV: Hail Stan
2. Herod - Sombre Dessein

3. James Blake - Assume Form
4. Sâver - They Came With Sunlight
5. Artificial Language - Now We Sleep (this is growing on me, first listen was very meh)
6. Anderson.Paak - Ventura

Then there's a couple I like but am not over the moon about:

* Soen - Lotus
* Lost In Kiev - Persona
* Owel - Paris
* Labirinto - Divino Afflante Spiritu

"Meh" list:

* Port Noir - The New Routine (I really dig the lead single, but man this band became so 'fake cool/trendy' real fast)
* Moon Tooth - Crux
* Myrath - Forgotthename
* East of the Wall - NP-Complete

And last but not least, the "hype" list:

* Hypno5e (I've heard the album once and I'm pretty sure this will end up on #1, it's their most diverse album yet!)
* Cult of Luna (based on the single it sounds a bit like basic Cult of Luna, but I still love basic Cult of Luna more than 90% of the music out there)
* Klone (don't know if they're releasing this year, but their last proper album was far away their best so I'm optimistic)
* Agent Fresco (I'm really not sure if they're releasing something this year but it's been a while, and Destrier has become one of my favourite albums over the last half year or so)

[Crow]

Oh there's a new hypno5e? Might have to meme about that for a bit

[twosuitsluke]

Dude, it's a struggle to keep up, as we all know! I'm making headway with my playlists though 

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Update time! Only 1 small change to my number 10.

Top Albums of 2019

1. Laster - Het wassen oog (Atmospheric Avant Garde Black Metal)
2. Downfall of Gaia - Ethic of Radical Finitude (Atmospheric Post Black Metal)
3. Mostly Autumn - White Rainbow (Progressive Rock)
4. RPWL - Tales From Outer Space (Progressive Rock)
5. Devin Townsend - Empath (Progressive Metal)
6. The Neal Morse Band - The Great Adventure (Progressive Rock)
7. Saor - Forgotten Paths (Atmospheric Celtic Black Metal)
8. Inferi - The End of an Era | Rebirth (Technical Death Metal)
9. A Novelist - Folie (Progressive Metal)
10. Numenorean - Adore (Atmospheric Black Metal)

Top EPs of 2019

1. Dark Suns - Half Light Souvenirs (Progressive Rock)
2. The Great Discord - Afterbirth (Progressive Metal)
3. Jinjer - Micro (Proggy Alternative Metalcore)
4. Witherfall - Vintage (Acoustic with some Prog Metal)

Top Live Albums of 2019

1. Der Weg Einer Freiheit - Live in Berlin
2. Flight of the Conchords - Live in London

[twosuitsluke]

My updated top 10 (since becoming a bit obsessed with the new Rammstein):


Devin Townsend - Empath
Rammstein - Rammstein
Dream Theater - Distance Over Time
The Wildhearts - Renaissance Men
Astronoid - Astronoid
The Skints - Swimming Lessons
Soen - Lotus
Periphery IV: HAIL STAN
Biffy Clyro - Balance, Not Symmetry
Valtari - Origin Enigma

[home]

Amazing
OWEL - Paris
Flume - Hi This Is Flume
Tyler, the Creator - IGOR

Great
Biffy Clyro - Balance, not Symmetry
bbno$ - recess

Good and/or needs more listens
La Dispute - Panorama
Her name is Calla - Animal Choir
Malibu Ken - Malibu Ken
Deerhunter - Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared
Anderson  .Paak - Ventura
Rhye - Spirit

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Update Time! Laster finally gets kicked out of the top spot. Also a new list, Top 5 Worst albums of 2019....so far. I'll also end up doing a most disappointing albums list at the end of the year.

Top Albums of 2019

1. Warforged - I: Voice (Avant-Garde Blackened Technical Death Metal)
2. Laster - Het wassen oog (Atmospheric Avant Garde Black Metal)
3. Arch/Matheos - Winter Ethereal (Progressive Metal)
4. Lonely Robot - Under Stars (Progressive Rock)
5. Kampfar - Ofidians Manifest (Pagan Black Metal)
6. Downfall of Gaia - Ethic of Radical Finitude (Atmospheric Post Black Metal)
7. Mostly Autumn - White Rainbow (Progressive Rock)
8. RPWL - Tales From Outer Space (Progressive Rock)
9. Devin Townsend - Empath (Progressive Metal)
10. The Neal Morse Band - The Great Adventure (Progressive Rock)

Top EPs of 2019

1. Dark Suns - Half Light Souvenirs (Progressive Rock)
2. The Great Discord - Afterbirth (Progressive Metal)
3. Jinjer - Micro (Proggy Alternative Metalcore)
4. Witherfall - Vintage (Acoustic with some Prog Metal)

Top Live Albums of 2019

1. Der Weg Einer Freiheit - Live in Berlin
2. Flight of the Conchords - Live in London

Worst Albums of 2019
1. Origin - Abiogenesis - A Coming Into Existence (Brutal Death/Grind...maybe)
2. Whitesnake - Flesh & Blood (Hard Rock)
3. Heiden - Země beze mě (Alternative Rock?)
4. Born of Osiris - The Simulation (Deathcore)
5. Archons - Buried Underneath the Lies (About as Generic as Metal Gets......core)

[Crow]

RIP A Novelist 

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

RIP A Novelist 

It's still a great album, just not as great as the other top 10 (for now.....it could still end up in the top 10).

[True Death of Life]

Glad I'm reading this thread! Not sure why but I feel like I've mostly been listening to old releases/reacquainting myself with bands and albums. There have been a lot of new releases that I've listened to and loved but only spun once which is very unlike me! If any of you have recs based on this list (that I most likely missed) lemme know

Devin Townsend-- Empath (only listened to a couple of times even though I loved it)
Periphery--Periphery IV: Hail Stan (same deal here)
Fleshgod Apocalypse--Veleno
Astronoid--Astronoid
Red Handed Denial--Redeemer

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

So that Warforged album I: Voice has taken over the number 1 spot on my list. Man that album is good! I'll update the list later.

[The Walrus]

I'm putting Majestica - Above the Sky on mine for sure... holy crow that's a fun album.

[Crow]

So that Warforged album I: Voice has taken over the number 1 spot on my list. Man that album is good! I'll update the list later.

hell yeah 
i'm putting it into regular rotation next week but DAMN what an album

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

So that Warforged album I: Voice has taken over the number 1 spot on my list. Man that album is good! I'll update the list later.

hell yeah 
i'm putting it into regular rotation next week but DAMN what an album

I finally figured out the best way for me to describe it. It's like if Portal and Lykathea Aflame got together and made an album that was highly inspired by older Avant-garde Black metal bands, only the production is super good.

[Crow]

i don't like any of the aforementioned things except good production, i just think the music is like. unique and excellent

[TAC]

OK..half way through the year, here is my list at this point. Nothing set in stone either way.



Top 10 (kind of in order)

Idle Hands-Mana
Flotsam & Jetsam-The End Of Chaos
Dream Theater-Distance Over Time
Arch/Matheos-Winter Ethereal
Aephanemer-Prokopton
Anabasis-Of Conviction
Thousand Sun Sky-The Aurora Complex
Queensryche-The Verdict
Eternity's End-Unyielding
Stormlord-Far


Next 10 (in no order)

Riot City-Burn The Night
Silver Lake-The Master Of Lightning
Paladin-Ascension
Not Otherwise Specified-Deadweight
Lahmia-Resilience
Illyria-The Carpathian Summit
Savage Messiah-Demons
Amulet-The Inevitable War
Nailed To Obscurity-Black Frost
Wormwitch-Heaven That Dwells Within

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Update Time! Laster finally gets kicked out of the top spot. Also a new list, Top 5 Worst albums of 2019....so far. I'll also end up doing a most disappointing albums list at the end of the year.

Top Albums of 2019

1. Warforged - I: Voice (Avant-Garde Blackened Technical Death Metal)
2. Laster - Het wassen oog (Atmospheric Avant Garde Black Metal)
3. Arch/Matheos - Winter Ethereal (Progressive Metal)
4. Lonely Robot - Under Stars (Progressive Rock)
5. Kampfar - Ofidians Manifest (Pagan Black Metal)
6. Downfall of Gaia - Ethic of Radical Finitude (Atmospheric Post Black Metal)
7. Mostly Autumn - White Rainbow (Progressive Rock)
8. RPWL - Tales From Outer Space (Progressive Rock)
9. Devin Townsend - Empath (Progressive Metal)
10. The Neal Morse Band - The Great Adventure (Progressive Rock)

Top EPs of 2019

1. Dark Suns - Half Light Souvenirs (Progressive Rock)
2. The Great Discord - Afterbirth (Progressive Metal)
3. Jinjer - Micro (Proggy Alternative Metalcore)
4. Witherfall - Vintage (Acoustic with some Prog Metal)

Top Live Albums of 2019

1. Der Weg Einer Freiheit - Live in Berlin
2. Flight of the Conchords - Live in London

Worst Albums of 2019
1. Origin - Abiogenesis - A Coming Into Existence (Brutal Death/Grind...maybe)
2. Whitesnake - Flesh & Blood (Hard Rock)
3. Heiden - Země beze mě (Alternative Rock?)
4. Born of Osiris - The Simulation (Deathcore)
5. Archons - Buried Underneath the Lies (About as Generic as Metal Gets......core)

[bosk1]

Updated a bit now that I have Winter Ethereal:

1.  Neal Morse - The Great Adventure
     Dream Theater - Distance Over Time (tie)
3.  Arch Matheos - Winter Etherial:  I am only on my second listen.  It's a solid album, even if it isn't grabbing me as much as Sympathetic Resonance did.  Even only a second listen in, I am pretty confident it will stay in the #3 spot unless there is something coming out later in the year that I am unaware of that bumps it.  It can't touch DT or Neal Morse.  But it is clearly better than the other two albums on my list. 
4.  Avantasia - Moonglow:  It has fallen off a bit for me.  I should listen to it more. 
5.  Queensryche - The Verdict:  Not bad, but it hasn't really grabbed me either.  I probably could do with revisiting it.

Looking at the 2019 release calendar, there isn't anything coming up that looks interesting.  So 5 albums for the year is kind of a bummer.  But I do really like some of them, so I guess the year isn't a total loss.  Just slow. 

[SoundscapeMN]

vague update

Arch / Matheos
Foals
Local Natives
Dirt Poor Robins
Owel
Claypool / Lennon Delirium
Motorpsycho
Thank You Scientist
Courtney Swain
Dream Theater
Jon Anderson
East of the Wall
The Mercury Tree
Biffy Clyro
The Pneumatic Transit
Cats in Space
Snarky Puppy

[bosk1]

4.  Avantasia - Moonglow:  It has fallen off a bit for me.  I should listen to it more. 

Listening to it today.  You know, they really should have titled it "Moonblow" because it isn't very good.

[NoseofNicko]

Updated:

1. Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising: 9/10 (but very close to a 10)
2. Deathspell Omega - The Furnaces of Palingenesia: 9/10
3. Dream Theater - Distance Over Time: 9/10
5. The National - I Am Easy to Find: 9/10
6. Waste of Space Orchestra - Syntheosis: 9/10
7. Soen - Lotus: 9/10
8. Devin Townsend - Empath: 9/10
9. Funereal Presence - Achatius: 9/10
10. Thom Yorke - Anima: 9/10
11. Arch/Matheos - Winter Ethereal: 8.5/10
12. Saor - Forgotten Paths: 8/10
13. Queensr˙che - The Verdict: 8/10
14. Misūyrming - Algleymi: 8/10
15. Inter Arma - Sulphur English: 8/10
16. Idle Hands - Mana: 8/10
17. Rammstein - Rammstein: 7.5/10
18. Black to Comm - Seven Horses for Seven Kings: 7/10
19. Children of Bodom - Hexed: 7/10
20. Xiu Xiu - Girl With Basket of Fruit: 7/10

I could list about 20 other good albums released this year.

Excellent year for music.

[romdrums]

So far for me this year:

Tier One:
1. Dream Theater: Distance Over Time
2. Periphery: Hail Stan

Tier Two:
Everygrey: The Atlantic
We Are Impala: Visions
Wheel: Moving Backwards
Kosatka: Colossus

Tier Three:
Mono: Nowhere Now Here
Soilwork: Verkligheten

Update:

Tier One:
DT-D/T
The Comet is Coming-Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery
Periphery-Hail Stan
The End of the Ocean- -aire
Jolly-Family

Tier Two:
The Panic Division-Touch
Arch Echo-You Won't Believe What Happens Next
Wheel-Moving Backwards
Kosatka-Colossus
We Are Impala-Visions

Tier Three:
Astronoid-Astronoid
Soilwork-Verkligheten
MONO-Nowhere Now Here
The Mute Gods-Atheists and Believers

[TAC]

4.  Avantasia - Moonglow:  It has fallen off a bit for me.  I should listen to it more. 

Listening to it today.  You know, they really should have titled it "Moonblow" because it isn't very good.

Thank you. It's as if Avantasia has run its course on this album.

[The Curious Orange]

Five albums so far in contention for Album of the Year:

Cellar Darling - The Spell
Big Big Train - Grand Tour
Dream Theater - Distance Over Time
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Signs
The Wildhearts - Renaissance Men