Retro Albums of the Year 2010's: 2020

[nick_z]

2016

Plenty of music this year...Haken was a winner (Affinity is my favorite album of theirs), Fates Warning released their best album in years, and so did Anthrax. Metallica's Hardwired was a pleasant surprise too...

Top 15

Haken – Affinity
Fates Warning – Theories of Flight
Anthrax – For All Kings
Evergrey – The Storm Within
Hammers of Misfortune – Dead Revolution
Dream Theater – The Astonishing
Dark Tranquillity – Atoma
Metallica – Hardwired…To Self-Destruct
Ihsahn – Arktis.
Gojira – Magma
Myrath – Legacy
Alter Bridge – The Last Hero
Insomnium – Winter’s Gate
Witherscape – The Northern Sanctuary
Frost * - Falling Satellites

The Honorable Mentions:

After the Burial – Dig Deep
Animals as Leaders – The Madness of Many
The Answer – Solas
Avatar – Feathers & Flesh
Avenged Sevenfold – The Stage
Be’Lakor – Vessels
Biffy Clyro – Ellipsis
Black Stone Cherry – Kentucky
Joe Bonamassa – Blues of Desperation
Chevelle – The North Corridor
Circus Maximus – Havoc
The Cult – Hidden City
The Dear Hunter – Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional
Deftones - Gore
Dillinger Escape Plan - Dissociation
The Foreshadowing – Seven Heads Ten Horns
In Mourning – Afterglow
Jimmy Eat World – Integrity Blues
Khemmis – Hunted
King Goat - Conduit
Klimt 1918 – Sentimentale/Jugend
Kyng – Breathe in the Water
Katatonia – The Fall of Hearts
Lacuna Coil - Delirium
Megadeth – Dystopia
Meshuggah – The Violent Sleep of Reason
Metal Church – XI
The Midnight – Endless Summer
The Mission – Another Fall From Grace
Maren Morris – Hero
Novembre - Ursa
Oceans of Slumber - Winter
Onerepublic – Oh My My
Opeth – Sorceress
Perturbator – The Uncanny Valley
The Pineapple Thief – Your Wilderness
The Pretty Reckless – Who You Selling For
Red Fang – Only Ghosts
Rival Sons – Hollow Bones
Secrets of the Moon – SUN
Sixx: A.M. – Vol. 1: Prayers for the Damned
Sixx: A.M. – Vol. 2: Prayers for the Blessed
Southern Empire – Southern Empire
Spellcaster – Night Hides the World
Spiritual Beggars – Sunrise to Sundown
The Struts – Everybody Wants
Sumerlands – Sumerlands
Testament – Brotherhood of the Snake
Thrice – To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere
Treat – Ghost of Graceland
Tremonti – Dust
Vektor – Terminal Redux
Volbeat – Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie
Watchtower – Concepts of Math: Book One

[jingle.boy]

Sixx: A.M. – Vol. 1: Prayers for the Damned
Sixx: A.M. – Vol. 2: Prayers for the Blessed

1/2 killer; 1/2 filler.  I saved a playlist that just took the best from each, and pared it down to a single album's length.

[nick_z]

Sixx: A.M. – Vol. 1: Prayers for the Damned
Sixx: A.M. – Vol. 2: Prayers for the Blessed

1/2 killer; 1/2 filler.  I saved a playlist that just took the best from each, and pared it down to a single album's length.

I agree - a step up from Modern Vintage for me, but still not as good as the first two (and the debut, in particular)

[jingle.boy]

Sixx: A.M. – Vol. 1: Prayers for the Damned
Sixx: A.M. – Vol. 2: Prayers for the Blessed

1/2 killer; 1/2 filler.  I saved a playlist that just took the best from each, and pared it down to a single album's length.

I agree - a step up from Modern Vintage for me, but still not as good as the first two (and the debut, in particular)

Agreed ... Heroin Diaries is amazing.

[WardySI]

Double post sorry...

[WardySI]

Ooooh forgot Spiritual Beggars Sunrise to Sundown that was a great album big fan of Apollo's vocals \m/

That particular Evergrey album, Storm Within, is much better than had thought in 2016 probably unjust of me not to have listed that in my Top10 at least...

[MirrorMask]

Short list for my 2016!


1. Avantasia - Ghostlights
2. Dream Theater - The Astonishing
3. Rage - The Devil Strikes Again

And then...

Blood Ceremony - Lord of Misrule
Metallica - Hardwired...to Self-Destruct

Let's also mention these two....

iamthemorning - Lighthouse
Sonata Arctica - The Ninth Hour

[ReaperKK]

I was on vacation so I gotta do a little bit of catching up:

2015

1. Mestis - Polysemy - 4/5
2. Espen Eriksen Trio - Never Ending January - 4/5
3. Kaki King - The Neck Is The Bridge To The Body - 4/5
4. Spencer Elliott - Some Forgotten Color - 3.5/5
5. Incubus - Trust Fall (Side A) - 3/5
6. Heights - Phantasia On The High Processions Of Sun, Moon and Countless Stars Above - 3/5
7. Snarky Puppy & Het Metropole Orkest - Sylva - 3/5
8. The Winery Dogs - Hot Streak - 2.5/5
9. All Them Witches - Dying Surfer Meets His Maker - 2/5
10. Ludovico Einaudi - Elements - 2/5
11. Kendrick Lemar - To Pimp A Butterfly - 2/5
12. St. Germain - St. Germain - 1.5/5
13. Swervedriver - I Wasn't Born To Lose You - 1/5

[ReaperKK]

2016:

1. Toska - Ode To The Author - 5/5
2. Russian Circles - Guidance - 4.5/5
3. Meniscus - Refractions - 4/5
4. Akord - Ethereality - 4/5
5. Little Tybee - Little Tybee - 4/5
6. Spencer Elliott - Unspoken - 3.5/5
7. Alter Bridge - The Last Hero - 3.5/5
8. Eric Johnson - EJ - 3/5
9. Animals As Leaders - The Madness Of Many - 2.5/5
10. Opeth - Sorceress - 2.5/5
11. Moon Tooth - Chromaparagon - 2.5/5
12. Candlebox - Disappearing In Airports - 2/5
13. iamthemorning - Lighthouse - 2/5
14. The Jezabels - Synthia - 2/5
15. Dream Theater - The Astonishing - 1.5/5
16. Anoushka Shankar - Land Of Gold - 1/5


Interesting to see three post-rock albums take my top 3 this year.

[SoundscapeMN]

that Meniscus record is quite good.

[MirrorMask]

Anyway, is it me or we're burning through these later years? it felt that it took forever to get through the '70s, and now I feel like I barely did my list for a year that I already have to do another 

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Anyway, is it me or we're burning through these later years? it felt that it took forever to get through the '70s, and now I feel like I barely did my list for a year that I already have to do another 

Yeah it seems like we are going quicker lately, which is why I'm still 10 years behind with my lists. 

[ReaperKK]

that Meniscus record is quite good.

That's one of the few albums from 2016 that I heard this year. I really enjoyed that album.

[SoundscapeMN]

2017

2017 I remember maybe most about Pain of Salvation's comeback. In looking at my list, there's definitely albums I enjoyed more that year, than i do now, and vice-versa. Plus some new stuff. Dirt Poor Robins I would discover only a year after The Raven Locks Act 3 was released, and I still likely consider my favorite record of theirs. Play Dead from Mutemath I revisited last Summer and also consider as good if not better than when hearing it during the calendar year. Mutemath isn't done, but in-effect in transition, and I feel they went out with that era on a high note.

Barock Project, Jazzkamikaze, SikTh, Ninet, King Gizzard, Bent Knee..I find 2017 has a lot of good albums, but not too many historic records necessarily at this point. But it's so recent, now about 5 years in, I'm sure other stuff will come into my playlist at some point.

1. Dirt Poor Robins - The Raven Locks Act 3
2. Mutemath - Play Dead
3. Small Leaks Sink Ships - Golden Calf
4. Everything Everything - A Fever Dream
5. Pain of Salvation - In the Passing Light of Day
6. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Polygondwanaland
7. Bent Knee - Land Animal
8. Anathema - The Optimist
9. Godspeed You Black Emperor - Luciferian Towers
10. Steven Wilson - To the Bone
11. SikTh - The Future in Whose Eyes?
12. Nordic Giants - Amplify Human Vibration (Soundtrack)
13. Subterranean Masquerade - Vagabond
14. Barock Project - Detachment
15. Major Parkinson - Blackbox
16. 22 - You Are Creating-Limb 1
17. Beck - Colors
18. Jazzkamikaze - LeVel
19. Ulver -  The Assassination of Julius Caesar
20. Mew - Visuals
21. Ramona Falls - Coils
22. Red Planet with Bill Carothers - Red Planet with Bill Carothers
23. Moonloop - Devocean
24. Persefone - Aathma
25. Timmy Sean - Weeks
26. Ninet - Paper Parachute
27. Sky Architect - Nomad
28. Galactic Cowboys - Long Way Back to the Moon
29. Bjψrn Riis - Forever Comes to an End
30. The Contortionist - Clairvoyant
31. Bubblemath - Edit Peptide
32. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Flying Microtonal Banana
33. Hotel of the Laughing Tree - Hotel Junk Box
34. Dave Kerzner - Static
35. Tuxedo - Tuxedo II
36. StellaRoma - Revel & Ritual
37. Danny Cavanagh - Monochrome
38. The Faceless - In Becoming a Ghost
39. 椎名林檎 [Sheena Ringo] - 逆輸入 ～航空局～ (Gyakuyunyū ~Kōkūkyoku~ Vol. 2)
40. Blackfield - V
41. Guerilla Toss - GT Ultra
42. Esperanza Spalding - Exposure
43. Big Wreck - Grace Street
44. Thundercat - Drunk
45. Umphrey's McGee - Zonkey
46. Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pacifisticuffs
47. The Barnum Meserve - When All is Lost
48. Do Make Say Think - Stubborn Persistent Illusions
49. Jessie Ware - Glasshouse
50. Cats in Space - Scarecrow
51. Ne Obliviscaris - Urn
52. U2 - Songs of Experience
53. Styx - The Mission
54. The Ongoing Concept - Places
55. Minus the Bear - VOIDS
56. Black Map - In Droves
57. Bullet Height - No Atonement

EPs
1. Bend Sinister - The Other Way
2. Umi - World of Color
3. The Family Crest - Prelude to War
4. Gloomcatcher - Blade in the Belfry
5. Capital Cities - Swimming Pool Summer
6. The Dear Hunter - All Is As All Should Be
7. Childish Japes - After You're Born
8. Radical Face - SunnMoonnEclippse
9. Tuxedo - Fux with the Tux
10. Once & Future Band - Once & Future Band
11. Ulver - Sic transit gloria mundi
12. Mastodon - Cold Dark Place

Amanda Palmer & Edward Ka-Spel - I Can Spin a Rainbow
Arcane Roots - Melancholia Hymns
At the Drive-In - in·ter a·li·a
Black Map - In Droves
Broken Social Scene - Hug of Thunder
Brutus - Burst
Bryan and The Aardvarks - Sounds from the Deep Field
Cameron Graves - Planetary Prince
Cauls - Recherchι
Chameleon Culture - The Universe is a New Year's Day Parade
Cory Wong - Cory Wong and the Green Screen Band
Crippled Black Phoenix - Horrific Honorifics
Cynic - Uroboric Forms: The Complete Demo Recordings
Dead Letter Circus - The Endless Mile
Deep Purple - Infinite
Deluge Grander - Oceanarium
Eternity Forever - Fantasy
Exit Eden - Rhapsodies in Black
Gang of Youths - Go Farther in Lightness
Ginger Wildheart - Ghost in the Tanglewood
Gizmodrome - Gizmodrome
Harakiri - Alchemy Choir
Inanimate Existence - Underneath a Melting Sky
In the Presence of Wolves - Of Two Minds, Stages 1-2: The Ape and the Cage
Jaws of Love - Tasha Sits Close to the Piano
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Murder of the Universe
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Sketches of Brunswick East
Krallice with Dave Ediwardson - Loum
KXM - Scatterbrain
Leprous - Malina
Marah in the Mainsail - Bone Crown
Marco Minneman - Borrego
Mastodon - Emperor of Sand
Mauno - Tuning
Meridian Incident - Istology
Metallica - Hardwired...to Self-Destruct
Moses Sumney - Aromanticism
Mystery Weekend - Surprise!
Nai Palm - Needle Paw
Ne Obliviscaris - Urn
Nexus - En el comienzo del Topos Uranos
Nicholas Krgovich - In an Open Field
Nicole Atkins - Goodnight Rhonda Lee
Nova Collective - The Further Side
Offa Rex - The Queen of Hearts
Offa Rex - The Queen of Hearts
Of Two Minds, Stages 1-2: The Ape and the Cage   
Pentakill - II: Grasp of the Undying
Peter Silberman - Impermanence
Public Service Broadcasting - Every Valley
R. Stevie Moore & Jason Falkner - Make It Be
Rare Monk - A Future
Roger Waters - Is This the Life We Really Want?
Scale The Summit - In A World Of Fear
Solstafir - Berdreyminn
Sons of Apollo - Psychotic Symphony
St.Vincent - Masseduction
Steve Hackett - The Night Siren
Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner & James McAlister - Planetarium
Sutrah - Dunes
Sσlstafir - Berdreyminn
TC&I - Great Aspirations
Temples - Volcano
The Black Light - All Forgotten Dreams
The Dustbowl Revival - The Dustbowl Revival
The Mute Gods - …tardigrades will inherit the earth
The Neal Morse Band - The Similitude of a Dream (all live once, which was enough)
The New Pornographers - Whiteout Conditions
The Night Flight Orchestra - Amber Galactic
The Warning - XXI Century Blood
Tigran Hamasyan - An Ancient Observer
Tuesday the Sky - Drift
VUUR - In This Moment We Are Free - Cities
Waaktaar & Zoe - World of trouble
X Japan - We Are X: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Concerts
4/4/17 Biffy Clyro/O'Brother at the Turf Club St.Paul, MN
4/29/17 XTC An All Star Tribute - Senses Working Overtime 5 at the Turf Club St.Paul, MN
5/11/17 Hall and Oates/Tears for Fears at the XCel Energy Center St.Paul, MN
5/13/17 Coheed and Cambria/Between the Buried and Me/The Dear Hunter at First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
5/20/17 The Family Crest/Trevor Sensor at The Turf Club St.Paul, MN
6/12/17 Tuxedo at The Fine Line Minneapolis, MN
6/26/17 King Crimson at the State Theater Minneapolis, MN
7/24/17 Bent Knee/Airlands/Oklahoma at the 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN
8/13/17 Mew at The Turf Club St.Paul, MN
8/17/17 Neal Morse Band Amsterdam Bar and Hall St.Paul, MN
8/24/17 The Pointer Sisters at Leinie Lodge at the Minnesota State Fair Falcon Heights, MN
8/27/17 Jason Richardson/The Reign of Kindo/Umi/Stolas at The Amsterdam Bar and Grille St.Paul, MN
9/16/17 Snarky Puppy/Michelle Willis at First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
11/14/17 Ne Obliviscaris/Allegaeon at The Amsterdam Bar and Grille St.Paul, MN
12/1/17 Greg Herriges at Dreamland Arts St.Paul, MN

[MirrorMask]

My 2017:

1. Rage - Seasons of the Black
2. Elvenking - Secrets of the Magick Grimoire
3. Eluveitie - Evocation II – Pantheon

4. Dropkick Murphys - 11 Short Stories of Pain and Glory
5. Cellar Darling - This is the Sound
6. Iced Earth - Incorruptible
8. Avatarium - Hurricanes and Halos
8. Alice Cooper - Paranormal
9. Ensiferum - Two Paths

10. Sons of Apollo - Psychotic Symphony
11. Grave Digger - Healed by Metal

[ReaperKK]

2017 is a little light for me, I actually think I spent that year going through countless old albums and getting them organzied:

2017:

1. Vasudeva - No Clearance - 5/5
2. Steven Wilson - The Last Day of June - 4/5
3. Outrun The Sunlight - Red Bird - 3.5/5
4. Intervals - The Way Forward - 3/5
5. Dominic Miller - Silent Lights - 3/5
6. Christopher Larkin - Hollow Knight Soundtrack - 2.5/5
7. Midland - On The Rocks - 2.5/5
8. Tuesday The Sky - Drift - 2.5/5
9. Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox - Fake Blues - 2/5
10. Emancipator - Baralku - 2/5
11. John Garcia - The Coyote Who Spoke In Tongues - 2/5
12. Gloomcatcher - Blade In The Belfry - 2/5
13. Incubus - 8 - 2/5
14. Chris Thile / Edgar Meyer / Yo-Yo Ma - Back Trios - 2/5
15. Bent Knee - Land Animal - 1/5
16. Foo Fighters - Concrete And Gold - 1/5
17. Shobaleader One - Elektrac - 1/5
18. Thundercat - Drunk - 1/5

[SoundscapeMN]

Anyway, is it me or we're burning through these later years? it felt that it took forever to get through the '70s, and now I feel like I barely did my list for a year that I already have to do another 

Yeah it seems like we are going quicker lately, which is why I'm still 10 years behind with my lists. 

there's only 3 left, so once those are done, you'll have as much time as you want to post earlier years lists to catch up on. I guess it may depend on when Reaper or anyone else wants to finish tabulating the Statistics for each year to get some estimation of what albums had the most votes and were the most popular, etc that your lists may be helpful.

But I'm only doing these every 5 days or so. I guess I was looking to finish this by the end of the year, which given a new 1 is done every 5 days, the last Year, 2020 would be done a few days after New Years.

But like I said, you guys can always post them later if you want even for the Statistics from each year standpoint.


I plan to start making my own personal Yearly Playlists (on Spotify and maybe more accurately, YouTube) sometime early next year. And that I'm presuming would be posted in a New Songs of the Year Topic that was mentioned a few pages back.

[HOF]

2017 was jam packed with great releases from many of my favorite modern acts. Big Big Train were stupidly busy this year.

1. Big Big Train - Grimspound
2. The Clientele - Music for the Age of Miracles
3. Public Service Broadcasting - Every Valley
4. Fernando Perdomo - The Goldon Hour
5. Mew - Visuals
6. Big Big Train - The Second Brightest Star
7. Field Music - Open Here [see 2018 list]
8. Steven Wilson - To The Bone
9. Isildurs Bane & Steve Hogarth - Colours Not Found in Nature
10. Rikard Sjoblom's Gungfly - On Her Journey to the Sun

Also a bunch of notable live albums, EPs, compilations, re-issues etc.
1. Big Big Train - Far Skies Deep Time (remaster)
2. Big Big Train - Merry Christmas
3. Big Big Train - London Song
4. Fernando Perdomo - Burned Out Heart and Other Assorted Breakup Songs
5. King Crimson - Live in Chicago
6. Marillion - Living in FEAR
7. Fernando Perdomo - Ardent (The Acoustic Record)

[nick_z]

2017

Interesting year overall - what is arguably my top album is from a band I didn't even know existed before this, playing a genre of music I'm not terribly into anymore. So, job well done, Unleash the Archers!  To the Bone is another album I listened to a TON. Overall, a bunch of cool discoveries (Black Sites, Voyager, Iris Divine, Black Map, Power Trip...) in addition to more established names (Paradise Lost, Pain of Salvation, Trivium, Mastodon...)

The Top 15

Unleash the Archers – Apex
Steven Wilson – To the Bone
Black Sites – In Monochrome
Voyager – Ghost Mile
Iris Divine – The Static and the Noise
Royal Thunder – Wick
Black Map – In Droves
Paradise Lost - Medusa
Pain of Salvation – In the Passing Light of Day
Trivium – The Sin and the Sentence
Ulver – The Assassination of Julius Caesar
Power Trip – Nightmare Logic
Threshold – Legends of the Shires
Mastodon – Emperor of Sand
Leprous – Malina

The Honorable Mentions:

Accept – The Rise of Chaos
Aether Realm – Tarot
Tori Amos – Native Invader
Anathema - The Optimist
Blackfield – Blackfield V
Caligula’s Horse – In Contact
Daniel Cavanagh - Monochrome
The Contortionist – Clairvoyant
Cradle of Filth – Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay
Depeche Mode – Spirit
Enslaved - E
Foo Fighters – Concrete and Gold
Grave Pleasures – Motherblood
Have Mercy – Make the Best of It
Hyborian – Vol. 1
Impure Wilhelmina – Radiation
KXM – Scatterbrain
Life of Agony - A Place Where There is No More Pain
Lionize – Nuclear Soul
Lunar Shadow – Far From Light
Lunatic Soul - Fractured
Moonspell - 1755
Mother of Millions – Sigma
Nothing But Thieves – Broken Machine
Nothing More – The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Pallbearer – Heartless
Sons of Apollo – Psychotic Symphony
Spirit Adrift – Curse of Conception
Chris Stapleton – From a Room Vol 1&2
Venenum – Trance of Death
Von Hertzen Brothers – War is Over
While She Sleeps – You Are We
Witherfall – Nocturnes and Requiems

[KevShmev]

Looking at my iTunes, it was around this time when I started to listening to less new music every year.  Too much going on to listen to too many new albums every year as life gets older, I guess. 

My top two for 2017 are the only ones I would give 4 stars or more.

01 Steven Wilson - To the Bone
02 Styx - The Mission
03 U2 - Songs of Experience
04 Blackfield - V
05 Arcade Fire - Everything Now (inconsistent, but has 4-5 killer songs)
06 Taylor Swift - Reputation
07 Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie - Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie (might as well call it a Fleetwood Mac album minus Stevie Nicks)
08 Robert Plant - Carry Fire
09 Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up
10 Ayreon - The Source (way more miss than hit, but I would put it on here because it has Star of Sirrah)

[jingle.boy]

Top 20:

Daydream XI - The Circus of the Tattered and Torn
Eagleheart - Reverse
Damnations Day - A World Awakens
Prospekt - The Illumninated Sky
Mindmaze - Resolve
Pyramaze - Contingent
Nightflight Orchestra - Amber Galactic
Arthemis - Blood|Fury|Domination
Vanish - The Insanity Abstract
Ayreon - The Source
Jorn - Life on Death Road
Firewind - Immortals
Threshold - Legends of the Shires
Stamina - System of Power
Bare Infinity - The Butterfly Raiser
Signum Regis - Decennium Primum
Vandroya - Beyond The Human Mind
Harem Scarem - United
The Ferrymen - The Ferrymen
Tony MacAlpine - Death of Roses

And I think this is where I'd still rate them all.

Others not mentioned yet:
Astral Doors - Black Eyed Children
Almanac - Kingslayer
Ancestral Dawn - Souldance
Anthriel - Transcendence
Anubis - The Second Hand
Dream Evil - Six
Eclipse - Momentum
Galneryus - Ultimate Sacrifice
Helker - Firesoul
Hell in the Club - See You on the Dark Side
Labyrinth - Architecture of God
Lonely Robot - The Big Dream
Masqued - The Light In The Dark
Midnight Sin - One Last Ride
Need - Hegaiamas:A Song for Freedom
Nocturnal Rites - Phoenix
One Desire - One Desire
Pyramid Theorem - Element of Surprise
Secret Sphere - The Nature of Time
Serenity - Lionheart
Serious Black - Magic
Shattered Skies - Auxilium // Vol I
SineHeresY - Domino
Soulspell - Act IV - The Second Big Bang
Steelheart - Through Worlds of Stardust
Striker - Striker (EP)
Wolfpakk - Wolves Reign
Xandria - Theater of Dimensions

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Time to make a dent in how far behind I am on this thread 

Here's the full 2006 list. This was the year I found Progulus Radio, through which I found tons of new awesome bands, like Frost*, Pure Reason Revolution, Vanden Plas, A.C.T, Andromeda, Unexpect, Ef, Wolverine, The Dear Hunter, and many more.

And my top 50.

1. Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain (this is a no brainer for this year)
2. Negură Bunget - Om (also a no brainer)
3. Protest the Hero - Kezia
4. Frost* - Milliontown
5. Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third
6. Battle of Mice - A Day of Nights
7. Textures - Drawing Circles (even I was surprised how high on my list this was)
8. Dream Theater - Score
9. Porcupine Tree - Arriving Somewhere...
10. Tool - 10000 Days
11. Enslaved - Ruun
12. Mastodon - Blood Mountain
13. Silversun Pickups - Carnavas
14. The Mars Volta - Amputechture
15. Vanden Plas - Christ 0
16. A.C.T - Silence
17. Ahab - Call of the Wretched Sea
18. Summoning - Oath Bound
19. Solitude Aeturnus - Alone
20. Ihsahn - The Adversary
21. Andromeda - Chimera
22. Scott Walker - The Drift
23. Drudkh - Кров у наших криницях (Blood in Our Wells)
24. Mirrorthrone - Carriers of Dust
25. Dragonforce - Inhuman Rampage
26. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
27. Persefone - Core
28. Wolves in the Throne Room - Diadem of 12 Stars
29. The Faceless - Akeldama
30. Amorphis - Eclipse
31. Keep of Kalessin - Armada
32. Novembre - Materia
33. Persuader - When Eden Burns
34. Strapping Young Lad - The New Black
35. The Human Abstract - Nocturne
36. Unexpect - In a Flesh Aquarium
37. Sikth - Death of a Dead Day
38. Ef - Give Me Beauty... Or Give Me Death!
39. Muse - Black Holes and Revelations
40. Manticora - The Black Circus: Part 1 - Letters
41. Fall of Efrafa - Owsla
42. Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death
43. Wolverine - Still
44. The Dear Hunter - Act I: The Lake South, the River North
45. Estradasphere - Palace of Mirrors
46. Akroma - Sept
47. Dark Fortress - Sιance
48. Daylight Dies - Dismantling Devotion
49. Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist
50. The Paper Chase - Now You Are One of Us

[SoundscapeMN]

2018

2018 seemed initially like it could have been a better year than 2017. That The Family Crest album was a really big deal for me to finally come out, and it more or less lived up to my hopes as I found I enjoyed it start-to-finish a little more than their previous album, 2014's "Beneath the Brine."

Also that Kindo/The Reign of Kindo I felt kind of the same way about sans for the fact every tune I had heard for awhile given I was part of their Patreon.

Coheed, Ours, Childish Japes, Esperanza Spalding, Kimbra and Capital Cities all had albums I enjoyed a lot in 2018, and in some cases, enjoy even more now.

And then over the last 6 months I found the band Eldren and got totally won over by their epic masterpiece "Miss Information Aged." So much so, it was my most listened to album of 2021, that I had to place it at #1 for 2018. The energy and trippy nature, plus the use of electronic taxtures and violin work made the songs and album flow so well.

1. Eldren - Miss Information Aged
2. The Family Crest - The War: Act I   
3. Kindo - Happy However After   
4. Grimus- Unmanageable Species   
5. Esperanza Spalding - 12 Little Spells
6. Coheed and Cambria - Vaxis – Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures   
7. Kimbra - Primal Heart   
8. Vennart - To Cure a Blizzard Upon a Plastic Sea
9. Ours - New Age Heroine II
10. Orphaned Land - Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs   
11. Childish Japes & Dave Vives - Salamander   
12. Long Distance Calling - Boundless   
13. A Dying Planet - Facing the Incurable   
14. Blackbelt Eagle Scout   Mother of My Children
15. Capital Cities - Solarize
13. In Vain - Currents   
14. Bend Sinister - Foolish Games
15. 22- You Creating: Limb2   
16. Typhoon - Offerings
17. Josh Rouse - Love in the Modern Age   
18. Between the Buried and Me - Automata I/Automata II   
19. Crippled Black Phoenix - Great Escape   
20. Yossi Sassi & the Oriental Rock Orchestra - Illusion of Choice   
21. Nosound - Allow Yourself   
22. Journal - Chrysalis Ordalias   
23. Josh King and Them - Into the Blue
24. The Dang Ol' Tri'ole - Dang!
25. Augury - Illusive Golden Age   
26. The Sea Within - The Sea Within   
27. Punch Brothers - All Ashore   
28. Tax the Heat - Change Your Position   
29. The Monkees - Christmas Party
30. Cousin Tony's Brand New Firebird - Electric Brown
31. Phideaux - Infernal   
32. Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin Stones - Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin Stones
33. Dug Pinnick - Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (Often Imitated But Never Duplicated)    
34. Dream the Electric Sleep - The Giants' Newground   
35. Soft Machine - Hidden Details   
36. Chromeo - Head Over Heels
37. Hands of Despair - Well of the Disquieted
38. Muse - Simulation Theory
39. Facing New York - Dogtown
40. Guerilla Toss - Twisted Chrystal
41. Rachel Flowers - Going Somewhere
42. Gryphon - Reinvention

Others
Anna von Hausswolff - Dead Magic   
Bill Hubauer - We Came from Space
Canon Blue - Lasso Yo
Dessa - Chime   
Field Music - Open Here   
God is an Astronaut - Epitaph   
Greta Van Fleet - Greta Van Fleet
Harakiri - Alchemy Choir   
Inferi - Revenant   
Janelle Monαe - Dirty Computer   
Kai Danzberg - Pop-Up Radio   
Lawrence - Living Room
Lenny Kravitz - Raise Vibration   
Myles Kennedy - Year of the Tiger   
Nicholas Krgovich - In an Open Field
Nicholas Krgovich - OUCH
Nile Rodgers and Chic - It's About Time
Paul McCartney - Egypt Station
Prince - Piano and a Microphone
Southern Empire - Civilisation
Spock's Beard - Noise Floor   
Umphrey's McGee - It's Not Us
White Denim - Performance

EPs
1. Small Leaks Sink Ships - Polaroid People
2. Fjokra - Evening Lights
3. Kimbra - Songs From Primal Heart: Reimagined
4. Mutemath - Voice in the Silence
5. Fish - A Parley With Angels
6. Vennart - Copeland
7. Minus the Bear - Fair Enough
8. Umbrellaman - Volcano Beach
9. Arcane Roots - Landslide
10. The Mercury Tree & Cryptic Ruse - Cryptic Tree
11. The Arusha Accord - Juracan
12. KL the Bear - Fair Enough
13. Jason Bieler - Birds of Prey      
      
Live Albums   
1. Fates Warning - Live Over Europe
2. Michael Nesmith & The First National Band Redux - Live at the Troubadour
3. iamthemorning - Ocean Sounds
4. Renaissance - A Symphonic Journey

Concerts
1/12/18 Deng Ol' Tri'ole at Hook and Ladder Minneapolis, MN
1/17/18 Typhoon/Sunbathe at The Turf Club St.Paul, MN
1/28/18 Michael Nesmith and the First National Band at the Troubadour in Hollywood, CA
2/5/18 Kimbra at The Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, MN
3/3/18 Between the Buried and Me/The Dear Hunter/Leprous at First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
3/25/18 Protest the Hero/Thank You Scientist/Closure in Moscow at The Varsity Theater Minneapolis, MN
4/7/18 Cloud Cult at Orchestra Hall Minneapolis, MN
5/19/18 Josh Rouse at the Dakota Jazz Club Minneapolis, MN
6/14/18 The Mike and Micky Show at the Copernicus Center Chicago, IL
7/10/18 Bent Knee/Gatherers/Bubblemath at the 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN
7/20/18 Raphael Saadiq/Ali Shaheed Muhammad at First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
8/8/18 The Family Crest/Wilkinson James at the Turf Club St.Paul, MN
10/20/18 Josh Rouse/Grant Lee Phillips at The Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, MN
10/21/18 Phil Collins at Target Center Minneapolis, MN
10/23/18 Soft Machine/Beledo at The Turf Club St.Paul, MN
12/21/18 Stella Roma (Greg Herriges) at Dreamland Arts St.Paul, MN

[TAC]

Discovery of 2018:

[HOF]

Others

Field Music - Open Here   
 

Another anomaly. I have this ranked with my 2017 group, as that's the date on my CD and in my Groove Music. Everything else says February 2018, except Discogs does list a 2017 promo. Guessing it was printed in 2017 and not released until 2018. I guess I'll include it in my 2018 list instead.

[HOF]

2018 was a really great year in which I got clued into a bunch of random prog releases.

1. Fernando Perdomo - Out to Sea
2. Spock's Beard - Noise Floor
3. Sweet Billy Pilgrim - Wapentak
4. Mir - Telegraph
5. Emperor Norton - Emperor Norton
6. Fernando Perdomo - Zebra Crossing
7. Gleb Kolyadin - Gleb Kolyadin
8. Field Music - Open Here
9. Rikard Sjoblom's Gungfly - Friendship
10. The Paper Kites - On the Corner Where You Live
11. Malady - Toinen Toista
12. John Hackett & Nick Fletcher - Beyond the Stars
13. Tony Banks - 5
14. Tribus - Windmill
15. Neal Morse - Life & Times
16. Vier - Perfect Beings
17. Senki madara - Yesterdays

Other assorted stuff:
1. Big Big Train - Merchants of Light
2. Big Big Train - Swan Hunter (EP)
3. Marillion - Unplugged at the Walls (re-issue)
4. Marillion - Brave (Steven Wilson re-mix)

[WardySI]

Discovery of 2018:

Did not know of Lost Domain.  Killer voice she has. Only at track 5 and already epic stuff 

[MirrorMask]

Mh, quite a short list for 2018....


1. Judas Priest - Firepower
2. Ghost - Prequelle
3. Powerwolf - The Sacrament of Sin

And then:
4. Refuge - Solitary Men
5. Halestorm - Vicious

Some rounding up just because at least I heard these albums 

Kamelot - The Shadow Theory
Korpiklaani - Kulkija
Grave Digger - The Living Dead

[jingle.boy]

My Top 20:

Ostura - The Room
Mystery - Lies And Butterflies
Seventh Wonder - Tiara
Walls of Babylon - A Portrait of Memories
Lords of Black - Icons of the New Days
Redemption - Long Night's Journey Into Day
Primitai - The Calling
Divine Ascension - The Uncovering
Michael Romeo - War of the Worlds Pt. 1
Into the Great Divide - s/t
Lost In Thought - Renesance
Icarus Witch - Goodbye Cruel World
Angra - Omni
Fifth Angel - The Third Secret
Kissin Dynamite - Ecstasy
Subsignal - La Muerta
Voodoo Circle - Raised on Rock
Presto Ballet - The Days Between
Southern Empire - Civilisation
Ethernity  - The Human Race Extinction

And the rest not mentioned yet:
3.2 - The Rules Have Changed
Animal Drive - Bite!
Arion - Life Is Not Beautiful
Arwen - The Soul's Sentence
Bonfire - Temple of Lies
Borealis - The Offering
Collibus - Trusting the Illusion
Conception - My Dark Symphony
Dreyelands - Stages
Dynazty - Firesign
Evership - Evership II
Galahad - Seas of Change
Guardians of Time - Tearing Up The World
Gus G - Fearless
Helion Prime - Terror of the Cybernetic Space Monster
Hexed - Netherworld
Horizon's Edge - Let the Show Go On
Judas Priest - Firepower
Judicator - The Last Emperer
King Company - Queen of Hearts
Lione-Conti - S/T
Lost Domain - … In The Waiting Room of Death
Lyra's Legacy - Prisoner
Maestrick - Espresso Della Vita: Sorale
Manimal - Purgatoria
Millenial Reign - The Great Divide
Myles Kennedy - Year of the Tiger
New Horizons - Inner Dislocation
Primal Fear - Apocalypse
Saffire - Where the Monsters Dwell
Sergey Golovin - Sculpture
Trillium - Tectonic
Trond Holter - Vlad The Impaler
Warkings - Reborn

[ReaperKK]

Fairly short list from for this year, 2018:

1. Black Map - Trace The Path - 5/5
2. Gaupa - Gaupa - 4.5/5
3. Espen Eriksen Trio With Andy Sheppard - Perfectly Unhappy - 4/5
4. Submotion Orchestra - Kites - 4/5
5. Rabea Massaad - Grinding Gears - 3.5/5
6. KOAN Sound - Polychrome - 3/5
7. Mestis - Eikasia - 3/5
8. Mac Miller - Swimming - 3/5
9. Shubh Saran - H.A.D.D. - 3/5
10. Joe Satriani - What Happens Next - 3/5
11. A Perfect Circle - Eat The Elephant - 2.5/5
12. ASG - Survive Survive - 2/5
13. DJ Krush - Cosmic Yard - 2/5
14. The Night Game - The Night Game - 2/5
15. Tenacious D - Post-Apocalypto - 2/5

[TAC]

Discovery of 2018:

Did not know of Lost Domain.  Killer voice she has. Only at track 5 and already epic stuff 

 

This album is amazing!!

[nick_z]

2018

Judas Priest was probably the biggest surprise - didn't expect they'd have an album of this caliber still in them.

Top 15:

Ghost – Prequelle
Tribulation - Down Below
Judas Priest – Firepower
Soen - Lotus
Amorphis – Queen of Time
Eneferens – The Bleakness of Our Constant
Tremonti - A Dying Machine
Voivod – The Wake
Southern Empire – Civilisation
Kingcrow – The Persistence
Myles Kennedy - Year of the Tiger
A Perfect Circle – Eat the Elephant
Haken – Vector
The Eternal – Waiting for the Endless Dawn
Madder Mortem – Marrow


The Honorable Mentions:

Alice in Chains – Rainier Fog
Audrey Horne – Blackout
Avatar – Avatar Country
Conception – My Dark Symphony
Deathwhite – For a Black Tomorrow
Godsmack – When Legends Rise
Halestorm – Vicious
Hamferπ - Tαmsins likam
Heir Apparent – The View from Below
Hooded Menace - Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed
Horrendous - Idol
Khemmis - Desolation
Octopus - Supernatural Alliance   
Omnium Gatherum – The Burning Cold
Panegyrist - Hierurgy
Pop Evil – Pop Evil
Shinedown – Attention Attention
Sleep – The Sciences
Slugdge – Esoteric Malacology
Sulphur Aeon – The Scythe of Cosmic Chaos
Vanishing Kids – Heavy Dreamer
Voices - Frightened
White Moth Black Butterfly - Atone
Witherfall – A Prelude to Sorrow

[nick_z]

Did not know of Lost Domain.  Killer voice she has. Only at track 5 and already epic stuff 

 

This album is amazing!!

It is indeed - I discovered it via DTF, actually...I don't own it yet, but plan to remedy that 

[jingle.boy]

Evergrey – The Atlantic

Except it was released in 2019

[nick_z]

Evergrey – The Atlantic

Except it was released in 2019

....aaaand you are correct  Not really sure why I had it archived as 2018. Weird. I'll amend my post