Retro Albums of the Year 2010's: 2020

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Here's my 2002 list, finally. Full list here

1. Agalloch - The Mantle
2. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
3. Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
4. Symphony X - The Odyssey
5. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O.
6. Isis - Oceanic
7. Sigur Rós - ( )
8. Coheed and Cambria - The Second Stage Turbine Blade
9. Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane
10. Paatos - Timeloss
11. Rush - Vapor Trails (the remixed version)
12. Red Hot Chili Peppers - By the Way
13. Mudvayne - The End of All Things to Come
14. The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts
15. Threshold - Critical Mass
16. Chevelle - Wonder What's Next
17. Opeth - Deliverance
18. Everon - Bridge
19. Spock's Beard - Snow
20. Quidam - Pod niebem czas
21. Blind Guardian - A Night at the Opera
22. Negură Bunget - 'n crugu bradului
23. Foo Fighters - One by One
24. Reverend Bizarre - In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend
25. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
26. dredg - El cielo
27. Echolyn - Mei
28. Novembre - Dreams d'azur
29. Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
30. Rhapsody - Power of the Dragonflame
31. Astral Projection - Amen
32. The Mars Volta - Tremulant EP
33. Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines
34. Today Is the Day - Sadness Will Prevail
35. Sear Bliss - Forsaken Symphony
36. Immortal - Sons of Northern Darkness
37. Interpol - Turn On the Bright Lights
38. Belenos - Spicilège
39. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
40. Primordial - Storm Before Calm
41. Hourglass - The Journey Into
42. Thyrfing - Vansinnesvisor
43. Superior - Ultima Ratio
44. Tenhi - Väre
45. Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors
46. Empyrium - Weiland
47. Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk
48. Falconer - Chapters From a Vale Forlorn
49. Suidakra - Emprise to Avalon
50. Pagan's Mind - Celestial Entrance

[SoundscapeMN]

2004

2004, a year I historically remember for 3 records: Marillion's Marbles, Fates Warning's FWX and Pain of Salvation's Be.

But in retrospect and the residual discoveries since, this was an incredibly deep year. A lot of technical death metal and progressive college rock. A lot of EPs stood out as well as I think I have 9 in the list below me.

Comparing to 2005 may be unfair, and other years of the 2000's, but I'd say it measures up in a lot of ways, although possibly the depth is more a product of music in the 2000's, the amount of good new music that was coming out.

Blackfield and The Velvet Teen are not far behind..nor is Orphaned Land and some others. I'd say 2004 has become more of a revered year for music for me after now revisiting this.

1. Marillion - Marbles
2. Blackfield - Blackfield
3. The Velvet Teen - Elysium
4. Orphaned Land - Mabool: The Story of the Three Sons of Seven
5. Fates Warning - FWX
6. Brian Wilson - Smile
7. Oceansize - Music for Nurses [EP]
8. 3 - Wakepig
9. The Dissociatives - The Dissociatives
10. Umphrey's McGee - Anchor Drops
11. Clann Zú - Black Coats and Bandages
12. Pain of Salvation - 12:5
13. Fair to Midland - inter.funda.stifle
14. The Decemberists - The Tain [EP]
15. Disillusion - Back to Times of Splendor
16. Crotchduster - Big Fat Box of Shit
17. Pain of Salvation - Be
18. The Dear Hunter - Dear Ms. Leading
19. Archive - Noise
20. Subterranean Masquerade - Temporary Psychotic State [EP]
21. Akphaezya - Anthology II: Links From the Dead Trinity
22. Meshuggah - I [EP]
23. Thurisaz - Scent of a Dream
24. Behemoth - Demigod
25. Superior - Ultra Live
26. The Apex Theory - Inthatskyissomethingwatching [EP]
27. Mastodon - Leviathan
28. Brazil - A Hostage and the Meaning of Life
29. Enchant - Live at Last
30 .Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori - Halo 2 Original Soundtrack
31. Cloud Cult - Aurora Borealis
32. Aereogramme - Seclusion
33. King's X - Live All Over the Place
34. sElf - Ornament and Crime
35. Best Friends Forever - Best Friends Forever
36. Porcupine Tree - Warszawa
37. Judgement Day - Dark Opus
38. Hope of the States - The Lost Riots
39. The Polyphonic Spree - Together We're Heavy
40. Malajube - Le compte complet
41. Biffy Clyro - Infinity Land
42. Bloc Party - Bloc Party [EP]
43. Deerhoof - Milk Man
44. Time of Orchids - Early as Seen in Pace [EP]
45. Anathallo - Hymns [EP]
46. Janus - Armor

Concerts

1/10/04 Jon Anderson - Keswick Theatre Glendale, PA
3/13/04 Dream Theater - State Theatre Minneapolis, MN
3/24/04 The Musical Box - The Pabst Theatre Milwaukee, WI
4/14/04 California Guitar Trio - Paramount Theatre St.Cloud, MN
5/ /04    Iced Ink/Odds Vs./Lost Mind Found
5/16/04 King's X/Serotone - The Rock Maplewood, MN
5/18/04 Opeth - The Quest Club Minneapolis, MN
7/18/04 Eric Clapton/Robert Randolph and the Family Band - XCel Energy Center St.Paul, MN
7/27/04 Ozric Tentacles - Shank Hall Milwaukee, WI
8/24/04 Deep Purple/Joe Satriani/Thin Lizzy - XCel Energy Center St,Paul, MN
9/7/04  Yes/Dream Theater - Target Center Minneapolis, MN
9/17/04 Prog Power USA
Edguy/Pain of Salvation/Brainstorm/Wuthering Heights/Adagio- Earthlink Live Atlanta, GA
9/18/04 Prog Power USA
Weapons of Mass Destruction (Savatage)/Kamelot/Tad Morose/Dreamscape/Into Eternity - Earthlink Live Atlanta, GA
9/30/04 Brian Wilson - Orpheum Theatre Minneapolis, MN
10/2/04 Marillion/John Wesley Park West Chicago, IL
10/22/04 California Guitar Trio - The Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, MN

Unclear: Likely November or maybe March as they toured the US during those times:
The Australian Pink Floyd - The State Theater Minneapolis, MN

[ReaperKK]

2004:

1. Kaki King - Legs To Make Us Longer - 5/5 - Another killer album
2. Godsmack - The Other Side - 5/5 - Not a fan of most of their music really but this acoustic album is fantastic
3. Alter Bridge - One Day Remains - 5/5 - Peak Alter Bridge IMO, I don't think they have ever topped their debut
4. Incubus - A Crow Left Of The Murder... - 4.5/5 - Not perfect but close
5. Fair To Midland - Inter.Funda.Stifle 4.5/5
6. Jose Gonzalez - Stay In The Shade EP - 4.5/5
7. Breaking Benjamin - We Are Not Alone - 4/5
8. Kings Of Convenience - Riot On An Empty Street - 4/5
9. Joe Satriani - Is There Love In Space? - 3.5/5
10. My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge - 3.5/5
11. 10 Years - Killing All The Holds You - 3/5
12. Amplifier - Amplifier - 3/5
13. Regina Spektor - Soviet Kitsch - 3/5
14. Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La - 3/5
15. U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - 3/5
16. Ben Kenney - 26 - 3/5
17. Andy McKee - Dreamcatcher - 2.5/5
18. James Blunt - Back To Bedlam - 2.5/5
19. Blackfield - Blackfield - 2/5
20. A Perfect Circle - eMotive - 2/5
21. Collective Soul - Youth - 2/5
22. Damageplan - New Found Power - 1.5/5
23. California Guitar Trio - Whitewater - 1.5/5
24. Codeseven - Dancing Echoes/Dead Sounds - 1.5/5
25. Chroma Key - Graveyard Mountain Home - 1.5/5
26. The Killers - Hot Fuss - 1/5

The top 5 are really some outstanding albums and some of my all time favorites.

[nick_z]

2004

Maybe not the most spectacular of years, but always some great stuff to enjoy. A couple of metal "classics" for the noughties with Mastodon and Lamb of God (and Slipknot too...great album, after Iowa had disappointed me a bit following the debut). Jimmy Eat World's Futures was definitely one the albums I listened to the most that year. Great debut from Alter Bridge, and probably my favorite from Clutch with Blast Tyrant. Also late career highlight for Motorhead.

Stars (*) for album purchased later

Top 15 (fluid)

Mastodon – Leviathan
Jimmy Eat World – Futures
Lamb of God – Ashes of the Wake
Clutch – Blast Tyrant *
Alter Bridge – One Day Remains
Slipknot – Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
Evergrey – The Inner Circle
Entwine – DiEversity
Rammstein – Reise Reise
Nightwish – Once
Motorhead – Inferno
The Great Deceiver – Terra Incognito
Grip Inc. – Incorporated
Nightingale – Invisible
Within Temptation – The Silent Force *

The honorable mentions:

Abydos – The Little Boy’s…
Atomship – Crash of ‘47
Auf Der Maur – Auf Der Maur
Byzantine – The Fundamental Component
Chevelle – This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In) *
Collective Soul - Youth
Cult of Luna – Salvation
Dillinger Escape Plan – Miss Machine
Disillusion – Back to Times of Splendor
Edguy – Hellfire Club *
Elisa – Pearl Days
Exodus – Tempo of the Damned
Fates Warning – FWX
Billy Idol – The Devil’s Playground
Isis – Panopticon
Jorn – Out to Every Nation
Killswitch Engage – The End of the Heartache
Marillion – Marbles
Mercenary – 11 Dreams
Orphaned Land – Mabool
Pain of Salvation – BE
Prime Sth – Beautiful Awakening
Slumber – Fallout *
Submersed – In Due Time
Sum41 – Chuck
U2 – How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
VAST – Nude
Zeromancer – Zzyzx

[jingle.boy]

Still not quite at the time I was discovering music in real-time... that comes 'next' year.  I think 100% of these were after the fact.  L@B and THE might've been purchased in '04 or early '05.  None-the-less, we're getting into the era of my addiction to discovering new music.

Not mentioned yet

After Forever - Invisible Circles
Angra - Temple of Shadows
Ayreon - The Human Equation (my #2 album of all time)
Brazen Abbott - Guilty as Sin
Cloudscape - s/t
Dream Theater - L@B
Empty Tremor - Alien Inside
Europe - Start From The Dark
Forgotten Suns - Snooze
Freedom Call - Live Invasion
Genius - Episode 2: In Search Of The Little Prince
Hibria - Defying the Rules
House of Lords - Power and the Myth
IQ - Dark Matter
Magnitude 9 - Decoding the Soul
Mechanical Poet - Woodland Prattlers
Mind Key - Journey of a Rough Diamond
Nocturnal Rites - New World Messiah
Pagan's Mind - Infinity Divine
Pride of Lions - The Destiny Stone
Pyramaze - Melancholy Beast
Rhapsody - The Dark Secret
Rhapsody - Symphony of Enchanted Lands II - The Dark Secret
Silent Force - Worlds Apart
Tears of Anger - Still Alive
Ten - Return to Evermore
Theocracy - s/t
Thunderstone - The Burning
Toxic Smile - Retrox Forte
TSO - The Lost Christmas Eve
Vision Divine - Stream of Consciousness
W.A.S.P. - The Neon God
Wicked Sensation - Exceptional

Damn, there's some good music up there.

[KevShmev]

2004:

01 Neal Morse - One
02 Arcade Fire - Funeral
03 Blackfield - Blackfield
04 Tears for Fears - Everybody Loves a Happy Ending
05 The Flower Kings - Adam & Eve
06 Ayreon - The Human Equation
07 Alanis Morissette - So-Called Chaos
08 Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News
09 Juno Reactor - Labyrinth
10 U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

[Dave_Manchester]

2004:

1. Elliott Smith - From A Basement on the Hill
2. Dream Theater - Live at Budokan

3. Cradle of Filth - Nymphetamine
4. Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La
5. Nightwish - Once

6. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
7. Blackfield - Blackfield
8. R.E.M - Around the Sun
9. Neal Morse - One
10. Threshold - Subsurface
11. Dragonforce - Sonic Firestorm

[WardySI]

2004

1. ALTER BRIDGE One Day Remains
2. TELSA Into The Now
3. PAGAN'S MIND Infinity Devine
4. NIGHTWISH Once
5. SAXON Lionheart

PYRAMAZE Melancholy Beast
MAGNITUDE 9 Decoding The Soul
ICED EARTH The Glorious Burden
EDGUY Hellfire Club
MEGADETH The System Has Failed
EUROPE Start FT Dark


ETA Ugh there's always at least one but actually slightly embarrased I forgot the excellent comeback of TESLA with Into The Now. 

Sorted \m/

[TAC]

4. SAXON Lionheart

This began a string of AMAZING albums by them.

[WardySI]

4. SAXON Lionheart

This began a string of AMAZING albums by them.

Absolutely.

A personal fave too - Justice 

[HOF]

2004 turns out to be a pretty strong year up top, but after about number 6 I don’t revisit most of these very often. 

1. Marillion - Marbles
2. Big Big Train - Gathering Speed
3. The Finn Brothers - Everyone is Here
4. U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
5. The Blue Nile - High
6. Tears for Fears - Everybody Loves a Happy Ending
7. Mutual Admiration Society - Mutual Admiration Society
8. The Jelly Jam - 2
9. Fernando Perdomo - This Can Be You
10. Blackfield - Blackfield
11. Trey Anastasio - Seis de Mayo
12. John Petrucci & Jordan Rudess - An Evening With*
13. Alison Krauss & Union Station - Lonely Runs Both Ways
14. Mike Keneally Band - Dog
15. Brian Wilson - Smile

And then the two albums from that year that were so disappointing that I haven’t listened to them since:

16. Neal Morse - One
17. Pain of Salvation - Be

*I realize this was originally released in 2000 but the 2004 release did have extra tracks. I’m not including other live releases, but this was mostly new music.

[ariich]

1. Pain of Salvation - Be
2. Pain of Salvation - 12:5
3. Evergrey - The Inner Circle
4. Regina Spektor - Soviet Kitsch
5. Kings of Convenience - Riot on an Empty Street
6. Angra - Temple of Shadows
7. Sarah Fimm - Nexus
8. Green Day - American Idiot
9. Nightwish - Once
10. Nellie McKay - Get Away From Me
11. Neal Morse - One
12. Slipknot - Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
13. Infected Mushroom - IM the Supervisor
14. Amplifier - Amplifier
15. Ayreon - The Human Equation
16. Insomnium - Since the Day It All Came Down
17. The Black Mages - The Black Mages II: The Skies Above
18. Threshold - Subsurface
19. Blackfield - Blackfield
20. Ensiferum - Iron

Also great:
After Forever - Invisible Circles
Asia - Silent Nation
Disillusion - Back to Times of Splendor
Fates Warning - FWX
Iced Earth - The Glorious Burden
Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News
My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
Norther - Death Unlimited
Jordan Rudess - Rhythm of Time
Sarah McLachlan - Live Acoustic EP
Shade Empire - Sinthetic
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Of Natural History
Telefon Tel Aviv - Map of What Is Effortless
Wintersun - Wintersun

[MirrorMask]

2004 doesn't have many choices for me, still some solid albums...

1. THERION - Sirius B & Lemuria (two albums released at the same time)
2. NIGHTWISH - Once
3. SONATA ARCTICA - Reckoning Night

Rounding it out...

4. Ayreon - The Human Equation
5. Iced Earth – The Glorious Burden
6. Edguy – Hellfire Club
7. Dio – Master of the Moon
8. Jag Panzer – Casting the Stones
9. Elisa – Pearl Days
10. Angra – Temple of Shadows

[ReaperKK]

2004:
4. Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La

Completely forgot to list this. Shangri-La is my favorite Mark Knopfler solo record.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Heh, still trying to catch up. It's getting harder with lists that consist of at least 100 albums and my collection consisting of at least twice that.

Anyways, here's 2003. Full list here, as always.

Top 50

1. Coheed and Cambria - In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
2. AFI - Sing the Sorrow
3. Enslaved - Below the Lights
4. A.C.T - Last Epic
5. Blut aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God
6. Rush - Rush in Rio
7. Type O Negative - Life is Killing Me
8. The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
9. Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja
10. A Perfect Circle - The Thirteenth Step
11. Lost Horizon - A Flame to the Ground Beneath
12. Matthew Good - Avalanche
13. Muse - Absolution
14. Redemption - Redemption
15. Mew - Frengers
16. Alien Ant Farm - TruANT
17. Riverside - Out of Myself
18. Oceansize - Effloresce
19. OSI - Office of Strategic Influence
20. The Angelic Process - Coma Waering
21. The Devin Townsend Band - Accelerated Evolution
22. Arena - Contagion
23. The Chasm - Conjuration of the Spectral Empire
24. Windir - Likferd
25. Dream Theater - Train of Thought
26. Stellastarr* - Stellastarr*
27. The Gathering - Souvenirs
28. Opeth - Damnation
29. The Darkness - Permission to Land
30. Anathema - A Natural Disaster
31. Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism
32. Gordian Knot - Emergent
33. Drudkh - Forgotten Legends
34. YOB - Catharsis
35. King Crimson - The Power to Believe
36. Cursive - The Ugly Organ
37. Adagio - Underworld
38. Snow Patrol - Final Straw
39. Enchant - Tug of War
40. In-Quest - Destination: Pyroclasm
41. Falkenbach - Ok nefna tysvar ty
42. Kamelot - Epica
43. Explosions in the Sky - The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place
44. Cult of Luna - The Beyond
45. Nocternity - Onyx
46. How Like a Winter - Beyond My Grey Wake
47. Between the Buried and Me - The Silent Circus
48. Nest - Woodsmoke
49. Katatonia - Viva Emptiness
50. Weird Al Yankovic - Poodle Hat

[Crow]

2004 is cool because we start getting to my recent obsession now

#1: Isis - Panopticon
#2: Ayreon - The Human Equation
#3: The Paper Chase - God Bless Your Black Heart
#4: Pain of Salvation - Be
#5: Oceansize - Music For Nurses

[Dream Team]

4. SAXON Lionheart

This began a string of AMAZING albums by them.

Damn straight.

[SoundscapeMN]

2005

Summary from the blog:

3/10/17:
 You look at the list below, and many of the albums are from favorite artists of mine and in some cases my favorite or a top 2-3 album in their catalog. While the TREOS and Coheed albums I adore and are the only what I consider definitive 5-star masterpieces, I could easily see bumping up 4, 5, 7, 10 or more of them to 5-stars down the road.

Maybe among some other years, this would be 1 year I would LOVE to go back in time and live through again hearing all of these albums as the year went by.

I guess now thinking about this, as I go through the years in history, I will have to try and post a separate entry, with just links to the entries and top 10-30+ lists and kind of think about favorite years, etc.

Also one observation with the Calendar, the stretch from mid to late August through early October was amazing. Neverending White Lights through Broken Social Scene, there's a ton of all-time favorites in there, and they all were released in that 6-7 week window of time, lol. For Modern times, that's pretty significant.

DURING 2005 though, the albums I will always remember were

-The Mars Volta - Frances
-Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
-dredg - Catch Without Arms

those 3, during-2005, battled it out for my top record (sorry Octavarium). Odd though as none of them ended up ultimately as my favorite record from 2005.
But without question, 2005 historically has become 1 of my favorite years ever for music.

1. The Receiving End of Sirens - Between the Heart and the Synapse
2. Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo 1: I'm Burning Star IV: From Fear through the Eyes of Madness
3. dredg - Catch Without Arms
4. Oceansize - Everyone Into Position
5. The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute
6. Imogen Heap - Speak For Yourself
7. Mew - And the Glass Handed Kites
8. Subterranean Masquerade - Suspended Animation Dreams
9. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
10. Opeth - Ghost Reveries
11. Bend Sinister - Through the Broken City
12. Between the Buried and Me - Alaska
13. Time of Orchids - Sarcast While
14. Klimt 1918 - Dopoguerra
15. Neverending White Lights - Act I: Goodbye Friends of the Heavenly Bodies
16. Gospel - The Moon is a Dead World
17. Karnivool - Themata
18. Kaddisfly - Buy Our Intention: We'll Buy You a Unicorn
19. The Decemberists - Picaresque
20. System of a Down - Mezmerize
21. Margot and the Nuclear So and So's - Dust of Retreat
22. Josh Rouse - Nashville
23. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
24. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
25. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
26. Burst - Origo
27. Shadow Gallery - Room V
28. Gojira - From Mars to Sirius
29. Dream Theater - Octavarium
30. God is an Astronaut - All is Violent, All is Bright
31. Avenged Sevenfold - City of Evil
32. The Ebb and Flow - Time to Echolocate
33. Pat Metheny - The Way Up
34. King's X - Ogre Tones
35. Shaman - Reason
36. System of a Down - Hypnotize

Concerts

2/17/05 Umphrey's McGee - The Quest Club Minneapolis, MN
2/22/05 Pat Metheny Group - Orchestra Hall Minneapolis, MN
5/19/05 The Mars Volta - Roy Wilkins Auditorium St.Paul, MN
5/29/05 Porcupine Tree/Salubrious Invertebrae - The Fine Line Music Cafe Minneapolis, MN
6/19/05 Marillion (Los Marillios Trios)/Jason Hart - The Double Door Chicago, IL
6/25/05 The Moody Blues - Northrop Auditorium Minneapolis, MN
7/3/05 Robert Randolph and the Family Band - Weesner Amphitheater at the Minnesota Zoo Apple Valley, MN
7/24/05 Gigantour
Dream Theater - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Irivine, CA
9/8/05 The Victor Wooten Band/MC Divinity - The Fine Line Music Cafe Minneapolis, MN
9/18/05 Cygnus and the Seamonsters/George Brooks Summit - The Vic Theater Chicago, IL
9/23/05 System of a Down/The Mars Volta - XCel Energy Center St.Paul, MN
10/22/05 Steve Hackett - Rossi's Blue Star Room Minneapolis, MN
11/6/05   The Australian Pink Floyd - The Orpheum Theatre Minneapolis, MN
11/19/05 Jethro Tull - The State Theatre Minneapolis, MN
11/19/05 Wishbone Ash - Star Central Minneapolis, MN
11/20/05 King's X/Casanatra - Star Central Minneapolis, MN

Unclear:
Machinery Hill - The Riverview Cafe Minneapolis, MN

[nick_z]

2005

(*) for albums purchased later

Top 15:

Paradise Lost – Paradise Lost
dredg – Catch Without Arms
Dream Theater – Octavarium
Klimt 1918 – Dopoguerra
Green Carnation – The Quiet Offspring
Bloc Party – Silent Alarm *
Nevermore – This Godless Endeavor
Opeth – Ghost Reveries
System of a Down – Mezmerize/Hypnotize
Porcupine Tree – Deadwing
Depeche Mode – Playing the Angel
Blackfield – Blackfield
30 Seconds to Mars – Beautiful Lie
Imogen Heap – Speak for Yourself
Thrice – Vheissu

Edit: Sentenced - The Funeral album should definitely be there somewhere too. Somehow I missed it

The honorable mentions:

10 Years – The Autumn Effect
Tori Amos – The Beekeeper
Antimatter – Planetary Confinement
Audrey Horne – No Hay Banda *
Avenged Sevenfold – City of Evil
Burst – Origo
Kate Bush – Aerial
Byzantine – And They Shall Take Up Serpents
Circus Maximus – 1st Chapter
Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Vol.1
Coldplay – X&Y
Darkane – Layers of Lies
Darkest Hour – Undoing Ruin
Bruce Dickinson – Tyranny of Souls
Disturbed – Ten Thousand Fists
Enslaved – Isa *
Foo Fighters – In Your Honor
The Fray – How to Save a Life
Grand Magus - Wolf’s Return
HIM - Dark Light
Kamelot – The Black Halo *
Kent – Du & Jag Doden *
Magnifiqat – Il Piu’ Antico dei Giorni
Minus the Bear – Menos el Oso *
Oceansize – Everyone Into Position
Ra – Duality
Rammstein – Rosenrot
Rapture – Silent Stage *
Redemption – The Fullness of Time
Riverside – Second Life Syndrome
Sieges Even – The Art of Navigating by the Stars
Simple Minds – Black & White 050505
Soilwork – Stabbing the Drama
Rob Thomas – Something to Be *
Trivium - Ascendancy

[HOF]

2005 is relatively sparse for me. A few good ones but a lot of these are distinctly not favorites from these acts.

1. The Clientele - Strange Geometry
2. Glen Phillips - Winter Pays For Summer
3. Spock’s Beard - Octane
4. King’s X - Ogre Tones
5. Moon Safari - A Doorway to Summer
6. Nickel Creek - Why Should the Fire Die?
7. Eric Johnson - Bloom
8. Chris Botti - To Love Again
9. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
10. Dream Theater - Octavarium

Rush’s R30 was that year though, and if I were to include live albums it would easily be top 5.

[Crow]

2005 is where the dam starts busting open for me apparently

#1: Opeth - Ghost Reveries
#2: Thrice - Vhiessu
#3: Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
#4: Oceansize - Everyone Into Position
#5: Kamelot - The Black Halo
#6: Rosetta - The Galilean Satellites
#7: Eluvium - Talk Amongst The Trees
#8: Dream Theater - Octavarium
#9: Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV: Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
#10: Riverside - Second Life Syndrome

i probably could've stopped at #9 tbh but a full ten looks nicer

[MirrorMask]

My 2005 would llok something like this:

01. DREAM THEATER - Octavarium
02. BRUCE DICKINSON - Tyranny of Souls
03. MAGO DE OZ - Gaia II: La Voz Dormida (no seriously guys, check it out, folk / power metal with long proggy songs)

04. Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys - The Legacy (somehow forgot about this)
05. Judas Priest - Angel of Retribution
06. Sentenced - The Funeral Album
07. Kamelot – The Black Halo
08. Alice Cooper - Dirty Diamonds
09. Dropkick Murphys - The Warrior's Code
10. Avenged Sevenfold - City of Evil

Honorable mentions:

Shadow Gallery - Room V
Shaman - Reason
Gamma Ray - Majestic
Stream of Passion - Embrace the Storm

[ariich]

1. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
2. Shpongle - Nothing Lasts... But Nothing Is Lost
3. Thrice - Vheissu
4. Opeth - Ghost Reveries
5. Moonsorrow - Verisäkeet
6. Ulver - Blood Inside
7. The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute
8. System of a Down - Mezmerize
9. The Cat Empire - Two Shoes
10. Nightingale - Nightfall Overture
11. Dream Theater - Octavarium
12. Bruce Dickinson - Tyranny of Souls
13. System of a Down - Hypnotize
14. dredg - Catch Without Arms
15. Pat Metheny Group - The Way Up
16. Primordial - The Gathering Wilderness
17. Kamelot - The Black Halo
18. Avenged Sevenfold - City of Evil
19. Moon Safari - A Doorway to Summer
20. Equilibrium - Turis Fratyr

Also great:
Arena - Pepper's Ghost
Bizali - Bizali EP
Bright Eyes - Digital Ash in a Digital Urn
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
Bumblefoot - Normal
Copeland - In Motion
Dark Tranquillity - Character
King's X - Ogre Tones
Mostly Autumn - Storms Over Still Water
Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor
Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
Shadow Gallery - Room V
Spock's Beard - Octane
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

[WardySI]

2005

Fantastic year for metal/music

1. PARADISE LOST / Paradise Lost
2. CHARON / Songs For The Sinners
3. BRUCE DICKINSON / Tyranny Of Souls
4. REDEMPTION / The Fullness Of Time
5. PAGAN'S MIND / Enigmatic Calling


VANISHING POINT Embrace The Silence
AUDIOSLAVE Out Of Exile
DREAM THEATER Octavarium
MASTERPLAN Aeronautics
SEVENDUST Next
GOTTHARD Lip Service
BEAUTIFUL CREATURES Deuce
DISTURBED Ten Thousand Fists
NEVERMORE Godless Endeavour
JUDAS PRIEST Angel Of Retribution
KAMELOT The Black Halo
HELLOWEEN Keeper III


ETA Realised listed Redemption's Snowfall when meant Fullness Of Time 
Snowfall will make its 2009 list but 2005 was the awesome Fullness Of Time!

FIXED!

[KevShmev]

2005 was a great year for tunes!

01 Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
02 Neal Morse - ?
03 Opeth - Ghost Reveries
04 The Decemberists - Picaresque
05 Death Cab for Cutie - Plans
06 Dream Theater - Octavarium
07 Sigur Rós - Takk...
08 Spock's Beard - Octane
09 The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute
10 dredg- Catch Without Arms

[nick_z]

2005

Fantastic year for metal/music

1. PARADISE LOST / Paradise Lost

YES  Nice to see someone else appreciating their S/T. I find this is when they hit the sweet spot with their return to guitar-driven songs (I love their electro-tinged period, by the way). Right amount of crunch, great melodies and the typical PL gloom, but with the songcraft and sophistication they had gained over the previous years. I liked what they did after this too (especially In Requiem and Faith Divides Us...), but there is a part of me that wishes they didn't go all the way back to Nick Holmes growling 

[WardySI]

2005

Fantastic year for metal/music

1. PARADISE LOST / Paradise Lost

YES  Nice to see someone else appreciating their S/T. I find this is when they hit the sweet spot with their return to guitar-driven songs (I love their electro-tinged period, by the way). Right amount of crunch, great melodies and the typical PL gloom, but with the songcraft and sophistication they had gained over the previous years. I liked what they did after this too (especially In Requiem and Faith Divides Us...), but there is a part of me that wishes they didn't go all the way back to Nick Holmes growling 

Oh my, spoken like it were me!

Loved all incarnations of Paradise Lost and have enjoyed all the recent records too but agree 100%.  Most claim it was with In Requiem or Faith that they turned things back around but fer my ears it was this album that they truly returned to form for every reason you already mentioned and kudos to you for that!   PL Self-titled has since remained my #2 PL behind Draconian Times (with In Requiem, Icon then probably Symbol Of Life rounding out the 5 but always subject to change)...

Just 1hr ago my LP copy got delivered, finally after 16yrs they got this sucker pressed to LP/Vinyl (I don't know how to post pics here from phone but just shared it to my little insta page if interested #WardyTunes  )

Thanks for your reply nick, made my day 🤘

[nick_z]

Oh my, spoken like it were me!

Loved all incarnations of Paradise Lost and have enjoyed all the recent records too but agree 100%.  Most claim it was with In Requiem or Faith that they turned things back around but fer my ears it was this album that they truly returned to form for every reason you already mentioned and kudos to you for that!   PL Self-titled has since remained my #2 PL behind Draconian Times (with In Requiem, Icon then probably Symbol Of Life rounding out the 5 but always subject to change)...

Just 1hr ago my LP copy got delivered, finally after 16yrs they got this sucker pressed to LP/Vinyl (I don't know how to post pics here from phone but just shared it to my little insta page if interested #WardyTunes  )

Thanks for your reply nick, made my day 🤘

 

Nice to hear about the Vinyl!

My PL top 5 would have Draconian Times, Icon, S/T and One Second for sure...then many candidates to round it out. Symbol of Life and In Requiem are certainly up there.

What's your favorite in the more recent Tragic Idol - Plague Within - Medusa - Obsidian run? For me, I'd say Tragic Idol, and I very much enjoyed Obsidian last year, more so than Plague and Medusa overall...

[WardySI]

I think No Hope, Punishment Through Time and Cry Out alone would push The Plague Within out front LOL but you're right regards Obsidian that was like a greatest hits affair touching on most all their styles in one form or another.  Tragic Idol was fantastic the title track is up there in my songs list and same for Medusa what a song that was.

I think PL have such a knack for incredible opening numbers.   If I were to run a list of just fave songs most their opening songs would be first choices. Embers Fire, Enchantment, One Second, So Much Is Lost, Isolate, Don't Belong, No Hope In Sight, Darker Thoughts... I'm not sure of many other bands that could offer the same!?  Maiden perhaps...

Finally saw them here in Aus for their Medusa tour and was fantastic!

[ReaperKK]

2005:

1. dredg - Catch Without Arms - 5/5 - Top 5 album
2. Grails - Interpretations of Three Psychedelic Rock Songs From Around The World - 5/5
3. John Petrucci - Suspended Animation - 4.5/5
4. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing - 4/5
5. Dream Theater - Octavarium - 4/5
6. Foo Fighters - In Your Honor - 4/5
7. Dark New Day - Twelve Year Silence - 4/5
8. 10 Years - The Autumn Effect - 4/5
9. Jack's Mannequin - Everything In Transit - 4/5
10. James LaBrie - Elements Of Persuasion - 3.5/5
11. Morcheeba - The Antidote - 3.5/5
12. Coldplay - X&Y - 3.5/5
13. All India Radio - Permanent Evolutions 3.5/5
14. Audioslave - Out of Exile - 3/5
15. Opeth - Ghost Reveries - 3/5
16. From Monument To Masses - Schools Of Thought Contend - 3/5
17. Andy McKee - Art Of Motion - 3/5
18. Antoine Dufour - Naissance 2.5/5
19. Kid Loco - The Graffiti Artist - 2.5/5
20. God Is An Astronaut - All If Violent, All Is Bright - 2/5
21. Dave Matthews Band - Stand Up - 1.5/5 - The worst DMB album IMO
22. Minotaur Shock - Maritime - 1/5

A lot of really great albums this. Can't believe this is the year I graduated high school.

[jingle.boy]

Business is gonna pick up now for my real-time discoveries.  jingle.kids are turning 5 and becoming somewhat more self sufficient (ergo giving me more and more disposable time), the release of 8vm brought me to the dt.net message boards, and my work role changed leading me to some more travel (and thus, more listening time).

Not mentioned yet:
After Forever - Reimagine
Allen/Lande - The Battle
At Vance - Chained
Brazen Abbott - My Resurrection
Dream Theater - When Dream and Day Reunite
Evergrey - A Night to Remember
Frameshift - An Absence of Empathy
Kino - Picture
Magic Pie - Motions of Desire
The Mob - s/t
Neal Morse - ?
Nightmare - The Dominon Gate
Nocturnal Rites - Grand Illusion
Place Vendome - s/t
Presto Ballet - Peace Among the Ruins
Primal Fear - Seven Seals
Royal Hunt - Paper Blood
Rush - R30
Secret Sphere - Heart & Anger
Section A - Parallel Lives
Seventh Wonder - Become
Starbreaker - s/t
Thunderstone - Tools of Destruction
Vanishing Point - Embrace the Silence
Vision Divine - The Perfect Machine
Xandria - India
XSavior - Caleidoscope
Yargos - To Be or Not to Be

[SoundscapeMN]

2006

No writeup from my blog, so just to summarize right now, 2006 I primarily think of for Pure Reason Revolution's "The Dark Third" a record I bought 4 different versions of ultimately including on Vinyl. It was a fresh and addictive record and 1 still to this day a favorite in Prog from the 2000's.

But it seems 2006 for me had a ton of great debut records per my top 4 and 6 of my top 10 are all debut albums. And I count at least 11 total on my list. From The Faceless to Annuals to Under the Influence of Giants, 2006 for me seem to have a handful of them, which in many cases, those bands never made a record I enjoyed more.

1. Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third
2. Protest the Hero - Kezia
3. The Dear Hunter - Act I: The Lake South, the River North
4. Mutemath - Mutemath
5. dredg - Live at the Fillmore
6. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
7. SikTh - Death of a Dead Day
8. Russian Circles - Enter
9. UneXpect - In a Flesh Aquarium
10. The Faceless - Akeldama
11. Martyr - Feeding the Abscess
12. The Appleseed Cast - Peregrine
13. Kacica - Kacica
14. Men Women and Children - Men Women and Children
15. Menomena - Under an Hour: Music for Modern Dance
16. Muse - Black Holes and Revelations
17. Aereogramme - My Heart Has a Wish That You Would Not Go
18. Kunek - Flight of the Flynns
19. Mason Proper - There Is a Moth in Your Chest
20. Under the Influence of Giants - Under the Influence of Giants
21. Opus Däi - Tierra Tragame
22. Annuals - Be He Me
23. Fair to Midland - The Drawn and Quartered EP
24. Gotye - Like Drawing Blood
25. Archive - Lights
26. Textures - Drawing Circles
27. Scott Matthews - Passing Stranger
28. 夢中夢 [Mutyumu] - 夢中夢
29. Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
30. Roger Joseph Manning Jr. - The Land of Pure Imagination
31. This Day & Age - The Bell and the Hammer
32. The Stiletto Formal - This Is My Boomstick
33. The Mars Volta - Amputechture
34. Mastodon - Blood Mountain
35. The Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia...
36. The Classical Jazz Quartet - Plays Bach
37. David Gilmour - On an Island
38. His Name Is Alive - Detrola
39. Casket Salesmen - Sleeping Giants 
40. Matisyahu - Youth
41. Far-Less - Everyone Is Out To Get Us
42. Kaddisfly - The Four Seasons
43. In Reverent Fear - Stomacher
44. A Chinese Firedrill - Circles
45. OSI - Free
46. L.E.O. - Alpacas Orgling
47. Jeremy Messersmith - The Alcatraz Kid
48. Wired All Wrong - Break Out the Battle Tapes
49. My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade

Concerts
2/10/06 Mutemath/Vedera - The Ascot Room Minneapolis, MN
2/25/06 California Guitar Trio - The Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, MN
3/17/06 Dream Theater - State Theatre Minneapolis, MN
4/17/06 Three - 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN
4/18/06 dredg/Ours - The Metro Chicago, IL
5/18/06 Mutemath/Under the Influence of Giants - The Fine Line Music Cafe Minneapolis, MN
6/11/06 Bruce Springsteen performs Pete Seeger - XCel Energy Center St.Paul, MN
7/2/06   Roger Hodgson - Harriest Island at the Taste of Minnesota St.Paul, MN
7/2/06   Davy Jones - Harriet Island at the Taste of Minnesota St.Paul, MN
7/26/06 Muse/The Cloud Room - The State Theatre Minneapolis, MN
8/10/06 Live - Myth Maplewood, MN
8/12/06 Kaddisfly - Profile Center Minneapolis, MN
8/23/06 Mae/The New Amsterdamns/Vedera - The Varsity Theater Minneapolis, MN
8/30/06 Umphrey's McGee - Minnesota State Fair Falcon Heights, MN
9/01/06 Head Automatica/Men Women and Children - The Fine Line Minneapolis, MN
9/14/06 dredg/Portugal the Man - The Catalyst Santa Cruz, CA
9/15/06 dredg/Portugal the Man - The Catalyst Santa Cruz, CA
10/05/06 Kasabian/Mew The Fine Line Music Cafe Minneapolis, MN
10/06/06 Mutemath - The Loft at Barfly Minneapolis, MN
10/19/06 Opus Dai - The Toybox Minneapolis, MN
10/20/06 Zappa Plays Zappa - The Orpheum Theatre Minneapolis, MN
10/26/06 Kaddisfly/Cue the Doves - The Toybox Minneapolis, MN
10/26/06 Mew - The Fine Line Music Cafe Minneapolis, MN
10/29/06 Anathallo/Fitzgerald - The Varsity Theater Minneapolis, MN
11/6/06   King's X - The Rock Maplewood, MN
11/12/06 The Decemberists - First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
11/13/06 Under the Influence of Giants - The Loft at Barfly Minneapolis, MN
11/20/06 Margot and the Nuclear So and So's/Elected - Modified Tempe, AZ
12/8/06   The Who - XCel Energy Center St.Paul,MN

[HOF]

The mid-2000s were really kind of thin for me as far as current releases. Not much here for 2006 (and at the time I skipped the Spock's Beard release after being disappointed by the prior one. I've since reevaluated both!).

1. Spock's Beard - Spock's Beard
2. Ty Tabor - Rock Garden
3. Gin Blossoms - Major Lodge Victory
4. Gotye - Like Drawing Blood
5. Winger - IV
6. O.S.I. - Free
7. Glen Phillips - Mr. Lemons
8. Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam
9. John Wetton & Geoffrey Downs - Icon (this album is really awful!)

Should mention the Robert Fripp - Exposure re-issue which did contain some unreleased material at least. It would have been top 5 for sure in this year. Also worth mentioning DT's Score as well (I only have the DVD, but it's the last great thing DT did IMO).

[jingle.boy]

I just discovered that PRR album, and it's a gem!

As for 2006 ... not mentioned yet:

Anga - Aurora Consurgens
Axel Rudi Pell - Mystica
Beautiful Sin - The Unexpected
Blind Guardian - A Twist in the Myth
Cloudscape - Crimson Skies
Darwin's Radio - Eyes of the World
Devin Townsend - Synchestra
Dream Evil - United
Dream Theater - Score
Europe - Secret Society
Evergrey - Monday Morning Apocalypse
Evil Masquerade - Third Act
Fatal Force - s/t
Firewind - Allegiance
The Flower Kings - Paradox Hotel
Frost* - Milliontown
Harem Scarem - Human Nature
Henning Pauly - Babysteps
House of Lords - World Upside Down
Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death
Jorn - The Duke
Journey - Trial by Fire
Kamelot - One Cold Winter's Night
Kingcrow - Timetropia
Nightwish - End of an Era (boy, was it ever!)
Pretty Maids - Wake up to the Real World
Prymary - The Tragedy of Innocence
Pyramaze - Legend of the Bone Carver
Red Circuit - Trance State
Sandstone - Looking at Myself
Seventh Wonder - Waiting in the Wings
Silent Voices - Building up the Apathy
Stream of Passion - Live in the Real World
Tears of Anger - In the Shadows
Time Requiem - Optical Illusion
Tony O'hora - Escape into the Sun
Vanden Plas - Christ 0
WarMachine - The Beginning Of The End

Not a bad lot there.

[WardySI]

2006

There were a stack of good releases this year but as usual will list my personal Top5 and a handful of contenders (in no particular order).

1. IRON MAIDEN A Matter Of Life And Death
2. CIRCLE II CIRCLE Burden Of Truth
3. AMORPHIS Eclipse
4. EUROPE Secret Society
5. LEVERAGE Tides

AUDIOSLAVE Revelations
THE SWORD Age Of Winters
PYRAMAZE Legend Of The Bone Carver
HOUSE OF LORDS World Upside Down
BEAUTIFUL SIN The Unexpected
BOB CATLEY Spirit Of Man
JORN The Duke