Retro Albums of the Year 2010's: 2020

[SoundscapeMN]

2002

what I wrote in my blog, but I never went back and edited it. Unsure if there are release dates for many records I listed at the bottom.

So here's 2002. The below list is a Vague ranking, namely below the top 15. I dunno, I may go in and edit the list and add some titles.

Sadly, a number of albums at the bottom don't have release dates and/or were released in 2003 on some sites (but others have 2002, so I'm going with those).

Very good year, and deep year.

Notably, a lot of debut albums that came out for artists that would go on to make great work in the following years.

Also many albums from artists that I consider their best work (Sigur Ros, Peter Gabriel, etc).

And of course many of these I know of, or only listened to a few times, or it has been a long time since I listened to them.

And of course there very well could be many titles to add, which maybe I'll bump this is if I do discover them, etc.

1. dredg - El Cielo
2. Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane
3. Call Florence Pow - The Strange Situation
4. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
5. Archive - You All Look the Same to Me
6. Ours - Precious
7. Sigur Rós - ()
8. Shaman - Ritual
9. Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It in People
10. Clann Zú - Rua
11. Murder By Death - Like the Exorcist, but More Breakdancing
12. Porcupine Tree - In Abesntia
13. Three - Half Life
14. Pat Metheny - Speaking of Now
15. Opeth - Deliverance
16. Silverchair - Diorama
17. Weather Report - Live and Unreleased
18. Spock's Beard - Snow
19. Kevin Gilbert - The Kaviar Sessions
20. Peter Gabriel - Up
21. Anathallo - Sparrows
22. Superior - Ultima Ratio
23. David Bowie - Heathen
24. The Mars Volta - Tremulant [EP]
25. The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts
26. Do Make Say Think - And Yet And Yet
27. SikTh - How May I Help You?
28. Doves - The Last Broadcast
29. Enchant - Blink of an Eye
30. Agalloch - The Mantle
31. Godspeed You Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O.

Concerts
3/13/02 Dream Theater - The Orpheum Theatre Minneapolis, MN
3/22/02 Collective Unconscious performs The Beatles Abbey Road - Bryant Lake Bowl Minneapolis, MN
5/30/02 Sleepytime Gorilla Museum/Bubblemath - The Lab St.Paul, MN
6/17/02 King's X/Tapping the Vein - First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
6/29/02 North East Art Rock Festival
Nektar/Echolyn/Miriodor/Isildurs Bane/La Torre dell'alchimista/ - Patriots Theater Trenton, NJ
6/30/02 North East Art Rock Festival
Steve Hackett/Caravan/Enchant/Gerard/Spaced Out - Patriots Theater Trenton, NJ
7/19/02 Kansas - Hennepin Ave Block Party Minneapolis, MN
8/2/02 George Duke/Jeff Kashiwa/California Guitar Trio - Old Chicago Navarre Uptown Art Fair Minneapolis, MN
8/26/02 The Victor Wooten Band/ - First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
10/6/02 Scott Henderson Trio/Dean Magraw and Jim Anton - The Cabooze Minneapolis, MN
10/9/02 Tried for Fine/Bubblemath - The Uptown Bar Minneapolis, MN
11/2/02 Rush - Target Center Minneapolis, MN
11/8/02 Herbie Hancock - Ted Mann Concert Hall Minneapolis, MN
11/15/02 Prog Power USA
Blind Guardian/Pain of Salvation/Edguy/Silent Force/Zero Hour - Earthlink Live Atlanta, GA
11/16/02 Prog Power USA
Angra/Gamma Ray/The Devin Townsend Band/Threshold/Reading Zero - Earthlink Live Atlanta, GA
11/18/02 Porcupine Tree/Greg Howard - Shank Hall Milwaukee, WI
11/23/02 Yes - State Theatre Minneapolis, MN
12/ /02 State 4/Little Tin Box - 4th Street Station St.Paul, MN

[WardySI]

I must revisit that Pain Of Salvation album Soundscape...

 
2002

Another good year🤘

1. AUDIOSLAVE Audioslave
2. FOO FIGHTERS One By One
3. PAGAN'S MIND Celestial Entrance
4. DIO Killing The Dragon
5. CHARON Downhearted

BLAZE Tenth Dimension
DREAM THEATER Six Degrees
NIGHTWISH Century Child
SENTENCED Cold White Light
SAXON Heavy Metal Thunder
JERRY CANTRELL Degradation
SYMPHONY X The Odyssey

[jingle.boy]

Not mentioned yet

Avantasia - The Metal Opera Part 2
Blind Guardian - A Night at the Opera
Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
Dream Evil - Dragonslayer
Elegy - Principles of Pain
Explorers Club - Raising the Mammoth (so disappointing given the lineup)
Firewind - Between Heaven and Hell
Freedom Call - Eternity
Genius - Episode 1: A Human into Dreams' World
Harem Scarem - Weight of the World
Last Tribe - Witch Dance
Machine Men - s/t
Prototype - Trinity
Rhapsody - Power of the Dragonflame
Rush - Vapor Trails
Section A - The Seventh Sign
Star One - Space Metal
Threshold - Critical Mass
Thunderstone - s/t
Vanden Plas - Beyond Daylight

[KevShmev]

2002:

01 Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
02 Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
03 Spock's Beard - Snow
04 Peter Gabriel - Up
05 dreg - El Cielo
06 Sigur Rós - ( )
07 Opeth - Deliverance
08 The Flower Kings - Unfold the Future
09 The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
10 Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

[MirrorMask]

Once again many great albums difficult to rank. Let's try:

1. Rage - Unity
2. Blind Guardian - A Night at the Opera
3. Shaman - Ritual

The podium is made up by two of the three best german bands (third being Helloween) releasing great albums, and an EXCEPTIONAL debut of the never too missed Andre Matos' new band.

These two are podium worthy as well:

4. Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
5. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

And also very great albums to round up the top 10:

6. Sentenced - The Cold White Light
7. Threshold - Critical Mass
8. Blaze - Tenth Dimension

(these three are among my very favorites of the respective artists)

9. Nightwish - Century Child
10. Avantasia - The Metal Opera Part 2

Honorable mentions for these "different genres, they're cool anyway and it's hard to rank them" albums:

Sympyony X - The Odyssey
Manowar - Warriors of the World
Dio - Killing The Dragon
Rhapsody - Power of the Dragonflame
HammerFall - Crimson Thunder

[nick_z]

2002

Some fantastic albums at the very top. My favorite Pain of Salvation and a real revelation with Dredg’s El Cielo. Porcupine Tree’s turn to slightly heavier music worked very well. Dream Theater’s Six Degrees is up there too. It was so good to see Rush back – Vapor Trails might be far from the best they’ve done, but it’s an interesting record, and I’ve listened to it a ton that year.

Again, stars (*) for albums I bought later.

Top 15

Pain of Salvation – Remedy Lane
Dredg – El Cielo
Porcupine Tree – In Absentia
Paradise Lost – Symbol of Life
Dream Theater – Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Rush – Vapor Trails
Idlewild – The Remote Part
Tori Amos – Scarlet’s Walk *
Sentenced – The Cold White Light
Peter Gabriel – Up
30 Seconds to Mars – 30 Seconds to Mars
Bruce Springsteen – The Rising *
Lacuna Coil – Comalies
Dark Tranquillity – Damage Done
In Flames – Reroute to Remain

The honorable mentions:

3 Doors Down – Away from the Sun *
The 3rd and the Mortal – Memoirs
Apex Theory – Topsy Turvy
Arcturus – The Sham Mirrors
Audioslave – Audioslave
Blind Guardian – A Night at the Opera
Chevelle – Wonder What’s Next *
Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head
Cyclefly – Crave
Danko Jones – Born a Lion
Dave Matthews Band – Busted Stuff
Enchant – Blink of an Eye
Engine – Superholic
Everon – Bridge
Filter – The Amalgamut
Five Pointe O – Untitled
Foo Fighters – One by One *
Frou Frou – Details *
The Great Deceiver – A Venom Well Designed
Insomnium – In the Halls of Awaiting *
Killswitch Engage – Alive or Just Breathing
Madder Mortem – Deadlands
Marble March – Another Sunday Bright
Mastodon – Remission
Matchbox 20 – More Than You Think You Are *
Mercenary – Everblack
Meshuggah – Nothing
Opeth – Deliverance
Queens of Stone Age – Songs for the Deaf
Ra – From One
Rage - Unity
Rapture – Songs for the Withering *
Shaman – Ritual
Soilwork – Natural Born Chaos
Spiritual Beggars – On Fire
Symphony X – The Odyssey
System of a Down – Steal This Album!
Tapping the Vein – The Damage
Theatre of Tragedy – Assembly
Threshold – Critical Mass
Throat – Knievel is Evil
Underground Moon – Underground Moon
The Used – The Used *
Vanden Plas – Beyond Daylight *
Zeromancer – Eurotrash

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

I'm getting behind again. Still haven't posted my 2001 rankings 

[SoundscapeMN]

I must revisit that Pain Of Salvation album Soundscape...

unsure how much of a fan you are, but Remedy Lane is considered their most popular record by many. It may be worth checking out again for that reason.

[ariich]

Just the one masterpiece in 2002, but another year with a ton of great music (fairly prog heavy - a good era for that kind of music).

1. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
2. Porcupine Tree - In absentia
3. Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane
4. Blind Guardian - A Night at the Opera
5. Nightwish - Century Child
6. Spock's Beard - Snow
7. Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Out of Season
8. Bad Religion - The Process of Belief
9. Morcheeba - Charango
10. In Flames - Reroute to Remain
11. Symphony X - The Odyssey
12. Sum 41 - Does This Look Infected?
13. Martin Grech - Open Heart Zoo
14. Freak Kitchen - Move
15. The Flower Kings - Unfold the Future
16. Soilwork - Natural Born Chaos
17. Sinergy - Suicide by My Side
18. Silverchair - Diorama
19. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
20. Dark Tranquillity - Damage Done

Also great:
Foo Fighters - One by One
Halo - Lunatic Ride
George Harrison - Brainwashed
Hundred Reasons - Ideas Above Our Station
Lemon Jelly - Lost Horizons
Muse - In Your World / Dead Star (sort of an EP I guess? Anyway it's great and I'm including it)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - By the Way
Sonata Arctica - Songs of Silence: Live in Tokyo 2001
Threshold - Critical Mass

Also good:
Agalloch - The Mantle
Christina Aguilera - Stripped
Amon Amarth - Versus the World
Arjen Anthony Lucassen's Star One - Space Metal
Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors
Bright Eyes - Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
The Cinematic Orchestra - Every Day
The Coral - The Coral
dredg - El cielo
The Electric Soft Parade - Holes in the Wall
Feeder - Comfort in Sound
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Floater - Alter
Peter Gabriel - Up
Green Day - Shenanigans
Insomnium - In the Halls of Awaiting
Iron Maiden - Rock in Rio
The Jelly Jam - The Jelly Jam
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me
Kaipa - Notes From the Past
My Chemical Romance - I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love
Norther - Dreams of Endless War
Opeth - Deliverance
Paatos - Timeloss
Primordial - Storm Before Calm
Jordan Rudess - Christmas Sky
Regina Spektor - Songs
System of a Down - Steal This Album!
Weezer - Maladroit

[Dave_Manchester]

2002:

1. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

2. Peter Gabriel - Up
3. Mark Knopfler - The Ragpicker's Dream
4. Nightwish - Century Child

5. Godspeed You Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O
6. Opeth - Deliverance

7. Tom Waits - Blood Money
8. Tom Waits - Alice
9. Eminem - The Eminem Show

10. Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk
11. Oasis - Heathen Chemistry

[ReaperKK]

A little late for 2002 but there are a lot of fantastic albums:

1. dredg - El Cielo - 5/5 - One of my top 5 albums of all time
2. Dave Matthews Band - Busted Stuff - 5/5 - My second favorite DMB album, a really great transition into a more poppy feel
3. Porcupine Tree - In Absentia - 5/5 - My first PT album, I've loved the band since
4. Darshan Ambient - Providence - 4/5 - A really good ambient album, one of my first real introductions to the genre
5. Dream Theater - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence - 4/5 - The album I discovered DT. My musical world was changed when I first heard "The Glass Prison"
6. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood To The Head - 4/5
7. Fair To Midland - The Carbon Copy Silver Lining - 3.5/5 - Debut from one of my favorite bands. It's a little rough around the edges but there are some real gems here
8. From Monument To Masses - From Monument To Masses - 3.5/5 - Another debut from one of my favorite bands
9. Buckethead - Electric Tears - 3.5/5
10. Audioslave - Audioslave - 3/5
11. My Chemical Romance - I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love - 2.5/5
12. Isis - Oceanic - 2.5/5
13. Foo Fighters - One By One 2.5/5
14. Down - Down II: A Bustle In Your Hedgerow - 2/5 - I had a lot of high hopes for this album
15. Deadsy - Commencement - 2/5
16. Loretta Lynn - All Time Greatest Hits - 2/5
17. Beck - Sea Change - 2/5
18, Opeth - Deliverance - 2/5
19. Tonic - Head On Straight - 1.5/5
20. Matchbox Twenty - More Than You Think You Are - 1.5/5
21. God Is An Astronaut - The End Of The Beginning - 1/5
22. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - 0.5/5 - I've heard and read so many greats about this album but I didn't get it at all. I gave it repeated spins and it was just as forgettable as the first.

[HOF]

2002:

1. Spock's Beard - Snow
2. Peter Gabriel - Up
3. Neil Finn - One All (and a mention for the live release 7 Worlds Collide)
4. Ty Tabor - Safety
5. Camel - A Nod and a Wink
6. Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
7. Enchant - Blink of an Eye
8. Dave Matthews Band - Busted Stuff
9. Jughead - Jughead
10. Counting Crows - Hard Candy
11. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
12. The Flower Kings - Unfold the Future
13. Nickel Creek - This Side
14. Phil Collins - Testify
15. The Clientele - Lost Weekend (EP)
16. Beck - Sea Change
17. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
18. California Guitar Trio - CG3+2

[MirrorMask]

2002:

1. Spock's Beard - Snow

Forgot about this. Awesome album!

[hefdaddy42]

2002

No particular order

Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me
Opeth - Deliverance
David Bowie - Heathen
Dredg - El Cielo
Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around
Nickel Creek - This Side

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Finally getting around to my 2001 list. One of the best years of music ever! Full list here

1. Tool - Lateralus
2. Devin Townsend - Terria
3. Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever
4. maudlin of the Well - Bath
5. maudlin of the Well - Leaving Your Body Map
6. Incubus - Morning View
7. Opeth - Blackwater Park
8. Absu - Tara
9. System of a Down - Toxicity
10. Ark - Burn the Sun
11. Zero Hour - The Towers of Avarice
12. Burning Brides - Fall of the Plastic Empire
13. Estradasphere - Buck Fever
14. Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness
15. Dream Theater - Live Scenes From New York
16. Moonsorrow - Voimasta ja kunniasta
17. Angra - Rebirth
18. Alien Ant Farm - ANThology
19. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
20. Neurosis - A Sun That Never Sets
21. Moonsorrow - Suden uni
22. Paysage d'Hiver - Winterkaelte
23. Marillion - Anoraknophobia
24. Evoken - Quietus
25. Threshold - Hypothetical
26. Lost Horizon - Awakening the World
27. Ensiferum - Ensiferum
28. Converge - Jane Doe
29. Björk - Vespertine
30. Novembre - Novembrine Waltz
31. Envy - All the Footprints You've Ever Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead
32. Adagio - Sanctus Ignís
33. Enslaved - Monumension
34. Unwound - Leaves Turn Inside You
35. Shadow Gallery - Legacy
36. Windir - 1184
37. Sirius - Spectral Transition - Dimension Sirius
38. Kamelot - Karma
39. Hammers of Misfortune - The Bastard: A Tale Told in Three Acts
40. Gorguts - From Wisdom to Hate
41. Katatonia - Last Fair Deal Gone Down
42. Therion - Secret of the Runes
43. Shpongle - Tales of the Inexpressible
44. Emperor - Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise
45. Hostsonaten - Springsong
46. The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band - "Born Into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward."
47. Tenacious D - Tenacious D
48. Stonehenge - Angelo Salutante
49. Thorns - Thorns
50. Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape

[SoundscapeMN]

2003

I have no previous write-up from my blog, but I'll just summarize 2003 by saying it was a great year looking back on it. A lot records that did or have found a lot of rotation for myself over the years.

I found the debut albums from The Mars Volta and OSI in heavy rotation that year. And now looking at it, it had a lot of really good debuts: Oceansize, SikTh, Kaddisfly and Klimt 1918 even.

And my top 2 are in-effect debut albums with Menomena and John Arch's 27-minute prog metal masterwork with the 2 Epics on A Twist of Fate.

1. John Arch - A Twist of Fate
2. Menomena - I Am the Fun Blame Monster
3. Mew - Frengers
4. The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
5. OSI - Office of Strategic Influence
6. Muse - Absolution
7. Oceansize - Effloresce
8. Coheed and Cambria - In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
9. Murder By Death - Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?
10. SikTh - The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild
11. Between the Buried and Me - The Silent Circus
12. Josh Rouse - 1972
13. Opeth - Damnation
14. Avenged Sevenfold - Waking the Fallen
15. Kaddisfly - Did You Know People Can Fly?
16. I Mother Earth - The Quicksilver Meat Dream
17. Dream Theater - Train of Thought
18. Pepe Deluxé - Beatitude
19. The New Pornographers - Electric Version
20. South - With the Tides
21. Klimt 1918 - Undressed Momento
22. Immortal Technique - Revolutionary Vol. 2
23. Enchant - Tug of War
24. Anathallo - A Holiday at the Sea
25. Protest the Hero - A Calculated Use of Sound
26. Biffy Clyro - The Vertigo of Bliss
27. 椎名林檎 [Sheena Ringo] - 加爾基 精液 栗ノ花 (Kalk samen kuri no hana)
28. Spock's Beard - Feel Euphoria
29. 3 - Summercamp Nightmare
30. The Dresden Dolls - The Dresden Dolls
31. The Decemberists - Her Majesty The Decemberists
32. The Gathering - Souvenirs
33. Owsley - The Hard Way
34. Homesick for Space - Unison
35. Sufjan Stevens - Michigan
36. Lehto & Wright - A Game of Chess
37. Janelle Monáe - The Audition
38. Cloud Cult - They Live on the Sun
39. Time of Orchids - Much Too Much Fun
40. Do Make Say Think - Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn
41. Edge of Sanity - Crimson II
42. Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye
43. Broadcast - Haha Sound
44. King's X - Black Like Sunday
45. Outkast - Speakerboxxx / The Below
46. Fish - Field of Crows
47. Aereogramme - Sleep and Release
48. Evergrey - Recreation Day
49. The Tangent - The Music That Died Alone
50. Burst - Prey on Life
51. The Chap - The Horse
52. Woven - 8 Bit Monk
53. Cave In - Antenna

Live Albums
Jeff Buckley - Live at Sin-é: Legacy Edition
Rush - Rush in Rio
Transatlantic - Live in Europe
Shaman - Ritualive

Concerts

1/11/03 Dean Magraw with Randy Sabien and Jim Anton - Weisman Art Museum Minneapolis, MN
1/24/03 Courtney Yasmineh w/ Dean Magraw - The Bean and Wine Cafe Excelsior, MN
1/31/03 Vulvox/Trend 86 - The Uptown Bar Minneapolis, MN
2/4/03 Larry Coryell - The Dakota Bar and Grille St.Paul, MN
2/28/03 Courtney Yasmineh w/ Dean Magraw - The Bean and Wine Cafe Excelsior, MN
3/18/03 Bireli Lagrene - The Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, MN
3/28/03 Courtney Yasmineh w/ Dean Magraw - The Bean and Wine Cafe Excelsior, MN
4/25/03 Courtney Yasmineh w/ Dean Magraw - The Bean and Wine Cafe Excelsior, MN
5/20/03 Opeth/Lacuna Coil - The Quest Club Minneapolis, MN
5/23/03 Courtney Yasmineh w/ Dean Magraw - The Bean and Wine Cafe Excelsior, MN
5/28/03 Iced Ink/Sacred Ground (Beef) - 4th Street Station St.Paul, MN
6/20/03 Courtney Yasmineh w/ Dean Magraw - The Bean and Wine Cafe Excelsior, MN
7/26/03 Porcupine Tree/Opeth - The Fine Line Music Cafe Minneapolis, MN
7/29/03 Roy Haynes - The Dakota Jazz Club - St.Paul, MN
7/31/03 Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - The Weesner Amphitheater at the Minnesota Zoo Apple Valley, MN
8/4/03 Peter Frampton - Mystic Lake Casino Prior Lake, MN
8/13/03 Steve Hackett - Borders Books Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN
9/11/03 California Guitar Trio - Sartell, MN
9/29/03 Remember Shakti - Orchestra Hall Minneapolis, MN
9/ /03    Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer - St.Benedict College St.Joseph, MN
10/10/03 The Mars Volta/Saul Williams - The Quest Minneapolis, MN
10/25/03 King's X/Fishbone - The Fine Line Music Cafe Minneapolis, MN
10/30/03 Ian Anderson - The Fitzgerald Theater St.Paul, MN
10/ /03   Jean-Luc Ponty - Rossi's Blue Star Room Minneapolis, MN
11/5/03  Hammer of the Gods - BB Kings New York City, NY
11/23/03 Iced Ink/Sacred Ground (beef)/Lost Mind Found - 4th Street Station St.Paul, MN

Unclear:
Rachel Z - The Dakota Bar and Grille St.Paul, MN
Jean-Luc Ponty - The Fitzgerald Theater St.Paul,MN

[ReaperKK]

2003:

1. Kaki King - Everybody Loves You - 5/5 - Amazing debut
2. Pat Metheny - One Quiet Night - 5/5
3. Opeth - Damnation - 4.5/5
4. The Mayan Factor - In Lake 'Ch - 4/5
5. Porcupine Tree - Futile - 4/5
6. Dream Theater - Train Of Thought - 4/5
7. OSI - Office Of Strategic Influence - 3.5/5
8. From Monument To Masses - The Impossible Leap In One Hundred Simple Steps - 3.5/5
9. A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step - 3.5/5
10. Acroma - Orbitals - 3/5
11. Godsmack - Faceless - 3/5
12. Metallica - St. Anger - 3/5
13. Killing Joke - Killing Joke - 3/5
14. Limp Bizkit - Results May Vary - 3/5
15. Explosions In The Sky - The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place - 3/5
16. Mogwai - Happy Songs For Happy People - 2.5/5
17. R.E.M. - In Time: The Best Of R.E.M. 1988-2003 - 2.5/5
18. Jerry Martin - SimCity 3000 - 2/5
19. Cave In - Antenna - 2/5
20. Mew - Frengers - 2/5
21. Jerry Martin - Music From SimCity 4 - 1.5/5


Not a crazy good year but some albums here and there.

[jingle.boy]

48. Evergrey - Recreation Day

That low, eh?  huh.  It's a top 3 Evergrey album for me, so would've been top 5 AOTY for '03 in my books

Not mentioned yet:
Chain - Reconstruct
Consortium Project - III:Terra Incognita (The Undiscovered World)
Devin Townshend - Accelerated Evolution
Dream Evil - Evilized
Firewind - Burning Earth
Frameshift - Unweaving the Rainbow
Harem Scarem - Higher
Iron Maiden - Dance of Death
Kamelot - Epica
Last Tribe - The Uncrowned
Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won
Masterplan - s/t
Mechanical Poet - Handmade Essence
Phantom's Opera - Act IV
Poverty's No Crime - The Chemical Chaos
Redemption - s/t
Royal Hunt - Eyewitness
Rush - Rush in Rio
Star One - Live on Earth
Transatlantic - Live in Europe

Lots if great live albums up there.

[nick_z]

2003

Here's my brief rundown...Always loved Train of Thought, it’s in my DT’s top 5…it never bothered me that it was a little more one-dimensional than usual (although certain parts would’ve benefitted from light trimming). A Perfect Circle’s Thirteen Step is amazing (and The Noose is a mini-masterpiece of a song). Elliott was maybe the biggest surprise – found the album used, bought it without knowing much and it ended up one of my favorites that year. Maiden released what might be my favorite reunion-era album. Katatonia made a further (very successful) step towards their “modern” sound and Opeth released their mellow record, which I loved. Some really good stuff on the more mainstream front - Muse, Evanescence, Linkin Park and Placebo. Queensryche’s Tribe is certainly not a classic, but I have always enjoyed it – probably my favorite of their post-Promised Land albums.

As usual, a star (*) indicates albums that were purchased later

Top 15

Dream Theater – Train of Thought
A Perfect Circle – Thirteenth Step
Elliott – Song in the Air
Iron Maiden – Dance of Death
Katatonia – Viva Emptiness
Opeth – Damnation
Muse – Absolution
The Gathering – Souvenirs
Thrice – The Artist in the Ambulance
Evergrey – Recreation Day
Queensryche – Tribe
Evanescence – Fallen
Soilwork – Figure Number Five
Linkin Park – Meteora
Placebo – Sleeping with Ghosts

The Honorable Mentions:

AFI – Sing the Sorrow
Anathema – A Natural Disaster
Anouk – Graduated Fool
Antimatter – Lights Out
Burst – Prey on Life
Circle II Circle – Watching in Silence
Coheed and Cambria – In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 *
Dave Matthews – Some Devil *
The Defaced – Karma in Black
End of Green – Last Night on Earth
Gordian Knot – Emergent
Hammers of Misfortune – The August Engine *
HIM – Love Metal
Killing Joke – Killing Joke
Klimt 1918 – Undressed Momento
Lamb of God – As the Palaces Burn
The Mars Volta – De-loused in Comatorium
Mercury Tide – Why? *
Moonspell – The Antidote
The Music – The Music
Nevermore – Enemies of Reality
Nightingale – Alive Again: The Breathing Shadow Part IV
The Old Dead Tree – The Nameless Disease
OSI – Office of Strategic Influence
Riverside – Out of Myself *
Rush – In Rio
Sevendust - Seasons
Spyke – Divine Decadence
Type O Negative – Life is Killing Me
Unkle – Never, Never Land
The Wildhearts – The Wildhearts Must Be Destroyed!

[nick_z]

48. Evergrey - Recreation Day

That low, eh?  huh.  It's a top 3 Evergrey album for me, so would've been top 5 AOTY for '03 in my books

Big Evergrey fan here...what's your top 3 (in addition to Recreation Day, obviously  )?

[jingle.boy]

48. Evergrey - Recreation Day

That low, eh?  huh.  It's a top 3 Evergrey album for me, so would've been top 5 AOTY for '03 in my books

Big Evergrey fan here...what's your top 3 (in addition to Recreation Day, obviously  )?

1. Hymns for the Broken
2. Recreation Day (I guess I could've said Top 2!
3a. SDT
3b. ISoT

Escape of the Phoenix is pretty damned great, but not even a year old.  Time will tell.

[nick_z]

1. Hymns for the Broken
2. Recreation Day (I guess I could've said Top 2!
3a. SDT
3b. ISoT

Escape of the Phoenix is pretty damned great, but not even a year old.  Time will tell.

I'd probably go with:

1. In Search of Truth
2. Recreation Day
3. Inner Circle

...but Solitude, Dominance, Tragedy is up there fighting too...and their last four albums have been very high quality. Maybe a little too, um, consistent in terms of style  But all good, really.

[MirrorMask]

My 2003.... there has to be a tie at the top:

1.1 - Iron Maiden - Dance of Death
1.2 - Kamelot - Epica

Two different genres, can't pick a favorite. Epica, overall, is the better album and one of the best power / symphonic metal records ever released, but Maiden is my favorite band and I always loved Dance of Death and I associate it with good memories so... they win as well!

For the podium, I'd pick:

2. Rage – Soundchaser
3. Dream Theater - Train of Thought

And then:

4. Alice Cooper – The Eyes of Alice Cooper
5. Masterplan – Masterplan
6. Sonata Arctica – Winterheart's Guild
7. Finntroll – Visor om slutet (acoustic album, check it out!!!)
8. Circle II Circle – Watching in Silence
9. Royal Hunt - Eyewitness
10. Dropkick Murphys - Blackout


Not so honorable mentions 'cause these albums were a bit of a letdown:

Helloween – Rabbit Don't Come Easy
Stratovarius – Elements, Pt. 1
Stratovarius – Elements, Pt. 2

And speaking of letdowns, I refuse to acknowledge the existance of that trash can snare album.

[KevShmev]

2003:

01 Muse - Absolution
02 Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
03 Opeth - Damnation
04 Devin Townsend - Accelerated Evolution
05 Neal Morse - Testimony
06 Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism
07 Dream Theater - Train of Thought
08 The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts
09 Spock's Beard - Feel Euphoria
10 King Crimson - The Power to Believe
11 The Tangent - The Music That Died Alone
12 OSI - Office of Strategic Influence
13 The Postal Service - Give Up
14 Kaipa - Keyholder
15 Styx - Cyclorama
16 The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
17 Explosions in the Sky - The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place
18 Riverside - Out of Myself
19 No-Man - Together We're Stranger
20 The Decemberists - Her Majesty The Decemberists

[Dave_Manchester]

2003:

1. Dream Theater - Train of Thought

2. Children of Bodom - Hate Crew Deathroll
3. John Arch - A Twist of Fate (sometimes I think this is the pinnacle of Mike Portnoy's drumming)

4. Fleetwood Mac - Say You Will
5. Neal Morse - Testimony
6. Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won
7. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Nocturama
8. Britney Spears - In The Zone
9. Opeth - Damnation
10. Iron Maiden - Dance of Death

[HOF]

2003 is kind of a weird year. At the time I was a little disappointed by the current releases by my favorite bands (Testimony, Train of Thought, Tug of War (bad year for T albums), Black Like Sunday). Some good stuff collected down the road.

1. O.S.I. - Office of Strategic Influence
2. Spock’s Beard - Feel Euphoria
3. King Crimson - The Power to Believe
4. The Clientele - The Violet Hour
5. The Pearlfishers - Sky Meadows
6. Mew - Frengers
7. Jadis - Fanatic
8. Zwan - Mary Star of the Sea
9. The Tangent - The Music That Died Alone
10. Neal Morse - Testimony
11. Enchant - Tug of War
12. Opeth - Damnation
13. Dave Matthews - Some Devil
14. King’s X - Black Like Sunday
15. Frameshift - Unweaving the Rainbow
16. Dream Theater - Train of Thought
17. Daniel Lanois - Shine

[SoundscapeMN]

48. Evergrey - Recreation Day

That low, eh?  huh.  It's a top 3 Evergrey album for me, so would've been top 5 AOTY for '03 in my books

I love In Search of Truth, but I honestly only felt luke warm about Recreation Day. I haven't listened to it in a long time though, so I may like it more now. That being said, I dunno how high from 2003 it might go up given how much I enjoy so many records from the year.

3. John Arch - A Twist of Fate (sometimes I think this is the pinnacle of Mike Portnoy's drumming)

I often agree with this. Portnoy's playing and the mix is so clean and tight. It's almost jazz-like ala Paul Wertico in some ways.

[hefdaddy42]

2003

In no particular order:

Greg Howe, Victor Wooten, and Dennis Chambers - Extraction
The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
King Crimson - The Power to Believe
Beyonce - Dangerously in Love
Muse - Absolution
Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
Neal Morse - Testimony
Riverside - Out of Myself
Opeth - Damnation
Dream Theater - Train of Thought
Anathema - A Natural Disaster
Hiromi - Another Mind

[WardySI]

2003

1. CHARON The Dying Daylights
2. POISONBLACK Escapexstacy
3. CIRCLE II CIRCLE Watching In Silence
4. MASTERPLAN Masterplan
5. EVERGREY Recreation Day

QUEENSRYCHE Tribe
IRON MAIDEN Dance Of Death
POWDERFINGER Vulture Street
DREAM THEATER Train Of Thought
ANTHRAX We've Come For You All
EVANESCENCE Fallen

ETA one I forgot

BALANCE OF POWER Heathen Machine

[ariich]

2003 was awesome!

1. Muse - Absolution
2. Alkinoos Ioannidis - Οι περιπέτειες ενός προσκυνητή (The Adventures of a Pilgrim)
3. Opeth - Damnation
4. Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja
5. Sarah McLachlan - Afterglow
6. Ulver - A Quick Fix of Melancholy EP
7. Wolverine - Cold Light of Monday
8. The Cat Empire - The Cat Empire
9. Anathema - A Natural Disaster
10. The King's Singers - Christmas
11. Ocean Colour Scene - North Atlantic Drift
12. Thrice - The Artist in the Ambulance
13. Dream Theater - Train of Thought
14. The Devin Townsend Band - Accelerated Evolution
15. Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band - XXL
16. Evergrey - Recreation Day
17. Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
18. Matthew Good - Avalanche
19. The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
20. Kamelot - Epica

Also great:
AFI - Sing the Sorrow
After Forever - Exordium EP
Avenue Q: Original Broadway Cast Recording
The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Park Avenue South: Live at Starbucks
Children of Bodom - Hate Crew Deathroll
Cursive - The Ugly Organ
Dog Fashion Disco - Committed to a Bright Future
John Arch - A Twist of Fate EP
Kaipa - Keyholder
King Crimson - The Power to Believe
Linkin Park - Meteora
Machine Head - Through the Ashes of Empires
Masterplan - Masterplan
The Offspring - Splinter
Okkervil River - Down the River of Golden Dreams
OSI - Office of Strategic Influence
Pat Metheny - One Quiet Night
Soilwork - Figure Number Five
Spock's Beard - Feel Euphoria

I'm giving up on listing the "good but not great" albums now, just too many of them.

[WardySI]

2003 was awesome!

1. Muse - Absolution
2. Alkinoos Ioannidis - Οι περιπέτειες ενός προσκυνητή (The Adventures of a Pilgrim)
3. Opeth - Damnation
4. Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja
5. Sarah McLachlan - Afterglow...

Ahhh forgot Afterglow what a fantastic album that was!

[Crow]

i haven't been following this thread but it finally got to years i could start filling this out for so yeah sure 

#1: Mew - Frengers
#2: Coheed and Cambria - In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
#3: Cursive - The Ugly Organ
#4: Oceansize - Effloresce
#5: Muse - Absolution
#6: The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
#7: My Morning Jacket - It Still Moves
#8: Opeth - Damnation

there are more i have on RYM but none i'm super inclined to include here

lemme backfill the rest of the 2000's for no real reason

2000:

#1: Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element I
#2: Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven
#3: Porcupine  Tree: Lightbulb Sun

2001:

#1: Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness
#2: Devin Townsend - Terria
#3: Opeth - Blackwater Park i guess

2002:

#1: Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane
#2: Sigur Ros - ( )
#3: Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
#4: Glassjaw - Worship and Tribute
#5: mum - Finally We Are No One

[SoundscapeMN]

i haven't been following this thread but it finally got to years i could start filling this out for so yeah sure 

#1: Mew - Frengers
#2: Coheed and Cambria - In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3

#4: Oceansize - Effloresce

 

I'm kind of suprised to not see many with these on/high on their lists per all 3 of these bands are popular around here. Maybe it's these albums, or the people who do enjoy them haven't posted their lists yet?

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

i haven't been following this thread but it finally got to years i could start filling this out for so yeah sure 

#1: Mew - Frengers
#2: Coheed and Cambria - In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3

#4: Oceansize - Effloresce

 

I'm kind of suprised to not see many with these on/high on their lists per all 3 of these bands are popular around here. Maybe it's these albums, or the people who do enjoy them haven't posted their lists yet?

Yeah, I'm still behind, but those will all be on my 2003 list. Still need to post my 2002 list....

[HOF]

i haven't been following this thread but it finally got to years i could start filling this out for so yeah sure 

#1: Mew - Frengers
#2: Coheed and Cambria - In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3

#4: Oceansize - Effloresce

 

I'm kind of suprised to not see many with these on/high on their lists per all 3 of these bands are popular around here. Maybe it's these albums, or the people who do enjoy them haven't posted their lists yet?

I think Frengers is great (it’s on my list), but it’s mostly great because of Comforting Sounds. The rest is good but that song stands way above the rest of the album.

I forgot I own that Coheed and Cambria album. I got it to review for my college newspaper. I haven’t listened to it since. I hated it so much I reviewed something else instead.