Jingle.Boy's Top 50 Concept Albums - The Top 2 to wrap things up

[jingle.boy]

Shit... I'm so used to spelling it the Dream Theater way! Though, I did spell it right in the OP.  Also, not a 'proper' concept album???  Wiki says it is, and if Wiki says so, it must be!

A concept album, the album is a fictional account of Chicago's Paradise Theatre from its opening in 1928 to its closing in 1958 (and eventual abandonment), used as a metaphor for America's changing times from the late 1970s into the 1980s. (Dennis DeYoung, who envisioned and developed the entire concept, confirmed this in an episode of In the Studio with Redbeard about the making of the album.)

[Zoom E]

Paradise Theatre is a definite classic.

Going back a couple of albums in your list, I listened to the whole Absolute Priority album this morning and really enjoyed it. 

[wolfking]

The only Styx I know is The Grand Illusion.  It's a nice album.

[pg1067]

Shit... I'm so used to spelling it the Dream Theater way! Though, I did spell it right in the OP.  Also, not a 'proper' concept album???  Wiki says it is, and if Wiki says so, it must be!

A concept album, the album is a fictional account of Chicago's Paradise Theatre from its opening in 1928 to its closing in 1958 (and eventual abandonment), used as a metaphor for America's changing times from the late 1970s into the 1980s. (Dennis DeYoung, who envisioned and developed the entire concept, confirmed this in an episode of In the Studio with Redbeard about the making of the album.)

With bands spelling it Theater or Theatre, you can't win.  I remember Helloween put something in the CD booklet for the first Keepers CD about mixing up the spelling of the band's name with the song "Halloween."

It's definitely more of a loose concept than Scenes/TA or The Lamb or Tommy, but it's more so than I had known years ago.  My write-up contained some comments relating to how Lonely People and Half-Penny tie in to the concept.  However, I have no idea how Too Much Time, She Cares and Snowblind relate to the concept.  The thing that really struck me was DDY's use of different piano sounds to represent the passage of time.

[jingle.boy]

32. The Chronicles Project / When Darkness Falls [2015]


I absolutely love the sci-fi / psychological thriller aspect of this … there’s more than a few albums that have this psycho-thriller theme.  This is classic European melodic progressive power metal - "The immortal soul gatherers Twilight, Nightfall, and Sirelius came to Earth to collect the souls of the deceased and deliver them to the sleeping god Isaari. But an ancient pact and the murder of the mortal Mary threaten not only their mission, but also the equilibrium of forces and therefore the existence of mankind." 



I think it was Seneca that gave them to me in a roulette, and Kade's response was perfect when he sampled the song ….. "I thought Kamelot was banned".  No, it’s not Roy Khan you're hearing on the mic … but his vocal doppelganger, Vasilis Georgiou (who's also on Black Fate* and Sunburst).  Along with Andi Kravljaca (Aeon Zen, Silent Call; Seventh Wonder's debut) , the moments voiced by those two are simply gorgeous.  The highs are incredibly high.  The lows … they’re not bad, but are the cause of this not being rated higher. 

Fave Song - Forever (this is with the segue/intro ... which is kinda mandatory.

*Ironically, I got a song from them the exact same round of that Roulette.

[wolfking]

I think it was Seneca that gave them to me in a roulette, and Kade's response was perfect when he sampled the song ….. "I thought Kamelot was banned". 

Jeez, I don't remember this at all, but sounds like me for sure!

[jingle.boy]

Well, that one went over like a fart in an elevator.  Kamelot fans, you should check that last one out.  If that didn't stimulate any commentary, this one will likely get a lot of blank-Homer stare's as well.

31. Stargate / Beyond Space and Time [2012]


Every time I listen, I wonder why I don’t spin it more often.  It's Italian Prog/power… which I'm not sure I've ever come across an Italian prog-power act that I haven't had a reason not to love.  I could rhyme a dozen plus off the top of my head.  This rated pretty well in my last Top 50.... pretty much the exact same spot (32), so I'll just replay that writeup...

So, I’m sitting in the airport in San Antonio back in the summer of 2012, and I get this Spotify/FB message from RJ telling me to check this album out.  Sure, what the hell??,  I got a few minutes to spare.  I click play, and after song 2 (song 1 is an introductory setup), my response is “Mother of god that was spectacular”.  If you want a real review of this, I can’t really do anything better than the good chef already said when he reviewed it for ladyobscure.com.  So, I’ll simply paraphrase ... and by paraphrase, I mean copy-and-paste. 

The instant the opener ends, the album jumps into high gear, and rarely lets up.  With the exception of the one “ballad”, every song is done at an overly caffeinated pace, but in a textured and competently balanced way. This relentlessness is one of many highlights of this band, echoing earlier prog metal pioneers who paved the way.  the maturity in their playing is very clear, these guys are familiar with each other’s boundaries, and push them at every opportunity. Keyboards are done as a background, a pacesetting and harmonic element. Bass is a lead and a rhythm element, a resounding heartbeat. Drums carry the beat, but with enough flair on the side to really stand out in a fantastic fashion. Vocalist Flavio Caricasole fits the music wonderfully, lows are done at a subdued tone, and most high notes are pure, though there are one or two that should have been re-thought.

Fave Song - Nothing's Forever

[TAC]

I have this and always enjoyed it. Been ages since I have heard it though. 

[lonestar]

One of my first real 'discoveries' while at LO...I think it was maybe my fifth review, behind Black Tide, Lalu, Mandroid Echostar, and Mechanical Poet. I think this stood out as another example of 'holy shit there's so much more out there besides DT/Marillion/IQ' and held to the promise of what more music awaited discover.....needless to say as I'm currently miles deep in the J-metal rabbit hole after falling for years into respective holes of prog, prog metal, death metal, djent, etc etc... I severely underestimated what lay ahead.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I might have to listen to this just based on the name, I love all of the Stargate shows. 

[jingle.boy]

30. Royal Hunt / Paradox [1997]


The thanks goes to Nick for introducing me to this outfit via his weekly When Prog and Power Unite radio listening sessions I had many of in the mid 2010s.  I'm not really sure if RH is prog or melodic metal, but they are very heavy on the keyboard influence and delivery, that’s for sure, and this is peak Royal Hunt.  DC Cooper is just great, has such a smooth and silky voice.  The guitar melodies and solos are clean and crisp, and don’t really get ‘in your face’ and dominate the overall vibe - naturally with RH, that's left to André Andersen tickling the digital ivory's. 
I don't come back to this terribly often, but every time I do (including right now as I write this up), I feel like this is rated exactly where it needs to be.  It's just some excellent keyboard driven melodic metal.  This is one of the albums that blurs the line between being a concept-vs-thematic album.  At minimum, there is an underlying theme, and I've read some reviews that go into great depth as to the story being an examination of the pitfalls of religion and the philosophical paradox where by can violence be a justifiable action to protect the one's you love.  Either way, the songs are clearly connected to each other, and there are some spoken word clips at the end of a couple of songs, suggesting an intention to tie everything together.

Fave Song - Tearing Down The World

[YtseBitsySpider]

I liked that Royal Hunt album.

Good list. I didn't read every page. Was the whole top 50 posted?
Did Pleasant Shade of Grey make it?

[jingle.boy]

I liked that Royal Hunt album.

Good list. I didn't read every page. Was the whole top 50 posted?
Did Pleasant Shade of Grey make it?

Hey Kris.  Read the OP, the list (so far) is there.  Stick around and you'll see what's still to come. 

[ariich]

Sheesh, loads to catch up on.

The Affector was alright. Just about made my 7/10 mark but a little borderline. Like, in theory it was all perfectly fine but I found it a bit of a chore.

The Teramaze on the other hand might be my favourite discovery of this thread so far, possibly more so than the Odd Dimension album. Very rich and warm and full of great melodies and playing. I guess I'll have to check out their other stuff now.

The next two - Styx and the Chronicles Project - I already know and like. And of course I only know them thanks to you sending me their stuff in my roulettes.

Not heard the other two yet. I'll check them out although my expectations are tempered - what I've heard of Royal Hunt before hasn't grabbed me, and same goes for quite a lot (though not all) of Italian prog/power metal.

[jingle.boy]

This is awesome!  Thanks for giving them all an honest go, Rich.   

As for Teramaze, I've never listened (or found) their first two, so I can't give any guidance there.  The rest, here's how I'd rank them.

I Wonder
And The Beauty They Perceive
Flight of the Wounded
Esoteric Symbolism
Anhedonia
Sonella Minore (only rated last, because it's just a 4-song EP... the title track is a 26-min beauty, though).

Royal Hunt has had 3 other vocalists over the years (Henrik Brockmann, John West, and Mark Boals), so if you don't know any DC Cooper fronted RH, you may find this a different experience.  TBH, their last 3 albums haven't been terribly impressive.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Marillion / Brave [1994]


RJ, please don’t hate me.  It took a while for me to get into Marillion, although I'm not sure I can really say I'm *in* to them - they’re still largely a fringe act for me  .  I very much enjoy everything they do when I listen to it, but they came into my musical world fairly late in life, and I just wasn’t wholly and fully captivated by them, and certainly not enough to go exploring their vast discography.  I really should fire them up more often, but since I never listened to them in the 80s or 90s, or 00s I just don't find myself proactively reaching for them very often - and I feel shame.
Brave always seems to get rave reviews, generally lauded as one of the better/best Marillion albums, and I can hear why - progressive passages pop oriented catchy songs Marillion often graces their releases with, and some more traditional hard-rocking songs. This is an album with a nice bit of variety … atmospheric, dark, moody, emotive, stoic.  Despite the nature and tone of the story (a schizophrenic, disillusioned girl, who commits suicide in jumping off a bridge) there are more than a few musical and lyrical moments that are loving, uplifting, optimistic, and inspiring.

This is another one that rates as low as it is because it was one of the albums I discovered as I was researching the litany of concept albums I wasn't already familiar with in 2021, so I've not spent a whole ton of dedicated time to/with it.  Also, does Marillion make any albums that AREN'T concept albums?
Fave songs – Hard as Love

I just want to chime in on this again.

I was never really that big on this album. I mean it's a good album, but it just didn't grab me like Marbles or Clutching or Afraid of Sunlight, etc etc. However I just listened to the live version, Made Again, all the way through again and I'm not sure what changed, but it hit me like a ton of bricks. So it's gone from merely good to great for me!

[HOF]

Marillion / Brave [1994]


RJ, please don’t hate me.  It took a while for me to get into Marillion, although I'm not sure I can really say I'm *in* to them - they’re still largely a fringe act for me  .  I very much enjoy everything they do when I listen to it, but they came into my musical world fairly late in life, and I just wasn’t wholly and fully captivated by them, and certainly not enough to go exploring their vast discography.  I really should fire them up more often, but since I never listened to them in the 80s or 90s, or 00s I just don't find myself proactively reaching for them very often - and I feel shame.
Brave always seems to get rave reviews, generally lauded as one of the better/best Marillion albums, and I can hear why - progressive passages pop oriented catchy songs Marillion often graces their releases with, and some more traditional hard-rocking songs. This is an album with a nice bit of variety … atmospheric, dark, moody, emotive, stoic.  Despite the nature and tone of the story (a schizophrenic, disillusioned girl, who commits suicide in jumping off a bridge) there are more than a few musical and lyrical moments that are loving, uplifting, optimistic, and inspiring.

This is another one that rates as low as it is because it was one of the albums I discovered as I was researching the litany of concept albums I wasn't already familiar with in 2021, so I've not spent a whole ton of dedicated time to/with it.  Also, does Marillion make any albums that AREN'T concept albums?
Fave songs – Hard as Love

I just want to chime in on this again.

I was never really that big on this album. I mean it's a good album, but it just didn't grab me like Marbles or Clutching or Afraid of Sunlight, etc etc. However I just listened to the live version, Made Again, all the way through again and I'm not sure what changed, but it hit me like a ton of bricks. So it's gone from merely good to great for me!

It's funny because I found the Made Again performance/recording to be disappointing, and in general I struggle with Brave as a live piece (aside from a few spots that translate well live). It's more of a studio thing for me (as is Marbles).

[jingle.boy]

Marillion / Brave [1994]


RJ, please don’t hate me.  It took a while for me to get into Marillion, although I'm not sure I can really say I'm *in* to them - they’re still largely a fringe act for me  .  I very much enjoy everything they do when I listen to it, but they came into my musical world fairly late in life, and I just wasn’t wholly and fully captivated by them, and certainly not enough to go exploring their vast discography.  I really should fire them up more often, but since I never listened to them in the 80s or 90s, or 00s I just don't find myself proactively reaching for them very often - and I feel shame.
Brave always seems to get rave reviews, generally lauded as one of the better/best Marillion albums, and I can hear why - progressive passages pop oriented catchy songs Marillion often graces their releases with, and some more traditional hard-rocking songs. This is an album with a nice bit of variety … atmospheric, dark, moody, emotive, stoic.  Despite the nature and tone of the story (a schizophrenic, disillusioned girl, who commits suicide in jumping off a bridge) there are more than a few musical and lyrical moments that are loving, uplifting, optimistic, and inspiring.

This is another one that rates as low as it is because it was one of the albums I discovered as I was researching the litany of concept albums I wasn't already familiar with in 2021, so I've not spent a whole ton of dedicated time to/with it.  Also, does Marillion make any albums that AREN'T concept albums?
Fave songs – Hard as Love

I just want to chime in on this again.

I was never really that big on this album. I mean it's a good album, but it just didn't grab me like Marbles or Clutching or Afraid of Sunlight, etc etc. However I just listened to the live version, Made Again, all the way through again and I'm not sure what changed, but it hit me like a ton of bricks. So it's gone from merely good to great for me!

You're welcome!!!   

[lonestar]

Made again is decent... It's the performance from the 2013 Marillion Weekend that's hands down brutal. Seriously some of the best live video I know of, H is at the top of his game in that one.

https://youtu.be/pQ74CwXcliM

[nick_z]

Made again is decent... It's the performance from the 2013 Marillion Weekend that's hands down brutal. Seriously some of the best live video I know of, H is at the top of his game in that one.

https://youtu.be/pQ74CwXcliM

Wow, that was fantastic!

[jingle.boy]

Made again is decent... It's the performance from the 2013 Marillion Weekend that's hands down brutal. Seriously some of the best live video I know of, H is at the top of his game in that one.

https://youtu.be/pQ74CwXcliM

Wow, that was fantastic!

+1

[HOF]

Made again is decent... It's the performance from the 2013 Marillion Weekend that's hands down brutal. Seriously some of the best live video I know of, H is at the top of his game in that one.

https://youtu.be/pQ74CwXcliM

Yep, that performance is tremendous. That’s one of the songs on Braves that plays better live. It’s the atmospheric bits that don’t translate so well.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Made again is decent... It's the performance from the 2013 Marillion Weekend that's hands down brutal. Seriously some of the best live video I know of, H is at the top of his game in that one.

https://youtu.be/pQ74CwXcliM

Looks like I'm buying a new bluray 

[lonestar]

Sorry man.. You can charge me for it 

[nick_z]

Made again is decent... It's the performance from the 2013 Marillion Weekend that's hands down brutal. Seriously some of the best live video I know of, H is at the top of his game in that one.

https://youtu.be/pQ74CwXcliM

Yep,  that performance is tremendous. That’s one of the songs on Braves that plays better live. It’s the atmospheric bits that don’t translate so well.

Yep, I don’t disagree…

The Great Escape is such an amazing song to start with. It nails all of the emotional bits big time and doesn’t over-do it. H is great on it, and Rothery’s solos are sublime.

I hadn’t seen the performance Lonestar posted. I might have to get myself the Blu ray too

[jingle.boy]

Forgot to update yesterday, so here's a deuce!

29. Transatlantic / The Whirlwind [2009]


What do I really have to say here?  As I look at my list, this is the first of four albums I'm practically certain everyone following has heard (or at least would be utterly shocked if anyone was like 'I should check this out').  Anyone gonna prove me wrong?  Raise your hand; post in shame.  Neal is such a prolific musician, lyricist, and performer, the in-your-face religious elements of his music don't matter to even the most staunch of Atheists or Agnostics (which is where I fall to some degree).  You know a concept album is in the final boss level tier when the band spends an entire tour performing it in its entirety, with a DVD release, and that live version is as good if not better than the studio (spoiler alert: a couple more of those kinds of albums still to come).   It flows effortlessly, and reprises so many of the best sounding moments.  I love it, but it can be a LOT to digest in one sitting, and usually feels every bit of its 77 minute runtime.  It can be a chore to listen to sometimes.
Fave song - Is It Really Happening

[jingle.boy]

28. Hemina / Venus; Nebulae [2016; 2014]


I had to cheat here a bit.  As I was finalizing this list, I'd originally had these two albums (parts 2 and 3 of a trilogy of albums) as separate entries.  But upon realizing I'd omitted one very important album, I decided I'd collapse these into one entry.  Venus is the better album, but Nebulae is top notch, with just a bit of "filler". 
It's clear I love me some Aussie prog-metal. Both albums have a TON of djent-y guitar riffs… the first 10 seconds or Venus will grab you by the nads and doesn’t really ever let go.  There's lots of variety and diversity here – sax, duets, ballads
Venus was pretty damned near my AOTY in 2016, and it’s aged quite a bit better than 2 of the one’s those that I’d initially rated ahead of it back then.  Both have quite a few great duets here too… naturally given the concept (relationships - with Nebulae being a story about apathy and meaninglessness giving way to love and fullness of joy; Venus touching on trust and infidelity, and a cheater in a relationship later becoming the victim)

Fave Song - Moonlight Bride (for the sax!)
Fave Song - Loss

Edit... I fully expect these to get little/no attention given the other entry today.  Oh well.  I hope they don't get overlooked

[Evermind]

The Whirlwind is a classic, such a good, mature album.

Hemina: I ended up checking out all their discography after you sent them in my roulette, it's not bad, in fact it's perfectly alright but it's not something I long to return to. Soulmate is probably the only song I really love.

[jingle.boy]

The Whirlwind is a classic, such a good, mature album.

Hemina: I ended up checking out all their discography after you sent them in my roulette, it's not bad, in fact it's perfectly alright but it's not something I long to return to. Soulmate is probably the only song I really love.

Soulmates is probably song 1b for me off of Nebulae.  I've used it a few times in roulettes.

[lonestar]

Transatlantic never really did much for me...solid music for sure..but like all Neal Morse projects, just ain't my thing.


I'll be that guy, heard the album maybe once or twice but never really revisited.

[twosuitsluke]

Forgot to update yesterday, so here's a deuce!

29. Transatlantic / The Whirlwind [2009]


What do I really have to say here?  As I look at my list, this is the first of four albums I'm practically certain everyone following has heard (or at least would be utterly shocked if anyone was like 'I should check this out').  Anyone gonna prove me wrong?  Raise your hand; post in shame.  Neal is such a prolific musician, lyricist, and performer, the in-your-face religious elements of his music don't matter to even the most staunch of Atheists or Agnostics (which is where I fall to some degree).  You know a concept album is in the final boss level tier when the band spends an entire tour performing it in its entirety, with a DVD release, and that live version is as good if not better than the studio (spoiler alert: a couple more of those kinds of albums still to come).   It flows effortlessly, and reprises so many of the best sounding moments.  I love it, but it can be a LOT to digest in one sitting, and usually feels every bit of its 77 minute runtime.  It can be a chore to listen to sometimes.
Fave song - Is It Really Happening

Yea, I've never heard this album

[King Postwhore]

Top 5 album of all time for me. So glad I saw it in full at Morsefest this past year. 

[jingle.boy]

Transatlantic never really did much for me...solid music for sure..but like all Neal Morse projects, just ain't my thing.


I'll be that guy, heard the album maybe once or twice but never really revisited.

Well then, you're *not* that guy if you actually have heard it. 

I should've put the caveat in there of "except Tim".  I know TA ain't his thing.

Luke ... 

[lonestar]

Honestly the only reason I listened to it was because of the April Fools theme.

[HOF]

The first two Transatlantic albums were life changing for me. I’ve said this before, but by the time they reformed for The Whirlwind I had lost interest in the music Neal was making, and I avoided The Whirlwind because I didn’t think there was any way it would live up to its predecessors. I only got it about 2-3 years ago, and it has its moments, but on the whole it doesn’t really do anything for me.