2010: Albums Of The Year (And Other Opinions) - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Author

Message

Topic Search

Topic Options

SaltyJon

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: February 08 2008
Location: Location
Status: Offline
Points: 28772

Posted: January 10 2011 at 18:17

Triceratopsoil wrote:

Sean Trane wrote:

BTW, no Magma's Emminent-Rhê for me, thanks.

that was 2009

Plus, it's Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré. Wink

Triceratopsoil View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: April 03 2010
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 18016

Posted: January 10 2011 at 18:15

Sean Trane wrote:

BTW, no Magma's Emminent-Rhê for me, thanks.

that was 2009

Anthony H. wrote:

I love ya to death Colin, but Marrrow is NOT better than The Mantle. It's not even in the same league.

it's definitely better, sorry bud. You just don't like metal Approve

As far as I see it, 3 of the songs are far better than any single moment on The Mantle

Edited by Triceratopsoil - January 11 2011 at 18:22

sleeper

Prog Reviewer

Joined: October 09 2005
Location: Entropia
Status: Offline
Points: 16449

Posted: January 10 2011 at 17:22

MillsLayne wrote:

Karnivool - Sound Awake

Sound Awake is a 2009 album.

Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005

Slartibartfast View Drop Down

Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam

Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29630

Posted: January 10 2011 at 09:52

I haven't added or tried too many 2010's. There are many more on list to get. My favorite officially prog is Brian Eno with Jon Hopkins & Leo Abrahams Small Craft on a Milk Sea. Non officially prog is Bryan Ferry's Olympia. Clivages was a nice discovery. Jeff Beck's Emotion And Commotion was one his best in years. Umphrey McGee's Summer Sampler 2010 was a nice treat.

Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

Prog Geo

Forum Senior Member

Joined: November 09 2010
Location: Athens (Greece)
Status: Offline
Points: 2555

Posted: January 10 2011 at 09:03

What?Marrow of the spirit is in the same league with The mantle?Come on,we all know that The mantle for the majority of fans is the best. Wink

Anthony H. View Drop Down

Prog Reviewer

Joined: April 11 2010
Location: Virginia
Status: Offline
Points: 6088

Posted: January 10 2011 at 08:42

Triceratopsoil wrote:

10. The Cozmik Orkestrah - Blackhawk ()
-Yes, my own band, but damned if this isn't my most listened album of 2010. The great thing about being a 100% jam band is that I hear new things every time I listen, and the chemistry my bandmates and I have always blows me away.

9. Yakuza - Of Seismic Consequence
-Just some really kickass sludge metal, plus saxophones. Their singer has a voice I absolutely love, and basically what this band is - one of my friends says it best - "Profound Lore Records' answer to Baroness"

8. Jaga Jazzist - One Armed Bandit
-Really groovy, this album flows more than near anything else I've heard from this past year. Time flies by when you are listening to this.

7. Kayo Dot - Stained Glass EP
-Kayo Dot is the most exciting band of the 21st century, it's always fascinating to see where they are heading musically. I really enjoyed this one, short as it was.

6. Negura Bunget - Vîrstele Pamîntului
-Brilliant, but probably for fans of black metal only.

5. Alcest - Ecailles de Lune
-Conor put it better than I could possibly be bothered to

4. Kayo Dot - Coyote
-Beautiful agony, in form of music. Plus, as with all Toby Driver music, a dollop of insanity on the side.

3. Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit
-Bleak, beautiful, and hella groovy; I never thought they could make an album better than The Mantle but here it is

2. Yugen - Iridule
-Italian avant-prog with strong stylings like those of Picchio dal Pozzo. Fantastic.

1. Jean Louis - Morse
Okay, I lied when I said Kayo Dot was the most exciting band of the 21st century. This avant-jazz three-piece explodes my brain every time

honorable mention:
Cloudkicker - Beacons
Elephant9 - Walk the Nile
Red Sparowes - The Fear is etc.
Extinction Algorithm - My Forest is Dead
High on Fire - Snakes for the Divine
Finntroll - Nifelvind
Intronaut - Valley of Smoke

I love ya to death Colin, but Marrrow is NOT better than The Mantle. It's not even in the same league.

Majikthise View Drop Down

Forum Groupie

Joined: August 29 2010
Status: Offline
Points: 85

Posted: January 10 2011 at 08:19

I'm not aware of ten good albums released this year, but Tame Impala's Innerspeaker is incredible.

Sean Trane View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Prog Folk

Joined: April 29 2004
Location: Heart of Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 20641

Posted: January 10 2011 at 06:37

I've yet to close up my list (see the ones I still have to check a the bottom of the list), but here is a tentative list In no particular order

Xing Sa - Création de l'Univers
Univers Zero - Clivages (I didn't think it would hit my top 10 back in Febr, but the year is not that big a vintage one, IMHO, so it's still in the running)
Hypnos 69 - Legacy
Elephant9 - Walk the Nile
Motorpsycho - Heavy Metal Fruit
Picchio dal Pozzo - A_Live
Aranis - Roqueforte
Yugen - Iridule

Madelgaire - Im(Patience)

BTW, no Magma's Emminent-Rhê for me, thanks.

And I still need to check out:

Rouge Ciel

DAAU

Frogg Cafe,

Dungen,

French TV's 2010 albums and

Klotet - Det Har Aldrig Hant Och Kommer

>> they're all on my next Syn-Phonic order

let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter
keep our sand-castle virtues
content to be a doer
as well as a thinker,
prefer lifting our pen
rather than un-sheath our sword

JonteJH

Forum Senior Member

Joined: June 05 2010
Location: Göteborg/Sweden
Status: Offline
Points: 475

Posted: January 10 2011 at 05:05

andyman1125 wrote:

Conor Fynes wrote:

Most Disappointing Album(s) Of 2010

Three - Revisions

...wasn't Revisions released last year (2009)?

Thats why it is disappointing LOL

http://www.lastfm.se/user/JonteJH
http://soundcloud.com/jontejh

sean

Prog Reviewer

Joined: April 02 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 1155

Posted: January 09 2011 at 16:30

just picked up Coyote. I'm only on the second listen, but this could easily change my list around. Still need to pick up Oceansize, along with a host of others

MillsLayne View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: September 14 2010
Location: East Bay, CA
Status: Offline
Points: 2504

Posted: January 08 2011 at 23:58

I'm not going to list my favorite 2010 albums in any order since my mood changes so often, but my fav 2010 albums:

Deftones - Diamond Eyes
Oceansize - Self Preserved While The Bodies Float Up
Karnivool - Sound Awake
Lunatic Soul - Lunatic Soul II
Sky Architect - Excavations Of The Mind
Porcupine Tree - Recordings (I know this originally came out in 2001, but with a very limited release. It's new to me.)

Edited by MillsLayne - January 08 2011 at 23:59

Andy Webb

Special Collaborator

Retired Admin

Joined: June 04 2010
Location: Terria
Status: Offline
Points: 13298

Posted: January 08 2011 at 22:16

Conor Fynes wrote:

Most Disappointing Album(s) Of 2010

Three - Revisions

...wasn't Revisions released last year (2009)?

Luna

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 28 2010
Location: Funky Town
Status: Offline
Points: 12794

Posted: January 08 2011 at 22:04

No one has mentioned Lunatic Soul yet? I think that it is a fantastic album, I'm not gonna make a list yet, because my hands have crumbs on them :I

Slartibartfast View Drop Down

Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam

Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29630

Posted: January 08 2011 at 18:09

Only one so far I know so I have to conclude there was no good music after 2009.

Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

Equality 7-2521 View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: August 11 2005
Location: Philly
Status: Offline
Points: 15784

Posted: January 08 2011 at 14:25

I still have a lot I have yet to even given a first listen to. I guess I'll do a top 5 for now:

1) Kayo Dot - Coyote

Top 3 album of all time. It might be number 1. I could talk about it for hours. It's an amazing story, highly visual, utterly emotional. I have to stop myself from listening to this album. This band has improved so much since CotE.

2) John Zorn - Mycale: The Book of Angels Volume 13

I'm a huge fan of Zorn's Masada songbook. For this album he assembled 4 female vocalists. I was blown away from the second I heard it. I thought this might be more of a novelty than anything, Masada songs done A Cappella, but it's really beautiful. It seems a little more influenced by sacred music than his other Masada work, but the Klezmer/Jazz stuff is still there.

3) Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me

This is hurt a little bit by the length, but overall it's incredibly solid. She branches out even more than she did on Ys. The folk and heavy orchestration returns, but you also get some bluesy numbers. Who can't like Joanna?

4) Agalloch - Marrow of the Sprit

Agalloch have their formula. Elements shift around, but you're not going to get a radically different album from them. I felt this one really lacks a lot of the atmosphere that their previous two had. I don't feel like I'm somewhere else when I listen to this album. Despite not being a masterpiece, the album probably has some of their best moments. Great listen.

5) Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

A had the biggest expectations after her first album. She took a bit of a disappointing direction here. The songs are still catchy and well written, but the whole thing is overproduced. Amazing material lurks underneath unable to really break free. Still I really enjoy this.

"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "

natewait

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 08 2009
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 218

Posted: January 08 2011 at 14:06

From My Blog: http://natewaitjournal.blogspot.com/2011/01/top-ten-albums-of-2010.html

10. Drama Rama- Agents of Mercy
This is a very pleasant album from one of my prog rock idols, Roine Stolt. The music is never very heavy, and they stay on the pastoral side of prog, but it makes for a very pleasant listen.

9. Victims of the Modern Age- Star One
I always love Arjen Lucassen's work, and this album is no exception. This project focuses on the more metal aspect of Arjen's sound, so there are lots of heavy parts with crunchy guitars. Each song on the album is based on a different sci-fi movie or TV show which keeps the lyrics interesting.

8. Hybrid Child- District 97
This is an incredible debut album from a really talented group. They are unique due to their inclusion of a female lead singer who was an American Idol contestant, and a world class cellist. The band can be quite eclectic but with some mainstream sensibilities. I can't wait to see what this band does in the future.

7. In The Wake of Evolution- Kaipa
This is a fun and happy band on the same level as the Flower Kings. This album showcases the band at their best. It is pure symphonic prog. I love the opening track that showcases all the great elements of this band: a fantastic, unique keyboard player, both a male and female vocalist, pounding drums, and soaring guitar.

6. The Great Escape- Seventh Wonder
This is my favorite progressive metal release of the year. This new album has everything I love about the band. There is some incredible instrumentation from all the musicians and they have one of the best singers in Prog Rock, in my opinion.

5. Mars Hollow- Mars Hollow
This is the number 1 debut album of the year. This band came out of nowhere and really blew me away. Their songs are catchy yet intricate. I really love the opening track on their record, titled "Wait For Me." It is everything great about this band in one track. Also, it helps that the band is extremely nice and friendly to their fans. I can't wait to hear what they come up with next in 2011. Based on this debut, it should be awesome!

4. Artificial- Unitopia
I really loved this album at the beginning of the year. It is a concept album about the way that we as a society are becoming too artificial. I love how the band does not sound too retro, but infuses some modern influences into their sound. It sets them apart from the other bands that I listen to. This is a really great album.

3. If- Glass Hammer
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I have been disappointed by them in the past but this album exceeded my expectations. I feel they have finally found a singer that fits their sound. He sounds a lot like Jon Anderson from Yes, and I feel he lifts their music to a new level. Oftentimes they sound like what Yes wishes they sounded like today. Majestic, symphonic prog done extremely well.

2. X- Spock's Beard
This was the album I was most excited to get throughout the year. I was very pleased to find out that this album is one of Spock's Beard's very best. I typically prefer their material with their previous front man, Neal Morse, but I think this album is up to the same quality as those earlier albums. Everything I love about this band is on full display here. Great melodies, expert musicianship, and tons of fun. I absolutely adore this album.

1. Lover's End- Moon Safari
This is by far my favorite album of the year. It is clearly a masterpiece to me. I absolutely adore the incredible vocal harmonies that are throughout this album. The instrumentation is great as well, with a focus on vintage progressive keyboard sounds, piano, and acoustic guitar. Every song is a highlight for me. There are no weak moments. I just can't describe the beauty of this album. This will be one of the most cherished albums in my entire CD collection.

All in all, a great year for prog for me, and I anticipate that 2011 will be even better!

Please check out my Progressive Music Blog: The Leviathan.

sean

Prog Reviewer

Joined: April 02 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 1155

Posted: January 08 2011 at 12:24

1. Yann Tiersen-Dust Lane
2. Agalloch-Marrow of the Spirit
3. Arcade Fire-The Suburbs
4. Sage Francis-Li(f)e
5. Woods-At Echo Lake
6. Alcest-Escailles De Lune
7. Neil Young-Le Noise
8. The Besnard Lakes-Are the Roaring Night
9. Harvey Milk-A Small Turn of Human Kindness
10. Black Mountain-Wilderness Heart

Other than number one, they're not really in any order. I've still been meaning to pick up that new Univers Zero. From what everyone is saying, I need to pick up that new Kayo Dot, I've been meaning to check them out.

JonteJH

Forum Senior Member

Joined: June 05 2010
Location: Göteborg/Sweden
Status: Offline
Points: 475

Posted: January 08 2011 at 12:08

1.Periphery - Periphery

2.Chimp Spanner - At The Dream's Edge

3.Avenged Sevenfold-Nightmare

4.The Dillinger Escape Plan- Option Paralysis

5.Moon Safari - Lover's End AND Seventh Wonder - The Great Escape

6.Pain of Salvation - Road Salt One

7.James Labrie - Static Impulse

8.Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void

9.Tesseract - Concealing Fate

10.Cloudkicker - Beacons

11.Fleshwrought - Dementia/Dyslexia

12.Orbs - Asleep Next to Science

13.Piotrek Gruzka - Cosmogenesis

14.Cynic - Re-Traced

15.Deftones - Diamond Eyes

16.Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy

17.Textures - Silhouettes

18.Spock's Beard - X

19.Karnivool - Sound Awake

20.Soulfly - Omen

21.Sky Eats Airplane - The Sound of Symmetry

22.Antony & The Johnsons - Swanlights

23.Rufus Wainwright - All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu

24.worC - When The Day Forms

25.Mnemic - Sons Of The System

Various stuff

M.A.N - Massive Audio Nerve

The Algorithm - CRITICAL.ERROR

Returning We Hear the Larks - Ypres

Jonnah - Jonnah

EverFortright - Demos 2010

Emarosa - Emarosa

Corelia - Demo

Yepp Geek

http://www.lastfm.se/user/JonteJH
http://soundcloud.com/jontejh

TheGazzardian View Drop Down

Prog Reviewer

Joined: August 11 2009
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 8844

Posted: January 08 2011 at 00:18

With about a dozen albums to go through still, here's my tentative list.

1. Major Parkinson - Songs From a Solitary Home: This album came out of nowhere and blew me away at the end of the year. Song based but incredibly inventive and unique, and every song has a stuck-in-your-head quality about it. An absolute joy from the first note to the last.

2. Yugen - Iridule: This was almost my #1 album, on my first listen I was stunned by how they can be so out there and controlled at the same time, so beautiful when they need to be an insane when they want to be. Amazing.

3. Rational Diet - On Phenomena and Existence: Another really, really strong contender, I love the use of strings on this album, and the sound of it is just amazing. Really beautiful stuff.

4. Lucifer Was - The Crown of Creation: This one is basically classical music with rock instruments added in, although it also rocks out pretty good from time to time to. And the vocals are really nice as well.

5. Uz Jsme Doma - Caves: Up-beat avant rock with horns and punk energy.

#6-10 are kind of dancing around right now so I'll get to those later. But they probably include:

Frogg Cafe - Bateless Edge

Univers Zero - Clivages

Algernon - Ghost Surveillance

RRR - Il Pittore Volante

Solus3 - The Sky Above the Roof

harmonium.ro View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Joined: August 18 2008
Location: Anna Calvi
Status: Offline
Points: 22989

Posted: January 07 2011 at 12:52

The only top I wrote in stone is my overall top 5: Massive Attack, Jaga Jazzist, Kayo Dot, Arcade Fire, Agalloch (from 1 to 5).