Concept Albums

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Hell Patrol

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Nov 20, 2010
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What's the general consensus on metal concept albums? I've heard quite a few people say that concept albums, without fail, are inferior to a regular album.

I personally prefer concept albums because a general theme helps me to identify with the band and their music more so, than, say, a series of seemingly randomly selected songs.

But what about YOU?

EDIT: While we're at it, what's your favorite concept album?
 
Hell Patrol said:
I personally prefer concept albums because a general theme helps me to identify with the band and their music more so, than, say, a series of seemingly randomly selected songs.
Click to expand...

My thought is as the same as yours. And my favourite concept albums are:

Ulver - Bergtatt (Et Eventyr I 5 Capitler)
Taake - Nattestid Ser Porten Vid
Aborym - Psychogrotesque
 
If the music is good, then it's sort of an added bonus for artistic wankers like myself to enjoy.
 
Yes-Tales From Topographic Oceans
Opeth-My Arms, Your Hearse
Opeth-Still Life
Edge of Sanity-Crimson
Dream Theater-Scenes From A Memory
Genesis-The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Diabolical Masquerade-Deaths Design
ELP-Tarkus
The Who-Quadrophenia
Heart-Dreamboat Annie
Iced Earth-Night of the Stormrider
Novembers Doom-The Pale Haunt Departure
Gentle Giant-The Power and the Glory
Candlemass-A Tale of Creation
Queensryche-Operation Mindcrime
Voivod-Phobos
Keep of Kalessin-Kolossus
Shadow Gallery-Tyranny
Shadow Gallery-V
Syphony X-V
......good thread! There's quite a few more in my collection, but I can't think of the others at the moment. The Who and Opeth intended to make concepts out of a few more of their albums, but ditched the idea, because they had songs that they liked that didn't go with the rest of the album, or just stopped mid-album. (Who's Next, Who Are You...Ghost Reveries, Watershed)
 
Knowing that an album is a concept album before having listened to its actual content does nothing to increase its potential or value for me. If it's written and executed well, then the fact that it's a concept album might make it more impressive to me. But before I've listened to it, its conceptual premise means nothing. It might heighten my anticipation slightly, but that's it; and that anticipation can easily be shattered by a lacklustre effort.
 
^Agreed, it has to do with the lyrical content of the album. And as discussed before in other topics, lyrics can add a lot to a song, but songs need to be good without them, lyrics alone can do nothing.

And:
Personified Hatred said:
Ulver - Bergtatt (Et Eventyr I 5 Capitler)
Click to expand...
Bergtatt is a great album because of its music, but not as a concept one, because I don't understand a shit. Though I think I read it's about some girl getting lost in the forest. lol.
 
Concept albums in a way enrich the music for me. It helps me get into the music a little bit easier. It won't make a shitty album a great album though. I wish more bands did them now.

Dream Theater's Scenes from a Memory anybody.
 
I think the term "concept album" is kind of strange, actually. The albums that fall most neatly into the category of "conceptual" are albums that actually pursue a narrative, in my opinion (e.g. Operation: Mindcrime, Bergtatt, Symphony of Enchanted Lands, etc.). Aside from that, I believe that all albums should be conceptual to some extent (i.e. follow certain themes), without being labeled as "conceptual."

What I mean is that albums that don't adhere to some kind of thematic core, whether it be lyrical or musical, often produce some songs that feel extraneous or pointless (in my opinion). This perfectly sums up the problem I have with Machinae Supremacy's new release. For the first nine songs they go along with their sci-fi/cyberspace/futuristic theme with great musical complement; but from tracks ten through thirteen they adopt a strange, alt-emo bounce-house fucking musical style that totally ruins the atmosphere of the album, for me at least. Fortunately they pulled their heards out of their asses for the final track.
 
impaled+death+after+life.jpg

+
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Two favorites.
 
Einherjar86 said:
I think the term "concept album" is kind of strange, actually. The albums that fall most neatly into the category of "conceptual" are albums that actually pursue a narrative, in my opinion (e.g. Operation: Mindcrime, Bergtatt, Symphony of Enchanted Lands, etc.). Aside from that, I believe that all albums should be conceptual to some extent (i.e. follow certain themes), without being labeled as "conceptual."

What I mean is that albums that don't adhere to some kind of thematic core, whether it be lyrical or musical, often produce some songs that feel extraneous or pointless (in my opinion). This perfectly sums up the problem I have with Machinae Supremacy's new release. For the first nine songs they go along with their sci-fi/cyberspace/futuristic theme with great musical complement; but from tracks ten through thirteen they adopt a strange, alt-emo bounce-house fucking musical style that totally ruins the atmosphere of the album, for me at least. Fortunately they pulled their heards out of their asses for the final track.
Click to expand...

I agree that all albums should be conceptual to a certain point. If they are not tied by some theme they may end up as a seemingly random selections of songs which often results in, as you said, pointless songs that could have been good had they had lyrical ties to other songs on the album, but they end up as nothing more than fillers. I also agree with only narrative albums being referred to as concept albums otherwise it becomes a messy, confusing term.
 
Einherjar86 said:
I think the term "concept album" is kind of strange, actually. The albums that fall most neatly into the category of "conceptual" are albums that actually pursue a narrative, in my opinion (e.g. Operation: Mindcrime, Bergtatt, Symphony of Enchanted Lands, etc.). Aside from that, I believe that all albums should be conceptual to some extent (i.e. follow certain themes), without being labeled as "conceptual."

What I mean is that albums that don't adhere to some kind of thematic core, whether it be lyrical or musical, often produce some songs that feel extraneous or pointless (in my opinion). This perfectly sums up the problem I have with Machinae Supremacy's new release. For the first nine songs they go along with their sci-fi/cyberspace/futuristic theme with great musical complement; but from tracks ten through thirteen they adopt a strange, alt-emo bounce-house fucking musical style that totally ruins the atmosphere of the album, for me at least. Fortunately they pulled their heards out of their asses for the final track.
Click to expand...

All of this. I prefer albums with a consistent theme to actual concept albums, the narratives are usually so damn contrived.

Didn't know you were a fan of Machinae Supremacy, I personally find the new one really bad but for entirely different reasons.

I don't care to name my favourite 'thematic' albums since pretty much all my favourites are, but one notable coherency fuckup that comes to mind is Images and Words. Nowadays I agree with most of the criticism Dream Theater gets and consider them sort of a guilty pleasure, but I still find Images and Words to be a brilliant album without a dull moment on it. But the lack of coherency is astounding. It begins with this dark, Hamlet-inspired song about impending death, which is followed by "Another Day", one of the lightest songs in their entire discography. This contrast is so baffling it has to be intentional, but that doesn't make it any less stupid. I love the album but I can't really think of it as anything but a collection of songs.
 
If the music is good then a concept album really adds to it for me. Bad music, then I don't care if it's a concept album or not.
Scenes from a memory is fucking epic. I love this album so much.
Nightfall in Middle Earth!
Seventh Wonder- Mercy Falls
Angra- Aqua
Ayreon- The Human Equation
FrameShift- Unweaving the Rainbow (not metal, but I love it)
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Mastodon- Crack the Skye
The Sword- Warp Riders
 
They hurt the album when the concept is mediocre fantasy/occult/whatever storytelling and when the music lacks any cohesive concept (see: Seventh Son, the first two King Diamond concept albums) but there are obviously great ones too. Operation: Mindcrime pwns all.
 
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