Favorites of 2005

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ebass

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Sep 17, 2002
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OK so lets have it people.

What are your favorites, or your picks for best of 2005. I think it was a great year myself.

I guess it is not so easy since we all listen to so many differant types of music hey? I guess the main genres here would be progressive ( obviously ) power metal and just straight up pop or rock?

I for one love to hear your opinions as well as my fellow Enchanted band mates, maybe we can we can even get them to chime in? :cool:

Its about that time.
 
Alright, Ed. Here's a few that blew me away this year with commentary.

Redemption/Fullness of TIme - There's not much left to say about this. This is an emotional, moving piece of music that will be listened to a decade from now and beyond. Sapphire is, hands down, song of the year.

Fragile Vastness/Tribute to Life - If Redemption hadn't come out this year, this would be my no.1 disc of 2005. Imagine combining APSoG era Fates Warning with Pain of Salvation. Yes, this is that good. The new singer brings such an emotional charge to this concept album about a man who finds he has cancer and has two months to live. It's a two disc album, so lots of cool prog riffage and beautiful acoustic and piano passages. The singer is definitely channeling Ray Alder and Daniel Glindenlow. Phenomenal disc that has the worst distro on the planet. It's hard to get.

Sieges Even/Art of Navigating - Atmospheric yet soulful prog that combines emotion and technical prowess. This is very smooth and mellow stuff with a few heavier areas thrown in tastefully. They have always been criticized about their choiced of singer. Not anymore. This guy belongs in this band and is silky smooth. I'd like to see them on tour and find out how he handles older material.

Pantommind/Shade of Fate - Prog metal from Bulgaria. Yes, Bulgaria. Apprarently there is a growing prog movement in the Bulgarian underground and these guys are the first to make it outside of the homeland. They combine many styles and genres, but they are best described as No Exit era Fates Warning mixed with Dream Theater and spiced up with the band Yes. The singer's range is downright scary and the keyboardist is the best I've heard this year. Bulgaria? Go figure.

Cloudscape - The pinnacle of melodic metal comes from Sweden. This is full of catchy hooks and fist-pumping riffage. It also sports amazing production from Theo Theander. I have a feeling they will be on stage at the next PP.

Day Six/Eternal Dignity - This is kind of a PoS light. They play quirky and unpredictable prog rock/metal with many time and key changes. This is actually a few years old and just saw the light of day in the States this year. Their new material sounds light years ahead of this. Still a solid debut and a promise of future potential.

Those are the ones that stand out for me. Obviously more prog metal than rock, but that's my background. I'm just now discovering and getting into bands like Jadis and Tiles. It's taken a while, but I'm moving that way. This was also the year I redicsovered Enchant. I had their debut when it was first released and I was not really into prog so much then. Now, after a decade, I can clearly say Blueprint is in my top ten of all time.

Bottom line here is this was the best year of music I've had.

Scott
 
well I must say that more than the previous years, 2005 is definitely the year which gave me more surprises.

So far my album of the year is Riverside' Second Life Syndrome Definitely the album which gives me real chills this year. IMHO this band is definitely the missing link between Anathema, Opeth and Porcupine Tree. Songs like Conceiving You, I Turned You Down really got a hook on me.

Right behind is Beyond Twilight - Section X. Finn Zierler rules ! he gots b@ll$ and he know how to make a song catchy, melodic and in your face !

Third position is Shadow Gallery - Room V. Very dear and personal to me. I love that band.

Redemption - The Fullness Of Time. Alder at his best ! Great musicians, pure and great vocals (Man I got chills just thinking about it)

Dredg - Catch Without Arms. What can I say ? Amazing, I feel their music as very "pure" in sense that production is simple, clean. Great disc. Missed them in Paris couple of weeks ago :cry:

Jetliner - Space Station. Yes I had to unleash the Queen freak which is in me lol ! OK it may sound as a rip off but it's well done.

Bumblefoot - Normal. Guitar player stuff but full of humor. Definitely worth the checking out.

Nobody mentioned Robert Plant And The Strange Sensation - Mighty Rearranger ? Here again a great lesson of songwriting.

On the opposite : the biggest disappointement is Stream Of Passion - Embrace The Storm. I was expecting a lot from this record. But for some reason I had this "already heard before" kinda of feeling and I'm fed up with Arjen's production

Ed what's yours ?
 
I buy a lot of CD's...And I'm the shits with remembering them all...

Overall, I think Presto Ballet's Peace Among the Ruins is tops for me. Great, great stuff, adn it's amazing what a transition Kurdt Vanderhoof did, going from the legendary Metal Church to the regressive/classic prog-rock sound of P.B.

I've also been listening to Disturbed's 10,000 fists. I've never been a fan of them, but this CD is pretty good, and really catchy.

Redemption is growing on me. Ray sounds good (the lack of Matheos?)...Still need more listens, but it's a solid effort.

Labrie's Elements of Persuasion is what DT's Octavarium SHOULD have been. Labrie's latest solo effor is top notch solid...

Probably the biggest dissapointment for me was S.G.'s Room V. I found it drawn-out, forced and boring.

--dan
np: Lethal: Programmed <---Tom Mallicoat was the best Geoff tate clone, ever!
 
MESHUGGAH - Catch 33

OPETH - Ghost Reveries

TRIPSWITCH - Circuit Breaker

HIDRIA SPACEFOLK - Live 11am

COLDPLAY - X&Y

ECHOLYN - The End Is Beautiful

Elemental Journey - Absolute Ambient Vol 2

Trancient Dreams - Into the Ether

Shakira - Fijacion Oral Vol.1 / Oral Fixation Vol. 2

ZubZub - Malicious Code
 
Right off the bat I can say

Redemption - In the Fullness of Time - Just flat out awesome. Some of Adlers best vocals (last track - gives me chills everytime I hear that harmony ) and what might be my song of the year Parker's Eyes.

Pagan's Mind - Enigmatic: Calling (I have spun this disc hundreds of times since I got it and it is not getting old or losing any punch or flavor - might be my number 1)

Symphorce - Godspeed - one of the best HEAVY albums of the year no doubt

Circus Maximus - The 1st Chapter - mix some early DT with a splash of Symph X and classic TNT from back in the day. Singer is amazing and just a really great debut disc (oh and they were awesome live at Prog Power)

LaBrie - Elements of Persuasion - everyone says this is what Octavarium should have been. Octavarium had some good songs..... but everyone is right. James' best vocal work in a LONG while (is it because he is allowed to create the melodies 100% solo?) and my boy Guillory from Dali's Dilemma I have always loved. Just an amazing and very listenable disc.


Sidebar-
Best Live performance of the year:
I saw some GREAT stuff this past year including an AMAZING set by DT on the Gigantour in West Palm Beach.......

But there is no doubt, hesitation or second guessing in my mind whatsoever:

CONCEPTION at ProgPower.

I can honestly say I practically had a religious experience out there on the floor watching their set.
:worship::worship::worship::worship::worship::worship::worship::worship::worship::worship::worship:
 
I easily give that award to Glass Hammer's The Inconsolable Secret. I've listened to it countless times and it's the only album of which I can say I truly get something new out of it with every listen. I'm a big fan of literature too, and it's the only album I've ever owned that I can approach as I approach literature (it comes with a 20,000 word epic poem after all).

Honorable mentions go to:
Neal Morse- ? (There's no stopping this guy)
Kino- Picture (Surprised it was so listenable)
Kamelot- The Black Halo (Superb and HEAVY)
Sonata Arctica- Reckoning Night (This might have to be #2. Epic and simply amazing, I was unable to listen to anything else for about 3 months after I got it)
Shadow Gallery- Room V (Lots of great moments, other good moments)
RPWL- World Through My Eyes (Finally they stopped sounding exactly like Pink Floyd.)
Mostly Autumn- Storms Over Still Water (Just about the only female prog vocals that I like)

And for the non-prog mentions:
Dredg- Catch Without Arms (nothing more I need to say)
Ra- Duality (A major label band with a shred of talent? It's true!)
Default- One Thing Remains (A much improved band from their early days.)

Sorry for the long list; must have been a great year! Here's to 2006 being even better.
 
I'm doing my top 10 in a couple weeks. IN the mean time, not yet mentioned above:

Salem Hill - Mimi's Magic Moment (Brilliant!)
Pallas - The Dreams Of Men (Excellent)
Quidam - surREvival (Porcupine WHO? ;-) )
Antimatter - Planetary Confinement (Dark, Sad, Fabulous!)
Magic Pie - Motions Of Desire (Must Have!)
IZZ - My River Flows (These guys and gals are soooooo good)

NP: Riverside - Second Life Syndrome
 
Hi to all!!! first i want to say my english is very poor i´m a spanish student without time to learn english jajaja. ok my fovourite cds of 2005 are:
1- second life syndrome (riverside)
2- picture (kino) waow!! chris maitland
3- deadwing (porcupine tree)
4- enigmatic calling (pagans mind)--> incredible!
5- the art of navigating.. (sieges even)
6- suspended animation (john petrucci´s solo album)
7- pepper & the gohst (arena)
I think the 2006 year will be better with Chimera the new cd of andromeda, a.c.t 4th cd , jadis new cd, ENCHANT!!!!!(could be), ted leonard´s new project and much more!!:headbang:
 
If you consider BLACKFIELD a 2005 release, it winz (it came out domestically in '05 atleast)

also Umphreys McGee - ANCHOR DROPS I think was an '05 release in Europe.

but taking those out and not including live albums:

Dredg - CATCH WITHOUT ARMS
Porcupine Tree - DEADWING
The Mars Volta - FRANCES THE MUTE
Coheed And Cambria - GOOD APOLLO I'M BURNING STAR IV, VOLUME I: FEAR THROUGH THE EYES OF MADNESS
Shadow Gallery - ROOM V SE
Shaman - REASON
King's X OGRE TONES
Dream Theater - OCTAVARIUM
System Of A Down - MESMERIZE
Opeth - GHOST REVERIES

others:
Pat Metheny Group - THE WAY UP
Presto Ballet - PEACE AMONG THE RUINS

haven't heard fully yet:
SOAD - HYPNOTIZE
Circa Survive - JUTURNA
Francesca Gagnon - HYBRIDE
Daniel J - LOSING TIME
Afro Celt Sound System - VOLUME 5: ANATOMIC
Never Ending White Lights - ACT 1: GOODBYE FRIENDS OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES

Kyle
 
Album of the year:
NEVERMORE - This Godless Endeavor

The rest of the best (in no special order)
DREAM THEATER - Octavarium
OPETH - Ghost Reveries
KING'S X - Ogre Tones

The album I rediscovered:
LEMUR VOICE - Insights
I love it, I'm looking for their second album, but it's very hard to find!

Still waiting for the Redemption CD, just got the message that it has been shipped.
 
Buried Inside - Chronoclast. Selected Essays on Time-reckoning and Auto-cannibalism. (Probably the best album this year)
Ulver - Blood Inside
Funeral Diner - The Underdark
The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute
The Number Twelve Looks Like You - Nuclear. Sad. Nuclear.
Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
Dredg - Catch Without Arms
 
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