Wow...with no offense to anyone personally, I think this whole thread just plain sucks...
As much of a metalhead as I am, and as much as I'm enjoying the shit out of lot of new releases, I'm really not hearing anything that I feel I will be totally revering many years from now.
On a related note, let me relay some of my personal faves that I think signify crowning achievements that will never be outdone by certain bands (in no particular order). In a sense, I guess this is my version of "modern classics":
Masterplan -- S/T
Flotsam & Jetsam -- Drift
Evergrey -- (ooh, that's hard) either In Search Of Truth or The Inner Circle
Angel Dust -- Enlighten The Darkness
Threshold -- Hypothetical
Pain Of Salvation -- Remedy Lane
Spock's Beard -- Snow
Shadow Gallery -- Tyranny (already 8 years old?)
Great White - Psycho City
I don't know...I'm running out of faves, and I'm too lazy to scour my collection.
It pains me to think that while I enjoy cranking the CIIC and the JOP...they will always live under the shadow of Savatage...and that kinda sucks (in a way).
While I'm free-associating here, let me put out a band that I think still has it's best album yet-to-come: Mercenary.
Other candidates for best album yet-to-come: Angra (current lineup), still absorbing new album...; also, Deep Purple, Stride
In the "I hope so" category: Evergrey, Kamelot, Masterplan (new lineup), Pain Of Salvation
In the "probably not but I can dream, can't I?" category: Helloween and Gamma Ray (current lineups)
Bands that I totally love (present tense), but still feel they have "jumped the shark": FW, Threshold, Zero Hour (current lineup)
Food for thought, anyone?
Rock on!