Newer releases vs. the classics...

[eaeolian]

...inspired by Zod's comments in the "Is Our Music Becoming Classic Rock" thread.

What "modern" metal releases (in around the last ten years or so) do you think can hold their own with the genre "classics". By "classics", I mean albums that are so good they've sustained and even grown on you as a listener since their release - albums like "Operation: Mindcrime", "Piece of Mind", "Heaven and Hell", etc.

When I started thinking about it, the list was kinda small. A lot of "modern" discs I initially loved haven't aged very well, whereas others have held up brilliantly. Since I'd prefer this not be "here's my favorite discs of the last ten years", let's have some commentary on *why* you think they hold up.

I'll start with one I listened to this morning: Angra's "Holy Land".

The disc has it's negatives. Some of the melodies border on outrageously cheesy. The keyboard sounds are not too strong, and the recording is very "el cheapo", even though it was very good for an indy in it's time period. However, the tones are good, the performances are ridiculously excellent, and the songwriting has a majesty and "magic" to it that makes even something as nearly weedy as "Make Believe" somehow come across as sincere. Mato's voice isn't for everyone, but I think this is his peak for emotive "punch", and the melodies are hummable yet not totally predictable. Add in the Brazilian flavoring in songs like "Carolina IV" - which manages to successfully impart the feel of being on a journey - and they really managed to create something special.


I'll weigh in with a few more as time allows today, but I'm interested in seeing people's take on this.

 

[Dolamite S. Biffle]

I personally dont think Holy Land is even that good of an album any way. I much prefer Angels Cry.

Though I do think that this is a good idea for a thread. I sat there and tried to think of a release that was newer that could possibly stand up to O:MC and I just cant think of anything that is really on that saem level.

 

[Cheiron]

Here's a similar thread. But this one I asked just for new bands. http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/progpower-usa/259094-name-album-new-group.html?highlight=classic

As for any classics produced 'lately.' That would depend on 'personal classics' or 'widely accepted classics (by say the metal community).'

I really haven't seen anything in the last couple years that has been widely acclaimed by the metal community.

But personally, I think a few classics for me might be Circus Maximus's album, Redemptions second album, JOP's latest, and Hammers of Misfortune (Glenn needs to recognize the genius of this band and get them to ProgPower).

 

[johnfrank1970]

These are classics for me. I make no claim they are classics for the community at large. Especially this community.

Spiral Architect / A Sceptic's Universe / 2000

Right up there with WatchTower and Cynic as the best tech metal ever.

Arsis / A Celebration of Guilt / 2004

Breathed new life into a somewhat stagnant genre. Best melodic death release ever.

Into Eternity / Buried in Oblivion / 2004

Unbelievably catchy, incredibly well-played, and somewhat unique.

Necrophagist / Epitaph / 2004
Necrophagist / Onset of Putrefaction / 1999

Stellar classics of complex death. Incredibly engaging. Influenced many bands.

The Unchallenged / Sceneries / 2002

Takes the latter day Death sound, makes it thrashier and catchier. Yes, I like this slightly better than Individual Thought Patterns.

Theory in Practice / The Armageddon Theories / 1999

Amazing complex death. A genre classic.

Martyr / Warp Zone / 2000

Amazing complex death. A genre classic.

Power of Omens / Rooms of Anguish / 2003

My second favorite traditional prog metal disc after WDADU. Awesome performances and killer songwriting.

 

[General Zod]

To be fair, I feel OMc exists on a level all by itself. I don't think and disc, past or presence, can measure up to it.

I'd list the following as classics of modern Metal:

Zero Hour's Towers of Avarice
Nevermore's Dreaming Neon Black
Opeth's Still Life
Symphony X's V: The New Mythology Suite
Iced Earth's Something Wicked This Way Comes

I believe that Redemption's new disc should be on this list, but feel a disc first needs to stand the test of time.

Zod

 

[eaeolian]

These are classics for me. I make no claim they are classics for the community at large. Especially this community.

Well, apparently they work in *my* community - there's at least two discs in your list I was planning on writing about...

 

[eaeolian]

Zero Hour's Towers of Avarice
Nevermore's Dreaming Neon Black
Opeth's Still Life
Symphony X's V: The New Mythology Suite
Iced Earth's Something Wicked This Way Comes

...and two of these, too.

 

[edgeofthorns]

My vote goes to Savatage's (Edge of Thorns). Eventhough this wasn't released less than 10 years ago, I feel like it's an overlooked disc by many casual metal fans.

Edge of Thorns marks the last album with Criss and the first with Zak and is an excellent place to begin exploring the band. In my opinion, EOT contains the best elements of Sirens up to Streets. With that in mind, it gives a glimps of the music of the era to come.

Edge of Thorns also marked a fresh decade for a band that never, never compromised their sound and fell victim to trends. In my opinion, EOT stands along with such classics as Piece of Mind, Heaven and Hell, and Master of Puppets.

~Brian~

 

[eaeolian]

As for any classics produced 'lately.' That would depend on 'personal classics' or 'widely accepted classics (by say the metal community).'

I really haven't seen anything in the last couple years that has been widely acclaimed by the metal community.

Given the diversity of genres, dearth of product, and underground marketing nature - and the insular nature of some metal communities - that's not terribly surprising to me. I expect people will disagree with me, but, hey, that's what the internet's for.

 

[Yngvai X]

Nevermore - Dead Heart in a Dead World
Children of Bodom - Hatebreeder (not my favorite, but definitely the one that put them on the map)
Strapping Young Lad - City

I'll probably think of more later...

 

[Burnout]

I guess I'll toss up a few names, or a short list:

Riverside - Out of Myself
Orphaned Land - Mabool
Disillusion - Back to Times of Splendor
Gojira - From Mars to Sirius
Týr - Ragnarok
Wintersun - Wintersun

I'd be willing to argue in favor of each, but I don't have the time at the moment.

 

[Troy the nomad]

Zero Hour's Towers of AvariceZod

Towers was the first thing that came to mind for me. The thing I LOVE about Towers,
is that it doesn't sound like anything else. The musicianship is amazing and the vocals incredible. Top 5 all time for me.

I believe that Redemption's new disc should be on this list, but feel a disc first needs to stand the test of time.

Zod

Well, A Redemtion CD might be on my list

 

[Magius]

Mercenary- 11 Dreams: A showcase for almost every aspect of Metal. Vocally diverse with Death growls, Black screaming, and clean vox. Catchy yet progressive song structures with different tempos. Complex drumming with occasional diplays of double basing and blast beats. It even has a balladish cover song. What's missing? Maybe some Neoclassical shredding, but the album doesn't suffer for the lack of it.

 

[BlackRoseMetalHeart]

Hellfire Club - Edguy

There are very few albums that come out now-a-days that I can listen to all the way through and think that every song on the album is great. This is one of them and Edguy has consistently produced a wealth of other fine works over the span of their career (at least until their last album - which is still growing on me).

Benedictum's Uncreation, which came out last year, is another one I'd like to add to this list, but that is the band's debut album and I am not certain how well received it was among the metal community as a whole, so I don't really consider it a valid nomination. It is yet to be seen if this band will continue to produce great albums like this one and if those albums will stand the test of time. Sorry, but this album is so good I had to mention it.

 

[Braxil]

I personally dont think Holy Land is even that good of an album any way. I much prefer Angels Cry.

I once thought as you did. Now I have seen the light.

I think there are two major factors here. 1) What an album contributes to a genre/what influence it has. 2) How well it stands the test of time.

That being said, I think it's a little too early to know for sure how all that's going to pan out for "recent" albums, but my feeling in general is that a lot less innovation has taken place recently as opposed to what happened in the 80s. That being said, almost all of my favorite albums are from the 90s, and I think a few of them (Holy Land, as mentioned elsewhere in this thread, is a strong candidate) might end up being "classics".

 

[eaeolian]

OK, here's one that hasn't been mentioned:

"Mabool" - Orphaned Land

It's definitely a love-it or hate-it disc. It's got some production - and occasional pitch - issues. It's also got some utterly brilliant songwriting, performances that carry a lot of emotional weight, and an influence-twisting fusion of metal "styles" and other musical influences. The underlying story is interesting, too, both in approach and execution. It's ambitious, damn near pretentious, at times - but successful, and always presents an interesting and challenging listen. What I don't know it how it will age. However, I think it's going to be one that's cited as influential by musicians for a long time...

 

[YtseJammer]

Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory
Eternity X - The Edge
Symphony X - Divine Wings of Tragedy
Labyrinth - Return to Heaven Denied
Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle Earth

Five that come to mind.

 

[Meteornotes]

Cool idea for a thread. My picks (and these might be a little more than ten years old):

Ocean Machine - Biomecn: I will never forget the first time I heard this, as I had never heard anything like this before. The wall of sound that Devin creates here, along with the songwriting displayed, may never be matched.

Conception - Flow: I ranted about this at length long ago on some lame-assed website. Yes, it might not be as "heavy" as the previous two discs, but the song writing is so much stronger. I still hope for one more disc from these guys.

Superior - Younique: I can hear the torches being lit now, for daring to suggest this is in anyway "superior" to the first one. Well, it is! They try so many different things here, melding different styles together, and make a much more cohesive disc than the first one, which to me always seemed like the songs all ran together (though "Why" is still the best song they ever recorded).

The Gathering - Nighttime Birds: The best thing they would ever record, as they headed off into alternaland after this one, but what a way to go out. Absolutely haunting music, especially the title track. I've given up on them ever recording anything this good ever again.

That's just off the top of my head. I'd have to go look at the CD shelf for awhile to give you more. Some more current stuff that might make this list includes the first Circus Maximus, Andromeda's "Extension Of The Wish", the second Redemption disc (Hell, that disc could contain covers of ten American Idol winners' songs, and would still make the list because of "Sapphire"), and Pagan's Mind's "Enigmatic Calling".

dt

 

[rms]

I agree with Zod on Dreaming Neon Black, that is truly a solid CD. 9/10+ imo.

I hope and think Redemption's Fullness of Time sticks around, and Rhapsody's Legendary tales...before they started to suck a bit =/

 

[hoodaman]

I think Evergrey's "Recreation Day" is classic. I can listen to that one over and over. Every song on it is my favorite. It has a great flow.

Iced Earth's "The Dark Saga" albeit 11 years old is probably one of my all-time most listened to albums. I'm partial to this one over other IE albums since it's a concept album based on Spawn.

The Novembers Doom album "The Knowing" is a doom classic. It has it's varied parts, the vocals are sincere, the melodies will stay with me forever and has an atmosphere that takes me places when I listen to it.

Vanden Plas "Beyond Daylight" has gotten better every spin. It's a totally great disc that every song gives me chills in at least one spot.

Shadows Fall's "The Art of Balance" was one of the first albums I heard that had descent guitar work in it. I was full-on into the nu-metal scene at the time and this one kinda kicked me out of it. So it's a great album for it's songs and for sentimental reasons.

In fact, Shadows Fall and Evergrey are the reasons I'm even listening to the good stuff now instead of raving about how great Family Values 2007 is gonna be.