Newer releases vs. the classics...

[Troy the nomad]

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...

Doh! For someone who shies away from "death" type vocals, this is an awesome CD!
I absolutely love the fusion of styles and the feeling, for me at least, that this is something fresh and new.
Oh, and it was mentioned by Burnout, but I'm sure you've noticed that by now

 

[Purveyor Of Evil]

ICED EARTH - "Something Wicked This Way Comes"
CHILDREN OF BODOM - "Follow the Reaper"
NEVERMORE - "Dreaming Neon Black"
THERION - "Lemuria/Sirius B"
BLIND GUARDIAN -"Nightfall in Middle Earth"
I'm drawing a blank all of a sudden, but these are the albums that immediately popped into my head when I read the thread title.

 

[rms]

ICED EARTH - "Something Wicked This Way Comes"
CHILDREN OF BODOM - "Follow the Reaper"
NEVERMORE - "Dreaming Neon Black"
THERION - "Lemuria/Sirius B"
BLIND GUARDIAN -"Nightfall in Middle Earth"
I'm drawing a blank all of a sudden, but these are the albums that immediately popped into my head when I read the thread title.

I personally hope that BG album isnt teh one to live on, Follow the Blind/Imaginations or Tales from the Twilight World to be remembered forever

 

[Braxil]

I personally hope that BG album isnt teh one to live on, Follow the Blind/Imaginations or Tales from the Twilight World to be remembered forever

+1

 

[General Zod]

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...

There are works, mainly in the Prog realm, that can come off as pretentious. However, Mabool never struck me that way. I would agree with you that it is ambitious. It might even be fair to say, a more ambitious work has never been as successful. It will be fascinating to see where these guys go next.

Zod

 

[General Zod]

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.

As you noted, it's the Brazilian flavoring that allowed this disc to stand out. As you also noted, Matos' voice isn't for everyone. I would love to hear what this disc would sound like, re-recorded with the recording budget that SPV now affords them and Edu on vocals. I know to some, that's blasphemy and I can understand that sentiment. However, I think it would be amazing.

Zod

 

[Braxil]

As you noted, it's the Brazilian flavoring that allowed this disc to stand out. As you also noted, Matos' voice isn't for everyone. I would love to hear what this disc would sound like, re-recorded with the recording budget that SPV now affords them and Edu on vocals. I know to some, that's blasphemy and I can understand that sentiment. However, I think it would be amazing.

Zod

Given that Iced Earth is already rerecording the Something Wicked Trilogy this year, this is about all it would take to convince me to jump off a ledge.

 

[swayn3rd]

As you noted, it's the Brazilian flavoring that allowed this disc to stand out. As you also noted, Matos' voice isn't for everyone. I would love to hear what this disc would sound like, re-recorded with the recording budget that SPV now affords them and Edu on vocals. I know to some, that's blasphemy and I can understand that sentiment. However, I think it would be amazing.

Zod

90% of their current SPV budget already goes towards fixing Edu's voice in pro-tools. uke:

 

[General Zod]

90% of their current SPV budget already goes towards fixing Edu's voice in pro-tools. uke:

LOL. Considering how bad he sounded during his last ProgPower performance, you may be right.

Zod

 

[General Zod]

Given that Iced Earth is already rerecording the Something Wicked Trilogy this year, this is about all it would take to convince me to jump off a ledge.

I'm actually looking forward to hearing what Tim does with it. While I'm a total Barlow fan boy, this doesn't bother me. It's not like they're going to destroy all the old copies, and it's not like they're re-recording the whole disc.

What would be totally amazing, given how it seems like there's no bad blood, is if Jon had Matt come in and lend his voice to a track or two. Not taking the lead or anything, but maybe playing the part of a character in the story.

Zod

EDIT: I know the above will never happen... but I can dream.

 

[Burnout]

As you noted, it's the Brazilian flavoring that allowed this disc to stand out. As you also noted, Matos' voice isn't for everyone. I would love to hear what this disc would sound like, re-recorded with the recording budget that SPV now affords them and Edu on vocals. I know to some, that's blasphemy and I can understand that sentiment. However, I think it would be amazing.

Zod

Only if they give Angels Cry the same treatment while they're at it.

 

[Met-Al]

Angel Dust--Bleed (the perfect mix of melody and aggression)
Angra--Temple Of Shadows (this is how over-the-top playing should be done)
Ark--Burn The Sun (No other album like it)
Blind Guardian--Nightfall In Middle-Earth (Awesome concept, awesome mix of power and folk metal)
Brave--Searching For The Sun (highly overlooked)
Conception--Flow (see Ark)
Fates Warning--A Pleasant Shade Of Gray (this album flows beautifully)
Freak Kitchen--Move (see Ark and Conception)
Liquid Tension Experiment--Liquid Tension Experiment (best instrumental album ever)
Pain Of Salvation--Remedy Lane (this album works on musical and emotional levels)
Stride--Imagine (the most radio-friendly prog album ever)
Symphony X--The Divine Wings Of Tragedy--(best neoclassical album ever)
Vanden Plas--Beyond Daylight (gets better with each album)
Without Warning--Step Beyond (most mature prog album ever)
Zero Hour--The Towers Of Avarice (most brutal melodic prog ever)

 

[edgeofthorns]

Brave--Searching For The Sun (highly overlooked)

Interesting. I've never heard of this.

~Brian~

 

[eaeolian]

A
Brave--Searching For The Sun (highly overlooked)

Great disc from a great band. Dunno if it's a classic, but it's definitely not talked about enough. Great live band, too.

 

[pyramazekeyboardist]

My classics:
those three amazing in flames albums (jester race, whoracle, colony) or soilwork's a predator's portrait and natural born chaos
children of bodom- hatebreeder and follow the reaper
Iced earth- something wicked this way comes
opeth- black water park
hammerfall- renegade
arch enemy- wages of sin and burning bridges
cradle of filth - cruelty and the beast
disarmonia mundi- fragments of a degeneration

 

[Meteornotes]

Brave--Searching For The Sun (highly overlooked)

This is indeed a great disc that is extremely underrated. Good call.

dt

 

[Angrafan]

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.

I couldn't disagree more! Imo, Nighttime Birds is EASILY the worst The Gathering CD (Anneke-era only)... It's not bad, but all other albums are great, and Nighttime birds is ok only...

 

[LunaTEKKE]

I was so blown away by the original O:M that I made a cassette copy of the vinyl album and took it with me *everywhere* I went.

While I won’t pretend to understand what makes a CD “timeless” for the general population, that’s the criteria I used for myself. Here are the releases from the last 10 years or so that have had that same impact:

Ayreon – The Human Equation
Circus Maximus – The 1st Chapter
Shadow Gallery – Tyranny & Room V

If we can expand the list to 12 years, I would also include “Dead Winter Dead” from Savatage.

Also, not “metal” – but definitely with ties to the metal community:

Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Beethoven’s Last Night
Van Helsing’s Curse – Occulus Infernum

 

[Taliwakker]

Ayreon-The Human Equation
Ark-Burn the Sun
Freak Kitchen-Dead Soul Men and Move
Devin Townsend-Biomech and Terria
Transatlantic-Bridge Across Forever
Opeth-Still Life
SYL-City

 

[Magius]

Reading through these posts and noting all the suggestions makes a realization markedly clear: My eyes and fingers will pass right over these classics in the rack and find something newer to listen to 99.9% of the time.

I remember when Number Of The Beast, British Steel, The Blizzard Of Oz, and Operation: Mindcrime were all new and exciting. I have them all on CD, but still have the squeeky cassette versions I wore completely out. I also appreciate how highly I regarded them back then, and appreciate the reasons they are considered classics. Nevertheless, I'd be hard pressed to listen to any one of them all the way through today.

I'd much rather listen to Mabool, Sirius B, 11 Dreams, Temple Of Shadows, Century Child, Metus Mortis, or dozens of others. In comparison to these the classics just seem primitive, old, and boring.