Though this wasn't easy, I chose Redemption. I'll break this down in as concise a manner as I can:
Vanden Plas definitely has seniority, and with that seniority comes an incredible catalog of some of the best prog ever written. "Colour Temple" was a solid debut, and each release since then has been a slight improvement on the last. The musicians are top notch without being the slightest bit overindulgent, and Andy Kuntz has one of the most distinctive voices in the genre. To top it off, they're a killer live act. The only thing that keeps them from getting my vote is the time it takes for them to release material. Each album is well worth the wait, but Redemption seems to be catching up to them in the album race rather quickly with the same consistency. Whereas Vanden Plas took eight years to put out their first stellar four albums, Redemption only took six. Since "Beyond Daylight," Vanden Plas has taken the Blind Guardian approach of spending four years on each subsequent album. If Redemption keeps things up at the pace they've been taking, both bands will have the same number of albums by 2015. Considering that Redemption started releasing albums nine years after Vanden Plas, that's extremely impressive.
Circus Maximus, though having two incredible albums under their belts, is still pretty green on the scene compared to the other two bands. In addition, their sound is a little more derivative than that of the other two bands. If album number three can keep the momentum that the first two had going, then they'll definitely make their way up the pyramid of prog a little further. These guys certainly have the chops and the songwriting ability to do it. Besides, Michael Eriksen is quite alright in my book. Not only is he a class act as a singer, but he gave me props as well!
As for Redemption, the newest album is what put them at the top of this heap for me. I really enjoyed the first album. It wasn't perfect, but it showed a ton of promise, especially for a band that wasn't originally meant to be an ongoing project. I think I can speak for a lot of folks here when I say that "The Fullness Of Time" came out and coldcocked us. Not only did the band continue with a more stable lineup, but they went above and beyond expectations. Then they did it again with "The Origins Of Ruin!" At this point, it was like the first album was a promising appetizer, the sophomore effort was the most wicked soup or salad you've ever had, and the third release was a filet mignon cooked to perfection. Just when you thought this date was over, you ended up having the most mind-blowing sex of your life with "Snowfall On Judgment Day!" I don't know if or how they'll top this one, but then again, I said the same thing about "The Origins Of Ruin." I know that I expressed my disappointment with Ray Alder's performance immediately following ProgPower VIII, but I've watched the video a few times since then and realized it wasn't nearly as bad as I originally thought. That said, Ray admits that he was in a bad place at the time, and that can definitely affect your performance. Seeing him with Fates last year proved to me that he can still deliver, and now I'm confident that future performances with Redemption will be better than ever.
Well, that wasn't long-winded now, was it?
Stay metal. Never rust.
Albert
