Your favorite album of this year?

I thought the new Evergrey was typically boring Evergrey. They do have their moments and have the potential to record a great album. I have noticed a number of similar vocal melodies continuing to pop up on all their last 3 albums...gets a bit predictable to quickly.

The latest Balance of Power cd 'Heathen Machine' is rocking my cd player heavily this last month. Singer John K has transformed this band from boring AOR laced prog into something pretty fucking cool. His other band Biomechanical are awesome too.
 
My album of the year definitely is Threshold's "Subsurface". It blew me away right from first listen. I've always hoped that Porcupine Tree's new one and of course SyX next could beat that. But now it's sure that both won't be out before 2005.
 
ProgMetalFan said:
I've never been so frustrated and disappointed by an album before.

I've given BE about 15 listens now... and I hate it just as much as I did on the first listen.

Being a Pain of Salvation fanatic, I expect this quirky and forward-thinking band to change and evolve on each album. However, I do not like this change at all. It seems to me that they perhaps became a bit enamored with the "Broadway Musical" style while they were performing in "Jesus Christ Superstar". That's what this album sounds like, a 70's rock opera like Superstar. It's extraordinarily cheesy and has little resemblance to the Pain of Salvation of the previous 4 albums.

I'm not one of those people that says, "It's not metal so I don't like it." I don't have a problem that there is not a trace of metal to be found on BE. I like good music, regardless if it's metal or not. However, BE fails to deliver any music that I would consider good. Everything is offensively bad. There's a half baked take on renaissance music, a painful rendition of gospel music and a few tracks that contain little more than samples. The instrumental dexterity is largely absent and Daniel's melodramatic voice is now a liability. Daniel sounds like he's acting a part in a musical, as his singing is largely stylized and artificial. Time will tell if this is a band-killer or if it will become a mere curiosity amongst a catalogue of brilliant releases.
Click to expand...

Wow, really? Hmmm, from what heard in the cruddy 30 sec samples on the IO site it didn't sound anything like a musical and I heard plenty of guitars (at least plenty for PoS). I am not doubting you because you have actually heard the whole album its just that it kind of surprises me. I was planning to pick it up next Tue when it releases in the US along with the Mike P solo album. Should be strange to hear I guess hehe.

BTW, my fav this year so far would probably be Winds-The Imaginary Direction of Time. But so far this year has been kinda lag with releases I really want and I haven't yet heard the new Angra album either so we will see. Oh, and I think Winds just barely beat out Evergrey, and that is mainly because I just got into Winds and they are so unique sounding.
 
It's a four-way tie for me, with a somewhat preferential order...

Ayreon - The Human Equation

Megadeth - The System Has Failed

Nightwish - Once

Evergrey - The Inner Circle (at the bottom only because it's not much different for them, although it still rocks)

Although, the greatest song of the year has to go to Dream Evil for "The Book of Heavy Metal." :rock: :rock: :rock:

:grin:
 
ProgMetalFan said:
I've never been so frustrated and disappointed by an album before.

I've given BE about 15 listens now... and I hate it just as much as I did on the first listen.

Being a Pain of Salvation fanatic, I expect this quirky and forward-thinking band to change and evolve on each album. However, I do not like this change at all. It seems to me that they perhaps became a bit enamored with the "Broadway Musical" style while they were performing in "Jesus Christ Superstar". That's what this album sounds like, a 70's rock opera like Superstar. It's extraordinarily cheesy and has little resemblance to the Pain of Salvation of the previous 4 albums.

I'm not one of those people that says, "It's not metal so I don't like it." I don't have a problem that there is not a trace of metal to be found on BE. I like good music, regardless if it's metal or not. However, BE fails to deliver any music that I would consider good. Everything is offensively bad. There's a half baked take on renaissance music, a painful rendition of gospel music and a few tracks that contain little more than samples. The instrumental dexterity is largely absent and Daniel's melodramatic voice is now a liability. Daniel sounds like he's acting a part in a musical, as his singing is largely stylized and artificial. Time will tell if this is a band-killer or if it will become a mere curiosity amongst a catalogue of brilliant releases.
Click to expand...

I cannot believe what you're saying. Even after 15 listens you still don't like BE? :erk: I have to admit, it took me a few listens to start appreciating it but now I'm in awe. BE is absolutely awesome. Right now, it's my favourite PoS album (although I don't really like Nauticus) and that says a lot. Yesterday I listened to BE with my headphones on, completely focused on the musics and the booklet with the lyrics in my hand and it was an astonishing experience. There is few music that can evoke such strong emotions to me as PoS (and BE!) can do. Of course, it is always possible that you don't like it but I for myself love it. The concept is brilliant too.
 
I also don't like the new Evergrey.

Has anyone heard these? I got them last week and highly recomend them for the people who like progressive stuff.

Mindflow - Just the Two of us...Me and Them
Anti-depressive Delivery - Feel.Melt.Release.Escape
 
BE is great great great. Less consistent than Remedy Lane or TPE, and that's why it's not my favorite. But I acknowledge this anyway as their best work, it's just that I don't have the patience to dig into the whole concept (+ I don't understand all English).
 
Evergreys never actually really captured me. Far too monotonous. I mean, some songs are really cool from various albums, like 'Different Worlds' 'I'm Sorry' etc. But most of it is just so repetative that it puts me to sleep. That's a shame too because I actually really do like the singers voice, just he doesnt belt it out enough.

I havent listened to the new POS, but I never got into the old POS much again except for a few really cool songs. Again as a whole I found them pretty boring, but they are different in their style so I do respect that. What I've heard about BE though.. don't think I could 'appreciate' it but then who can say seeing as I've never heard anything.
 
Another album I've forgotten to mention was Mystic Prophecy's "Never Ending"
What an album. They are starting to sound more and more like Iron Maiden with each album. Yet, they still maintain thier own distinct sound. I absolutly LOVE this band and the album.
 
Liquid Tension said:
I've stayed away from this disc because of this review and all the responses.

http://www.metalreview.com/albums/d...aspx?album=1110
Click to expand...

I wouldn't stake too much on what the "good people" at metalreview and some other forum posters have to say about this.

This is also just about the only bad review of this disc I've ever seen on the net. Do a search in google for Age of Silence and see for yourself. 90% of the reviews are positive or really good.

Look at the quotes under the review, this is what it says:

http://www.metalreview.com/albums/default.aspx?album=1110

Eikind (the real one)
Date/Time Posted: 10/10/2004 5:05:17 AM
Rant: It's interesting to see the many positive and negative responses. It's interesting to see people get so passionate about our music even if they hate it. One correction has to be made, most people don't think this is crap, most people actually like it. The above mentioned review from Chris at metalreview.com is the worst review we have gotten, and the ONLY bad one I know of.

5/5:
http://horrorwoodbabbleon.com/horror/index.php?module=prodreviews&func=showcontent&id=741

7/7:
http://www.daredevil.de/reviews/2004 reviews september04/2004 reviews september04.html

9/10:
http://www.geocities.com/criticaltom_2000/2004e.html

9/10:
http://harm.us/reviews/showreview.cfm?albID=3237&visitor=0

8.5/10:
http://metalstorm.ee/reviews/more_review.php?id=681

82/100:
http://www.metalreviews.com/reviews/detail.php3?id=2386
 
honeylager said:
I wouldn't stake too much on what the "good people" at metalreview and some other forum posters have to say about this.

This is also just about the only bad review of this disc I've ever seen on the net. Do a search in google for Age of Silence and see for yourself. 90% of the reviews are positive or really good.

Look at the quotes under the review, this is what it says:

http://www.metalreview.com/albums/default.aspx?album=1110

Eikind (the real one)
Date/Time Posted: 10/10/2004 5:05:17 AM
Rant: It's interesting to see the many positive and negative responses. It's interesting to see people get so passionate about our music even if they hate it. One correction has to be made, most people don't think this is crap, most people actually like it. The above mentioned review from Chris at metalreview.com is the worst review we have gotten, and the ONLY bad one I know of.

5/5:
http://horrorwoodbabbleon.com/horror/index.php?module=prodreviews&func=showcontent&id=741

7/7:
http://www.daredevil.de/reviews/2004%20reviews%20september04/2004%20reviews%20september04.html

9/10:
http://www.geocities.com/criticaltom_2000/2004e.html

9/10:
http://harm.us/reviews/showreview.cfm?albID=3237&visitor=0

8.5/10:
http://metalstorm.ee/reviews/more_review.php?id=681

82/100:
http://www.metalreviews.com/reviews/detail.php3?id=2386
Click to expand...

Dude, you are breaking my balls here. You forgot my review.

http://www.abrasiverock.com/cdreviews/aos10-03-04.php
 
Pain of Salvation's Be was a big disappointment for me also. I hope that Daniel got this out of his system and gets back to writing songs without all the talking!
 
Okay, let me set the records straight. The best albums of this year were:

-Ayreon- The Human Equation

and

-Iced Earth- The Glorious Burden


They both tie for second. Who get's first you ask? Nobody, because Symphony X's new album will be comming out next year, and we all know that it will beat all of these.
 
ErikSchierboom said:
I cannot believe what you're saying. Even after 15 listens you still don't like BE? :erk: I have to admit, it took me a few listens to start appreciating it but now I'm in awe. BE is absolutely awesome. Right now, it's my favourite PoS album (although I don't really like Nauticus) and that says a lot. Yesterday I listened to BE with my headphones on, completely focused on the musics and the booklet with the lyrics in my hand and it was an astonishing experience. There is few music that can evoke such strong emotions to me as PoS (and BE!) can do. Of course, it is always possible that you don't like it but I for myself love it. The concept is brilliant too.
Click to expand...

Now that I have BE and listened to it a few times I can see why people are dissapointed about it. It is just so hard to explain why, but the best I can put into words on why is that it seems like the rest of the band seems like they have been pushed to the side. I don't hear much electric guitar at all, if any guitar its acoustic. When the music gets heavy the few times it does it is all bass and drum driven. I don't know it just isn't the same at all. And yes, there is way too many tracks that are wasted on talking or chanting or whatever. Out of 15 tracks probably not much more than half are actual full songs.
 
Metal Immortal said:
Okay, let me set the records straight. The best albums of this year were:

-Ayreon- The Human Equation

and

-Iced Earth- The Glorious Burden


They both tie for second. Who get's first you ask? Nobody, because Symphony X's new album will be comming out next year, and we all know that it will beat all of these.
Click to expand...

Except we're talking about the best album of THIS year...
NOT next year...
So you're answer is not only incorrect it's moronic. :wave:
 
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