Category: Music

My Top Albums of 2022

On By UncannyDerekIn Music, Top AlbumsLeave a comment

And starting off at number fifteen. . .

15. Gevurah – Gehinnom (Canada – Profound Lore)

The second album from Gevurah features their great song writing technique with their ever-so-punishing black metal. With incredible blast beats and thrashing riffs, the Gehinnom feels in your face for a full 46 minutes with tasteful acoustic interludes in-between the destruction.

https://gevurah.bandcamp.com/album/gehinnom

14. ARÐ – Take Up My Bones (England – Prophecy Recordings)

In a complete 180 from the album listed above, ARÐ’s Take Up My Bones is epic doom metal at its best. With a slow, dramatic pace and hauntingly beautiful vocal layers, the album at times feels more like an extended mournful prayer. It’s incredible how it works – and an incredible performance by artist Mark Deeks.

https://ardnorthumbria.bandcamp.com/album/take-up-my-bones

13. Night Hag – Phantasmal Scourge (United States – Rotted Life Records)

The death and doom of Night Hag’s Phantasmal Scourge is filthy AF. Heavy on the reverb and heavy in the riffs, Night Hag’s debut album does not disappoint. The album terrifies: with incredible vocal variations and frightening atmosphere, the nine tracks keep the listener engaged for the horrifying journey.

https://rottedlife.bandcamp.com/album/phantasmal-scourge

12. Escuela Grind – Memory Theater (united States – MNRK Heavy)

The grind/hardcore and metallic stylings of Escuela Grind are just fantastic. With exploding riffs, blast beats, and growls and screams from lead vocalist Katerina Economou, Memory Theater is just powerful. And what’s even better? The power has groove. The creative songwriting on this album simply is top-notch.

https://escuelagrind.bandcamp.com/album/memory-theater

11. Olhava – Reborn (Russia – Independent)

Back again on my list for another year, Olhava’s Reborn is breathtaking. Still at the top of their game with the bitter atmosphere they evoke, the near-hour-and-twenty-minute album is enchanting and riddled with mood. While at a glance one may feel the album should be shorter – if you’re in the mood for it – you’ll only end up wanting more by the end.

https://olhava.bandcamp.com/album/reborn

10. Cosmic Putrefaction – Crepuscular Dirge for the Blessed Ones (Italy – Profound Lore)

Cosmic is definitely one way to describe the album; Crepuscular Dirge for the Blessed Ones it’s a wild death metal journey that features some out-of-the-box thinking which makes moments of the album border along avant-garde. Solo artist Gabriele Gramaglia absolutely crushes it. With great power comes great intensity: and this album has both.

https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/crepuscular-dirge-for-the-blessed-ones

9. Artificial Brain – Artificial Brain (United States – Profound Lore)

I don’t think Artificial Brian can come out with an album I’ll dislike. They’re three for three now in making my Top 15 list – and I listen to a lot in any given year. The science-fiction melded tech-death stylings seems to be a sweet-spot for me. Of course it helps when Luc Lemay (Gorguts) makes a guest appearance and Colin Marston (Krallice, Gorguts, and a ton of others) mixes the album. Just a brilliant piece of art.

https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/artificial-brain

8. Blind Guardian – The God Machine (Germany – Nuclear Blast)

What a return to form! After years of rather ho-hum albums, Blind Guardian comes back with The God Machine. Bringing back some thrash to their power metal, The God Machine feels like a meld between A Night at the Opera and Somewhere Far Beyond. After thirty years, Blind Guardian still has some major staying power and I’m very happy with this album.

https://blindguardian.bandcamp.com/album/the-god-machine

7. Mosaic – Heimatspuk (Germany – Eisenwald)

Always on the hunt for something different, Mosaic’s Heimatspuk nails it. Into the third album, solo artist Valkenstijn showcases incredible songwriting ability with encapsulating acting and drama. Each song feels independent yet cohesive – all sharing an audible theme of despair which runs throughout the album.

https://mosaic777.bandcamp.com/album/heimatspuk

6. Voivod – Synchro Anarchy (Canada – Century Media)

The progressive thrashers are back with what may be their most “accessible” album to date. Syncho Anarchy’s nine songs are full of punch and energy. You can also feel the band having fun while performing the songs in the studio. There’s a certain excitement that comes with each song that makes Synchro Anarchy one of the best Voivod albums in quite some time.

https://www.voivod.com/

5. Grima – Frostbitten (Russia – Naturmacht Productions)

Like Olhava, Grima makes it back on my list for two years in a row. (What is it with these Russian black metal bands?) Like previous albums, the scope of Grima is based in nature and an epic feel. With mid-paced black metal, the songs get time to breathe and let the listen really become engrossed in the catchy melodies. If anything, Frostbitten comes across as one of the most positive-feeling albums in Grima’s catalogue.

https://grima.bandcamp.com/album/frostbitten

4. Sigh – Shiki (Japan – Peaceville Records)

When a new Sigh comes out, everyone should listen. Constantly breaking the rules of production and how songs can and should be written, the newest Sigh does not disappoint. Always with incredible musicianship, the dynamics on the album are what really stand out. Guitar solos, rototoms, synthesizers, and more, all take center stage in various moments within the album. There’s something very different with Shiki and it’s an honest joy to listen to again and again.

https://peaceville.bandcamp.com/album/shiki

3. Véhémence – Ordalies (France – Antiq Records)

Ripping, epic medieval black/folk metal from France. Ordalies comes in with fresh production and ideas, offering traditional instruments like bagpipes, flutes, and lutes, to make already memorable songs stand out further. The guitar riffs are just incredible though. Crisp and fast, Ordalies is the stand-out black metal album for me this year.

https://peaceville.bandcamp.com/album/shiki

2. Morrow – The Quiet Earth (England – Alerta Antifascista Records)

Absolutely breathtaking crust punk. Within the first few moments of the album, I knew I was in for a ride. With acoustic guitars and percussion being the main driving force of the music, the many vocal styles of Morrow are what really pack a punch. The songs build and fall, creating dramatic escapes and dynamic, engrossing moments that really make The Quiet Earth stand out as an awesome force.

https://morrowpunx.bandcamp.com/album/the-quiet-earth

1. Wormrot – Hiss (Singapore – Earache Records)

I couldn’t begin to count the number of times I’ve listened to Hiss. While the band is grindcore at heart, Hiss is just so much more than that.

With every song having a story, each song brings something different and inspired. From the anthem-like chants in “When Talking Fails, It’s Time For Violence” or the wailing screams to guttural vocal shifts in “The Darkest Burden,” singer Arif comes across like ten vocalists as one. Guitarist Rasyid offers a flurry of range, with bright, aggressive guitars in “Your Dystopian Hell” to the down-right thrash-grind riffs in “Spiral Eyes.” Then there’s songs like “Behind Closed Doors” where drummer Vijesh features both punk rock drum beats and blast beats. But then in “Sea of Disease,” the toms shine with a mid-paced gallop – progressive variations which are not usually found in the genre.

There’s so much variety from the trio of musicians, Hiss is constantly reeling the listener in.

In fact, many of the songs simply transcend one another while holding together a cohesive feel. By the twelfth track “Grieve,” violins enter the album in a dissonant, sinister way. They reappear in a handful of songs afterward. By the final song, “Glass Shards,” the trio come together and make an emotional plea to the listener. And then comes that emotional violin solo, concluding the album and giving me goosebumps and concluding the aggressive drama.

While Arif unfortunately left Wormrot after Hiss’ release, I cannot think of a better high-note to leave on for any artist.

Upon first listen, I knew Hiss would be my Album of the Year: nothing comes close to the ferocity, excitement, progressiveness, brilliance, and emotions that this album evokes from me. Hands-down one of, if not, the best grindcore album I’ve ever listened to.

https://wormrot.bandcamp.com/album/hiss

Honourable Mentions:

Marillion – An Hour Before It’s Dark

The Chasm – The Scars of a Lost Reflective Shadow

The Gathering – Beautiful Distortion

Satan – Earth Infernal

Tomb Mold – Aperture of Body EP

Deströyer 666 – Never Surrender

Porcupine Tree – Closure / Continuation

Alanis Morissette – The Storm Before the Calm

Grand Belial’s Key – Kohanic Charmers

Most Disappointed:

Evergrey – A Heartless Portrait

Meshuggah – Immutable

Megadeth – The Sick, The Dying… And the Dead!

Abbath – Dread Reaver





My Top 100 Favourite Albums of All-Time

On By UncannyDerekIn Comic Books, MusicLeave a comment

 

Taking on the Herculean effort to decide my 100 favourite albums was no easy feat. Over many weeks, I forced myself to write out my favourite albums of all time. I wanted to see what really inspired me through the years by sorting and ranking everything that has touched my life in some way.

The original list ended up being 115 albums. As I sorted through everything, albums got pulled away, other albums I forgot were added – I wanted to take my time with this.

I should also state these albums are my personal favourite – not what I consider to be the “best” albums. Trust me, that list would look entirely different than what I have here.

The only “rule” for myself was to not have more than three albums from one band.

This will probably be one of the most eclectic mix of albums you’ll ever see together – so enjoy!

See #100-90 >

Optional – Vehemence EP

On By UncannyDerekIn Comic Books, Editor's Pick, MusicLeave a comment

My debut EP, Vehemence, is now available on all of these fine platforms!

Spotify

Bandcamp

iTunes

Apple Music

Amazon

An audible experience is what I wanted to do with Vehemence. With varied approaches, the songs are hopefully able to really encapsulate the listener with the mood and atmosphere. The song titles, especially with the final track, Exhaustion, I hope, personifies what I was trying to accomplish.

The goal is to ultimately have you throw on your headphones and enjoy the 35-minute excursion.

From Bandcamp:

“With looming shutdowns in February 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the final few recordings for Optional’s debut LP could not be completed. Shuttered inside, Vehemence was born.

Named after the desire to produce more music, Vehemence is a teaser of things to come: ideas which could not be fully realized in the upcoming LP.

Put some headphones on, increase the bass, sit back and relax. You’re going on a journey.”

Top Albums of 2020

On By UncannyDerekIn Music, Music Reviews, Top AlbumsLeave a comment

And starting off at number fifteen. . .

15. Acid Mammoth – Under Acid Hoof (Greece – Heavy Psych Sounds)

For their second album, Acid Mammoth comes across like an even stonier version of Black Sabbath with some hints of Kyuss. With a healthy mix of psychedelia and metal, Under Acid Hoof jives and weighs heavily. With pounding bass tones and wailing guitars, Acid Mammoth delivers a hefty dose of doom and stoner metal to appease the senses.

Check out Acid Mammoth’s Bandcamp:
https://acidmammoth.bandcamp.com/album/under-acid-hoof

14. John Petrucci – Terminal Velocity (United States – Sound Mind Media)

A household name in both heavy and progressive metal, Dream Theater’s lead guitarist’s highly anticipated second solo album is everything you’d want not only as a guitarist, but as a Dream Theater fan as well. Reuiniting with long-time friend and drummer Mike Portnoy, there’s something familiar sounding within Terminal Velocity. I wrote extensively on the album, which you can read about here. Certainly one of the biggest surprises from this year.

Click here to Watch the official music video to the title track

13. Al-Namrood – Wala’at (Saudi Arabia – Shaytan Productions)

Something sinister from the Middle East, Al-Namrood’s seventh release, Wala’at was another album I tackled earlier this year. With incredibly jarring vocal arrangements from singer Humbaba, I became an instant fan. While I do not understand the literal lyrics, I understand the meaning behind them – thanks to the incredible emotion poured into this impressive black metal album.

Head to Shaytan Production’s Bandcamp page and check out Wala’at here:
https://shaytanproductions.bandcamp.com/album/walaat

12. Shezmu – À Travers Les Lambeaux (Canada – Krucyator Productions)

Out of Quebec, Canada, comes one of the more extreme albums from this year. Shezmu’s debut, À Travers Les Lambeaux, combines black, death, and doom metal into a conglomerate of sound. With vocal harmonies that feature both guttural and frightened shouts, the uneasiness from Shezmu’s music is chilling to the bone. As debuts go, nothing can be more impactful than this.

Check out Shezmu’s Bandcamp here:
https://shezmu.bandcamp.com/album/travers-les-lambeaux

11. Proscription – Conduit (Finland – Dark Descent Records)

A newcomer in the blackened death metal scene is Proscription’s debut, Conduit. With extreme tendencies, the album provides a look into the depths of Hell with its bleak resonance outpouring from the screams and tones from many of the moods in each song. With crunches and reverb in songs like Red Sacrament Black Communion, one can hear and appreciate how Proscription can sink one into the macabre.

Listen to the entire album here:
https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/conduit

10. Ulthar – Providence (United States – 20 Buck Spin)

I’ve reviewed a lot of albums this year, and Ultar’s Providence is one of them. While their first album made my Honourable Mentions in 2018, Providence ups the ante in every possible way, creating a sonic cacophony of beautiful, technical chaos. The clean production of the album stands out as a highlight: where most death metal becomes muddled (for good reason), Ulthar shines. With a bright pop in its insanity, Providence is yet another brilliant album in the band’s arsenal.

Listen to the whole album here:
https://listen.20buckspin.com/album/providence

9. Malokarpatan – Krupinské Ohne (Slovakia – Invictus Productions)

Into the band’s fourth album, prepared to be floored. With influences and genres coming from all over, on paper, one would expect a mess. Yet in Krupinské Ohne, cohesive arrangements come about in what I can only compare as Fantômas meets modern Darkthrone. Traditional heavy metal blends with black metal, meets with strange production and song samples, mixing the atmosphere of the album into something. . . strange. With delicious riffs all over, Krupinské Ohne is a real treat.

Listen to Krupinské Ohne in its entirety here:
https://invictusproductions666.bandcamp.com/album/krupinsk-ohne

8. Ulver – Flowers of Evil (Norway – House of Mythology)

With their last album reaching #2 on my favourite albums in 2017, Ulver continues to work on – and arguably perfect – their sound, which comes across like a darker version of Depeche Mode. Unlike the last album, however, Ulver’s song writing tightens up even greater. While it initially took some time to grow, Flowers of Evil is clearly a stronger leap forward to the band’s ever-progressing soundscape.

Listen to Flowers of Evil here:
https://ulver.bandcamp.com/album/flowers-of-evil

7. Fellwarden – Wreathed in Mourncloud (England – Eisenwald)

Into their second album, Fellwarden’s Wreathed in Mourncloud is a moody beast of an album. As I mentioned in my review of the album earlier this year, the natural feeling and tones within the album are truly epic and still filled with sorrow. To sum my review: “Passionate, intense, brutal, and with a ton of heart, Fellwarden’s Wreathed in Mourncloud is an outstanding album that delivers on every level.”

Check out the entire album here:
https://fellwarden.bandcamp.com/album/wreathed-in-mourncloud

6. Auðn – Vökudraumsins Fangi (Iceland – Season of Mist)

I’ve listened to a lot of incredible Icelandic black metal this year. When I heard Auðn was releasing a follow up to their second album Farvegir Fyrndar (my #9 in 2017), I couldn’t have been more excited. Auðn’s fresh and evolving sound keeps me wanting to go back for more. I don’t think there’s a better example of how what this band is trying to accomplish than the second track of their album, Eldborg – as it brings you something familiar, yet something dark and sinister at the same time.

Check out the entire album here:
https://audnofficial.bandcamp.com/album/v-kudraumsins-fangi

5. Núll – Entity (Iceland – Ván Records)

Featuring members from the Icelandic black metal band Misþyrming, 0 or “Núll” released this depressive blackish doom metal album which is filled with absolute agony and sorrow. A bleak and mournful album, Núll’s tones are intense and yet also very atmospheric while still being bitterly cold. A standout album for for reaching deep into your soul and taking your heart and leaving you to freeze.

Listen to Entity in its entirety here:
https://0000000.bandcamp.com/album/entity

4. Atramentus – Stygian (Canada – 20 Buck Spin)

The debut album of this funeral doom outfit from Quebec, Stygian slowly creeps its way into your mind with cathartic releases sprawled along its slow, 44-minute burn. The album’s three movements are intense with weight. It’s slow burn also acts as a slow build, with the final climax making the experience worthwhile as it pays in dividends. An absolutely brilliant, gorgeous album that has me excited to see what Atramentus will bring to the table next.

Check out the album here:
https://listen.20buckspin.com/album/stygian

3. Nyrst – Orsök (Iceland – Dark Essence Records)

Hands-down my favourite Icelandic black metal album of the year, but what makes it so different? The cold of the atmosphere? The frightening and chilling raspy vocals screaming into my essence? The fact that there’s been a permanent link on my desktop to play the album from my computer since its release? Nyrst keeps pulling me back in to its clutches with its encapsulating sounds and terrifying tones. I’ll be listening to this one for years to come.

Check out Orsök here:
https://nyrst.bandcamp.com/album/ors-k

2. Green Carnation – Leaves of Yesteryear (Norway – Season of Mist)

The distance between this album and my favourite album of the year is actually pretty close. After 14 years, Green Carnation returned with something familiar, yet different. These progressive metal titans have always stood out separate from other progressive metal bands as they created substance over flash – structure over solos. The result? Probably their best album and one of the greatest things to grace my ears in 2020. When the title track was released, I shed tears of joy. Green Carnation are back.

Pick up Green Carnation’s latest here:
https://greencarnationsom.bandcamp.com/album/leaves-of-yesteryear

1. Havukruunu – Uinuos Syömein Sota (Finland – Naturmacht Productions)

What else can I say that I already haven’t? The melodically blazing third album from Finland’s Havukruunu takes Album of the Year because of everything it has to offer in an album and then some.

As one of the greatest pagan black metal albums I’ve heard in recent years, Uinuos Syömein Sota combines elements of guitar virtuoso with thrash and modern production to create a stark experience from traditional pagan albums. While heavyweights like Moonsorrow and Borknagar helped establish the scene by the early 2000s, Uinuos Syömein Sota is a clear and direct evolution from them as they create something different, sharper, and arguably cleaner, than anything else in the genre.

With each song managing to stand out a bit different from the last, each one still manages to have standout moments. From the battery of percussion in Ja Viimein On Yö, to the ripping melodic guitar solos in Vähiin Päivät Käy, the ambient electronic atmosphere in the finale of Tähti-Yö Ja Hevoiset, or the chilling vocal harmonies within the title track, there’s a lot of variety packed within the 46-minute album.

Nothing is overplayed nor is anything overdone. The album is paced brilliantly and it does not overstay its welcome. Uinuos Syömein Sota’s sounds are heavy and harmonious – a perfect concoction for what is, in my opinion, the best album to come out of 2020.

Listen to my Album of the Year here:
https://naturmachtproductions.bandcamp.com/album/uinuos-sy-mein-sota

 

Honourable Mentions:

Afksy – Ofte jeg drømmer mig død

Solothus – Realm of Ash and Blood

Fates Warning – Long Day Goodnight

My Dying Bride – The Ghost of Orion

Ciel Nordique – II EP

Ihsahn – Pharos EP

Precambrian -Tectonics

Triptykon – Requiem

Sinira – The Everlorn

Ulcerate – Stare Into Death And Be Still

Dunwich – Tail-Tied Hearts

 

Most Disappointed:

UADA – Djinn

Thy Catafalque – Naiv

Testament – Titans of Creation

Dynfari – Myrkurs er þörf

Falconer – From a Dying Ember

Questions? Comments? Agree? Disagree? What have you? If you’d like, you can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram!

Have You Heard? The Best Progressive Metal Albums of the Last 20 Years

On By UncannyDerekIn Editor's Pick, MusicLeave a comment

As one of earliest heavy metal subgenres, Progressive Metal has had a lot of time to grow, expand, and become even more progressive. Spawning in the early 1980s with bands like Queensryche, Fates Warning, and King’s X, the genre has become one of the largest and most varied forms of music. However, within the past twenty years there have been plenty of the of different albums – all offering something different than the last. Here, Uncanny Metal takes a look at some of the best Progressive Metal albums that have been released from the past twenty years.


Opeth – Blackwater Park
Music for Nations, 2001

The Swedish band’s fifth studio album, Opeth’s Blackwater Park became a pivotal change of sound for the band. While 1999’s Still Life may be still considered the album with a shift in style, it’s with Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson mix/production on Blackwater Park that really added a sense of progressiveness to Opeth. With their following albums, Opeth style continued to evolve with its progressive and death metal tendencies. Standing back and looking upon the entire discography, Blackwater Park was ultimately considered the tonal shift for the bands future releases.


Tool – Lateralus
Volcano, 2001

Progressive metal and the mainstream never came so close to greatness as it did with the ringing bass lines to Tool’s hit single Schism. While previous albums were also progressive, Lateralus turned progressive metal even more popular and threw the already well-established band further into the limelight. While it was years later for 10,000 Days and Fear Inoculum to eventually see the light of day, Lateralus was the pivotal moment for music fans to unite globally.


Devin Townsend – Terria
HevyDevy Records, 2001

After having worked with Steve Vai and establishing Strapping Young Lad with an outburst of extreme metal, Devin Townsend’s Terria – while probably not everyone’s favourite release, features some of the most intricate atmospheres from Devin’s signature “wall of sound.” A personal concept album and tackling mental health before the movement was in the mainstream, the ebbs and flows of Terria are astonishing with songs still resonating in relevance today.


Green Carnation – Light of Day, Dark of Darkness
The End Records, 2001

Another album with a personal story, ex-Emperor bassist Tchort founded Green Carnation in the early nineties. With their second album, LoDDoD became not only one of the longest songs in the genre of heavy metal, but is also critically acclaimed among metal fans. Crafting an hours worth of music and interlinking it together to unfold a story of both tragedy and life, Green Carnation’s epic stands out as a musical achievement for those who let themselves become encompassed by the grand scope of the song.


Ayreon – The Human Equation
InsideOut, 2004

After multiple science-fiction concept albums, Arjen Lucassen decided to try something a bit different and delve into the human mind. With multiple singers performing as different feelings such as Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt as Fear, Mostly Autumn’s Heather Findlay as Love, and Devin Townsend as Rage, they battle within the mind of the character “Me” (by Dream Theater’s James LaBrie). The album not only tells a story, but actually features incredible twists and turns of regression, infidelity, and coming to the understanding of one’s self.


Shadow Gallery – Room V
InsideOut, 2005

The prog power band Shadow Gallery released their Operation: Mindcrime-esque concept album Tyranny in 1998, only to finish the cliffhanger of a story in 2005. While the concept may feel overdone now, the story and impact comes with a familiar X-Files vibe, with espionage and mystery surrounding almost every song. With impressive songwriting skills and the underrated Gary Wehrkamp on guitars, Room V stands out as a brilliant performance – especially from lead singer Mike Baker who passed away shortly after the album’s release.


Porcupine Tree – Fear of a Blank Planet
Roadrunner, 2007

The last-great Porcupine Tree album, Fear of a Blank Planet is more progressive rock than it is metal – but it’s still hard to not find yourself headbanging along most of the tracks. With the gorgeous, near-twenty minute epic, Anesthetize, to the seductively heavy final track Sleep Together, Porcupine Tree’s theme on reflecting the exploitation and commercialization of drugs and its impact on the human mind, its deep and thought-provoking while still providing incredible music.


Symphony X – Paradise Lost
InsideOut, 2007

While 2002’s The Odyssey could also be on this list, it’s with Paradise Lost that Symphony X really gained their stride. After a five drought after The Odyssey – which ultimately suffers a bit from production issues – Paradise Lost comes in slamming hard and with some of the juiciest riffs from guitarist Michael Romeo. Every song features standout moments from each musician and the album just keeps hitting. Prog/power often gets a mixed reputation due to the power metal elements sometimes overtaking the progressive ones. With Paradise Lost, Symphony X nails that perfect blend with their songwriting.


Haken – The Mountain
InsideOut, 2013

With their breakout third album, Haken’s The Mountain brilliantly constructs the 70s progressive sound in a modern time, almost coming across like a modern day Close to the Edge from Yes. With heavy influences from bands like Dream Theater, the album never really becomes too technical to the point of becoming overbearing. It’s tame yet still manages to impress on every aspect with melodies and vocal harmonies that will forever stick in your mind.


Fates Warning – Darkness in a Different Light
InsideOut, 2013

After 2004’s album FWX, Fates Warning took some time off and reconstructed themselves for an impressive “debut” so to speak. With Bobby Jarzombek on drums, the album felt like a modern re-imagining of 90s albums, Perfect Symmetry or Parallels. With songs appearing straight-forward, their time-signature twists and turns from each song come across as natural, if not subtle. Ray Alder still sounding as great as ever, Fates Warning came back with a bang and have a new album coming out in the Fall of 2020.


Pain of Salvation – In the Passing Light of Day
InsideOut, 2017

Given the lineup changes over the years, Pain of Salvation’s sound had evolved slightly while still keeping their operatic and Andrew Lloyd Weber influence. With new blood in Icelandic songwriter Ragnar Zolberg, In The Passing Light of Day took the album to new heights which the band had never achieved in their 20+ year lifespan. The autobiographical album by singer/songwriter Daniel Gildenlow goes through his near-death experience with an illness and really drives the emotion home in the title track.


Dream Theater – Distance Over Time
InsideOut, 2019

Although 2003’s Train of Thought could have also made this list, 2019’s Distance Over Time does instead. With songwriting similar to Train of Thought, Distance Over Time became a bit of an anomaly in Dream Theater’s discography with it being the first album without a song over ten minutes (not including The Astonishing which arguably wasn’t so much an ‘album’). The crisp songs are to-the-point for the band which can win over new fans while still providing enough technical excitement to impress old ones. A surprise to be sure and easily one of the band’s strongest releases in 20 years.