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User
Reviews 22
Approval 100%
Soundoffs 54
News Articles 5
Band Edits + Tags 41
Album Edits 49
Album Ratings 1371
Objectivity 73%
Last Active 12-28-17 3:22 pm
Joined 03-06-13
Review Comments 1,322
| | 2014 So Far | | 10 |  | Jordan Rudess
Explorations
Classical / Progressive Rock - The latest solo album by Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess. I much
prefer this album to most of his other works because there's an orchestra keeping his keyboard fondling
under some relative control, and in most of the first half of the album it's bloody brilliant. It's a shame
about the latter half which is mostly Jordan on his own. Check out my review of it for more detail.
Favourite Track: 'First Movement' - 7/10 | | 9 | | Mastodon
Once More 'Round The Sun
Progressive / Stoner (?) Metal - A bit of a hit and miss album for me, really. But god,
they really hit hard with tracks like 'The Motherload', 'Chimes at Midnight' and 'Ember
City'. Not as good as Crack the Skye or Blood Mountain, but definitely a step up
from their last album. Favourite Track: 'Chimes at Midnight' - 7/10 | | 8 |  | Anathema
Distant Satellites
Atmospheric / Progressive Rock - Again, a little bit hit and miss. I find myself
skipping through tracks just to get to the next best one. Not as good as Weather
Systems, mind you, but I wouldn't mind listening to it the whole way through now
and again. Favourite Track: 'Dusk (Dark is Descending)' - 7/10 | | 7 |  | Peculate
The Chain Industry
Progressive Metal / Avant Garde / Jazz - Certainly a surprise I stumbled upon; multi
instrumentalist who covers a range of genres? Yes please! I really need to review this
album in more detail, it really is worth it - hell, by the end of the year it might even be in
my Top 3 if it keeps growing on me. Everything from jarring death growls to bouncy jazz
jams whilst berating capitalism, you certainly can't berate him for being unoriginal.
Favourite Track: 'The End of History Pt. I' - 8/10 | | 6 |  | Engineers
Always Returning
Dream Pop / Shoegaze - the progressive tendencies of Kscope have rubbed off on these guys,
and their latest album certainly shows it. Again, I need to throw a review at this album, but I
haven't listened to it for a while. A very solid album with some delightfully unexpected
progressions in the music - 8/10 | | 5 |  | Casualties of Cool
Casualties of Cool
Ambient / Experimental / Country / Progressive / What - This album hardly needs an
explanation, although I think it works much better with its bonus disc rather than a single LP.
Favourite Track: 'Mountaintop' - 8/10 | | 4 |  | Swans
To Be Kind
Experimental / whatever the hell they are - I don't know enough about Swans to talk about them, and I only just started
listening to them the other week, but damn this is tight! Love the ambient parts, love the energy in tracks like 'Oxygen' and 'A
Little God in My Hands', love the hypnotic vocals and riffs. I can tell I'm going to be listening to Swans a lot more. Favourite
Track - 'Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture' - 8/10 | | 3 |  | Dream the Electric Sleep
Heretics
Progressive / Hard Rock / Post Rock - these guys were a massive surprise when I first found them -
the vocalist is absolutely mindblowing, easily my favourite vocals I've listened to this year. To say
they're progressive rock, they are very accessible yet refreshing; I'd love to see these guys live
someday. Oh, and again, I need to do a proper review for this, because the one that's up does the
album no justice whatsoever. Favourite Track: 'Elizabeth' - 8.5/10 | | 2 |  | Gazpacho
Demon
Progressive / Art Rock - Concept album? check. ~20 minute long song epic? check. Unorthodox instruments?
check. Refreshingly original? check check check. Definitely their best since 'Night', and I cannot put into words
how much I love 'Death Room'. Favourite Track: 'Death Room' - 9/10 | | 1 |  | Anubis
Hitchhiking to Byzantium
Progressive / Cinematic Rock - Holy Jesus, the intense hype I had for this album was well worth it.
Admittedly, it may take a few listens to really get it, but it grows on you like a sexy fungus. Definitely my
AOTY so far - maybe The Pineapple Thief has something to say about that soon. I'd recommend you check
out my review for H2B, there's little more I can say that adds to what I wrote then. Favourite Track:
aaaaaaaah don't make me choose, it's one of 'Blood is Thicker Than Common Sense', 'Tightening of the
Screws' or 'A Room with a View' - 9.5/10 | |
JJKeys
08.28.14 | Does anyone have any other albums from 2014 (similar to all of the above's genres) that you'd recommend me listen to? | JJKeys
08.28.14 | Oh, and an honourable mention to Animals As Leaders and Messenger - I haven't listened to their latest albums enough to have a decent judgement about them | Thibs
08.28.14 | good list, i'll check 1 and 3 and love 2.
here are some 2014 you should check:
Distorted Harmony - Chain Reaction (prog rock/metal)
Napokon - Borders of Babylon (alt rock, bandcamp for 2$)
Teramaze - Esoteric Symbolism (prog metal)
IQ - The Road of Bones (prog rock)
Anubis Gate - Horizons (prog metal)
Mimicking Birds - EONS (alt)
Big Wreck - Ghosts (rock)
Motorpsycho - Behind the Sun (prog rock) | JJKeys
08.28.14 | Ok - I had to change my list a bit because I forgot Swans. Screw Yes, I can laugh at them in my own time.
Thanks for the recs Thibs - I've heard a bit of Distorted Harmony and Anubis Gate, they seem pretty good | GnarlyShillelagh
08.28.14 | is anubis lame prog animals as leaders-esque shit or is it actually good
basically riyl please | JJKeys
08.28.14 | If you like IQ, Marillion and Anathema, you'd probably like Anubis - although if you want to get into them, I'd start with their album 'A Tower of Silence' | Snowdog808
08.28.14 | Sabaton's Heroes was pretty impressive too. | Let
08.28.14 | I still need to check out 5. 10's album cover makes me not want to listen to it. | JJKeys
08.28.14 | Most of the comments in the review agree with that, Let - I don't think Jordan's ever come out with an album cover that's appealing | FuzzyxPickles
08.30.14 | wow so progressive | JJKeys
08.30.14 | I haven't really gone majorly out of my way to find new music from this year; this is list mostly bands I already follow (Anathema, Anubis, Gazpacho), stumbled upon (Peculate, Dream the Electric Sleep) or couldn't avoid 'cos it's everywhere (Mastodon, Casualties of Cool, Swans) - so yeah, it's a bit bad I haven't expanded my taste far beyond prog | Mad.
08.31.14 | Awesome list man, great choices here. Interested that your favourite track on Distant Satellites is Dusk, I find all the tracks up until the Lost Song 3 far too cheesy...
I defnitely need to listen to DtES again, it was so good. It definitely needs. A better review
Anubis is definitely deserving of that top spot, it's still growing on me, exactly like a sexy fungus. Your favourite track choices are definitely some of the best, though the t/t and Partitionists... and Dead Trees... (and every track) are up there | JJKeys
09.01.14 | Cheers Mad, and yeaaah a lot of Distant Satellites is a bit 2corny4me - but Dusk and Lost Song 3 are both amazing. And oh don't get me wrong, all of H2B is amazing, but some songs are more amazing than others | Mad.
09.02.14 | What do you think of 'Anathema'? that was probably the best track for me, along with the t/t
Oh yeah, the first two tracks are probably the weakest and some tracks work better on their own than others, but they've all got something different going on
Y'all definitely need to give Messenger some more spins. The recs Thibs gave are also all awesome, especially Motorpsycho which are probably one of the best modern rock bands.
I'd also recommend:
Seven That Spells - The Death And Resurrection Of Krautrock: IO
Cosmograf - Capacitor
The Visit - Between Worlds | Rowan5215
09.02.14 | Check out Dot Hacker buddy | iambandersnatch
09.03.14 | Thought 7 was "Perculate" lolol
Would have been awesome.
Cool list also | GregorSamsa
09.05.14 | Thank you for not putting 300 fucking albums in your list, like most people seem to do. Your list is actually useful. | iambandersnatch
09.06.14 | haha right. It's like "look at all these albums I probably only listened to once or twice but I'm listing because I want everyone to see how much music I listen to!!!1" | JJKeys
09.07.14 | No problem Gregor - I started off doing my lists like that but without any supporting descriptions; it's much better to actually discuss an album and argue the positive and negative aspects of it rather than just pointing to it and yelling a number |
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