| 4.5 superb |
| Baroness Red Album |
| Candlemass King of the Grey Islands |
| Cynic Focus |
| Genesis The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway |
| Giant Squid Metridium Fields |
| It's difficult to accurately describe what's going on here except to say that if you like Mastodon and Baroness, there's a pretty good chance that you'll like Giant Squid as well. Their music is doom-laden, yet highly progressive. The guitars of Squid display a distinct enough tone to seperate them from the two aformentioned bands, but not so much that you couldn't picture all three of these groups on the same bill. I don't know if there's already been a music journalist who's christened this sub-genre with a name yet, but it wouldn't be too far from the mark to describe this stuff as 'Art-Metl'. Can't call it Progressive Metal because that term conjures up thoughts of groups like Dream Theater and Symphony-X. And, these three bands are pretty far removed from that direction anyway. But, while the songs are, on average, much shorter than the material evidenced on the typical 'DT' recording, Squid's music is still highly progressive, extremely artistic and instantly recognizable as a new and original direction. The songs are accesible and melodic, yet there's also a controlled use of dissonance permeating much of their work. There's some sparse layering, a heavy reliance on atmospherics and periodic tinges of keyboard and horn accompaniment scattered throughout the album, that, when all taken together, gives this band a very deep, multidimensional sound. This dynamic is furthered by the decison to pair up a male and female voice on many of the vocal parts. If you demand a level of cerebral sophistication from your Hard Rock/Metal, then Giant Squid's Metridium Fields is probably for you. |
| Grateful Dead Blues for Allah |
| Herbie Hancock Head Hunters |
| Iced Earth The Blessed and the Damned |
| Jethro Tull Aqualung |
| Jethro Tull Benefit |
| Jethro Tull Minstrel in the Gallery |
| Judas Priest Stained Class |
| King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King |
| Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti |
| Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy |
| Megadeth Rust in Peace |
| Megadeth Countdown to Extinction |
| Metallica Master of Puppets |
| Metallica Ride the Lightning |
| Miles Davis Filles de Kilimanjaro |
| Porcupine Tree In Absentia |
| Porcupine Tree Signify |
| Porcupine Tree Arriving Somewhere... |
| Queensryche Rage for Order |
| Return to Forever Romantic Warrior |
| Return to Forever Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy |
| Rush Moving Pictures |
| Rush Permanent Waves |
| Spiral Architect A Sceptic's Universe |
| Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke |
| Testament The Gathering |
| The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed |
| The Rolling Stones Tattoo You |
| The Who Who Are You |
| Wayne Shorter Night Dreamer |
| Wayne Shorter Speak No Evil |
| Weather Report Black Market |
| Yes The Yes Album |
| Yes Fragile |
| 4.0 excellent |
| Atheist Elements |
| Blackfield Blackfield II |
| Blotted Science The Machinations of Dementia |
This disc is beyond brilliant. It's definitely not something you would envision as product of the average human mind. At least, not a normally functioning human mind. The brain of an 'Idiot Savant' gave rise to this music, no doubt. This is all 'outside-the-box' thinking. And, it will get the listener thinking in different categories as these all-instrumental pieces unfold for you at break-neck speed. The members of this group come from many of the big names in Avant-Garde and Technical Metal. Bands like Watchtower, Spastic Ink, Behold...The Arctopus and Lamb of God. If you get off on the music of the bands listed, you'll be diggin' hard on this sixteen track collection of technical and cerebral insanity.
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| Cathedral The Ethereal Mirror |
| Exodus Shovel Headed Kill Machine |
| Exodus The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A |
| Fiona Apple Tidal |
| Genesis Foxtrot |
| Genesis Selling England by the Pound |
| Grateful Dead Workingman's Dead |
| Herbie Hancock Thrust |
| Iced Earth The Glorious Burden |
| ISIS In the Absence of Truth |
| Jethro Tull Stand Up |
| Jethro Tull A Passion Play |
| John Coltrane Giant Steps |
| John Coltrane Blue Train |
| Judas Priest Sin After Sin |
| King Crimson Discipline |
| King Crimson Beat |
| King Crimson Red |
| Lamb of God Sacrament |
| Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin III |
| Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin |
| Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin [DVD] |
| Mahavishnu Orchestra The Inner Mounting Flame |
| Mastodon Blood Mountain |
| Megadeth Youthanasia |
| Megadeth The World Needs a Hero |
| Metallica Kill 'Em All |
| Miles Davis Sketches of Spain |
| Miles Davis E.S.P |
| Miles Davis Sorcerer |
| Miles Davis Miles in the Sky |
| Opeth Watershed |
| Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here |
| Pink Floyd The Final Cut |
| Queensryche Empire |
| Queensryche Queensryche EP |
| Rush A Farewell to Kings |
| Rush Fly by Night |
| Rush Counterparts |
| Skeletonwitch Beyond the Permafrost |
| Testament The Formation of Damnation |
I really think that this new offering is among the band's very finest. In fact, I think it's between this one and 'The Gathering' for the top spot. Every single element of the classic Testament sound comes together here and the production is fantastic. Plus, all the songs are memorable after a few spins....I don't know what's been going on in 'Modern Thrash' over the past few years, but me likey. A lot. This effort by Testament, the last two from Exodus, and the last two from Iced Earth have ALL far exceeded expectations. Not only is the writing on these albums far better than the average, but the production quality is literally THE best I've heard on any crop of metal albums from any era. Unbelievably good stuff.
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| The Flaming Lips At War with the Mystics |
| The Mars Volta De-Loused in the Comatorium |
| The Mars Volta The Bedlam in Goliath |
| The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers |
| The Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet |
| The Who Tommy |
| The Who Quadrophenia Live |
| Thought Chamber Angular Perceptions |
This record has received some much needed attention, but it's still nowhere near the admiration this band is due. These guys got chops. But, isn't that a 'given' in the realm of Prog-Metal? Everyone in the genre got chops. Musicianship is the name of the game here. You need a sharply honed craft just to earn yourself a place at the table. But, once your seated, it's all about one's compositional skills. It's 'F' or walk, buddy. And, this Texas band walks.....hard. They walk hard. lol. For all of that great musicianship in Prog-Metal, most of the discs are boring as schitt. Repetitive, uninspired, unoriginal drivel, the vast majority of 'em. But, Thought Chamber's music keeps you pinned to those speakers for a nice long bout of compelling musical passages and instantly recognizable melody lines. Along with a few other new Prog outfits like Redemption and Magic Pie, Thought Chamber is the band to be watching.
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| Trouble Manic Frustration |
| Trouble Simple Mind Condition |
| Voivod Nothingface |
| Voivod The Outer Limits |
| Weather Report Heavy Weather |
| Wishbone Ash Argus |
| Yes 90125 |
