The 500 Best Prog Albums - Ever!

[Trollheart]

Album title: The Divine Wings of Tragedy
Artist: Symphony X
Nationality: American
Sub-genre: Progressive Metal
Year: 1997
Position on list for that year: 5
Chronology: 3 of 9
Familiarity with artist: 3
Familiarity with album: 1
Gold Rated track(s): The Accolade, The Divine Wings of Tragedy, Candlelight Fantasia
Silver Rated track(s):
Wooden Rated track(s):
Comments: No matter how poor this might end up being, I'm glad to get back to "normal" prog and away from those who experiment. Can do without that for another while, thanks. This one is over an hour long and has a proper prog suite on it, so we may be on safer ground. Or it may all be a cruel trick. I guess we'll see. Well it's a decent start, typically prog metal, but I would have to say nothing that memorable yet. Singer sounds quite a lot like RJD. Kind of really only start taking notice for "The Accolade" though, a slower, sort of medieval style acoustic ballad which is really nice. Okay it's not really a ballad but still the best track so far. It's not that the rest of it is bad, it just isn't making any real impression on me.

"The Eyes of the Pharaoh" is good enough, and "The Witching Hour" gives me a sense of Arena circa Pepper's Ghost, then the title track is that suite I spoke of, opening on a chanted choral sort of thing, reminiscent of Queen really, or some sort of mass, and it all seems to be based I think around the Fall of Lucifer? Maybe. Anyway it's already more interesting than almost all of what has gone before. Now we get a treatment of Holst's "Mars, the Bringer of War" and now it's rocking along nicely. Again, like the Mekong Delta album, this is almost completely different to the rest of the music on the album, and I'm really getting into this now. I think given a few more listens I might really like this, but it does take a while before I feel even compelled to do more than just listen vaguely. It ends well, on "Candlelight Fantasia", lovely little ballad. If only it wasn't for the first six tracks, leaving "The Accolade" aside.

Personal Rating: 7/10

[Trollheart]

Album title: Into the Electric Castle
Artist: Ayreon
Nationality: American
Sub-genre: Progressive Metal
Year: 1998
Position on list for that year: 4
Chronology: 3 of 11
Familiarity with artist: 4
Familiarity with album: 3
Gold Rated track(s): On one listen I can't decide, as I really at the end point have pretty much forgotten what the tracks sounded like.
Silver Rated track(s):
Wooden Rated track(s):
Comments: Looking at this, it should be a shoo-in. Double album, three tracks in the ten-minute mark or more, no less than five suites, and people involved like Damian Wilson, Clive Nolan, Thijs van Leer, Sharon den Adel and Fish, though it is, as Ayreon always is, the brainchild and baby of Arjen Lucassen. If you don't believe that, here's what he does on the album: electric and acoustic guitars, MiniMoog, keyboards, bass, mandolin, Mellotron and vocals. Oh yeah, and he also produced and mixed the album, and wrote all the music. But here's the thing: I've never heard an Ayreon album all the way through, but my old problem persists, in that what I have heard has never remained in my mind or my memory to any great extent, meaning I could not hum or sing a single Ayreon song.

This appears to be (duh) a concept, in fact a space opera (subtitled as such) but these reviews have to be of necessity short, since I have so many more to listen to, so I won't be looking into the idea behind the lyrics - some sort of idea of mythology certainly, with Isis and Osiris namechecked - which may do the album a disservice, but I really just don't have the time. Besides, any album worth its salt - even a concept one - should stand on the music alone, rather than a need to know the story behind it. So that's how I'm going to approach it. After all, I have over an hour and a half of music to get through here, so I think that's enough to be going on with.

It opens on "Welcome to the New Dimension", which I think can be treated as a sort of introduction/prologue, with some speech over wibbly keyboard, and reminds me of Arena's "Moviedrome" to an extent. Nice wailing guitar, slow and dramatic, and into the first of the five suites, eleven minutes of "Isis and Osiris". I'm sure nobody thinks they're writing about the Islamic terrorist group here - Isis and Osiris were both major gods in the Egyptian pantheon. I like the way it segues directly and seamlessly in from the opener, and here we get the first chance to hear Fish, ex-Marillion frontman, on vocals in one of the roles in the space opera, rather appropriately playing "The Highlander". The entrance of Damian Wilson of course brings a Threshold sound to the song as I think it moves into its second stage, then female vocals join, but whether they are Sharon den Adel or Annette van Geisenberger, or both, I don't know, as both these ladies of symphonic metal take part in the album.

Some superb Mellotron from Lucassen as the piece picks up in tempo and we head towards its conclusion, and into the second ten-minute suite, "Amazing Flight", where the guitar takes charge a little more, and there's a certain sense of blues boogie about this. I won't try to identify vocalists I don't know; despite my attempts, none of the pages on the album differentiate between who does what. I mean, roles are assigned, but you're not told who is on what track, so other than Fish's strong Scottish accent marking him as the Highlander, and the fact I know Wilson's voice, the others could be any of the - let's see: eleven! - vocalists on this project. I will say that for ten-minute epics these go in pretty quickly, which is always good in my view. Nothing worse than something overstretched and padded out to fill up the time. Good powerful punchy ending.

I would almost have sworn that was one of the Alan Parsons Project singers on "Time Beyond Time", either Eric Woolfson or Colin Blunstone, but I don't see either credited on the album. This is the first ballad, and indeed the first, since the opener, that isn't a suite. Is that pushing too much? I'm not certain: it's definitely a lot to take in all at once, and we're only about two-thirds of the way through the first disc, so will it retain the interest? It's pretty good so far, but again, will I remember it later? Nice bit of flute there from Thijs van Leer and some really sweet acoustic guitar alternating with screeching electric, while "The Decision Tree (We're Alive)" comes in on pulsing keys and soaring, Steve Rotheryesque guitar, and sees the return of Fish as the Highlander as well as another vocalist who sounds like, but clearly is not, Lou Gramm. Great sense of anthemic power to this one, then "The  Tunnel of Light" starts off with a spoken piece and then Fish remains in his role in a guitar-led semi-ballad, joined by one or two of the female vocalists (sorry, I just don't know which and I'm not familiar enough with either to be able to recognise their voices) and the first disc comes to a close on the somewhat ethereal "Across the Rainbow Bridge", which gets rocky enough towards the end.

Another suite to open disc two, and indeed another ten-minute one, as "The Garden of Emotions" has another spoken intro with a choral backing and ambient music before big trumpeting keyboards take us in. A fine performance from the female singers, I guess both of them, and some pretty raucous guitar from Lucassen too and some excellent Mellotron giving it an almost seventies Van der Graaf Generator feel. "Valley of the Queens" is the second-shortest track, at just under two and a half  minutes and has the two ladies duet against a really soft gentle acoustic guitar with more pastoral flute from van Leer, then it sounds like we're falling into the maw of some great beast in "The Castle Hall" with another spoken word piece followed by sharp ragged guitar. It goes along in a kind of staggered melody, sense of a kind of tribal chant about it in ways, and I see we're singing about Merlin, so again as I say I have no idea what the concept is here, but it seems to range across various myths and stories.

"Tower of Hope" has a very synthy opening, then growling guitar takes over and the vocal is odd; kind of echoey and also more nearly spoken than sung. "Cosmic Fusion" is the fourth suite, although not quite the shortest of the five, it is much shorter than the other three running for just over seven and a half minutes. A really nice solo female vocal with elements I recognise from later Marillion songs leads it in slowly and gracefully till it kicks up and burst into, of all things, a death growl in the midsection (there's a sequence called "Death's Grunt", so I assume this is it), the guitar getting harder and choppy as it marches along now. A big scream then and into I assume the third part with some almost Shadows-esque guitar work and busy synth. Shortest of all the suites, then, "The Mirror Maze" runs for a mere six and a half minutes, and has another of those spoken intros against kind of wind and echoey sounds, then runs on a beautiful solo piano with a very Beatles-style vocal which then gives way to an almost CSNY duet, which is really nice. Good acoustic guitar too.

Again, I feel this goes quite Arena-like in the second part, a sort of marching rhythm taking the melody as it goes along; definitely reminds me of something off maybe Contagion. "Evil Devolution" sounds, to be fair, like the title of a Devin Townsend number, and opens on yet another narration with what sounds like bubbling and spacey sounds, then has a kind of industrial/darkwave mood to it, sort of like Depeche Mode if they did prog. Not crazy, I must admit, about this one, but given that it's the first one I've had to say that about, it's not much of a complaint really. Another spoken introduction to "The Two Gates", which has a nice bright synth running its main melody and strays a little more in the direction of AOR than prog really. There's a short little track, shortest on the album at two seconds over two minutes, and "Forever of the Stars" begins with a vocal intro and then goes into a fast-paced synth backed by vocoder, taking us into the closer, "Another Time and Space".

There's a real sense of drama about this, a slow building to something on the back of guitar and synth then it goes into an acoustic almost David Gates-style melody, back to the buildup on synth, really nice vocal harmonies as some or even most of the singers return for the finale, lovely piano and squealing guitar as the piece heads towards its climax and ending on some rather odd little vocal effects.

While there's a huge amount to take in here, I feel it's quite likely that given a few more listens and maybe a read of the lyrics/story behind the concept I might really get into this album. There's certainly been a lot of work put into it, and while it means nothing to me in terms of the story as it finishes now, I imagine there are some really clever and deep ideas in there. The music is all pretty much first-rate, and the usage of different vocalists keeps things fresh. Overall, I'd say I'm impressed.

Personal Rating: 8.8/10

[Trollheart]

Album title: Judgement
Artist: Anathema
Nationality: English
Sub-genre: Post-metal
Year: 1999
Position on list for that year: 3
Chronology: 5 of 13
Familiarity with artist: 3
Familiarity with album: 1
Gold Rated track(s): Deep, Forgotten Hopes, One Last Goodbye, Parisienne Moonlight, Judgement, Don't Look Too Far, Emotional Winter
Silver Rated track(s): Destiny is Dead; Anyone, Anywhere; 2000 & Gone
Wooden Rated track(s):
Comments: A deceptively acoustic gentle start which then kicks up as "Deep" opens the album, the vocal very low-key, great rhythm. Really like this already. A great start, some fine guitar work and, I must admit, I don't hear any keyboards yet. Bassy opening to "Pitiless" and it rocks along nicely too, relatively short and a rather abrupt segue into "Forgotten Hopes" which slows everything down nicely with a soft acoustic guitar and a sort of crooned vocal, very reminiscent of Floyd's "Hey You" (even uses a lot of the lyric - hey you, did you ever wonder, stone, wall - I wonder if that's deliberate?). Would I class this as a ballad? Well, there's some pretty frenetic guitar work in it, but overall maybe, or at least a semi-ballad. Shortest track on the album, just over a minute and a half, "Destiny is Dead" is of course an instrumental, again quite Floydesque, then "Make it Right (F.F.S.)" has a moody, almost Nick Cave feel as it struts along, riding on a new-waveish keyboard line.

The real ballad then comes in the shape of "One Last Goodbye", reminding me a lot of Mick Moss's Antimatter, very poignant, very atmospheric, with somehow the drum pattern of the Moody Blues' "Nights in White Satin." Yeah, don't ask. I think of weird stuff and make weird connections. Very passionate vocal on this one. Absolutely sumptuous piano passage opening "Parisienne Moonlight", just gorgeous and it sounds like that has to be a female vocal, surely? Okay, we have guest vocals from Lee Douglas, so I assume that's her. Really adds something to what appears to be another ballad. Very short again, just over two minutes and driven almost entirely on piano and some synth. Lovely. Segues directly into the title track, which also seems to be a low-key affair with ambient keyboards and a slow purring bass line, lovely duet between the two Cavanaghs here, building up slowly and now picking up speed till it explodes into a frenzy of guitar and screamed vocals.

Lee Douglas returns to duet with Vincent on the again very Floyd-like "Don't Look Too Far", seems to be another slow song. A ballad? Maybe not, but relatively low-key again, then "Emotional Winter" has a very ambient opening with guitar that definitely recalls the best of Gilmour, again a slow song, smouldering and brooding, "Wings of God" is kind of the first time this album has really kicked ass, which is something I have to admit I expected it to be doing more. It's quite a laid back, easy going affair mostly. Then it's back to acoustic guitar for "Anyone, Anywhere", another Antimatter style song, with some really effective piano too, kicks up nicely near the end, and speaking of the end, we reach it with "2000 & Gone", yet another track with echoes (sorry) of Floyd, feels like it might be an instrumental. And so it is.

Despite the over preponderance of callbacks to and influences from Roger, Dave and the boys, I'm still very impressed with this album. I would prefer it was a little more original, but even at that it's a damned good listen and would certainly encourage me to check out more of their stuff. Definitely deserves its high place here, at the cusp of the century.



Personal Rating: 9.5/10

[Trollheart]

Album title: V
Artist: Spock's Beard
Nationality: American
Sub-genre: Symphonic Prog
Year: 2000
Position on list for that year: 2
Chronology: 5 of 13
Familiarity with artist: 4
Familiarity with album: 3
Gold Rated track(s): At the End of the Day, Revelation
Silver Rated track(s): Goodbye to Yesterdays, The Great Nothing
Wooden Rated track(s):
Comments: And so for the first time we cross the century divide, leaving the twentieth behind and stepping boldly into the brave new world of the twenty-first. This takes us to almost the top of the chart for 2000, where we find my old mates Spock's Beard. This is another band I have a sort of on-again/off-again relationship with. Some of their music I really like, but any of their albums I've heard have failed to impress me to the degree bands like Arena, Marillon, Mostly Autumn or Kamelot have. I can't say I don't like them, but I also can't say I like them necessarily. This album I remember, and if my memory serves me, it's a prime example of the kind of thing I get with them: some great tracks, then some noodling and wandering ones, epics that are forgettable but may have one or two parts in the suite that I really like, and overall something of, for me, a confused hot mess.

I always think any prog band is pushing it by opening with an epic track. I mean, if you're a fan or a diehard proghead, sure, you want nothing under ten minutes on your albums, and the longer the better, but for those trying out the band, or indeed genre for the first time, it seems like it would be a hard sell to me. Better to open with a shorter, more "commercial", for want of another word track (though few prog bands see even their shorter material on the radio, never mind in the charts). Undeterred though, Spock's Beard open with a sixteen-minute behemoth, and I do have to admit that "At the End of the Day" is one of their better ones.

One thing that really rubs me up the wrong way about this band is what I call their "stop-start" songs and musical interludes. You know the kind of thing: sudden breaks, pauses, full stops, usually accompanied by blasts on synth, horn or some such instrument. Nothing bad to say about this so far though: the Hammond organ, the Spanish guitar, it all flows well and there's a good hook in the melody, which isn't always the case with prog bands.

This was the penultimate album to feature the classic line-up: Neal Morse would leave after the next album and Nick D'Virgilo a few albums later, though both have either guested or played session on some albums since. There's a much more relaxed, laid back feel to "Revelation", a chance to catch the breath I guess after the epic opener, though it kicks up on some sharp guitar, betraying its origins as a possible ballad, then "Thoughts (Part II)" is, I assume, a continuation from the same track which appeared on their second album, 1996's Beware of Darkness, though I'm not that familiar with that album. Nice little acoustic number, but is it? Again, with this band you tend to get wrong-footed a lot. The previous track sounded to me like it was going to be a ballad, then turned out not to be, and this, too, suddenly rides along on a punchy organ line and heavy guitar riffs, with some vocal harmonies that aren't a million miles away from classic Yes.

There's a certain nursery rhyme quality about "All On a Sunday" which I can't say I particularly enjoy, while "Goodbye to Yesterdays" again starts on soft acoustic guitar, but whether or not it will remain so is anyone's guess really. It would seem to be the most likely candidate, though with this band it seems you can never be sure. Neal Morse really sounds like Peter Gabriel here.
And if you thought starting on a sixteen-minute track was a gamble, how about ending on one that's almost thirty? Yeah, the closer, "The Great Nothing" is just over twenty-seven minutes long, and split into six separate sections, so a real old-school progressive rock suite, beating the classic "Supper's Ready" by a good four minutes. Does this make it the longest prog suite ever? I can't answer that, but it has to be in the running.

You would expect a piece like that to go through many changes, and you'd not be wrong. Opening with a kind of metallic feedback like a steel wall moaning, this is soon supplanted by acoustic guitar, which then changes to electric, then a fine Hammond line, and it's almost four minutes before the vocal comes in, riding a soft piano melody. I'm not obviously going to describe the whole suite to you, but you can guess the sort of thing: vocal passages with long instrumental workouts, solos, some sound effects, and I would certainly give them credit for keeping my attention (mostly) over the whole run of this track, not an easy thing to do when you're listening to something that runs for almost half an hour.

Overall, I'd have to say my initial dismissive comment in the introduction was probably inaccurate. While I don't know that I would necessarily want to listen to this album all the way through again, and while it does have a few duff tracks (though in fairness, there are only six on it in total and most are good or very good) it's probably more an example of the kind of Spock's Beard that might lead me to want to listen to more of their material, as opposed to certain albums which make me wonder if it's worth bothering.


Personal Rating: 7.5/10

[Trollheart]

Album title: Blackwater Park
Artist: Opeth
Nationality: Swedish
Sub-genre: Progressive Metal
Year: 2001
Position on list for that year: 1
Chronology: 5 of 15
Familiarity with artist: 4
Familiarity with album: 2
Gold Rated track(s):
Silver Rated track(s): Harvest, The Drapery Falls, Dirge for November
Wooden Rated track(s): Blackwater Park
Comments: I may be wrong, but I think this album is heralded as the point where Opeth began their metamorphosis that divided their fans, as they began to ditch most of the death metal influences that had characterised their last four albums and began leaning in a more technical/prog metal direction, a path which has eventually taken them into more standard prog rock. It's regarded as a classic - hence, I assume, its topping the poll for the first year of the 21st century (all right, second, but you know what I mean) and it, too, opens, like the previous offering from Spock's Beard, with an epic, if not quite as long. "The Leper Affinity" (huh?) runs for just short of ten and a half minutes, and immediately you're hit with a different Opeth to the one I've slowly been getting to know, as Mikael Akerfeldt's vocals are growly and very death-metal, with the guitars cutting into your face and laughing evilly. It's prog metal, Jim, but not as we (have come to) know it.

Some great guitar work to be sure, and when Akerfeldt drops the unclean vocals and sings in a normal voice it totally alters the perception of the album, at least for me. He's soon back croaking and growling though, this leavened out by a rather surprising and quite beautiful piano melody right at the end. The almost as long, and surely appropriately-titled "Bleak" is very guitar-driven as you would expect, with dark, hoarse vocals but about halfway through he changes to clean ones, and of course for me that's a lot better. Overall though, I can't say anything has really grabbed my attention yet; maybe it's the dual vocal that's knocking me off, I don't know, but we're only two tracks in so I guess we'll see. Some fine guitar work for certain, and Steven Wilson guests on piano, which is nice. "Harvest" is probably the first of what I might call "real" prog tracks, in that it rides mostly or almost entirely on acoustic guitar, and the vocal is clean all the way through. Not sure I'd call it a ballad, but it's certainly the closest yet.

Another epic then in the ten-minute-plus "The Drapery Falls", as the prog influences continue, as opposed to the metal ones, generally, though there are some unclean vocals, while "Dirge for November" fools you into thinking it's a laid back acoustic ballad, then explodes on some almost black metal style guitar and growls. This continues on into "The Funeral Portrait", which more or less goes back to the style of the opener, very heavy and with unclean vocals, nice little acoustic instrumental then before we head into the closer, and title track, the longest on the album at over twelve minutes, and honestly I have to say it does nothing for me.

Overall, I'm not impressed. It's not that the album isn't good - obviously, it's highly rated - top, in fact - but for me I just didn't get much out of it at all. Give me later Opeth albums, but not this one thanks.

Personal Rating: 6/10

[Trollheart]

Album title: Ritual
Artist: Shaman
Nationality: Brazilian
Sub-genre: Progressive Metal
Year: 2002
Position on list for that year: 10
Chronology: 1 of 5
Familiarity with artist: 1
Familiarity with album: 1
Gold Rated track(s):
Silver Rated track(s): Fairy Tale
Wooden Rated track(s):
Comments: The first, I think, on the list to come from South America, certainly from Brazil anyway. I'm a bit upset to see I missed one of my favourite band, Threshold's Critical Mass, which came in at number 8 this year, but that's the order I've said I'd do them in, so after reaching the top with Opeth for 2001 it's back to number 10 as we move on to the next year, and here we are. Also missed out Peter Gabriel's Up by just one, as it's at number 11 for this year, so maybe a lucky escape, as though I love the ex-Genesis frontman, I could not get into that album at all.

As the name suggests, there's a kind of tribal, mystical incantation as "Ancient Winds" gets going, and it's quite ambient in its way, orchestral-sounding keyboard - actually, no, I see checking the personnel it's an actual - electric - violin. Nice. Also a few big names helping here, like Tobias Sammet from Edguy, Derek Shernihan and Fabio Ribeiro, whom I feel I know. Or is that Catherine Ribeiro I'm mixing him up with, from my history of prog journal? Maybe. Anyway that's two big names, and others I may not know. The opener was an instrumental but the next one puts me much more in mind of power metal than prog as "Here I Am" hits all the standard power metal tropes, so I'm not quite sure where we're going here. Hang on for the ride I suppose and see where we end up.

Now it's thunderstorms and horses, and definitely the aptly-named "Distant Thunder" keeps very much more in the power than prog metal vein. Hmm. I would not want to be making too rash a judgement, but I must admit that at this point, four tracks in, I'm bored and pretty unimpressed. Maybe it will get better. Apparently Shaman is some sort of spin-off from Angra, but they definitely seem to have gone in a more power metal direction than their parent band. Very hard to keep any sort of interest in this album. Maybe this will help, a piano ballad, but I'm wrong, as "Time Will Come" instead explodes into yet another by-the-numbers power metal romp. Sigh. I don't know what the deal is with the children's voices on "Over Your Head" (it is, over mine anyway) but I'm beginning to be able to predict how this album is going to go, and it's not looking good at all. And I have to admit, that smug face on the cover is getting right on my tits. What you got to be smug about, son? This is bargain-basement, formulaic, paint-by-numbers power metal, not even sure why it's in the list at all.

Oh and now "Fairy Tale" crosses over into symphonic metal territory, but to be entirely fair, it's probably the best of a bad lot so far. Again though it ticks all the boxes for the genre, and there's nothing new or original here. I don't know: I hear people in reviews wittering on about "Brazilian influences" and "world music", but they must be listening to a different album than I am. To me, this is very very generic and basic power metal with a few tweaks here and there, and really could be anyone. I'm just waiting for it to finish now. Very disappointing, not that I had any real expectations going in, but to get to even number 10 on a top prog list, I would have thought you'd have to have been better than this. Apparently not. Oh dear. And they want to be Iron Maiden on the last song. Let me out of here, I got places to go and better music (hopefully) to listen to. Not terrible, in fairness, but this album is just, well, there. File under "nothing special". Not a ritual I'll be repeating thanks.

Personal Rating: 4.5/10

[Trollheart]

Album title: Damnation
Artist: Opeth
Nationality: Swedish
Sub-genre: Progressive Metal
Year: 2003
Position on list for that year: 9
Chronology: 7 of 15
Familiarity with artist: 4
Familiarity with album: 3
Gold Rated track(s): All of them
Silver Rated track(s):
Wooden Rated track(s):
Comments: And so we're back with Opeth. Just how it goes I guess. I note that I already reviewed this album, way back in 2013, and had considered taking the easy way out and just transcribing that write-up, but I decided in the end not to do that, for two reasons. One, it's rather short and came as part of Metal Month, and so I was, in that review, concentrating on the metal side of the album and trying to justify its inclusion in that special. The second reason is that it has been over ten years since I listened to that album, and my ears may hear it somewhat differently, so reviewing it again, in some more depth, may be interesting.

So here goes. Straight away there's a fundamental shift here from the loud, abrasive guitars of the last album but one, with the vocal all clean now, and acoustic guitar much further up in the mix. There's a more orchestral feel to the keyboards, and generally it could be said to be a "softer" album, or even more a prog rock than prog metal one, certainly nowhere near a death metal one. I also see the length of the tracks has been dramatically reduced, with no double-figure songs, the longest now this opener, "Windowpane", which doesn't even reach the eight-minute mark.

And it's a shorter album, too, clocking in at just under three quarters of an hour as opposed to Blackwater Park, which was well over an hour and ten minutes, and on which, to me, many of the longer tracks seemed to meander pointlessly and on which I found my attention waning more than it was held. I mention in my original review that this album was recorded shortly after Mikael Akerfeldt's grandmother died, so it should feel dark and doomy, and it kind of does, but in a more understated, almost resigned way than perhaps Opeth fans might expect. Rather than being a searing output of vitriol at death, it's more a sad, melancholic acceptance of the inevitable, or so it sounds to me anyway.

There's a very Steven Wilson sound to the metallic and stuttered vocal on "In My Time of Need", and the Porcupine Tree man's ethereal fingerprints are in fact all over this album, on which he contributes piano, keyboard and mellotron, and which he co-produces, so can we - or diehard fans anyway - blame Wilson for this shift in Opeth's music? That's a question I can't answer, not being familiar enough with their music, but I'd have to doubt anyone would tell Akerfeldt what to do with his music. Whatever the truth of it, this is far more of a prog rock album already than the previous one I reviewed. Three tracks in and there hasn't been a single screeching solo or batter of percussion; very low-key, and "Death Whispered a Lullaby" keeps this atmosphere going, though here I do note for the first time the intrusion of sharp electric guitar, more a counterpoint to the acoustic than an attempt to overrun it.

Electric guitar contributes also to "Closure" then we're back with acoustic for "Hope Leaves", the only criticism perhaps being that it's all slow and dark and gently melancholic, and a bit of a rocker or even an upbeat song would be nice to break the mood, but I suppose that's like expecting a happy song on The Antlers' Hospice: this is a sad album, and it's sad for a reason. The main melody in "To Rid the Disease" sounds very familiar, though I can't place it right now, and it has a heartbreakingly beautiful piano passage as it heads towards its conclusion, complemented by some emotional soloing on the guitar.

"Ending Credits" is quite clever in two ways, one, in that it's not the closer, so not the end song, and two, it is constructed in such a way that it seems like this little instrumental could in fact be running over a movie's closing credits. A third way it's clever of course is that it could be seen as a footnote to his grandmother's life, the ending credits of her time on this earth. I have no idea if that's meant to be the case, but it would be a nice tribute. The album then actually closes on "Weakness", which is anything but, though it is again very Steven Wilson, with its phased vocal and somewhat spooky theme.

I'm told this is a) part of a two-album deal with the previous one, Deliverance and that b) at least according to some reviewers, Opeth intended this not to be the direction they were going, and to be more a step off the beaten path before they returned to the well-worn road they had travelled for so long. I can't comment on that, but I can say that the other album I listened to, 2014's Pale Communion, sounded a lot more like this than it did their previous work. I know I certainly prefer it.

Personal Rating: 8.9/10

[Trollheart]

Album title: Be
Artist: Pain of Salvation
Nationality: Swedish
Sub-genre: Progressive Metal
Year: 2004
Position on list for that year: 8
Chronology: 5th of 11
Familiarity with artist: 3
Familiarity with album: 1
Gold Rated track(s): Look, don't even start on me, all right?
Silver Rated track(s):
Wooden Rated track(s):
Comments: Now that's what I call a prog album! 75 minutes long and, um, rather a confusing amount of suites, many of which seem to be a song broken into two parts, some of which look like they continue into later ones? I've decided I'm actually not going to try separating them out, as I think I might get bogged down, so I'll just concentrate on the music itself. A lot of Latin here, too, which makes me wonder if this album has some sort of religious overtones?

So we have a spoken opening with echo effects and a sort of heartbeat, that's followed then by some fairly spooky, almost horror theme music, mostly on piano and synth, though I see we have what they call "The Orchestra of Eternity" involved too, so could be quite cinematic in scope. The vocals are buried very deep in the mix here, at least at the start, which is frustrating, as I really can't make out what they're singing, or perhaps saying. It's all a little chaotic, I feel. And now we're back to those talking voices backed only by effects, as in the opener. Personally, I don't feel this works. It sounds bloated, overblown, pompous, as if this is someone's vision and you as the listener just better get with it, but I don't understand any of it and frankly it gets on my nerves.

Not a great start, but we'll give it a chance and see where it goes, if anywhere. Music still swamping the vocals, really can't hear what's being sung as the music goes into a sort of Celtic or traditional lilt, and I must say my initial impression is that I am not going to like this album, which is unfortunate as it is, as I've already noted, well over an hour long. Could be a slog. Let's see if I can get any insight into it. Yeah I already think it's too highbrow for me to care about, stuff like God trying to figure Himself out or some shit. Come on guys! What ever happened to "It's only rock and roll but I like it"? What? The Lamb lies down where? Um...

Well there is a beautiful rippling piano melody in "Pluvius Aestivus" (I know the first word is Latin for rain, I think) with that orchestra coming in to add extra layers to what I think may be an instrumental, and from what I can see the album is broken into five chapters, the second of which we're now entering. I quickly skimmed some reviews (something I generally don't do, but I'm really at a loss here so wanted some guidance) and pretty uniformly they all seem to praise this. I mean, maybe as a "brave new concept" or something, it can be seen as a grand experiment, and if you're a big fan of the band maybe you can see what they're doing, but to me, so far, it's just pompous nonsense that I find really hard to get into, or even understand. Something about the richest man on Earth wanting to be cryogenically frozen till humans are immortal, while a sentient space probe ponders the fate of the world as it tracks through the dark depths of interstellar space, Adam and Eve... ah I give up. It's just beyond me. I'll listen to it and see if I can pick anything out, but this does not look like it's going to be a comfortable listen to these ears.

Some sort of gospel chant or something on "Nauticus", sounds like something out of the Deep South maybe, then two people speaking in traffic I think, a bluesy ballad with a female singer doing a good Kate Bush impression on, um, "Mr. Money" I think. The whole track listing and chapter division of the album is frustratingly confusing, tempting me to fold my arms and sulk till it's over, and then write something pithy. I'm resisting doing that, but as someone once sang, it ain't easy. I'm kind of hearing slight parallels with The Dear Hunter here, though his stuff is far more accessible and understandable in comparison.

There's some nice music, but it's sort of spoiled, for me, by an overly-involved and intricate and even, yes, byzantine rambling lyrical idea, a story I can't follow, the fact that the vocals are so low in the mix not helping at all. Jesus, I'll be glad when this is over. It's just doing my fucking head in, it really is. Lot of people "talking to God" - I see the band asked people to phone a special number to say what they would say to God, if he existed, and whether those quotes are being used here or not I don't know, but the music backing it is very emotional and powerful.

I think we're on the third chapter now, as that begins with "Messages to God", which I presume is what I've just been listening to, and the next piece is a very heavy cruncher, ominous and dark, might be called "Mistrust (Breaching the Core", though my own core breach is underway as I write. My poor head! To be as fair as I can, or want to be, I suppose it's very well-written and researched, very deep and clever, but it's just too damned philosophical and metaphysical for me to get my head around. Taken as one long continuous piece of music, and not trying to analyse or review it, I imagine it might be very enjoyable, and maybe its genius might shine through, but it's a fucking reviewer's nightmare, as I just do not know what's going on.

Seems Man is about to be wiped out (or, more likely, wipe himself out) and I think now we are with the probe drifting through space, though quite honestly anything could be going on; I'm just trying and mostly failing miserably to keep up with the plot in so far as I can. This would take us, I think, to the fourth chapter, the penultimate one, and the only remaining one broken into sections, with a nice piano and flute melody bringing in "If You Are Strong, Be Strong", giving me a strong sense of Kamelot, and actually, it may be "Wicked Path", according to the YouTube timeline. Ah, fuck it: I give up. Let me know when it's over. And now it is. Look, I'm sure it's well-researched, written, thought out and played, but frankly, it's too cerebral for me, and if I want a movie I'll go to the movies. What? Oh yeah: Broadway. That's where the Lamb lies down. Well, compared to this, Gabriel's sorry Genesis's cryptic masterpiece is as clear as day and as easy to follow as a series of well-defined luminous arrows in the dark. Which is where this album has left me: in the dark, and sulking. Leave me alone.

Personal Rating: 4/10 (This may be seen as me being unfair, as I know a shit ton of work and thought must have gone into this, but it is a personal rating, and personally I just don't rate it)

(Go on! I fucking dare you!)

[Trollheart]

Album title: The Art of Navigating by the Stars
Artist: Sieges Even
Nationality: German
Sub-genre: Progressive Metal
Year: 2005
Position on list for that year: 7
Chronology: 6th of 7
Familiarity with artist: 1
Familiarity with album: 1
Gold Rated track(s): N/A (see review)
Silver Rated track(s):
Wooden Rated track(s):
Comments: After the total headfuck of Be, I'm really hoping this will be an easier listen. I know nothing about this band, and while they may not be broken up, their last album was released in 2007, so if they turn up with an eighth that will be 17 years after what is currently their last, which would be quite a comeback. Most likely though, I would say they're done. I'm not entirely sure - though I can't say for certain - that I've ever heard a German prog metal band before, so may be interesting.

Starting off with a baby's giggles I have to admit is not a good way to get me onside, but let's see where this goes. I guess it's a concept album, as it's broken up into what they choose to call sequences, eight in all, and that baby thing was just an intro, though also, oddly, the title track. Only lasted thirty seconds though and now we're into "Sequence I: The Weight", which is the longest track on the album at just over ten minutes. Some nice vocal harmonies, and when the heavy guitar cuts back it's almost more melodic metal than prog. The singer's voice is very clear and the backing vocals nice too. I wouldn't say they've made me an instant fan, but as Frasier says, I'm listening.

"Sequence II: The Lonely View of Condors" starts off with a sort of plaintive guitar riff against an otherwise acapella vocal, and I realise that there seems to be no credit for a keyboard player on this album, so do the band have one? I can't say I hear any evidence that there are keys there. They seem to be on the other albums, though sort of credited as extra musicians, so maybe they just bring them in as needed, and felt they didn't need them on this album. It does, to my ears, make the music sound a little less prog without the keys though. Has a nice hook in the song and the guitars work well on "Sequence III: Unbreakable", another long one at nine minutes. A slower song, it trudges along on the back of that introspective guitar with again nice vocal harmonies. I won't make the mistake of judging it a ballad, as, like I say, we have nine minutes to go here, and indeed it begins to speed up fairly soon.

I think the problem here is that, although this is good music and I don't really have any problem with it, I also am not hearing anything memorable. While there are hooks in some of the songs, there's nothing here I can see myself humming afterwards, and although we're only really three tracks in, I don't hear anything I can, so to speak, hang my reviewer's hat on. There's nothing, so far, that I can look back to and say that was really good, I liked that, or even I hated that. It's just nice, clever, inoffensive but ultimately forgettable music. Which is sad, as I'm sure there's something there if I could just get at it.

There haven't been any solos, any long instrumental passages, any real effects or soundscapes, just very bare bones I feel. Maybe that will change as we move into "Sequence IV: Stigmata", which opens on acapella vocal harmonies, then slides into a nice soft guitar melody with some expressive Spanish guitar joining in, and this certainly seems to be a ballad. A heavier edge then to "Sequence V: Blue Wide Open", but there's definitely something missing here without keyboards. It just sounds, well, not all the same, by any means, but sort of, I don't know... incomplete? A little hollow? Not sure, but I would certainly have been happier to have heard some arpeggios, runs or even a big booming organ. The guitars alone just don't cut it for me.

There's a nice little melody leading in "Sequence VI: To Those Who Have Failed", but again it's a riff that would be far more effective were it played on a piano or a synth I feel. I just think the guitars are being asked to do too much here, and it makes the music a little sparse. AH, once again it looks like almost all of the reviewers disagree with me, but sure that's nothing new. As Captain Redbeard Rum once said to Edmund Blackadder when asked was it not normal policy for a ship to have a crew, "Opinion is divided on the subject: all the other captains say it is, I say it ain't." Well, that's me. I make my own decisions and give my own opinions without being influenced by those of others, whether they agree with me or not.

I do like the almost Eagles-like vocal harmonies here, which makes the song a little more memorable than those which have gone before, but I stand by my contention that the loss of keyboards works to the detriment of the album. Words like "amazing", "deep", "intricate", "complex" and even "beautiful" used by others who have reviewed the album don't really resonate with me. Some of the music is very beautiful, but I don't really see the other adjectives used. We're nearing the end now, with "Sequence VII: Lighthouse", and there's still nothing standing out to me. I won't remember this album after it's done. I don't have, feel or see the emotional connection others seem to with it. It does not move me. There's probably nothing wrong with it, but for me to have a connection with an album you need a whole lot more than that.

Personal Rating: 5/10

[Trollheart]

Album title: Ewaz Vader
Artist: One Shot
Nationality: French
Sub-genre: Jazz Fusion
Year: 2006
Position on list for that year: 6
Chronology: 2nd of 4
Familiarity with artist: 1
Familiarity with album: 1
Gold Rated track(s):
Silver Rated track(s):
Wooden Rated track(s):
Comments: Ah bloody hell! Not a jazz fusion album! Save me! Suppose there will be a few, maybe more than few scattered through this top 500, so I'll have to contend with the damn sub-genre but man do I dislike it. It's not only the first part of the tag that gets me, but these are almost always instrumental albums (goes with the territory I guess) which makes them even harder to review. Oh well, let's get to it then.

Oh, and to make it even more annoying for me, YouTube doesn't have the full album, so I have to go searching for individual tracks. Well, there are only four so I guess that's not too much trouble, but still irritating. The title track, then, kicks it off with warbly guitar and heavy percussion, then gets into a typically jazzy groove with some decent keyboards, the piece moving along at a good lick, but it's a typical jazz jam and hard to write about. I'm sure you know the kind of thing if you're into this music. Don't even know what the title means. At least there are, so far, no horns. This runs for over ten minutes, and in fact each of the four tracks, as you might expect, given the dearth of tracks and the genre, are longer than that, the longest kicking it at fifteen.

That track is simply called "Fat", and comes in on spacey keyboards, like something out of a fifties science fiction movie, with a sort of walking organ melody as the synth swirls, and it's quite nice. Of course, being a quarter of an hour long it's bound to go through some changes as it goes, but a good start. Bassy piano now joining the tune, and some kind of discordant guitar, this whole piece - so far - a lot more restrained and laid back than the first track. It does kick up though and get a bit wild, still better than the opener. Barely.

More synthy effects as "I Had a Dream, Pts III et IV" starts up (what happened to parts I and II? Probably on some other album I guess) and you could call this coming close to nearly space rock or maybe ambient or something - guess that's the fusion part of jazz fusion - a climbing melody that teasingly throws in notes from "Riders on the Storm" now and then and slowly builds up. It's another fifteen-minuter, so get comfortable. Gets going about halfway through with some uptempo keys and bouncing guitar, then the final track is a brief thirteen minutes of, well, more of the same really. Like I say, it's hard to write about this stuff, even harder when you don't care for it.

Personal Rating: 4/10

[Saulaac]

Oh I'll have to listen to this in the car later. Never heard of Ewaz Vader. Curious!

[innerspaceboy]

Wonderful stuff, TH. I checked my post history and see that I've named a relevant collection a few times but never provided the inventory list of the library. There is a collection I picked up titled, "The Progressive-Kraut-Psych-Avant garde Rock Collection (Vols I-VIII)" which includes the following 753 albums. You may find it useful in your research.

I'm going to have to break the list up into 8 separate posts due to the character count, but I'll see if I can hide the blocks of text so you don't have to scroll to the end of kingdom come...

The Progressive-Kraut-Psych-Avant garde Rock Collection (Vols I-VIII)

Volume 1

Spoiler

.
├── The Progressive-Kraut-Psych-Avant garde Rock Collection [Part 1]
│  ├── 5uu's - Hunger's Teeth (1994)
│  ├── Aardvark - Aardvark (1970)
│  ├── Abacus - Abacus (1971)
│  ├── Abacus - Everything You Need (1972) & Midway (1974)
│  ├── Ache - De Homine Urbano (1970) & Green Man (1971)
│  ├── Acqua Fragile - Mass-Media Stars (1974)
│  ├── Aera - Humanum Est (1974) & Hand Und Fuß (1976)
│  ├── Agora - 2 (1976)
│  ├── Ahvak - Ahvak (2004)
│  ├── Aksak Maboul - Onze Danses Pour Combattre La Migraine (1977)
│  ├── Aksak Maboul - Un Peu De L'Ame Des Bandits (1980)
│  ├── Alamaailman Vasarat - Kaarmelautakunta (2003)
│  ├── Alamaailman Vasarat - Kinaporin Kalifaatti (2005)
│  ├── Alamaailman Vasarat - Maahan (2007)
│  ├── Alamaailman Vasarat - Vasaraasia (2000)
│  ├── Alcatraz - Live Trockeneis Zum Frühstück (1980)
│  ├── Alcatraz - Vampire State Building (1971)
│  ├── Alphataurus - Alphataurus (1973)
│  ├── Alphataurus - Dietro L'Uragano (1973)
│  ├── Altona - Altona (1974)
│  ├── Andromeda - Andromeda (1970)
│  ├── Aphrodite's Child - End Of The World (1969) & It's Five O'Clock (1970) & 666 (1972)
│  │  ├── CD 1
│  │  └── CD 2
│  ├── Apoteosi - Apoteosi (1975)
│  ├── Aquelarre - Aquelarre (1972)
│  ├── Aquelarre - Brumas (1974)
│  ├── Arachnoid - Arachnoid (1978)
│  ├── Arbete Och Fritid - Arbete Och Fritid (1973)
│  ├── Arco Iris - Los Elementales (1977)
│  ├── Ardo Dombec - Ardo Dombec (1971)
│  ├── Area - Arbeit Macht Frei (1973)
│  ├── Area - Caution Radiation Area (1974)
│  ├── Area - Crac! (1974)
│  ├── Area - Maledetti (1976)
│  ├── Armaggedon - Armaggedon (1970)
│  ├── Art Bears - Hopes And Fears (1978)
│  ├── Art Bears - Revisited (2004)
│  │  ├── CD 1
│  │  └── CD 2
│  ├── Art Bears - The World As It Is Today (1981)
│  ├── Art Bears - Winter Songs (1979)
│  ├── Arti & Mestieri - Giro Di Valzer Per Domani (1975)
│  ├── Art Zoyd - Le Mariage Du Ciel Et De L'Enfer (1985)
│  ├── Arzachel - Arzachel (1969)
│  ├── Asfalto - Al Otro Lado (1978)
│  ├── Asgaerd - In The Realm Of Asgaerd (1972)
│  ├── Atlas - Blå Vardag (1979)
│  ├── Atomic Rooster - Atomic Rooster (1970)
│  ├── Atomic Rooster - Death Walks Behind You (1970)
│  ├── Atomic Rooster - In Hearing Of (1971)
│  ├── Atomic Rooster - Made In England (1972)
│  ├── Atomic Rooster - Nice 'N' Greasy (1973)
│  ├── Audience - Friends, Friends, Friend (1970)
│  ├── Audience - Lunch (1972)
│  ├── Audience - The House On The Hill (1971)
│  ├── Aunt Mary - Janus (1973)
│  ├── Aunt Mary - Loaded (1972)
│  ├── Azteca - Azteca (1972)
│  ├── Bacamarte - Depois Do Fim (1983)
│  ├── Beggars Opera - Act One (1970)
│  ├── Beggars Opera - Get Your Dog Off Me! (1973)
│  ├── Beggars Opera - Pathfinder (1972)
│  ├── Beggars Opera - Waters Of Change (1971)
│  ├── Begnagrad - Begnagrad (1982)
│  ├── Biglietto Per L'inferno - Biglietto Per L'inferno (1974)
│  ├── Billy Cobham - Total Eclipse (1974)
│  ├── Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic - Faultline (1989)
│  ├── Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic - Petrophonics (2000)
│  ├── Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic - Pyroclastics (1992)
│  ├── Birth Control - Bäng! (1982)
│  ├── Birth Control - Birth Control (1970)
│  ├── Birth Control - Hoodoo Man (1972)
│  ├── Birth Control - Increase (1977)
│  ├── Birth Control - Operation (1971)
│  ├── Birth Control - Plastic People (1975)
│  ├── Birth Control - Rebirth (1973)
│  ├── Blackfeather - At The Mountains Of Madness (1971)
│  ├── Blackwater Park - Dirt Box (1972)
│  ├── Black Widow - Black Widow (1970)
│  ├── Black Widow - III (1971)
│  ├── Black Widow - IV (1972)
│  ├── Black Widow - Return To The Sabbat (1969)
│  ├── Black Widow - The Ultimate Sacrifice (2004)
│  ├── Blodwyn Pig - Ahead Rings Out (1969)
│  ├── Blodwyn Pig - Getting To This (1970)
│  ├── Bodkin - Bodkin (1972)
│  ├── Bondage Fruit - Bondage Fruit (1994)
│  └── Boud Deun - Astronomy Made Easy (1997)

[close]

[innerspaceboy]

Volume 2

Spoiler

├── The Progressive-Kraut-Psych-Avant garde Rock Collection [Part 2]
│  ├── Boud Deun - The Stolen Bicycle (1998)
│  ├── Brainchild - Healing Of The Lunatic Owl (1970)
│  ├── Brainstorm - Last Smile (1974)
│  ├── Brainstorm - Smile A While (1972)
│  ├── Bram Stoker - Heavy Rock Spectacular (1972)
│  ├── Brand X -  Livestock (1977)
│  ├── Brand X - Morrocan Roll (1977)
│  ├── Brand X - Unorthodox Behaviour (1976)
│  ├── Bubu - Anabelas (1978)
│  ├── Burnin Red Ivanhoe - Burnin Red Ivanhoe (1970 ) & W.W.W. (1971)
│  ├── Camel - Camel (1973)
│  ├── Camel - Mirage (1974)
│  ├── Camel - Moonmadness (1976)
│  │  ├── CD 1
│  │  └── CD 2
│  ├── Camel - Nude (1981)
│  ├── Camel - The Single Factor (1982)
│  ├── Camel - The Snow Goose (1975)
│  ├── Capability Brown - Voice (1973)
│  ├── Caravan - Best Of Caravan (Canterbury Tales) (1994)
│  │  ├── CD 1
│  │  └── CD 2
│  ├── Caravan - Better By Far (1977)
│  ├── Caravan - 'Blind Dog At St. Dunstans' (1976)
│  ├── Caravan - Caravan (1968)
│  ├── Caravan - Cunning Stunts (1975)
│  ├── Caravan - For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night (1973)
│  ├── Caravan - If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You (1970)
│  ├── Caravan - In The Land Of Grey And Pink (1971)
│  ├── Caravan - Waterloo Lily (1972)
│  ├── Cardeilhac - Cardeilhac (1972)
│  ├── Catapilla - Catapilla (1971)
│  ├── Catapilla - Changes (1972)
│  ├── Catharsis - 32 Mars (1974)
│  ├── Catharsis - Le Bolero Du Veau Des Dames (1975)
│  ├── Cathedral - Stained Glass Stories (1978)
│  ├── Cherry Five - Cherry Five (1974)
│  ├── Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority (1969)
│  ├── Circus 2000 - Circus 2000 (1970)
│  ├── Claudio Gabis - Claudio Gabis Y La Pesada (1972)
│  ├── Colosseum - Daughter Of Time (1970)
│  ├── Colosseum II - Electric Savage (1977)
│  ├── Colosseum - Those Who Are About To Die Salute You (1969)
│  ├── Colosseum - Valentyne Suite (1969)
│  ├── Contraction - Contraction (1972)
│  ├── Corte Dei Miracoli - Corte Dei Miracoli (1976)
│  ├── Cosmos Factory - An Old Castle Of Transylvania (1973)
│  ├── Cos - Postaeolian Train Robbery (1974)
│  ├── Cos - Viva Boma (1976)
│  ├── Country Lane - Substratum (1973)
│  ├── Coupla Prog - Death Is A Great Gambler (1970 & 1972)
│  ├── Coupla Prog - Edmundo Lopez (1970)
│  ├── Coupla Prog - Sprite (1970 & 1971)
│  ├── Cressida - Asylum (1971)
│  ├── Cressida - Cressida (1970)
│  ├── Culpeper's Orchard - Culpeper's Orchard (1970)
│  ├── Curved Air - Air Conditioning (1970)
│  ├── Curved Air - Air Cut (1973)
│  ├── Curved Air - Phantasmagoria (1972)
│  ├── Curved Air - Second Album (1971)
│  ├── CWT - The Hundredweight (1973)
│  ├── Czar - Czar (1970)
│  ├── Dalton - Riflessioni- Idea D'Infinito (1973)
│  ├── Dave Greenslade - Cactus Choir (1976)
│  ├── De De Lind - Io Non So Da Dove Vengo E Non So Dove Mai Andro Uomo E'Il Nome Che Mi Han Dato (1973)
│  ├── Déjà-Vu - Between The Leaves (1976)
│  ├── Delirium - Dolce Acqua (1971)
│  ├── Delivery - Fools Meeting (1970)
│  ├── Demon Thor - Anno 1972 (1972)
│  ├── Devil Doll - Dies Irae (1996)
│  ├── Devil Doll - Eliogabalus (1990)
│  ├── Devil Doll - Sacrilegium (1992)
│  ├── Devil Doll - The Girl Who Was... Death (1989)
│  ├── Devil Doll - The Sacrilege Of Fatal Arms (1993)
│  ├── Dice - The Four Riders Of The Apocalypse (1977)
│  ├── Djam Karet - Suspension & Displacement (1991)
│  ├── Dr. Dopo Jam - Entree (1973)
│  ├── Dr. Dopo Jam - Fat Dogs & Danishmen (1974)
│  ├── Duello Madre - Duello Madre (1973)
│  ├── Dull Knife - Electric Indian (1971)
│  ├── E. A. Poe - Generazioni (Storia Di Sempre) (1974)
│  ├── Earth & Fire - Song Of The Marching Children (1971)
│  ├── East Of Eden - Mercator Projected (2004)
│  ├── East Of Eden - Snafu (2004)
│  ├── Eden Rose - On The Way To Eden (1970)
│  ├── Eduardo Bort - Eduardo Bort (1974)
│  ├── Egg - Egg (1970)
│  ├── Egg - The Civil Surface (1974)
│  ├── Egg - The Polite Force (1971)
│  ├── Ekseption - 3 Originals (2004)
│  │  ├── CD 1
│  │  └── CD 2
│  ├── Ekseption - Ekseption Plays Bach (1988)
│  ├── Eloy - Colours (1980)
│  ├── Eloy - Dawn (1976)
│  └── Eloy - Destination (1992)

[close]

[innerspaceboy]

Volume 3

Spoiler

├── The Progressive-Kraut-Psych-Avant garde Rock Collection [Part 3]
│  ├── Eloy - Eloy (1971)
│  ├── Eloy - Floating (1974)
│  ├── Eloy - Inside (1973)
│  ├── Eloy - Metromania (1984)
│  ├── Eloy - Ocean (1977)
│  ├── Eloy - Ocean 2, The Answer (1998)
│  ├── Eloy - Performance (1983)
│  ├── Eloy - Planets (1981)
│  ├── Eloy - Power And The Passion (1975)
│  ├── Eloy - Ra (1988)
│  ├── Eloy - Rarities (1991)
│  ├── Eloy - Silent Cries And Mighty Echoes (1979)
│  ├── Eloy - The Tides Return Forever (1994)
│  ├── Eloy - Time To Turn (1982)
│  ├── Emergency - Get Out To The Country (1973)
│  ├── Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery (1973)
│  │  ├── CD 1
│  │  └── CD 2
│  ├── Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1970)
│  ├── Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Tarkus (1971)
│  ├── Epidaurus - Earthly Paradise (1977)
│  ├── Epitaph - Epitaph (1971)
│  ├── Epitaph - Outside The Law (1974)
│  ├── Epitaph - Stop, Look And Listen (1972)
│  ├── Epsilon - Epsilon (1971)
│  ├── Epsilon - Move On (1972)
│  ├── Eskaton - Ardeur (1980)
│  ├── Eskaton - Fiction (1983)
│  ├── Etron Fou Leloublan - 43 Songs (1991)
│  │  ├── CD 1
│  │  ├── CD 2
│  │  └── CD 3
│  ├── Exodus - The Most Beautiful Dream, Anthology 1977 - 1985 (2006)
│  │  ├── CD 1 - Nadzieje, Niepokoje (1977)
│  │  ├── CD 2 - The Most Beautiful Day (1980)
│  │  ├── CD 3 - Supernova (1981)
│  │  ├── CD 4 - Hazard (2006)
│  │  └── CD 5 - Singles Collection (1992)
│  ├── Far Corner - Endangered (2007)
│  ├── Fashion Pink - ...To Brainstorm (2000)
│  ├── Flash - Flash (1972) & Out Of Our Hands (1973)
│  ├── Flash - In The Can (1972)
│  ├── Flied Egg - Good Bye (1972)
│  ├── Floating State - Thirteen Tolls At Noon (2003)
│  ├── Flor De Loto - Flor De Loto (2004)
│  ├── Flyte - Dawn Dancer (1979)
│  ├── Focus - Focus III (1972)
│  ├── Focus - Hamburger Concerto (1974)
│  ├── Focus - Live At The Rainbow (1973)
│  ├── Focus - Moving Waves (1972)
│  ├── Frame - Frame Of Mind (1972)
│  ├── Franco Battiato - Pollution (1972)
│  ├── Fred - Fred (2001)
│  ├── Friendship Time - Friendship Time (2007)
│  ├── Frogg Café - Fortunate Observer Of Time (2005)
│  ├── Frumpy - All Will Be Changed (1970)
│  ├── Frumpy - By The Way (1972)
│  ├── Frumpy - Frumpy 2 (1971)
│  ├── Fruupp - Future Legends (1973)
│  ├── Fuchsia - Fuchsia (1971)
│  ├── Fusion Orchestra - Skeleton In Armour (1973)
│  ├── Fusioon - Fusioon (1972)
│  ├── Fusioon - Fusioon 2 (1974)
│  ├── Fusioon - Minorisa (1975)
│  ├── Fuzzy Duck - Fuzzy Duck (1971)
│  ├── Gargamel - Watch For The Umbles (2006)
│  ├── Gentle Giant - Acquiring The Taste (1971)
│  ├── Gentle Giant - Civilian (1980)
│  ├── Gentle Giant - Free Hand (35th Anniversary Edition) (1975)
│  ├── Gentle Giant - Gentle Giant (1970)
│  ├── Gentle Giant - Giant For A Day (35th Anniversary Edition) (1978)
│  ├── Gentle Giant - In A Glass House (35th Anniversary Edition) (1973)
│  ├── Gentle Giant - Interview (1976)
│  ├── Gentle Giant - Octopus (1972)
│  ├── Gentle Giant - Playing The Fool (35th Anniversary Edition) (1977)
│  ├── Gentle Giant - The Missing Piece (1977)
│  ├── Gentle Giant - The Power And The Glory (35th Anniversary Edition) (1974)
│  ├── Gentle Giant - Three Friends (1972)
│  ├── Gerard & Ars Nova - Keyboards Triangle (1999)
│  ├── Gila - Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee (1973)
│  ├── Gila - Gila (1971)
│  ├── Glass Hammer - Chronometree (2000)
│  ├── Glass Hammer - Culture Of Ascent (2007)
│  ├── Glass Hammer - Journey Of The Dunadan (1993)
│  ├── Glass Hammer - Lex Rex (2002)
│  ├── Glass Hammer - On To Evermore (1998)
│  ├── Glass Hammer - Perelandra (1995)
│  ├── Glass Hammer - Shadowlands (2004)
│  ├── Glass Hammer - The Inconsolable Secret (2005)
│  │  ├── CD 1 - The Knights
│  │  └── CD 2 - The Lady
│  ├── Glass Hammer - The Middle Earth Album (2001)
│  ├── Gli Alluminogeni - Scolopendra (1972)
│  ├── Gnidrolog - In Spite Of Harry's Toe-Nail (1972)
│  ├── Gnidrolog - Lady Lake (1972)
│  ├── Goblin - Profondo Rosso (1975)
│  ├── Goblin - Roller (1976)
│  ├── Goblin - Suspiria (1977)
│  ├── Goliath - Goliath (1970)
│  ├── Gomorrha - I Turned To See Whose Voice It Was (1972)
│  └── Gong - Downwind (1979)

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[innerspaceboy]

Volume 4

Spoiler

├── The Progressive-Kraut-Psych-Avant garde Rock Collection [Part 4]
│  ├── Gong - Expresso II (1978)
│  ├── Gong - Gazeuse! (1976)
│  ├── Gracious - Gracious (1970)
│  ├── Gracious - This Is...Gracious!! (1971)
│  ├── Grails - Burning Off Impurities (2007)
│  ├── Gravy Train - (A Ballad Of) A Peaceful Man (1971)
│  ├── Gravy Train - Gravy Train (1970)
│  ├── Gravy Train - Second Birth (1973)
│  ├── Gravy Train - Staircase To The Day (1974)
│  ├── Greenslade - Greenslade (1973)
│  ├── Grobschnitt - Ballermann (1974)
│  ├── Grobschnitt - Grobschnitt (1972)
│  ├── Grobschnitt - Jumbo (1975)
│  ├── Grobschnitt - Merry-Go-Round (1979)
│  ├── Grobschnitt - Rockpommel's Land (1977)
│  ├── Guapo - Black Oni (2005)
│  ├── Guapo - Elixirs (2008)
│  ├── Guapo - Five Suns (2004)
│  ├── Guapo - Great Sage, Equal Of Heaven (2001)
│  ├── Haikara - Geafar (1974)
│  ├── Haikara - Haikara (1972)
│  ├── Hallelujah - Hallelujah Babe (1971)
│  ├── Hannibal - Hannibal (1970)
│  ├── Hanuman - Hanuman (1971)
│  ├── Harmonium - Harmonium (1974)
│  ├── Harvester - Hemåt (1970)
│  ├── Hatfield And The North - Hatfield And The North (1974)
│  ├── Häx Cel - Zwai (1972)
│  ├── Haze - Hazecolor-Dia (1971)
│  ├── Heaven - Brass Rock 1 (1971)
│  ├── Hellebore - Il Y A Des Jours (1985)
│  ├── Henry Cow - In Praise Of Learning (1975)
│  ├── Henry Cow - Legend (1973)
│  ├── Henry Cow - Unrest (1974)
│  ├── Henry Cow - Western Culture (1979)
│  ├── Here & Now - Give & Take (1978)
│  ├── Here & Now - Gospel Of Free (1999)
│  ├── High Tide - High Tide (1970)
│  ├── Home - Pause For A Hoarse Horse (1971)
│  ├── Home - The Alchemist (1973)
│  ├── Horizont - Summer In Town (1985)
│  ├── Horizont - The Portrait Of A Boy (1989)
│  ├── Høst - Hardt Mot Hardt (1976)
│  ├── Høst - På Sterke Vinger (1974)
│  ├── Hunka Munka - Dedicato A Giovanna G (1972)
│  ├── Iceberg - Arc-en-ciel (1979)
│  ├── Iceberg - Coses Nostres (1976)
│  ├── Iceberg - Sentiments (1977)
│  ├── I Giganti - Terra In Bocca (Poesia Di Un Delitto) (1971)
│  ├── Igra Staklenih Perli - Igra Staklenih Perli (1979)
│  ├── Igra Staklenih Perli - Vrt Svetlosti (1980)
│  ├── Ihre Kinder - Werdohl (1971)
│  ├── Il Balletto Di Bronzo - Sirio 2222 (1970)
│  ├── Il Balletto Di Bronzo - Ys (1972)
│  ├── Il Paese Dei Balocchi - Il Paese Dei Balocchi (1972)
│  ├── Il Rovescio Della Medaglia - La Bibbia (1971)
│  ├── Il Volo - Essere O Non Essere (1975)
│  ├── Il Volo - Il Volo (1974)
│  ├── Improved Sound Limited - Catch A Singing Bird On The Road (1973)
│  ├── Improved Sound Limited - Improved Sound Limited (1971)
│  ├── Improved Sound Limited - Rathbone Hotel (1976)
│  ├── Indian Summer - Indian Summer (1971)
│  ├── Invisible - Durazno Sangrando (1975)
│  ├── I Santoni - Noi (1972)
│  ├── I Teoremi - I Teoremi (1972)
│  ├── Ithaca - A Game For All Who Know (1973)
│  ├── Ivory - Sad Cypress (1979)
│  ├── Jacula - Tardo Pede In Magiam Versus (1972)
│  ├── Jade Warrior - Jade Warrior (1971)
│  ├── Jade Warrior - Last Autumn's Dream (1972)
│  ├── Jade Warrior - Released (1971)
│  ├── Jan Akkerman - Jan Akkerman (1977)
│  ├── Jan Akkerman & Kaz Lux - Eli (1976)
│  ├── Jan Akkerman - Tabernakel (1973)
│  ├── Jan Dukes De Grey - Mice And Rats In The Loft (1971)
│  ├── Jane - Age Of Madness (1978)
│  ├── Jane - Beautiful Lady (1986)
│  ├── Jane - Fire, Water, Earth & Air (1976)
│  ├── Jane - Here We Are (1973)
│  ├── Jane - III (1974)
│  ├── Jane - Jane (1980)
│  ├── Jane - Lady (1975)
│  ├── Jane - Live At Home (1977)
│  ├── Jane - Sign No. 9 (1979)
│  ├── Jane - Together (1972)
│  ├── Jericho - Jericho (1972)
│  ├── Jericho Jones - Junkies, Monkeys & Donkeys (1971)
│  ├── Jerusalem - Jerusalem (1972)
│  ├── John McLaughlin With The One Truth Band - Electric Dreams (1979)
│  ├── Joy Unlimited - Reflections (1973)
│  ├── Joy Unlimited - Schmetterlinge (1971)
│  ├── Jumbo - DNA (1972)
│  ├── Junipher Green - Friendship (1971)
│  └── Kaipa - The Decca Years 1975-1978 (2005)
│      ├── CD 1 - Kaipa (1975)
│      ├── CD 2 - Inget Nytt Under Solen (1976)
│      ├── CD 3 - Solo (1978)
│      ├── CD 4 - Kaipa Live
│      └── CD 5 - 1974 Unedited Master Demo Recording

[close]