YOUR TOP 25 ALBUMS

[SavaVIMan]

I must be bored to spend time on this!! You can put them in an order if you wish. I keep my top 5 in my head, but after that, it was difficult. This is what I settled on:

25. Something Wicked This Way Comes – Iced Earth

24. Labyrinths of Truths - Soul Spell

23. Walk On - Boston

22. Millennium Metal - Metallium

21. Theater of Salvation - Edguy

20. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band – Beatles

19. In Search of the Lost Chord – The Moody Blues

18. Dark Saga - Iced Earth

17. Psychotic Symphony – Sons of Apollo

16. Back In Black – AC/DC

15. Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen

14. Hall of the Mountain King - Savatage

13. Ride the Lightning - Metallica

12. Sonic Firestorm - Dragonforce

11. Operation: Mindcrime - Queensryche

10. Black Clouds and Silver Linings – Dream Theater

9. Tommy – The Who

8. No More Tears – Ozzy

8. Keeper of the Seven Keys** – Helloween

7. Nostradamus – Judas Priest

6. Mandrake - Edguy

5. The Edge – Eternity X

4. Appetite for Destruction – Guns ‘N Roses

3. Master of Puppets - Metallica

2. Gutter Ballet - Savatage

1. Streets: A Rock Opera- Savatage


** Counting 2 CDs as 1.

 

[WorldOfSilence]

25. Once and Future King - Gary Hughes
I love Ten's early albums. The only thing that lets them down is Gary's singing. Here we get all the wonder of his song writing, with other people doing most of the singing.

24. Purgatory - Borealis
Could have included any of their four albums, as they are very consistent, but this is probably my favourite.

23. Hysteria - Def Leppard
One of the all time classic rock albums. No need for further comment.

22. The Odyssey - Symphony X
I love Symphony X, but their albums often have as many misses as hits. This is probably their most consistent, although V runs it close.

21. Once - Nightwish
The best Nightwish album. Honourable mention to Century Child.

20. Isolate - Circus Maximus
Could have also included the First Chapter. Everything since has been inferior.

19. Amaranthe - Amaranthe
Fun pop metal. They have never been better than on their debut. (Or maybe their sound has grown tired after 5 very similar albums).

18. The Little Boy's Shadow Opera - Abydos
Rock Opera from Vanden Plas.

17. Sands of Time - Scardust
Israeli prog metal combining equal parts Epica, Orphaned Land and Savatage.

16. Out of the Silence - Dare
Underrated AOR classic. Not a bad song on the album.

15. Streets: A Rock Opera - Savatage
My second favourite Savatage album.

14. Use Your Illusion - Guns N Roses
I love the Guns N Roses album(s) everyone else hates. The pomp and scope of November Rain and Estranged was my gateway into Prog Metal.

13. The Unforgiving - Within Temptation
The perfect blend of Within Temptation's earlier symphonic sound with their later pop metal.

12. Room V - Shadow Gallery
A collection of over-long ballads. What's not to love.

11. The Valiant Fire - Damnation Angels
I like all love of their albums, but this feels the most epic and progressive.

10. The Divine Conspiracy - Epica
Epica's most consistent album.

9. Ghost Opera - Kamelot
Most people would argue this was the begining of Kamelot's downward trend, but was a gateway album for me.

8. Handful of Rain - Savatage
Another that people don't seem to rate. Chance and Alone You Breathe are enough to carry this album.

7. Tiara - Seventh Wonder
Seventh Wonder can do no wrong. The Great Escape and Waiting in the Wings were unlucky to miss out.

6. Dracula: The Swing of Death - Jorn Lande & Trond Holter
Should be awful, but somehow is a excellent and fun romp.

5. Snowfall on Judgement Day - Redemption
Honourable mentions to The Fullness of Time and The Origins of Ruin, but this is my favourite.

4. Operation: Mindcrime - Queensryche
Going to be on a lot of these lists.

3. Mother Earth - Within Temptation
The quintessential symphonic metal album.

2. The Black Halo - Kamelot
Dark, operatic, theatrical, strong story, great melodies. Almost the best album ever made.

1. Mercy Falls - Seventh Wonder
Unmatched.

 

[adaher]

I'll put mine up later, but I have to comment on some of these:

Eternity X-The Edge. I remember reading about what an amazing album this was, so back in 2000 I shelled out $30 for an import, and it was... good. Interesting. In an era when good music was hard to find I appreciated it. I just don't think it holds up well in 2020 though.

Amaranthe- Their sound has actually progressed a lot with each album, which might be part of the problem for a lot of people. The original is the most metal, the latest the most pop.

Some really odd choices for albums from great bands. Dream Theater, black Clouds and not Images and Dreams? Shadow Gallery Room V but not Tyranny?

Once and Future King- Couldn't agree more that Ten would be an awesome band if Gary wasn't the only one singing on them. I don't think Gary's a bad singer, so much as he only seems to have one tone and it works for some kinds of songs and not others.

Guns N Roses Use Your Illusion- Never thought it would be possible for that band to mature, but they did on that double album. And then it was over.

 

[spag]

I absolutely do not list these in order. I modified the request slightly and limited myself to one album per band. I'd never come up with a list otherwise, as I'd have to pair down a couple of hundred.

Right now, this is a pretty good approximation, but it's really based on mood. I might go a really long time between hearing some of these, even though it's like getting a visit from an dear old friend when I hear them.

Savatage - Wake of Megellan
Yes - Close to the Edge
Rainbow - Rising
Therion - Vovin
Symphony X - The Odyssey

Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls
Marillion - Childhood's End
Meatloaf - Bat Out of Hell
Iced Earth - The Glorious Burden/Gettysburg
Royal Hunt - Paradox

Fifth Angel - Fifth Angel
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
Pink Floyd - Animals
Ozzy Osbourne - Diary Of A Madman
Rush - Moving Pictures

Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn
The Moody Blues - To Our Children's Children's Children
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Keldian - Journey Of Souls
Kansas - Leftoverture

Anthriel - The Pathway
Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith
Jethro Tull - Heavy Horses
Genesis - A Trick of the Tail
Amorphis - Skyforger

 

[TwizstedJesus]

I love reading posts like this! Sometimes I'm shocked to see some of the cds on each list. Thats what makes it so fun to read!

1. Pain of Salvation- "Remedy Lane". Every Pain of Salvation disc has certain redeeming qualities that make me return to them, but Remedy Lane was where everything just fell into place. I listen to this cd at least 40-50 times a year and I never tire of it.

2. Fates Warning- "No Exit". While not my favorite Fates Warning album currently, it's the one I consistently return to. Ray Alders debut, a perfect cross between Arch era Fates and the proggier direction of later discs. "The Ivory Gate of Dreams" is my favorite song...ever!

3. Savatage- "Streets". Everything previous to this disc was just leading us up to Jon's swansong as vocalist, and it blew everything away that came out that year. Criss was on fire here! "Ghosts In The Ruins " goes down as my favorite guitar solo ever.

4. Kamelot- " Black Halo". Kamelot has always been good. Kamelot with Khan has always been a must buy! Kamelot "Black Halo" was a perfect disc in almost every way. The story wasn't just an excuse to make a pompous overblown album like a few of their later discs. It was a reason to listen from start to finish. Another cd that I grab 20 times a year.

5. WASP- "The Eternal Idol". This cd was good when it came out but it never really grabbed me until many years later. I listened to it a few years ago and was amazed that WASP never came close to this again. I've probably spun this 30 times this year and I always want to play it a second time consecutively. Great great cd!

Honorable mentions for discs that could easily enter my top 5 list on any given day

Dream Theater-"Awake". This grabbed me hard when it came out and it is still my favorite cd by DT. A close 2nd would be "S.F.A.M."
Black Crowes- "Amorica". Their creative peak before drugs took away the shine. I still love the entire discography.
Fates Warning " A Pleasant Shade Of Gray"- What is it about concept albums and prog metal? Fates Warning has never put out a poor disc.
Led Zeppelin-"Physical Graffiti". So many different textures. Great on so many different levels.
Badlands-"Voodoo Highway". Jake E. Lee & Ray Gillen were magical together! Ray has the greatest bluesy voice of all time!
Cry of Love- "Diamonds & Debris". I loved loved loved this band! Vocal change after an amazing debut? Didn't matter. Blown away!
Spocks Beard- "Snow". Neal Morse left after this disc, but what a bittersweet goodbye this is! My 1st Prog rock favorite.
Kings X- "Gretchen Goes To Nebraska". The entire disc fro start to finish. Near perfection.


I could keep going on and on ...