Get ready for best prog rock CD of 2009...

[BarryL]

Not yet, I'm not ready.

But I think I have a top two and a handful of runner-ups.

[Troy]

Mantis- Umphrey's McGee
The Incident- Porcupine Tree

Those are my 2.

[BarryL]

Mantis- Umphrey's McGee
The Incident- Porcupine Tree

Those are my 2.


Now I have to revise my list. Forgot about PT.

Actually, never got around to hearing the latest Umphrey's. Have a couple of their earlier disks, so I trust the new one is good.

[Troy]

It's their best album by a considerable margin.

[BarryL]

It's their best album by a considerable margin.


...don't try to sway the jury.

That's what they said about the new Dream Theater. Well, okay, nobody said THAT about Black Clouds and Silver Linings.

[Troy]

Dream Theater has never released the best anything.

[noddin0ff]

Mantis- Umphrey's McGee
The Incident- Porcupine Tree

Those are my 2.

Oh, sure. NOW your ready to weigh in on 2009...

[Swish]

It's not every day I get a new desktop coaster.:biggrin5:

[BarryL]

It's not every day I get a new desktop coaster.:biggrin5:

...so I guess you won't be contributing (anything positive) then?

[ForeverAutumn]

Don't tell Swish that today's Featured CD at Progressive Ears (http://www.progressiveears.com/default.asp?bhcp=1) is The Decemberists, The Hazards of Love.

:yikes:

[Finch Platte]

It's their best album by a considerable margin.

Bleagh. I've listened to this a couple of times & never went back to it.

*sigh* Guess I'll have to drag it out again. :prrr:

[BarryL]

Not yet, I'm not ready.

But I think I have a top two and a handful of runner-ups.


Tied for the two top spots:

Keith Emerson Band - Nothing new here, but I love that he had the balls to put out a great retro-sounding album that for me, is what Keith Emerson should be. I love his piano work, but after Brain Salad Surgery, they lost their mojo. This one sounds like it could have followed Tarkus. Adding the guitar player really helps to make it more modern. My hope is that this work gives him the confidence to go all-out prog and give us something between Tarkus and BSS. This was released in Europe in 2008 but I think it wasn't released in N.A. until '09.

Phideaux - Number Seven. This is a bit of a strange affair, but I love the focus on melody and soaring synthesizers. The male/female vocals take a bit of getting used to because they are a bit quirky. It's a concept album with a few slow spots, but I guess that's the price paid for ambitiousness. This is more up the neo-prog alley than the current shift of prog into metal. Nothing not to love here, IMO, but may be too light for those who thing DT, Opeth and Porcupine Tree is all there is to prog.

Runners Up.

Porcupine Tree - The Incident. This one has its moments, but like most PT albums, the great stuff is great and weaker stuff is weak. I love SW's vibe overall, but as a total album, this one doesn't rate as high for me as the two above.

Roswell Six - Terra Incognita Beyond The Horizon. This is connected to a book by Kevin Anderson. Anderson wrote the lyrics and Erik Norlander wrote the music. Features Lana Lane and James LeBrie on vocals. This one rocks. Doesn't break any new ground, and is very middle-of-the-road, but it's highly melodic with memorable hooks.

Transatlantic - The Whirlwind. Easily the best of the three Transatlantic CDs so far. Features Neal Morse, Roine Stolt, Pete Trewavas and MIke Portnoy. Yeah, the lyrics tend to the mystical and may be a turnoff to some, but that seems to be all that Morse can write nowadays. I just imagine that they are singing about aliens from outer space rather than what I assume are veiled references to God and Jesus. One mystical higher consciousness is just as silly as the next.

Patrick Moraz - Change of Space. Someone on this board recommended I avoid this disk. But I've come to really like it. I'm glad to see he's ventured back into ensemble playing and away from solo piano. It's a album of pieces, so the flow isn't always the best. and it tends more towards world music, perhaps, than progressive rock. It's possible that if I wasn't already a big fan Moraz fan, this wouldn't have made the list.

That's it. There were some other good releases that I heard, and many that I didn't. All in all, with five good one's, that's a good year for Prog in my opinion.

[3LB]

Best Prog album 2009 (in this order):
1. Umphrey's McGee - Mantis (great)
2. Izz - The Darkened Room (their best since I Move)
3. Satellite - Nostalgia (retro, but great)
4. Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition (very good)
5. Porcupine Tree - The Incident (Good, but...)

Honorable mention (because they're not really prog albums):
Dredg - The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion (better than their last one)
Muse - The Resistance (not as good as Black Holes)
Glass Hammer - Three Cheers For The Broken Hearted (change of pace and well done)

Serious letdowns (w/ buyer's remorse):
Transatlantic - The Whirlwind (blows)
Sylvan - Force Of Gravity (sucks)

The year still has a couple of weeks left in it, but unless something really knocks my socks off, I doubt my list will change. If any album gets bumped from the top 5, it'll be PT. Their's is the shakiest spot. My top 3 are pretty much etched in stone.

[ForeverAutumn]

Best Prog album 2009 (in this order):
1. Umphrey's McGee - Mantis (great)
2. Izz - The Darkened Room (their best since I Move)
3. Satellite - Nostalgia (retro, but great)
4. Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition (very good)
5. Porcupine Tree - The Incident (Good, but...)


The best IZZ CD since I Move, eh? I'll have to get me a copy of that. I love I Move.

I'm jealous that you have the Riverside disk. I haven't heard it. It's sold out everywhere. According to Ken over at Laser's Edge, there have been some distribution issues with the record company. I email him every few months in the hopes that's he's heard something positive but no such luck so far. They are one of my favourite recent bands and it's killing me that I can't get my hands on this disk.

I haven't bought much prog this year outside of the PT and DT disks. In fact, I haven't bought a lot of disks this year in general. This money pit of a house we bought is really hurting my CD allowance. :(

I really like the first half of the Muse disk. But the "symphony" just bores me. That's not stopping me from trying to get tickets to see them however. They're in town in March and the pre-sale starts tomorrow. Unfortunately, I suspect the crowd will be filled with teenybopper Twilight fans as, evidently, they had a tune in either the Twilight or New Moon movie.

[Troy]

The best IZZ CD since I Move, eh? I'll have to get me a copy of that. I love I Move.

I really like the first half of the Muse disk. But the "symphony" just bores me.

Yeah, I'd like to hear the IZZ too, if it's really that good.

Muse is lame. I got that album based on recs here, and I think it's a stiff. Sounds like Queen crossed with Depeche Mode with a dash of Coldplay. None of which I ever particularly cared for. It really sounds like something I heard 30 years ago. Boooring! And that Symphony! What a total filler scam that BS is. It just meanders on forever! Bleaugh.

And yeah, that Transatlantic's horrible too. The only tracks I like are the Genesis and Santana covers. The rest is just so overbearing and precious. And hide the microphone from the drummer, fer gods sake! Neil Morse needs to get over Jesus before I can ever listen to anything from him again.

[Slosh]

Don't tell Swish that today's Featured CD at Progressive Ears (http://www.progressiveears.com/default.asp?bhcp=1) is The Decemberists, The Hazards of Love.

:yikes:Yeah, and it sucks. One kinda sorta okay song. The rest is a total mess.

[3LB]

Yeah, I'd like to hear the IZZ too, if it's really that good.I like it, but I wasn't all that crazy about Ampersand and My River Flows. I still say I move is their best, but the new one is a close second.


Sounds like Queen crossed with Depeche Mode with a dash of Coldplay. None of which I ever particularly cared for. two different message boards perty much gave the same description when it came out - don't know how you missed that ;)


It really sounds like something I heard 30 years ago.and when did this become a problem for you :p


And yeah, that Transatlantic's horrible too. The only tracks I like are the Genesis and Santana covers. The rest is just so overbearing and precious. And hide the microphone from the drummer, fer gods sake! Neil Morse needs to get over Jesus before I can ever listen to anything from him again.ditto

[ForeverAutumn]

The new Muse is definately not their best. Black Holes and Revelations, however, is a killer album IMO. Absolution is pretty good too. I have four of their CDs and I'd say the new one is my least favourite.

I just got tickets for their concert here in March and I'm pretty excited about it. I've heard that they put on an excellent live show. I just hope they don't play that snoozer symphony in it's entirety. :sleep:

[ForeverAutumn]

Phideaux - Number Seven. This is a bit of a strange affair, but I love the focus on melody and soaring synthesizers. The male/female vocals take a bit of getting used to because they are a bit quirky. It's a concept album with a few slow spots, but I guess that's the price paid for ambitiousness. This is more up the neo-prog alley than the current shift of prog into metal. Nothing not to love here, IMO, but may be too light for those who thing DT, Opeth and Porcupine Tree is all there is to prog.


Hey Barry. I'd be interested in hearing that Phideaux disk.

[Troy]

The new Muse is definately not their best. Black Holes and Revelations, however, is a killer album IMO. Absolution is pretty good too. I have four of their CDs and I'd say the new one is my least favourite.


I got Black Holes at the same time as I got the new one and it feels like more of the same. I need to listen to it some more, but in general I'm just bored by this band.


two different message boards perty much gave the same description when it came out - don't know how you missed that

I guess it's getting repeated because it's true.


and when did this become a problem for you

When I didn't like it very much the first time 'round.

[Finch Platte]

My top disc?

http://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/4038/cover_473262562009.jpg

Just as prog as that UM disc. *sniff*

[Troy]

My top disc?

http://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/4038/cover_473262562009.jpg

Just as prog as that UM disc. *sniff*

Yes, this was a good '09 release too. More fusion-y than prog tho. Sure wish someone could pronounce Morglbl for me.

[Finch Platte]

More fusion-y than prog tho. Sure wish someone could pronounce Morglbl for me.

Yeah, I agree. But is the UM is more jam-rock than prog? :crazy:

Fill your mouth with marbles & say "More Gerbils". That should be close.

Edit: Lengthy writeup on the recording of 'Mantis': http://emusician.com/interviews/umphrey-mcgee-mission-0809/


“On ‘1348,' in more of those industrial sections,” says Browning, “there are sections that have eight different snare drums combined into one. One of them has five acoustic snares and three electronic snares, all layered into one gigantic snare drum sound.”



When the editing and mixing was finally finished, the band shipped the mixes to Bob Ludwig for mastering. Having Ludwig master it was “really a dream come true for me being an audiophile,” says Cinninger. “And to actually pop on our vinyl version and listen to it and hear those characteristics of some of the great mastering jobs that he's put out, it was really cool to hear on our material.”

[Swish]

Don't tell Swish that today's Featured CD at Progressive Ears (http://www.progressiveears.com/default.asp?bhcp=1) is The Decemberists, The Hazards of Love.

:yikes:


The Tain was the start of it, and I suppose I should just accept the fact that they will never be the same band that records "Castaways and Cutouts' and 'Crane Wife'. It was nice while it lasted.

Swish - Prog must die!

[Troy]

The Tain was the start of it, and I suppose I should just accept the fact that they will never be the same band that records "Castaways and Cutouts' and 'Crane Wife'. It was nice while it lasted.

Swish - Prog must die!

Relax and give in . . . You can call it 'art rock,' it's ok.


Yeah, I agree. But is the UM is more jam-rock than prog?

I think that UM gets unjustifiably lumped in with the jam bands. Maybe when they were first starting out, but they get more structured with every album. Mantis is more epic, mathematic and yes, prog, than anything they've released in the past. Best album of the year or me.

[3LB]

Phideaux - Number Seven. This is a bit of a strange affair, but I love the focus on melody and soaring synthesizers. The male/female vocals take a bit of getting used to because they are a bit quirky. It's a concept album with a few slow spots, but I guess that's the price paid for ambitiousness. This is more up the neo-prog alley than the current shift of prog into metal. Nothing not to love here, IMO, but may be too light for those who thing DT, Opeth and Porcupine Tree is all there is to prog.

I liked Doomsday Afternoon a lot better than this one, but this one is fairly well done. One of the members is a regular over at PE. Another retro-prog keyboard band you might enjoy is Wobbler. Short album, but fun.