2016 Picks - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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miamiscot

Forum Senior Member

Joined: April 23 2014
Location: Ohio
Status: Offline
Points: 3625

Posted: March 24 2016 at 18:32

So far it's Dream Theater but really looking forward to:

Anderson/Stolt

Neal Morse Band

Knifeworld

Radiohead

Guided By Voices

Wire

Purson

Blood Ceremony

InstrupsychedeMental View Drop Down

Forum Groupie

Joined: January 31 2016
Location: Toronto, ON, CA
Status: Offline
Points: 75

Posted: March 21 2016 at 20:18

So far, I've appreciated:

Abysse-I Am the Wolf

Basement Paintings-Mystic

Buckethead-Pike221-Cove Cloud

Buckethead-Pike224-Buildor

Buckethead-Pike229-Cabs--undecided if Underneath the Arctic is excellent or 'merely' very good

Causa Sui-Return to Sky

Dasputnik-Psykhixplosion

Downward Spiral Galaxy-The Great Psychic War

Emily Rose-The Bahanacius

Handwrist-Sullen Days

Heavy Cosmic Kinetic-II

Illunis-s.t.

In Suspended Atmosphere-Saudade

JaunDone-s.t.

Kokomo-Monochrome Noise Love

Mad Fellaz-II

Mugstar-Magnetic Seasons--probably their best overall release

Rangda-The Heretic's Bargain

Sendelica-I'll Walk With the Stars for You--track I Once Fed Peter Greens Pet Albatross is excellent

Spacelords-Liquid Sun--track Black Hole is excellent

Sputnik-Parallax vol1

Vespero-Lique Mekwas

Votum-Ktonik

Wilson,Steven-4 1/2

Wolfredt-Neverno

Xaoslord-Everything Dies

Yndi Halda-Under Summer

Zun-Burial Sunrise

Some others I'll have to hear again, but wasn't too thrilled by new Monomyth, Explosions in

the Sky or Dream Theater for examples. Not much of a DT fan so said assessment requires

a grain of salt.

Me wanting new My Brother the Wind. And the Tool promises, promises.

Upbeat Tango Monday View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: April 10 2015
Location: Buenos Aires
Status: Offline
Points: 1189

Posted: March 21 2016 at 12:40

The Astonishing. A great and misunderstood album. Modern prog fans who like DT, Porcupine Tree, Tool, Mars Volta etc. hated it because it lacked FTL guitar solos and had too many keyboard sections ("it's boring, not metal enough, yada yada yada"), and a lot of old school prog fans hate DT so they didn't listen to the album. IMO, one of their best records.

Two random guys agreed to shake hands. Just Because. They felt like it, you know. It was an agreement of sorts...a random agreement.

Nogbad_The_Bad View Drop Down

Forum & Site Admin Group

RIO/Avant/Zeuhl & Eclectic Team

Joined: March 16 2007
Location: Boston
Status: Offline
Points: 21321

Posted: March 21 2016 at 08:49

Udi posted this from the new Panzerpappa

https://soundcloud.com/udi-koomran/panzerpappa-fundal

Ian

Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com

https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/

PhideauxFan View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: August 14 2007
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 4579

Posted: March 21 2016 at 08:17

PhideauxFan wrote:

Steven Wilson and Frequency Drift. Wink

Matthew Parmenter and Motorpsycho. Clap

Nogbad_The_Bad View Drop Down

Forum & Site Admin Group

RIO/Avant/Zeuhl & Eclectic Team

Joined: March 16 2007
Location: Boston
Status: Offline
Points: 21321

Posted: March 21 2016 at 06:00

Yugen & Panzerpappa released today on altrock.

Ian

Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com

https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/

TeleStrat

Forum Senior Member

Joined: December 27 2014
Location: Norwalk, CA
Status: Offline
Points: 9319

Posted: March 21 2016 at 05:57

Mars Red Sky - Apex lll (Praise For The Burning Soul)

Greenleaf - Rise Above The Meadow

Mondo Drag - The Occultation Of Light

The Spacelords - Liquid Sun

Holy Grove - Holy Grove

Electric Eye - Different Sun

Eight Bells - Landless

Banquet - Jupiter Rose

Polymorphia View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: November 06 2012
Location: here
Status: Offline
Points: 8856

Posted: March 20 2016 at 19:16

I really need to listen to more Motorpsycho tbh. I like what I've heard, including the song posted above, but I just haven't sought them out.

My Music

Prog-jester View Drop Down

Prog Reviewer

Joined: June 05 2005
Location: Love Beach
Status: Offline
Points: 5909

Posted: March 20 2016 at 18:56

Guldbamsen wrote:

One of the best tunes of 2016 thus far

...sounds like a "Heavy Metal Fruit" outtake, three riffs thrown together and stretched to a 17-min mark, only because the rest of the record is even less interesting, so they needed The Epic to hide that fact. Dunno what exactly happened to this once great band, but this is their fourth LP in a row that is exactly like any other post-2008 one from them (sans DDU) to my ears. "Finding your niche" for a band as eclectic as Motorpsycho are (were?) sounds like a creative suicide

PhideauxFan View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: August 14 2007
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 4579

Posted: March 16 2016 at 07:02

Steven Wilson and Frequency Drift. Wink

Guldbamsen View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Retired Admin

Joined: January 22 2009
Location: Magic Theatre
Status: Offline
Points: 23104

Posted: March 16 2016 at 06:44

One of the best tunes of 2016 thus far:

I utterly adore the middle bit where things turn for the more progressive a la Lizard "era" King Crimson.

Edited by Guldbamsen - March 16 2016 at 06:44

“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams

Meltdowner View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: June 25 2013
Location: Portugal
Status: Offline
Points: 10278

Posted: March 16 2016 at 06:36

I didn't listen to many new albums so far and most I only listened once.

On PA:

Alms - Irosmic Tragedy (Seemed better than the debut at first listen)

Fire! - She Sleeps, She Sleeps (David said it all)

Handwrist - Çatalhöyük (A complete (and refreshing) change of style, some kind of Ethnic Psych Rock)

Steven Wilson - 4 1/2 (At least it's less than one hour long)

Not on PA:

Anaquim - Um Dia Destes (Easily their worst album, in my opinion)

Lina Nyberg - Aerials (I'm generally not into vocal Jazz but this album is nice)

Pristine - Reboot (Really cool Blues Rock album from Norway)

Salto - Passeio das Virtudes (This one will sound even better next Summer)

Sensible Soccers - Villa Soledade (Sunny Krautrock inspired album. Best surprise of this year so far.)

Edited by Meltdowner - March 16 2016 at 06:45

Guldbamsen View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Retired Admin

Joined: January 22 2009
Location: Magic Theatre
Status: Offline
Points: 23104

Posted: March 16 2016 at 06:08

It's a wonderful morning album as well. Jump-starts the ol cabeza like a dream (I'm not sure my neighbours enjoy it as much though).

“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams

Nogbad_The_Bad View Drop Down

Forum & Site Admin Group

RIO/Avant/Zeuhl & Eclectic Team

Joined: March 16 2007
Location: Boston
Status: Offline
Points: 21321

Posted: March 16 2016 at 05:56

That Ukandanz is great

Ian

Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com

https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/

Guldbamsen View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Retired Admin

Joined: January 22 2009
Location: Magic Theatre
Status: Offline
Points: 23104

Posted: March 16 2016 at 05:49

What the deuce?!?!?!??? Are you moving in on my turf Tony? Shocked

Nahh don't worry my friend - I'm glad someone took the time to launch this thing. Easily one of my fave threads during recent years.

As for 2016; well it seems to have started off with a bang, and there are quite a lot of the already mentioned upcoming releases that I'm equally looking forward to.

Great releases thus far include:

David Bowie - Blackstar (Believe the hype....especially if you're a Bowie fan)

Ulver - ABCDEFG (Semi-Krautrock-Ambient thingy that floats like a dream)

Ukandanz - Awo (Ethiopean jazz rock meets zeuhl in a wonderfully rambunctious way)

Fire! - She Sleeps, She Sleeps (Fiery and tooting as only Mats Gustafsson can be + psychedlic guitars = yum)

Tim Hecker - Love Streams (This is oh so beautiful compared to his last album 'Virgins' that sounded like artsy muzak)

Aluk Todolo - Voix (Very good release but somewhat underwhelming coming in the wake of Occult Rock. For fans of unorthodox metal with somewhat blurry intentions)

Motorpsycho - Here Be Monsters (The ending cut 'Black Dog' alone should make this an autobuy. The rest of it ain't too shabby either)

Edited by Guldbamsen - March 16 2016 at 05:54

“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams

Cookie13

Forum Senior Member

Joined: March 10 2016
Location: Poland
Status: Offline
Points: 473

Posted: March 16 2016 at 05:43

RoeDent wrote:

Best release of the year has to be The Astonishing. DT just know how to write great melodies!

I respect Your opinion, but I completely don't agree. The Astonishing is the one of worst albums I ever heard. I just want to say, that's sounds like the great Jordan Rudess triumph over the good music taste Wink

"Clipside of the pinkeye flight
I'm not the percent you think survives
I need sanctuary in the pages of this book."

Son Et Lumiere - The Mars Volta

Polymorphia View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: November 06 2012
Location: here
Status: Offline
Points: 8856

Posted: March 15 2016 at 23:39

Forgot about that Florist one. Some nice stuff there.

Also forgotten: Zvi– Zvi II: Death Stops Us All (Ron Varod's experimental/drone/ambient/noise/post-rock project)

And there's also going to be a new And Also the Trees record very soon, and possibly At the Drive-In.

My Music

Prog-jester View Drop Down

Prog Reviewer

Joined: June 05 2005
Location: Love Beach
Status: Offline
Points: 5909

Posted: March 15 2016 at 19:47

love sseing so many multi-genre releases namedropped, not just proggy ones!

But this Jesu/SKM collab is god awful, Kozelek/LaValle one was genius tho

LearsFool

Prog Reviewer

Joined: November 09 2014
Location: New York
Status: Offline
Points: 8644

Posted: March 15 2016 at 17:21

Blackstar – David Bowie

Ultimate Care II – Matmos

Varmints – Anna Meredith

The Birds Outside Sang – Florist

The Gamble – nankeen

Void Beats Invocation Trex – Cavern of Anti-Matter

Varahtelija – Oranssi Pazuzu

Voix – Aluk Todolo

Trotro – DJ Katapila

Brute – Fatima al Qadiri

The Catastrophist – Tortoise

ATGCLVLSSCAP – Ulver

Adore Life – Savages

Before A Million Universes – Big Ups

Queer Lodgings – Ozark Soundscape

Jesu/Sun Kil Moon – Jesu and Sun Kil Moon

Here Be Monsters – Motorpsycho

Love Over Will – Alex Smoke

Spirit Phone – Lemon Demon

Elevenses – Daevid Allen’s Weird Quartet

Zelalem – Mikael Seifu

Fun For Family and Friends – Paper Days

Nevermen – Nevermen

Suicide Songs – MONEY

Wabi-Sabi – Cross Record

January Sun – Kedr Livanskiy

Painting With – Animal Collective

No Burden – Lucy Dacus

Paradise – Pop. 1280

Emotional Mugger – Ty Segall

Big Black Coat – Junior Boys

Wait & See – Majical Cloudz

Post Pop Depression – Iggy Pop

Arcology – Thug Entrancer

Night Thoughts – Suede

Jream House – A Pleasure

Akroasis – Obscura

The Middle Sister – Guy Blakeslee

Pool – Porches

Full Circle – Loretta Lynn

Is The Is Are – DIIV

Looks set to be a low key year in general, though I am expecting big things from Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem, James Blake, Run The Jewels, Death Grips, and Ash Koosha.