2015 Album Releases

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   I was tempted to vote for Steven Wilson, but I'm sure he'll pick up plenty of votes anyway, so my vote goes to.....
Ciccada - The Finest of Miracles

It'll be a miracle if Ciccada wins the poll though. 

CICCADA      Marble halls and Jaws! If you ever happen to find yourself beetling around the back streets of ancient Athens, then you may just run into this fine band of merry minstrels. Ciccada are one of the heaviest Prog-Folk bands you're ever likely to hear this side of the Peloponnesian peninsula. Their third and most recent album to date is a veritable Harvest of great songs, all fully ripened and sun-blessed with Greek goodness and ready for reaping. Harvest is undoubtedly the best of three albums released so far, which occasionally borders on Folk Metal, sounding heavier at times than any album I know of by Jethro Tull or the Strawbs, even though Jethro Tull once won a Grammy Award for best Heavy Metal band, ahead of Metallica! This is evergreen pastoral folk imbued with the peaceful solitude of Greek marble halls, combined with sudden hammerhead shark attacks of hard and heavy rock, sounding  something akin to an iron fist wrapped in a velvet glove, the like of which we haven't heard since Gryphon first graced our airwaves. The delightful music of the Ciccada septet is very reminiscent of Mostly Autumn, so if you're a fan of Heather Findlay, Iain Jennings and Bryan Josh & Co, then you'll be in for a real Greek treat here. In ancient folklore, the cicada beetle was a symbol of carefree living and immortality, and so it is with this free-loving band of Greek troubadours, who deserve to be around for many years yet. You'll be pleasantly surprised to hear all of the lyrics are in English too - the international language of prog (and air traffic control). The charming music of Ciccada sounds as quintessentially English as a game of cricket with strawberries and cream on an English summer lawn, with not a bouzouki or Greek lyre to be heard anywhere. You won't be stumped or on a sticky wicket with Ciccada's previous two fine albums either as they're both real belters and well-above batting average. In conclusion then, the sweet and endearing music of Ciccada is as warm and inviting as a Mediterranean Summer Breeze blowing through the jasmine of your mind, but the lovely sun-blessed album we have here is truly a Harvest for the World. And so, the next time you hear a cicada chirping away in the rainforest, maybe it'll bring back fond memories of Greek band Ciccada, or far more likely, the distinctive yell of Tarzan as he swings on a vine through the jungle, Uh- oh, Chongo!

  2010: Ciccada - A Child in the Mirror - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nD0iFd7MtR0X12doLZiom-MpqSEI9gl0A
  2015: Ciccada - The Finest of Miracles - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kg4DjfqzAHdhHIxlqUDCp3-dZ4NOc9m5k
  2021: Ciccada - Harvest - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nWG_xYXp_MUPgxmRe5RaKmfygwskckFQs

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - February 11 2025 at 14:15

Poll Question: Choose a favourite from the list if you can to vote for, else "other"
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
1. Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase.	9	[33.33%]
2. Anekdoten - Until All the Ghosts Are Gone	5	[18.52%]
3. Nemo - Coma	0	[0.00%]
4. The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise	3	[11.11%]
5. Elder - Lore	0	[0.00%]
6. Magma - Sl*g Tanz	1	[3.70%]
7. Riverside - Love, Fear and the Time Machine	1	[3.70%]
8. La Coscienza di Zeno - La Notte Anche di Giorno	0	[0.00%]
1. Jaga Jazzist – Starfire	1	[3.70%]
2. Elephant9 – Silver Mountain	0	[0.00%]
3. Leprous – The Congregation	1	[3.70%]
4. Unreal City – Il Paese del Tramonto	1	[3.70%]
5. La Fabbrica Dell’assoluto – 1984: L’ultimo Uomo d’Europa	0	[0.00%]
6. Ciccada – The Finest of Miracles	1	[3.70%]
7. Guapo – Obscure Knowledge	1	[3.70%]
8. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Asunder, Sweet and Other...	1	[3.70%]
1. Anna von Hausswolff - The Miraculous	0	[0.00%]
2. Julia Holter - Have You in My Wilderness	0	[0.00%]
3. Susanne Sundfør - Ten Love Songs	0	[0.00%]
4. Kosmischer Läufer - Volume Three	0	[0.00%]
5. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell	1	[3.70%]
6. Beach House - Depression Cherry	0	[0.00%]
7. William D. Drake - Revere Reach	0	[0.00%]
8. Oneohtrix Point Never - Garden Of Delete	0	[0.00%]
other album- use if none much liked in poll, specify in post	1	[3.70%]
You can not vote in this poll

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Psychedelic Paul Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Online Points: 43508	Post Options Post Reply Quote Psychedelic Paul Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: February 11 2025 at 14:13
	I was tempted to vote for Steven Wilson, but I'm sure he'll pick up plenty of votes anyway, so my vote goes to..... Ciccada - The Finest of Miracles It'll be a miracle if Ciccada wins the poll though. CICCADA Marble halls and Jaws! If you ever happen to find yourself beetling around the back streets of ancient Athens, then you may just run into this fine band of merry minstrels. Ciccada are one of the heaviest Prog-Folk bands you're ever likely to hear this side of the Peloponnesian peninsula. Their third and most recent album to date is a veritable Harvest of great songs, all fully ripened and sun-blessed with Greek goodness and ready for reaping. Harvest is undoubtedly the best of three albums released so far, which occasionally borders on Folk Metal, sounding heavier at times than any album I know of by Jethro Tull or the Strawbs, even though Jethro Tull once won a Grammy Award for best Heavy Metal band, ahead of Metallica! This is evergreen pastoral folk imbued with the peaceful solitude of Greek marble halls, combined with sudden hammerhead shark attacks of hard and heavy rock, sounding something akin to an iron fist wrapped in a velvet glove, the like of which we haven't heard since Gryphon first graced our airwaves. The delightful music of the Ciccada septet is very reminiscent of Mostly Autumn, so if you're a fan of Heather Findlay, Iain Jennings and Bryan Josh & Co, then you'll be in for a real Greek treat here. In ancient folklore, the cicada beetle was a symbol of carefree living and immortality, and so it is with this free-loving band of Greek troubadours, who deserve to be around for many years yet. You'll be pleasantly surprised to hear all of the lyrics are in English too - the international language of prog (and air traffic control). The charming music of Ciccada sounds as quintessentially English as a game of cricket with strawberries and cream on an English summer lawn, with not a bouzouki or Greek lyre to be heard anywhere. You won't be stumped or on a sticky wicket with Ciccada's previous two fine albums either as they're both real belters and well-above batting average. In conclusion then, the sweet and endearing music of Ciccada is as warm and inviting as a Mediterranean Summer Breeze blowing through the jasmine of your mind, but the lovely sun-blessed album we have here is truly a Harvest for the World. And so, the next time you hear a cicada chirping away in the rainforest, maybe it'll bring back fond memories of Greek band Ciccada, or far more likely, the distinctive yell of Tarzan as he swings on a vine through the jungle, Uh- oh, Chongo! 2010: Ciccada - A Child in the Mirror - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nD0iFd7MtR0X12doLZiom-MpqSEI9gl0A 2015: Ciccada - The Finest of Miracles - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kg4DjfqzAHdhHIxlqUDCp3-dZ4NOc9m5k 2021: Ciccada - Harvest - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nWG_xYXp_MUPgxmRe5RaKmfygwskckFQs Edited by Psychedelic Paul - February 11 2025 at 14:15

Logan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum & Site Admin Group Site Admin Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 37276	Post Options Post Reply Quote Logan Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: February 11 2025 at 14:07
	The tenth of this series. Again this poll comes in three sections and an "other", and again multiple voting is not enabled. The first eight are taken from the unfiltered, except by year, Prog Archives Top Album Chart for 2015. The second eight is taken from the top eleven the Collab Album of the Year for 2015 topic (there were three duplicates in it top eight with the PA chart). The third eight is from my Awesome Prog for 2015. "Other" as a voting option is intended to use if none of the listed options have much appeal. That said, I would ask people to mention their favourites on and off the list. If your favourite on the list is Magma - Slaǧ Tanƶ, but your actual favourite is Arena's The Unquiet Sky, then I suggest voting for and mentioning Magma's album in a post while mentioning Arena's as being your actual favourite. Mention as many of your favourites as you like, both and off the list. And feel free to mention what you don't like that is listed too, and then preferably why it does not appeal. Top Eight At ProgArchives 2015 Chart 1. Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase. (Crossover) 2. Anekdoten - Until All the Ghosts Are Gone (Heavy) 3. Nemo - Coma (Eclectic) 4. The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise (Crossover) 5. Elder - Lore (Heavy) 6. Magma - Slaǧ Tanƶ (Zeuhl) 7. Riverside - Love, Fear and the Time Machine (Prog Metal) 8. La Coscienza di Zeno - La Notte Anche di Giorno (RPI) Collaborators' Top Album of 2015 (contains 8 of the top 11 as three are in the top eight of the PA chart) Anekdoten – Until All the Ghosts Are Gone (the collab album of the year, not in this poll section due to duplication) Steven Wilson – Hand. Cannot. Erase. (collab AOTY runner-up, duplication) 1. Jaga Jazzist – Starfire (JRF) Riverside – Love, Fear, and the Time Machine (actual fourth, duplication) 2. Elephant9 – Silver Mountain (JRF) 3. Leprous – The Congregation (Tech/Extreme Prog Metal) 4. Unreal City – Il Paese del Tramonto (RPI) 5. La Fabbrica Dell’assoluto – 1984: L’ultimo Uomo d’Europa (RPI) 6. Ciccada – The Finest of Miracles (Eclectic) 7. Guapo – Obscure Knowledge (RIO/Avant Prog) 8. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress (Post-Rock) My top eight currently at Awesome Prog 1. Anna von Hausswolff - The Miraculous (in PA, Crossover) 2. Julia Holter - Have You in My Wilderness (not in PA, Art/Chamber Pop) 3. Susanne Sundfør - Ten Love Songs (in PA, Crossover) 4. Kosmischer Läufer - Volume Three (in PA, Krautrock) 5. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell (not in PA, Indie Folk) 6. Beach House - Depression Cherry (not in PA, Dream Pop) 7. William D. Drake - Revere Reach (in PA, Eclectic) 8. Oneohtrix Point Never - Garden Of Delete (in PA, Progressive Electronic) My top 20 at Awesome Prog (not very well ordered, and sometimes albums are lower just because I have not listened to it in a long time. Wish my ninth also was in the poll, had that higher than Revere Beach before...): 1. Anna von Hausswolff - The Miraculous 2. Julia Holter - Have You in My Wilderness [AP] 3. Susanne Sundfør - Ten Love Songs 4. Kosmischer Läufer - Volume Three 5. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell [AP Non-Prog] 6. Beach House - Depression Cherry [AP Non-Prog] 7. William D. Drake - Revere Reach 8. Oneohtrix Point Never - Garden Of Delete 9. 공중도덕 (Gongjoong Doduk) - 공중도덕 (Gongjoong Doduk) [AP Non-Prog] 10. Joanna Newsom - Divers [AP Prog] 11. Thee Oh Sees - Mutilator Defeated At Last 12. Elephant9 - Silver Mountain 13. Camila Moreno - Mala madre [AP] 14. Chelsea Wolfe - Abyss 15. Björk - Vulnicura 16. Grim (aka Jun Konagaya) - Maha [AP Prog-Adj] 17. Beach House - Thank Your Lucky Stars [AP Non-Prog] 18. Magma - Sl*g Tanz [AP Prog] 19. Tame Impala - Currents [AP Non-Prog] 20. Guapo - Obscure Knowledge