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Best album of the 21st century
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Lewian View Drop Down
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Points: 15149 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2021 at 10:40
Swans' trilogy starting from The Seer and Art Zoyd's Metropolis and Phase V are truly mighty; I a Moon by North Sea Radio Orchestra is probably the most beautiful and charming album, and Blackstar is most moving. These are the first that come to my mind.


Edited by Lewian - October 13 2021 at 10:41
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Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

Originally posted by essexboyinwales essexboyinwales wrote:

Originally posted by kenethlevine kenethlevine wrote:

There are so many I can't even finish this list right now:
Nightwish - "Endless Forms most Beautiful", "Imaginaerum" and "Human II"



How could I not have mentioned these 3?......

I also have to throw in the first 2 Cellar Darling albums, if you like progressive hurdy-gurdy metalBig smile


That phrase instantly sent me off to explore. Big smile


Enjoy, they're a wonderful band fronted by ex-Eluveitie singer/Hurdy-Gurdy player Anna Murphy, who also plays flute. Brilliant live too😎
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Points: 21315 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nogbad_The_Bad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2021 at 08:14
Originally posted by essexboyinwales essexboyinwales wrote:

Originally posted by kenethlevine kenethlevine wrote:

There are so many I can't even finish this list right now:
Nightwish - "Endless Forms most Beautiful", "Imaginaerum" and "Human II"


How could I not have mentioned these 3?......

I also have to throw in the first 2 Cellar Darling albums, if you like progressive hurdy-gurdy metalBig smile

That phrase instantly sent me off to explore. Big smile
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essexboyinwales View Drop Down
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Originally posted by kenethlevine kenethlevine wrote:

There are so many I can't even finish this list right now:
Nightwish - "Endless Forms most Beautiful", "Imaginaerum" and "Human II"


How could I not have mentioned these 3?......

I also have to throw in the first 2 Cellar Darling albums, if you like progressive hurdy-gurdy metalBig smile
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Since a lot of people are sharing multiple albums I'll punch in a couple more I like a lot, thought they're probably cliche:

Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase.
Dream Theatre - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence... and A Dramatic Turn Of Events... okay and Distance Over Time
Rush - Clockwork Angels
Styx - The Mission
Björk - Medula (perhaps not exactly rock, but certainly very progressive)
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (is this more psychedelic than progressive?)


And you know what, I find Coldplay's Viva La Vida Or Death And All Of His Friends very prog friendly, though also very pop.
Porg for short. My love of music doesn't end with prog! Feel free to discuss all sorts of music with me. Odds are I'll give it a chance if I haven't already! :)
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Originally posted by Necrotica Necrotica wrote:

...Spiral Architect - A Sceptic's Universe...

That's actually a 20th century album. Even if we are considering 2000 to be the new century, it was released in Japan in '99. Great album though and would likely make my list too if it met criteria.


Just a few that I would put at the top.

1. Exivious - S/T
2. Neblenest - Nova Express
3. Squintaloo - Über Bord
4. Mimedyr - Mínym
5. Keor - Petrichor

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There are so many I can't even finish this list right now:

Asia Minor - Points of Libration
Eris Pluvia - Third Eye Light
Midlake - "The Courage of Others" and "Trials of Van Occupanther"
Corde Oblique - "A Hail of Bitter Almonds" and "Volonta D'Arte
Phideaux - "Doomsday Afternoon" or "Snowtorch"
Sangre de Muerdago - almost anything by them
Nordagust-In the Mist of Morning
Hallas-Conundrum
Poor Genetic Material - "Winter's Edge"  "Spring", and "A Day in June"
Strawbs - Settlement
Faveravola - Contea Del Cento Castagni
Osiris - Take a Closer Look
Outer Limits - Stromatolite
Pendragon - Believe
Satellite - "Evening Games" and "Street Between.."
Believe - "Yesterday is a Friend" and "Seven Widows"
Albion - "Broken Hopes"
Arion - s/t
Il Castello di Atlante - "Tra le Antiche Mura"
Clepsydra - Alone
Decemberists - "Crane Wife", "Picaresque", "King is Dead"
Dice - "Dice in Space" and "Withijn vs Without Next Part"
Jump = "Beachcomber", "Black Pilgrim" and "Over the Top"
Kaos Moon - "After the Storm"
EliphasZ - La Royaume des Poussieres
Nick Magnus - pretty much anything by him
Nightwish - "Endless Forms most Beautiful", "Imaginaerum" and "Human II"














Edited by kenethlevine - October 12 2021 at 20:11
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Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

Originally posted by ProfPanglos ProfPanglos wrote:

Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:


Shiny-Eyed Babies by Bent Knee.


I cannot thank you enough for posting this.

I had never heard of this band, and the band name and album title was just odd enough that it piqued my curiosity, so I looked up this album on bandcamp, and gave it a listen.

More accurately, I listened to the first 3 tracks, stopped, purchased the album, and then started over and listened to it uninterrupted from start to finish.  I was so utterly impressed that I (and I don't even remember the last time I did this) immediately started from the beginning again and listened to it in its entirety a second time.  Had some insomnia around 4am, and went ahead and listened to the whole thing a 3rd time, which brought on tears and goosebumps before it ended.

I'm absolutely stunned.  Probably the most enjoyable and inventive set of music I have heard in yes, 21 years.  I'll happily cast my vote for this album.  Again, thank you!

(And they're coming to Austin in a week, so I'll definitely be going to see them in concert!)

Glad to see Doomsday Afternoon is so well-respected, and also liked the Riverside suggestion, though I personally like Love, Fear and the Time Machine better.


You're more than welcome! Isn't that why ProgArchives exists? To spread the news about all great music, not just the 1960s and 1970s?

 I'm still haunted by two missed chances to see Bent Knee in concert back in 2016 (once with Thank You Scientist and District 97!) 

Tonight I'm going to see another amazing envelope-pushing band from the last few years: black midi are playing just down the road from me in Milwaukee! I am so stoked!




Love Bent Knee, going to see them for probably the 15th time this November. I discovered Black Midi early this year and quickly bought everything. Will see them Monday, stoked.
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There are a lot of great albums but generally I stick with Weather Systems - Anathema as it grabs me emotionally. However these are all equally great to me in their own special way:

Steven Wilson- The Raven That Refused To Sing (how is this not getting any mentions?!!)
Headspace - Now That All You Fear Has Gone (unusually overlooked brilliant band ft Damien Wilson and Oliver Wakeman)
Kansas - Elsewhere to Nowhere (best classic band comeback ever imo)
King Crimson - Power To Believe (second best classic band comeback ever lol)
It Bites - The Tall Ships (John Mitchell please take a bow)
All Traps On Earth - A Drop Of Light (redefining Symph and RIO)
Far Corner - Risk (best keys based album of the 21st century)
Tool - Lateralus (new prog metal)
IQ - Frequency (more powerful version of this important Neo band as Andy Edwards takes the drum stool for a one off 'gig')
Porcupine Tree - Deadwing (Gavin Harrison rules)
Big Big Train - Folklore (just brilliant writing and playing will do thanks)
Tangerine Dream - Purgatorio (so annoyingly overlooked , TD plus classical singers , it works it really does!)

I also have to make a final mention for the 2014 album by Tin Spirits - Scorch. I am gobsmacked this gets so little attention. Quite fantastic band featuring Big Big Train's Dave Gregory . This never leaves my i-pod. Just give the 15 minute track Garden State a listen . A hidden gem if ever there was.



Edited by richardh - October 14 2021 at 00:29
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Originally posted by ProfPanglos ProfPanglos wrote:

Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

Shiny-Eyed Babies by Bent Knee.

I cannot thank you enough for posting this.

I had never heard of this band, and the band name and album title was just odd enough that it piqued my curiosity, so I looked up this album on bandcamp, and gave it a listen.

More accurately, I listened to the first 3 tracks, stopped, purchased the album, and then started over and listened to it uninterrupted from start to finish.  I was so utterly impressed that I (and I don't even remember the last time I did this) immediately started from the beginning again and listened to it in its entirety a second time.  Had some insomnia around 4am, and went ahead and listened to the whole thing a 3rd time, which brought on tears and goosebumps before it ended.

I'm absolutely stunned.  Probably the most enjoyable and inventive set of music I have heard in yes, 21 years.  I'll happily cast my vote for this album.  Again, thank you!

(And they're coming to Austin in a week, so I'll definitely be going to see them in concert!)

Glad to see Doomsday Afternoon is so well-respected, and also liked the Riverside suggestion, though I personally like Love, Fear and the Time Machine better.

You're more than welcome! Isn't that why ProgArchives exists? To spread the news about all great music, not just the 1960s and 1970s?

 I'm still haunted by two missed chances to see Bent Knee in concert back in 2016 (once with Thank You Scientist and District 97!) 

Tonight I'm going to see another amazing envelope-pushing band from the last few years: black midi are playing just down the road from me in Milwaukee! I am so stoked!
Drew Fisher
https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/
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Originally posted by essexboyinwales essexboyinwales wrote:

The Road Of Bones
The Human Equation
Empath
Weather Systems
Blomljud

That's for starters.  And all would sit above the whole PA top 20 for me.....

I'm with you on The Human Equation and Blomljud - top-notch albums!
DIGNITAS - FIRMITAS - GRAVITAS - COMITAS - LIBERTAS
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Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

Shiny-Eyed Babies by Bent Knee.

I cannot thank you enough for posting this.

I had never heard of this band, and the band name and album title was just odd enough that it piqued my curiosity, so I looked up this album on bandcamp, and gave it a listen.

More accurately, I listened to the first 3 tracks, stopped, purchased the album, and then started over and listened to it uninterrupted from start to finish.  I was so utterly impressed that I (and I don't even remember the last time I did this) immediately started from the beginning again and listened to it in its entirety a second time.  Had some insomnia around 4am, and went ahead and listened to the whole thing a 3rd time, which brought on tears and goosebumps before it ended.

I'm absolutely stunned.  Probably the most enjoyable and inventive set of music I have heard in yes, 21 years.  I'll happily cast my vote for this album.  Again, thank you!

(And they're coming to Austin in a week, so I'll definitely be going to see them in concert!)

Glad to see Doomsday Afternoon is so well-respected, and also liked the Riverside suggestion, though I personally like Love, Fear and the Time Machine better.
DIGNITAS - FIRMITAS - GRAVITAS - COMITAS - LIBERTAS
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English Electric part 1 (Full Power is even better)
Transatlantic SMPT
Wobbler FSTS.
Magenta seven.
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The Road Of Bones
The Human Equation
Empath
Weather Systems
Blomljud

That's for starters.  And all would sit above the whole PA top 20 for me.....
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I would second Part the Second, Frances the Mute, De-loused in the Comatorium, and Fear of a Blank Planet and add Riverside's Second Life Syndrome and Sylvan's Posthumous Silence.
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The Whirlwind - Transatlantic
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http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=126537

Edited by Grumpyprogfan - October 12 2021 at 05:17
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Vezhlivy Otkaz - Gusi-Lebedi
Pikapika Teart - Moonberry
Guapo - 5 Suns
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Of Natural
Cheer-Accident - Fear Draws Misfortune
Miriodor - Avanti
Alec K Redfearn and the Eyesores - Sister Death
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Three albums qualify for me. In chronological order:

Maudlin of the Well - Part the Second
Echolyn - s/t
Big Big Train - English Electric (Part One)
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Originally posted by TheEliteExtremophile TheEliteExtremophile wrote:

This is an incredibly tough choice, but a short list off the top of my head would include Frances the Mute, Parallax II, Terminal Redux, and Doomsday Afternoon. I'm positive there are plenty of others I'm not thinking of, but those are my initial gut instinct.

Nice to see Vektor on your list... all three of their albums are absolutely fantastic! Doomsday Afternoon is another great choice too.

Here are the ones that I'd throw into the ring:

Vektor - Terminal Redux
Gojira - The Way of All Flesh
Opeth - Ghost Reveries
Hiromi - Alive (if the more jazz fusion side of prog may be added here)
Kamelot - The Black Halo
Katatonia - The Fall of Hearts 
Spiral Architect - A Sceptic's Universe
Between the Buried and Me - Colors
Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet 

It's so hard to pick the best out of all those, but if I had to, I'd go with The Fall of Hearts. Beautiful melancholic prog in the vein of Porcupine Tree, but even more atmospheric and dense. 
Take me down, to the underground
Won't you take me down, to the underground
Why oh why, there is no light
And if I can't sleep, can you hold my life

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