top five (or so) of the year thus far

There have been around a hundred prog and related releases in these first four months of 2008 and hopefully you've been trying as much new music as I have. Anyway, I've finally heard enough relevant music to scrape together a rudimentary top eight:

08. Meshuggah - obZen
Good as ever, just not exciting. Also, the opening thrash song is misplaced. =P
07. Birds and Buildings - Bantam to Behemoth
This is OK. Adventurous while still being identifiable as 100% prog. Ranges between ambient, trippy rock and Koenji madness.
06. Dark Suns - Grave Human Genuine
It's not like me to rate such an album - I think it's "Flies in Amber" that made me give the whole album more attention that I would have normally. I enjoy that it's not too Tool-ish or too PoS-ish, etc.
05. A Silver Mt. Zion - 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons
When this type of band dares to be something more than ambient, love occurs. Really memorable sloganeering too - makes me WANT punks in the palace. o:)
04. Out of Focus - Palermo 1972
I've decided live chronicles count as much as studio albums because it helps me to flesh out this list. Notably, I've listened to this three times; twice it was relevatory and the other it left me *completely* unaffected - I'm not consistently a space child.
03. Secret Chiefs 3 - Xaphan
Is it premature to rate this album so highly?
02. Kayo Dot - Blue Lambency Downward
Is it premature to rate THIS album so highly? =P
01. Guapo - Elixirs
While BLD is still growing on me I find myself preferring Elixirs because it's so much more *solid* and lovable. This is right at the centre of my tastes.

Krobak's ninth. best album by a PA regular so far.
I suspect that when I hear the latest albums by Greaves and Frith this list will expand to a top ten.

anyone else out there listening to new music? =)

Have all these all these albums been released officially yet? I doubt at least the Kayo Dot and Secret Chiefs 3 ...

Kayo Dots is officially released this week, but has been available for free streaming for a couple weeks now.

1. Dark Suns- Grave Human Genuine
2. The Mars Volta- The Bedlam in Goliath
3. Van der Graaf Generator- Trisector
4. To- Mera- Delusions
5. Krobak- Diary of a Missed One
6. Day Without Dawn- Understanding Consiquences
7. Ayreon- 01011001

1. Radiohead - In Rainbows (hey it came out on CD Jan 1st)
2. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (not prog in the least, but fun!)
3. Birds and Buildings - Bantam to Behemoth (very prog and very fun. diverse and amazing)
4. The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath (their worst but still better than most releases)
5. Kayo Dot - Blue Lamency Downward (heard once; mind=blown)

5 eh? Well... don´t know if I even have 5 2008 albums jejeje or at least 5 good ones

5. Ayreon - 01011001 (not that good, but I have grown a bit tired of this type of metal)
4. Moonsorrow - Tulimyrsky (technically just an EP, the main 30 min epic is pretty good, but the rest is so so)
3. Meshuggah - obZen (excellent stuff, this guys do not disappoint... and the first track is not out of place)
2. The Mars Volta (it took a while, but I really like it, it´s got balls!)
1. Opeth - Watershed (...ah Akerfeld, you talented b*****d)

MikeEnRegalia wrote: Have all these all these albums been released officially yet? I doubt at least the Kayo Dot and Secret Chiefs 3 ...

I wasn't sure about the new Nick Cave release, BroSpence - it was one of those albums where the press declared it the best in a decade so almost has to suck as a consequence. ;P I only liked the longer songs on it, but then my favourite Bad Seeds release is still the first.

and on the topic of good releases that aren't prog, I thought Boris' Smile was ultraneato. (and that Vampire Weekend's album was woeful) =P

I haven't heard much from this year, but Dig! Lazarus Dig! was really good as far as i know. I mostly know Nick Cave's later works, but i kinda like this Bad Seeds/Grinderman band. I prefer the softer of his songs, though.

Slartibartfast wrote: I only have three officially released in 2008 titles.  None of them officially prog at this site (yet?) Chthonick, Alitheia Ghosts I-IV, Nine Inch Nails The Slip, Nine Inch Nails I have kind of put the brakes on new additions for the last 12 months or so.  This year have only added 19 titles so far.  At my peak (2004) I think I added 143 CD titles for the year.  I've been eagerly awaiting Talisma's new one for this year, but it seems to have stalled out.

Moatilliatta wrote: ^That would be The Slip