Collaborator's Top Albums of 2013

Welcome to the 9^th annual ProgArchives Collaborator’s Album of the Year contest!

This year, the progressive rock community found itself faced with a simply phenomenal array of fantastic albums. 2013 saw giants from both the classic 70s era as well as the 90s revival release killer work, but the year also saw the emergence and maturation of many new age prog bands who will be sure to go forward to become legends in the genre. 2013 perhaps had one of the largest selections of high quality releases; hundreds of albums wowed listeners and reviewers alike, and this is excellently displayed by our 69 voters who voted for a phenomenal 256 unique albums.

At the end of each year, we the collaborators of ProgArchives, including Admins, Special Collaborators, Collaborators, Prog Reviewers, and VIP Members, gather to discuss and exchange the best music of the year. Each collaborator is allowed to vote for his or her top ten albums, and I again had the honor to collate these votes.

The amount of diversity displayed by the voters shocks me every year, and this year was no different. Many voters brought albums that sadly they were the only voter for, but it shows just how far our collaborators look for high quality progressive rock. This list, I feel, is an excellent source for anyone who wants to jump into the more obscure field of progressive rock. While of course every album could not have been evaluated by every voter, this provides an excellent snapshot of our site’s taste.

Without further ado,

The ProgArchives Collaborators’ Top Albums of 2013

1.  Steven Wilson – The Raven that Refused to Sing (And Other Stories)

Steven Wilson is perhaps the current emperor of the prog rock world. Whether he is remixing a Jethro Tull classic, helping fellow royal Mikael Åkerfeldt produce masterful Opeth works, writing music for his plethora of side projects, or pumping out masterpieces for his main band Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson is revered like a God amongst progressive rock fans. When he began his solo project in 2009 with Insurgents, he expanded his territory in progressive rock mastery. This year, his third album only solidifies his mastery of the art and is easily the album of the year for 2013.

“Wilson is nothing short of passionate about his music and every note is placed to generate a congenial effect to enhance the overall experience. This is a series of stories, as the album titles states, and each story has its own atmosphere and style though there is a consistency in the thematic juxtaposition of music and vocals. It is a far superior album to some of the earlier Porcupine Tree albums and indeed Wilson's debut solo. I would rank it easily among his greatest triumphs, and certainly it is going to be one of the albums of the year. An album this bold and inventive deserves full recommendation and thus far it is the best release in 2013…” – AtomicCrimsonRush, Special Collaborator

Statistics:

·         Genre: Crossover Prog

·         Country: United Kingdom

·         886 ratings, 4.35 stars

·         Appears on 41% of all lists

·         Number of #1 listings: 9

·         Official Website

·         Song Sample (“Luminol”)

[FLASH WIDTH=500 HEIGHT=81]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/76479981[/FLASH]

2.  Haken – The Mountain

Our second English offering, Haken, whose 2010 debut Aquarius shocked the progressive community with its incredible maturity and breadth of vision, were destined for greatness from the start. Even with their one album, nearly everyone, the collaborators of this site included, as they voted the album 4^th best album of 2010, agreed that Haken would not stop making waves in the prog world. Their 2011 album Visions continued their domination of the prog world by refining their technique and tightening their sound. They hit 3^rd on our 2011 top albums list, so it seemed like there was no stopping them. It seemed the reviewers were right, as their 3^rd album, The Mountain, absolutely killed everyone’s expectations.

“…as you view the solitary peak on the front of "The Mountain", know that you are in for a journey lyrically, musically, emotionally, and even spiritually. The music is a bit heavier than before, but the album also features a few tracks that might be the softest that Haken has crafted yet. In other words, "The Mountain" has a stunning balance to it. There is something for everyone here. I also feel that everyone will be able to relate to the incredible theme that Jennings has created: The album covers the trials, tribulations, battles, goals, and successes that we each have on our own journey up the mountain. This album is about life. It is about death. It is about the human experience.” –Second Life Syndrome, Collaborator

Statistics:

·         Genre: Heavy Prog

·         Country: United Kingdom

·         492 ratings, 4.28 stars

·         Appears on 33% of all lists

·         Number of #1 listings: 1

·         Official Website

·         Song Sample (“Pareidolia”)

[FLASH WIDTH=500 HEIGHT=81]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url= https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/104146862[/FLASH]

3.  Kayo Dot – Hubardo

Perhaps the undisputed king of modern avant rock and metal, musical mastermind Toby Driver has been producing masterful experimental music since the late 90s with his band maudlin of the Well. When motW disbanded in the early 2000s, Driver moved on to Kayo Dot, his next, and perhaps even better, project. Albums like Choirs of the Eyes showed that Driver still had his masterful edge of creating genius haunting experimental music. In 2013, Driver announced his most ambitious project yet, a double album that would compile all the styles he experimented with over the past decade and a half. Hubardo is just that – a massive magnum opus which perhaps outshines any other work he’s ever done.

“Since Kayo Dot's start with 2003's "Choirs of the Eye", and their earlier incarnation as maudlin of the Well, Toby Driver and co. have been making some of the most interesting and adventurous music coming out of the prog rock and metal spheres… Hubardo is notable for how diverse and varied it is… It’s uncompromising, rich, and for my money, it's an instant classic. I have long considered "Choirs of the Eye" to be one of my favourite albums ever, and a month into experiencing "Hubardo", I have to say that this one trumps their debut by a noticeable margin. Always pushing the envelope forward, it's my hope that this album gives Kayo Dot the exposure and attention they deserve.” – Conor Fynes, Prog Reviewer

Statistics:

·         Genre: RIO/Avant Prog

·         Country: United States

·         84 ratings, 3.79 stars

·         Appears on 15% of all lists

·         Number of #1 listings: 4

·         Official Website

·         Song Sample (“And He Built Him a Boat”)

[FLASH WIDTH=500 HEIGHT=81]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url= https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/111476131[/FLASH]

4.  Spock’s Beard – Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep

Our next lengthy-titled offering comes from Spock’s Beard, a band well known to symphonic prog fans. Spock’s was, and still is, one of the premier symphonic prog revival bands of the early 1990s. Along with their contemporaries The Flower Kings and others, Spock’s Beard stirred the musical pot and revived progressive rock as a viable and listenable genre in the 1990s. Even with the departure of their frontman Neal Morse in 2002 and the subsequent departure of drummer and second frontman Nick D’Virgilio, Spock’s Beard forged on with a new lineup and an invigorated sound. New additions Ted Leonard and Jim Keegan spice up the band chemistry and make Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep one of the best albums the band has released in years.

“…once [Brief Nocturnes…] got on the player it was hard to get it off…Forget everything you have ever heard by Spock's Beard, here is a brand new band and while I understand why they kept the name after so much history I don't think that there would be much surprise if they had started afresh. This is simply stunning, it is as if bringing in Ted has given everyone a new lease of life and they have just relaxed and let the music flow…I never thought that I would be able to say this again, but Spock's Beard have released a five star album” – kev rowland, Special Collaborator

Statistics:

·         Genre: Symphonic Prog

·         Country: United States

·         334 ratings, 4.16 stars

·         Appears on 15% of all lists

·         Number of #1 listings: 2

·         Official Website

·         Song Sample (“Afterthoughts”)

[FLASH WIDTH=500 HEIGHT=81]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/112494688[/FLASH]

5.  Riverside – Shrine of New Generation Slaves

Riverside are well known among the progressive metal community. Since the early 2000s, they have produced some of the most incredible and groundbreaking progressive metal in the scene. Albums such as Second Life Syndrome and Anno Domini High Definition have shocked the progressive metal world, rocketing them to the top of many progressive metal classics charts. Riverside is a band that is always evolving, however, and their newest album, Shrines of New Generation Slaves, or SONGS for short, shows just how willing they are to experiment with their sound. Their 2013 offering wowed many listeners, and the acclaim was not lost on our voters.

“[SONGS] is truly unlike any album the band has released to date. It strips away the atmosphere generated by the Reality Dream trilogy and reigns in the metal aspects explored on the previous album…it draws on so many genres and embraces more traditional song forms for certain tracks. … The focus has shifted to accommodate a more vocal- and keyboard-oriented album, which to me indicates just how full Riverside's bag of tricks really is. In short, if you go in to this ready to hear an album that marries old and new rock traditions, both progressive and as a whole, while still preserving the edge and false modesty of this group's talents both individually and collectively, you will not be disappointed. There's something for everyone here, and I for one am inspired by the powerful message, compositional prowess, and top-notch playing by each member more and more with each listen.” – Neo-Romantic, Forum Senior Member

Statistics:

·         Genre: Progressive Metal

·         Country: Poland

·         574 ratings, 4.10 stars

·         Appears on 22% of all lists

·         Number of #1 listings: 1

·         Official Website

·         Song Sample (“The Depth of Self-Delusion”)

[FLASH WIDTH=500 HEIGHT=81]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/112657278[/FLASH]

6.  Big Big Train – English Electric (Part Two)

Big Big Train are another 90s progressive rock band, but they did not meet the same success that their contemporary Spock’s Beard met. The train picked up their pace in the late 2000s, however, especially with the release of their critically acclaimed The Underfall Yard in 2009. The band shocked the prog world yet again with the release of their 2012 album English Electric, Part One, which saw a heavy leaning to their 1970s influences with a significant modern twist. The band followed it with the inevitable second part, which easily holds against its older brother.

“I am a bit of a sucker for exceptionally well produced, and played, melodic progressive rock… I simply call [English Electric (Part Two)] gorgeous and pastoral… What it does…is bring storytelling, in a lush musical environment, to the forefront, and BBT are to be congratulated on this… The whole feel of this album is that of a band that are deeply comfortable in making music that engages the mind and is far more complex in its playing than strikes one in the first few listens… This is consistently excellent, the harmonies, lyrics, lead vocals, and musicianship, including the wonderful guest spots, combine to create what is perhaps the finest folk influenced album in many a year.” – lazland, Prog Reviewer

Statistics:

·         Genre: Crossover Prog

·         Country: United Kingdom

·         456 ratings, 4.11 stars

·         Appears on 17% of all lists

·         Number of #1 listings: 0 (2 #2 listings)

·         Official Website

·         Song sample (“East Coast Racer”)

[FLASH WIDTH=500 HEIGHT=81]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/81496523[/FLASH]

7.  Birds and Buildings – Multipurpose Trap

Birds and Buildings are a lesser known band who released the killer Bantam to Behemoth in 2008 and subsequently disappeared. The band, who fused the experimentation of RIO with the progressive edge and instrumental prowess of jazz fusion and symphonic prog. The mastermind behind the band is Dan Britton, who is also known for his bands Deluge Grander and Cerebrus Effect. Birds and Buildings are a masterful blend of instrumental ferocity and melodic ingenuity. Their return to music this year excited the progressive community and Multipurpose Trap provided an easy choice for the top 10.

“Birds and Buildings were floating the prospect of a followup to the magnificent Bantam and Behemoth back in 2010, but it's taken far longer than anticipated for the enigmatic Multipurpose Trap to manifest. I am thrilled to discover it's worth the wait, with the band teasing just enough whimsical vocals into their work to add a new twist (check out their searing indictment of the evils of the pelican on the concluding track) whilst not focusing on the vocals to the extent that their intricate instrumental gymnastics are disrupted. With a sound reminiscent of the clowns from Mr Bungle running riot in a National Health/jazz fusion/zeuhl warehouse, Birds and Buildings once again fly easily to the front rank of avant-prog.” – Warthur, Prog Reviewer

Statistics:

·         Genre: Eclectic Prog

·         Country: United States

·         158 ratings, 4.23 stars

·         Appears on 15% of all lists

·         Number of #1 listings: 2

·         Official Website

·         Song Sample (“Catapult”)

[FLASH WIDTH=500 HEIGHT=81]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/132459393[/FLASH]

8.  Guapo – The History of the Visitation

A well-known face in the RIO world, Guapo is a fan favorite of Zeuhl-inspired dark avant rock. Led by Matt Thomas and Dave Smith, the dark, haunting music the band makes is perhaps one of the best examples of how well a modern RIO band can synthesize the ideas of the RIO movement with a distinct modern sound. The History of the Visitation, is no different, with Guapo pumping dark, haunting material onto the disk that assuredly wowed listeners when the album was released. The band’s 8^th album, this will most certainly not be the last classic this band produces.

“ After a four or five years hiatus, Guapo returns…Musically the band has shifted from a certain form of Zeuhl to an interesting Post Rock, then slowly growing into their unclassifiable brand of prog…The album itself features three tracks, the first of which is a five-movement 26-mns Pilman Radiant. As usual the piece opens with a lengthy and calm intro, gradually picking up momentum and intensity, to lead us into the demented soundscapes and foray deeply in the entrails of the band's musical realm... Great stuff….Yet another absolutely stunning Cuneiform and Guapo album.” – Sean Trane, Special Collaborator

Statistics:

·         Genre: RIO/Avant Prog

·         Country: United Kingdom

·         63 ratings, 3.89 stars

·         Appears on 15% of all lists

·         Number of #1 listings: 3

·         Official Website

·         Song Sample (“Tremors from the Future”)

[FLASH WIDTH=500 HEIGHT=81]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/132427861[/FLASH]

9.  Sigur Rós – Kveikur

Perhaps the best known and best respected post rock band in the world, Sigur Rós has been creating high quality, emotive music since their inception in the 1990s. The Icelandic group combines dense emotional content with dreamy, ethereal instrumentation to a dazzling effect – and their latest effort, Kveikur, shows that there is no slowing this band from evolving. A darker, more experimental release, Kveikur shows that Sigur Rós is not afraid to move beyond their boundaries and create the music that they love. While the new sound shocked and alarmed many of the band’s fans, it’s no surprise that this effort is one of the best of 2013.

“Sigur Ros is a band that needs no introduction, they are at the forefront of the post-rock music scene and have made sounds within that genre that no other band has managed to imitate. [Kviekur has] noisy, rusty, powerful booming track[s] of post-rock with vocals from Jonsi that are almost at times demonic. The raw energy just emanated from it so beautifully…it definitely sounds like nothing they've ever done before…they are experiments in their own right. [Kveikur is] excellent and significantly different follow-up to Valtari.” –The Truth, Collaborator

Statistics:

·         Genre: Post-rock

·         Country: Iceland

·         49 ratings, 3.60 stars

·         Appears on 13% of all lists

·         Number of #1 listings: 1

·         Official Website

·         Song Sample (“Brennistein” [Live])

[FLASH WIDTH=500 HEIGHT=81]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/73248379[/FLASH]

10.      Chrome Hoof – Chrome Black Gold

Chrome Hoof is the second Cuneiform Records band, along with labelmate Guapo, to appear on the list, and they are perhaps the most unique. The 10-piece ensemble plays a fascinating blend of prog rock, zeuhl, disco, and a host of other genres for one of the most eclectic displays of accessible prog on the scene. The extravagant band makes no secret of their extravagance – all chrome suits, fitting for the band name, are not unheard of at live shows – and their music is a must hear for those willing to delve into the more diverse realm of prog. Chrome Black Gold is no different, and can easily take a spot on the best albums of 2013. While they don’t seem to have a large following of raters here on ProgArchives, they definitely caught the eye of our collaborators.

“ I had never heard of [Chrome Hoof] before but it took only one listen to convince me that they were a band that I needed to pay some more attention to!... They are a large ensemble that by this album have nine full time members. And although they make interesting, unique music with varied instrumentation, they have in no way forgotten their audience in their compositions. The band has a clear sense of how to write a song with big hooks, and tracks like "Knopheria" and "Tortured Craft", with their disco-meets-prog magic, really sell this band as a different act…Recommended for listeners who want to have fun while listening to their weird music and who aren't afraid of the Dark Side of the 70s” – TheGazzardian, Prog Reviewer

Statistics:

·         Genre: Crossover Prog

·         Country: United Kingdom

·         6 ratings, 4.04 stars

·         Appears on 9% of all lists

·         Number of #1 listings: 0 (3 #2 listings)

·         Official Website

·         Song Sample (“When The Lightning Strikes”)

[FLASH WIDTH=500 HEIGHT=81]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/105305828[/FLASH]

Let the awards ceremony begin!