DTF Album of the Year 2011: Round 1

[shadowfex]

1. The Dear Hunter - The Colour Spectrum
2. Fair to Midland - Arrows & Anchors
3. Protest the hero - Scurrilous
4. Eisley - The Valley
5. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
6. Thrice - Major/Minor
7. Pain of Salvation - Road Salt Two
8. Haken - Visions
9. Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys
10. Machine Head - Unto The Locust

Updated to here on 2012-01-10

[Nekov]

1. Haken - Visions
2. Devin Townsend - Ghost
3. The Dear Hunter - The Color Spectrum (Complete Collection)
4. Karmakanic - In a Perfect World
5. Pendragon - Passion
6. Arena - The Seventh Degree of Separation
7. Black Country Communion - 2
8. Neal Morse - Testimony 2
9. Agents of Mercy - The Black Forest
10. Florence + the Machine - Ceremonials

[YtseBitsySpider]

1. Pagan's Mind - Heavenly Ecstasy
2. Symphony X - Iconoclast
3. Scar Symmetry - The Unseen Empire
4. Unearth - Darkness In The Light
5. Redemption - This Mortal Coil
6. Devil Driver - Beast
7. Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra
8. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Grammy Winner
9. Protest The Hero - Scurrilous

[Dillster22]

1. The Dear Hunter - The Color Spectrum
2. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
3. Symphony X - Iconoclast
4. The Lonely Island - Turtleneck & Chain
5. Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction
6. Devin Townsend Project - Ghost
7. Yes - Fly From Here
8. Unexpect - Fables Of The Sleepless Empire
9. Alexandre Desplat - Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

[RuRoRul]

1. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn Of Events
2. Symphony X - Iconoclast
3. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
4. Redemption - This Mortal Coil
5. Trivium - In Waves
6. Fair To Midland - Arrows And Anchors
7. Haken - Visions

[Perpetual Change]

Makes absolutely no-sense that TCCS can be included, but other EPs can not. You'd think after last year's clamoring for EP's they'd be included this year, but no. Oh well. That leaves out a lot of great music, unfortunately.

1. Bon Iver- Bon Iver, Bon Iver
2. Opeth- Heritage
3. Devin Townsend- Ghost
4. Scale the Summit- The Collective
5. Dream Theater- A Dramatic Turn of Events
6. Steven Wilson- Grace for Drowning
7. Tori Amos- Night of Hunters
8. Wolves in the Throne Room- Celestial Lineage
9. Eisley- The Valley
10. Nightwish- Imaginaerium

If it weren't for the dumb anti-EP rule, Cynic's "Carbon-Based Anatomy" would be 6th, essentially knocking Nightwish off my top-10.

[Nick]

The Color Spectrum is a set of EPs that combine for one complete work. Other EPs are meant to be promotional samplings, not complete albums.

And let me summarize the general clamoring. Waaaaa, I want to include this but I can't and so this rule is dumb.

[chrisbDTM]

1. Dream Theater - ADTOE
2. Protest the Hero - Scurrilous
3. Kimbra - Vows
4. Tesseract - One
5. Born of Osiris - The Discovery
6. Fair to Midland - Arrows & Anchors
7. World Under Blood - Tactical
8. Of Mice & Men - The Flood
9. Symphony X - Iconoclast
10. Scale the Summit - The Collective

[kári]

I remember the debate over EPs last year and you were all about the validity of the rules Nick. So I see no reason for any exceptions to be made now. It's not an album, so it's not valid. Case closed.

[Jamesman42]

I didn't think there was any question that the 9 EP's together counted as an album.

[YtseBitsySpider]

I still can't believe this hasn't made anyone's list. Surely it qualifies on the band name alone, and the pressing of these and release of these was done in 2011.

Porcupine Tree - Anesthetize (4 vinyl set with booklet)


amazing.

I might even change my list so that this gets it's deserved votes....

[PuffyPat]

1. Portugal. The Man - In the Mountain in the Cloud
2. The Dear Hunter - The Color Spectrum (Complete Collection)
3. Childish Gambino - Camp
4. The Strokes - Angles
5. The Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
6. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
7. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Watch the Throne

I've only got 7.

[Perpetual Change]

The Color Spectrum is a set of EPs that combine for one complete work.

Tons of EPs are meant to be taken as "complete works" rather than just promotional samplings; in this case, you've made an exception for ONE such work, when in reality there are many. Just because you haven't heard them or don't know about them doesn't mean they don't exist.

[Jamesman42]

PC, none of those other ones are multiple EP's combined to form a complete work.

This is going into Semantics territory, but I am sad to say I side with Nick on this one.

[Sigz]

Other EPs are meant to be promotional samplings, not complete albums.

what the actual fuck

[Jamesman42]

Other EPs are meant to be promotional samplings, not complete albums.

what the actual fuck

yeah that doesnt make sense...methinks nick doesnt know what an EP can or cannot be

[BRGM]

1. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
2. Neal Morse - Testimony 2
3. The Aristocrats - The Aristocrats
4. Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning
5. Tony MacAlpine - Tony MacAlpine

[glaurung]

Other EPs are meant to be promotional samplings, not complete albums.

what the actual fuck

[Xanthul]

Other EPs are meant to be promotional samplings, not complete albums.

what the actual fuck

YEP

I don't think Riverside's "Memories in my head" for example was promotional at all.

[Dr. DTVT]

I think THD is being allowed just to avoid the shitstorm that would have ensued.  I don't think of BtBaM's and Riverside's EP's as promotional or samplings, just works that do not fall under the contemporary definition of an album (although at over 30 minutes each, back in the day they could have been labeled albums based on length.  I'm not going to kick up a fuss though because while those EPs are very good, they wouldn't have made my top 10 anyway.

Holy Fucking McJeebus this was hard.  My 15th album this year would have been my 3rd place album last year.

1.  Flaming Row - Elinore
2.  The Dear Hunter - The Color Spectrum
3.  Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
4.  Fair to Midland - Anchors and Arrows
5.  Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction
6.  Arena - The Seventh Degree of Separation
7.  Haken - Visions
8.  Myrath - Tales of the Sands
9.  Arch/Matheos - Sympatic Resonance
10.  Redemption - This Mortal Coil

Awesome albums I considered that just didn't make it (Alphabetical order):

Amorphis - The Beginning of Times
The ANABASIS - Back From Being Gone
Charred Walls of the Damned - Cold Winds on Timeless Days
Grayceon - All We Destroy
Mayan - Quarterpast
Pain of Salvation - Road Salt 2
Pendragon - Passion
Scar Symmetry - The Unseen Empire
Turisas - Stand Up and Fight

I love Evergrey, Opeth, Iced Earth, Karmakanic, and Scale the Summit but they couldn't even get a sniff this year.

[duncan3dc]

1. Protest The Hero - Scurrilous
2. The Human Abstract - Digital Veil
3. As Blood Runs Black - Instinct
4. Trivium - In Waves
5. Machine Head - Unto The Locust
6. Rise To Remain - City of Vultures
7. In Flames - Sounds of a Playground Fading
8. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
9. Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra
10. Symphony X - Iconoclast

[kári]

I don't care what Nick or anyone else thinks an EP is supposed to be. My point was that last year Nick didn't allow EPs even though a lot of people wanted to nominate several EPs. The reason he didn't want to allow EPs to be nominated is because technically they are not an album and stood by this to death because of the principle of the thing. Well, 9 EPs technically aren't an album either, so where did the principle go? That just bugs me.

[Sigz]

It seems silly to disqualify thing based on how they're organized or how long they are or what you call it. EP, album, box set, whatever, it's all a collection of original music. Who cares beyond that?

[kári]

Yes. It's way better to just allow anything.

[ZirconBlue]

1. Dream Theater -  A Dramatic Turn of Events
2. Evanescence - Evanescence


Uh, unfortunately that's all the new music I got around to picking up in 2011.

[yorost]

1. Hiromi - Voice
2. Journey - Eclipse

[Dr. DTVT]

I understand live albums and compilations (either best of or comprised of multiple artists) not being allowed, but I'm with the majority when it comes to EPs.  A lot of times EPs won't make it simply anyway simply based on volume.  One of the things that TCS has going for it is that there is essentially 2.5-3 albums worth of material there, so there is simply a lot more material to fall in love with there.  I'm just not going to waste my time argueing for a lost cause though.

[Gorille85]

Yeah EPs should be allowed...

[kirksnosehair]

01. Arch/Matheos - Sympathetic Resonance
02. Lost In Thought - Opus Arise
03. Eumeria - Rebel Mind
04. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
05. Haken - Visions
06. Myrath - Tales of The Sands
07. Redemption - This Mortal Coil
08. Neal Morse - Testimony 2
09. Pagan's Mind - Heavenly Ecstasy
10. Karmakanic - In a Perfect World

[Dr. DTVT]

I like your list Barry.  I'll have to check out Lost In Thought, it's the only band I don't recognize.

[kirksnosehair]

I like your list Barry.  I'll have to check out Lost In Thought, it's the only band I don't recognize.

If you liked the Eumeria disc, I think you'll enjoy the Lost In Thought stuff.   Check out a song called "Blood Red Diamond" on YouTube.

Their vocalist is killer 

(also, very humbled by the mention of my band, thank you so much for your support.  It really means the world to me)

[Nick]

Look, the reason The Color Spectrum is an exception to the EP rule is because as others have stated it's not an EP. It's a collection of EPs that make a complete work. Typically EPs are not a complete work, they are usually a track or two from a future album, demos, or a short selection of tracks for a special occasion. Band's label EPs EPs for a reason, otherwise they would just be released as a normal album. I can understand people get upset they can't include something, but big freaking deal, just include something else.

Cut out the bickering in this thread about it, and if you think another EP should qualify because it is essentially a complete work or original studio material then please PM me about it and we can discuss it. And if it's really that big a deal to anyone I encourage you to start a thread to find out everyone's favorite EP of 2011. You can go ahead and do a favorite live album of 2011 while you're at it as well.

Hopefully from here on out we can discuss the actual lists.

[orcus116]

Oh good the yearly thread where I flip out about prog metal.

Cut out the bickering in this thread about it, and if you think another EP should qualify because it is essentially a complete work or original studio material then please PM me about it and we can discuss it. And if it's really that big a deal to anyone I encourage you to start a thread to find out everyone's favorite EP of 2011. You can go ahead and do a favorite live album of 2011 while you're at it as well.

Dude, most EPs nowadays are complete works and/or original material. This isn't the 60s and 70s where an EP was pretty much only a single and maybe a few B-sides. The definition has warped well beyond the archaic terms you're thinking of.

Anyways I'd have to go:

1. This Will Destroy You - Tunnel Blanket
2. Russian Circles - Empros
3. Thrice - Major/Minor
4. Mastodon - The Hunter
5. Drivemouth - Off The Ground
6. Your Sister's Canary - Good And Alone
7. The Antlers - Burst Apart
8. Opeth - Heritage
9. Johann Johannsson - The Miner's Hymn

Updated to here on 2012-01-11

[TheOutlawXanadu]

1. Steve Wilson - Grace for Drowning
2. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
3. Mastodon - The Hunter
4. Radiohead - The King of Limbs
5. Opeth - Heritage
6. The Decemberists - The King Is Dead

I've listened to a lot of music this year.

[orcus116]

I realized the same the other day. I'm doing a shitload of catchup.