2016 Albums of the Year

[ariich]

Ok this was bloody hard, even limiting to my top 50. And lots of joint placings because ranking everything is just too difficult.

My joint album of the year:
1=.  Haken – Affinity
1=.  The Dear Hunter - Act V: Hymns With the Devil in Confessional

Other top albums:
3.    Thrice - To Be Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere
4.    65daysofstatic - No Man's Sky: Music for an Infinite Universe
5.    Dissona - Paleopneumatic
6.    Thank You Scientist - Stranger Heads Prevail
7=.  Fates Warning - Theories of Flight
7=.  Dream Theater - The Astonishing

Other excellent albums:
9=.  Periphery - Periphery III: Select Difficulty
9=.  Big Big Train – Folklore
9=.  Dream the Electric Sleep - Beneath the Dark Wide Sky
9=.  BT - _
9=.  Biffy Clyro – Ellipsis
14=. Max Cooper – Emergence
14=. Metallica - Hardwired...to Self-Destruct
14=. Frightened Rabbit - Painting of a Panic Attack
14=. Witherscape - The Northern Sanctuary
18=. Frost* - Falling Satellites
18=. Devin Townsend Project – Transcendence
20=. Avenged Sevenfold - The Stage
20=. Alter Bridge - The Last Hero
20=. NOFX - First Ditch Effort
20=. Regina Spektor - Remember Us to Life
24=. Myrath – Legacy
24=. Twelve Foot Ninja – Outlier
24=. ORBS - Past Life Regression
27=. Wolverine - Machina Viva
27=. Gojira – Magma
29=. Long Distance Calling – Trips
29=. Plini - Handmade Cities
29=. Opeth – Sorceress
32=. Snarky Puppy - Culcha Vulcha
32=. Weezer - Weezer [White Album]
32=. Headspace - All That You Fear Is Gone
35=. Olaf Stuut – Run
35=. Pellek - A Marvelous Method of Reclusion
37=. Katatonia - The Fall of Hearts
37=. Hiromi – Spark
37=. Karmakanic – Dot
37=. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool

Other solid albums:
41=. Green Day - Revolution Radio
41=. Tremonti – Dust
41=. The Cat Empire - Rising With the Sun
41=. Thomas Giles - Velcro Kid
45=. In Flames – Battles
45=. The Neal Morse Band - The Similitude of a Dream
45=. Sonata Arctica - The Ninth Hour
48=. Evergrey - The Storm Within
48=. Textures – Phenotype
48=. Megadeth – Dystopia

[pain of occupation]

It's near criminal that anyone with Protest and Sikth in their top 50 doesn't include actual album of the year Destrage A Means To No End on their list (or even on their albums they still need to check out list).

Didn't the Sikth EP come out in 2015? Not sure what it's doing on this list.

I believe you're right. Which means we're dealing with a crime spree. 

To be fair, I'm a biased fanboy as of 13 months ago when I discovered the previous Destrage album (which is equally brilliant)...if the OP wasn't won over by that one, the new one probably wouldn't fair much better.
Anywho, I see Destrage eludes most lists, so I gotta get the word out some. After all, I'm their Official Street Team Leader, Regina Chapter.

[Kotowboy]

*top 50*

i didn't even hear that many new albums... Let alone a TOP 50...

I think I heard like 5 new albums this year. I don't seek out new bands as much as I used to.

[bosk1]

For the first time in a year that Dream Theater released an album since probably Scenes, a Dream Theater album is NOT my album of the year.  Not that I don't love The Astonishing.  I do.  But it is one of those albums that is really difficult for me to rank.  There are songs I adore.  There are others I do not.  And, as with many concept albums, it is definitely a case of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.  But that said, it is so different and so outside the norm even for them that I have a tough time really ranking it.  And there were some other really strong contenders this year.  So here is my best shot at ranking:

1.  Fates Warning - I am late to the Fates party.  There have been a few songs here and there throughout their career that I liked, but they have been few and far in between.  And I can't say that I really gravitated toward any of their albums as a whole.  X was the first exception to that.  A good friend made me a copy of that album, and it really drew me in.  Darkness in a Different Light, IMO, was a major step up from that.  And Theories of Flight is, IMO, far and away the best thing they have ever done.  I consider it the album of their careers by a large margin.

2.  Neal Morse - The Similitude of a Dream:  This album is SO huge and dense.  I still have not nearly processed it all in the short time it has been out.   So it is quite possible that it will slide down the rankings a bit once the "new car smell" has worn off.  But for right now, I am really enjoying it.  I am not sure yet whether I agree with Mike Portnoy that it is the "album of his career," or even the best Neal Morse album (it would take a LOT for me to rank it ahead of One, Sola Scriptura, and Testimony), but it is REALLY good. 

3.  Dream Theater - The Astonishing:  What can I say?  Yeah, I'm a die hard fan who has liked every album they have released (although not every song).  This is no different.  It just doesn't rise to my #1 or even #2 spot.  Given that it is a concept album, and that it is a LONG one at that, I probably will eventually find that I do not make the time to listen to it every often, and the knowledge that that will happen sooner than perhaps it should for music of this quality kind of makes me sad.

4.  Redemption - The Art of Loss:  It took me awhile to warm up to this album.  Not sure why, but there was just something about it that wasn't clicking.  But it is a slow grower that I have learned to appreciate.  While not a fan of John Bush in general, his work on their cover of Love Reign O'er Me is one of the sickest things I have ever heard.

5.  Epica - The Holographic Principle:  Not nearly as strong as their last three releases, but not bad.  The bonus disk is REALLY cool.  Usually, bonus disks containing mostly acoustic or alternate mixes of songs are just novelties that don't get very many spins after the initial listen or two.  But both Fates and Epica are exceptions to the rule in that regard this year.

6.  Megadeth - Dystopia:  Solid release.  I was not expecting much, but this is a fun listen.

7.  Flotsam and Jetsam (self titled):  Just a fun modern thrash album that is great for a little adrenaline rush now and then.  True to form, they sprinkle in bits of social and political commentary, comedy, and nods to their influences throughout. 

8.  Lacuna Coil - Delirium:  I was pretty high on this album when it came out, but it kind of faded for me.  There are definitely some cool moments on it.  But for whatever reason, it just doesn't hold my interest long-term.

9.  Avantasia - Ghostlights:  Of the 9 new albums I bought this year, this was the biggest disappointment.  Not that it's bad.  But it doesn't come anywhere near The Mystery of Time and just doesn't hold my interest. 

10.  Trivium - Silence in the Snow:  I kind of feel bad ranking this album since I didn't even buy it.  But who does a top 9 and stops there without going to 10?  What I heard of it didn't do it for me.  I got into them on the In Waves album cycle when they opened for DT.  I really liked In Waves.  Vengeance Falls was pretty good as well, although not quite as strong as In Waves.  Went back and picked up Shogun.  There were some cool moments.  But overall, that album didn't do it for me, and I didn't listen to it more than a few times.  Silence really reminded me of Shogun.  And once I learned that a lot of the material came from the Shogun sessions, it became apparent why, so I never bothered to pick it up.

[twosuitsluke]

This is by no means my finished ranking but the top 10 is unlikely to change that much. This is a more of a rough estimation that I've just thrown together, featuring all the new albums I've listened to this year.

The albums in bold are ones that I feel I haven't given enough listens to finalise an official ranking yet. I've still got a few albums to check out before the end of the year as well. I'll probably do a top 30 album thread after I have finished my roulette, in the new year. This certainly was a great year in music and I've discovered some great new bands (as well as having a few disappointments). Dream Theater, Volbeat and Wolfmother, in particular, released disappointing albums this year (for me at least). Thanks to the guys who have introduced me some of the albums below.



1. The Dear Hunter – Act V
2. Thank You, Scientist – Stranger Heads Prevail
3. Haken – Affinity
4. Blink 182 – California
5. Devin Townsend - Transcendence
6. Gojira – Magma
7. Ihsahn - Arktis
8. Opeth - Sorceress
9. Avengend Sevenfold – The Stage
10. Odd Logic – Penny for Your Thoughts
11. Megadeth – Dystopia
12. Oceans of Slumber – Winter
13. NOFX – First Ditch Effort
14. Metallica – Hardwired...To Self-Destruct
15. Mandroid Echostar – Coral Throne
16. Astronoid – Air
17. Anciients – Voice of the Void
18. The King Blues – Off With Their Heads
19. Vektor – Terminal Redux
20. Slice the Cake – Odyssey to the West
21. Fates Warning – Theories of Flight
22. Thy Catafalque - Meta
23. Dream Theater – The Astonishing
24. Meshuggah – The Violent Sleep of Reason
25. Volbeat – Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie
26. Witchcraft - Nucleus
27. Wolfmother  - Victorious

[Kotowboy]

10.  Trivium - Silence in the Snow:  I kind of feel bad ranking this album since I didn't even buy it.  But who does a top 9 and stops there without going to 10?  What I heard of it didn't do it for me.  I got into them on the In Waves album cycle when they opened for DT.  I really liked In Waves.  Vengeance Falls was pretty good as well, although not quite as strong as In Waves.  Went back and picked up Shogun.  There were some cool moments.  But overall, that album didn't do it for me, and I didn't listen to it more than a few times.  Silence really reminded me of Shogun.  And once I learned that a lot of the material came from the Shogun sessions, it became apparent why, so I never bothered to pick it up.

Was that this year ? Ah I forgot about that album. Yeah it was really good.

And I Loved The Astonishing too. I didn't care that it was softer and had no EPIC or song over 10 minutes or whatever. It was a nice journey.

[twosuitsluke]

10.  Trivium - Silence in the Snow:  I kind of feel bad ranking this album since I didn't even buy it.  But who does a top 9 and stops there without going to 10?  What I heard of it didn't do it for me.  I got into them on the In Waves album cycle when they opened for DT.  I really liked In Waves.  Vengeance Falls was pretty good as well, although not quite as strong as In Waves.  Went back and picked up Shogun.  There were some cool moments.  But overall, that album didn't do it for me, and I didn't listen to it more than a few times.  Silence really reminded me of Shogun.  And once I learned that a lot of the material came from the Shogun sessions, it became apparent why, so I never bothered to pick it up.

Was that this year ? Ah I forgot about that album. Yeah it was really good.

And I Loved The Astonishing too. I didn't care that it was softer and had no EPIC or song over 10 minutes or whatever. It was a nice journey.

Silence in the Snow was the end of last year wasn't it? If not then it also needs to be on my list 

EDIT: Yep, it was released Oct 2015

[bosk1]

Oh.  Oops.  Disregard then.  Sorry about that.

[twosuitsluke]

Oh.  Oops.  Disregard then.  Sorry about that.

You need to find another album to  make up your top 10 now.

Just listen to The Dear Hunter - Act V and after 1 listen you will agree it's the best album this year 

[Kotowboy]

Oh.  Oops.  Disregard then.  Sorry about that.

Yeah I wasn't sure tbh.

Great album nonetheless except for Pull Me From The Void. Don't care for that one. Rise Above The Tides is great.

[TAC]

7.  Flotsam and Jetsam (self titled):  Just a fun modern thrash album that is great for a little adrenaline rush now and then.  True to form, they sprinkle in bits of social and political commentary, comedy, and nods to their influences throughout. 

That's a great description. F&J is "fun" metal. They are extremely loose and if you sit and examine every little thing they do, you might be disappointed. I've been a F&J fan since the mid 80's and this is easily one of their best ever releases.

[bosk1]

Just listen to The Dear Hunter - Act V and after 1 listen you will agree it's the best album this year 

If it is anything like their past albums, I would likely vomit profusely, and then rank it at #10 only because I haven't listened to any other albums that I could rank lower.  No offense, but I have never liked them even a little bit.

[Evermind]

I keep going back and forth on this. Top 3 became defined when I became aware Fragments of Creation was released in 2016, but after this I'm not really sure. As of now, I think my list is:

1. Fates Warning - Theories of Flight
2. iamthemorning - Lighthouse
3. Sunburst - Fragments of Creation

4. Avantasia - Ghostlights
5. Temperance - The Earth Embraces Us All
6. Haken - Affinity
7. Opeth - Sorceress
8. Redemption - The Art of Loss
9. Insomnium - Winter's Gate
10. Primal Fear - Rulebreaker

Honorable mentions:

Ihsahn - Arktis. (originally I thought it would make the Top 10, but I don't think I would pick it over any of the albums I mentioned)
Evergrey - The Storm Within
Headspace - All That You Fear Is Gone
Serious Black - Mirrorworld

The albums I still want to check out:

Neal Morse Band - The Similitude of a Dream
The Dear Hunter - Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional
Anciients - Voice of the Void
Theocracy - Ghost Ship
Avenged Sevenfold - The Stage
Marillion - F.E.A.R

Overall, this year was pretty bland for me. I thought Ghostlights was pretty underwhelming compared to some other Avantasia records, and still I put it on #4. I think the only amazing album here is Theories of Flight, and the other two fantastic albums are Lighthouse and Fragments of Creation. Anything below that is good and sometimes great, but nothimg more.

[home]

Just listen to The Dear Hunter - Act V and after 1 listen you will agree it's the best album this year 

If it is anything like their past albums, I would likely vomit profusely, and then rank it at #10 only because I haven't listened to any other albums that I could rank lower.  No offense, but I have never liked them even a little bit.

Have you even listened to Act IV? Could you try to explain why you don't even like them a little bit? Just curious

[TAC]

Honorable mentions:

Headspace - All That You Fear Is Gone
Serious Black - Mirrorworld

Still have yet to check these out. I liked both previous albums by the bands.

[twosuitsluke]

Just listen to The Dear Hunter - Act V and after 1 listen you will agree it's the best album this year 

If it is anything like their past albums, I would likely vomit profusely, and then rank it at #10 only because I haven't listened to any other albums that I could rank lower.  No offense, but I have never liked them even a little bit.

No offense taken in the slightest bit  we all like what we like.

[mikeyd23]

Just listen to The Dear Hunter - Act V and after 1 listen you will agree it's the best album this year 

If it is anything like their past albums, I would likely vomit profusely, and then rank it at #10 only because I haven't listened to any other albums that I could rank lower.  No offense, but I have never liked them even a little bit.

Have you even listened to Act IV? Could you try to explain why you don't even like them a little bit? Just curious

Yes can you please explain why your personal, musical taste does not align exactly with someone else?!? 

[Kotowboy]

When you tell someone you're not a fan of a band they like and they insult you personally ?

Love that. Love that shit.

[Sacul]

 

[twosuitsluke]

[Zantera]

Reading through the lists here I got major deja vu from seeing the same albums appearing on 95% of the lists

[Sacul]

Well, most folks here are just into prog and power metal so that's expected

[cramx3]

Well, most folks here are just into prog and power metal so that's expected

Yea pretty much expected to see lots of the same music as well as albums discussed thoroughly in their respective band's threads.

[twosuitsluke]

Nice to see a smattering of punk albums on here, that's always a welcome surprise on a prog metal forum 

[The Letter M]

I haven't had a lot of time to devote to a lot of new music this year, but here's what I *have* heard and how I might rank them today (meaning it could change any day later). This is kind of based purely on frequency of listening to each album, trying to take into account when they came out in the year (so obviously something like The Astonishing, which has been out awhile, would have an advantage based on that fact alone, but not so much with me...):

1. Folklore by Big Big Train
2. Affinity by Haken
3. The Similitude Of A Dream by The Neal Morse Band
4. Falling Satellites  by Frost*
5. The Astonishing by Dream Theater
6. FEAR by Marillion
7. Pretending 2 Run by Tiles
8. Invention Of Knowledge by Anderson / Stolt
9.  Dot by Karmakanic
10. The Prelude Implicit by Kansas
11. The Great Unknown by Eric Gillette

At least, these are ten that I have thought of off the top of my head, and all got some decent plays over the last year from me.

-Marc.

[Cyclopssss]

1. Theories of Flight  - Fates Warning
2. Oceans of Slumber - Winter
3. Sorceress - Opeth
4. The Astonishing - Dream Theater
5. Metal Resistance - Babymetal

[RoeDent]

Sorry. Clicked the wrong button. Move along.

[Sir Walrus Cauliflower]

1. Act V - The Dear Hunter
2. Affinity - Haken
3. Periphery III - Periphery
4. Stranger Heads Prevail - Thank You Scientist
5. The Stage - Avenged Sevenfold
6. Terminal Redux - Vektor
7. Theories of Flight - Fates Warning
8. Inmates - VOLA
9. The Astonishing - Dream Theater
10. Sorceress - Opeth

Honorable mentions:
Passengers - Artifex Pereo
Vessels - Be'lakor
Air - Astronoid
Dreamless - Fallujah
Transcendence - Devin Townsend
A Means to No End - Destrage
Mothership - Dance Gavin Dance
Ancients - Voice of the Void

[Train of Naught]

1. Act V - The Dear Hunter
2. Affinity - Haken
3. Periphery III - Periphery
4. Stranger Heads Prevail - Thank You Scientist
5. The Stage - Avenged Sevenfold
6. Terminal Redux - Vektor
7. Theories of Flight - Fates Warning
8. Inmates - VOLA
9. The Astonishing - Dream Theater
10. Sorceress - Opeth

Honorable mentions:
Passengers - Artifex Pereo
Vessels - Be'lakor
Air - Astronoid
Dreamless - Fallujah
Transcendence - Devin Townsend
A Means to No End - Destrage
Mothership - Dance Gavin Dance
Ancients - Voice of the Void

Wow, your top 5 is almost identical to mine, only I would replace Affinity with Odyssey to the West and swap around #2 with #1, but it's freaky how close our top 5's are

I'm still working on my top 40 list. Might do the same thing luke did and bold the ones that still need more listens and rearrange the rankings later on if I'm certain. I am already sure about my top 5 anyway so it won't affect Evermind's eventual DTF top albums list.

[bosk1]

Just listen to The Dear Hunter - Act V and after 1 listen you will agree it's the best album this year 

If it is anything like their past albums, I would likely vomit profusely, and then rank it at #10 only because I haven't listened to any other albums that I could rank lower.  No offense, but I have never liked them even a little bit.

Have you even listened to Act IV? Could you try to explain why you don't even like them a little bit? Just curious

Yes can you please explain why your personal, musical taste does not align exactly with someone else?!? 

Pretty much that.  It is just personal taste.  I don't recall it well enough to be able to point out specifics.  But I'm not sure specifics would help anyway.  It's not like there was anything that was outright bad, or there was something overtly offensive or inappropriate about the lyrics, or anything else I could somewhat objectively point to as "bad."  I just didn't like it.  Simple as that.  I think I still have the album on my shelf.  I can't decide whether that is because I just haven't got around to selling it back, or if part of me subconsciously just wants to boost my prog street cred by having it in my collection even though I don't listen to it. 

[SoundscapeMN]

Vola - Inmazes was actually released in February 2015. Maybe it was re-released?

[Skeever]

I don't have a list ready, but I wouldn't recommend The Dear Hunter - Act V to anyone. Some of their other albums, sure. Act V is really a dude for me, though. TDH gone full Disney.

[Sir Walrus Cauliflower]

1. Act V - The Dear Hunter
2. Affinity - Haken
3. Periphery III - Periphery
4. Stranger Heads Prevail - Thank You Scientist
5. The Stage - Avenged Sevenfold
*snip*

Wow, your top 5 is almost identical to mine, only I would replace Affinity with Odyssey to the West and swap around #2 with #1, but it's freaky how close our top 5's are

I'm still working on my top 40 list. Might do the same thing luke did and bold the ones that still need more listens and rearrange the rankings later on if I'm certain. I am already sure about my top 5 anyway so it won't affect Evermind's eventual DTF top albums list.

I'm honestly surprised some else has ranked The Stage that high, but those are 5 ridiculously good albums imo.

Vola - Inmazes was actually released in February 2015. Maybe it was re-released?

Odd. Huh. Looks like you're right. I just got into them this year and on Spotify it's listed as 2016 so I just assumed. I did a little research and all I could find was a little release on bandcamp so that's weird. Thanks for pointing it out though.

[Train of Naught]

Inmazes was released in 2015 but it was not on Spotify at the time, I actually totally forgot about the album because it wasn't on Spotify I might have to check it out though I remember not liking the songs I've heard of that album, I like their previous output more.

[Sir Walrus Cauliflower]

I'm in love with that album. I love the syncopation and groove of djent but I get tired of the monotony of it and the harsh vocals, so having more melodic vocal melodies along with the groovy and djenty sound was a really pleasant change