Ian Yeara's Top 50 records of 2020
December 31, 2020
No. 50:
Band: Lascaille's Shroud
Album: Wounds
Genre: Progressive Death Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2009
Record Label: Unsigned/Independent
Lascaille's Shroud has never disappointed me and with this 43 minute EP one might call it Brett Windnagle has shown that he can produce quality music at a prodigious rate. This album is a little more synth heavy than was Othercosmic Divinations, but all three songs have lots to offer and adds some really great moments to his discography. Oh also, both LS albums have some of the best cover art of the year.
No. 49:
Band: CelestiC
Album: Glory by the Sword
Genre: Symphonic Power Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2005
Record Label: Unsigned/Independent
This is really a good melodic death metal/power metal kind of thing. The coverart might throw you off, but don't let it, this album packs some serious riffs and hooks.
No. 48:
Band: Frost*
Album: Others (EP)
Genre: Neo Progressive Rock; which just means there's some pop and electronica influence going on here.
General information:
Year Founded: 2004
Record Label: Insideout Records
How many of you listened to Numbers? That was a pretty great album wasn't it? Weird electronic prog that has really fun energy and keeps you engaged with great hooks. I'm not usually a fan of electronic elements used like this, but for whatever reason Frost* really hits the nail on the head for me.
No. 47:
Band: Contrarian
Album: Only Time Will Tell
Genre: Progressive Death Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2014
Record Label: Willowtip Records
So I seem to be the only person who liked Their Worm Never Dies more than this one, but it's another solid outing from my favorite Rochester metal band and I will forever love them. This is very much death metal inspired by the latter era Death albums and they do a really good job with the sound and style.
No. 46:
Band: Green Carnation
Album: Leaves of Yesteryear
Genre: Progressive Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 1990
Record Label: Season of Mist
No. 45:
Band: PreHistoric Animals
Album: The Magical Mystery Machine – Chapter 1
Genre: Progressive Rock/Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2017
Record Label: Unsigned/Independent
This was another promo I was handed that ended up really grabbing me. It doesn't do anything revolutionary, but the melodies are infectious and it's generally got great energy and a decent level of complexity as far as prog goes. I think most prog fans would find themselves pleasantly surprised by this album.
No. 44:
Band: Dwarrowdelf
Album: Evenstar
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2017
Record Label: Northern Silence Production
Better quality than Moongates Guardian, lesser quality than Emyn Muil. Otherwise, it's another band doing the Summoning thing, and doing it competently.
No. 43:
Band: Ovnev
Album: Transpiration
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2008
Record Label: Naturmacht Productions
More upbeat, inspirational atmospheric black metal, bordering on post black metal with all the lovely nature worshiping the cover art has you expecting. It's just a really enjoyable listen.
No. 42:
Band: Oceans of Slumber
Album: Oceans of Slumber
Genre: Progressive Doom/Death Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2011
Record Label: Century Media Records
I liked the last Oceans of Slumber album more, that's pretty much my only complaint. Everything else about this album is what I love about Oceans of Slumber. Their combination of doom, death, and gothic metal remains unique and epic.
No. 41:
Band: Thematic
Album: Skyrunner
Genre: Progressive Rock
General information:
Year Founded: 2019
Record Label: Unsigned/Independent
The bottom of this list is usually surprises that I liked, even if they are lacking in many ways. This is just a solid through and through spacey, progressive djent album that just hits all the right notes for me.
No. 40:
Band: Drakarium
Album: Acte II
Genre: Symphonic Power Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2004
Record Label: Unsigned/Independent
Just some obscure power metal album I stumbled upon that made me do a double take and go "wow, that's some great indie power metal". It sounds like an indie project, but the songwriting is really good and I just enjoyed this way more than I would have expected.
No. 39:
Band: Mors Principium Est
Album: Seven
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 1999
Record Label: AFM Records
I didn't get this album till late in the year, but when I finally listened to it I instantly knew, this is my favorite Mors Principium Est album, I just love the production, the guitar tone, the vocals, everything. This album does everything I've wanted from this band and I was pleasantly surprised by it.
No. 38:
Band: Lor
Album: Edge of Eternity
Genre: Power Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2009
Record Label: Unsigned/Independent
I am always willing to put good EPs on my year end list, this is an excellent 30 minute follow-up to their epic debut album and it hits all the right places that I would expect from this band.
No. 37:
Band: Course of Fate
Album: Mindweaver
Genre: Progressive Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2003
Record Label: Rock of Angels Records
This landed on my list early in the year and got slowly pushed back. Upon revisiting it, it's definitely deserving of a place on this list, but it also deserves this spot. When it shines it shines, the rest is above average progressive power metal. Still a good use of your time.
No. 36:
Band: Elysian Fields
Album: Tales of the Magi
Genre: Progressive Rock
General information:
Year Founded: 1973
Record Label: Unsigned/Independent
I feel like maybe this should have been moved up the list, but I discovered this really obscure prog rock band back in 2017 with their Seven Wonders of the World. I was expecting really lame production and boring dad rock, but I was pleasantly surprised to find pretty slick, modern imitation of 1970s prog rock and it just works really well. This album is more of that with self contained themes that weave in and out of the entire work and with not being particularly long it's just an excellent use of your time.
No. 35:
Band: Nuclear Power Trio
Album: A Clear and Present Rager
Genre: Instrumental Progressive Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2017
Record Label: Unsigned/Independent
Need I explain? The Nuclear Power Trio are here to take your oil and nuke you into nonexistence while they play basketball, while they play their music. No but seriously this is really good instrumental prog and I strongly recommend checking out the music videos.
No. 34:
Band: Fires in the Distance
Album: Echoes From Deep November
Genre: Atmospheric Doom metal? Yeah that sounds right.
General information:
Year Founded: 2016
Record Label: Prosthetic Records
This is just really solid melodic death/doom metal that any fan of either genre should check out.
No. 33:
Band: Morwinyon
Album: Pristine
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2019
Record Label: Naturmacht Records
Just really relaxing and smooth atmospheric black metal, with some excellent melancholy with soft strings and keyboards in the background.
No. 32:
Band: Lovebites
Album: Electric Pentagram
Genre: Power Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2016
Record Label: Victor Records
This might be the most aggressive and riff heavy japanese power metal I've heard and I really like it. I didn't hear about these guys until like 2018, but my friends have hyped this album all year and it kinda deserves it.
No. 31:
Band: Principium
Album: Principium
Genre: Progressive Power Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2015
Record Label: Independent/Unsigned
This is the album that John Yelland has wanted to make for a long time, it's not as good as the new Judicator album (or Disforia's The Age of Ether), but it's still some really solid progressive power metal without filler.
No. 30:
Band: Black Fate
Album: Ithaca
Genre: Progressive Power Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2015
Record Label: Independent/Unsigned
Okay maybe I overvalue this album a bit because Vasilis Georgiou is basically the second coming of Hansi Kursch, but it's still a solid album. None of the songs stand out as much as I would like, but the album in its entirety is a fun experience.
No. 29:
Band: Pyramaze
Album: Epitaph
Genre: Progressive Power Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2001
Record Label: AFM Records
I first heard Pyramaze with Disciples of the Sun and all I could think was "wow these guys reminds me of Evergrey, Vanishing Point and Borealis. Since then I've become a fan of their older material and a little bit less of their new. By the gods does this album do an absolutely splendid job of blending all of their sounds and the ending 12 minute epic featuring all three singers in the band's history is an incredible way to end an incredible album.
No. 28:
Band: Pendragon
Album: Love Over Fear
Genre: Neo Progressive Rock
General information:
Year Founded: 1978
Record Label: Inside Out Record
Do you like Big Big Train? Do you like Marillion and IQ? Well then you should enjoy this album quite a bit.
No. 27:
Band: Aquaria
Album: Alethea
Genre: Symphonic Power Metal, some of the floweriest power metal you've ever seen.
General information:
Year Founded: 2002
Record Label: Metal Relics
In a world where Andre Matos is no longer alive, at least we have Vitor Vega and Aquaria to fill some of that void. Especially on the song Indians he sounds just like Andre and the song reminds me of early Angra in some ways.
No. 26:
Band: Dismalimerence
Album: Tome 1
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2015
Record Label: Transcending Records
This was probably the first album I reviewed this year that I actually loved, like I really got into it and listened to it non stop for a couple weeks. It's just really emotionally engaging black metal. You could call it atmospheric black metal, but it stays on the more aggressive side for the most part. The band knows how to contrast soft moments, with the barrage of blast beats we all know are coming and it's just a really well constructed album.
No. 25:
Band: Countless Skies
Album: Glow
Genre: Progressive Death Metal, very Insomnium like.
General information:
Year Founded: 2009 (as Hatespire)
Record Label: Willowtip Records
Insomnium + Omnium Gatherum = profit? I don't know how much money these guys will make, but wow this album is such an improvement off their last album. This is the kind of melodic death metal that I love, emotional and surprisingly upbeat for death metal.
No. 24:
Band: John Petrucci
Album: Terminal Velocity
Genre: Instrumental Progressive Metal, Dream Theater style
General information:
Year Founded: 1997
Record Label: Napalm Records
Another excellent prog metal solo project. I preferred Kiko Loureiro mostly because he's got that Brazillian groove, but of course I will always love John Petrucci.
No. 23:
Band: Kiko Loureiro
Album: Open Source
Genre: Instrumental Progressive Metal, Brazillian style
General information:
Year Founded: 2005
Record Label: Unsigned/Independent
I am a huge fan of Kiko Loureiro and while I do lament his turn away from jazz fusion into a more metal solo project, It's still great stuff.
No. 22:
Band: Kansas
Album: The Absence of Presence
Genre: Progressive Rock, but with violin
General information:
Year Founded: 1969 (as Reasons Why)
Record Label: Insideout Records
What is there to say? I mean it's Kansas, one of the few 70s prog bands that is not only still going, but releasing some of their best material ever If you like Kansas or you just like prog, check this out.
No. 21:
Band: Intronaut
Album: Fluid Existential Inversions
Genre: Progressive Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2004
Record Label: Insideout Records
I got to see these guys open for Enslaved and Between the Buried and Me, what an incredible show that was. Intronaut is all about that bass and it shines here along with improved production and all around stellar songwriting as we get yet another excellent psychedelic prog album.
No. 20:
Band: Protest the Hero
Album: Palimpsest
Genre: Progressive Metal, verging on Math Metal?
General information:
Year Founded: 1999 (As Happy Go Lucky)
Record Label: Spinefarm Records
Never really gave these guys the time of day before this, but I really enjoyed this album and I think it's time I went and explored their discography. It's loud and crazy and everything you would expect from Protest the Hero, I'm not the one to ask how it compares to the rest of their music.
No. 19:
Band: Mekong Delta
Album: Tales of a Future Past
Genre: Progressive Thrash Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 1985
Record Label: Butler Records
I want this to be on the record; I do not like thrash metal, never have, never will I can count on one hand the number of thrash metal bands I actually enjoy. Something about this album just clicked with me, yeah I'm not overly fond of the more traditional thrash moments, but the weirdness and the prog just absolutely sells this for me and has perhaps created a new Mekong Delta fan.
No. 18:
Band: Toehider
Album: I Like It!
Genre: Progressive Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2010
Record Label: Unsigned/Independent
I was exposed to Toehider through Ayreon's The Source and little did I know just how wacky this band would be. They touch on so many genres in this album it would be difficult to really lay them out. If you like zainy prog metal with some experimentation in about 9 different genres at least, then this is for you.
No. 17:
Band: Wobbler
Album: Dwellers of the Deep
Genre: 70s worshiping Progressive Rock
General information:
Year Founded: 1999
Record Label: Temo Records
It's Yes meets Genesis circa 1974 only from Norway in 2020. This is a band that set out to sound like the 70s prog greats and they have succeeded. I'm kind of amazed I've never heard of these guys before, but you best believe I'll be listening to them for years to come.
No. 16:
Band: Chaos Divine
Album: Legacies
Genre: Progressive Metal with a hint of djent
General information:
Year Founded: 2005
Record Label: Firestarter Records
This is a bit darker than their last album, but the hooks are fantastic and the music takes some twists and turns I wouldn't have expected from this band. Looks like Chaos Divine is all grown up.
No. 15:
Band: Emyn Muil
Album: Afar Angathfark
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal, the Summoning kind
General information:
Year Founded: 2012
Record Label: Northern Silence Production
If I told you this is basically Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame would that be enough? They even do direct call backs to that album which for a Summoning fanboy such as myself is just awesome. I just love the fact that we have so many bands that have taken Summoning's sound and run with it. The genre of atmospheric black metal has never been stronger!
No. 14:
Band: The Ocean Collective
Album: Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic l Cenozoic
Genre: Progressive Death Metal,
General information:
Year Founded: 2000
Record Label: Metal Blade Records
https://youtu.be/XvpRCX7jays
I became a fan of this band with Pelagial, it has this incredible combination of sludge, prog and even melodic death metal. I liked Phanerozoic I quite a bit, but I could tell that this time they were separating the sludge and the prog into two albums. The end result? It's great honestly, Phanerozoic 1 was this dark and really heavy adventure, but then part II is much more fun with it's melodies and overall mood, though of course this is still The Ocean.
No. 13:
Band: DGM
Album: Tragic Separation
Genre: Progressive Power Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 1996
Record Label: Frontiers Records
No. 12:
Band: Novena
Album: Eleventh Hour
Genre: Progressive Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2013
Record Label: Frontiers Records
So we got TWO awesome albums with Ross Jennings on vocals. This album is quite interesting with some neat stylistic flairs, like the flamenco style song we get in Corazon. This album seems a little all over the place which is part of why it fell in my ranking, but the emotional power behind this album is powerful and I encourage all prog fans to check this out.
No. 11:
Band: Manticora
Album: To Live to Kill to Live
Genre: Progressive Thrash Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 1996 (as Manticore)
Record Label: ViciSolum Productions
To Kill to Live to Kill was a fun album, it ended up pretty high on my 2018 list, but that's more because 2018 was a shallow year. This time the hooks are better and there's less chugg in the guitars and it leads to a smoother more polished effort. To those who think Manticora died after Safe, I strongly disagree with you and recommend this album to all Manticora and all power metal fans.
No. 10:
Band: Judicator
Album: Let There Be Nothing
Genre: Power Metal definitely on the traditional side.
General information:
Year Founded: 2012
Record Label: Prosthetic Records
I've known these guys for a long time, though I admit their first couple albums didn't really do much for me. I've never been into traditional heavy metal as much, but then At the Expense of Humanity happened and I really liked that album, this takes the best of their historical power metal and their most complex, proggy moments and puts it all into one awesome album. The book mark epics are especially worthwhile.
No. 9:
Band: Falconer
Album: From Dying Ember
Genre: Folk & Power Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 1999
Record Label: Metal Blade Records
I've only been a fan since 2014, which makes me sad because now they're done. Falconer has been a force in the power metal scene since 1999 when their self titled album came out and now they end with one of their most dramatic albums yet. This album could be perceived as a little slow, but I find it to be very dynamic, with some faster songs sprinkled in and the slower songs have plenty of weight that they avoid the boring filler label. Next to Dreams and Pyres, Rapture might be their best ending to an album.
No. 8:
Band: Vanden Plas
Album: Ghost Xperiment: Illumination
Genre: Progressive Power Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 1986
Record Label: Frontiers Records
Awakening was a disappointment, I'm a huge Vanden Plas fan so that was tough to swallow, but once again part 2 is better than part 1. They take a few more risks in songwriting and it just really sounds like they pulled out all the stops for this one and it resulted in a captivating album with some of their best hooks ever. My favorite song is Under the Horizon, but The Ouroboros and When the World is Falling Down are really awesome as well.
No. 7:
Band: Lascaille's Shroud
Album: Othercosmic Divinations 1
Genre: Progressive Death Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2009
Record Label: Unsigned/Independent
I want to give props to LS, I think every one of his Brett's albums has finished on my year end list and only one of them finished outside my top 10. This is now four albums in a row of his to finish in my top 10. You might call bias, and you could be right, but I love a good one man project and I just love how Brett writes progressive death metal, there's a certain groove to his music that no other band is quite able to attain for me. This is easily LS' most polished album, it sounds like a bit of everything in his discography, it sounds like he's taken the best of his material and just really polished the details. It took a while for this to come out, but it was well worth the wait and I will always be excited for more Lascaille's Shroud's brand of sci-fi death metal opera.
No. 6:
Band: Descend
Album: The Deviant
Genre: Progressive Death Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2003
Record Label: Aftermath Music
Okay so at first I was really underwhelmed by this album. Yeah the hooks are good, but it seemed really mechanical, almost like Haken is just going through the motions. The songs that really turned me around are pretty obvious. The Carousel and Messiah Complex being career defining songs; throw in The Strain as well and overall this album is much stronger than Vector for my money.
No. 5:
Band: Haken
Album: Virus
Genre: Progressive Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2007
Record Label: Insideout Records
Okay so at first I was really underwhelmed by this album. Yeah the hooks are good, but it seemed really mechanical, almost like Haken is just going through the motions. The songs that really turned me around are pretty obvious. The Carousel and Messiah Complex being career defining songs; throw in The Strain as well and overall this album is much stronger than Vector for my money.
No. 4:
Band: Exist
Album: Egoiista
Genre: Progressive Death Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2013
Record Label: Prosthetic Records
A tribute to Sean Reinert, and now to Sean Malone as well. I knew right away this was going to be better than So True, So Far; it just sounds more polished and more focused. The stylistic changes flow together better and I love how it transitions seamlessly from death metal to light prog/fusion, it's really impressive. I encourage you all to sit down, really give this one a thorough listen and don't forget to pour some out for Sean Reinert and Sean Malone, you guys will be very much missed and Cynic will go down as one of the great progenitors of progressive death metal.
No. 3:
Band: Vanishing Point
Album: Dead Elysium
Genre: Progressive Power Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 1995
Record Label: AFM Records
This one really grew on me, oh I liked it from the beginning, but there were a couple of songs I didn't really get. Well once I grew to appreciate them the songs I liked least became my favorites on the album. The Fall, Free and Shadow World being the prime examples. It's dark, a little gritty, but very emotive and just incredibly powerful emotionally. I could listen to this album all day long and while it's not perfect it's addictive and very memorable.
No. 2:
Band: Unleash the Archers
Album: Abyss
Genre: Progressive Power Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2007
Record Label: Napalm Records
Two perfect albums in one year? Not since 2011 has such a thing happened. In fact I don't think I've had a 5/5 since 2014. Well Unleash the Archers has officially arrived, with the addition of a little more keyboard, pristine production/mixing and extremely tight and concise songwriting has produced a slab of perfection, I can't find anything to complain about here.
No. 1:
Band: Caligula's Horse
Album: Rise Radiant
Genre: Progressive Metal
General information:
Year Founded: 2010
Record Label: Inside Out Records
I try not to be hyperbolic, I don't always succeed, but there's nothing worse than people who get super excited over absolutely everything and so nothing is actually amazing, everything just becomes good. This is a perfect album for me and has entered into my all time top 20, that should tell you everything you need to know; if you're a prog/power fan you should love this and for other CH fans this might sound a little different from their usual sound and it is, but every aspect of this album is tight and perky and there's absolutely no filler.
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