My Top 10 Albums for 2015
Some of my favorite albums of the year and why they were my top picks. |
| 1 |  | Voices from the Fuselage
Odyssey: The Destroyer of Worlds
Since Ashe O'Hara and Tesseract had parted ways, I've been hoping to hear his voice again. This year, I was blown away from his performance on this album. Being a fan of Altered State, the Tesseract album that O'Hara performed on, I was stoked when this finally came out. However, what impressed me even more was simply how well the band as a whole worked together. The album flawlessly combines elements of progressive rock, progressive metal, post rock, and more to an album that will keep you invested from start to end. The band clearly has a strong grasp of songwriting and this album is a breath of fresh air in the progressive rock/progressive metal scene. |
| 2 |  | Intervals
The Shape of Colour
Before this album, Aaron Marshall and the rest of the band split due to him wanting to keep the band an instrumental act while the other members wanted to search for a new vocalist after Mike Semesky's departure. Some people were doubtful if Marshall could carry on Intervals on his own. This album shows that Intervals was meant to be instrumental. Beautiful melodies, powerful atmosphere, and superb songwriting allow Marshall to put forth the best Intervals album I've ever heard. |
| 3 |  | Vision of Disorder
Razed To The Ground
Metalcore has gotten a bad rep for quite a while. With few bands, such as Unearth, Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying continually being praised, many metal fans seem to have lost faith in the genre as a whole. This album proves that Vision of Disorder deserve to be named among the elite of the genre. Since they formed in the 90s, they have only improved with every album. This is a strong example of the talent that can be found in metalcore. |
| 4 |  | Ghost (SWE)
Meliora
I've been a Ghost fan for a few months before the release of this album. It seems as if Ghost knew exactly what I wanted to hear from them going forward and brought it--a more cutting edge sound in an album that maintains the dark atmosphere fans have come to love. |
| 5 |  | Native Construct
Quiet World
This album was definitely one of the most unique albums I've heard in a while. The Broadway-esque elements, mainly the singing, compliment the progressive elements in a way that no one would expect. They've made such an unusual combination work incredibly well. For that, I am thankful. |
| 6 |  | TesseracT
Polaris
It's great to see Dan back with Tesseract. Their debut album remains one of my favorite albums of all time. However, I was slighly let down with Polaris. It's still an incredible album that will get many listens from me, but it simply lacks the unique songwriting on Tesseract's previous two albums. This album comes off as a more straightforward rock album in comparison, which is disappointing considering that Tesseract's songwriting is typically second to none. It seems that their creativity is not as present in this album. |
| 7 |  | Jake Bowen
Isometric
This definitely stands out on a list of mostly metal albums. Jake Bowen of Periphery amazed fans when he showed his talents extended past progressive music. As someone who's a fan of the more mellow types electronic music, I was extremely pleased to hear Bowen create such atmosphere with this album. |
| 8 |  | Lamb of God
VII: Sturm und Drang
This album impressed me. Lamb of God seems like a band that already had their best years, yet they continue to prove me wrong with each release. This album shows Lamb Of God knows how to keep making new music without falling in a stale formula. Additionally, hearing clean vocals by Randy Blythe and guest vocals by Chino Moreno of Deftones shows that the band is open to trying out softer elements in their sound--and they accomplish it well. |
| 9 |  | Between the Buried and Me
Coma Ecliptic
This album amazed me. I've always been a fan of the band, and it seems like they've always found a way to make every album a unique experience. I've been hoping to hear more clean vocals and melody in their sound, which this album provided. |
| 10 |  | The Dear Hunter
Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise
This list makes it somewhat obvious that I love progressive music. The Dear Hunter has always had a unique sound, filled with just the right amount of experimentation. This album surpassed all expectations, even blending in symphonic and baroque elements to their sound. The thing I really like is how The Dear Hunter has only improved with storytelling over time. This album makes it evident that the band's music is just as full of depth as a well-written play. |
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