Albums Of The Year: 2007

Well, since the end of the year is closing in and Vox hasn't done this as the question of the day yet (watch, it's going to show up tomorrow) I decided that I'd do it myself. 2007 was a pretty good year for music barring some disappointments. I'm looking at you Dream Theater. But to balance out the fact that the album I was looking forward to most was generally "meh", I made a whole lot of new musical discoveries this year. Radiohead, Epica, Riverside, Redemption, Little Atlas, just to name a few. Inspired by a thread on the mikeportnoy.com forums, I think it's time to rank my favorite albums of the year like I did last year. Except if I could do last year's again, I'd put the Frost* album on top. I don't know what I was thinking with that one. But anyway, onwards to the list.

1. 

   Fear of a Blank Planet

   Porcupine Tree

   Porcupine Tree – Fear Of A Blank Planet
   Porcupine Tree – Nil Recurring

   What can I say about Steven Wilson? He turns everything he touches to gold and this release was no exception. I'm including Nil Recurring in here too since it was originally intended to be part of the album.

   Porcupine Tree continues to impress with Fear of A Blank Planet, continuing the evolution they began with In Absentia. This album sounds like Porcupine Tree, but it has a different feel from their previous works, a trait which Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson have carried through the bands entire discography.

   This release, while not quite as strong as In Absentia to me (but that's a tough thing to live up to, honestly) easily captures my top spot this year. The middle section of Anesthetize is one of the most well constructed pieces of music I've heard in quite some time.

   This album was made even better by getting front row seats at the Porcupine Tree concert in Albany.

2. 

   The End Is Begun

   3

   3 – The End Is Begun
   
   I didn't think I was going to like 3 at first. I heard they were good over at the mikeportnoy.com forums after having opened for Porcupine Tree on a previous tour leg, but my first impression wasn't very good.

   It was only after I decided to check them out more after hearing they were going to be opening for Porcupine Tree at the show I was going to and I'm really glad I did. 3 vaulted into one of my favorite bands and this release, and as you can see, to my number 2 spot of the year.

   They've got a fairly unique sound to them (like a lot of the bands I'm into actually…) and until I saw them live, I didn't realize they had two drummers which explains some of their sound. The lead vocalist also has a very unique voice.

   What's more, they're awesome live. When I saw them with Porcupine Tree…I'm having a hard time deciding if I was happier with PT's show or with 3's. I'm glad they're going to be opening for Dream Theater in the spring.

3. 

   The Origins of Ruin

   Redemption

   Redemption – The Origins Of Ruin

   Another band I discovered because they were opening for a band I wanted to see. Redemption opened for Dream Theater, and thus I checked them out.

   I was surprised to learn that Ray Alder was their vocalist. I liked him in Fates Warning, but I think his unique vocal style really works much better in Redemption's format. And the stuff he sings is very well thought out. The lyrics on this album are some of the best I've heard all year.

   Fall On You, in particular, is one of the highlights of the album lyrically. I'm glad they played that one live at the show I went to.

   Speaking of their live show, it's fairly good as well. Ray Alder was spot on live, even though he had a cold.  I really need to get some of their other albums if they're going to be anything like this one.

4. 

   Blackfield II

   Blackfield

   Blackfield – Blackfield II

   Hey, Stephen Wilson manages to get on the list again! Who would have thought. Well, this release shows off the versitility of the man again. Blackfield is a more pop oriented group than Porcupine Tree is, being a collaboration with Aviv Geffen. Simpler songs rule here with more lyric driven pieces. There's a few weak spots (Miss U, specifically) but overall this album is extremely solid.

   The album retains a lot of Stephen Wilson signatures with a lot of vocal harmony parts thrown in. Christenings is pretty much all of the members of Porcupine Tree playing a song on the Blackfield album with Aviv added in, so it's very much a Porcupine Tree sounding song. One of my favorite tracks, along with 1,000 People and Once.

5. 

   Paradise Lost

   Symphony X

   Symphony X – Paradise Lost

   Russel Allen is one of my favorite Metal vocalists out there right now. He's extremely versitle, singing soft, soulful parts as well as powerful soaring vocal lines and even more metal growling type (well, not growling as in death metal…more of a gravely type voice) often in the same song.

   The only reason why this album isn't listed higher on my top 5 is because Russel Allen's usage of the more metal type vocals through the entire thing. He doesn't really let loose with the powerful soaring stuff that I like him so much for. They suit the music though, as we'll get to in a moment, but I would have preferred more variety.

   Musically, though, this album doesn't disappoint. It's extremely heavy (which is why the vocals are as they are) and well constructed. There's a lot of musical references to their song The Divine Wings of Tragedy, this album being related to it in some way. Still trying to figure out what the connection is, but it's most definitely a concept album.

   Symphony X is so delightfully cheesy and they know it which makes them so awesome. I really wish I was able to see them live this tour, but I'm going to have to skip the show, unfortunately.

So there you have it. My top 5 of 2007. This marks the first year where a Dream Theater album was released where it didn't get placed on the top spot. In fact, Systematic Chaos didn't even make the list which surprised me a lot. I really wanted to like the album, but I'm getting the feeling that Dream Theater is straying from their roots a bit too much, away from well constructed songs into instrumental wank-fests that do litle to add anything to the song. There's some good stuff on there. Constant Motion, Repentance, Prophets of War and The Ministry of Lost Souls are standout tracks for me, along with Forsaken to some degree, but…the lyrics this time around by John Petrucci really killed several songs for me. They do work really well live though. I'll have to give them that much.

Maybe I'm moving on and DT is moving in a different direction. We'll have to see what the next album brings. Now…where's my music for 2008??

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