Best of 2018 so far

here's the current way my ears hear the albums of 2018:

THE TOP TIER:
Alco Frisbass Le Bateleur
Asturias Across the Ridge to Heaven
Daal Decalogue of Darkness
Proportions Reboot

GREAT ALBUMS THAT WILL GET PLAYED AGAIN:
Corea, Chick + Steve Gadd Band Chinese Butterfly
Edwin, Colin / Robert Jürjendal Another World
HAGO HAGO
Holzman, Adam Truth Decay
Human Factor Let Nature Take Its Course
London Underground Four
Soft Machine Hidden Details
Watson, Dean Track of Days

GOOD ALBUMS BUT I MAY NOT GET THE TIME TO PLAY THEM AGAIN:
Calibro 35 Decade
Elephant9 Greatest Show on Earth
Ontalva, Ángel / Vespero Carta Marina
Perdomo, Fernando Out to Sea
Roz Vitalis The Hidden Man of the Heart
Sonar / David Torn Vortex
Vantomme, Dominique Vegir
Vespero Hollow Moon


ALBUMS THAT DID NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME ASIDE FROM A TRACK OR TWO:
Gösta Berlings Saga Et Ex
OAK (Oscillazioni Alchemico Kompresse) Giordano Bruno
Boffo, Jean Pascal Invizible
Malady Toinen Toista
PinioL Bran Coucou

I haven't found too many releases to get too excited about this year but what I did find I really liked:

Riverside - Wasteland
Steven Wilson - Home Invasion
Iamthemorning - Ocean Sounds
Sarah Longfield - Disparity
https://sarahshreds.bandcamp.com/album/disparity
Distant Dream - Your Own Story
https://distantdream.bandcamp.com/album/your-own-story
Widek - Dream Reflection
https://widekmusic.bandcamp.com/album/dream-reflection
Chords of Orion - Dreams
https://chordsoforion.bandcamp.com/
Greta Van Fleet - Anthem

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Originally Posted by MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER

here's the current way my ears hear the albums of 2018:

THE TOP TIER:
Alco Frisbass Le Bateleur
Asturias Across the Ridge to Heaven
Daal Decalogue of Darkness
Proportions Reboot

GREAT ALBUMS THAT WILL GET PLAYED AGAIN:
Corea, Chick + Steve Gadd Band Chinese Butterfly
Edwin, Colin / Robert Jürjendal Another World
HAGO HAGO
Holzman, Adam Truth Decay
Human Factor Let Nature Take Its Course
London Underground Four
Soft Machine Hidden Details
Watson, Dean Track of Days

GOOD ALBUMS BUT I MAY NOT GET THE TIME TO PLAY THEM AGAIN:
Calibro 35 Decade
Elephant9 Greatest Show on Earth
Ontalva, Ángel / Vespero Carta Marina
Perdomo, Fernando Out to Sea
Roz Vitalis The Hidden Man of the Heart
Sonar / David Torn Vortex
Vantomme, Dominique Vegir
Vespero Hollow Moon


ALBUMS THAT DID NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME ASIDE FROM A TRACK OR TWO:
Gösta Berlings Saga Et Ex
OAK (Oscillazioni Alchemico Kompresse) Giordano Bruno
Boffo, Jean Pascal Invizible
Malady Toinen Toista
PinioL Bran Coucou

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If you haven't yet you need to check these out:

Los Lobotomys - 3.0
MSM Schmidt - Life
Kozo Suganuma - Drum Paradise
Jeff Berlin - Joe Frazier
Forgas Band Phenomena - L'oreille Electrique
Into The Night - 2
Gene Lake - The Kingdom Within
Toshiyuki Honda meets Kazumi Watanabe Burning Wave Quartet - Live at Shinjuku PIT INN
Robert Baglione - Cronoparadox
Spirit Fingers
Alex Skolnick Trio - Conundrum
FAT (Fabulous Austrian Trio) - #awesome
KIYO*SEN - Organizer
Mark Wingfield - Tales From The Dreaming City

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Originally Posted by Shadow

If you haven't yet you need to check these out:

MSM Schmidt - Life

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I think this one made my top 10 of 2017

I'll look for samples of the rest of those Ed, thanx!

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Originally Posted by MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER

I think this one made my top 10 of 2017

I'll look for samples of the rest of those Ed, thanx!

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That was 2017.

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Originally Posted by Shadow

That was 2017.

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Maybe we need a thread for great 2017 albums you discovered in 2018... I'd nominate the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex's The Parable.

Henry

Two releases from Greece deserve mention:

- Topos by Methexis is a composition of symphonic prog, cut into 2 side long pieces. Quite unique music that makes it hard to reference it somewhere, you can check it here https://methexis.bandcamp.com/album/topos

- Zea Mice is the third album of combo Mother Turtle, which finds me more in the space prog territory, with some Mediterranean, folk elements that remind me of Area. A very nice album indeed. https://motherturtleband.bandcamp.com/album/zea-mice

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zappathustra

Two releases from Greece deserve mention:

- Topos by Methexis is a composition of symphonic prog, cut into 2 side long pieces. Quite unique music that makes it hard to reference it somewhere, you can check it here https://methexis.bandcamp.com/album/topos

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This is currently in my top three of 2018, though I'm still listening to a few that I got more recently. Anyway, unlikely it will drop much and it will definitely stand as one of my favorites from 2018.

Bill

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zappathustra

Two releases from Greece deserve mention:

- Topos by Methexis is a composition of symphonic prog, cut into 2 side long pieces. Quite unique music that makes it hard to reference it somewhere, you can check it here https://methexis.bandcamp.com/album/topos

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sputnik

This is currently in my top three of 2018, though I'm still listening to a few that I got more recently. Anyway, unlikely it will drop much and it will definitely stand as one of my favorites from 2018.

Bill

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Wow! Well, with high praise such as this, I am definitely going to check this one out.

Thanks guys. :up

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sputnik

This is currently in my top three of 2018, though I'm still listening to a few that I got more recently. Anyway, unlikely it will drop much and it will definitely stand as one of my favorites from 2018.

Bill

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I'm really glad you like it Bill. I'm afraid that I have a bad - and old habit - of constantly undervaluing rock music that comes from my country. But this is quality stuff, and most importantly quite original.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zappathustra

I'm really glad you like it Bill. I'm afraid that I have a bad - and old habit - of constantly undervaluing rock music that comes from my country. But this is quality stuff, and most importantly quite original.

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Their previous release did not do much for me, but on a first listen this is quite interesting, thanks for the tip. Mother Turtle I have been on board with for a while.

FWIW (not much) my favourite Greek production of recent years in the progressive bag is Intravenus' Oiseau, a sublime record.

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Originally Posted by Mascodagama

FWIW (not much)

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you're wrong, and I have explained this to you indirectly and directly. This sounds very promising, and needless to say I was unaware of its existence. So thank you.

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Originally Posted by Zappathustra

you're wrong, and I have explained this to you indirectly and directly. This sounds very promising, and needless to say I was unaware of its existence. So thank you.

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You're very kind. My remark wasn't meant to denigrate my own taste so much as make clear that I haven't heard enough recent music from Greece to have a decent cross-section. Thus my fave is drawn from a very small pool.

that METHEXIS is very deep! I'm liking it!

My top 10

For prog-rock mine are
1)Roine Stolt-manifesto of alchemist.
2)Tangent-Proxy
3)All Traps on Earth - A Drop of Light
4)Telegraph-Mir
5)Windmill - Tribus
6)Deep Energy Orchestra -playing with fire
7)Galahad-Sea of Change
8)Bubu - El eco del sol
9) tony pagliuca (le orme) - canzone d'amore-piano solo of popular le orme
10)Phideaux - Infernal

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER

that METHEXIS is very deep! I'm liking it!

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deep is the word. I keep listening and still don't really understand where he's getting at.

It was also a pleasure to just walk in the local store and grab a vinyl copy of this, like we used to do in the old days. And at a reasonable price.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sputnik

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zappathustra

- Topos by Methexis is a composition of symphonic prog, cut into 2 side long pieces. Quite unique music that makes it hard to reference it somewhere, you can check it here https://methexis.bandcamp.com/album/topos

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This is currently in my top three of 2018, though I'm still listening to a few that I got more recently. Anyway, unlikely it will drop much and it will definitely stand as one of my favorites from 2018.

Bill

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indeed, very interesting >> that goes on my 2018 list :up

Symph-prog with a certain UZ/AZ rwist and traces of JR/F stuff on the second track.

However I sampled their first two albums and am totally underwhelmed, partly because of the vocals

^JR/F? (sorry, maybe it's obvious but I am tired. And I need a drink)

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Originally Posted by Zappathustra

^JR/F? (sorry, maybe it's obvious but I am tired. And I need a drink)

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Jazz/Rock - Fusion

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Originally Posted by Trane

indeed, very interesting >> that goes on my 2018 list :up

Symph-prog with a certain UZ/AZ rwist and traces of JR/F stuff on the second track.

However I sampled their first two albums and am totally underwhelmed, partly because of the vocals

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I've listened to some of the first album, and the first track on it didn't do much for me. But the other songs have some pretty interesting things going on, although I don't really like the vocals. But I bought that CD, and the white vinyl edition of Topos from Bandcamp. :)

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Originally Posted by aith01

I've listened to some of the first album, and the first track on it didn't do much for me. But the other songs have some pretty interesting things going on, although I don't really like the vocals. But I bought that CD, and the white vinyl edition of Topos from Bandcamp. :)

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prepare for a 45 rpm edition. I just had a chat with the label that cut the vinyl and distributes the record, and for some reason that I didn't get, he told me that they thought it would sound better as a 45 in relation to the masters' sound. The one thing sure is that it sounds absolutely excellent on my limited performance stereo (I got the black one, poor guy).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zappathustra

prepare for a 45 rpm edition. I just had a chat with the label that cut the vinyl and distributes the record, and for some reason that I didn't get, he told me that they thought it would sound better as a 45 in relation to the masters' sound. The one thing sure is that it sounds absolutely excellent on my limited performance stereo (I got the black one, poor guy).

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Thanks for the heads up! I forgot that it was 45 rpm, but that's okay. :up

I'm looking forward to spinning this one in all its analog glory once it arrives. For whatever reason, I've grown fond of collecting colored vinyl whenever possible.

Based on one listen, Topos is on my list of contenders for top 10 2018 releases. Thank you for bringing it to my attention! :ipa

This is how I saw it but did not have the following in time to fully digest and probably would have made the list: Far Corner and All Traps On Earth.

Either way: The Fire Note's Prog Year In Review

Quote:

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Originally Posted by miamiscot

This is how I saw it but did not have the following in time to fully digest and probably would have made the list: Far Corner and All Traps On Earth.

Either way: The Fire Note's Prog Year In Review

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An interesting list! I've already earmarked a few CDs to make sure I check them out before year's end.

I've been working on my own "Best of 2018" list, and it's proving to be rather difficult because there have been so many good releases this year. It's gonna be tough to choose just 10, but that's what I've decided to limit myself to. :)

Roine Stolt might make it onto the list, but I'm not sure. Koenjihyakkei definitely is though. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by miamiscot

This is how I saw it but did not have the following in time to fully digest and probably would have made the list: Far Corner and All Traps On Earth.

Either way: The Fire Note's Prog Year In Review

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Good list Scot, and very neat comment on Piniol.