Cruised the 2018 Best of Thread and saw strong opinions both ways:
YodelGoat laments- "I commented back in August how I could not see one 2018 album that I had bought or was planning to buy. 2 days from the end of the year, and I am still coming up blank. First year since I can remember I did not buy a single new release - let alone enjoy it. I think I may pick up the Spocks Beard, but wow, 2018 was a bust for me. Listened to a lot of new stuff, just nothing lit me up."
moecurlythanu chimes in- "I bought more releases from the current year than any in many a while. I'd rate it as the strongest year in yonks, but as I didn't buy a lot in prior years..."
NogbadTheBad reflects on 2018- "It's been another good year for me, bought around 50 new releases of which around 30 were good. Of those I'd say 5 were great, Far Corner, Koenji Hyakkei, Piniol, Alec Redfearn & VAK."
Me? Personally I feel 2018 was off slightly. But I'm a huge Italian fan and 2018 was an off year for the Italian subgenre...except for Daal who most folks classify as "eclectic prog". Maybe that's the crux of biscuit? 2018 saw me buy more RIO/Avant-Prog and Eclectic then years past. In my opinion 2018 was a banner year for RIO/Avant-Prog. The PE best of lists are flush with examples. I'd could also argue 2018 was a good year for RIO/Avant-Prog's polar opposite... "Crossover prog". My crossover pile of discs grew substantially with releases from: Phideaux, 3rdegree, Gleb Kolyadin, Vier, Southern Empire, Sunchild, Kayak, and Bomber Goggles. Was it my imagination or was it an off year for prog metal and folk?
Good year- Bad year, sounds like I'm discussing wine. As if RIO/Avant-Prog were a dry cabernet and crossover was a sweet white Moscato d’Asti. Perhaps the wide variance of PE opinion comes down to prog sub genres?
Or maybe a significant number of the PE membership gravitate towards the RIO/Avant and largely ignore subgenres like Electronic?
I don't pay as much attention to subgenres like Tech Metal, Electronic, and Psychedelic. In 2018...Which subgenre's flourished or disappointed?
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