The Original Perpetual Motion Board

I love it. I'm surprised I love it as much as I do. It is indeed very different, but there's also this familiar PoS sound clinging to the entire thing.

Gotta be Riverside for me. While I always look forward to anything Devin Townsend has coming, I don't always connect with it. Riverside seems to be able to do no wrong for me. I have to put Leprous way the hell up there, too.

I posted about their first album a few years back. Your description is pretty spot on. I always hear a lot of Evergrey in their sound. Good singer. Both albums are solid and enjoyable.

One Hundred Thousand Aries

Haken Prosthetic (though, I might like Invasion even more)

Vulkan This Visual Hex

Black Orchid Empire Evergreen

Caligula's Horse Slow Violence

Psychotic Waltz Sisters of the Dawn

I have not been a fan of Haken to date, but these two singles are hitting the spot. Less noodling, more melody. Prosthetic, in particular, is just rockin'.

This is bad ass. Sounds a ton like Kamelot to me.

Like last year, this was a decent year with a few great albums at the top end. Song links at the end of each entry for those interested. 1. Big Wreck: ...but for the sun – Heavy rock. Big Wreck decided to bring the heavy this time around. The songs are a little less orchestrated than their other alb...

Psychotic Waltz
Twelve Foot Ninja
Chaos Divine
In Search of Sun

Edit: I completely forgot to echo Pos and Caligula's Horse as well!

Also hopeful for

Karnivool
Cog
Eastern High
This Misery Garden
Mad Lollipop
Nerve End
Mytra

And a few long shots

Dead Air Radio
Haji's Kitchen
Rishloo

Wheel is the best Tool album released this year.

Devy and Leprous are both quite high on my list as well.

The Jolly didn't light me up, but there are some good songs on Family.

There's some Tool influence with these guys (which can be said for a lot of bands), but they don't really sound like Tool to me. It is a really good album. Was in my top 10-15 or whatever a few years ago. For Tool, Lateralus is a masterpiece. Their other albums all have some incredible tracks (46&2 ...

Sigma was my favorite album of 2017, and Poem was my favorite album last year, so yeah, just a little eager for this one.