It’s always a [insert album here] kind of day …

[introclaus]

I was listening to Orphaned Land’s masterpiece “Mabool” for the thousandth time, and was thinking about how there’s never a bad time for me to listen to this disc.

What are some of the albums that you can always find joy in listening to, no matter what kind of mood you’re in, or no matter the weather … ?

[Mardoch]

Damn I should listen to Mabool again. That album is a masterpiece.

I've definitely got a list that it's never a bad time for. I think it's something like this (alphabetical by artist):
Circles - Infinitas
Conception - Flow
David Maxim Micic - all of it, but especially Bilo 3.0
Erra - all of it
Fortioi - Chronicles
Haken - The Mountain (ironically, an album that I didn't really care for at first)
Kadinja - Ascendency
Kansas - Leftoverture
Karnivool - Sound Awake
Lalu - Oniric Metal
Monuments - The Amanuensis
Myrath - Tales of the Sands
Novelists (France) - Souvenirs
Orphaned Land - Mabool
Plini - Handmade Cities
Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King
Savatage - Streets
Skyharbor - Guiding Lights
Skyharbor - Sunshine Dust
Soilwork - everything from Natural Born Chaos through Stabbing the Drama
Time, The Valuator - How Fleeting, How Fragile

I sure have a type, huh...lol. There's definitely some recency bias here, but I guess that's not easy to avoid.

[LarryD]

Cool post - and as if you didn't know some of mine ........

Symphony X / V
Shadow Gallery / Tyranny
Seventh Wonder / Mercy Falls
Queensryche / Operation : Mindcrime
Superior / Behind
Riverside / Second Life Syndrome
Ayreon / The Final Experiment
Sylvan / Posthumous Slence
After Forever / Invisible Circles
Arena / The Visitor
Carisma / 1825

and on and on and on ..........

[introclaus]

Damn I should listen to Mabool again. That album is a masterpiece.

Haha, yes, amazing album.

I've definitely got a list that it's never a bad time for. I think it's something like this (alphabetical by artist):
Circles - Infinitas

I loved their first EP ("Prelude") but already by their second EP I was over them. None of their full lengths moved me either, so all I ever go back to is the debut EP.

David Maxim Micic - all of it, but especially Bilo 3.0
Erra - all of it
Fortioi - Chronicles
Haken - The Mountain (ironically, an album that I didn't really care for at first)
Kadinja - Ascendency
Karnivool - Sound Awake
Lalu - Oniric Metal
Novelists (France) - Souvenirs
Plini - Handmade Cities
Soilwork - everything from Natural Born Chaos through Stabbing the Drama

I either haven't listened (David Maxim, Fortioi, Novelists) or don't enjoy these, sorry

Conception - Flow
Kansas - Leftoverture
Monuments - The Amanuensis
Myrath - Tales of the Sands
Orphaned Land - Mabool
Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King
Savatage - Streets
Skyharbor - Guiding Lights
Skyharbor - Sunshine Dust
Time, The Valuator - How Fleeting, How Fragile

I really like all of these, and half of them I truly love (Conception, Kansas, Orphaned Land, Savatage).

I sure have a type, huh...lol. There's definitely some recency bias here, but I guess that's not easy to avoid.

Yes, I see a pattern in there for sure haha. As for recency bias, my all time list would probably be skewed more towards older stuff, but I think that's because I'm an old fart ... same for Larry - see how all of his stuff is at least 20-30 years old?

[introclaus]

Cool post - and as if you didn't know some of mine ........

Symphony X / V
Shadow Gallery / Tyranny
Seventh Wonder / Mercy Falls
Queensryche / Operation : Mindcrime
Superior / Behind
Riverside / Second Life Syndrome
Ayreon / The Final Experiment
Sylvan / Posthumous Slence
After Forever / Invisible Circles
Arena / The Visitor
Carisma / 1825

and on and on and on ..........

Yeah, this list wasn't a big surprise to me LOL ... that said, I might have chosen a different album for some of them that the one you went with (Symphony X, Seventh Wonder, Ayreon, Arena), but overall we're pretty much in agreement. That said, I don't really care of Sylvan or After Forever. The rest is great stuff for this kind of list!

[LarryD]

We should do a "best prog metal post from 2010-present" ...... to me, the best prog metal years were from 1995-2010. Not withstanding Queensryche, Fates Warning and the previous pioneers. I'm talking internet discovered prog if you will ...... those years were the best and most fun to discover....... admittedly, I would have a problem picking a desert island disc say from the year 2015 over a disc like Symphony X / V or something like that .... but it would be fun trying.

[introclaus]

We should do a "best prog metal post from 2010-present" ...... to me, the best prog metal years were from 1995-2010. Not withstanding Queensryche, Fates Warning and the previous pioneers. I'm talking internet discovered prog if you will ...... those years were the best and most fun to discover....... admittedly, I would have a problem picking a desert island disc say from the year 2015 over a disc like Symphony X / V or something like that .... but it would be fun trying.

Ehmmm ... "someone" did that already:
https://www.pmrising.com/pm/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11112

[LarryD]

We should do a "best prog metal post from 2010-present" ...... to me, the best prog metal years were from 1995-2010. Not withstanding Queensryche, Fates Warning and the previous pioneers. I'm talking internet discovered prog if you will ...... those years were the best and most fun to discover....... admittedly, I would have a problem picking a desert island disc say from the year 2015 over a disc like Symphony X / V or something like that .... but it would be fun trying.

Ehmmm ... "someone" did that already:
https://www.pmrising.com/pm/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11112

****That was years ago. I'm talking about one that I can agree with .............

[Mardoch]

I either haven't listened (David Maxim, Fortioi, Novelists) or don't enjoy these, sorry

I'm surprised you don't like the Karnivool. That seems like it would be your speed. But hey, to each their own.

[introclaus]

I either haven't listened (David Maxim, Fortioi, Novelists) or don't enjoy these, sorry

I'm surprised you don't like the Karnivool. That seems like it would be your speed. But hey, to each their own.

In all honesty, I probably haven't given them a fair chance. They always seemed to come from a less metal, more pop/punk background, and that scared me away. I've listened to them here and there but nothing stuck. I should give them some more time.

[introclaus]

We should do a "best prog metal post from 2010-present" ...... to me, the best prog metal years were from 1995-2010. Not withstanding Queensryche, Fates Warning and the previous pioneers. I'm talking internet discovered prog if you will ...... those years were the best and most fun to discover....... admittedly, I would have a problem picking a desert island disc say from the year 2015 over a disc like Symphony X / V or something like that .... but it would be fun trying.

Ehmmm ... "someone" did that already:
https://www.pmrising.com/pm/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11112

****That was years ago. I'm talking about one that I can agree with .............

LOL I don't know what else you want. My favorites from that decade (2010-2019) are still the same within prog metal, so it isn't gonna be different if I post a new list today, as it'll be the same albums

[LarryD]

LOL I don't know what else you want. My favorites from that decade (2010-2019) are still the same within prog metal, so it isn't gonna be different if I post a new list today, as it'll be the same albums

***I just want to be able to agree with you .......
***I don't even know why I love you........

[devomeister]

Karnivool's Sound Awake is absolutely on my list. It's one of those albums that falls into the "I don't know what I want to listen to, so I'll just throw on Sound Awake" category. They're the kind of albums that one doesn't need to be "in the mood" to listen to, and simply scratch the itch at any time.

Others on my list...
Fen 'Trails Out of Gloom'
Jolly 'The Audio Guide to Happiness pt 1"
Porcupine Tree 'In Absentia"
Deadsoul Tribe 'A Murder of Crows'
Boil 'Axiom'

Maybe some strange choices, but those albums just always wreck the spot for me, and all fall into my musical happy place. I'm sure there are others, but those all popped right into my head when I read the topic.

[introclaus]

Karnivool's Sound Awake is absolutely on my list. It's one of those albums that falls into the "I don't know what I want to listen to, so I'll just throw on Sound Awake" category. They're the kind of albums that one doesn't need to be "in the mood" to listen to, and simply scratch the itch at any time.

With both you and Mardoch insisting on how good "Sound Awake" is, I went back to revisit entire album. My opinion still stands, this is bland at best (to me). In places it flat out annoys me. I hear some post-grunge in it, I hear some SoaD things, and in general it just doesn't appeal to me at all. Oh well, I tried.

Others on my list...
Fen 'Trails Out of Gloom'
Jolly 'The Audio Guide to Happiness pt 1"
Porcupine Tree 'In Absentia"
Deadsoul Tribe 'A Murder of Crows'
Boil 'Axiom'

I love Boil. The first couple of Deadsoul Tribe albums were great, as were both the Jolly "Audio Guide" albums.

I don't like Porcupine Tree, and not sure if I've ever given Fen a shot. I'll try later today.

Claus