My Top 10 of 2021 ......

[LarryD]

It has been a weird year musically, as well as personally ..... moods changed a lot during this time, and my musical tastes or choices went along with it. I attribute more to the crap going on around us than I do age - which is easy to point to, but the feeling is a lot different. That said, I've been talking about not listening to metal a lot lately, yet as I peruse my list, most of it is metal. Now that I attribute to age. These are in no order, except the #1 disc at the end which I'm sure some of you will have a WTF moment instantly. It's all about the emotion of this music - not how many times I listen to a disc.

THE STRANGER / Kaleidoscope -
This came out early on in the year, and I could tell it would hit the Top 10 easily. Lots of people didn't care for this one,but I did as it comes off as being a little different than the norm. It's powerful, melodic, modern ( which I normally don't care for ) and the vocals are cool.

CAST / Vigesimus -
This hybrid of Shadow Gallery, Arena, maybe some Kansas with a Broadway styled singer hooked me from the first listen. So much so that I hunted down their long lost bluray to which I believed I had found the last one on the planet, until The Lasers Edge found a batch as well. This is heavy prog rock like the mentioned bands with a guitarist who thinks he is in a metal band. Excellent.

AD INFINITUM / Chapter 2: Legacy -
I didn't expect more than one female fronted band on this list, and I certainly thought Epica would be that one. Strangely, this band crept in and has changed up their style just a bit going from a Kamelot style band to a more Evanescence style sound this time around with a female singer that really shines. Great job at maintaining their identity while changing up style a bit.

ACOLYTE / Entropy -
The other female fronted band with a completely different sound and style from the one above. This one is more melodic prog metal with some Voyager thrown in for good measure. One of the better prog metal discs I've heard this year that wasn't the norm.

EVERGREY / Escape of the Phoenix -
It's not only good to see the boys coming out and topping what they did over the past few discs, but it is also nice to see them back on Best lists, including mine. NOt much more to see said than what others have, and Tom's aggression is what they needed I guess to get back to their game.

POVERTY'S NO CRIME / A Secret to Hide -
My boys come out firing once again and in great shape after all of these years. Like Vanden Plas, and many other bands that we've worshipped over the years, this band has just released quality disc after quality disc for the past 22 or so years, and they do it well. This one even better than the last few, much like what Evergrey did.

TURBULENCE / Frontal -
Another early on this year band that came out hitting hard. I just watched some of their videos recently to catch me up on their sound again, and realized how great this band is. I didn't think that they would not end up on my list, but watching those videos made me realize why. Excellent chops and vocals.

LEGACY PILOTS / The Penrose Triangle -
My new found love fest with a band. Just when I was discovering how great their last disc AVIATION was, they released this one and wowed me all over again. It is so difficult to describe this band - like Alan Parsons project mixed with bits of all kinds of influences ranging from Moody Blues, to ELP, to Kansas and so many more. It is a finely polished band, with a hybrid sound of prog rock, pop rock, melodic rock and Neo-Prog. All kinds of guests appear on the disc, as well as having excellent vocals throughout. If I'm not listening to metal, this is what I'm listening to.

DREAM THEATER / A View from the Top of the World -
Glenn said it, now I'll say it. How did this not come out as #1 on my list as it normally would ? And how dare I put another prog metal disc before it as #1 ? The answer is what most people are saying. It's DT - it's great - and it's SAFE. Yes it is better than the past few discs, and they are all great songs. But this is what we expect to happen, it just didn't blow me away like the #1 disc on my list did.

And now for my #1 disc of 2021 ---

NEED / Norchestrion - A Song for the End -
Every time I play this, I remind myself that I need to go back and get back into the previous discs in the trilogy. I saw them at ProgPower, and they were good but didn't hit me like they did others. Nor did their last disc hit me like it did others. This one - did. I played this again just before I wrote this list, and I kept thinking, "these vocals and melodies move me inside like none of the other discs do" ..... In fact this disc reminds me a lot of Ray Alder's solo disc which I loved for the same reasons.....its just another band doing the same thing. There is something about this guys vocal delivery that sets this disc apart from all the others. I can't help feeling whatever this guy is feeling. Very emotional - and that is what sets this disc apart from everything else I've heard this year.

[Random Axe]

That is really cool you've done a 180 on Need. For me, they've recorded two of my top ten albums since 2010.

PNC is a great album. I'd always liked them, but this one is def my favorite of theirs.

[introclaus]

It has been a weird year musically, as well as personally ..... moods changed a lot during this time, and my musical tastes or choices went along with it. I attribute more to the crap going on around us than I do age - which is easy to point to, but the feeling is a lot different. That said, I've been talking about not listening to metal a lot lately, yet as I peruse my list, most of it is metal. Now that I attribute to age. These are in no order, except the #1 disc at the end which I'm sure some of you will have a WTF moment instantly. It's all about the emotion of this music - not how many times I listen to a disc.

I kind of hear you Larry. I know I make fun of you all the time about the "age" thing, but to a certain point you're correct. Getting old sucks, mostly because all those things we could do when we were younger, just ain't possible anymore (there's no way I could survive a 3-day drinking binge like ProgPower today lol).

THE STRANGER / Kaleidoscope -
This came out early on in the year, and I could tell it would hit the Top 10 easily. Lots of people didn't care for this one,but I did as it comes off as being a little different than the norm. It's powerful, melodic, modern ( which I normally don't care for ) and the vocals are cool.

Yes I really like this one as well. It's a strong album and I think they have a great future ahead of them.

CAST / Vigesimus -
This hybrid of Shadow Gallery, Arena, maybe some Kansas with a Broadway styled singer hooked me from the first listen. So much so that I hunted down their long lost bluray to which I believed I had found the last one on the planet, until The Lasers Edge found a batch as well. This is heavy prog rock like the mentioned bands with a guitarist who thinks he is in a metal band. Excellent.

Wonderful find this year - can not believe there's such an amazing neo-prog band from Mexico of all places that we hadn't heard about until this year (And with such an extensive back catalogue).

AD INFINITUM / Chapter 2: Legacy -
I didn't expect more than one female fronted band on this list, and I certainly thought Epica would be that one. Strangely, this band crept in and has changed up their style just a bit going from a Kamelot style band to a more Evanescence style sound this time around with a female singer that really shines. Great job at maintaining their identity while changing up style a bit.

I really love the debut but have felt completely underwhelmed by this second chapter. Now I see it pop up on multiple lists ... what the heck am I missing?

ACOLYTE / Entropy -
The other female fronted band with a completely different sound and style from the one above. This one is more melodic prog metal with some Voyager thrown in for good measure. One of the better prog metal discs I've heard this year that wasn't the norm.

This just didn't appeal to me at all (then again, I dislike Voyager, so perhaps that is why ...).

POVERTY'S NO CRIME / A Secret to Hide -
My boys come out firing once again and in great shape after all of these years. Like Vanden Plas, and many other bands that we've worshipped over the years, this band has just released quality disc after quality disc for the past 22 or so years, and they do it well. This one even better than the last few, much like what Evergrey did.

Superb comeback! Best disc they've done since 1999 (I still prefer the first 3 albums over this one though).

TURBULENCE / Frontal -
Another early on this year band that came out hitting hard. I just watched some of their videos recently to catch me up on their sound again, and realized how great this band is. I didn't think that they would not end up on my list, but watching those videos made me realize why. Excellent chops and vocals.

I'm gonna have to relisten, but I just wasn't feeling it when it came out.

LEGACY PILOTS / The Penrose Triangle -
My new found love fest with a band. Just when I was discovering how great their last disc AVIATION was, they released this one and wowed me all over again. It is so difficult to describe this band - like Alan Parsons project mixed with bits of all kinds of influences ranging from Moody Blues, to ELP, to Kansas and so many more. It is a finely polished band, with a hybrid sound of prog rock, pop rock, melodic rock and Neo-Prog. All kinds of guests appear on the disc, as well as having excellent vocals throughout. If I'm not listening to metal, this is what I'm listening to.

I can totally see why you love this. It's good for what it is, just not my style. Impressive list of guest musicians!

DREAM THEATER / A View from the Top of the World -
Glenn said it, now I'll say it. How did this not come out as #1 on my list as it normally would ? And how dare I put another prog metal disc before it as #1 ? The answer is what most people are saying. It's DT - it's great - and it's SAFE. Yes it is better than the past few discs, and they are all great songs. But this is what we expect to happen, it just didn't blow me away like the #1 disc on my list did.

Definitely their best in MANY years (and I actually liked the last one as well).

NEED / Norchestrion - A Song for the End -
Every time I play this, I remind myself that I need to go back and get back into the previous discs in the trilogy. I saw them at ProgPower, and they were good but didn't hit me like they did others. Nor did their last disc hit me like it did others. This one - did. I played this again just before I wrote this list, and I kept thinking, "these vocals and melodies move me inside like none of the other discs do" ..... In fact this disc reminds me a lot of Ray Alder's solo disc which I loved for the same reasons.....its just another band doing the same thing. There is something about this guys vocal delivery that sets this disc apart from all the others. I can't help feeling whatever this guy is feeling. Very emotional - and that is what sets this disc apart from everything else I've heard this year.

Very strong album that sits so well between Alder-fronted Fates Warning and mid-era Pain of Salvation. Yes, super emotional, and great melodies all over the disc.

[Hearing Aid Man]

I see a couple on your list (Need and Cast) that would make my top 20. Perhaps they would've been higher, but the cds seemed to be out of stock whenever I had something else to order. Funny this was the 1st Need album that clicked instantly with me though I enjoy all of them. Cast blew me away immediately as well. Heavily influenced by many old proggy favorites of mine. Couldn't believe the number of releases they had when I searched their discography.