Best of 2014 thus far?

[Glen]

 

 

@ Geoff.

Surely Thief Club is your number 1 album.....how is a 9 song album an EP??

 

Nine? There are ten as far as I can count. Is it digital only? That might be his reason.

I hadn't heard the version with 'Oh Paul' on it and have only just heard the song as I type.

 

I've had the 9 song version all year, and trust me, I thought about a dozen times; I'm just going to put this on the normal list. But the reason I didn't? Because there is an intro and whatever you want to call that 'DMT' track - either way, I didn't rate either. So I was only rating 7 full songs from the album and felt that warranted a place as an EP rather than amongst 10 track albums. Right or wrong, that's my reasoning.

 

Nice list, Dave. I don't have the same feelings towards Sunstrike as you (to me they're just another standard hard rock band like a modern day Gotthard, Jaded Heart, Bonfire, Shakra kind of Euro hard rock band. The debut is solid, but for me it was too much like other more average hard rock bands that I don't really acknowledge as much these days) but aside from that one (and Darkhorse, SOS and Harmony) we have a pretty similar bunch of albums up the top.

Looks like a 10 track album to me with one being an intro but hey ho.

 

Loads of albums out there with 9 full tracks.

[Glen]

To me an EP is 4 tracks

[KarpetRydOFunk]

 

 

 

@ Geoff.

Surely Thief Club is your number 1 album.....how is a 9 song album an EP??

 

Nine? There are ten as far as I can count. Is it digital only? That might be his reason.

I hadn't heard the version with 'Oh Paul' on it and have only just heard the song as I type.

 

I've had the 9 song version all year, and trust me, I thought about a dozen times; I'm just going to put this on the normal list. But the reason I didn't? Because there is an intro and whatever you want to call that 'DMT' track - either way, I didn't rate either. So I was only rating 7 full songs from the album and felt that warranted a place as an EP rather than amongst 10 track albums. Right or wrong, that's my reasoning.

 

Nice list, Dave. I don't have the same feelings towards Sunstrike as you (to me they're just another standard hard rock band like a modern day Gotthard, Jaded Heart, Bonfire, Shakra kind of Euro hard rock band. The debut is solid, but for me it was too much like other more average hard rock bands that I don't really acknowledge as much these days) but aside from that one (and Darkhorse, SOS and Harmony) we have a pretty similar bunch of albums up the top.

Looks like a 10 track album to me with one being an intro but hey ho.

 

Loads of albums out there with 9 full tracks.

And is a 1:40 intro really an intro? I just listened to some early Danko Jones, when most of his songs were shorter than that.

[Dead Planet]

If I don't get a least 8 full songs it is an EP....IMO...

[Glen]

That makes 2 of my fav albums EPs....Marillion's Script & Fugazi !!!

 

;-)

[KarpetRydOFunk]

I really like Neal Morse's EP, Sola Scriptura. ;}

[Geoff]

 

 

 

 

@ Geoff.

Surely Thief Club is your number 1 album.....how is a 9 song album an EP??

Nine? There are ten as far as I can count. Is it digital only? That might be his reason.

I hadn't heard the version with 'Oh Paul' on it and have only just heard the song as I type.

 

I've had the 9 song version all year, and trust me, I thought about a dozen times; I'm just going to put this on the normal list. But the reason I didn't? Because there is an intro and whatever you want to call that 'DMT' track - either way, I didn't rate either. So I was only rating 7 full songs from the album and felt that warranted a place as an EP rather than amongst 10 track albums. Right or wrong, that's my reasoning.

 

Nice list, Dave. I don't have the same feelings towards Sunstrike as you (to me they're just another standard hard rock band like a modern day Gotthard, Jaded Heart, Bonfire, Shakra kind of Euro hard rock band. The debut is solid, but for me it was too much like other more average hard rock bands that I don't really acknowledge as much these days) but aside from that one (and Darkhorse, SOS and Harmony) we have a pretty similar bunch of albums up the top.

Looks like a 10 track album to me with one being an intro but hey ho.

 

Loads of albums out there with 9 full tracks.

And is a 1:40 intro really an intro? I just listened to some early Danko Jones, when most of his songs were shorter than that.

 

 

 

'Brand New Ways' is a great intro too. One of those ones where you really wish they'd made a full song out of it.

[Glen]

The readers at Rock Report sure know their stuff - they nailed that top 5 (except for White Widdow is too low at about 15)

 

1. H.e.a.t - Tearing Down The Walls

2. Work Of Art - Framework

3. Seven - 7

4. Harem Scarem - Thirteen

5. Brother Firetribe - Diamond In The Firepit

 

 

Also Crazy Lixx is at about No 19 which is spot on.....

 

Angels or Kings is a nice lowly No 40 (maybe a bit too high lol)

 

Red Dragon Cartel in last place

 

Couldnt agree more................

 

;-)

[Nightrain]

I agree with most of Rockreport's reviews, one of the most accurate website I guess

[The Rocker]

The readers at Rock Report sure know their stuff - they nailed that top 5 (except for White Widdow is too low at about 15)

 

1. H.e.a.t - Tearing Down The Walls

2. Work Of Art - Framework

3. Seven - 7

4. Harem Scarem - Thirteen

5. Brother Firetribe - Diamond In The Firepit

 

 

Also Crazy Lixx is at about No 19 which is spot on.....

 

Angels or Kings is a nice lowly No 40 (maybe a bit too high lol)

 

Red Dragon Cartel in last place

 

Couldnt agree more................

 

;-)

Work Of Art= Boring for me

[Geoff]

It's a very safe, "predictable" kind of top 5 (except Seven, of course). The kind of top 5 you'd predict at the start of the year, before actually hearing the albums. Once you heard those albums, though, listing them as your top 5 is kind of like just making sure your predictions look good in hindsight, rather than actually choosing the albums you liked best from the year.

 

It's also the kind of top 5 obviously selected in large part by people who only listened to the "big name" releases of the year. Not that it's a bad list by any means... just very predictable.

[Glen]

And correct

[Geoff]

Not sure how it can be correct without Vega in the picture. Seriously, when I started playing both the HEAT and the Work Of Art albums separately last year, I thought for sure I was listening to the album of the year on each occasion. But on both occasions, both CDs offered plenty of proof that they were not worthy of the highest honours. Both are very good albums, that I have not denied. But not the best of the year, imo of course.

[Glen]

And correct

Well let me just clarify that point.

 

Correct in that most of the big releases delivered and there were very few surprises - for me at least. Night by Night and Seven certainly did surprise me....perhaps Darkhorse as well but little else.

 

Where the list more agreed with my opinion was the lower placing on some releases like In Faith, Angels or Kings and Crazy Lixx and given that this was a poll, I wasnt alone in my thoughts.

 

For the record Vega was in the top 10.

[heavyharmonies]

I'm hating this. I have 6 albums for my top 5 and for the life of me I absolutely CANNOT decide which one to boot. But I'm going to be fair and cut it to 5 at some point, since I've insisted that other participants in the HH Top 5 process keep it to 5.

 

My top 5 is looking NOTHING like the lists I posted in this thread earlier in the year. The second half of the year was very strong as far as my acquisitions are concerned.

 

A couple that will make my list are surprisingly (to me) not ranked that highly on some of the lists here or are missing entirely. There's one in particular that is top notch melodic ear candy that I'm baffled isn't getting more acclaim.

 

Then again, there's at least one that people are ranking high across the board that gets a resounding "meh" from me.

 

There's just no accounting for the filtering that one's ears provide...

 

P.S. Lest anyone assume I'm sticking with a predictable or previously revealed formula, shockingly neither Within Temptation nor Babymetal are in my top 5.

[Nightrain]

ok Dan, waiting for your final list but please no Babymetal in your top 10

[KarpetRydOFunk]

ok Dan, waiting for your final list but please no Babymetal in your top 10

 

They only do Top 5 for the main site.

[Geoff]

The second half of the year was very strong as far as my acquisitions are concerned.

 

Then again, there's at least one that people are ranking high across the board that gets a resounding "meh" from me.

 

The second half of the year, without percentage of doubt, was when all the action happened. Definitely the better half of the year. I think about 70% of my top 10 were from the later part of the year.

 

I'll bet you ownership of this site that the release you're talking about in your second point is White Widdow.

[Glen]

Err I bet its Vega

[Geoff]

Which is it, Dan? I own this site and Glen's house if it's White Widdow. If its Vega, it's business as usual.

[Geoff]

Err I bet its Vega

 

Just had a look over Dan's 2012/3 picks and couldn't help but notice that the best album of 2013 - Vega's 'What the Hell' - did not even rate as an "also ran," so it looks like you're right. Dan, I am disgusted by your hatred of good music!

[Glen]

 

Err I bet its Vega

 

Just had a look over Dan's 2012/3 picks and couldn't help but notice that the best album of 2013 - Vega's 'What the Hell' - did not even rate as an "also ran," so it looks like you're right. Dan, I am disgusted by your hatred of good music!

So am I lol

[heavyharmonies]

Which is it, Dan? I own this site and Glen's house if it's White Widdow. If its Vega, it's business as usual.

Dasfunny, I don't recall accepting a bet...

 

Akshually, you're both correct. In this case, you're right. It's White Widdow, although it provokes the same reaction as Vega did earlier this year.

 

Repeated listenings just don't "click" for some reason. There's no logical reason for it, as the execution is well done and the production is good, but 5 minutes after I get done listening, I've forgotten the album. I don't find myself absently humming or re-hearing in my mind; there's no staying power...

 

Same thing with the In Faith album. I can't point to anything wrong with it at all. Yet it doesn't provoke the reaction I expect or want when an album resonates with me. If I can't get songs out of my head or I find myself relistening to songs or the entire album repeatedly, that's how I know an album has "it". The albums albums in question, while technically execellent, don't provoke "it" for me.

 

We all have our listening preferences and/or idiosyncracies. You dislike anything with strongly accented vocals or lyrics in another language, whereas I don't find those to be immediate disqualifiers.

 

As incomprehensible as my not loving White Widdow or Vega seems to you, there's a particular album that (IMO) craps all over both of those from an ear candy perspective, yet you and others have it in the mid 70s and have barely discussed it, which I don't understand.

 

The answer: We don't all hear the same things or focus on the same aspects of the music, and certain things resonate more strongly than others with each of us.

 

 

Just had a look over Dan's 2012/3 picks and couldn't help but notice that the best album of 2013 - Vega's 'What the Hell' - did not even rate as an "also ran," so it looks like you're right. Dan, I am disgusted by your hatred of good music!

In all fairness, if an album doesn't appear anywhere in my lists, it says nothing about the quality of the album, but rather that I didn't get to hear it that year.

 

 

 

One last thing... regarding artists that release similar/identical albums over and over, i.e., "The AC/DC Effect". Why is that considered a positive for some artists but a negative for others?

 

Geoff, earlier you said the following in my response to Amaranthe being in my top 20 or so for the year:

 

Amaranthe - AC/DC's 38th album. Just identical to their last two, to a T.

Presumably that was meant as a negative... so why does Harem Scarem - Thirteen get as much love as it does? Let's be honest: the HS album is nothing new from them. It's the same damned stuff they release every album...

 

... but it's GOOD. I love the album. It's in my top 10 for the year, as it seems to be for most here. So why does "saminess" (for lack of a better word) not penalize Harem Scarem, but is portrayed as a negative for Amaranthe? Is it the length of the discography, i.e., Harem Scarem has so many albums that being similar isn't a bad thing, whereas Amaranthe has a small discography so you're expecting still innovation and/or evolution?

[Glen]

Theres quite a bit of variation in the HS discography.

 

For me anyway.

 

Agree with everything else you say of course. Its all about taste and by God our tastes differ but that's what makes it fun discussing it and makes us scratch our heads when we disagree so much lol.

 

Looking forward to the end of year lists from you guys.

[Geoff]

Yeah, sorry Dan, I don't hear "saminess" in Harem Scarem. Hess/Lesperance probably have the single most distinct song writing style of any duo, possibly ever. Their ability to find a great hook is a pure delight. But I don't think for a second they've ever settled for writing the same album twice. Look at the polar difference between the debut and 'Mood Swings.' And aside from their distinct ear for a hook, it'd be hard to say that 'Thirteen' sounds anything at all like their debut, or 'Mood Swings,' or 'Believe' or even 'Weight of the world.' Even from 'Weight of the world' to 'Hope' - completely different albums, imo.

 

I dunno, to each their own, but I definitely don't think HS have really repeated themselves at all. Each disc seems to have it's own vibe and style.

 

The thing I was saying about Amaranthe, and I don't think anyone would disagree, is that you can pull any one song off any of there albums and put it on any of their other albums and it would not be out of place - you could never tell it's from a different album or year.

 

If you put 'Saviours Never Cry' on Harem Scarem's debut you'd be all like WHAT THE FUCK??!! Or 'Starlight' on either of those two CDs... it would just be as obvious as a pug in a litter of kittens.

 

But yeah, anyway, to each their own. Maybe I hear HS with different ears compared to someone who is maybe not as enthusiastic about the band as I am.

 

As for the album I rated in the 70's that is better than WW and Vega... I am tugging my balls with anticipation to find out who it is. If I made a random guess it'd be Outloud, but I don't really believe it. Got no idea to be honest, but I can't wait to find out.

 

Anyway, just quickly on White Widdow and Vega, I kind of get it about WW. I love the style and I love the CD. Even though it was my favourite CD of the year, though, it's my 3rd favourite White Widdow CD. I much prefer the other two, even though this is very nice. As for Vega - I can't fault them and I don't know why everyone doesn't love them.