1.Avantasia - Angel Of Babylon

2.Avantasia - The Wicked Symphony

3.Volbeat - Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies

4.Evergrey - Hymns For The Broken

5.Accept - Blood Of The Nations

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Must Listen: The First 3

1.Evergrey - Hymns For The Broken

2.Primal Fear - Delivering The Black

3.Nightingale - Retribution

4.Voyager - V

5.Dynazty - Renatus

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1.Evergrey - Hymns For The Broken

2.Primal Fear - Delivering The Black

3.Vanden Plas - Chronicles Of The Immortals: Netherworld (Path 1)

4.Threshold - For The Journey

5.Voyager - V

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Progressive metal has some of the most creative musicians in metal, but the tendency for progressive bands to make extremely long, technical songs with no sense of structure can be turnoff to some people, and often these bands take themselves too seriously, making them unenjoyable for people who like their metal to have some good rock n' roll fun. These bands frequently avoid such prog cliches, they are completely capable of writing a pop song without sacrificing complexity if they choose to, and weave a range of influences in creative and even fun ways.

1.Devin Townsend - Accelerated Evolution

2.Porcupine Tree - In Absentia

3.Toehider - What Kind Of Creature Am I?

4.Coheed and Cambria - Volume 4

5.Mastodon - Once More 'Round The Sun

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1.Seven Impale - City The Sun

2.Gazpacho - Demon

3.The Pineapple Thief - Magnolia

4.Mastodon - Once More 'Round The Sun

5.Amplifier - Mystoria

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A very heavy year for progressive metal and for the first time in 10 years, an unknown band to me takes the crown.

1.Need - Orvam: A Song For Home

2.Vanden Plas - Chronicles Of The Immortals: Netherworld (Path 1)

3.RPWL - Wanted

4.Scar Symmetry - The Singularity (Phase I - Neohumanity)

5.Anubis Gate - Horizons

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1.Freak Kitchen - Cooking With Pagans

2.Threshold - For The Journey

3.Serdce - Timelessness

4.Lux Occulta - Kołysanki

5.Freedom Call - Beyond

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Cos, y'know, same shiz different year. Ran out of space again so will post final album opinions in comments.

1.Infestus - The Reflecting Void

2.Dirge - Hyperion

3.Nero Di Marte - Derivae

4.Steve Rothery - The Ghosts Of Pripyat

5.Agalloch - The Serpent & The Sphere

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100% subjective.
I also listened to albums far from metal or metal world (Hanggai, Lisa Gerrard, ...) but I decided not to list them there.

Updated constantly - feel free to recommend something to check out.

1.Darkspace - Dark Space III I

2.Blues Pills - Blues Pills

3.Earth - Primitive And Deadly

4.Aenaon - Extance

5.Triptykon - Melana Chasmata

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My favourite albums of 2014. (In order of preference, and only including albums I would rate 7+).

1.The Contortionist - Language

2.Rings Of Saturn - Lugal Ki En

3.Archspire - The Lucid Collective

4.Xerath - III

5.Fallujah - The Flesh Prevails

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As per title. This list only shows albums that I enjoyed and are in four lists or less at the time of adding, because there's no point in adding what everyone has already. This is not aiming to be the most extreme or the quirkiest, but I love good music, and I hope you do too. Shall be updated periodically; Listed in no particular order.

1.E-Force - The Curse...

2.Ludicrous - Altar Boy Discocult

3.Narrow House - Thanathonaut

4.Shear - Katharsis

5.Arsafes - Ratocracy

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1.Opeth - Pale Communion

2.Evergrey - Hymns For The Broken

3.Delain - The Human Contradiction

4.Arch Enemy - War Eternal

5.Within Temptation - Hydra

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Pretty much every album that's caught my attention over the year, including non-metal. (Variety is a virtue, y'know )

I'll only be commenting on albums that I've given enough time to really form an opinion on. Chances are albums that failed to interest me beyond a first listen will eventually be removed from the list.

1.Swans - To Be Kind

2.Darren Korb - Transistor Original Soundtrack

3.Bent Knee - Shiny Eyed Babies

4.Gazpacho - Demon

5.Vampillia - My Beautiful Twisted Nightmares In Aurora Rainbow Darkness

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My list of 2014 likes (to be expanded). Notes can and will change during the year, since I like listening to albums multiple times and have a really good view before the final note.

I'd say 3/5 is my default note, just an okay CD with nothing spectacular.

1.Soen - Tellurian

2.Opeth - Pale Communion

3.Evergrey - Hymns For The Broken

4.Ne Obliviscaris - Citadel

5.Threshold - For The Journey

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Rating:
10 - Allmost impossible to get. The band need to create something astronomical good.
9 - Only the best albums of the year gets this.
8 - A really good album on all levels.
7 - A good album, but nothing special.
6 - An average album with some good songs.
5 - Not a good album, maybe 1 or 2 good songs.
4 and below - I rather not waste my time on it...

1.

2.Ne Obliviscaris - Citadel

3.Behemoth - The Satanist

4.Vanden Plas - Chronicles Of The Immortals: Netherworld (Path 1)

5.Beyond Creation - Earthborn Evolution

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