There might have been a similar thread in the old forums, I am not sure but anyway let's start this up now.

Basically, I am looking for recommendations and discussion about theme albums made by metal artists. For example, Arjen Anthony Lucassen's Star One is a science-fiction styled progressive/heavy metal group that released two albums. Or another one, Desperados and Dezperadoz, (that are actually the reason for me to start this thread, thanks to Varoth for recommending them in the first place) are a side-project of Tom Angelripper + Alex Kraft playing western/country-influenced metal.

I think that these styles give a lot of variety to musicians' normal style and other musical styles have a lot of strong melodies that can be used in metal this way too. I mainly prefer more melodic stuff, and the bands I am looking for should actually be mixing the particular style with metal, not just using it in the background (lyrics, make-up etc..).

Thanks in advance.

edit:

Shortly: I am personally looking for recommendations of the field of theme albums that use those themes musically, not just in lyrics and/or background stories. However, since I am not able to edit the topic title this discussion is free for all kinds of concept albums now.

There is a band called Running Wild known for their pirate themes on most of their albums. I haven't heard them so I don't know if they are good or not, but my friend is a big fan and talks to me about them often. German heavy/power metal.

Yeah I like Victory a lot and have heard two other albums also, they do indeed have some musical pirateness in their songs and are definitely not bad so you should try taking a listen too.

I guess I should have listed some bands that I have already heard... and I cannot really think of any other bands at the moment. I'll edit this post if I remember something, just try me out with anything melodic.

Try Tobias Sammet's Avantasia - The Metal Opera if you haven't. It''s not overly different from the music Tobi writes for Edguy, but it's excellent nevertheless

If you're looking for music with certain themes to it, check out Nile , if you haven't already. They apply an Egyptian theme to their music, though it's not melodic.

Written by [user id=4184] on 18.06.2006 at 20:09

Try Tobias Sammet's Avantasia - The Metal Opera if you haven't. It''s not overly different from the music Tobi writes for Edguy, but it's excellent nevertheless

Thanks! I'll write the name down and try it.

Written by Stigmatized on 18.06.2006 at 20:32

If you're looking for music with certain themes to it, check out Nile , if you haven't already. They apply an Egyptian theme to their music, though it's not melodic.

I've heard some stuff, but overall the thing unfortunately is that I am not a lot into Death metal also I couldn't recognize a lot of musical influences from egyptian themes, which I would like to get with the music. Or then I am in a bad need of taking a re-listen.

Written by Immortalist on 18.06.2006 at 20:44

Written by [user id=4184] on 18.06.2006 at 20:09

Try Tobias Sammet's Avantasia - The Metal Opera if you haven't. It''s not overly different from the music Tobi writes for Edguy, but it's excellent nevertheless

Thanks! I'll write the name down and try it.

Written by Stigmatized on 18.06.2006 at 20:32

If you're looking for music with certain themes to it, check out Nile , if you haven't already. They apply an Egyptian theme to their music, though it's not melodic.

I've heard some stuff, but overall the thing unfortunately is that I am not a lot into Death metal also I couldn't recognize a lot of musical influences from egyptian themes, which I would like to get with the music. Or then I am in a bad need of taking a re-listen.

It kind-of depends on the album you heard. Try "In Their Darkened Shrines" or "Amongst The Catacombs of Nephren-Ka". Their other albums are excellent but the ones I mentioned may be more of what you would like. If you're not much of a DM fan, a little open-minded-ness will help.

My favourite concept albums are:

Therion "Secret of the Runes"- it deals with Norse mythology in the typical Therion style. It's probably their most progressive album and one of my personal favourites

Star One "Space Metal" - already mentioned above. This is some of the most enjoyable and fun metal I've ever heard. Being a sc-fi fan helps too! Each song is the story of a popular sci-fi movie/tv show/book and several vocalists play characters from each story. I'm in awe of Arjen's lyric writing here.. they never get cheesy!

After Forever "Invisible Circles" - this album was ruined by the insertion of dialogue in the middle of several great songs (the dialogue was awful but the main flaw was ruining the flow of the music). I re-discovered this album once I had the sense to edit the dialogue out. Now that the songs all flow smoothly I was able to realize the genius in this music. With each listen it climbs higher on my list of favourite albums

I never got concept albums... why do they do it? wasn't the music the main thing... for me an album needs to have songs that can stand on their own, not a story...

Well, if you're talking about concept albums then try Dream Theater's 'Metropolis, Pt II: Scenes From A Memory' or Queensryche's 'Operation Mindcrime'.

If you're talking about the 'feel' generated from an album then I suggest you try some of Arcturus' later albums. They make me thinmk of space pirates haha.

Ok I have to ask for a definition of a 'concept album' here, some of you are saying that it is an album based on some story yet you are mentioning musical differences too.

I'd like to point out that I am looking for musically different albums. As for an example, when Lyrinan mentioned Therion's Secret of The Runes and the album dealing with Norse mythology, the ideal would be that the album has musical influences from Norse Mythology too. Naturally a strong story will support the album also, but my main points are musical themes.

By the way, that was just an example. I haven't heard that particular album of Therion.

One of my favourites would be Watchtower's Energetic Disassembly which is all about a nuclear disaster.

Iron Maiden's Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son is an excellent concept album. It has a great story to it and is some of my favorite Maiden material of all time, the whole thing is brilliant. Try it out if you haven't already.

I don't think that this thread is about concept albums...this thread is about bands that keep one theme in all their music throughout their entire career...Bal-Sagoth is one of those bands that have a reorurring theme throughout their entire musical career...

Battlelore are a Finnish band, their theme is Tolkien. All 3 albums are about the stories.

Blind Guardian - Nightfall In Middle-Earth: based on The Silmarillion by Tolkien. Another Tolkien based album could be Wuthering Heights - Far From The Madding Crowd, but I not a hundred percent sure

Skyforger (pagan metal band from Latvia) has got album Latvian Riflemen - it's about war and Latvian riflemen.
Their another album The Battle of Saule is about older battles - it's about that time when vikings lived.

I edited the first post. Shortly; I want those themes these albums have to be heard in the music also, not just lyrics. Please, to convince me about the fact why the album is so good also mention what makes the music different/original/themed. Thanks!

There's Desperados (which you already know) and another great recommendation would be Melechesh; Black metal influenced strongly by oriental music, and the lyrics concern Mesopotomian mythology. Pretty much a unique band, when it comes to black metal.

@Immortalist: It's too late! With a thread titled "Theme Albums" you'll be getting people talking about theme albums without reading your first post. Theme albums nearly always have some lyrical theme or story throughout the album and rarely a new musical theme for the band. I suggest you open up a new topic for musical themes.

@ Varoth: Checking them out, as you already know

@ Lyrinan: Argh, I don't like this new thing in the new version of MS... I'll just let this live with all the options open then...

So, just check the first post again.

@Immortalist: What "new thing" are you talking about?

That I cannot edit the topic title in the first post.

Edge of Sanity Crimson I and II, they are both kick ass albums, and not to mentions Dan Swano did most of the instruments and mixing on Crimson by himself since his band split.

Like said earlier, Iron Maidens "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" is a must!
My absolute favorite album is Cradle of Filths "Damnation and a Day" and the theme in that album is the "Old Testament". Amazing lyrics!
Then we have Sepulturas "Dante XXI" which is about Dantes Inferno and how it would be today.

Orphaned land are excelent prog/folk metal from Isreal with a strong Middle Eastern theme in their music, with Middle Eastern isntruments etc. Lsitne tot he album Mabool. Also Finntroll's troll theme must be mentioned. Therion's secret of the Runes has a strong norse theme in the music as well as the lyrics.

Maybe I am wrong but I think that the forthcoming Iron Maiden album "A Matter of Life and Death" will be a theme album. I sure hope so

The album Enter by the Twelfth Gate by Michael Pinnella is a great concept album musically all of the songs flow into one another but there is no vocals also I will warn you it's nothing like Symphony X. Rhapsody has an ongoing theme in all of their albums they even have maps for fuck sake about the places they sing about in their songs and everything is based upon the book Rhapsody so they're a very themed based band lyrically.

Written by marinBG on 18.06.2006 at 22:33

I never got concept albums... why do they do it? wasn't the music the main thing... for me an album needs to have songs that can stand on their own, not a story...

Try out Kadenzza, and tell me if those songs cant hold out on their own. Great theme (Japanease version of little red riding hood)

Vintersorg - The Focusing Blur

It has some kind of scientific and philosophical concept...It's pretty hard to make scientific and pjilosophical melodies, but you kinda have a feeling that you are really in space and unfolding cosmical secrets...But that just a feeling I got...