Maiden33's 100 Favorite Albums: A Countdown

[Maiden33]

I mentioned in PowerMaiden's thread that I had been strongly considering undertaking a giant countdown as he did. I will not be claiming these are all "albums that changed my life", but I can say with a fair degree of certainty that I'm quite confident in this list, and all of these albums mean a great deal to me. The list was primarily constructed solely based on how much I like the albums, though I definitely also added a grain of respect for the top bands and albums of the genres I love. That being said: Yes, I know I passed over some "obvious" selections, but at the end of the day, this is MY list, so I'll call the shots.
I tried VERY much to keep this to "One Album Per Band", but in the end I had to make a couple of exceptions. Less than 10 artists scored a second album on the list. I will generally be posting one selection per day (the first will come either yet tonight or tomorrow). Occasionally I may do more in a day, but 1 will be my general pace.

Comments are welcome, and hopefully I turn some of you onto some great stuff you've never heard of. I know some of you are interested in this thread solely for recommendations of stuff they don't usually listen to. So enjoy!

[MPF]

I also want to do something similar, but I know besides the top 20, there's no way I could get this in order. So I already give you major props.

Looking forward to the list!

[Maiden33]

#100:
Dominici - 03: A Trilogy, Part 2 (2007)


Kicking the list off with probably one of the most surprisingly great albums I've ever heard. Though I'm one of the few who actually really likes Dream Theater's debut album, I still never would've expected Charlie Dominici to resurrect his career in Progressive Metal 18 years later with an album THIS good. For starters, the band he enlisted (who went under the name Solid Vision without Charlie) are absolutely top-notch musicians, on par with the members of Dream Theater. He used their skills, the group's collective songwriting, and a unique and modern story concept to bring about this tour de force in Progressive Metal, exactly as it's meant to be. There are still those who will pass due to Charlie's somewhat atypical voice, but they're missing out.

Tracklisting:
01 The Monster (8:28)
02 Nowhere to Hide (5:06)
03 Captured (4:16)
04 Greed: The Evil Seed (7:26)
05 School of Pain (7:23)
06 The Calling (6:39)
07 The Real Life (3:26)
08 The Cop (4:48)
09 A New Hope (6:52)

Featured track:
"Greed: The Evil Seed"

[hellawaits77ny]

Looking forward to it.

[DisposableJustice]

So far so good


I like that you attach a "featured Track" so that those of us who don't know who the band is can check it out and maybe like it

[MPF]

Greed: The Evil Seed sounds A LOT like A Change Of Seasons. But I gotta say his voice has improved tremendously over the years.

[Maiden33]

#99:
Hammerfall - Legacy of Kings (1998)


Ah, yes - the golden age of power metal. Otherwise known as the only time when an album like this could be taken seriously. This album takes a lot of musical "suspension of disbelief" for me, but when I can put myself back in the mindset of me at 14, who was in love with all things power metal and unaware of the cheesy cliche-ness of it all, I can still really enjoy this album. Hammerfall's early work was actually pretty good, and though it's gone out of fashion and they've grown stale - I can still raise my proverbial sword in the air and enjoy the awesome ridiculousness.

Tracklisting:
01 Heeding the Call (4:30)
02 Legacy of Kings (4:16)
03 Let the Hammer Fall (4:13)
04 Dreamland (5:42)
05 Remember Yesterday (5:04)
06 At the End of the Rainbow (4:05)
07 Back to Back (3:39)
08 Stronger Than All (4:29)
09 Warriors of Faith (4:45)
10 The Fallen One (4:23)
Featured Song:
"Heeding the Call"

[x-voltage]

Yes!!!! So glad someone else is doing another 100 list. Keep it up man.

[treghet]

Thank you for posting links to songs. Makes it easier for lazy people like myself to check out the stuff I've never listened to.

[maidenpriest]

Really excited for this list!