Top Ten Albums - 2015

10. Pyramaze – Disciples of the Sun:

Nothing revolutionary, but a very solid and very well written effort from a band I’ve only just discovered this year. While still keeping to traditional prog elements, with technical precision ruling the day, Pyramaze crafts a concise and easily accessible record that doesn’t overstay its welcome. As seems to be the tradition in a great deal of prog metal, there is a power metal vibe and sound that permeates the record and there’s a whole hell of a lot of synth spread throughout. While not a turn-off for me, this could be reason enough for some to steer clear from the album. If, however, you’ve no problem with power metal and synth goodness, this is a top notch record that should definitely be added to your collection.

Jurassic World - Modern Satire

So, given I’ve let the movie sit for the several months after initially watching it in the theater and, having watched it again, I can confidently say that Jurassic World is actually a pretty damn good movie.  Despite my initial complaints upon first viewing the film, which, for the most part, still stand, it’s far from the travesty most of us Jurassic Park fans were thinking it was going to be based off the trailers.  Is it good or even up there with the original film?  Hell no, it doesn’t capture the magic and sense of wonder of Jurassic Park, but that’s not really a bad thing when one considers the inspiration behind the film.

Symphony X - Underworld

Well, I’ve had the album now for a couple weeks and, it’s a letdown, pure and simple. This year has been a great year in music for me, from Steven Wilson to Iron Maiden, damn near all of my favorite bands and musicians have, or are, releasing new material. When I heard Symphony X finally had a new album coming out, I was excited. The hype train fully took off when I read that Michael Romeo stated they were going to try to focus on the more symphonic/neo-classical elements that the band had been known for, while, of course, keeping with the faster/heavier style they’d taken since 2007’s Paradise Lost. However, despite this claim, the album is even more streamlined and heavy than both Paradise Lost and Iconoclast.